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Herald of Death(1-15)

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  Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/689846.
  Rating:
  Explicit
  Archive Warning:
  Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
  Category:
  F/M, F/F, Multi
  Fandom:
  Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Smallville
  Relationship:
  Harry Potter/Kara Zor-El, Harry Potter/Karen Starr, Harry Potter/Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent/Lana Lang, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne
  Character:
  Harry Potter, Kara Zor-El, Clark Kent, Karen Starr, Chloe Sullivan, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Lionel Luthor, Tess Mercer, Bruce Wayne, Brainiac, Davis Bloome, General Zod, Ra's al Ghul, Dick Grayson, Darkseid, Talia al Ghul, Lily Evans, Jor-El
  Series:
  Part 1 of Herald of Death
  Stats:
   Published: 2013-02-18 Completed: 2013-05-20 Chapters: 61/61 Words: 488897
  Herald of Death
  by megamatt09
  
  Summary
  
  A war of a different kind breaks out post-Voldemort and three years later, it leaves Harry Potter the last surviving magical user in Europe. Death visits him, and informs him of his role. Starts Smallville Season Seven. Harry/Kara/Chloe/Kara(Earth-2).
  Chapter 1
  
  
  Chapter One: Herald.
  
  Green eyes looked onto the charred grounds of the village of Hogsmeade. The broken and battered bodies right near his feet, as he stepped right over them.
  
  "Did you succeed?" asked Aberforth Dumbledore, as he sat against the walls of his own pub, a large hole in his chest.
  
  "Define success," said Harry coolly.
  
  "Is the uprising over?" coughed Aberforth as the blood splattered out of his mouth.
  
  "I killed them all," said Harry, as he faced Aberforth Dumbledore, with indifference.
  
  "Then you've won," said Aberforth as he drew breath. "Do not allow my brother's dogma about how people deserve second chances taint you from beyond his grave. His second chances got many killed. Four wars in less than a century, our world is in ruin."
  
  Harry nodded, in a solemn manner. He stepped over, as he clutched the Resurrection Stone in one hand, the Elder Wand in the other, and the Invisibility Cloak was over his back.
  
  "Could I bring it back?" asked Harry. "I'm supposed to be the Master of Death after all. I have the Hallows."
  
  "Well, just don't bring me back," whispered Aberforth in a stern voice. "I see the light, I'm going home. My sister is waiting for me. You can move on in life, you've always been versatile."
  
  "Thanks Aberforth," muttered Harry as he watched the old man die.
  
  Harry stood, the Hallows in his hand and walked forward, up towards Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It resembled the ruins that Muggles would have seen now more than ever. Harry continued to walk through the hallways of Hogwarts, no one had been here for a long time. People died, but in the end, he found himself ready to move on.
  
  The moment Voldemort was killed; he thought a new chapter of his life began. Two years and ten months ago, they had a few moments of happiness. Then, the sins of the past war caught up and a new threat manifested itself.
  
  Harry walked up to the Gryffindor Common Room and pushed the ripped portrait back. He sat on his old bed. The Resurrection Stone held in his hand and Harry looked at it, thoughtfully.
  
  "I wonder," whispered Harry, as he held it and turned it around three times. "I wish to speak to...Hermione Granger."
  
  The form of Hermione Granger appeared right in front of him, a twisted distortion of herself. A frown appeared on her face as she faced Harry.
  
  "Harry, this better be good, pulling me out of the afterlife like that!" yelled Hermione in a frantic manner.
  
  "Just never got to say goodbye," said Harry, as he looked at his friend with a smile.
  
  "You don't realize the dangers do you," muttered Hermione. "How much of a danger we pose to living people, just by being here?"
  
  "Hermione, I know you're not going to take over someone's body and rob them of their life," said Harry.
  
  "Harry, you can't...I'm not Hermione, I'm just an echo," said Hermione, as she looked at Harry with a frown. "You risk a lot by bringing me here."
  
  "Hermione, I got her, I got the person who killed you," said Harry.
  
  "Harry, I'm glad, I know you would eventually," said Hermione as she looked around frantically. "I can't believe..."
  
  "The Ministry caused it, and Umbridge, people like her," said Harry as Hermione nodded. "We never did find all of your body."
  
  "Is there anyone left?" asked Hermione.
  
  Harry pondered that one. "That's a good question actually, come to think about it."
  
  "Send me back, Harry, before I get tempted to steal someone's body," said Hermione. "Being a disembodied spirit, it hurts too much, and...unless its life or death, promise me you won't recall anyone ever again."
  
  "Hermione, I won't, but I just..." said Harry.
  
  "The dead should stay buried, Harry," said Hermione. "The world needs you still; I don't know how I know, just send me back. Now let me go."
  
  "Good bye, Hermione, rest in peace," muttered Harry, as he sent his best friend back to the afterlife for the final time.
  
  Harry sat and pondered what to do next.
  
  "I wished there could have been a third option years ago when I had the chance," the Boy-Who-Lived managed in an off handed manner.
  
  No sooner did those words leave his mouth where the world disappeared around him. Harry reappeared in in a large dark hallway. With the wand out in his hand, Harry stepped down the hallway. He came face to face with a figure in a large black robe.
  
  'Dementor,' thought Harry. 'No it can't be...'
  
  The hood lowered. Harry turned to face a woman with long dark hair and purple eyes. She gazed upon Harry.
  
  "Greetings Harry Potter, welcome to my realm, where I judge mortals for passage," said the woman, with a shadow of a smile. "I must say, it is high time you accepted your role."
  
  Harry stared at the woman, confused.
  
  "Just who are you?" demanded Harry, as he braced himself for a battle.
  
  "Oh, I have many names," she said in amusement, clutching a scythe. "The Angel of the Afterlife, the Keeper of Souls, the Grim Reaper, but you may to refer to me as Death."
  
  Harry blinked and looked at her. He just gave a chuckle.
  
  "You're Death?" asked Harry, as he looked at the woman. She nodded.
  
  "Sorry, I just can't see it," said Harry.
  
  "Mortals never see through my disguises," said Death as she tapped the end of her scythe on the ground. "Any form I choose at any time, this is just what I intended to present myself as."
  
  Silence filled the air, and then she added, "An attractive woman makes it much easier to bring in the elderly men, for the reasons you may have guessed."
  
  Harry's expression remained blank, as he tried to figure out what her little game was.
  
  "We have wasted too much time on who I am," said Death. "The subject of this interview is you Harry Potter. You are the Chosen One."
  
  Harry looked at her and rolled her eyes.
  
  "Yeah, congratulations, you just missed the bus on that one about three years too late," said Harry, as he took a step forward. "The prophecy, Voldemort, who is dead I should note..."
  
  "That infant Riddle was mere child's play," said Death. "He was merely phase one of my plans for you. Phase two was the three year war you had with the uprising that his actions and the actions of your foolish Ministry caused. When you were ready to accept your fate, I would come for you. Then again, for a thousand years, I waited for this moment. The entire Wizarding World never could have been saved. Much like the Mayans, the Romans, and other lost civilizations, they had their time and now it has ended."
  
  Harry looked at her. He had a hunch this might be going in a direction that he did not like.
  
  "It was merely one scheme until the time was right for you to unite the three keys," said Death.
  
  "What three keys?" demanded Harry, as he took after step forward. Death stepped back and conjured a white board.
  
  "The Cloak of Invisibility," narrated Death in a dull voice, as she showed Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
  
  Next, a familiar stone appeared right in Harry's view.
  
  "The Stone of Resurrection," narrated Death.
  
  Then the stone disappeared and a wand appeared.
  
  "The Wand of Eternity," concluded Death.
  
  "And here I thought it was called the Elder Wand," said Harry.
  
  "Do not correct me on the things I name," said Death as she tapped her fingers. "You have the three keys, mastered them, and combined them."
  
  "So, the Deathly Hallows?" asked Harry.
  
  "Yes, if that must be what you mortals have dubbed them," said Death. "Yes, for lack of a better term, you have united the Deathly Hallows."
  
  Death remained pensive.
  
  "These Deathly Hallows, and their role in that children's fable you once heard, are as close to the truth as mortals will ever again," said Death. "The truth of the matter is I placed the Hallows into the hands of those three brothers with a purpose. Do not think for one second that mere mortals could fool me."
  
  She reflected on the incident. "The oldest idiot decided to brag he had the ultimate wand. As a result, his throat was slit and the wand stolen. The middle idiot tried to bring back his girlfriend. He got an echo that seduced him to the afterlife. The youngest idiot was the smartest of the three. He remained out of sight, until he was bored. Then he followed me peacefully."
  
  A slight smile appeared on her face at the memories.
  
  "In the end, only idiot wizards could go on some fanciful quest for some curse stick of wood for centuries," muttered the woman, as she recalled every moment of the struggles for the Wand of Eternity.
  
  "So the wand's cursed," said Harry, as he wondered what he had been drafted into.
  
  "Harry Potter, I would not as foolish to put such a powerful weapon up to chance," said Death. "Only the one worthy to hold it would be able to access its capabilities, once he was ready."
  
  Harry had a bad feeling where this was going, but he took things in stride until he knew for sure.
  
  "The Wand of Eternity is unbeatable in the hands of those worthy of holding it," said Death. "Yet, all who have held it up until you have been unworthy. Therefore, they got sent into my waiting arms one by one."
  
  Slowly, Harry nodded.
  
  "So, since I united all three Hallows, that makes me the Master of Death," said Harry.
  
  "Only death can master death, Harry Potter," said Death. "It is a fundamental law of the universe."
  
  She then added, "You are the Herald of Death. You have powers, in addition to the magic you learned in the past several years. Further explanation will come shortly."
  
  "I'm thrilled," said Harry in a dead pan voice.
  
  "Yes, I'm certain," said Death.
  
  "So, this is a choice I should have made three years ago," said Harry.
  
  "Three years ago, you may have not been ready, even if I could have trained you," said Death. "I would not have allowed you to move on. You can know that for certain."
  
  "How can you not allow it?" asked Harry.
  
  "Harry Potter, your purpose is far greater than your emotional attachment to those you had lost," said Death, as she moved over. She motioned for Harry to sit down, but Harry refused. "Fine, you can stand."
  
  "I can find a way to bring them back, undo what is done," said Harry. "Time travel..."
  
  "No, time travel past a period of twenty four hours would damage the fabric of existence," said Death. "While it is my capability to send you back to your body, you would be just an observer. Like someone viewing a program through a television set. Each decision you made would be the same way. You would be yelling at yourself to do something else, but it would fall upon deaf ears."
  
  There was silence, as Harry looked at her with thinly veiled contempt.
  
  "You set me up to fail," accused Harry.
  
  "Define, failure," said Death.
  
  "Do not use my own words against me!" yelled Harry as his temper flared up.
  
  "Melodrama, it's too bad you cannot channel that into power, you might have already usurped me," said Death as she filed her nails, before shrugging. "I may have spent too much time as a woman."
  
  She hummed a funeral march, as she looked at Harry, and continued. "Get it out of your system."
  
  "I hate you," said Harry.
  
  "That's nice, dear," replied Death in a bored voice. "So did I set you up for failure? Not really, it was written in the stars the Wizarding World was on borrowed time. The entire purpose of it was to set the stage to find my Herald and groom him for the task at hand. The Muggleborn uprising you fought was not the only conflict in Europe. Other magical governments were devastated, but none had you. So therefore, very few survivors were left."
  
  "You just relish this, don't you?" asked Harry.
  
  "I cannot feel attachment towards mortals," replied Death. "The Stone of Resurrection you hold be careful with relying on it. I may decide to start killing children if you pull souls out from underneath my nose too often."
  
  "What if I don't care?" demanded Harry.
  
  "What if you do?" retorted Death, calling his bluff. "Hermione did explain to you the consequences. You did defer enough to her when she was alive. Although, you finally managed to stand on your own two feet, but it only took her dying for you to do so."
  
  Harry glared at her, as he took a step forward and grabbed her robes.
  
  "I don't care, if you're Death," said Harry. "I honestly don't, because if I can't die, that means nothing you can do can hurt me."
  
  "Death can hurt, but there are far worse fates," replied Death mistily, as she shifted out of Harry's grasp and appeared out of his reach.
  
  "My entire life's just been one big set up for you to groom me to be some Herald of Death," said Harry. "I..."
  
  "Be silent," said Death. "Your life may have been a lie, but life could very well be the biggest lie in existence. And magical users will soon be an endangered species with very few left."
  
  "There were survivors," countered Harry.
  
  "Not for long, I'm afraid," said Death. "I'm going to be blunt with you. There's no Ministry. There's no Gringotts. You did the intelligent thing and converted all of your money to Muggle currency. Wizards without a government or without a bank to call their own will have to function in the Muggle World. Given their ignorance, I will be seeing them sooner rather than later."
  
  "A thousand years, just to put these keys in my hand," said Harry. "And how many people..."
  
  "All of them had to die, so others may live," said Death. "Another fundamental rule of existence you shall understand the hard way."
  
  "Did anyone else figure out who or what I was?" asked Harry.
  
  "Yes, some might have taken a guess," replied Death. "The prophecy involving you and Riddle indicated me that it could be no one else. The timing was right and you fit everything. Others had ideas naturally, and tried to futilely impede your quest."
  
  "Let me guess, Dumbledore and Voldemort," said Harry.
  
  "Correct on the first, not so much on the second," said Death. "Tom Marvolo Riddle was mostly ignorant. He had one of the keys in his grasp, yet he used it as a means to cheat me. He was supposed to die years ago. Finally, I found him and now I'm making up for lost time."
  
  Harry hazarded a guess Voldemort's afterlife might not have been the most cheerful.
  
  "Albus Dumbledore guessed enough," added Death. "Therefore he tried to steer you into his own vision. Yet, in the end, I dealt with him. The moment he touched the stone, it set off a chain reaction that would kill him. He tried to mold you. Even after death, he refused to let go. He wanted to believe he had not been mistaken. He wanted to believe that those in your hidden world could be redeemed."
  
  Death folded her hands over her robes. "Even after his hourglass ran down, Dumbledore believed he had you where he wanted you. His afterlife, I shall spare you the details of."
  
  Harry wondered, but decided not to prod Death any further.
  
  "Your mother and potentially your father knew much," said Death. "Lily Potter had much knowledge, given connections her family had. She had access to information dating back through the annals of time. Once she heard the prophecy, she understood everything. In fact, she understood her role was to die. She walked off peacefully. She did not struggle, she accepted."
  
  Harry decided to get some information. "What did Mum know?"
  
  "Much," replied Death in a cryptic voice. "She left a journal behind, but it had been lost the night Riddle attacked. It's not my place to tell you the contents, but yours to find her journal."
  
  The personification of the afterlife leaned back against a wall.
  
  "It can be opened only by those of her blood," said Death. "Yet, we should not assume that's foolproof."
  
  "Yes, even the best charms can be compromised," replied Harry.
  
  "Very good, you're learning," said Death.
  
  "Could you give me a hint what it contains?" asked Harry.
  
  "That would defeat the purpose," said Death. "The point has passed where I cannot help you. The keys will unlock your full powers."
  
  Death gave Harry a black scroll in white writing and allowed him to read.
  
  Magic: You should know this one.
  
  Durability: You are stronger than mere flesh, blood, and bone. Most weapons will not hurt you. If you are hit with a strong enough weapon and blow up, you will not be able to regenerate. Powerful dark magic may harm you as well.
  
  Hyper Immune System: You will not be able to get sick. You are also immune to radiation.
  
  Super Heightened Senses: Your sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell are more sensitive than humans.
  
  Flight: You will be able to defy gravity.
  
  Ability to Read Body Language: You can read your opponents movements and adapt to them. Naturally, when dealing with unpredictable or more versatile opponents, this ability can be a challenge.
  
  Heighted Stamina and Reflexes: In combat and other activities, you will be able to sustain peak performance longer than most humans.
  
  Power Copying: You will be able to copy the powers of seven individuals. You have six more; given you have already copied the abilities of Tom Marvolo Riddle from the Horcrux that was previously in curse scar. Therefore, you have retained Parseltongue. Use this ability with discretion.
  
  Reality Warping: Reality can be distorted. However, use this with caution. The bigger the change, the bigger the backfire, as certain balances must be maintained. Wiping out world hunger may cause Nuclear Armageddon.
  
  Language Interpretation: You will be able to read and understand any language, living or dead, alien or human.
  
  Death paused as she allowed Harry to read the list.
  
  "And that is before you merge with the three keys," said Death. "You will gain awareness when the Stone, the Cloak, and the Wand become a part of you."
  
  "So I have this great power, but why/" asked Harry, as he stared Death down without fear.
  
  "The reasons are many," said Death. "None of them are your concern. You may know this. As the Herald of Death, you can walk among humans. It is not your place to judge or collect, but merely your place to ensure that certain forces to do not disrupt the balance."
  
  "And why can't you do this?" demanded Harry.
  
  "It's within my abilities, but I need a more balanced representation," said Death. "You are an interesting paradox, Harry Potter. You have seen much death, but yet it does not burden you. On a level, you understand that things must occur for a reason. Yet, if you wish to fight, you will do what you must to ensure those closest to you shall live."
  
  She regarded Harry.
  
  "Dangerous forces exist, Harry Potter," she continued. "Should I remain on the mortal plane for too long, it could turn me into something far more mortal. Death cannot exist without life and life cannot exist without death. The scale must remain equal. Remove me from the equation, and what do we have?"
  
  "Well, no one would die," said Harry.
  
  "Do think the disaster an overcrowded world would cause," said Death. "Where people contract diseases that leave them in misery, yet they can never move on. The same exists without life, as there would be no purpose for me. I would fade like an ember into the night."
  
  Death drew in breath, even if the gesture was rather unnecessary. "It does tire me much to keep dragging mortals to this place against their will. Rests assure that it is a fate I have resigned myself to. I limit the trips to only what is needed. I might find myself sympathizing with the plights of those I need to collect, and it just leads to trouble."
  
  "It's done, the world I knew," said Harry.
  
  "Yes, all will be gone by the time I send you back," said Death. "In time, you will find that it will be easiest to move on should you start somewhere fresh. Removing your memories would only delude you. The first step in accepting your new place is to learn from the lessons the past two decades of your life."
  
  Harry remained stoic.
  
  "Soon you will depart, my herald," said Death. "So I leave you with this advice. Do not go chasing ghosts. The world you know exists merely in your memories. The castle of Hogwarts would fade from the damage and may be demolished as an old ruin."
  
  "Fine," said Harry.
  
  "Second of all, the when and where is being done for many reasons," said Death. "It has been written that there is another that will become the hero that the world needs. While you may be capable of your moments of heroism, you best operate as one that remains in the shadows. This one will be a shining beacon of light in time. You can never be that shining beacon, even if you can help many in other ways. It's not your place to be that hero"
  
  Harry looked at her. He refused to even dignify that comment with a reply.
  
  "Observe his progress, advise him, but do not fall into the habit of fighting his battles," said Death. "It will open a Pandora's Box and all will be lost."
  
  Harry looked at her. She expected him to sit on the sidelines, didn't she?
  
  He just shook his head.
  
  "Your mother's journal will explain much, but naturally what it contains cannot solve the problems of the world," said Death. "Third, agents of mine have prepared what you need for your arrival. More information will be available once you arrive. What you choose to do with the opportunity I have given you, only you can decide that."
  
  'And yet, she seems to be making most of the decisions,' thought Harry, as he wondered if there was any way he could kill Death. Serious injury would work too.
  
  He nodded stiffly and Death concluded. "Do try and live for once."
  
  Harry opened his mouth and then shut it. The full absurdity of that statement as it came from that particular individual flummoxed him.
  
  "There are naturally experiences you have not had, that most take for granted," said Death, cryptically. "You will be one with the three keys. The bonding will allow you to maintain your physical prime for the rest of time. Providing, you don't get killed."
  
  "How much of a possibility is that?" asked Harry.
  
  "Well, do not tempt fate," said Death. "If you come before me again, then someone has found a way. And then, we will have a problem."
  
  "Don't worry, I'm not going to die," said Harry, who never, ever wanted to be anywhere near her again.
  
  "Then step back through the door, my Herald," said Death. "I will send you to a strategic point. Much time will have passed since the moment you have left. We will hopefully not meet again."
  
  'A point we agree on,' thought Harry.
  
  Harry stepped through the gateway.
  
  Death watched him leave. She unlocked her Herald's powers. It was time for her to return to what she did best.
  
  An influx of past memories swirled through Harry Potter's head as he walked through the gateway and to the next step in his life.
  
  The night he returned and defeated Voldemort was a jubilant one. Voldy had gone moldy, as a certain poltergeist put in his own elegant way.
  
  The happy moment faded in an instant. Everything soon went to hell.
  
  The Muggleborns left over from the war, oppressed from the past year, did not appreciate what was done for them. They united to overthrow the Ministry, with some help from a rogue faction of goblins, and do things their own way. Hermione worked to mediate things, but she was in over her head.
  
  The rebels accused Hermione of being "safe and protected" and dubbed her a traitor to her kind. They violently slaughtered the girl. It was a time before Harry found most of her body.
  
  Sometime later, the Burrow was blown up with all of the Weasleys inside. Harry had not been present; he had to see to Hermione's burial. All indications pointed to the fact he was the intended victim.
  
  The Ministry made a pact with the Death Eaters, thus proving once and for all that no one learned anything from Voldemort. It also justified the violent actions of the bloodthirsty Muggleborn rebels. This was after the Ministry sworn in Umbridge as Minister, after Kingsley Shacklebolt was murdered. Nobody knew who orchestrated it: The Death Eaters, the rebels, or even Umbridge and her supporters.
  
  The remaining Death Eaters fought an army of Muggleborns in a hellish civil war that ravaged the entire Ministry and Wizarding Britain. The blood spilled would make Voldemort's reign look like a fun day at the park.
  
  Harry rallied what few allies he had left. The three way battle took place and everyone fell one by one. Luna and Neville had been among the very last, having died to save an orphanage of young pureblood and half-blood witches and wizards. Their parents died in the war.
  
  Sadly, they all died as well when the Death Eaters slaughtered them for being blood traitors.
  
  In a last desperate gambit, Harry retrieved the Elder Wand (or the Wand of Eternity as he reminded himself it was properly called) and the Resurrection Stone. He united the Deathly Hallows (or three keys rather).
  
  He defeated the embittered Muggleborns and the Death Eaters. The village of Hogsmeade burned to the ground right around him.
  
  Harry Potter would move to whatever life would bring him, because he was a survivor.
  
  After all, it had to be better than what he was leaving behind, this time anyway.
  
  He hoped.
  Arrival
  
  
  Chapter Two: Arrival.
  
  Two feet touched down upon the ground. Leaves crackled beneath the feet of the dark haired twenty year old young man who stood to look across the sky. Green eyes stared forward into the distance. The young man was dressed completely in black with only a few hints of white. He wore a black t-shirt and a black jacket with white sleeves over it. His pants were of the same color and he wore black shoes. He no longer had glasses.
  
  Harry allowed himself a moment to look around. He caught sight of his reflection in a side mirror of a truck.
  
  The first thing he noticed he had no lightning bolt scar upon his forehead. He checked his hand and saw no scars from his nightly session with Umbridge during his fifth year. All of his other scars vanished without a trace as well.
  
  Harry remembered the pathetic existence of Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge's attempt to kill Harry towards the end was quite laughable. The duel lasted about ten seconds. Eight of those seconds was the young wizard trying to figure out what spell to squash that horrid women with once and for all.
  
  He allowed the Aurors to stand down, or face his wrath. Wisely, they did as they were told.
  
  Harry recalled some of the more interesting parts of those final months, or rather the final year. The Muggleborn army thought they had the key to a better world. They listened to a young twenty eight year old Muggleborn named Rosalina Sinclair and they followed her lead.
  
  Needless to say, that girl was a few Knuts short of a Sickle.
  
  Harry's thoughts of Rosaline were tinged with bitter amusement. Sinclair claimed that she was the real Chosen One. She vowed she would bring the Muggleborns to their proper place in the world, and squash out half-bloods and purebloods that oppressed them.
  
  In addition to those claims, she babbled about getting her powers from a green meteor rock she found on a trip to America. It amplified her magical abilities several times, allowing her to perform powerful magic without a wand.
  
  One bloody battle later, Harry put the crazed witch down. He used a spell that blocked the blood flow to her heart. Essentially it was dark magic, but Harry found no other options. Her followers vowed to avenge the demise of their "savior".
  
  Given they were going to kill Harry anyway; he figured he would not waste his time being bothered by their rage.
  
  All roads lead to the final Battle at Hogsmeade and the less said about it the better. Astoria and Gabrielle fought bravely until the end. Those two, among the youngest of his rebels, were the last two who fought beside him. They took down several troops to weaken the Muggleborn army, but in the end they paid with their lives.
  
  He cleared the few faded cobwebs. Mere ghosts, Harry figured he could recall them, but the longer the lingered, the more of a risk they could co-opt some living person. Recalling the dead was a rather tricky business in general after all.
  
  He figured Death's little comment about killing children was just merely a means to get under his skin and rile him up to doing something stupid. Harry figured as long as he did not butcher reality too bad, he could likely bend a few rules.
  
  Holding out his hand, Harry cast charms which would tell him where and when he was.
  
  'So I'm in Smallville,' thought Harry as the spells registered with him after mere seconds. "Let's see, that's in Kansas, which is of course in the United States, I'm pretty sure I read something about a Meteor Shower here a long time ago, but I'm drawing a blank right now. And that meddlesome bitch sent me...to the year 2007. I'll figure out why in a little bit, I'm sure. She has her reasons. Just like Dumbledore did."
  
  Harry performed the necessary spells to assess what kind of magical enchantments he could expect.
  
  After about the fourth time he blundered into a trap, in what seemed like another lifetime, he made it his business to figure out what he had to deal with.
  
  No magic, but his spells picked up something alright.
  
  Immediately, he recognized it as levels of radiation. Given his powers, radiation did not have an effect on him. Yet, the fact that there seemed to be an alarming amount of radioactivity around the area gave him cause for alarm.
  
  It also weighed in the back of his mind that he had to find his mother's journal. He suspected it would be like finding a needle in the Forbidden Forest.
  
  But that could wait a while, as he because he still had to deal with the issue at hand.
  
  The radiation levels continued to spike as Harry continued his journey uncovering this mystery. His ears picked up sounds in the distance. Said sounds were the unmistakable sounds of intense combat.
  
  Now invisible, Harry continued to move. He reappeared near a dam. The Herald of Death shifted his eyes as he performed more scanning spells. The radiation was strong right at the Reservoir. In fact, he could feel something rather powerful lingering as well.
  
  Harry jumped in to get a closer look when he realized there was a ship at the bottom of the lake. Another spell revealed that there were life signs within the ship.
  
  Hand held in the air, Harry checked further, as he siphoned away the water and shifted the mysterious green rocks that lay below away from the ship. Whoever was trapped in there was supposed to be alive. A further check indicated whoever it was; said individual had been trapped in stasis for many years
  
  Harry's ears perked up at the loud sounds of crashing and battle.
  
  He could see in the distance two figures fighting for reasons unknown to him. The nearby dam looked to be about ready to give up the ghost and bust.
  
  'Wonderful,' thought Harry to himself as he mentally put together a battle plan. 'I'm not even here for fifteen bloody minutes and already I've been sucked into playing golden boy savior, again. And Death really has been in that realm too long if she thinks I'm going to be a good little boy and sit in a corner, watching."
  
  Harry took a calming breath and closed his eyes. Time around him slowed down to a crawl.
  
  It was a useful spell to learn, mainly used to study a great deal in a small amount of time. Granted, the wider the area was, the bigger the strain was upon the caster.
  
  In an area the size of a small bedroom, one minute could be stretched out to ten.
  
  In an area the size of a small house, one minute could be stretched out to around seven.
  
  In a large mansion house or public building, one minute could be stretched out to five.
  
  In the outdoors, one minute could be stretched out to around two to three minutes.
  
  There were other factors. The time manipulation factor of Harry's powers tended to be rather useless within a fight scenario. Although giving him a bit more preparation time, if he knew something was coming, never did hurt.
  
  Harry looked at the ship and closed his eyes. He transported it and the person inside of it elsewhere, to a safe place until he could deal with this situation involving the dam.
  
  Then he started time once again and took a deep breath to regain his composure.
  
  'And that's the dam breaking,' narrated Harry dully to himself as he heard the noise. "And that's the sound of rushing water. And that's the all too familiar screams of terror. Well, meet the new world, same as the old one.'
  
  Invisible, Harry transported himself off to the side. He arrived just in time to see two figures bust right through the dam with intense fury. The dam was destroyed as Harry remained still and calm. His eyes followed the progress of the battle for a brief instance.
  
  Harry had a pretty good idea that this was likely one of these things he should not interfere with.
  
  Then again, when did Harry Potter ever listen to authority figures?
  
  He assessed the situation, his fast mind processing everything that occurred near him. He watched two very similar looking figures. One looked like a rather normal young man. The first figure had dark hair and looked to be in his early twenties. The second figure looked about the same but his face was cracked, distorted.
  
  Almost like a twisted reflection of the first, in a broken funhouse mirror. Needless to say the second looked quite bizarre.
  
  Harry slid over, quick as a cat. He hovered in the air and he saw the water flood, as the battle continued.
  
  The first thing was to divert it away from civilization, but it was easier said than done with the distraction beside him.
  
  The two figures continued their fight and Harry turned to face them, frowning as they continued to brawl into a wooded area.
  
  He reached behind his back. With a tug, a hood pulled over his head. His clothes shifted into that of a black robe. Every single bit of his features obscured themselves, including his voice.
  
  Without a word or action, Harry shifted right into the shadows as he moved around. The flooding water continued to present a clear danger.
  
  A wave of his hand and Harry stalled the water. He studied the dam and repaired it with a few carefully calculated movements. With a stoic expression on his face, Harry shifted his form straight into invisibility to investigate where the two figures had disappeared too.
  
  The sounds of combat indicated Harry was rather close to where he needed to go.
  
  Clark Kent careened backwards. His head smashed against a large boulder. The boulder shattered from the impact.
  
  He looked up, rather dazed. He returned to face the abomination that he could not put down.
  
  "Hey, Clark," grunted Bizarro. "You ever wonder what would happen to all of these humans if you weren't their savior?"
  
  The question lingered in the air like a bad stench, as the vile reflection taunted Clark.
  
  "I know you do," said Bizarro in a smug tone. "You just never admit it."
  
  "You don't know anything about me," said Clark, as he cracked his knuckles and moved in for the fight.
  
  "No, Clark," said Bizarro. "I know everything about you."
  
  Bizarro stood back as he waited for the precise moment to strike. "I didn't just borrow your DNA. I have all your memories, all your thoughts; every last twisted one of them. When I'm living your life, I won't make those same mistakes."
  
  Clark waited for Bizarro to move upon him, but he heard footsteps.
  
  A loud crack sent Bizarro flying backwards. The creature crashed right into a tree, splintering it.
  
  Clark stopped and stared. In his eyes, he saw this looming figure, dressed in a black robe. He made no sounds, he showed no emotions. The robed figure slowly moved over.
  
  "You're not about to ruin this for me," growled Bizarro as he sent a blast of heat vision at the figure. He dodged the attack. Then the mystery figure disappeared right before the creature's very eyes.
  
  Bizarro turned around, right into an energy blast from the hand of the figure.
  
  Clark looked at his own mirror reflection and then he looked at the newest arrival. "Thanks, um just who are you?"
  
  "Never mind that now," said the figure in a deep and emotionless tone of voice. "Civilians may still be in trouble from you breaking the dam. "
  
  Clark opened his mouth to protest this accusation but the robed figure extended an arm. His index figure flexed and pointed right past the trees.
  
  "Save the people? But you can't..." said Clark but he was waved off dismissively.
  
  Clark did as he was told. He hoped this robed individual wasn't another Phantom. He would have to cross that bridge and get some answers later.
  
  Right now, there were people in danger, so he hastened to help.
  
  Bizarro pulled himself up.
  
  "Just got to take care of you and then stealing farm boy's life won't be a problem," growled Bizarro as he tried to grab a hold of this robed figure but he got smacked back a third time.
  
  "Do not try that again, you're merely embarrassing yourself," said the robed figure dryly.
  
  Bizarro growled and pulled himself up. The creature found himself pushed back down.
  
  The yellow sunlight absorbed into his skin at an accelerated rate. He had to get up, find some of those glowing rocks to replenish his form.
  
  "So, you are not human but merely a wraith looking to commit super powered identity theft," muttered the robed figure as the creature burned. "Not alive and no longer living for much longer."
  
  "You can't do this," rasped Bizarro, but the creature found itself unable to fight as its skin continued to crack. He shifted into stone.
  
  The robed figure waited, as the creature's skin shifted into jagged stone.
  
  "Sending one on through," muttered the Herald of Death. The creature gave a horrific scream as a blue energy scythe appeared.
  
  With one simple slashing motion, the creature overloaded and knew no more.
  
  Still incognito, Harry took a few careful steps. He could hear the signs of distress and a man's heartbeat growing fainter and fainter.
  
  Stealthily, the wizard moved in and peered down into the depths of the water below.
  
  He saw a bald young man, trapped in a sunken police car. It was only somewhat submerged from when the dam broke. His hands were handcuffed and escape seemed rather unlikely without assistance.
  
  Harry held out a hand, calmly and assessed the situation. He surmised that it was likely this young man would likely live, with some kind of intervention.
  
  The intervention came as Harry took pity on him. He had no idea who this man was or how he got here.
  
  The police cruiser door pulled open and the water parted from around it, as Harry carefully levitated the man out of the water. He maintained invisibility as this task was accomplished.
  
  "Not your time yet," muttered Harry but he resisted the temptation to check to be certain.
  
  Indeed, if it was his time, likely a heart attack would follow, or some other tragic demise.
  
  In a haze, Lex Luthor lifted his head half of an inch off of the ground. His eyes opened and shut as he slowly returned to the world of the living. The sunlight shined in his face.
  
  The last thing he knew, he was about to slowly drown.
  
  Yet he was here on dry land. The door from the police cruiser floated on the water, he noticed through his bleary vision.
  
  He could have sworn he heard a voice say "not your time yet."
  
  He saw nothing and no one.
  
  It was almost like the shadow of death approached him to take him beyond and then reconsidered.
  
  Lex Luthor wondered what he should do with this second chance. What happened to Lana still weighed on his mind, along with other things.
  
  Harry stepped slowly around the corner, as he further assessed the damage that came with a consequence of the destruction of the dam.
  
  Given he already punished one party for what happened, he wondered if he could justify going two for two.
  
  Harry paused, as he saw corpses floating face down in the water. He knew they were dead immediately. Underground, the Herald of Death listened carefully for any signs of life. He really hoped that do-gooder actually managed to save someone up above.
  
  A little boy could be seen and Harry closed his eyes. He disapparated to the other side of the wall and remained invisible, but still in his death robes.
  
  Harry spotted two young women. One, a brunette, carried the limp and motionless body of a blonde woman. The blonde woman was unconscious and unresponsive.
  
  "Help me please," muttered a young boy.
  
  Harry shifted himself and whispered in the ear of the brunette woman.
  
  "I'll help him, you take care of her," he said.
  
  This caused the woman to jump with a start, but Harry barely saw her as he safely got the young boy out in the blink of an eye.
  
  Lois Lane shuddered. Not only was she dragging her barely conscious and potentially dying cousin, Chloe Sullivan, through this half collapsed tunnel, but she was pretty sure there was something down here that she could not explain.
  
  "Help!" yelled Lois suddenly. "Can anyone hear us?"
  
  "Yes, right in my ear," muttered a voice humorlessly.
  
  Lois held Chloe and looked around. She saw nothing.
  
  "Who are you?" she demanded.
  
  "Someone who might be your only ticket out of this place," said the voice.
  
  "Look...show yourself okay?" asked Lois in a shaky voice.
  
  "If you insist," said the figure and a black robed figure appeared.
  
  'Oh my God, it's Death," thought Lois, losing her head completely. 'Which means...oh no...no, no, no, no, no!'
  
  "Are you quite done yet?"
  
  "Just...it's not her time, it can't be," said Lois as she looked at this cloaked figure. "Just take me instead, alright, leave Chloe alone!"
  
  "What are you blathering about?" asked the robed figure.
  
  Lois looked at the figure. She could pick out no emotion from his voice. She shivered.
  
  "Chloe, she hasn't really moved and I figured..." started Lois but a hand raised and she was silenced.
  
  The figure bent down. Lois tried to sneak herself a peak underneath his hood. But she saw nothing underneath.
  
  "She's alive," concluded the figure dully.
  
  "How can you tell?" asked Lois.
  
  The figure paused before he gave the brutally honest answer. "Because she's not dead."
  
  Lois had any number of retorts on her tongue at this point. She decided to go for the question one.
  
  "Look, just who are you anyway?" asked Lois.
  
  "Follow me if you wish to live," responded the figure, as if he had not heard the response.
  
  Lois blinked, but the robed figure turned around, with precise and calculated movements. Chloe remained motionless.
  
  The wall from the other side cracked as the mystery man took a step back and the next thing Lois knew, he was gone.
  
  She saw Clark standing on the other side.
  
  "How..." managed Lois.
  
  "Ceiling's unstable," managed Clark as he looked at Lois. "Lucky it caved in."
  
  "Yeah but..." said Lois but the next moment she looked and saw Chloe vanished without a trace.
  
  "What Lois?" asked Clark.
  
  "Chloe, she was right there, and she's gone!" yelled Lois as she turned around to face Clark. "He took her..."
  
  "Who, Lois?" asked Clark, his voice breaking.
  
  "Big guy, in a robe, with a deep voice," managed Lois.
  
  Clark's eyes widened for a brief second, but it was gone mostly unnoticed by Lois.
  
  "It was Death, it has to be!" yelled Lois. "He promised me he wouldn't....he said she was..."
  
  She could not say anything else and she tried to maintain her strong resolve. Said resolve cracked in the face of this scary situation.
  
  Harry Potter wondered why after all this; he still cared for people when they would likely die, eventually.
  
  Perhaps it was his stubborn resolve never to give in. Perhaps it was the fact he was determined to see the best in people, to a reasonable degree.
  
  Or perhaps despite her best efforts, the meddlesome force that sent him here was not the ultimate authority over him after all.
  
  'Not my place to be the hero,' thought Harry. 'Can never reveal myself, but she's going to live regardless. So why not speed up the process a little bit, using the old healing magic? What's the worst that can happen?"
  
  Harry laid this Chloe woman down on the magically softened ground, gently.
  
  He began to scan her to figure out the problem.
  
  'She has healing abilities of her own, apparently and she took the pain from someone else,' summarized Harry mentally. "So, yeah, this isn't going to be that hard. Just got to give her a little jump start and we'll be good to go.'
  
  He pulled back her shirt slightly so he could see what he was doing. His hands raised and touched her gently. He felt his natural magical talents, the healing magic he learned as he fought in the final war.
  
  The portraits in the Headmaster's office taught him much in that three year period. Even Snape, who Harry reckoned was far more pleasant as a portrait than he ever was alive, contributed much to his expanded education.
  
  Harry shifted to invisibility, as he saw life return to her. He would remain here until she was found.
  
  The day started with Clark Kent fighting the Phantom who had copied his likeness and powers, named Bizarro.
  
  Then everything spiraled right into this.
  
  'The same guy who helped me, Lois saw him too, and he's got Chloe, too,' thought Clark. 'I don't know about him being Death, but he's got to be a Phantom. Another one, another one slipped through the cracks.'
  
  Then there was what happened to Lana, the fact he still did not know what happened to Lionel Luthor, and Lex seemed to have disappeared too.
  
  'What happened, when did this start?" asked Clark as he broke the silence.
  
  "Oh, well this might sound insane," said Lois as she regained her composure. "I got an eight inch knife in my gut, there was blood everywhere. I dialed Chloe, then the chills, and I blacked out."
  
  "Stabbed then?" asked Clark in an absent minded voice as he continued to search.
  
  "A guard-right here," said Lois as she pulled up her shirt to show Clark the wound or at least where it was. "But it's gone now and there was this warm light. Then Chloe's out, unconscious, barely breathing."
  
  "Clark, someone help!"
  
  Clark heard the voices and moved over, when he saw Chloe Sullivan sprawled out on the grass having come too as she looked around in the haze.
  
  "Chloe!" yelled Lois and Clark in unison.
  
  "I'd really like to know what happened," said Chloe as she shook her head. "I almost half expected to wake up in a morgue."
  
  "You're alive, that's...that's what really matters now," said Clark.
  
  "So, someone saved me right?" asked Chloe as she looked at them, to prod them for asnwers.
  
  Lois spoke first. "Um, yeah there's this guy, you wouldn't believe me if I told you...but I'm going to tell you anyway. He's dark, he wore robes, and he seemed to be drawn to death or near death."
  
  "I got saved by the Grim Reaper?" asked Chloe in a skeptical voice as she looked at them. "I...there was someone here, I think.
  
  "Do you remember anything?" asked Clark, as he nervously looked around. He expected to see the phantom or whatever he was.
  
  The more answers he thought he had, the more questions he got.
  
  "Well, I...was out of it," said Chloe as she shook her head. "Then I felt something. Someone healed me."
  
  "So it was a miracle then?" prompted Clark.
  
  "No, it seemed like magic," said Chloe in an off handed voice.
  
  There was a rather substantial pause. Chloe just shrugged.
  
  "And you're willing to scoff at my Grim Reaper theory," muttered Lois.
  
  "Look, I think we'd all like it if there's a scientifically plausible explanation for all of this, but what else is there?" asked Chloe. "Could be another meteor freak, but something's telling me it's far more complex than that."
  
  Clark saw the look on his friend's face. He knew she would not let this matter drop.
  
  "Just, it's you're okay, Chloe," said Clark warmly. "Everything's going to be okay..."
  
  "Yeah I'm fine," said Chloe in a somber voice. "Well alive anyway, but Lana wasn't so lucky."
  
  The jubilant mood changed. Clark turned around and pondered the robed man. He had saved him from Bizarro and saved Chloe.
  
  He wondered if his Phantom theory was completely off base.
  
  Yet, he had to know for sure.
  
  A flash appeared in the sky in microscopic writing only he could read.
  
  I have answers. I wish to speak with you. Meet me at the edge of the woods.
  
  "I've got to go check on something, I shouldn't take long," said Clark to Lois and Chloe. "Just stay here, you should be safe."
  
  Clark moved off at those words.
  
  Clark moved to the meeting spot, where he saw the robed figure floating several inches above the ground.
  
  "I've taken steps to ensure we are not disturbed during this meeting," he said and Clark nodded. "I must say, I do not relish having to play babysitter for some do-gooder and his friends. Not to mention, I loathe having to fix messes other people cause."
  
  "The dam, you saw what happened, I couldn't avoid it," protested Clark.
  
  "Perhaps," he stated dully. "First, there is no need for you to worry about the wraith. I have fixed the problem. You're welcome."
  
  "Thanks," said Clark before he realized. "That..."
  
  "The wraith intended to take over your life," said the robed figure. "Identity theft on a grand scale, and he likely would have taken advantage of the trust your friends have in you, Clark."
  
  Clark stood and then he nodded. He wondered how the robed figure knew his name, but he guessed he would not like the answer.
  
  "So that means I don't have to worry about Bizarro," concluded Clark.
  
  "Yes, do not worry about him," said the robed figure in a humorless voice. "This one was free, but if I have to ever do this again...I will be most displeased."
  
  Clark remained silent so he asked another question. "Chloe..."
  
  "Ah yes, your friend," said the robed figure. "I did save her, or merely sped along the process a little bit. Her powers intrigue me."
  
  "Well, I'm sure you might interest her as well," said Clark with a smile hoping to get the mystery robed man to show any kind of emotion. The effort was lost. So he decided to get answers the direct way. "Just who are you anyway?"
  
  "That is a question to which you will not like the answer," he replied coldly before his tone softened ever so slightly. "You did save lives today. Many more were lost, but some were spared."
  
  "You act like this doesn't bother you," said Clark.
  
  "Return to your friends," replied the robed figure, acting as if he was deaf to what Clark said. "Cherish them; appreciate them, for you never know when you may never get another opportunity."
  
  Clark inclined his head. He wished he learned this lesson a long time ago.
  
  "Oh and one more thing," said the robed figure and Clark turned to face him. "Constant Vigilance!"
  
  Clark looked up, mouth opened, but the robed figure was gone. He vanished without any warning.
  
  He shook his head. Clark Kent had so many questions and most of them unanswered.
  
  In a world between worlds, or a nexus, a white building could be seen. It was only slightly larger than a house.
  
  Harry stood as he shook his head, recalling the events of the day. His gifts from merging with the Wand of Eternity allowed him to travel between different realms and dimensions.
  
  Granted, this power would come in handy, but Harry had to exercise caution about nothing hitching a ride on the way back.
  
  Harry reminded himself that there was still much to do. He still had to determine how he had been "figured into" this world and there was the journal. Then, the green rocks made him wonder. Was that nutter, Sinclair, really that insane about her meteor rock story? Or did one of those rocks power her and drove her around the bend at the same time.
  
  Those three things could wait for the time being. Right now Harry had a pressing dilemma. A chair faced the ship he rescued earlier today, as he sat on it. He had discarded the Herald of Death disguise for the time being and was back to his normal attire, face, and voice.
  
  He had a hunch this was the best manner to face whoever was inside when they woke up.
  
  Intently, Harry studied and scanned the ship. He knew from his initial scans that just breaking the thing open would likely get him blown straight to Kingdom Come.
  
  Harry did not relish seeing her face to face for at least another few thousand years, at bare minimum.
  
  He had to disable each individual part one at a time and free whoever was inside. He had to do it gently and delicately.
  
  At least he would not be disturbed, given where he placed the ship.
  
  Harry remained calm and collected. He learned to control his temper over the years, especially when it counted.
  
  "Two down, three to go," whispered Harry as the ship slowly opened. "Okay, three down, two to go now."
  
  The next step would allow him to see exactly who was inside the ship. Harry felt anxious but the matter could not be rushed.
  
  In anticipation, Harry deactivated the fourth of the fifth components.
  
  The ship opened and Harry stared.
  
  He half expected to see one of those creepy and bug eyed grey aliens, straight out of the science fiction movies of the 1950s.
  
  Instead, his eyes focused on a gorgeous blonde girl. She looked rather human but Harry sensed she was something more.
  
  Harry studied the white fabric she wore and then the girl herself. He did know some fairly attractive girls in his day, but they paled in comparison to this vision before him.
  
  Plus all of the "Boy-Who-Lived" baggage tended to be a barrier and his dating life was not that much. He struck out right at second base with his most long term girlfriend, for lack of a better term.
  
  Yet, all of that was irrelevant right now. Harry had someone right in front of him that he could focus on at the moment. All echoes of his doomed past relationships with women drained out of the back of his head.
  
  'She's beautiful," thought Harry to himself in a dazed manner, but then the logical part of his brain slapped the hormonal part of his brain. 'Stay focused Potter; you still have one more component to disable. Stop staring at the sleeping girl like a creeper and finish your job.'
  
  Harry held up a hand. Without another word, the stasis mechanism shut down.
  
  Harry let a breath out. He had succeeded.
  
  The blonde girl stirred inside and her eyes snapped open.
  
  Said eyes were focused directly on Harry Potter.
  Anomoly
  
  
  Chapter Three: Anomaly.
  
  Kara's eyes opened as she looked around. It took seconds for the blonde woman to come to her senses.
  
  'W-what happened?" thought Kara, hazed, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, as she tried to study her surroundings. 'I'm....did my ship crash?'
  
  The girl saw she was not alone. She focused on the young man in the room standing in front of her. Kara studied his green eyes, his messy black hair, and his impressive looking figure, only slightly obvious through Earth clothes. Then there was the presence of some kind of power within him.
  
  'He's...who is that?' thought Kara, as she intently studied the young man.
  
  "Are you alright?" he asked, as he surveyed her. Kara looked back at him, as her face contorted into slight anger.
  
  "Just who are you?" she asked in a low voice.
  
  "Now, don't be alarmed, please," said the young man as he took half of a step back, but remained firm otherwise. "I found your ship, at the bottom of the reservoir. You were in stasis, but I got you out."
  
  Now, Kara was momentarily confused.
  
  'He's...he can't have,' thought Kara, as she tried to process what she had been told. 'Could he? I need to get out of here, figure out what happened, to see where I am.'
  
  The boy moved closer towards her, but Kara stepped outside her ship to face him. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at him.
  
  "Don't...just calm down," said the young man in a pacifying voice. "I can help you, whoever you are. Just don't do anything..."
  
  Kara panicked and rushed right at the young man. He side stepped her with lightning fast reflexes. She decided to keep running towards the door of the lab.
  
  The door swung open. Had the Kryptonian not been so confused, she would have noticed this fact. Yet she kept running outside, to try and find a way out.
  
  Harry stood in the lab area, as he watched her leave.
  
  'Good one Potter,' thought Harry sarcastically to himself. 'That could have gone better, couldn't it?"
  
  Harry shook his head, as he tried to piece together what happened.
  
  'Well, I think I better give her a few minutes to calm herself down, because she's not going to give me answers if she's upset,' thought Harry. 'Then I'll figure out who she is. I really could have found worst things in that ship. Given I was expecting some hideous monster that was going to eat me or something.'
  
  Harry breathed.
  
  'She's a bit annoyed right now,' he thought, almost in amusement. 'And I know from experience that talking to an annoyed, or even angry person is not going to get me any information. It's not like she's going anywhere without my help, though.'
  
  He could have stunned her, he could have put in a full body bind, he could have used a cheering charm on her, or any number of rudimentary spells.
  
  Yet, sometimes the world's problems could not be solved by throwing magical spells at them.
  
  Harry sat back down on the chair, and decided he might as well do something productive with his time. He held his hand out, extending it before him.
  
  'So, I better figure out why the hell I'm here,' thought Harry. 'I can't believe I'm using the lifeline reading thing on myself.'
  
  "Just who am I?" asked Harry, before he winced at how stupid he sounded.
  
  "You are Harry James Potter," said a voice in monotone. "The son of James and Lily Potter, deceased on October 31st 1981. You are twenty years old. Your species is an anomaly, as there is no official designation for what you are."
  
  "Yes, thank you for telling me what I already knew," replied Harry through gritted teeth. "What happened to the survivors from my world since 2001?"
  
  "The remaining witches and wizards of Europe died out eventually, due to their inability to function in the regular world," replied the voice coldly. "In the past six years, magic users have become an endangered species. You are one of seven individuals left on Earth with the ability to perform magic."
  
  "Thanks for the information," said Harry in a dry voice. "Just what was I supposed to be doing between 2001 and 2007?"
  
  "As far as the world knows, you were a head of a now obsolete government branch in Great Britain," said the voice. "After the extinction of magical users in Europe, you searched the world to find answers, and to see if there were any other super powered individuals. You used your resources to set up the Shining Light Foundation. You wanted to help people come to terms with their powers, and see that no child should ever have to spend their life in a cupboard underneath the stairs. Many know your name, but none know your face. You are a recluse. And no one knows anything about your Boy-Who-Lived moniker."
  
  Harry gave a smile. He then asked the next obvious question.
  
  "So, am I rich?" inquired Harry.
  
  "Independently wealthy, as long as you continue to make intelligent investments and decisions," replied the voice dully. "Harry Potter just moved into town in Smallville, to set up shop to investigate the rumors of the super powered individuals. Your home is a marvel, a combination of magical knowledge, Charms and Runes, and much bigger than it appears on the outside."
  
  The Lifeline reading gave Harry further information on his home. He smiled. At least his bothersome employer did not put him underneath a rock like he feared she might. He had resources, and he vowed to use them to achieve what he needed to do.
  
  Lex Luthor sat in his office, deep in thought.
  
  'What exactly is Death?' thought Lex. "I came close to it. By all rights I should have drowned. He said it wasn't my time. Why?'
  
  Lex sat at his desk, hand underneath his chin, pondering. He barely had time to register what was happening around him or the seriousness of his predicament.
  
  "Mr. Luthor, the helicopter's waiting. We should have you outside of U.S. Jurisdiction in two hours."
  
  "If I could just have five minutes," muttered Lex, as he mulled over what might have been in his head. "Just five minutes to ask him, why me of all people? Did he give me a second chance to make things right, or a false hope?"
  
  Lex contemplated one of life's greatest mysteries. Even the legal situation he was in paled in comparison, he had the opportunity to get answers that many would die have to die for, yet he allowed it slip through his fingers.
  
  "Lock down the perimeter!" yelled a woman. "Secure the stairwell! The only thing that's getting out of here is the chopper. Sir, you need to hurry. You're wanted for your wife's murder."
  
  "I saw Death," whispered Lex, as if he had not heard a word that was being said. "And I had an opportunity to ask a question of him. Yet, I was too slow to react. He was right beside me."
  
  "Death, yes, sir, of course," said the woman patiently. "But...you know, your wife's murder. The police are going to be here. I doubt even the Grim Reaper could get you out of this."
  
  Silence followed and then Lex spoke. "Yes...I know. I'm turning myself in."
  
  Lex got up and walked towards the door, to face the music.
  
  "What happened, Chloe?" asked Clark, after Lois walked off into the distance. She was still spooked by the entire robed figure.
  
  "Someone healed me, brought me back from the grasp of death," said Chloe, as she looked around, as if hoping the person who saved her would pop out of the bushes. "Who did it? Why would they do it?"
  
  "Lois got stabbed," said Clark. "She showed me, it didn't leave one scratch."
  
  Chloe shrugged, as she looked out.
  
  "If you're out there, just give me a sign," she muttered underneath her breath.
  
  "One of Lex's guys might have done something to you," said Clark, as he snapped Chloe out of her thoughts. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
  
  "Clark, I was a bit busy being unconscious," said Chloe, as she looked at her friend. "Lois thinks she saw some robed figure. If it was Death, he would have taken me right then and there. If I find out, I've got some questions for him."
  
  "Chloe, you can tell me," said Clark.
  
  "I don't have time for twenty questions," said Chloe, as she looked at him, intent. "I've got to get out of here, find some answers."
  
  The set look on the woman's face indicated she would not rest until she did.
  
  Clark tried to voice a concern. "Shouldn't you at least get checked out.."
  
  "And get turned into some kind of lab rat?" she asked. "From one guinea pig to another, I think I'll pass."
  
  Chloe turned and walked away. Answers were what she needed. What happened to Lana and also, who was that individual that saved her.
  
  Those two things weighed on her mind, as she left Clark to his own devices.
  
  Kara looked from one side to the other into an endless void. Once she exited that lab, she ran into pretty much an endless stream of nothing. She went around in circles, and looped right back to where she started.
  
  'There has to be some kind of exit portal around here or something,' thought Kara, frustrated and confused. 'Even my bracelet can't get me out of here, I don't understand. None of this makes any sense.'
  
  She frowned; as she considered the person who brought her here.
  
  'Does he really think he has the right to keep me as some kind of prisoner, or a treasure that he found?' thought the woman. "Granted, there are worst people...but I'm still not going to put up with this. I'm going to make him bring me back.'
  
  Kara turned around, and as if on cue, she saw the man who brought her to this place.
  
  "Send me back," demanded the woman, staring him down without blinking.
  
  "Not until you calm down," said the young man, slowly. "And you explain exactly who you are."
  
  Kara looked at him, exasperated. Was this guy for real?
  
  "I'm not going to tell you anything!" she cried, as she folded her arms.
  
  "Well, that's fine," said the young man, before giving her a calculating smile. He then continued to talk. "I've got all of the time in the world, so just be stubborn. You're not going to win, by the way. I've written the book on stubbornness."
  
  He tapped his wrist.
  
  Kara got right in his face right at this moment. "You have to send me back!"
  
  He shook his head and Kara moved to grab him, but he was gone. She blinked and spun around, where he stood right behind her.
  
  "Please, calm down," said the young man, in a calm voice. He smiled at her. "I can help you, just take a deep breath and calm down."
  
  Kara looked at him, and did as he requested.
  
  "See that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, as he stood face to face with her, and maintained eye contact. "Now, I could have hurt you before, but I didn't, did I?"
  
  She considered him once again and answered, reluctantly. "You didn't."
  
  "I could have done any number of things to you while you were still in stasis, but I didn't," said the young man, and Kara shook her head. He stared her down and spoke in a soft voice. "I wanted to help you, you can trust me, I swear."
  
  Once again, Kara found herself utterly baffled. A conflicting maelstrom of emotion battered her mind. All logic and everything she learned seemed to burn up in the face of this young man.
  
  "I don't want to harm you," added the young man, as he gave her another smile. Then he spoke again. "But nothing you can do to me will leave a scratch. So you can settle down and tell me why you're here."
  
  He paused, before he added. "Or, we can go around in circles for days or even weeks or months. But that's up to you."
  
  She just looked at him. For some reason, she had the thought that if he wanted to, he could pry what he needed out of her mind. Yet, he gave her the opportunity to explain. He sat down on the ground. A few seconds later, Kara sat down right across from him.
  
  The two sat, so they could maintain eye contact with each other. He gave her an encouraging smile, and waved his hand. She tried not to focus on his eyes too much, as she maintained her composure.
  
  "My name is Kara," said the Kryptonian woman in a soft voice. "I got sent to Earth, from my planet, Krypton. The moment I got on my ship, my planet was about to die. I didn't know if I would see anyone ever again."
  
  She took a breath, before she added. "I was sent here for a reason."
  
  Silence followed, before the young man nodded. "I understand. My name is Harry. Come with me, I'll get you to someplace much more friendly until we can figure this out."
  
  "Yeah, sure, I guess," muttered Kara, before she asked a question. "So, you're a human, aren't you?"
  
  "Yes," answered Harry, before he got off the ground. Kara matched his action. "Take my hand, and I'll transport us out of here. We'll get your ship out of here, and to a secure place. I take it the last thing you want is for it to fall into the wrong hands."
  
  Kara nodded in affirmation. Harry held out a hand, and Kara looked at.
  
  "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," said Harry.
  
  She looked at it for another second, before she firmly grabbed his hand.
  
  'His hand's strong, but gentle,' she mused.
  
  Without another word, Harry transported them both out of the realm.
  
  Chloe sat; eyes glazed over and filled with tears. She uncovered the proof she needed, clutched within her hands. She read the death certificate of Lana Luthor, formally Lana Lang. The damning proof was right in front of her face, yet she clung on to her denial.
  
  On her laptop, she half watched videos of her and Lana in happier times. The other recent events diverted her away from mourning Lana's death. The mystery man who saved her, what was his role in this? Who was he?
  
  Chloe's mind bounced back and forth between mourning the loss of her friend and the mystery of her savior. It was almost like some kind of anomaly had presented itself. Everything got scattered around.
  
  "Chloe?" asked Clark gently as her eyes snapped up from what she was watching.
  
  "Oh hey," muttered Chloe as she held back a sob. "Oh, it's really hard to concentrate when Lana was here one minute, and now she's just...I'm so sorry Clark."
  
  Chloe rushed over to embrace her friend. This lasted about a minute, before she backed up and then sudden realization dawned on her.
  
  "He spoke with you, didn't he?" muttered Chloe.
  
  "Who?" asked Clark.
  
  "The person who saved me," prodded Chloe, as she looked Clark right in the eye. "When you ran off, he wanted to talk to you in private."
  
  Clark responded with a nod, and then told Chloe the conversation he had with the mystery man.
  
  "More...questions I see," she said thoughtfully. "He knew your name. This means he was there the entire time, listening to every single word we said. He must be able to turn invisible."
  
  'So, if he was there, that means I had the chance to ask questions most people have to die for,' Chloe thought. "If I knew, I would have waited a while before shouting for Clark."
  
  "Chloe?" prompted Clark, which snapped her back out of her thoughts.
  
  "Just thinking about something, and he's..." started Chloe before she paused. She looked at Clark. "He said this one was for free?"
  
  "Something tells me I dodged a bullet," said Clark. "With entire Phantom mess, but I don't know, something about just seems..."
  
  Clark Kent had no words to describe the situation.
  
  Chloe remained thoughtful, as she looked out into the distance. She spoke after a time. "And I don't know who he is or where he is. Or what he is even. He didn't exactly leave me his e-mail address."
  
  'I've got to find out,' thought the woman.
  
  "So the phantom's been taken care of," prompted Clark. "Now what?"
  
  "I find some answers about our mystery man," said Chloe.
  
  Clark just frowned. "If he really is Death, I'm not sure if you can just look him up."
  
  "I'm not sure if he is," muttered Chloe, unblinking. "I have no idea what he is. Only theories and they might be completely wrong. He's an anomaly, Clark."
  
  She turned and shut off the videos. With that movement, she prepared to research.
  
  She barely noticed a news story that read "Reclusive owner of the Shining Light Foundation sets up shop in Smallville". Normally such a story would have piqued her interest, but there were far more pressing matters for her to deal with.
  
  'Who are you?' thought Chloe, focused.
  
  "I'm going to go talk to someone, while you're...um working," said Clark. "See if he has any answers to this."
  
  "Okay, talk to you later," muttered Chloe, absentmindedly.
  
  Lex remained quiet, docile in his prison cell. His lawyer, a man called Keating, held a recording device for him to listen to.
  
  "Clark meant more to me than you ever will!" shouted Lana on the tape as the sound of hand against cheek was heard. There were more sounds. "That's the last time you'll ever touch me."
  
  "Do you really think I could let you walk away?" asked Lex on the tape.
  
  "What are you going to do Lex?" demanded Lana. "Kill me?"
  
  Keating stopped the tape. "Bail may not be something we can arrange, given the evidence."
  
  "I'm not worried about it," said Lex, as he peered into the distance. "What about the dam, and what about model 503?"
  
  Keating paused. "Sir, the dam...repaired itself."
  
  That caused Lex to snap out of his thoughts.
  
  "He was busy today," muttered Lex underneath his breath.
  
  "And we had most of the units recovered, but 503 is missing," said Keating.
  
  "My father?" muttered Lex, as he added this to the list of the growing questions he would have for the specter that saved him.
  
  "Still unaccounted for," added Keating. "Sir, we have to find you an albi."
  
  Lex remained thoughtful, as he turned to stare at the wall. "Yet, I was saved for a purpose. Someone with great power took pity on me. It allowed me a chance to face my demons. Most people never get a second chance."
  
  Once again, Lex remained silent and stoic. Burning questions swirled around his mind, and he had one chance to get many answers. Yet he choked.
  
  In a flash, Kara and Harry appeared right on a field. The moment she touched down, Kara looked up at the sky.
  
  'Okay, I'm back on Earth, and back under the yellow sun,' she thought, as she looked at Harry. 'Which means, I can ditch him.'
  
  Without another word, Kara jumped into the sky, and flew right away from Harry.
  
  "A-hem," coughed a voice, and Kara turned to the side.
  
  She saw Harry flying right beside her in the sky.
  
  "So, you can fly too?" asked Harry, nonchalantly.
  
  She stopped and put the brakes on, numb in shock. Kara nearly spiraled down to Earth, caught completely off guard by the fact that some Earth boy could fly.
  
  He held a hand out and Kara decelerated, which allowed her to land firmly on her feet, back on solid ground.
  
  "So, are you ready to work with me now?" asked Harry, as he looked at her without blinking. "Or do I have to put you back in the other realm."
  
  She opened her mouth, but nodded. She stated in a small voice. "Yeah, I'm...sorry about that."
  
  As she was down on the ground, her mind went a mile a minute.
  
  'I don't know who this Harry guy thinks he's fooling. He has to be another survivor of Krypton, but from where and how? How many more are there? Does he know anything about Kal-El? I've...I've got to come with him, see what he knows."
  
  Harry motioned for her to follow him into the air. The two flew towards their destination.
  
  "Your ship is secured," said Harry, and Kara nodded in understanding. "My place is right over there."
  
  The two touched down on the ground, as the wind blew through their hair. Kara looked at the house. It seemed perfectly normal, nothing special at all. She spotted her ship in a fenced area, secure, and intact.
  
  "No one will be able to bother your ship," said Harry. This statement caused Kara to look at him and Harry sensed her disbelief. He then amended in a cryptic tone, "There will be consequences for anyone who tries."
  
  'Combination of several of the defenses around Hogwarts, Gringotts, The Ministry, and a little bit of the magic from the Marauders Map tied in for character,' thought Harry to himself, remembering the map that Sinclair's followers burned just to spite him, along with several of his other possessions. 'Tied in with a few tricks of my own.'
  
  "So, why are you taking me here of all places?" asked Kara.
  
  "There's more to this house than meets the eye," said Harry. "The house you see here is merely an illusion not to freak out the locals, or to provoke the government into nosing around."
  
  He turned his head to Kara.
  
  "Just place your hand on the stone, Kara," encouraged Harry, as he pointed at a large stone.
  
  Kara did as she was asked. Immediately, a blinding flash of light dazzled her heightened senses.
  
  The house certainly did not look like that before. It was much larger, and looked like an imperial place. Kara mused it would not have looked out of place on Krypton.
  
  She stepped over to open the doors, but the doors slid open on their own accord.
  
  'Okay, some Earth boy can't have technology like this,' thought Kara. 'There's no way. It's far too advanced for anything here.'
  
  "So, it's been a long day for me, and you've been in that ship for a long time," said Harry casually. "How about I fix us both dinner?"
  
  The blonde woman stopped and considered this proposal. She nodded.
  
  'Would be a perfect opportunity to ask questions,' she thought. 'Besides, it's a free meal.'
  
  Clark stood facing the Martian Manhunter inside his loft.
  
  "When you left here, you were hurt badly," said Clark. "How did you heal so fast?"
  
  "I just had to leave Earth's atmosphere," said the Martian Manhunter, as he looked at Clark. "It appears much happened during my absence"
  
  "I unleashed a carbon copy of myself...only without my..."
  
  "Humanity," concluded the Martian Manhunter. "Yet, I sense you're troubled..."
  
  Clark explained about the robed figure and the meeting he had with him, along with the fate of Bizarro.
  
  The Martian Manhunter remained silent for several moments as he pondered the strange events. "I have no clue what this might mean. All you should know is that whoever this figure is, has fixed your error. The creature would have killed more, all in the name of his own survival. He has no humanity."
  
  "You don't have any idea at all," said Clark, in frustration.
  
  "Perhaps your father may know something," mused the Martian Manhunter, but he regarded Clark. "Yet, it does appear you have been visited by a force far more powerful than life itself, if I may hazard a guess."
  
  "So it is Death," muttered Clark.
  
  "It is a potential theory," he agreed, with a nod. "You should not burden yourself with the death of the creature. I know you have been raised to care and protect others. It is strength of yours, but it can be a burden and potentially a weakness. There are some who will take a stronger hand."
  
  "Well that's not how I was raised," said Clark firmly, but the Martian just nodded.
  
  Kara enjoyed the dinner Harry fixed for her. In hindsight, accepting this offer was the best decision, as this Harry knew how to cook.
  
  "This is good," muttered Kara, as she tasted the food. She took some time to enjoy it, before she asked Harry, "How did you learn how to do this?"
  
  "I travel a lot," said Harry, in between bites. "I had to prepare my own meals often, I didn't really trust anyone to do it right."
  
  'Or not try and poison me,' thought Harry as an afterthought. 'Thanks Mad-Eye, I hope you approve.'
  
  "So, you traveled a lot," said Kara in a casual voice, seeing this as an opening. "Did you ever go anywhere not on Earth?"
  
  Harry looked at her, thoughtfully, before he answered in an even voice. "Can't say I have, but I haven't really been outside of Europe. This is the first time I've been to America."
  
  "So, you've never been anywhere off world," prodded Kara. "Have you ever heard of a place called Kandor?"
  
  "I might have, but my mind's a blank," replied Harry, as he had a shrewd suspicion where she was going with this line of questioning.
  
  "So, you've never met anyone from Krypton?" asked Kara, not quite giving up.
  
  "You're the first," he replied, before he gave her another smile. "And I must say, it was an interesting first impression."
  
  She frowned at him, before she asked in a sweet voice. "Are you sure you're a human?"
  
  "Very sure," said Harry with a dry smile. He looked at Kara, staring her right in the eye without blinking. "Kara, just come out and say it. You want to know something more about me."
  
  "Just a little more than your name would be helpful," she said, before she added, "I'm just really confused who or what you are."
  
  Harry took a deep breath, before he regarded the woman before him. He decided to give her an abridged version of the truth. "Fine. My name is Harry Potter. My parents died when I was one when a madman murdered them. I went to school in a castle for six years. I had friends, but they all were killed. We were part of a race of people hidden from the world. I'm last survivor. I traveled the world for six years, before I came here and found your ship."
  
  Anyone listening could hear a pin drop. Kara's mouth opened. She studied Harry intently, to try and find any signs of deception. Yet, the look on his face was not one of someone who was lying.
  
  'Everyone he knew and loved is dead,' thought Kara. 'No one can be this convincing of a liar, and I just made him remember it.'
  
  "I'm sorry, to hear about that," muttered Kara, as she turned away for a moment to regain her composure.
  
  "I'm over it, they're all in a better place," said Harry firmly, before he switched subjects. "So why did you come here?"
  
  "I was sent here," said Kara in a serious voice. "To take care of my baby cousin, Kal-El, he's about three years old. I think I've been in that ship for a long time, months maybe, at least a year before you found me."
  
  'My spells said she'd been in that ship for years,' thought Harry, puzzled. 'Then again, even magic isn't perfect.'
  
  "Here's a picture of him," said Kara, as she pulled out a crystal and showed an image of a baby boy to Harry. She smiled, and then added. "Cute little thing, isn't he?"
  
  Harry nodded slowly and carefully. He wasn't too particularly fond of children, even when he was one. He did not hate them by any means; he just wasn't too comfortable around them.
  
  "So, do you think you can maybe help me look for him?" asked Kara awkwardly.
  
  Harry looked at her for a moment, and decided what he needed to do. "Okay, I'll help. But I need help from you with something."
  
  Kara's curiosity had been piqued and she wondered what Harry wanted.
  
  "I was sent here for something important to me, a journal," said Harry, as he looked at her.
  
  Kara scoffed, and looked at him, with a frown. "A journal?"
  
  "Yes, it belonged to my mother," said Harry. "It was the only thing of hers that survived from where I came from."
  
  Harry took a deep breath and looked at the woman across from him. "My mother...Lily...she died so I could live."
  
  Kara's expression softened. She almost reached for Harry's hand, but stopped. That seemed a bit too forward. She covered up her near slip with a question. "So, what is this journal anyway?"
  
  "That's what I'd like to know," he replied, as he began to clear up the dishes. "If I find it, it might answer some questions about why everyone in my world had to die."
  
  The blonde woman continued to watch Harry Potter. She wondered if her initial impressions of Harry had been way off base.
  
  "I'll help you find your cousin, and we'll do it together," said Harry, as he cleared up the plates, and moved over to clean them. "Then we'll focus on the journal after we get Kal-El."
  
  Then, Harry turned and looked right at Kara, with a serious and focused expression "Do I have your word that you won't try and pull a runner on me again?"
  
  "I won't run," said Kara quickly. "I know you can find me if I do."
  
  She paused, before she added. "And something tells me you won't be so nice about it next time."
  
  "Good instincts," said Harry approvingly, as he finished off the dishes and cleared the food away.
  
  Kara sat at the table, allowing herself to watch Harry for a short instant. She looked around the house. "This place...I just can't believe it..."
  
  She took a deep breath.
  
  "I can't believe you're a human, it's beyond everything your kind should be capable of," said Kara, then she was hit with another theory. "Are you from the future?"
  
  "Well I've time traveled before, but it was a long ago and only a few hours back," answered Harry.
  
  Kara opened her mouth, but found herself visited by a yawn.
  
  "It's getting quite late, you need your rest and I do too," said Harry, as he looked at Kryptonian before him. "You're free to spend the night. I'll show you to your room."
  
  She looked from side to side. There seemed to be no bedrooms on this floor and no stairs, but given this place, it was a likely guess appearances could be deceiving.
  
  "Second floor," muttered Harry and in a blink of an eye, they were right on the next floor.
  
  Kara looked around at several doors across a long elegant hallway.
  
  "You can sleep here," said Harry, as he indicated to the room by the side. Kara snuck a peak inside.
  
  The room looked spacious with a large bed in the middle. The doors swung open. She stepped inside, to have a look around. The dressers were elegant. The carpet looked pristine, without even a blemish. The windows allowed her a view outside, towards the sky.
  
  "If you need any clothes, just ask the dresser," added Harry.
  
  Kara opened her mouth, but then shut it. It was obvious that she was getting no more answers, not today.
  
  "We'll look for Kal-El first thing in the morning," said Harry, as he stood in the doorway. "I'll be in the room right across from yours. So, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
  
  Kara stood in her room, looking at Harry.
  
  "Good night, Kara," said Harry with a warm smile. "Pleasant dreams."
  
  "Good night, Harry," said Kara, as she turned towards the dresser, as she saw Harry leave through the mirror above it. "Thanks for everything."
  
  The door shut right behind Harry. Kara looked at the dresser and put her crystal down on it gently.
  
  "Blue nightgown," she muttered and sure enough the dresser drawer popped open. It was exactly her size.
  
  She found herself amazed with the technology here. The person who brought her to this marvel was equally as interesting as well.
  
  Kara considered the enigma that was Harry Potter, as she changed. She pulled back the covers and slid into bed. The moment her head hit the pillows, she was out like a light.
  
  Harry stood in the hallway and turned to his room.
  
  'Great cosmic power, and still no idea how to properly deal with women,' he thought in amusement. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
  
  X-X-X
  
  Clark sat in his house, silent, as he listened to the radio broadcast.
  
  "The fairy-tale marriage of Lana Lang to Lex Luthor ended in tragedy. Sources say the billionaire is the prime suspect in the explosion that cut short such a vibrant young life..."
  
  "Clark?" asked a voice, and Clark looked up, to see Chloe standing in the doorway. He only nodded, as he listened to the broadcast.
  
  "Police say that Lang's vehicle exploded upon ignition in what was believed to be a car bombing behind a local coffeehouse. According to wire services, a funeral date has yet to be set. Although no witnesses have come forward, Lex Luthor was apprehended near Reeves Dam. Lionel Luthor is unaccounted for. In a strange phenomenon, the damage that caused flooding of the dam appears to have repaired itself."
  
  Chloe sighed and faced Clark. "I know you wanted to be alone, but...I thought I'd come by and see if I could get more than two words out of you."
  
  "Thanks Chloe but I think I'll take a rain check," said Clark, but he then paused, considering something. "Anything on..."
  
  "Not even a fingerprint or an eyelash," said Chloe. "He seems to have vanished right into the night, without a trace, as suddenly as he appeared."
  
  Clark leaned forward, thoughts swirled in his head.
  
  "He said to cherish my friends, because I'd never know when I'd get another opportunity," said Clark, as he looked at her.
  
  Chloe just gave a sad smile. "Well with what's happened recently, that might be sound advice. And it almost sounds like he's speaking from experience."
  
  "Are you trying to say that Death had loved ones?" asked Clark.
  
  "Well, he has a past," she answered. "Whoever he is, whatever he is."
  
  Clark nodded. He wished he knew. Perhaps that would shed some light on what the robed figure did what he did, and why he said what he said.
  
  "When I heard about Lana, I went after Lex," muttered Clark. "And I wasn't going to leave him alive. To love, that is hard. To hate, it's all too easy, too clean."
  
  Chloe looked at him with a nod. "This might be something you need to feel. It just proves your human, anger is natural."
  
  "I stared at the monster I could become," said Clark. "And that robed man; he could have finished me off just as easily. I almost thought for a minute he would..."
  
  "Kill you too," muttered Chloe. "I guess if I ever find him, we've all got questions. Getting answers out of him might be the real challenge."
  
  Lois walked in at the moment, in a daze.
  
  "This is the weirdest day of my life," said Lois as she sat down. "I hope I never see that Grim Reaper guy or whatever again. I won't be sleeping soundly for a while."
  
  Chloe chuckled. She suspected that would last for about three days.
  
  "Alright there, Smallville?" asked Lois.
  
  "I will be eventually," muttered Clark.
  
  'Better appreciate them now, like he said, because they might not be here forever,' thought Clark in conflict. 'I wonder if I should just give up the charade, embrace my destiny, and stop trying to be what I'm not...a human.'
  
  In a courtyard in Shanghai, China, Lana Lang walked around, dressed in a blonde wig. She moved into an apartment and pulled off her wig. She plotted what she would do next.
  
  Harry sat cross-legged in mid-air, his eyes closed and a tranquil, peaceful expression on his face. His body recharged itself as he was in this state, and it left him alert enough to what was going on in the real world.
  
  He was glad that he learned this trick, because there was a real fear that he would be killed in his bed, like so many others had during the final war. Dumbledore's portrait taught in that trick. It was how he juggled so many responsibilities.
  
  'So this Kal-El, he must be the one I've been sent here for,' thought Harry, after a moment's pause. 'Finding one ankle-biter might be difficult. And I thought the journal was going to give me fits.'
  
  He hummed under his breath.
  
  'As for Kara...she's an interesting girl,' mused Harry to himself 'She has a slight attitude, but it's a defense mechanism, I think. We all wear masks after all. Daphne, you'd be glad to know that I remembered something you said. I'm sure you'd also be glad that I don't have the attention span of a lobotomized Flobberworm after all.'
  
  He opened his eyes, and gazed out into the night sky from his window.
  
  'Then again, as curious as I am about her, the feeling might be mutual,' thought Harry. 'Never a dull moment, eh, Harry. Wonder what it'd be like to have a boring life? Guess I'd never know.'
  
  He took a deep calming breath.
  
  'Well, at least you won't have to find the journal on your own,' he pondered. 'Of course, it would help if you knew what the blasted thing looked like. But, baby steps, Potter, baby steps.'
  
  Harry spoke out loud for the first time. "And speaking of children..."
  
  The Herald of Death went straight to work. Locating spells only pinpointed a general area, but it would isolate where this Kal-El child was.
  
  
  Altercation
  
  
  Chapter Four: Altercation.
  
  Harry sat on his bed. A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts.
  
  "Come in," said Harry, as he turned to face the door.
  
  The door opened, and Kara entered. She walked towards Harry. She wore a transparent blue nightdress.
  
  "You're awake, good," said Kara, as she surveyed Harry.
  
  "Yes, I've been working on finding your cousin, for a while" said Harry, as he did not look up completely from his work. "Couldn't sleep I take it."
  
  "I slept fine," said Kara, as she leaned against the dresser. A hint of a smile appeared on her face. Then, she continued to talk. "I had some nice dreams, felt refreshed, and woke up. Figured, I'd see if you were up to."
  
  Kara glided over and, sat herself down on the bed next to Harry. Harry turned to face the blonde girl. He could not help, but notice how nicely the nightdress showcased her legs. Yet, he pulled himself out of those thoughts, to focus on the business at hand.
  
  "Any luck with Kal-El?" asked Kara, as she leaned over, to try and figure out what he was doing.
  
  Harry took a deep breath, to sigh and look at her. "I know he's in this place, Smallville, he hasn't left. That's a good sign. That means the government hasn't grabbed him."
  
  There was a note of relief in Harry's voice that Kara promptly picked up on.
  
  "Why would your government want him?" asked Kara.
  
  Harry just looked at her, as he thought how to best explain the situation. "Don't judge humans too badly on this, but there are some people in the government, any government, who are obsessed with power. A lot of them have the best intentions, or seem to, but their obsession with protecting their country can cause those intentions to go off track."
  
  Harry looked her right in the eye, and added in a low voice. "Governments have been trying to have weapons, just for an intimidation tactic for decades. They might never fire them, but the threat that they're there keeps their enemies on their toes. Some super powered toddler would be something many people in the government would shove their mothers down a flight of stairs for. They could create super soldiers based off of his genetic make-up, or at least try too."
  
  "You've given this matter a lot of thought," muttered Kara.
  
  "They're some dangerous people out there," said Harry. "The government from where I came from, if they had the chance when I was young, they might have snatched me, used me as a weapon."
  
  It was at this point where Harry realized that being sent to the Dursleys might not have been the worst thing that could have happened to him. If the Ministry got their hooks into him early on, he'd likely be trapped in the Department of Mysteries as some object of study.
  
  "No one should have been able to open my ship, but me," she said, to break him out of his thoughts.
  
  "Well, I did," said Harry. "It wasn't too hard; I scanned it and disabled it, one component at a time."
  
  Kara slid closer to Harry, so her bare leg brushed against his, as she looked him in the eyes. She spoke in a sweet voice. "Harry, I'm not fooled. You're not completely human."
  
  She stared him down. Harry just looked back at her. "Kara, you're a smart girl. Yes, I'm not completely human."
  
  "What are you then?" asked Kara, as she got to her feet, to try and rack her brain for an explanation. "I thought you were a Kryptonian..."
  
  "Kara, I told you, I was part of a hidden world, right here on Earth," said Harry. "It's not technology that I have. It's magic."
  
  Kara opened her mouth, as she blinked. Somehow, it made a lot of sense.
  
  "Wow, that's...that...interesting," she breathed, eyes upon Harry in interest. "And you're the last one from your world."
  
  "Yes," he answered, as Kara sat back down next to him.
  
  Kara watched Harry as he continued to work. She had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed amazing.
  
  "Do you know anything about green meteor rocks?" asked Harry, suddenly break the silence.
  
  "Why do you ask?" the girl inquired.
  
  Harry explained to her, "I found loads of them around your ship. They're emitting high levels of radiation, and it's really worrying me."
  
  "I don't know about them," said Kara, as she frowned. She wished she could help him.
  
  "I think they could affect you," said Harry, which caused a frown to appear on Kara's face.
  
  "Why?" asked Kara.
  
  Harry looked at her, before giving the direct answer. "There was a woman in my world that got a hold of one of these rocks. I thought she lost her mind at first, well she did lose her mind, but not because of this. The rock did strange things to her powers. I'm guessing they might react differently depending on the person."
  
  Kara nodded, thinking she'd steer clear of any meteor rocks. She tapped her foot impatiently. Then she leaned over, to whisper in Harry's ear. "So, when are we going to look for Kal-El?"
  
  "After the sun rises, because most people don't appreciate you bothering them before then," said Harry. "Of course, there's a chance your cousin might have been adopted by someone, so we're going to have to deal with that."
  
  She gave the matter some thought. She had not considered that possibility.
  
  "Would you like to have some breakfast before we head out?" asked Harry.
  
  "I'd like that very much," said Kara, as she gazed at Harry. "I can't think of a better idea, thanks Harry, you're amazing!"
  
  Kara hugged Harry from the side. She pulled away, and walked off, to leave Harry sitting on his bed.
  
  "Women, seem to be constant from any planet," muttered Harry in amusement, after Kara had gone.
  
  He smiled, as he recalled some of his past relationships with women.
  
  Hermione was really just a friend, despite what everyone seemed to think. Her death taught Harry to be more self-sufficient, and not rely on people. The people he relied on might not be there to help him tomorrow. Her death allowed Harry to stop being lazy.
  
  Parvati, well that was still one dance at the Yule Ball, but Harry decided to reflect on her. Despite, how he treated her, she seemed to take it in stride over time. They became friends as the years went on, and she was a valuable ally in the battles with Sinclair and her followers.
  
  Cho, Harry recalled her next. That relationship they had was a disaster. Cho saw a Muggle therapist after her seventh year, which helped her gain some closure on Cedric. She did want one final meeting with Harry to clear the air. Harry caught some hell from certain people, but he agreed to meet her. It was very nice to put what happened behind them.
  
  Cho apologized for trying to use Harry as some kind of surrogate for Cedric during Harry's fifth year. She did help him a few times, as her family chronicled some obscure and lost books on magic. Some of the magic helped him in the coming years, during the final war of the magical world.
  
  Ginny was a complicated case. Their relationship was rocky to say the least. Harry decided he wanted to return to Hogwarts for his seventh year after Voldemort died, and Ginny suggested he should rebuild the Ministry, to use his reputation, because it was his duty. They didn't get too far in their relationship, and the last discussion they had, was Ginny accusing Harry of putting Hermione before her, even after her death. Harry did have some good times with her, but there were times where when Ginny had her bad days. When these days happened, her temper could be second to none.
  
  Luna sort of counted, he guessed as well. They did go to Slughorn's party after all. In addition, they exchanged at least one kiss during the final war, under the demonic influence of too much firewhiskey. Yet, they agreed they were better off as friends.
  
  Gabrielle he was pretty sure likely had some kind of infatuation with him, based on him rescuing her from the lake in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. Only now did it occur to Harry, about six years later, why both Astoria and Gabrielle seemed to be at each other's throats when they were not fighting for their lives against Sinclair's followers.
  
  Yet, all of them would not have worked out in the end. Harry just smiled, as he recalled the good moments.
  
  Harry found himself rather curious about the latest girl who entered his life. Yet, there were more important things to worry about then his utterly messed up romance life.
  
  Lois walked through the woods, with a purpose, as Clark followed her, in an attempt to keep up with her. She quickened her strides.
  
  Clark looked at her, exasperated. "Lois, you just had a near death experience...."
  
  "Don't say the "D" word," hissed Lois, as she looked over her shoulder. "It could summon him, and I never want to see him again."
  
  "Right, but you should be resting," admonished Clark in a stern voice.
  
  Lois just snapped around, and looked Clark right in the eye. "I'm going to find out what Lex is up to. You on the other hand, aren't acquired to attend, after what happened to Lana. Why don't you go help Chloe on her witch hunt for You-Know-Who or something? Keep your mind off of things."
  
  Clark was confused, but then it clicked. He looked at Lois. "Oh, you mean the Grim R..."
  
  "Smallville, knock it off!" yelled Lois, as her eyes shifted.
  
  "It's dangerous out here Lois, with what might be lurking around," said Clark. "Protecting you has been a bad habit of mine. Besides, it gives me a good opportunity to say goodbye."
  
  Lois just scoffed at him, and rolled her eyes. "You can't break up with me, Clark. We're not even a couple."
  
  "Lois...I'm leaving Smallville...after Lana's funeral," said Clark, and Lois stopped in her tracks.
  
  "Wow, I didn't see that coming," muttered Lois. "Where are you running away to?"
  
  "Up North," answered Clark, as he made up his mind about what his role in life held. "There's something I need to do."
  
  Lois opened her mouth to ask another question, but stopped and stared. Another question visited her, as she looked at the house that sat before her. "Um, Clark, was this house here yesterday?"
  
  Clark looked at it, with a frown. "I don't think so, why?"
  
  "Because, there's a little house, that just seemed to appear in the middle of nowhere," said Lois, as she looked at it, to survey it with a frown.
  
  The word "Potter" had been written on the mailbox. Suddenly it struck her.
  
  "Of course, the Shining Light guy, he moved into town!" yelled Lois, as Clark moved closer.
  
  "Who are you talking about?" asked Clark.
  
  "You've been out of the loop, haven't you?" asked Lois. "Harry Potter, he's the reclusive owner of the Shining Light Foundation. He's a bit out to lunch, I think. He's never in public, hasn't been photographed, and no one knows what he looks like."
  
  "Well, he sounds like a man who likes his privacy," said Clark, who knew Lois was likely going to stick her nose where it did not belong.
  
  "Why Smallville of all places?" demanded Lois. "The man's an eccentric nutjob! They say he's had the house moved over brick by brick from the UK."
  
  She surveyed the house, with a critical eye. Granted, it was not a complete dump, but it looked rather unimpressive. "If you ask me, he should have brought better bricks over."
  
  "It's not that bad looking," muttered Clark, but his eyes travelled to a fenced in area. Lois noticed him looking as well. Her eagle eyes locked right into a spaceship within the fenced area.
  
  The sign read "No Tresspassing" Lois shrugged, as she took a step forward. The sign proceeded to shift into new writing. "This means you, Lois Lane."
  
  Lois was flummoxed, and a voice brought her out of her thoughts, "That sign was not a suggestion."
  
  Lois and Clark turned to see a young man facing them, with messy black hair and green eyes. He was dressed in black, with only a few bits of white.
  
  "Who are you anyway?" asked Lois.
  
  "My name is Harry Potter," said Harry, as he looked at her. "I'm the owner of the Shining Light Foundation, or as you so eloquently put it, I'm the eccentric nutjob."
  
  Lois looked at him, and moved to get a closer look.
  
  "As you will find out, I legally own everything from the front of the driveway, to the back fence," said Harry. "Which means, if I didn't invite you over, you're trespassing."
  
  Clark took a step forward, but he found himself propelled back by the fence.
  
  "That was just a warning shot," said Harry, as he looked at Clark, who pulled himself off the ground. "The next time you get a bit too close to my fence, it won't pull its punches."
  
  "How are you doing that?" asked Clark, as he looked down at Harry. "I don't see any wires or..."
  
  "Come on, take a wild guess," encouraged Harry.
  
  Clark pondered the matter, before he gave his theory. "It's magic, isn't it?"
  
  "And, we have a winner," said Harry, before he spotted Lois out of the corner of his eye, taking out her phone. "If you'd like, I'll be able to show you a magic trick. I can make your girlfriend disappear before your very eyes."
  
  Lois crashed to the ground at this point. Clark looked up, to see a blonde woman standing over the top of her. With strength, she crushed Lois's cell phone within her hand. She turned, to face Clark.
  
  "That's what happens when people touch my stuff," she stated in a dangerous voice.
  
  She got right into his face, daring him to try and contradict her. Harry walked over, and stood beside her, to gently pull her back.
  
  "C'mon, he's not worth it," muttered Harry.
  
  She looked at him and nodded.
  
  "Fine, take your girlfriend, and get out of here," she said in a harsh tone to Clark.
  
  Harry added in a low voice. "And if I ever catch you snooping around again, I'm calling the law on you. Is that clear?"
  
  Clark was about to answer, but at that moment, the ship, the house, and both people vanished before his very eyes.
  
  He was left confused, and needed to revive Lois.
  
  High above the ground, Kara and Harry flew.
  
  "So, he's certainly here," said Kara.
  
  "Somewhere, but there must be dozens of places where he could be," said Harry, before he looked at her. "I think we'll just make our way down town, and look for him."
  
  Kara nodded in agreement.
  
  "I made us both invisible, so no one can try and follow us in the air," whispered Harry.
  
  Both flew in the sky over Smallville, in search of Kal-El.
  
  Chloe looked up from her work at the Talon Apartment, and heard Lois and Clark arguing as they entered.
  
  "I'm serious, you should go to the hospital," said Clark.
  
  "Why?" demanded Lois, as she shook her head and ignored the ringing inside it. "Just because I got hexed by some magic man, if that's what he is. If I turn into a toad by the evening, I'll consider heading over. Right now, I'm fine."
  
  Chloe decided to ask the obvious question. "What happened to you guys?"
  
  "I got attacked by the new guy in town," said Lois, as she shook her head. "Guy's so quick, I didn't see it coming. He says he's some kind of wizard or something, but I think that's a load of malarkey. I mean, who could believe something like that?"
  
  Chloe just smiled. Given what she saw in the past, there was very little she was prepared not to believe.
  
  "He's a recluse," said Clark. "He likes his privacy, and we were on his property."
  
  "Yeah, well what about that spaceship?" asked Lois. "Or that fancy technology that knew my name? I think the magician thing's just a front, he's really some guy from outer space."
  
  Clark knew now that Lois did not even have a hint of the other person with this Harry Potter. "I'm sure it's just a centerpiece or something for his lawn."
  
  "Why the security?" asked Lois.
  
  "Well, it might be a family heirloom," suggested Chloe.
  
  "Lois just drop it," said Clark. "You just got caught off guard by his security system, I did too, just let it go."
  
  "State of the art security system, but quaint little home, something's fishy," said Lois, as she put a hand to her head. "I'm not going to let the matter go. Once I get out of these clothes, I'm going straight to the Inquisitor. My editor is going to flip over this one."
  
  Lois walked off, to leave Clark and Chloe alone.
  
  "She's imagining things," whispered Chloe.
  
  "Not completely, muttered Clark. "There was a wizard there, but he wasn't the only one there. There was this Kryptonian girl, blonde hair and a really bad attitude. She was the one that knocked Lois out. She moved so fast, Lois never could have stopped it. But that's not the weird part..."
  
  "You mean there was something stranger than a Kryptonian just popping up out of the blue and popping Lois?" asked Chloe.
  
  "Yeah, she was about to come after me, but he stopped her," muttered Clark. "Said I wasn't worth it and she seemed to respect him enough to listen to him. Next thing I knew, everything was gone. The house, the ship, and both of the vanished, I couldn't see it with even my X-Ray Vision."
  
  "Who was the guy?" asked Chloe.
  
  Clark paused, before he stated. "Harry Potter, he's the owner of something...The Shining Light Foundation."
  
  "I caught a glimpse of something about that, but I was trying to find out more about our robed friend," muttered Chloe, but that search turned out to be a dead end so far. "So our mysterious master of the arcane arts and our super girl just vanished without a trace."
  
  "Yes," said Clarke, but he frowned. "I don't know how super she might be. Nearly every Kryptonian I've come across so far as turned out to be a cold blooded killer."
  
  "Yeah," muttered Chloe. "What is it with your people? Are you the only half-way decent member of your Kryptonian race?"
  
  Clark had no idea. "Listen can you find something on..."
  
  He was cut off by Lois taking more painkillers than was medically recommended.
  
  "Wow, that's a lot of painkillers for someone that's fine," mused Clark.
  
  "Clark, I'm good to go," slurred Lois. "I just got zapped by one little spell. Sure it packed a punch, but...I'm just being careful. I got a little headache, that's all."
  
  "You could have a concussion," suggested Clark.
  
  Lois just looked at him, and shook her head. "If I see double when I'm typing my story, you'll be the first to know."
  
  Chloe decided to take a firmer hand. "You know what, Lois, no, I'm sorry. But after everything we've been through together, I'm not letting you put yourself in danger. I'm taking you to the hospital."
  
  "All right," said Lois, as her expression softened.
  
  "Okay," said Chloe as she moved to get her keys.
  
  "But ten minutes, then I'm gone, I don't have time to sit around all day waiting," said Lois.
  
  "Sure, Lois," said Chloe.
  
  'Then I'll see what I can dig up on the mysterious Mr. Potter,' she thought.
  
  Lex sat in his prison cell, stoic and calm. His lawyer entered with a smile on his face, which brought the man out of his thoughts.
  
  "Well, I'm glad someone has something to smile about," mused the bald young man.
  
  "Well, this smile means you've been cleared of all charges," said the Attorney. "You're a free man, Mr. Luthor."
  
  "On what grounds?" asked Lex, as his attorney gave him a look of disbelief.
  
  "They caught the killer. A disgruntled employee from one of your tunnel-construction crew claimed he got cancer from the chemicals down there."
  
  Lex paused for a few seconds, before he nodded. "So he blew up my wife to get back at me?"
  
  "That's what he said in his confession," said the Attorney. "Come on. Let's get you out of this cage. I'll buy you a big, juicy porterhouse."
  
  Lex got up, but just stood there, in thought. "He didn't do it."
  
  "Lex, they found his fingerprints at the scene," replied the attorney. "He confessed to the crime."
  
  The man just remained firm. "I don't care what kind of evidence there is. The man did not murder my wife."
  
  "As your attorney..."
  
  "As my attorney, I want you to set up a meeting with this disgruntled employee," said Lex, as he looked right in the man's eye. "I want to hear it from him."
  
  "What's your point?" asked the attorney.
  
  Silence, before he gave the frank response. "I'm not sure Lana's dead."
  
  'She's out there, I'll know for sure soon,' he thought. 'Once I get closure, I'll see what I can do with that second chance, the gift I was given.'
  
  'Not even one day in, and I'm already being visited by people who stick their noses where they don't belong,' thought Harry. 'Okay, Potter, don't lose it. Just got to play it cool, help Kara find this Kal-El, get him back to the house, and then keep your house hidden. Then we'll work from there.'
  
  "What if someone goes for my ship again?" muttered Kara.
  
  "They won't," said Harry.
  
  "How can you be sure?" asked Kara.
  
  "Because the enchantments work that way," said Harry. "I've hidden the house; it took me about eight hours to get the spell work completed. It's just those two showed up right as I was done, and no one could be in the house when it was activated. Only those I allow to see it, those who are keyed in, can see it from here on out."
  
  "If those two say anything, people might wonder," suggested Kara.
  
  Harry paused, before he added. "Well, if they start rambling about a fact a house appeared, and then disappeared, they might come across as just a bit crazy. No one who isn't keyed in, will not be anywhere near my house."
  
  He paused, and then added. "I keyed you in, by the way. You're the only one, other than me keyed in right now."
  
  "You actually trust me enough," said Kara, surprised, but oddly enough pleased.
  
  "Call it instinct, but yeah, I trust you," muttered Harry.
  
  'Hopefully, this is the ninety nine percent of the time my instincts are right, as opposed to the one percent of the time they are way off base. Trusting someone is not something that comes easily to me. Yet, I trust her. Is it out of necessity? I don't know, just got to roll with the punches."
  
  With another movement, they arrived at the first pre-school. Harry noticed there seemed to be little to no supervision, which made him shake his head. In a blink of an eye, Kara moved over, to begin to interrogate the children. He chuckled in amusement.
  
  'No sense of stealth,' thought Harry.
  
  "What's your name?" demanded Kara, as she had a child off the ground, but Harry cleared his throat.
  
  "Kara, listen, there's a much easier way of doing this, than lifting these half-pints off the ground one by one," said Harry.
  
  She looked at him. "And what is..."
  
  Harry waved his hand and a loud bang echoed. It sounded like a cannon, and caused all of the children to straighten up, fearfully. Their eyes widened, as Harry turned to address them all.
  
  "Attention, rug rats!" shouted Harry, as they stood up, straight and still. "I'm going to ask you all a couple of questions, and I want them answered, immediately!"
  
  The children nodded, looking like bobble heads. Kara hid her amusement, as she stood in the shadows, to stay out of Harry's way.
  
  "Are any of you children adopted?" asked Harry.
  
  "What's adopted mean?" asked one of the children.
  
  "It means your Mommy and Daddy, aren't your real Mommy and Daddy, stupid!" shouted another child.
  
  "Hey, no name calling, you little crumb grabber!" snapped Harry, as the kid fell back into line. The children remained silent, as he channeled the spirit of Severus Snape for a minute. "Well?"
  
  They all shook their heads.
  
  "Does the name, Kal-El, hold any meaning to you?" he asked.
  
  Once again, they shook their heads. Harry picked up no signs of deception. He sighed. "Okay, have a nice day. Look both ways before you cross the street, don't take candy from strangers, and always say please and thank you."
  
  They nodded their heads in fear, as Harry turned to rejoin Kara, who seemed rather amused.
  
  "I like your way better," said Kara.
  
  "Yeah, let's move on, these children are all duds," said Harry.
  
  Kara grabbed Harry's hand, so they became invisible once again. They moved onto the next stop of their list.
  
  "So, about your eyes," muttered Harry. "I'm guessing you fire some kind of heat blast out of them."
  
  "Yes...I burned your ceiling last night," said Kara in an apologetic tone. "It fixed itself, so I figured there was no harm in it."
  
  "Well, your eyes flared up at least twice at Breakfast...so I've put a spell on you..."
  
  "That sounds like a bad Earth pick up line of there ever was one," muttered Kara.
  
  Harry just smiled, "Perhaps, but what I did will prevent any accidents, until you can learn to control that particular power. I don't relish putting out any forest fires."
  
  "You seem to know a lot about Kryptonian powers," said Kara in a casual voice.
  
  "Kara, I told you about where I came from," said Harry. "Let's, just focus on finding your cousin, and we'll worry about what we need to do next."
  
  "Alright, next school's right around the corner."
  
  They touched down, to interrogate more children.
  
  Chloe worked in an absent minded manner at the Daily Planet, as she moved from the Printing Press. She looked up, to see the face of one of the last men she wanted to see at this point.
  
  "Lex, I thought you'd be sharpening your shiv behind bars by now," remarked Chloe.
  
  "Someone else confessed," said Lex, as he looked at the woman.
  
  Chloe's face contorted into disgust, before she found her voice. "Once again, a Luthor snake manages to slither away from the grasp of justice. How much did you have to pay the poor guy?"
  
  "It didn't...it was my father, before he disappeared," protested Lex. "But that's not the point..."
  
  Chloe waved off his words. They were nothing, but empty lies as far as she was concerned. "It doesn't matter what slight of hand you pulled, it's not bringing Lana back."
  
  "What if she isn't dead, Chloe?" asked Lex.
  
  "Lex..." said Chloe in protest, but he cut her off.
  
  "I felt death pull me inches away from the wreckage of a hell crafted by my own sins," whispered Lex. "I got one more chance, I just need closure."
  
  At this point, Chloe stopped, and stared at Lex. Her mouth widened, but she shook her head to clear the thoughts.
  
  "What if she isn't dead, Chloe?" repeated Lex.
  
  "I heard you the first time," muttered Chloe. "You don't need to come up with any more convoluted conspiracy theories."
  
  Lex remained quiet and then spoke so only the two of them could hear. "Before, Lana died; she stole highly classified research from me. The one person, who would know for certain, is not exactly the most accessible."
  
  Chloe turned for a second, to hide her expression.
  
  'It can't be, it has to be a coincidence,' she thought.
  
  "I simply need closure, to move on with my life," stated Lex. "Find out what Lana's plan was, tell me what you know, and I'll ask nothing else of you."
  
  Chloe turned, and handed Lex some files. "Take this, all I know."
  
  Lex moved off when he had the information. It was some time before Chloe even realized he left. The robed man mystery gained even more layers by the moment, and the more she knew, the less she understood.
  
  She tried to look a bit more into the enigma that was Harry Potter, but found no references other than what was common knowledge. Clark showed up.
  
  "Hey, are you alright?" asked Clark.
  
  "Um, yeah, I'm fine," muttered Chloe, but her eyes widened at the latest news. "But there are two people who have been spotted, that resemble the Kryptonian girl and the wizard that turned up. They're bouncing all over the county, terrorizing children. The children were found shaking in horror."
  
  Clark's expression darkened. "About where were they sighted?"
  
  "They just appeared, and vanished into thin air," said Chloe, but she looked at a map, before she pointed out all of the schools. "There seems to be a method to their madness. I'm guessing this might be their next stop."
  
  The two touched down on the ground.
  
  "He's got to be here," said Kara.
  
  "This is the last place," muttered Harry. "Unless..."
  
  "His ship didn't make it," she concluded in a quiet voice.
  
  Harry decided to add a more optimistic spin on the situation. "Or someone did adopt him. Then, we're going to have to hunt down adoption records from the last year."
  
  "Well, that should be simple enough," she said with a shrug, but Harry grabbed her, before they went invisible.
  
  "Not as simple as dealing with someone who has been tailing us from the last three schools," whispered Harry.
  
  Harry's mood did not improve when he saw who it was.
  
  'Great, we meet again,' thought Harry.
  
  With a wave of his hand, he summoned Clark right towards him. The young man was caught off guard, as he landed on the ground.
  
  "Time to find out what this guy's issue is," whispered Harry.
  
  With a movement, both got transported into the Nexus Dimension where Harry stored Kara the previous day.
  
  Clark dropped down to the ground, and looked up. He found himself in an endless voice, of absolutely nothing and no one around. He did see a small laboratory in the distance.
  
  "Where am I?" he asked, as he saw the two individuals he had been tailing appear.
  
  "First trespassing, and then stalking, you're really racking up the criminal charges today," said Harry without humor.
  
  "I was trying to stop you two from doing something..." started Clark, but the girl stood and faced him.
  
  "Why were you following us?" she demanded.
  
  "I...wasn't really following you...you were terrorizing children, I had to put a stop to it," said Clark, in a firm voice.
  
  Harry snorted. "So, you decided to be a hero. I didn't harm any of them. Shook them up a little bit maybe, but the world has far scarier things than little old me. "
  
  "Look, um...Mr. Potter," said Clark. "You realize who you're with. She's Kryptonian and potentially she could be..."
  
  "Yes, thank you, I knew she's Kryptonian," replied Harry, as he turned to face this young man. "How do you know it? She's under my protection, because we're looking for someone important."
  
  "Yeah, I don't care if some do-gooder gets his pants in a knot," said the blonde, speaking up. "I'm finding my cousin. Harry, I think we should leave him here until he learns about personal space."
  
  Clark zipped off at super speed towards the lab, but then returned. He turned to face Harry.
  
  "There's got to be some kind of exit portal around here," he muttered.
  
  "I'm the exit portal," said Harry.
  
  "Then you have to send me back," said Clark, but Harry dodged his attempts to grab him. Clark went into the void at super speed, and Harry faced him.
  
  Kara tugged on Harry's sleeve. He turned to her. "Humans...aren't supposed to move that fast. I'm wondering about this guy."
  
  Harry took that thought into consideration, as Clark returned, but a containment field magically appeared around him.
  
  "Okay, here's the deal, and I'm only going to explain this to you once," said Harry as he looked at the contained young man. "We're looking for a small boy, Kara's cousin. Get in our way one more time, and you'll be sorry."
  
  Clark just looked at them. "Don't suppose you can give me a name. I might be able to help you."
  
  "Kal-El," said Kara.
  
  The look on Clark's face was dumbstruck. "That would be...my birth name."
  
  "That's impossible..." started Kara in disbelief, but Harry cut her off.
  
  "Kara, are you sure you were only down in that ship a few months?" asked Harry.
  
  "Are you trying to say I wasn't?" she asked.
  
  Harry sighed. "My initial scans indicated you might have been down there for years and years. I thought I buggered the math."
  
  Kara opened her mouth, but Harry just held up a hand. "Okay, I'm going to check something, and then I'll know for sure. Kara, please stand back. Kal-El, if you are Kal-El, I'm going to release you from the containment field. You need to remain perfectly still, unless you want me to scatter your molecules throughout the entire multiverse."
  
  The field released, and Clark stood. Harry waved his hand over, as he muttered what seemed like nonsense words. Harry calculated everything, checked the initial scans, and tried to compare the scans of this young man to the one he took of Kara.
  
  Harry sighed when he had finished.
  
  'Well this complicates things,' he thought. 'All and all, I would have preferred a troublesome toddler.'
  
  "So, do you believe me?" asked Clark. "I was born...Kal-El."
  
  "He's lying, he can't be Kal-El!" yelled Kara in disbelief.
  
  "He's telling the truth, Kara," said Harry, as he sighed. "Now, we need to figure out where we need to go from here."
  
  Kara stood there, as everything she knew was wrong. She had been down in that ship for years before Harry rescued her. Clark looked at both of them.
  
  "It'd be a lot friendlier if we head over to my farm house," said Clark, as he looked at Harry. "No offense, but this isn't exactly the most cheerful place."
  
  Harry looked at him.
  
  'Oh, you've done plenty to offend me, Kal-El," thought Harry darkly. "This can't be the one she sent me to help. I swear, this is how she gets her jollies.'
  
  "One moment, I'm checking to see if there's anything here that can follow us," said Harry, as he performed the necessary spell. He looked up. "Ready to go, Kara?"
  
  She nodded. Harry grabbed her gently by the hand, and grabbed Clark forcefully by the arm, before he turned to him.
  
  "If you're capable of visualizing skills, try and picture your house in your mind."
  
  Clark did so, and the three disappeared.
  
  Chloe sat, deep in research about one Harry Potter.
  
  'Harry Potter's a common name,' thought Chloe. 'There must be dozens of people named Harry Potter. Yet for this Harry Potter, we're looking for green eyes and dark hair. Likely in his twenties, at least that's what I figure.'
  
  After some careful digging, Chloe stumbled upon the closest match.
  
  'Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, formally Lily Evans, born July 31st 1980. Parents died when he was one year old in a car accident. He was sent to live with his aunt and uncle,' read Chloe mentally. 'This is about the closest thing to a match. A couple of school photos has the green eyes, and the messy dark hair. He's changed a lot since childhood, but then again these were taken when he was ten. Guardians said he went to St. Brutus's Center for Incurably Criminal Boys when he was eleven.'
  
  Chloe researched that place, and pondered what she found.
  
  'St. Brutus's Center for Incurably Criminal Boys closed down in 1977. He must have violated the laws of time and space to serve time in a place that closed down before he was even born.'
  
  She continued to hunt. No dental records, no doctor's visits, not even a bad report card, or a police report was found between 1991 and 1999. Then Harry seemed to work for the British Government, but there was no information about the position he held.
  
  'Let's see about his parents. James Potter...no records for him other than he was Harry's father. That's....interesting. Lily Evans, let's see if we can find anything about her.'
  
  A frown appeared on the woman's face, as she researched. She was intrigued the more she found about this mysterious young man.
  
  'The second oldest daughter of Violet and Briar Evans...their daughters were Lily and Petunia...going for some kind of plant motif I see," she mused. 'There was a third daughter, Rose Evans, born 1972 and died in 1978, mostly in and out of the hospital between then. Poor kid, but...it was a long time ago. The Evans parents were killed in 1978. The room was locked from the inside. The culprit was never found. Doesn't help me, and Lily disappeared between 1971 and 1980, for her marriage...hmm six months before Harry was born, I do wonder.'
  
  She shrugged and decided to try out Petunia Evans next.
  
  'Petunia Evans, married to Vernon Dursley, they had one son named Dudley.'
  
  "Dudley Dursley?" asked Chloe out loud, shaking her head.
  
  'Okay, never mind that. Vernon was given his position in management at Grunnings Drill Company, by Briar Evans, the previous owner of the company as a wedding gift, and left him a huge sum of money as well. Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley all were murdered in 1999, by the same person. The fingerprints matched a woman named Rosalina Sinclair."
  
  Then, she prepared to find out more about this Rosalina Sinclair.
  
  At that point, things got interesting.
  
  Outside of Smallville, a looming figure approached the town. She wore all white. Black hair extended down past her shoulders. Her skin was gaunt, almost corpse like, with scars all over her body. Her green eyes were devoid of all life whatsoever.
  
  She spoke to herself in an eerie voice. "I sense kindred spirits in this place. My fellows, my people, the one's I must save. As I wake, I discovered the false Chosen One that murdered my family, my children, still lives."
  
  The woman stood, as she felt the power that drew her to this town.
  
  "I sense he is here," she whispered. "Likely he intends to spread his lies to more, as he attempts to sway my kind away from the truth. The faux Chosen One will not be allowed to be permitted to ruin any more lives."
  
  She turned, and remained calm. Then she made her next proclamation. "So Harry Potter, you leave all of the prestige of the world that has allowed your delusions of grandeur, to come to this Smallville. So mote be it, this humble farm town will be where I put you into the ground."
  
  She paused and felt the power, but also clarity and knowledge.
  
  "Yet, there are two others here, who do not belong here," she whispered, as she sensed them. "Two extra-terrestrials steal oxygen from the humble people of the world. They pose a threat, more shackles for those who have been gifted."
  
  Rosalina Sinclair stood, as she looked into Smallville. Her gifts had brought her back to life. It took a long time for her to recover, but after seven long years, she would fulfill her destiny.
  
  "I will save my people, this time," she whispered, as she delivered a solemn promise. "I will lead them with a promise of a brave new world. It starts in Smallville, built over the corpse of the false savior."
  Sinclair
  
  
  Chapter Five: Sinclair.
  
  Kara, Clark, and Harry walked inside the Kent Farm House. The young wizard got a look around.
  
  "So nice place you have here," said Harry, in a conversational manner. "Very quaint, very homely, seems like a good place to get a nice solid upbringing."
  
  "Thanks," said Clark. He looked at Harry, trying to figure him out. Harry sat down at the table and Kara sat on the chair next to him. Clark took the third seat across from the both of them.
  
  "I can't believe it, that you're my cousin," said Kara to break the silence, as she looked across at him. "Kal-El, the last time I saw you, you were this chubby little baby. You laughed when your feet were tickled. And now you're...well you know what you are."
  
  Kara looked at what she guessed was her cousin, it had to be.
  
  "Eighteen years, Kara was down there then," said Clark.
  
  "Yeah," said Harry, before he switched subjects. "So, just out of the sake of curiosity, what do you know about green meteor rocks?"
  
  "They cause me to be allergic, cause my powers to be unusable," explained Clark.
  
  "So, they're a danger to our kind," confirmed Kara.
  
  "Not just our kind," muttered Clark.
  
  "No, they affect other people as well," agreed Harry, as he tapped his fingers. "Someone from where I came from...she got a hold of one of those rocks. She ended up killing hundreds of people..."
  
  Clark looked at Harry, in alarm.
  
  "She's gone now," said Harry dismissively. "I had to...well I had to take care of her. She converted others to her cause. She said they were her children. The thing I'm wondering is how these rocks got here in the first place?"
  
  Clark had to field that one. "Well, when Krypton exploded..."
  
  "Kal-El, don't be ridiculous," interrupted Kara. "Planets don't explode, it's just scientifically impossible...isn't it?"
  
  "Just one second," whispered Harry, before he held out his hand. "Tell me the status of the planet Krypton."
  
  "Krypton was a planet with a highly advanced civilization, with technology centuries ahead of what was found on Earth," narrated the lifeline reading. "The core of Krypton was ignited and caused a chain reaction that caused the demise of the planet. Kal-El, the son of Jor-El was sent to Earth, where he was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent."
  
  "Who ignited the core?" asked Harry.
  
  "It was the Kryptonian known as Zor-El, the brother of Jor-El, and the father of Kara," said the lifeline reading.
  
  Kara's eyes widened, as Clark looked at her, in absolute shock.
  
  "I didn't know my father had a brother," muttered Clark.
  
  "They didn't speak to each other," managed Kara as she tried to reconcile what she heard. She had no memories of this. She could not believe her father would do something like this. "They...our family is what the people on Earth might call dysfunctional."
  
  'Sounds like the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black,' thought Harry to himself. 'Or the Evans sisters, they'd fit that description.'
  
  "Zor-El...sent me to take care of you,' muttered Kara, as the implications of the true reason she was sent here struck her. "Take care..."
  
  "A double meaning if there ever was one," said Harry darkly, as he wondered if someone had tampered with Kara's memories. If they did, it could have potentially made her unbalanced. "Kara, I want to ask your permission for something."
  
  The Kryptonian wondered what Harry wanted from her.
  
  "Depends on what it is," she whispered, but she looked him right in his eyes.
  
  "I need to read your mind, to see if anyone tampered with your memories," said Harry, who hated having to do this. He never liked to read minds.
  
  "I don't know if you can, my mind's been shielded against mental intrusion from anyone but a Kryptonian," said Kara, in disappointment. She really wanted to have her memories restored to what they should be.
  
  "Okay, then I'm going to have to do something really drastic now," muttered Harry, drawing breath and asking her. "Can I copy your powers?"
  
  "What?" asked Kara.
  
  "I have a gift, where I can copy the powers of others," said Harry, as he chose his words carefully. "I can copy up to seven people's powers, and I've used one up. So...if you want me to, I can help you get your memories back."
  
  There was a long silence.
  
  "What do you need to do?" she asked, as Clark sat, and frowned.
  
  "Couldn't you just copy my powers, instead?" asked Clark.
  
  "No, I need to copy Kara's exact powers, so I can easily get into her mind," said Harry, as he gently put his fingers on either side of Kara's forehead. "This might tickle a little bit."
  
  "Just do it, before I lose my change my mind," she muttered.
  
  Harry closed his eyes, as he felt her powers copying into him. Granted, there were not many differences, but still it was an interesting experience.
  
  He slumped down, and breathed heavily.
  
  "Should I call an ambulance?" asked Clark, as he moved towards the phone.
  
  "No, it's just draining to stop my body from rejecting the transference...Kind of like a body rejecting a new organ...I'll be back on my feet in a bit," said Harry, as Kara rushed over to get him a glass of water. She handed it to him. "Thanks."
  
  Harry drank the water, as the girl waited impatiently.
  
  "Okay, refreshed," said Harry, as he looked at the girl before him. "Kal-El, I'm going to have to ask you to please leave, until I'm done. Sit in the other room, please."
  
  Clark did as he was asked, but he could hear anything from the next room anyway. Harry faced Kara.
  
  "Ready when you are, Kara," said Harry.
  
  "I'm ready," said Kara. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"
  
  "Don't worry, I'll be gentle," muttered Harry, as he gently worked his way into her memories.
  
  He saw flashes of her childhood go by. She relaxed, as the memories flowed naturally. He saw a huge blockage in her mind.
  
  'Gently, pull back the blocks,' thought Harry. 'Just want a trickle, not a flood.'
  
  Harry worked his way further into her subconscious, as he pulled back the blocks. The memories trickled back, as he steadied her so she did not injure herself.
  
  Harry tried to emotionally detach himself from the things he was seeing. He saw Kara's father, Zor-El, who was twisted enough to snuff out an entire planet for his own ambition, because of his fanatical devotion towards a prophecy. Kara managed to fight, and injure him. Yet, he caught her and erased his own daughter's memories. It was lucky the bastard was dead, because Harry would have helped him along that path.
  
  When he was done, he pulled out. Kara leaned back, in shock.
  
  "You have a crystal," whispered Harry. "Zor-El gave it to you, he said it'd have everything that you'd need for your mission."
  
  "Yes," whispered Kara. "I thought it would be to help Kal-El."
  
  "Help him into an early grave maybe," muttered Harry darkly. "You did well Kara, you were very brave, standing up to your father like that."
  
  Kara just nodded, before she collapsed right in Harry's arms. Clark rushed back into the room.
  
  "Her memories got unblocked, and the stress caused her to pass out," explained Harry. "Do you have..."
  
  "Yeah, bedroom's upstairs," said Clark. "Watch the top step, it's a death trap."
  
  Harry nodded, as he scooped Kara up in his arms, and flew her up the stairs carefully. He reached the bedroom. The covers flew back, and he gently placed the girl on the bed, before tucking her in.
  
  "Rest here, Kara, I'm going to go talk with your cousin," said Harry.
  
  "Thanks," whispered Kara, with a smile on her face.
  
  Harry closed the door and went down the stairs, to face Clark.
  
  "She'll be alright, Kal-El," said Harry. "I know why your father never spoke of Zor-El."
  
  The two young men sat silently, and awkwardly.
  
  "Why did you come to Smallville?" asked Clark. "Why would you be here?"
  
  "Well, we have to be somewhere," replied Harry with a mysterious smile, before he started to speak to Clark. "Look, you and I, we really got off on a really bad foot. The fact is, I like my privacy, and given some things that happened to me, finding people snooping around on my property first thing in the morning, was not something that put me in the best of moods."
  
  "Well, blame Lois for that," said Clark. "She has a tendency..."
  
  "To be nosy," concluded Harry, which caused Clark to laugh.
  
  "You have her pegged," said Clark. "So...I guess we should introduce ourselves properly..."
  
  "I'm Harry Potter," said Harry, as he reached to shake the young man's hand. "I'm the owner of the Shining Light Foundation, it's a non-profit organization that helps super powered people understand their gifts."
  
  "Clark Kent, well born Kal-El, but I'm always been Clark for as long as I can remember," said Clark. "Seriously, what brings you here to Smallville?"
  
  "Business, Clark, just business," said Harry. "There seems to be a lot of super powered activity around this area, and I found myself drawn to here. I traveled the world for six years, learning all I needed to know, and arrived here days ago. The first person I came across was your cousin."
  
  "Where did you find her?" asked Clark.
  
  "Oh, did you hear about that dam that got destroyed yesterday?" asked Harry. "I arrived right there, and noticed an energy signature of a ship. I fished her ship out of the water, and brought it to my lab to figure out a way to open it. I wasn't expecting to find Kara inside."
  
  'An attractive woman was not in the top twenty things that I thought could have been in that ship,' thought Harry, in amusement.
  
  "So, you said Kara's helping you find something you said," said Clark.
  
  "It's a family heirloom, it belonged to my mother," said Harry in a short voice.
  
  "That might not be the easiest thing to find," suggested Clark.
  
  Harry just remained silent. He knew all too well Clark was right.
  
  "So, the meteor rocks, tell me everything you know about them," prompted Harry.
  
  Clark launched into an explanation about the meteor rocks, how they came from his planet. Kryptonite, they were dubbed. Harry listened to some of the examples he was given, and mentally made notes about how to best use his resources to find all of these green rocks. Perhaps he could help a few of these people, before the Kryptonite drove them to madness.
  
  "Interesting, interesting," muttered Harry, as he filed away the information for later use. "So, you were found by...Jonathan and Martha Kent...what happened to them?"
  
  "My mother, she's still alive, she's a Senator," said Clark. "My father, he died a couple years back."
  
  "Sorry to hear that," said Harry with sincerity. "So, you had to hold down the fort on the farm."
  
  "Yes, but I'll be leaving soon," said Clark.
  
  "Well, good luck with wherever you go," said Harry, but then the phone rang. Clark got up to answer it.
  
  "Chloe, I've got company over right now, what is it?" asked Clark.
  
  "Oh, I was doing some digging on Harry Potter," said Chloe, and at that moment, Harry shot up like a rocket. "I found..."
  
  "Harry's right here in the room with me," muttered Clark.
  
  Harry motioned for Clark to hand him the phone.
  
  "He wants to talk to you," said Clark.
  
  "Put him on, then, because I want to talk to him," said Chloe.
  
  Clark handed Harry the phone.
  
  "Yes?" asked Chloe.
  
  "If you want answers, I'll meet you in fifteen minutes," said Harry. "Just don't tell anyone anything you found for the love of God."
  
  "What are you hiding?" asked Chloe.
  
  "I'll let you know what I can in person, we could be overheard over the phone" said Harry. "Where are you?"
  
  Chloe gave Harry directions to the Talon Apartment. Harry nodded.
  
  "Right, I'll be there in a little while" said Harry. "Clark, you want to say good bye?"
  
  Clark took the phone, and did so, as Kara walked down from upstairs.
  
  "Better," muttered Harry.
  
  "Yeah," said Kara, as she looked at Harry. "You look worried."
  
  "My cover just came this close to being blown," whispered Harry as he held out his fingers to indicate. "I've got to go somewhere; I'll be back in an hour."
  
  Kara nodded, as she surveyed Harry with a smile. "I'll stay here with Kal-El until you get back."
  
  "Good, catch up...well just catch up," said Harry, as he ran off, before he turned over his shoulder. "Be back in a bit, Clark."
  
  Lex closed his eyes.
  
  "Please tell me you have something for me," he muttered.
  
  His assistant looked at him, before speaking. "We applied voice-recognition software, and using our satellites, cast a net over every cellphone and landline on the globe."
  
  "Did you find her or not?" asked Lex, as he looked at the assistant.
  
  "We have a match, sir. She's in Asia, China, in Central Shanghai."
  
  Lex paused, before he turned around.
  
  "That's all I needed to know," muttered Lex. "Prepare the jet."
  
  Lex took a step forward, and debated if he should leave this alone. He shook his head.
  
  Chloe looked up at a knock on her door. She got up to open it, and Harry rushed in immediately.
  
  "Shut the door, I'm setting up spells so no one can overhear us," muttered Harry, as he rushed around. He added as an afterthought. "Oh, and my name is Harry Potter."
  
  "Chloe...Chloe Sullivan," she muttered. "So...I found some interesting information on you, but what I didn't find perplexed me."
  
  Harry sat down in the chair next to Chloe. He just resumed a mask of indifference.
  
  "You know the basics, my parents are dead, I went to a boarding school in Scotland, and my name," said Harry.
  
  "Well, boarding school in Scotland, that does sound more feasible than going to a school for criminals that closed down four years before you were even born," commented Chloe.
  
  Harry found himself torn between being amused and being mortified simultaneously at how many people swallowed such an obvious lie from the Dursleys. Yet, that was a consequence of people not checking their facts.
  
  "So, your entire family died," said Chloe, as she looked at Harry. "Your father, your mother, both of your mother's sisters..."
  
  "Wait, whoa, hold it right now, sisters, as in plural?" asked Harry, who was completely thrown off guard.
  
  Chloe shook her head. "Oh, right, she did die before you were born. Her name was Rose, does kind of fit the flower naming motif your mother's side of the family had going on. Lily, Petunia, and Rose, and your grandmother was called Violet."
  
  "What happened to Rose?" asked Harry.
  
  "She died when she was six years old, in 1978," replied Chloe in a gentle voice. "Before you were born...I guess your other aunt didn't want to talk about it, let's see if I can find a picture of her for you."
  
  Harry looked, curious. Aunt Petunia never talked about a third Evans sister. He never got the slightest hint. Chloe found a picture of a little girl, with red hair and green eyes like Harry and Lily. She looked rather pale and sickly.
  
  "Spent most of the time in and out of the hospital, she would have died the same time your grandparents did," she concluded. "Doesn't really say the cause of death, just says her older sister Petunia reported her to be missing, and no one could track her down. Given how sick she was, she wouldn't have lasted long. It was in the middle of the winter."
  
  Harry let this all sink in. Chloe allowed him a moment, but she asked the ultimate question.
  
  "What do you know about a woman named Rosalina Sinclair?" asked Chloe, and that name caused Harry to grow rigid.
  
  Harry shook his head. "Tell me what you found out about her, and I'll fill you in."
  
  Chloe nodded, before she consulted her research.
  
  "Well back in 1997, she illegally made a trip to the United States, to get away from terrorists who her killed friends of hers, or so the story says," said Chloe. "Dangerous people by the looks of it, but she got into some trouble over here. She got in a struggle with the authorities, and she ended up in the hospital. She was clinically dead for eighteen hours."
  
  The woman continued to share her research.
  
  "She woke up in the morgue began to claim that she had been gifted a power by a divine force. She had been given a green rock...Harry, do you know anything about the meteors in Smallville?"
  
  "Yeah, they gave people super natural powers," said Harry. "You call them...meteor freaks, but I think the meteor infected is a more appropriate term."
  
  Chloe looked at him.
  
  "The word freak implies bad things, it makes people shun you, and causes some to lose their mind to despair," explained Harry. "I prefer to think that they've been infected, and they need help. Powers don't people bad, but the way they are treated makes them bad. Not saying a lot of these people weren't dangerous, but how many got the help they needed?"
  
  "That's a good point actually," muttered Chloe, as she shook her head. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."
  
  Harry cleared his throat, and invited her to continue.
  
  "Back to Sinclair, she said she had been given a green rock by a robed figure, that said she needed her for a purpose," said Chloe.
  
  'Fucking hell, that meddlesome...bloody...fuck,' cursed Harry unable to string together a coherent thought, when it clicked together.
  
  "She was a serial killer, worse than the terrorists that victimized her friends," continued Chloe, oblivious to what Harry was thinking. "She was dead in 2000; she died of a heart attack of all things. One would think it would be one bloody battle to the finish, but I guess not."
  
  "Anything else?" asked Harry.
  
  "Well, there is one more little thing I found about her," replied Chloe. "Her grave was broken open recently by grave robbers, a couple months ago."
  
  Harry stopped, his mouth went dry, and his fist clenched.
  
  Alastor Moody would be proud of the level of paranoia he exhibited right now.
  
  "I need a lifeline reading on Rosalina Sinclair," muttered Harry.
  
  "What are you doing?" asked Chloe.
  
  "I'll explain later," said Harry, as he waited.
  
  "Rosalina Sinclair laid dormant for the past seven years," answered the voice. "When the grave robbers disturbed her grave, they allowed her enough oxygen to rise, and the abilities given by the green meteor rock in combination with her magic returned her to a state of living."
  
  "Is she alive or is she dead?" asked Harry, his voice cracking. Chloe sat back, disturbed by how he seemed to be losing his composure.
  
  "Inclusive," replied the voice.
  
  "Where is Rosalina Sinclair?" demanded Harry, who grew more frantic by the moment.
  
  "She has been drawn to Smallville," stated the voice. "She just arrived in town, and she's drawn to the Kent Farm. She's after the two Kryptonians."
  
  Harry rose up to his feet.
  
  "One further thing you must know, she can absorb the residual energy from the green meteor rocks to amplify her powers," added the voice.
  
  "Like some kind of conduit for Kryptonite," muttered Chloe
  
  "Yes, the mortal is correct," agreed the voice.
  
  "I need to get back to the Kent Farm, right now, "said Harry through gritted teeth, as his fists clenched. "Kara and Clark are both in danger, please stay here, Chloe."
  
  Harry bolted right for the Kent Farm.
  
  The moment he was outside, and he was sure no one was looking; he went invisible, before he pulled his hood up over his head.
  
  "I used to sneak away and see your mother all of the time," said Kara. "Lara, she used to make me smile. When you were born, it was the happiest day of her life. She called you her miracle baby. And it's all gone, the entire House of El. Just like that...because of..."
  
  Kara sighed.
  
  "Just, take care of yourself, Kal-El, I don't need to watch over you," said Kara as she regarded her "baby cousin" with a fond smile. "I guess my purpose here is to help someone else, someone who doesn't have anyone else to turn to..."
  
  "Harry," said Clark, and Kara nodded.
  
  "Yes, he's a strange boy, but very nice," said Kara, but she stopped herself from listing the other positive attributes she noticed about Harry. "I get why he is the way he is, he's lost without anyone else to turn to. I'm glad he found me, and gave me back my memories."
  
  Kara remained silent, before she voiced something. "Why can't you fly anyway?"
  
  "I'm not sure," said Clark.
  
  "Harry can fly, but you can't," muttered Kara. "There must be something holding you back."
  
  Kara pondered the manner.
  
  "Well, when Harry gets back, I guess we'll be saying goodbye for a while," said Kara.
  
  "If you ever need a place to stay, you can always stay here," offered Clark.
  
  "It's nice of you to offer, but I've found a nice place already," said Kara, as she thought about it. This farm was nice to visit, but she would be dreadfully bored here.
  
  Clark and Kara sat in silence. Heavy winds kicked up outside, and the sky got rather dark all of the sudden.
  
  "Some kind of storm, I take it," muttered Kara.
  
  Clark just tensed up, as he heard footsteps outside the door. He took a step forward, but suddenly, he felt light headed. He felt a heavy amount of Kryptonite radiation coming from outside. Someone was here, and someone brought it to the Kent Property.
  
  "Kara, you need to run, someone dangerous is here!" managed Clark, as he dropped to his knees on the floor.
  
  The door blew open, as a twisted woman entered. Dressed in white, her skin was lifeless, her eyes were haunted, and her dark hair was limp.
  
  "Greetings, Kal-El, my name is Rosalina Sinclair, and I'm here to guide you to your final resting place," she whispered, as she sent a green energy blast right at him. Clark managed to speed out of the way. "You grow weaker, yet I grow stronger. You cannot hope to elude me, or deter my mission."
  
  Kara grabbed her cousin, and threw him out of the way. Then she rushed forward. She felt weakened, but she had to save him.
  
  With full force, she punched the woman in the face. Sinclair staggered back, but she turned to face Kara.
  
  "Good, both in one place, it is a shame I just missed the false savior," she whispered. "He has brought death and destruction on the world, slaughtered my children, and for that I will..."
  
  Kara shoved Sinclair right through the windows, causing both to smash through them. She felt light headed, but this woman needed to be brought down.
  
  "I would almost cherish your protectiveness, child of the stars, if it would not be for the fact for the fact of how you don't belong here," whispered Sinclair, as she aimed a blast towards Kara. She dodged it.
  
  Clark staggered outside and tried to push Sinclair back. He felt weaker and weaker by the moment. His knees buckled. He was hoisted into, the air and dropped hard to the ground.
  
  Sinclair conjured an energy knife, before she stabbed it towards him.
  
  Kara bolted in front of the attack, and took the hit for her cousin.
  
  At that moment, she saw through bleary vision, a robed figure glide in at super speed, and blast Sinclair back with an attack that crackled the air.
  
  She passed out.
  
  "Kara!" yelled Clark, but he watched as the mystery man and Sinclair did battle. A shield appeared right over Sinclair, which caused him to come back to his senses.
  
  "Sprint her out of here, to your friend to heal her before it's too late," managed the figure, as he tried to hold Sinclair at bay.
  
  Clark shook his head, but felt his powers slowly come back to him. Through sheer force of determination, he picked up Kara's prone form in his arms, before he sprinted her away.
  
  Chloe looked up, but then she saw a frantic Clark rush in, holding the blonde Kryptonian he encountered earlier in his arms. It took her a minute before she found her voice.
  
  "Oh my God, you killed her," muttered Chloe.
  
  "No, I didn't, there was an attack, someone named Sinclair, robed man, Chloe please help!" yelled Clark, as he sat Kara down. "Your powers, use them, she's my cousin, Kara..."
  
  Chloe looked from Clark to Kara. The wound looked rather nasty, and potentially fatal. She still breathed, but it was shallow.
  
  She closed her eyes. Only for Clark would she risk this again. She touched Kara's waist, and the girl was healed.
  
  Chloe blacked out. Clark struggled to catch her, but he was still weakened. Still he managed to prevent her from cracking her head open.
  
  Kara's eyes opened, as she returned to life.
  
  "She healed me, didn't she?" asked Kara as she surveyed Chloe and Clark nodded. "When she wakes up, tell her I said thanks, stay here, I'm going back for that woman."
  
  "Kara, you can't..." said Clark, but she was gone, and he was too weak to follow.
  
  Kara sprinted out and went airborne. She could not tell her cousin the real reason she gone back. She remembered vague hints about a mysterious herald of the afterlife that had been told throughout the galaxies.
  
  Yet, there would always be more dangerous forces to disrupt the careful balance between life and death.
  
  Sinclair pushed out of the field, but Harry grabbed her around the throat.
  
  "How are you alive?" hissed Harry, as he tried to strangle her to the ground with his bare hands, but Sinclair repelled him.
  
  "I have a sacred mission, I was chosen, to defeat the darkest force that the world has ever known," whispered Sinclair, as she tried to take Harry out, but he dodged her attacks. "That force is you. You were protected for years, but I saw through you. You were Death's own chosen, to continue the sadistic work which brings much loss. I am the liberator, I shall bring new life, and I will eliminate death. The world will be a better place."
  
  Harry nailed her with a violent attack. He did not even bother wasting oxygen trying to point out the logic flaws. He continued to calculate a way to beat her. The last time they fought, it had been a bloody spectacle. This time, she was more powerful, and more unstable than ever before.
  
  To transport her to another dimension would mean he would have to get close enough, but she seemed to guess his intentions.
  
  "Then again, you are merely Death's puppet, dangling on a string," muttered Sinclair.
  
  "You would know something about being a puppet, wouldn't you Sinclair?" taunted Harry, as he blocked every single one of her attacks.
  
  Sinclair saw red at this point, and she became careless. Harry blasted her right into the air at this point, and propelled her to the first graveyard he could fine.
  
  "I'm no mere puppet!" yelled Sinclair, as she shook her head.
  
  "Really, do you even know who gave you the meteor rock that gave you your powers?" asked Harry, as he deflected another attack, before he sliced right into her arm. Sinclair screamed in agony.
  
  "It was a gift, so I could bring life!" howled Sinclair.
  
  "Yes, from Death, so you could achieve her ends," whispered Harry, as he watched Sinclair, who rushed him. "The truth hurts."
  
  The two struggled, as Harry tried to set her up for the kill. It would take a while to pull this spell off, but he had a feeling it would work.
  
  "Your lies have caused me suffering for the last time!" shrieked the woman. "It is fitting you brought me to a graveyard, and I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to bury you!"
  
  At that moment, Kara flew high in the air. Sinclair found her attention being taken off of Harry for an instant.
  
  An instant she paid for. Several rotting hands poked out from on the ground right underneath Sinclair. She screamed, as she struggled. She reached for Harry, but she was dragged right beneath the soil by the army of the undead.
  
  At a grave marked "Jonathan Kent", one particular set of hands seemed particularly adamant to see that she went down.
  
  The Herald of Death let out the breath he had been holding in.
  
  "She's dead," whispered Harry. "Please tell me she's dead."
  
  "Rosalina Sinclair has met her demise, but I fear this may have been a calculated hoax," said the voice.
  
  "Elaborate, please," said Harry weakly, as he barely noticed Kara floating behind him.
  
  "Sinclair was never in Smallville tonight, rather an Inferius, for lack of a better term, altered to her likeness and given her memories," said the lifeline reading. "It appears the alterations have been so complex, that they fooled my awareness and created a near perfect duplicate. Yet, her grave has most certainly been disturbed, and her body remains missing."
  
  Harry gave a long sigh.
  
  "Her body, please tell me you have an idea where it is," whispered Harry.
  
  "I'm afraid I am not permitted to give you any further information on this matter, it is one that higher powers have elected you solve on your own," said the lifeline reading.
  
  Harry cleared up the blood that had been spilled. If it had traces of the Kryptonite, then it could be lethal, and could potentially create more problems.
  
  He shuddered, as his hood dropped back, and he passed out from the exhaustion.
  
  Kara's eyes widened, when she saw who was underneath the hood. She remembered the legend, and immediately, she picked up Harry's limp body. She blasted him into the sky, and away from the scene before anyone could spot him.
  
  Harry's eyes opened, and he saw Kara sitting right beside his bed, on a chair.
  
  "Hi," said Harry. "Guess I overdid it."
  
  "Well, yeah, you did," said Kara, as she did not let go of his hand, almost afraid that he would disappear if she did. "Are you alright?"
  
  "Physically yes, mentally, it's an entirely different issue," said Harry, but he shook his head. "You know my secret."
  
  "Yes, I know," said Kara, as she sat herself right on Harry's bed, and helped him sit up.
  
  "I couldn't have defeated that monster without your help," said Harry. "But someone has dug up her body."
  
  Kara remained silent.
  
  "I need to go check on someone," said Harry, as he pulled himself up. "I'll be right back, I'm sure some people are kind of confused right now."
  
  Kara looked like she wanted to say something, but it could wait. She would tell Harry everything she knew in due time, about the legend of the herald as she knew it.
  
  'Green eyes, black hair, great power, world had to die, he matches the one from the legend,' thought Kara, as she watched Harry leave.
  
  She tried to reconcile how she felt about Harry. He was an interesting young man. One, Kara would be interested in trying to find out more about.
  
  Chloe woke up, and saw the robed figure stand above her.
  
  "We must stop meeting like this, Chloe Sullivan," said the man dryly.
  
  "So, it's you again, and you actually showed yourself this time," muttered Chloe, but she looked up. "A young man named Harry Potter left here did he..."
  
  "Potter is fine," replied the man. "Despite his foolish emotions getting the better of him, he can be capable of great acts of courage and heroism. He and the young Kryptonian known as Kara assisted me. They rest at a safe location."
  
  "You seem to be saving a lot of people," said Chloe, but she voiced a question. "Why in the hell did you save Lex Luthor?"
  
  "I beg your pardon," said the robed figure.
  
  "I get that you have this greater purpose, or whatever, but it's a Luthor, if anyone deserves to go, it's them," said Chloe.
  
  "Harsh words, he must have wronged you in the past," he remarked.
  
  "I've got stories to tell you," muttered the woman, as she looked at the figure. "He just killed a friend of mine, Lana Lang, and he thinks she might not be dead."
  
  "I see," said the robed figure. "Well, I've returned you to life again. I hope that you can get a better hold of your talents, and not think of yourself as a freak. There may come a time where I may not even be able to help you."
  
  "Well, it is comforting that there is some kind of dark guardian angel looking over me," said Chloe, before she added with a shudder. "And creepy, it's kind of creepy too."
  
  The robed figure just nodded, as he saw Clark standing there.
  
  "Both fine, in case you're wondering," muttered the robed figure.
  
  Clark nodded his thanks, but he was gone.
  
  "Pulled another disappearing act," said Clark. "So what did he tell you?"
  
  Chloe was spared explanation by the arrival of Lois.
  
  "Guess what, Chloe, I got the job," said Lois. "Yeah, I had to re-work the story a little bit, to avoid being slapped for libel, but I think I left enough in where it catches people's attention. So I'll be joining you at the Daily Planet."
  
  "Congratulations, Lois," said Chloe, as she looked at her cousin.
  
  "Hey, Smallville, did a tornado come by here when I was gone or something?" asked Lois. "Your place looks like it got struck by one, the windows are busted."
  
  "Yeah a small storm," muttered Clark.
  
  Lex showed up at Shanghai, on his guard, but suddenly, everything froze around him.
  
  "You, Lex Luthor, exist outside of the pull of time," whispered a voice.
  
  Lex paused, as he saw a figure dressed in a robe stand before him.
  
  "I know what you're trying to do," he said.
  
  "Why did you do it?" asked Lex. "Why did you pull me away from instead of dragging me straight to the depths to burn for all eternity?"
  
  "You ask deep questions, Lex," replied the figure, as he faced the young man. "Perhaps, I took pity on you, but as I said, it was merely not your time. Yet, it may be your time sooner rather than later, if you do not let your obsessions leave you."
  
  Lex looked at him, pondering. "You have done your homework..."
  
  "Yes, I would not have confronted you, unless I know what I'm dealing with. And I do kindly remind you that I detest giving people the benefit of the doubt, and being made to look like a fool. You will find your afterlife tormenting if you prove me wrong. You've been given one last chance. Squander it at your own risk."
  
  "I just merely came here for closure, and for answers," said Lex.
  
  "Your closure is that I insist you drop the matter, and make amends where you can," said the Herald. "I shall speak to the other party, this Lana Lang."
  
  Lex turned, and he walked away. He wanted to be as far away from this place as possible.
  
  Harry entered the Shanghai Apartment, invisible. He watched the woman comb her hair at a vanity. With a swift motion, he levitated the comb out of her hand to get her attention.
  
  Lana Lang spun around, and held a gun right on the robed figure.
  
  "So Lex can't face me himself," she whispered. "After all of the trouble I went laying out the breadcrumbs, he loses his nerve and sends a flunky to take care of me."
  
  "Be silent," said the Herald of Death. "You understand very little of the consequences of your games, little girl."
  
  "Yeah, well here's a consequence, a bullet in your head," said Lana, as she pointed the gun at the intruder.
  
  "Fire that gun, and I will sent the bullet back into your own head," muttered the robed figure. "Go ahead, princess, pull the trigger."
  
  Lana held the gun, as her hand wavered. The gun pulled out of her hand and disappeared right before her very eyes.
  
  "If you're here to kill me, then get it over with," said the woman.
  
  "Tempting as it may be, you still have much to answer, much like your ex-husband," said the Herald. "In the interest of fairness, I will give you the same warning I gave him. Let your obsessions go."
  
  "You don't understand..." started Lana, but she was silenced and found herself unable to voice her next words.
  
  "Well, there is one person in the room who is incapable of understanding," he stated. "I've seen your type before. The world caters to you, enables you, you think the entire world revolves around you. So it is allowed you the opportunity to string people along, for your own selfish desires. I'm not condoning anything Lex Luthor may or may not have done, but I'm going to offer you the same judgment."
  
  Lana looked at this man with absolute disdain.
  
  "You will return home, and you will apologize to your friends for the grief you caused them, Ms. Lang," said the Herald of Death. "Then, you will move forward, let your obsession with revenge go. I'm giving you another chance, just like I gave to him. Don't make me regret it."
  
  Lana was dropped to the ground. She looked up, and she was alone.
  
  Inside the Fortress of Solitude, Clark walked up to face Jor-El.
  
  "Kal-El, my son, you have finally chosen to start your training," said Jor-El.
  
  "There's something I wish to speak with you about," said Clark, as he explained about Kara.
  
  Jor-El paused. "She poses a potential threat to you, but her companion, this Harry Potter, is one that intrigues me. Describe him."
  
  Clark gave him a description of Harry.
  
  "You have no idea the forces you have encountered, Kal-El," whispered Jor-El. "This young man may be your greatest ally you will ever have, or the key to your demise. He remains a wild card, both of them are. Watch them closely."
  
  Clark decided not to tell Jor-El he had no idea where they both disappeared off to.
  
  Back in his study, Lex pondered what happened, as he went through some old boxes. It was just absent minded rummaging, but he found something that piqued his interest.
  
  He pulled out a red journal, with weird markings on it. He had almost forgotten it was here.
  
  Years ago, his father had purchased the journal as a curiosity. It had a rather interesting journey. It had been found in a house at Godric's Hollow in England. Apparently, a house had been ransacked, with several items of value being stolen and sold on the black market.
  
  Lionel Luthor purchased it fifteen years ago from a shady man called "Dung", and tried to access whatever secrets it contained. Yet, he tossed it after every avenue was exercised. Lex rescued the journal, and put it away. Other matters had demanded his attention, so he forgot about it until now.
  
  "You hold in your hands the key to the salvation of this world, Lex Luthor," whispered a voice.
  
  Lex turned around, to see a creepy woman standing in the background.
  
  "How did you get past security?" demanded Lex.
  
  "They're merely asleep, peaceful, untroubled, I did not kill them," said the dark haired woman, as she peered at him with her green eyes. "Yet, no one will sleep peacefully should they get their hands on the journal you hold."
  
  "Who are they?" he demanded. "Actually, who are you?"
  
  "I am merely a messenger from beyond," said the woman. "I have been sent by my master to give you one final warning. Do not allow that diary to be accessed by the one called Harry Potter."
  
  "And why couldn't Death tell me this himself?" questioned Lex, as he slipped over to summon security.
  
  "You could be the key to saving many lives, to atone for your past sins, or you could head down an even worse road," said the woman. "You would do well to keep that journal secure, Lex."
  
  She disappeared.
  
  Lex sat down. Now, the journal demanded his attention, even if he was not sure he bought into the messenger of death that this woman claimed herself to be.
  
  Yet, he would remain on his guard, and keep the journal safe, until he could gain further information.
  
  Rosalina Sinclair walked into a wooded area, and answered a cell phone as it rang.
  
  "Yes?"
  
  "Are you glad you sent a duplicate, instead of going for revenge yourself, Ms. Sinclair?"
  
  "Yes, I am not fully back to life yet."
  
  "Well, you technically aren't alive. There is still much missing from you. But, if you fulfill our bargain, I can return your entire life to you. I must say, these meteor freaks as they are called, are a curiosity to me. Those who have been gifted with powers, but when I read up on your case, I believed your powers were far greater. There is another element, one that cannot be determined by science."
  
  "No, not by science," muttered Sinclair.
  
  Her contact remained stoic. "Yes, well, your powers will help me serve my purpose. I will assist you in achieving your destiny, and help you defeat this false Chosen One. In return, I will require much help from you, to accomplish my goals, in locating these meteor empowered people."
  
  "As long as you fulfill your end of the agreement in the end, Doctor Knox," said Rosalina.
  
  "You have no need to fear, Rosalina," said Curtis Knox. "At this point, your mortal soul is still at the tender mercy of the Angel of Death. We can work together to correct that. It was a wise decision to send my men to investigate your grave."
  
  The conversation ended at that point, and Sinclair prepared her search.
  
  Kara now sat on the couch in the sitting room area, when Harry returned. He sank down on the couch, she had the television.
  
  "I made some popcorn, you want some?" asked Kara.
  
  "Thanks," said Harry, as he sat down beside her. "The kitchen didn't give you any trouble, did it?"
  
  "No, we came to an understanding," remarked Kara, with a smile, as the two ate popcorn.
  
  "So what are we watching?" asked Harry.
  
  "Something called War of the Worlds, I think," muttered Kara. "It sounded interesting, but you humans have some weird ideas. So much is wrong; I could make an entire list if you'd like me to."
  
  "Just sit down, and try to be entertained by the movie," said Harry, as he ate the popcorn. He could count on the hands the number of movies he saw on one hand, and still have all of his fingers left over.
  
  "So, we've got a lot to talk about, but it can wait until the morning, over breakfast," suggested Kara during one of the commercial breaks. "I figure after the day you had..."
  
  "Thanks," said Harry.
  
  They enjoyed the movie, and each other's company, along with the popcorn. They were both glad it kept their mind off of things they learned today.
  
  Harry looked up, to check on Kara, but she fell asleep, her arms wrapped around him. He did not have the heart to wake her. He shut off the television.
  
  He smiled, as he gently placed his arms around the girl, before he drifted off to sleep as well.
  Legend
  
  
  Chapter Six: Legend.
  
  Harry's eyes flickered open the next morning, as he woke up after the best night of sleep he had gotten in his entire life. He saw Kara, still peacefully asleep, and using him as a pillow. His arm was wrapped around her bare waist, as her legs were draped over the couch. He suspected he held her as such so she did not roll off onto the floor.
  
  It took Harry a few seconds to realize the reaction having this attractive young woman pressed against him was giving him.
  
  'I didn't know I was even capable of this," thought Harry to himself as he tried to control his arousal. 'All of the times I was with Cho or Ginny, when I kissed them, no matter how heated, this never happened. Even the dreams I had, they were nice, but I...nothing really happened in them. Why now, why with a girl who I just met the other day? This isn't natural Potter, control yourself!"
  
  Kara stirred, as she pulled herself back to the land of the awake.
  
  "Morning, Harry," yawned Kara. She turned to look into his eyes. "Guess I fell asleep, I was just resting my eyes during the commercial...why didn't you wake me up?"
  
  "You looked so peaceful, so b...I didn't want to wake you up,' said Harry, as he mentally slapped himself for the near slip of the tongue he made.
  
  "Oh, thanks, I had a nice rest," said Kara, as she shifted, but she frowned. "Harry...there's something in your pants, isn't there?"
  
  Kara slid off the couch, onto her knees to get a better look. She gazed up at him. "Harry...you're swollen..."
  
  She suddenly gave him a mischievous smile. Then she got up to her feet to look him right in the eyes
  
  "I know what happened to you," sang Kara, as she placed one arm on either side of him, so he was trapped on the couch with nowhere to go. "It's a common ailment with Earth boys, the blood rushes from your head to your genital area, and causes a swelling of that region. It's a state of arousal. Normally in the proximity of...an attractive female."
  
  Time stopped, as Kara looked at Harry. Her smile could light up the entire room, as her eyelashes fluttered at him. She took a step back, hands on her hips. "Harry...I caused this to happen, didn't I?"
  
  She had a smile on her face.
  
  "Yeah, this is all your fault, Kara," teased Harry, who was relieved she wasn't mad. "You were the one who fell asleep, I mean, this beautiful young woman slept snuggled against me all night, and...her body was pressed against mine. I think she caused the right amount of friction as well."
  
  Kara laughed, as she eyed Harry, before she continued in a soft voice. "Harry, it's perfectly natural...I...I think you're pretty attractive yourself."
  
  Harry just paused and blinked. She was being nice to him, humoring him.
  
  "So that must be hard to walk around with all day?" mused Kara, as she absent mindly twirled her hair and looked right into his eyes. "I wonder if there are any treatments to that particular ailment..."
  
  "A shower normally clears it up, I heard," said Harry.
  
  "I heard about that too, a cold one," replied Kara, as she appeared to be enjoying this.
  
  "Yeah, I'll go take one now, then we'll eat breakfast," said Harry, as he moved off to do so. "I shouldn't be long..."
  
  "Take your time Harry!" called Kara.
  
  'Thought about helping him with that, but that might be too soon,' thought Kara to herself, as she blushed slightly at the thought. 'Some Earth boy's doing this to me, but there are worse choices, he's rather good looking. And nice, weird, but he's nice and helpful. Not too bad of a view on either side. Better not tell him I might have accidentally peeked through his clothes, might scar him. Although the look on his face would be cute.'
  
  Kara just moved off to her room to get fresh clothes, and take the shower after Harry was finished. She waited patiently, and resisted the urge to peer through into the bathroom to see if he was finished.
  
  At Breakfast, Harry set out the plates. He had waffles with syrup and toast on the table, with orange juice to drink. Kara walked in a moment later. Harry looked at her, as she wore a red tank top and jean shorts, with sandals.
  
  "That looks good," said Kara, as she sat herself down, and helped herself to breakfast. Harry just gave her a polite nod, as she took the toast and the waffles, before she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "So, last night was interesting."
  
  "One could say that," said Harry slowly and carefully.
  
  "You're the first boy I ever slept with," said Kara casually, which caused Harry to choke on the orange juice he was drinking. He coughed. She leaned over, concern on her face. "What's wrong?"
  
  "Did you realize what you said?" asked Harry.
  
  "I didn't say, anything technically untrue did I?" she asked.
  
  Harry just looked at her, incredulously.
  
  "You're a boy," said Kara, as she looked over Harry.
  
  She took a drink of orange juice.
  
  "We were on the same couch," continued Kara, as she took another drink. "And we were sleeping."
  
  She took one final drink of orange juice. Then she took a bite of the waffles. Then Kara concluded in a matter of fact tone. "So, we slept together."
  
  "Yeah, technically true," admitted Harry. "But, people are going to take that the wrong way, and rumors are going to be started..."
  
  "Well, if someone's going to start rumors off of an innocent comment like that, then they're kind of stupid," said Kara, as she licked the syrup off her fingers. "Nice, and sticky, but it tastes so good."
  
  "Kara, that comment has a double meaning here on Earth," said Harry in an exasperated manner, unable to believe that he of all people had to explain something like this to someone. "It means that a man and woman...they did something...together...in bed."
  
  Kara looked confused, before she understood. "Oh, it means they had sexual intercourse!"
  
  "Kara!" yelled Harry in a reproachful voice.
  
  "What?" asked Kara innocently. "Sexual intercourse is a perfectly natural act. I can't believe you're acting like it's some taboo. I mean, it's needed for life to be sustained. Man and woman find each other, marry, mate with each other, eventually they might have children. The circle of life continues, for generation after generation."
  
  She took another bite, and added. "It's basic universal science."
  
  Harry's mouth opened and shut it.
  
  "My training indicated you should have learned this by the time you were thirteen or fourteen," said Kara, as she was torn between amusement and frustration.
  
  Harry shuddered, as he recalled Sexual Education Orientation with Severus Snape that all of the third year boys were forced to take for three long weeks. The only consolation was that Snape seemed to be equally tortured by the experience.
  
  Then there was Sirius's attempt to give him the Talk, using puppets as visual aids. The less said about that, the better. When Remus finally told Sirius to knock it off, Mrs. Weasley took control, and said Harry was much too young to worry about knowing such things. Then, Harry got caught up in other matters, like fighting for his life.
  
  "Yes, we were taught," said Harry in a dry voice.
  
  Kara saw right through that immediately. She wondered how people in Harry's world stayed alive for as long as they did with limited understanding of fundamental knowledge.
  
  She did not pursue the topic any further. Kara helped Harry clear up the table, and put the dishes away.
  
  The two moved into a study area, where they could sit and talk.
  
  "So last night, before that woman showed up, Kal-El...or Clark rather, gave me an offer to stay at his farmhouse," said Kara, as she sat in front of Harry.
  
  Harry knew this was too good to last.
  
  "Kara, if you want to stay there, that's fine, whatever's more comfortable for you," said Harry.
  
  Kara regarded him for a second. She sensed the desperation in his voice, the desire to put others ahead of himself, but she could sense that he didn't want to be alone. He had no one else.
  
  "I want to stay with you, Harry, if that's okay," said Kara softly. "I did promise that I'd help you find that journal, and we're going to stick with that plan."
  
  She looked at Harry, than she added. "And that's not really the only reason...I don't know if I could stand facing him, knowing why I was sent here. What I found out about my father and what he did..."
  
  "That's not your fault, Kara," said Harry firmly. Kara paused, and shook her head.
  
  "No, it isn't, but that's not the only reason," said Kara, as she maintained her composure. "He has friends and a life of his own here, for the past eighteen years. I got stuck in my own ship until you rescued me. I'll help him if he asks, but since he's a grown man, I don't think I need to watch over him."
  
  'If I asks, I'll be there,' added Kara mentally.
  
  "He'll be fine, if he learns to be a bit more careful," concluded Harry before he switched subjects. "Kara, your father left that crystal. There must be something in there that could give us a hint what he was up to. I've cracked Kryptonian technology before; I think I might be able to do it with that crystal."
  
  "It should still be in my ship," said Kara, but then she grabbed Harry's hand. "It can wait until later; we need to talk about who you really are."
  
  "You know my secret, that I'm...well you saw who I was," said Harry.
  
  "You're the one was sent here by the guardian of the afterlife, to help the man of tomorrow prepare to fight a dangerous force, and lead the world to a new golden age of heroes," recited Kara, and to this statement, Harry looked at her mouth a gap. "Maybe I should explain what I know, I don't know that much, just the basics."
  
  Harry motioned to her to proceed.
  
  "There was a legend as old as time," said Kara, before drawing in a deep breath. "A thousand years ago, there would be four mystics brought together on Earth. For a great dream, to bring youngsters to learn magic together, so they could not be prosecuted for their gifts. The school was said to be built away from the prying eyes of those who did not have these gifts."
  
  Harry nodded, and invited her to continue.
  
  "Time would pass, but then the dark angel of the afterlife would visit three brothers," continued the woman. "She would grant them three keys, one to each. However, the keys would contain a grave curse that would begin a slow decline of the world that the four mystics tried to build. All in the name of finding the one worthy to hold the gifts of the three keys of the afterlife."
  
  "Yes, that sounds about right," agreed Harry.
  
  "The three keys would cause obsession and lead to betrayal, for the single minded pursuit to obtain them and merge them," said Kara. "It was believed to lead to the mastery of death, but that belief would be mistaken. Two young men would be drawn together by a mutual pursuit of the three keys, but their friendship would be torn apart by tragedy. It would spark the first of four great wars that would destroy the hidden world."
  
  She reached forward and grabbed his hand. "The fourth and final war would destroy those who remained, forcing Death's chosen to merge the keys in one last attempt to save all, but it would be all in vain."
  
  Harry nodded.
  
  "That's really all I know," said Kara with a shrug. "Every single drawing I saw depicted a young man with green eyes and dark hair. Last night, I saw you, and then I knew you were the one the legend spoke of."
  
  "Yeah, that's me," said Harry. "A curse seems to follow me, everyone..."
  
  "Ah, yes self-loathing, one of the more frustrating human emotions," said Kara as she rolled her eyes. "It leads to angst, which leads to a miserable and lonely life."
  
  Kara just looked him in the eye.
  
  "Harry, you can live in the past, or you can live in the present," said Kara. "I think I can help you, if you let me. Experiences are best shared, and if you tell me everything, I think it will help you move on and live your life."
  
  Harry looked reluctant. Everything was a lot of things, memories that he wished he could forget. Memories he had buried deep within his subconscious.
  
  "Don't do it right now, just think about it," said Kara as she patted him on the arm. "When you feel comfortable with telling me, just do it. I don't want you to feel any pressure."
  
  "Thanks Kara," said Harry gratefully
  
  "Hey, what are friends for?" asked Kara with a smile, but then she paused to look at him, for confirmation. "We are friends, right?"
  
  "Of course, Kara, if you'll have me," said Harry.
  
  "Hey, I'm living with you," said Kara. "Clark's house, it's nice, but it's not as fun as yours."
  
  "So, you only like me because I have a cool house," joked Harry.
  
  Both of them laughed, and spent the rest of the morning together, brainstorming about the journal.
  
  Chloe sat in the Talon Apartment, thinking over the events of the past three days. Three days ago, Harry Potter sprinted out of here when she brought up a woman named Rosalina Sinclair. Sinclair seemed to spook the young man. Then Clark returned with the girl, Kara, his apparent cousin. Chloe healed her, because Clark looked so frantic. Then, the mysterious robed man saved her a second time.
  
  The new owner of the Daily Planet got on nerves as well. She tried to be a good cousin, give Lois the help she needed, but it seemed like her contributions were being marginalized by the sensational story Lois did about the space ship.
  
  Her phone rang. Chloe picked it up. "Hello."
  
  "Chloe, this is Harry Potter, are you busy?" asked Harry.
  
  "Harry, you're...I thought something bad might have happened to you," said Chloe quickly.
  
  "I wasn't aware that I made so much of an impression on you during our first meeting," said Harry, in a slow and calculating voice.
  
  "Yeah, you're fine," muttered Chloe, with a roll of her eyes. "Where are you?"
  
  "Just right around the corner, both Kara and I, you know who she is..." started Harry.
  
  "Yeah, Clark's cousin," muttered Chloe, as she remembered all too well. "Yeah, I'm not busy, pop right in; I want to know what happened."
  
  "I'll tell you more when I get there, we could be monitored," said Harry, as the phone on the other end went dead.
  
  'How paranoid can you get?' thought Chloe. 'He actually outed himself as a magic user because he's so paranoid. Hopefully he gets a hold on that, for his sake.'
  
  A moment later, Chloe answered a knock on the door. She pulled it open, and Harry and Kara walked inside.
  
  "Kara, this is Chloe Sullivan, the woman who saved you last night," said Harry.
  
  The two women looked at each other awkwardly, before Kara spoke up.
  
  "Hi, um thanks for saving me," said Kara in a small voice.
  
  "You're welcome," said Chloe, as she remembered saying some not so kind things about this girl a few days ago. She felt a bit of guilt, but shook if off to focus on the matter at hand. "How did you get..."
  
  "I took a shot for my cousin, Clark," said Kara as she recalled it with pain. "That woman was going to kill him if I hadn't jumped in."
  
  "Well you truly are his family if you were willing to risk your life to save his," said Chloe, as she smiled at the girl.
  
  "I wish I could be as good as Clark, but I could have hurt him if Harry hadn't found me first," remarked Kara in a sad voice.
  
  "Why do you say that?" asked Chloe.
  
  Harry paused, as he exchanged a covert glance with Kara. He cleared his throat, and turned towards Chloe. "I trust you won't say a word of this to anyone. Clark knows, but no one else. I don't care who it is. Not one word, I need you to swear that you won't say anything."
  
  "Okay, fine, I won't say anything," said Chloe with a frown. Of course, given that Harry knew about her powers, she was not about to blab anything he told her to anyone.
  
  Harry explained about Kara's father blocking her memories, and the crystal she had, along with the fact she had been sent here to "take care of" Kal-El.
  
  Chloe took a few minutes to take what was said. "Well, at least you're on the right path now. We all make mistakes, it's human after all."
  
  "Yeah, you're right," said Kara who looked a bit happier now. "We would have swung by sooner, but we flew to a place called Godric's Hallow. We needed to check out something."
  
  "Plus, that's where my parents are buried," added Harry.
  
  Chloe understood where he was coming from.
  
  "You two, you are going to attract way too much attention, and the government's going to be interested in you both," said Chloe in a business like tone. "Especially since you're in Smallville, it's not exactly a place that's...well we're not exactly the capital of normal."
  
  The government, Harry had almost forgotten about them. Granted, he had only dealt with the American Government a few times in his role as an advisor to the Prime Minister, but he knew enough to be concerned and weary.
  
  "Here's the thing," said Chloe. "I don't know what happened to you, but you're paranoid."
  
  "I'm not paranoid," argued Harry, who could hardly believe she was saying that. Chloe just looked at him and scoffed. "Okay, fine, I'm paranoid, happy."
  
  "I would suggest being a bit more careful, and stop trying to be jumpy about everything," said Chloe. "Clark won't say anything, I won't say anything, and as for Lois...what she saw could be passed off as her seeing things. After all, your house "disappeared" so it is hard for her to prove it was there at all."
  
  Harry nodded, she had a point.
  
  Chloe added, to switch back. "Both of you however, you still need something out there that doesn't have so many holes in it."
  
  Harry and Kara nodded. He figured she already had something cooked up.
  
  "Harry, your backstory should be easy enough, just fill in the holes," remarked Chloe. "The boarding school was a prestigious institute that shut down years ago. Your family went there for generations. I've got yours rather down pat."
  
  Chloe paused, and regarded Kara. "Now, yours on the other hand, is a bit trickier. Being Clark's cousin is easy enough, I guess. You came from out of town, but to explain your connection to Harry, that might be the tricky part."
  
  The woman looked thoughtful, before she added, "I think the best way to explain this is that you were sent to the same private boarding school as Harry, on a scholarship. You were friends for years, but lost touch. You came to Smallville to look up Clark, but you almost drowned when the dam broke. Then Harry managed to save you, and you reconnected with each other."
  
  "That's actually believable," said Kara with a knowing smile. "I'm living with Harry, because my other family is gone, and I don't want to intrude on Clark's life."
  
  Silence, before she voiced something she had been wondering. "Where did Clark run off to anyway?"
  
  "That's really not my place to say," said Chloe in a brisk manner, before she changed the subject. "So this Shining Light Foundation....it helps people who have been infected by the meteors."
  
  "Yes," said Harry slowly.
  
  "So, I've got these powers, twice I used them, and twice I blacked out," said Chloe. "Do you think that you could...cure them..."
  
  "Chloe, I would advise not hunting down any cures," said Harry sternly. "We offer help, for people to come with terms with and use their great powers with great responsibility. We won't judge people. If you want to stop by, I'll be happy to help."
  
  "I'll keep that in mind," said Chloe, but she was not sure if she wanted to come with terms with her powers. She had seen first-hand some of the cases where the meteor powers warped people.
  
  "You're a reporter, aren't you?" asked Harry.
  
  "Yeah, for the Daily Planet, how did you guess?" asked Chloe.
  
  Harry shrugged, before he said. "You seem to be the type."
  
  Chloe did not know whether that was a compliment or an insult.
  
  He removed a press pass from his jacket and handed it to her. "Here, I'm having a press conference for the Shining Light Foundation in three weeks, swing by and cover it. Then we can discuss things further afterwards."
  
  Chloe just nodded, as she held the press pass.
  
  "So, how did you two hook up anyway?" asked Chloe.
  
  Harry told the story, at least a shortened version, leaving out his alter ego and other details. Plus he fudged the timeline a little bit. Chloe had been right; he needed to be more careful.
  
  "So, I guess that was a good shot in the dark about the drowning thing," she muttered after Harry concluded. "About the journal...do you have any idea what it might look like..."
  
  "Sorry, not a clue," said Harry.
  
  "Well, good luck in finding it, I'll see if any suspicious books have cropped up in town recently, and get back to you," said Chloe, but another knock on the door caused her to look up. "We'll finish this later...LANA!"
  
  Harry's eyes snapped up, and he saw the arrival of Lana Lang. His mood darkened. Chloe and Lana greeted each other. He tried not to listen to the conversation; he hoped that Lana would actually have listened to him. Given that she was back in town proved to be a rather promising start.
  
  "Oh, Harry and Kara, this is Lana Lang," said Chloe as she lead Lana over. "Lana, this is Clark's cousin from out of town, Kara, and her friend Harry Potter."
  
  "Oh, hi," said Lana as she looked at them, with a smile. "Yeah, figure you would be Clark's cousin, given all the primary colors."
  
  "Nice to meet you Lana, but urgent business just came up," said Harry, as he looked at Kara. "Besides, we would hate to intrude on a personal manner."
  
  "Right, see you later Chloe, Lana!" called Kara, as she followed Harry out the doorway.
  
  "He seemed in a hurry to leave," remarked Lana. "Almost like he was avoiding me for some reason..."
  
  "Lana, he's a busy man, he does run an organization," said Chloe, and Lana nodded, that made a lot of sense. "And since you've come back from the dead, you've got some explaining to do."
  
  "Why did you react the way you did around that Lana woman?" asked Kara the moment they were back in Harry's home.
  
  Harry remained silent, and then spoke. "I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she's...I don't know. She faked her own death, and that hurt a lot of people, including Clark and Chloe. I saw some things, when I scanned her mind, her surface thoughts. She's obsessed with getting revenge on Lex Luthor. And Lex, is obsessed with finding out about your cousin."
  
  "Obsession can be dangerous," said Kara.
  
  "Tell me about it," said Harry darkly. "For their sakes, both of them, I hope they just let it go, and move on. I can't babysit them or force them to do anything. I gave them both warnings, my work is done."
  
  They walked through the lower level of Harry's house.
  
  "So how would you like a job?" asked Harry to break the silence. "Official employment, I'll pay you and everything, give you all of the benefits, as a cover for you being with me all of the time."
  
  Kara nodded.
  
  "How would you like to be my personal bodyguard?" asked Harry.
  
  The young woman was dumbstruck by this offer.
  
  "You can take care of yourself fine, you know," said Kara. "I mean, I don't think I could protect you if..."
  
  "Kara, if it wasn't for you, I could have never pulled off that spell to defeat Sinclair's duplicate," said Harry, as they both sat down together in the study. "I can help you with your powers, help you use them better, train you how to fight without them. I've taught people before, and they defended themselves well. You seem like a quick study."
  
  Kara thought about it for a moment, and smiled. She responded. "I accept, I would work for free you know..."
  
  "I know, but it would give you some spending money and it will allow you to mingle with the people more," said Harry. "Something I could work on a bit as well, my people skills aren't the best."
  
  "I've noticed," the girl remarked in amusement.
  
  Time had passed, as Kara and Harry spent much of the next two weeks together. They trained, watched movies, and explored the wonders of video games and the Internet together. Kara started to teach Harry about Kryptonian culture and science. Harry tried to teach Kara how to best fit in among normal people, even though that was like the blind leading the blind.
  
  The hunt for the journal seemed to be one that was an exercise in frustration, as a couple of potential ideas turned up as duds.
  
  Right now, Harry was focused on the crystal he had found that Kara's father sent with her.
  
  "Okay, you're a tricky one to figure out," muttered Harry as he looked at the crystal. "There's something in there, or maybe even someone. It's complex, and whoever designed it really made it hard to crack."
  
  Kara watched him from the doorway.
  
  "Give it a break for a while," suggested Kara after she had watched Harry for some time.
  
  "Yeah, I guess, I'll figure out this thing eventually," said Harry, as he put it away. "I'd like to figure out what's inside this crystal, but never mind that...you asked me to share with you something, didn't you?"
  
  Kara nodded, as she gazed at him. She stood on the edge of great secrets, and to be honest, she became a tiny bit apprehensive. It seemed like a good idea to ask Harry, to help him, but now she had her doubts.
  
  "What I'm about to show you is not for the weak of heart," warned Harry. "My life was not the happiest one in the world, so if you don't think you can handle it, let me know and we'll stop."
  
  "I can handle it," whispered Kara, as she followed Harry. She saw a large stone bowl with two wires with headbands connecting from it. Harry put one on, and she put the other on.
  
  "Ready," said Harry.
  
  "Ready," agreed Kara.
  
  The room swirled around them. They stepped at a cottage in Godric's Hallow, that they visited a couple of weeks ago, or rather the ruins of it.
  
  "The night before my parents got killed," whispered Harry, as they walked inside the house. They saw baby Harry sit in a playpen, happy, as they saw James watch his son. Then, their eyes averted, to see Lily, hold a red journal with green markings.
  
  "Could that be it?" asked Kara, but she also looked at the woman who held it. Something about her seemed so oddly familiar, like she had met her before.
  
  "Kara, that was a good catch, it just might be," said Harry, who was glad he at least knew what the blasted thing looked like now.
  
  The memories swirled around them. Kara watched Voldemort kill Harry's mother, before he tried to kill Harry. The magic repelled back, and blasted Voldemort out of his body.
  
  Flashes of Harry's childhood played. Kara could see enough of the images to get a good idea that it had not been a happy time. Her stomach turned, as she watched Harry's own relatives, his aunt in particular, treat him like he was something smelly they scraped off of the bottom of their shoe.
  
  Harry, at age five, sat in a cupboard underneath the stairs, with a broken crayon and a dirty napkin. He sloppily scrawled the words "home" and "family" on the napkin, before he crossed them out, and tossed it away, tears in his eyes.
  
  "The last time I cried, ever," commented Harry, as Kara wanted to hug the five year old child, to tell him it was going to be okay, but she remembered it was just a memory.
  
  She noticed the Dursleys never struck Harry. Yet they starved him, yelled at him, and locked him in an enclosed space with no light. She also heard echoes that no one would ever love him, and how he would always be a nothing but a burden. Harry sat, emotionally detached; as they watched the memories go by.
  
  At the age of eleven, Kara shared Harry's happiness when a giant of a man told him he was a wizard, and he would be going off to a magical school called Hogwarts. She watched, as Harry made friends for the first time in his life. Moments of happiness, and also some despair when the monster that killed Harry's parents returned. Harry's heroics were showcased when he had to fight a teacher in a turban, possessed by Voldemort.
  
  'You should have told him then,' thought Kara, as she watched Dumbledore evade Harry's question of why Voldemort tried to kill him.
  
  'It wouldn't have mattered,' projected Harry.
  
  'I can hear you, and you can hear me,' thought Kara.
  
  'Our minds are linked because that's the best way I can show you,' thought Harry.
  
  'Oh, that makes sense,' thought Kara, who felt stupid.
  
  Kara's mood was spoiled when she saw Harry returned to those monsters he had to live with. They were not his family. She did admire Harry's shrewdness for using the fear that he might perform magic on them as his only leverage. Then, this little creature in his crazed attempt to help Harry, got him in trouble, and removed his only leverage. She watched as Harry was locked in his room, with bars on the window, and food shoved through a little flap on the door.
  
  'He's not a war criminal you monsters!' she thought.
  
  'Kara, relax, it happened a long time ago,' replied Harry mentally.
  
  'Doesn't make it right, when my father talked about humans, he must have used these two as his main reference,' retorted Kara.
  
  Harry was rescued, and then he missed the train.
  
  'You were twelve years old and scared, what in the name of Rao is wrong with these people?' thought Kara, as she saw Harry browbeaten and punished for the flying car fiasco.
  
  Harry did not respond, but a slight smile appeared on his face.
  
  "I would have done the same thing you would have done," she added, aloud. "If I was in that situation..."
  
  The entire year, the attacks, and everyone who blamed Harry for it, despite the fact there was no proof other than hearsay. Then, they accused him of being evil just because he could speak to snakes. She watched as Harry risked his life, to save some girl who trusted a magical diary that wrote back.
  
  'That's how they reward you for nearly dying,' thought Kara, as she watched Dumbledore award him house points. Her arms wrapped around Harry throughout the second year, half in an attempt to steady herself, and half in an attempt to offer him some comfort.
  
  Third year brought more intrigue. Those Dementors were the worst creatures in the universe. There was a moment of hope, that Harry would get a better life. Then it was dashed at the worst possible time.
  
  Fourth year was when Kara lost her patience with that entire world in general. Well for the most part, she decided there were a few decent people. Ron Weasley in particular showed how loyal he was to Harry, when he abandoned him based off of his jealously. She saw it in his eyes. Hermione was a good friend, who tried to make things work, but Kara could see the strain the poor girl was suffering keeping the ties of friendship together.
  
  "Greengrass, I'm just showing school unity!" yelled Draco Malfoy, as he grabbed a second year Slytherin by the wrist.
  
  "No, this is just another childish game to discredit Potter," said Astoria Greengrass with disdain. "Well attempt to discredit him, because you don't even know what you're really doing."
  
  Draco looked confused, and Crabbe and Goyle did as well.
  
  "Lucius must have dropped you on your head as an infant," said the second year girl as she rolled her eyes. "You just gave Potter credit for fooling a magical object that most adult witches and wizards couldn't. You said Potter was smarter than you. It's nice to see you've come to terms with that."
  
  Draco was unable to formulate a response.
  
  "I don't have time to deal with some stupid little second year anyway," said Draco after a moment, as he walked off, with Crabbe and Goyle dumbly following him.
  
  Astoria walked away until she bumped into something solid.
  
  "Hello, Potter," said Astoria.
  
  "How?" asked Harry.
  
  "Snape ranted about you and your invisibility cloak a few times, you better be careful with it," said Astoria. "Those things are rare, especially the one you have. It was in your family for a long time."
  
  "What are you trying to say?" asked Harry.
  
  "Something tells me you didn't read many books as a child," said Astoria in a cryptic voice. "I for the record don't believe you entered your name in the Tournament. It's obvious to anyone who has brain cells in the double digits that you hate your fame."
  
  "Right," said Harry.
  
  "Potter...Harry, I think I can help you, if you let me," said Astoria.
  
  "But, you're a Slytherin," said Harry with distrust.
  
  "For the love of...yes I'm aware what house I was sorted into!" yelled Astoria. "Don't try to deny it, the sorting hat wanted to put you in there. Daphne told me, she saw your lips moving."
  
  "Wait, you're Greengrass's sister?" asked Harry.
  
  "Very good, we do look alike," answered Astoria. "Don't judge all Slytherins on Malfoy and his cronies. A lot of us just like to be left alone. The only reason why Malfoy has any pull at all is because his Daddy is wealthy and has blackmail material on half of the families in our house. Take that away, and half of the house would string him up from the Astronomy tower on sheer principle."
  
  "I see," said Harry.
  
  "Just think about it Harry, and find me," said Astoria, before she added. "And good luck in the first task."
  
  The entire fourth year went by, although Kara found herself quite amused by Harry's misadventures in finding a date for the Yule Ball. He looked like he would rather fight a hundred dragons, then dance. Then the third task, the thrill that the underdog was going to pull it off, the boy who had three years less magical experience than the other three champions.
  
  She smiled at how Harry offered to let the other boy, Cedric, have the cup. Despite all of his bad feelings towards the boy for beating him to the girl he liked, Harry was going to let him win. Eventually, they both took the cup.
  
  Then, she saw a pained emotion flickered on Harry's face. The entire scene of the Graveyard flashed before their eyes. Then Harry returned, with the dead body of his friend. The only witness was disposed of, and once again, Harry was not believed.
  
  'These people really were too stupid to live,' thought Kara.
  
  'Yep,' projected Harry, as he watched the spectacle.
  
  Harry sat quietly outside, as Astoria walked up to him.
  
  "So, Diggory died in front of you, I'm sorry," she said in a serious voice, as she sat down next to Harry. "I'm sure nothing you could have done prevented it anyway. Lord Voldemort is back..."
  
  "You said his name," interrupted Harry, in shock.
  
  "Yes, I did," agreed Astoria nonchalantly. "But you are fighting someone with over fifty years of training over you. You need to learn how to think like a Slytherin, and you need to learn to kill if you have a hope of surviving."
  
  "Astoria, I can't do that," said Harry, firmly set in his beliefs against killing.
  
  "Then Voldemort will torture your friends right in front of you, before he kills you," said Astoria. "He had Diggory killed just because he was there."
  
  Astoria looked at Harry. "Do not be afraid to exploit every single advantage you have. Your mother died to protect you..."
  
  "The same blood flows through his veins now," said Harry.
  
  "Then, find a way to make that hurt him," said Astoria, as she handed Harry three books. "Two of these are forbidden by the Ministry, and one is on magical law. I suggest you read all of them."
  
  Harry just looked at the books. They seemed rather dark. This Slytherin girl was trying to turn him towards dark magic, and he knew Dumbledore would not approve.
  
  "And stop following Dumbledore like a dutiful little sheep," added Astoria, before she walked off once again.
  
  Harry put the books into his bag, where he promptly forgot about them.
  
  Kara watched everything unfold, and Harry just get sent back to the Dursleys.
  
  'You needed someone to be there for you after what happened, and they sent you back to them,' thought Kara.
  
  She held Harry closer.
  
  "It gets messy from here," muttered Harry. "It's not too late to..."
  
  "No, I need to know everything," said Kara, as she sighed.
  
  Fifth year caused her anger to rise to its highest levels. Harry was angry at what happened, and his friends chose this Dumbledore over him. At least Hermione felt rather bad, even if Kara was kind of predisposed to not give Ron the benefit of the doubt. She experienced the delight that was Dolores Umbridge. The moment she saw what Umbridge did for her "detention" with Harry, Kara got up, and tried to walk over to strangle the memory version of Umbridge.
  
  "Kara, remember, it's a memory, nothing you can do can change it," said Harry.
  
  Kara, flushed, sat down. She watched as Harry risked his own health to get the truth out there.
  
  "You're a great leader," remarked Kara.
  
  "No, I'm not," argued Harry.
  
  "You can teach fifteen year old children complex magic, how can you be anything else?" asked Kara.
  
  Harry decided not to argue the point any further.
  
  After the interview with Rita Sweeter in Hogsmeade, Harry was pulled off to the side, right by the Shrieking Shack by Astoria.
  
  "So, I saw Chang run off," said Astoria. "Good, that relationship was doomed to failure. I also would suggest that you wipe both her and her friend's memory, and kick them out of your little club, before they run to Umbridge. But that wouldn't be the Gryffindor thing to do, would it?"
  
  "So, you know about..." said Harry.
  
  "You idiots talk about it where people can hear you," said Astoria, as she slapped her palm to her face. "Harry, remember our conversation at the end of the last year? Think like a Slytherin...a Slytherin would have not held a meeting in Hogsmeade where they could have been overheard. We have our own secret club to practice magic, that's illegal now thanks to you. Umbridge isn't teaching us a blasted thing that can be of use."
  
  "And how is this my fault?" asked Harry.
  
  "It's not, but Harry, ditch them before they sell you out," said Astoria.
  
  Confusion reigned on Harry's face. Astoria looked as if she considered the merits of hexing some sense into him.
  
  "The Weasleys and Dumbledore, they might have the most noble of intentions, but they will sacrifice you if it helps defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters," said Astoria. "You notice the littlest Weasley seems to be a lot cozier around you. And you notice that Dumbledore's avoiding you, and sending you for "remedial potions" with Snape."
  
  She paused, as she gave Harry the indication she knew exactly what the lessons were. "I wouldn't be surprised if Snape's planting subliminal thoughts in your mind to make you more obedient to Dumbledore's orders. Not to mention what Ronald Weasley did to you last year, and you accepted his fake apology like a sap."
  
  "Astoria, you're being paranoid," said Harry.
  
  "No, I'm being logical, this is happening, you're being set up as a pawn to sacrifice to defeat Voldemort," said Astoria, who kept her face blank. "Dumbledore is a Slytherin wearing the skin of a Gryffindor, can't you see that? You really have been force fed his lies. Look up his family, Harry, or look up his brother, Aberforth..."
  
  "You mean that nutter who got busted for doing charms on goats," replied Harry.
  
  "Harry, just find him, and he'll clue you in on everything," said Astoria.
  
  Harry shook his head.
  
  "The Weasleys won't betray me, they're my family," said Harry. "Ron and Ginny are like the brother and sister I've never had..."
  
  "No, your family is the Potters, who all died," said Astoria. "Hermione Granger might be the closest thing you have to family, and she's just as much of a pawn as you are."
  
  Astoria paused. "Harry, do yourself a favor and check your drinks and your food. Get that house elf that's fond of you to prepare all of your food personally. You're almost of age, witches are going to move in for the kill for your gold and the prestige of marrying the Boy-Who-Lived. And you won't even notice it, because it's obvious you don't have a bloody idea what true love really is."
  
  "You and Moody should hang out sometime," said Harry, with a chuckle.
  
  "Alastor Moody has the right idea about a lot of things," said Astoria, who looked exasperated, and muttered. "Why did she tell me he was the only hope for the world?"
  
  "Who?" asked Harry. "Your mother, your sister...who told you this Astoria?"
  
  "I need to go back to the school, it's getting late, talk to you when I can, remember we never met," said Astoria, as she scrambled up to the school quickly.
  
  Harry just shrugged off her ramblings as paranoia.
  
  "You do realize she was trying to help you," said Kara.
  
  "Yeah, now I do, and now with the benefit of hindsight, I know who the "she" Astoria was talking about was," said Harry in a dark voice.
  
  More memories flashed by. Then the final battle, Kara watched how Harry led five other students into battle against very dangerous people. He displayed some rough tactical brilliance. He did have the potential to be on par with some of the great military leaders throughout the history of Krypton.
  
  Then things took another turn, as Sirius was sent through the veil. Then Voldemort was back, and now the Ministry believed Harry. Both held each other, as they watched Dumbledore give Harry the information about the Prophecy.
  
  "Too little, too late," whispered Kara.
  
  "I thought if I would have known that a long time ago, I would have been able to save lives," said Harry. "In the end, we were doomed regardless of what was done."
  
  Harry looked, viewing these memories again, with someone there to support him, to share everything with, he found himself finding closure.
  
  Yet, the insanity had just begun.
  
  Sixth year, and Harry watched everything unfold like a car crash.
  
  "A lot of this doesn't add up, now that I'm watching as a third party," said Harry, as he watched his feelings from Ginny go from brotherly love to borderline obsession in a matter of weeks. It seemed to be a slow and subtle burn, so he did not pick up on it at the time.
  
  Then Hermione and her reaction to the Half Blood Prince book did not make any sense. Hermione acted rather unbalanced, and Harry thought that she would have bugged him endlessly to copy the notes so she could improve her work at another time.
  
  "Hormones aren't really this messed up, are they?" asked Kara.
  
  "No, there's almost like there is something in the water," said Harry, who had a bad feeling what happened and really wished he had not brushed off Astoria's warning.
  
  Getting closure was a bad thing, when one began to realize certain people came across in a less than favorable light in hindsight.
  
  "Malfoy is up to something, you are right, Harry," said Astoria.
  
  "You are the first person to believe me," said Harry as he breathed in relief. "Everyone thinks..."
  
  "Everyone is wrong, and Dumbledore's trying to redeem Malfoy," replied the Slytherin. "He'll let the little bastard murder half of the school, before he's proven wrong. Draco Malfoy is the son of the devil himself, Lucius made a life out of blackmailing his way to the top, and Narcissa is a manipulative shrew. They do care for each other, which might make them more dangerous."
  
  Astoria sighed, but she voiced something.
  
  "Harry, I got a letter today, my family fell on some hard times, so when I turn seventeen, I'm going to marry Draco Malfoy," said Astoria, as she closed her eyes, but then maintained her stoic resolve.
  
  "Can they make you do that?" asked Harry.
  
  "Unless I find a suitable alternative, it's either married or I'll be disowned," said Astoria. "I'll be a no name witch, which is worse than being a Muggleborn in our world."
  
  Harry just nodded, that sucked, but he had his own problems.
  
  "So you and your little sudden infatuation with Ginny Weasley," replied Astoria in disgust. "Are you really that hopeless that you can't see what is going on?"
  
  "Astoria, Ginny's...she's great, I want to be with her, I want a family," said Harry in a shaky voice.
  
  "Adopt a kitten," replied Astoria in a harsh voice, but it then softened. "That family will ruin you Harry. You could be a great leader, but Ginny's stringing you along. She's used to getting her way all of the time. She doesn't want to marry Harry Potter the person; she wants the prestige of marrying the Boy-Who-Lived. She could have gotten to know you any time as a friend over the past five years, but now she's dropped in to mark her territory, right before you become of age."
  
  Harry felt annoyed, how could Astoria say such things?
  
  "I don't know what your game is," said Harry as his anger rose. "The Weasleys have done nothing, but good things for me..."
  
  "Open your eyes Harry, there's a reason why those children move out of the Burrow the first chance they get!" yelled Astoria as she lost her temper. "I warned you last year, but you still don't listen to me. I don't even know why I even bother. For the love of Morgana, if you don't believe me, go to Slughorn. I'm sure he'll happily check you out for potions..."
  
  "No, Ginny wouldn't drug me, she's not that kind of person!" yelled Harry. "You're just jealous of her; you thought I could be your ticket to avoid marrying Malfoy, didn't you?"
  
  "I'm not jealous of that tart!" shouted Astoria. "Harry, I care about you, I want to help you, but you won't let me..."
  
  "You're just like all of the other Slytherins, evil and manipulative!" yelled Harry, as he walked off.
  
  "Fine, go fucking jump in the grave then, see if I care!" shouted Astoria. "If you ever wise up, come find me."
  
  Harry and Kara both viewed the spectacle. Neither said anything, they both understood. The memories sped through the relationship Harry had with Ginny Weasley. It was just a footnote.
  
  Dumbledore died, and Harry was left with very little knowledge of what he must do. Kara watched, as Harry broke up with Ginny at the funeral.
  
  "If she loved you, she would have fought harder," said Kara as she wrapped her arms tightly around Harry. "If she loved you, she would have stayed with you no matter what, and found a way to join you on your journey. She wasn't being very loyal."
  
  Harry nodded.
  
  The events of what would be Harry's final year of Hogwarts flashed by, and it became obvious how dismal a scenario that was. Ron's latest blow up really showed the kind of person he truly was. Harry and Hermione were there for each other, like a brother and a sister. Everything went by, Harry sacrificing himself to save a world that treated him like dirt. Then he beat Voldemort, or rather Voldemort beat himself.
  
  "The moment I beat Voldemort, was when it was the beginning of the end," whispered Harry.
  
  Kara braced herself for what looked to be the very worst.
  
  Ginny walked out to face Harry, who made his way to Dumbledore's tomb.
  
  "So, Harry, hi," said Ginny. "I was wondering if you would like to give us another shot, now that you're done with Voldemort and all."
  
  "Ginny, I don't know," said Harry.
  
  "I waited for you an entire year, Harry, and now you don't know," said Ginny, as she tried to reign in her temper.
  
  "We'll both be at Hogwarts next year, we can figure it out then, I need some time to regroup," said Harry.
  
  "Why would you go back to Hogwarts?" demanded Ginny. "You don't need to go back, you can go straight to the Ministry, and use your reputation to rebuild it..."
  
  "I don't want charity, I want to earn everything," said Harry hotly.
  
  "Harry, you can't be this stupid, to pass up a perfect opportunity to fix the Ministry!" cried Ginny. "Harry, just think of us, you can get a good paying job, the best, and when we get married..."
  
  "Ginny, I don't want to get married, not right now," said Harry.
  
  "Well, I guess you're going to be a very lonely man for a while," said Ginny with a knowing smirk. "You're not touching me, until the ring is on my finger. And until you realize your duty, and what your responsibilities are, I'm not speaking to you. You should grow up Harry!"
  
  "You know, Ginny, I thought I liked you, but if you're going to act like a self-entitled brat, then maybe I won't give us getting back together too much consideration," said Harry.
  
  "You son of a bitch, I wasted two years of my life on you!" yelled Ginny, as she slapped Harry across the face. "I wish you stayed dead!"
  
  Ginny stormed off. Harry was left with scratch marks on his cheek from where her nails cut him.
  
  "Female problems, Potter?" said Aberforth Dumbledore, who showed up behind Harry at that moment. "So, after all you were put through, you're just going to put that wand back in my brother's tomb."
  
  "What do you expect me to do?" asked Harry.
  
  "The power is yours, unite the Hallows," said Aberforth. "It's your right to do so."
  
  "No, I just want to be left alone, live a nice and quiet life," said Harry. "Maybe I'll teach here at Hogwarts, I'm sure they could always use a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher..."
  
  "Potter, you don't realize what you're doing," said Aberforth. "One day, you will regret putting that wand back in that tomb."
  
  "I seriously doubt it, go play with your goats or something," said Harry, as he waved Aberforth off.
  
  Without another thought, Harry placed the wand back into Dumbledore's tomb, where he assumed he would never be bothered by it again.
  
  Kara and Harry watched as another memory flashed by.
  
  "Hermione, I have a bad feeling about this thing, the Muggleborns might not forgive what happened," said Harry in an urgent voice.
  
  "It's nothing, I'm sure they'll listen to reason," persisted Hermione. "They're lost, scared, they spent a year being forced to beg on the street. If someone reaches out to them, the healing can continue. I'll be back Harry, I'll see you later."
  
  Another memory swirled as three days later, Hermione had not returned. Harry retraced his friend's steps one at a time, and found her at an abandoned library. Hermione used to go here as a child, she told him before. He stepped inside, and saw a grisly sight.
  
  The dismembered body of Hermione was nailed to the wall. On her bare back, a message was burned into her skin.
  
  "The purebloods will pay for harboring the false Chosen One. All traitors will meet the same end. Our leader will salvage the world. Salvation is at hand, it will never happen again."
  
  Every window in the library shattered and all of the books burst into flames, as Harry took a deep breath.
  
  Harry just closed his eyes, and sent a messenger Patronus to Kingsley, to have some people investigate who did this to Hermione.
  
  He made a decision to leave the memories of Hermione's parents modified. It was just for the best.
  
  Kara sniffled, but shook her head. She watched as Harry show mild emotions, but wiped his face blank. They were back at Hogwarts.
  
  "So, I need help if I'm going to stop this little uprising, and I need my army," said Harry. "I'm not sure if the Ministry is on the level..."
  
  "Mr. Potter, you can be a great service for this school, which is why I'm offering you the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the coming term," said McGonagall. "With You-Know-Who gone, the curse has been lifted, therefore you can teach. Do what you wish for the class, and I will make sure the Board of Governors and the Ministry do not find out."
  
  "They will send someone like Umbridge, won't they?" asked Harry.
  
  "Or Dolores will return, she escaped justice once again," said McGonagall with a sour expression.
  
  "That sinks my chances of ever working for the Ministry," said Harry.
  
  McGonagall nodded, as she made arrangements.
  
  Harry arrived at the Ministry of Magic, summoned by the Minister for some important news. He looked around.
  
  "Kingsley!" yelled Harry. "Are you..."
  
  "Hem, hem," coughed a very familiar voice. "Welcome to my office, Mr. Potter."
  
  Harry turned around and saw Umbridge, backed up by Twenty Aurors who had their wands pointed on him.
  
  "Your office?" asked Harry as he clutched his wand. "This is the Minister of Magic's office..."
  
  "You're correct, Minister Shacklebolt met a tragic demise just a couple of days ago," said Umbridge as she displayed crocodile tears. "I was sworn in as his replacement. I managed to pardon several respected purebloods who have got locked inside of Azkaban on charges of prosecuting Muggleborns. Given what the Mudbloods are now doing, I fear that we were justified."
  
  "Yeah, because you spent an entire year, persecuting them!" yelled Harry, who readied himself for a fight. He tried to fight his way out, but the Aurors overwhelmed him. Harry found himself nailed with a paralyzing curse.
  
  "You'll regain the use of your body in about one hour, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge. "You must learn to obey. I also must inform you that your little half breed godson and his grandmother met a tragic fate just this morning."
  
  Harry was dragged off, and moved down into the Department of Mysteries, where he was strapped down.
  
  "You will learn obedience, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge. "You can be a valuable tool to serve the Ministry...we just need to change a few memories."
  
  At that moment, a wizard walked up to face Harry. His wand was raised. "Obliviate!"
  
  "So, they wiped your memories," said Kara in absolute alarm.
  
  "Yes," said Harry, who did not want to recall what the Ministry made him do in that one month period, because it likely escalated Sinclair's hatred towards him further.
  
  The memory version of Harry showed up, cold and lifeless, but four figures showed up to face him.
  
  "Harry, I don't know what happened, but we're bringing you home," said a young scarred man.
  
  "I don't know who you are," said Harry in a cold voice.
  
  "Harry, I'm Neville Longbottom, we shared a dormitory at Hogwarts for six years, we fought together against Death Eaters," said Neville as his voice shook.
  
  "Your memories are still down in there somewhere," encouraged a blonde girl in a dreamy voice.
  
  "I never went to Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge took me in, raised me as a son," said Harry in a mechanical manner. "I live to serve the Ministry, and you four our on their list of people who must be punished."
  
  "Harry, please fight it!" yelled Astoria. "Luna, Neville, help me..."
  
  The fourth girl flicked her wand and blasted Harry with a dangerous looking curse. Harry fell to the ground, the eyes rolled into the back of his head.
  
  "Greengrass, what did you do?" demanded Neville.
  
  Daphne Greengrass looked at Harry, cold and uncaring. "I just short circuited his brain functions, so we can take him back to Hogwarts..."
  
  "You could have given him brain damage!" yelled Neville.
  
  "Wouldn't make much of a difference," said Daphne with disdain.
  
  Neville was about ready to go toe to toe with Daphne, but Astoria stepped in to break things up.
  
  "Just, enough, get Harry back to Hogwarts, to the Headmaster's office," replied Astoria as she tried to keep her wits about herself.
  
  "Dumbledore, please tell me you have a way to restore Harry's memories to what they should be," said Astoria as she faced the portrait of Albus Dumbledore.
  
  "Yes, this does seem to be a predicament," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.
  
  Dumbledore remained thoughtful.
  
  "In my cabinet, there is a vial of a white potion, it is a way to separate real memories from the false ones," said Dumbledore.
  
  Astoria grabbed the potion, and walked over, she uncorked it.
  
  "Are you sure it is going to work?" asked Astoria.
  
  "It will either restore his memories or give him permanent brain damage," contributed Snape's portrait dryly. "But given what he's been turned into, permanent brain damage would be an upgrade."
  
  "Just do it, Miss Greengrass, this is the only way," encouraged Dumbledore.
  
  "It's almost like you expected this to happen," commented Astoria, as Daphne help her force Harry's mouth open, as she poured the potion down his throat.
  
  Harry's body went into a violent spasm, as he clutched his head.
  
  "FUCKING UMBRIDGE!" yelled Harry when his ability to speak returned to him.
  
  "Potter's back," said Daphne, as she walked off. "I'll leave you two to catch up."
  
  "You saved me," said Harry, as he looked at Astoria, confused. "After all that happened, you saved me...why..."
  
  "Friends don't abandon each other, Harry," said Astoria. "Plus you did help me in a way; I used the leverage of you saving Draco's life as a well to get Narcissa to void that agreement for us getting married. Plus lack of gold doesn't matter, given the goblins have shut us all off."
  
  "How long was I gone?" asked Harry.
  
  "About a month," said Astoria. "I'll see you in class on Monday, Professor."
  
  She walked off. Harry swallowed his own Gryffindor pride to ask a question of a portrait.
  
  "Professor Snape, can Occlumency protect my memories from being modified?" asked Harry.
  
  "If, you can master it, it will, Mr. Potter," said Snape. "I believe I will teach you the proper way, and Professor Dumbledore may assist me."
  
  "So you were teaching me wrong," said Harry.
  
  "I don't make excuses for what I did when I lived," said Snape as he waved his hand. "As of now, I'm duty bound to help the teachers of Hogwarts, and since you fit that qualification, I have no choice to help you."
  
  Harry held the goblin known as Griphook captive some months later.
  
  "You've been funding the Muggleborn rebels, haven't you?" asked Harry, as he stared down this nasty little piece of work.
  
  "Yes, it was revenge for you swindling us," replied Griphook, with a nasty grin.
  
  "Well, I've got news for you, your little assassins turned on you, and burned Gringotts to the ground, with all of the goblins inside," said Harry.
  
  Griphook remained silent.
  
  "I made a mistake trusting Rosalina Sinclair," said Griphook simply, and his throat closed up. He had broken the oath and his body stopped, to know no more.
  
  Harry and Kara watched the scene.
  
  "First time that name popped into my life, I never heard of her before then," said Harry. "I wish it stayed that way."
  
  Back in the Headmaster's Office, Harry faced Dumbledore's portrait.
  
  "Who is Rosalina Sinclair?"
  
  "I have no idea," said Dumbledore after he pondered the matter for a moment.
  
  "She must have been a student at Hogwarts," said Harry as he looked at Dumbledore, pleading.
  
  "She must have been, yes" agreed Dumbledore. "Harry, you must realize that a magical portrait only has the knowledge it has been charmed to have. A lot of non-essential information has been left out. If she was unimportant at Hogwarts, then when my portrait was commissioned, any knowledge of her would have been left out."
  
  "How do the portraits get made?" asked Harry.
  
  "Well, there are orbs containing the full memories previous heads of Hogwarts have had down in the Department of Mysteries, we are to update them every three months," said Dumbledore. "Find my orb, and my full memories will be at your disposal. You might be able to pick out who Rosalina Sinclair was and go from there."
  
  "Wow, that sounds easy enough," remarked Kara back in reality. "But something tells me it wasn't."
  
  "Yeah, that's an understatement," said Harry.
  
  The orbs burned, as the memories faded away. There were several dead bodies on both sides laid out. Harry had one of the Muggleborn rebels, and removed the mask to reveal a scarred man in his middle thirties.
  
  "Our leader will rise, Harry Potter, you have gotten salvation while we have suffered!" yelled the man.
  
  "Who is Rosalina Sinclair?" demanded Harry, as he shook the man. "Where is she?"
  
  The man just bit down, and his eyes went blank. Harry tried to snap his fingers, but there was no one home.
  
  Astoria, Luna, Neville, and Gabrielle Delacour showed up, all to face Harry. They were the only ones who survived the battle.
  
  "Harry, they stole something from the Department of Mysteries, something dangerous!" yelled Luna. "I don't know what it is..."
  
  "We're going to figure this out, one way or another," said Astoria. "Everyone, we need to get back to base, before Umbridge catches us down here."
  
  Harry nodded.
  
  "We're almost there, right," said Kara.
  
  "Yeah, it'll be over soon," said Harry.
  
  Harry took out Umbridge with one spell. He must not tell lies; he always found that memory worth relieving.
  
  Then Harry Potter came face to face with Rosalina Sinclair in Godric's Hallow, right by Lily Potter's grave.
  
  "I've finally found you," said Harry as he held his wand. His eyes had dark rings under them, said eyes were bloodshot, and he looked rather pale.
  
  "No, I finally lead you to where I wanted you to be," said Sinclair, as she fired a purple flame at Harry from her wand. Harry ducked and rolled immediately. "Your lies begin, and end in the same place, Godric's Hallow, right on the grave of your mother. The mother who protected you! I didn't have that protection from anyone, the entire world spurned me!"
  
  The battle continued, as Harry blasted the wand out of her hand, but Sinclair began to fire spells out of her hand.
  
  "I don't need a wand, you diseased child," said Sinclair. "My powers are far greater than yours, I was special, your life could have been mine, but I was tossed aside like an inconvenience..."
  
  Harry returned fire, and managed to hit Sinclair. She hit Harry with a spell that made it feel like he had suffered a thousand paper cuts at once. Harry pressed on; despite the fact he had lost a lot of blood.
  
  "I was given a gift, a green meteor rock from above, that unlocked my full potential," whispered Sinclair, as she tried to burn Harry's lungs out, but he avoided the attack. "I was chosen to lead my people, and to triumph over the false savior. If I had not forced the issue, this world would have remained the same. The purebloods ruled all and the half-bloods got what was left, leaving nothing for my kind!"
  
  The battle continued, blood spilled, but Harry closed his eyes, before he muttered a spell.
  
  Sinclair stopped, as she clutched her chest. The woman dropped to the ground.
  
  "No, I might die, but my crusade will live on through my children," she gasped with her final breath.
  
  Harry passed out from the blood loss at that point.
  
  "Unite the Hallows, Harry, I think this is the only way you can defeat them," said Astoria, as she sat with Harry.
  
  "Astoria, the Hallows are cursed, they drove everyone to madness," argued Harry, who had a few new scars to add to his collection based off the battles with the Muggleborn rebels. "Sinclair, her followers have gotten worse, not better since she died. They think by killing everyone, she'll be brought back somehow."
  
  Harry left her, and returned to the Headmaster's office. He knew the next time he left Hogwarts; it would be do or die. There was only one thing left to do.
  
  "Snape, I need to suppress my emotions, they're making me unable to defeat Sinclair's remaining followers," said Harry. "I keep trying to save innocents, and they keep getting away. I need to stop caring."
  
  "Mr. Potter, you could not suppress your emotions without a severe personality rewrite," said Snape without a thought. "For some emotions are a weakness, but for others...not so much."
  
  Harry turned and walked off, no words.
  
  "He may have had all of the emotions beaten out of him," concluded Snape to the other portraits.
  
  Kara and Harry sat, as the memories broke up, and Harry slid back. They were detached from the memory viewer.
  
  "I've come to terms with what happened," said Harry. "That final battle...I just can't face it right now."
  
  "Just tell me about it instead," said Kara.
  
  "I united the keys," said Harry. "Right when I was the only one left. It enabled me to tap into their full powers, and I destroyed Sinclair's followers, despite them being upgraded by dangerous artifacts in the Department of Mysteries."
  
  Harry took a deep breath. He also remembered Astoria dying on the ground, taking a dangerous curse meant for him. She managed to breath out the word "Veritas", before she died. Harry really didn't think much about it until now.
  
  "Good, I've faced my demons, and now it's a new day tomorrow," said Harry. "I couldn't have done this alone; I would have tried to bury these memories. It's just, my emotions made me so weak..."
  
  "No, Harry, they didn't," said Kara, as she gently helped him off of the ground. "Let's get you off to bed, you need rest. I'm sorry you had to relieve that all over again..."
  
  "I needed to, when I wake up tomorrow, I'm going to be a lot better off," said Harry. "Besides, you were supposed to know me for my entire life..."
  
  "Now, I feel like I do, in a way," said Kara, as they walked up to Harry's room.
  
  Harry collapsed on the bed, and Kara left. Once again, he was all alone.
  
  She returned a couple of minutes later, as Harry rested in his bed.
  
  "Kara, is there a problem?" asked Harry, but Kara climbed into his bed with him.
  
  "I'm not leaving you alone," she said in a firm voice. "You've been alone for too long, and I wouldn't be a good friend if I left you alone after all that."
  
  Harry looked at her, in surprise. "First time a girl ever climbed into bed with me, you know..."
  
  "Well, that's their loss, isn't it," said Kara. "So that means you're..."
  
  "Yeah, that means I am," said Harry, as he shifted in shame, but she wrapped her arms around him, to reassure him.
  
  "Me too," said Kara, as the covers were pulled up over the top of both of them. "Nothing to be ashamed of, it should be with the right person, and something special you share....you just haven't found the one yet."
  
  Kara paused. "Or maybe you have, I don't know. I guess that's something to think about for later."
  
  The two drifted off to sleep, holding each other as they did so.
  Conference
  
  
  Chapter 7: Conference
  
  "Chloe, you got to get me into the press area, I've tried to get clearance, but I was shut down!" yelled Lois, as she followed Chloe on her way to the Shining Light Press Conference. She tugged at the sleeve of her cousin's jacket "It's almost like this guy is holding a grudge against me for what I did a long time again!"
  
  Chloe shook her head.
  
  "Lois, if Harry says it's closed off..."
  
  "Harry, on a first name basis with him?" demanded Lois, as she looked about ready to drop to her knees and plead.
  
  "Well, I've met him, he's friends with Clark's cousin, Kara, they went to school together," said Chloe in a quick voice.
  
  "So, they say," said Lois, skepticism apparent in her voice.
  
  "The story checks out Lois, do you think I wouldn't have looked into them?" asked Chloe, and Lois reluctantly shook her head. "Look Harry's a normal guy, a bit eccentric, but if you've seen some of the things he has, you would be too."
  
  'He could stand to be a little less paranoid, and be a little more discreet,' thought Chloe to herself, as she showed her press pass.
  
  Two large security guards moved in and grabbed Lois roughly by the shoulders.
  
  "Hey, hands off, buster!" yelled Lois.
  
  "Sorry ma'am you can only go this far unless you've been granted a pass by Mr. Potter," said the security guard. "So, why don't you sit up in the general admission or something?"
  
  Lois turned, defeated for now, and walked off to sit up in the general admission area among the rabble. She watched, but saw Clark move his way from the crowd.
  
  "Hey, Smallville, I tried, I think it's blocked off to anyone who doesn't have clearance!" yelled Lois.
  
  "I just need to speak to Kara and Harry, I haven't been able to get ahold of them for three weeks," said Clark in a half distracted voice. "Excuse me...I'm looking for Harry Potter and Kara Kent, she's my cousin..."
  
  "Yeah, a lot of people are looking for them," said a security guard in a bored tone of voice. "What's your name?"
  
  "Clark Kent," replied the young man.
  
  The security guard checked the clipboard. "Oh, that's fortunate for you; Mr. Potter actually wanted to speak with you after the fact if you showed up, both himself and his bodyguard. So sit down, with the press, and he'll be with you afterwards."
  
  Clark moved down, and saw that there was a seat open next to Chloe. He sat down next to her.
  
  "Clark, long time, no see," said Chloe, in an even voice. She could sense Clark likely had an explanation, she knew him too well.
  
  "Sorry, about that, I'm just having Lana settle in at the farm house, she's moved in," said Clark who looked pleased at the situation. "She's here somewhere, in the crowd...."
  
  "Did she tell you about what happened with her?" asked Chloe.
  
  "Yeah, she got away from Lex, and then she came back, to make amends," said Clark. "I'm sure she's happy to put it all behind her."
  
  "Let's hope so," said Chloe in a low voice, as she waited for the press conference to begin. "Just with everything that's happened...I'm not sure. I'm happy Lana's back, but..."
  
  "Yeah, she's back and everything's going to be alright," said Clark in a jubilant voice, as he looked off to watch what Harry had to say. He was oddly intrigued. The cryptic warning Jor-El gave him rang in his mind regarding the young man.
  
  In the back of his mind, Clark hoped he wasn't dealing with another situation liked what happened with Lex. Yet, Kara trusted Harry, and he supposed that should be good enough for him.
  
  Harry Potter arrived at the podium, as he looked at the assembled crowd. He tapped on the microphone and cleared his throat.
  
  "Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for coming out today," said Harry in a booming voice. "For the past six years, I have traveled the world, learning all I could. Yet one place captured my attention, and that was Smallville. Throughout the past several years, there have been a number of incidents in this city. These meteor freaks as they have been dubbed have terrorized the people."
  
  Harry heard some yells, but he waved his hand. "People, some of them, I do not deny, likely were twisted because of their powers. Yet, some of them allowed themselves to descend into full madness, because everyone brushed them off as hopeless. They shunned them, and thought that they would never fit in. It doesn't matter where you came from or what your powers are. It's the choices that you make how to use power in the most responsible manner possible!"
  
  A mixed reaction rang out from the crowd.
  
  Harry just looked at them. He could not afford to tip his hat that he had powers to anyone else. Chloe knew, but since Harry also knew about her powers, there was an unspoken agreement not to say one word. The same thing with Clark as well, but Harry knew that if anyone else found out, he would be playing with fire.
  
  He stood on the stage, wearing the most absurd suit possible, his eyes were now blue instead of green, and his hair was straight. He wore a pair of furry boots to add to the absurdity.
  
  Kara stood off to the side, dressed in a black top, black jacket, black pants, and black shoes, with sunglasses on and her hair clipped back. She folded her arms, and her face was stoic. Harry showed her pictures of the guards at Buckingham Palace so she could get the right facial reaction or non-reaction.
  
  "I've studied the situation throughly, and if anyone has powers, and wants help, just come to the Shining Light Foundation," said Harry in a warm voice. "Even if your friends, your family, and your neighbors have forsaken you, we're here to help. I know how much it sounds like the usual spin, but our people are trained to help with special cases."
  
  There was clapping as Harry walked around. "Now, I will open up questions to members of the press."
  
  "Mr. Potter, you've been in hiding for so long, why come out now?"
  
  "I've felt it is time to come out of the shadows, and face the world at large," said Harry. "A lot of the time I've spent in seclusion was me researching, studying, and following up on leads. All roads lead to right here, in Smallville, and this is where I needed to be."
  
  "Do you have any special powers?"
  
  "I have a bad habit of making my car keys and my socks disappear," said Harry, which caused the crowd to laugh. He allowed the laughter to die down, before he went into an anecdote. "You see, a friend of mine from school had a theory that those socks that come up missing, are actually taken through worm holes to another dimension. In that dimension, there is an evil monster who feasts on socks, and plots to one day go strong enough to take over the world through never ending static cling."
  
  Everyone found some amusement to that. Another question was asked. "Mr. Potter, are you really an alien?"
  
  "I think you'll find that all of my papers are in order, and believe me, the experience to get inside this country was an interesting one," said Harry dryly.
  
  "The Daily Planet claims that you had a house that just disappeared," said another member of the press.
  
  "Well, I'm sure the woman who wrote that story thought she saw something there," said Harry. "She was having a bad day I'd imagine, and saw something that was not there. Maybe she should keep hydrated, I heard many people often hallucinate when they are dehydrated as I found out one time."
  
  Harry fielded more questions.
  
  Lex Luthor walked within the crowd. He faded into the crowd, incognito, wearing a brown wig and glasses. He spotted Lana three rows ahead of him. If he was inclined to do so, he could easily shoot her in the back of the head.
  
  Yet this was night why he was here, and he wished to put what happened behind him.
  
  This new guy in town, this Harry Potter intrigued him.
  
  The fact he seemed to be a normal guy, really made Lex suspicious. It was just like Clark all over again, the potential for secrets and lies all around. No one could be this altruistic without any motive.
  
  'What's drives you, Mr. Potter?' thought Lex. 'What is the journal? I must find out more about him..."
  
  A voice flashed in Lex's head, and he remembered the warning about letting go of his obsessions. He watched the press conference for another moment. Perhaps a face to face meeting would be something that would give him a chance to better get a feel for the former recluse.
  
  Across from the Shining Light Press Conference, three young people stepped into view, watching from the distance.
  
  "Mere lies," muttered a girl with a buzzcut, scars on her face, and a nose ring, dressed like something out of a punk rock concert. Her name was Grace Prescott. She could tamper with people's emotions, and get them to do anything she wanted to. Her voice sounded like an extra from the Children of the Corn. "Our mother told us this is a foundation of lies."
  
  "He seems sincere," said a younger girl of about ten years old with fiery red hair, dressed in black. Her name was Claire Selton. She could start fires with her mind, but controlling them was another matter. "I don't know..."
  
  "The greatest manipulators are," said Grace, as she looked at the younger girl, and just patted her on the head. "Our mother saved us, protected us, gave us a home..."
  
  "That woman ain't my mother," grunted the oldest of the group, a surly young man with a bad attitude and ripped muscles. His name was Joseph Martin, and he had a hard head, that could also emit a radiation blast. "Bitch has a few screws loose if you ask me, but that guy looks like a scrawny little weakling. I'm going to enjoy beating him up, and breaking him."
  
  Joseph turned to Grace, rage in his eyes. "But let's make one thing clear, that woman isn't my mother and she isn't the boss of me. I'll beat her up all the same if she tries to control me."
  
  "She gave us all a purpose," said Grace in a cryptic voice. "I could convince you to stop breathing if you wish to forsake her as such."
  
  Grace turned to both of them. They needed to learn to obey their mother, the woman who rescued them, who had given them a second chance. They would be in a cage, to be prodded and used as weapons, if it was not for her.
  
  The trio approached the press conference.
  
  "Claire, sweetie, get their attention," said Grace with a smile, as Claire closed her eyes. The brush around them burst into flames, which caused the crowd to scream in terror. Security moved over, to try and get a hold of the situation.
  
  Joseph rushed over, and knocked down the security with a series of violent headbutts. Security crumbled to the ground.
  
  "Out of my way!" snapped Joseph, eyes bulged out in rage, as his hands was wrapped around the throat of the man.
  
  A figure moved over, and pushed him to the ground.
  
  Clark stood and faced this young man. Kara and Harry disappeared to God only knows well when all of the chaos that had occurred.
  
  "Well, guess who just volunteered to stop breathing," grunted Joseph, as he grabbed Clark and tussled with him. "You look strong, and here I was thinking this day would be too easy."
  
  Clark punched him away, but Joseph just stood on his feet, before he emitted a large radiation blast from his head. The radiation burned away most of Joseph Martin's hair. The impact sent Clark spiraling to the ground.
  
  The young man winced from the pain he suffered. He could barely breath; this new threat could blast Kryptonite radiation from his head.
  
  Suddenly, Joseph had been tripped up by one blur. Another blur grabbed Clark off of the ground, and flew him up into the air, out of safety.
  
  Clark rubbed his head, as he was safely on top of a water tower. His vision worked, just in time to see Kara hovering right next to him. She wore a blue top, a red skirt, red boots, and topped off the ensemble with a red cape.
  
  "Kara, what are you wearing?" asked Clark in a bemused voice, as he caught sight of the cape.
  
  "No time to explain, there are people down there, you just rest up here, and come down when you're ready," said Kara, as she flew back down to help.
  
  Clark was left alone, high above the ground. Still could not fly, and he had to climb down, carefully, one rung at a time.
  
  She stood, and waited for a rush of water to be conjured over. She blew the water, causing a sprinkler effect to douse the flames. She rushed over, to traffic as many people out of there as she could. One of her rescue victims included that Lois woman she punched out for trying to with her ship. Thankfully she had been knocked unconscious in the chaos, and Kara was not about to wake her up.
  
  Harry watched Kara save the people, as he dealt with these new threats. The wizard now was dressed in black and white robes. The robes where charmed with a modified Confundus Charm. The only people who could see his true face were the people he trusted. All would be compelled to look away.
  
  "I don't know who you think you are but..." said Joseph, but Harry blasted him backwards before he could finish. Grace stepped and eyes narrowed.
  
  "Claire burn him," demanded Grace to the younger girl.
  
  "I don't...it's not," stammered Claire, but Grace grabbed her by the arm, and twisted it.
  
  "Do you want to go back in that cage?" asked Grace, her teeth gritted, as the young girl trembled . "Mother told me to keep an eye on you, and help you along the path..."
  
  In that time, Harry levitated Claire off to the side safely, and placed her down on the ground. Grace turned, as she saw Joseph get nailed in the face by a flying blonde girl.
  
  "You're just like the other dork I pummeled," grunted the ripped young man, but Kara punched him back again. "My head's hard..."
  
  Kara decided to aim her kick below the belt. He was doubled over, in pain.
  
  "That's not," said Kara smugly, as she dodged an attack, before she knocked the wind out of him with a haymaker punch.
  
  "No little girl in a cape touches me!" growled Joseph as he moved forward, but Clark had finally come down, and knocked Joseph to the ground.
  
  "Grace, you're in a charge, what now?" asked Claire, trembling in fear at the thought of being brought back to that government lab.
  
  "Time for a change of strategy," said the girl, a diabolical grin on her face. Her eyes glowed white and she projected her will upon the entire crowd. "Look, those three meteor freaks, they tried to attack us today!"
  
  "What?" asked Chloe as she looked up, eyes blinking. "They saved..."
  
  "And look, there's an accomplice," said Grace as she pointed straight at Chloe. "Let's show them what the people of Smallville can do. We can't let these super powered bullies push us around any longer."
  
  Joseph stood, arms folded, as Claire looked from the crowd, and to Grace.
  
  "Is there a problem?" asked Grace to Claire. She shook her head. Grace looked her in the eye. "I thought not. Mother will be pleased you're learning to behave."
  
  The angry mob started to advance on Kara, Harry, Clark, and Chloe. The quartet took a few strategic steps back.
  
  "Someone could make a lot of money right now if they started to sell torches and pitchforks," said Chloe, as she backed off with them. "And give them a castle to storm, and they'd really just top it all off."
  
  "Chloe, don't give that woman suggestions," whispered Harry in an exasperated voice.
  
  "Look we weren't..." said Clark, but Harry just shook his head.
  
  "Clark, reasoning, they're beyond it right now, that girl can manipulate their emotions, turning their fear into hate," said Harry in undertone, as he closed his eyes, and created an illusion they were there. "Everyone, hang on and stay calm."
  
  Harry transported them all away from the riot before any of them could be hurt.
  
  "Now, they hate them," whispered Grace, as a triumphant grin appeared on her face. "They hate them just like they hate us. They would have never saved us, our mother told me as much after all. They are a threat to our kind."
  
  Joseph followed, and Claire reluctantly followed their suit, not wanting to be left alone again. The ten year old girl was lost and had nowhere to turn, except follow her older "sister" and their "mother" and obey what they told her.
  
  Since the age of seven, Claire had been shunted along by people who could barely look at her. Who talked about how she was a freak, and how her powers were unnatural. Then there was a government agent who conducted experiments on her with her powers, and locked her in a closed room when they weren't using her. There were other children there, but she had been one of the lucky ones to be freed.
  
  "Out of the sake of curiosity, where are we?" asked Chloe, as she looked around.
  
  "Shining Light Foundation, main headquarters, basement level," said Harry as he looked around, doing a mental inventory on body parts. "Everyone's in one piece, that's always a good thing..."
  
  "What do you mean everyone's in one piece?" asked Chloe, her voice raising.
  
  "You see, side along Apparation, that is to say appearing and disappearing at will, requires a lot of concentration and energy," explained Harry as if he was discussing the latest weather forecast. "The fact I was transporting three people, and had the angry mob breathing down my neck, it complicated things. Not to mention the illusion spell I had to maintain, and...there were just so many things that could go wrong."
  
  Chloe looked at him. She both wanted to know, and did not want to know at the same time. Harry moved over, and pressed a button, to an elevator. The doors slid open, and the four stepped in.
  
  "This might be a couple minutes, I still haven't fixed these things to work in a speedy manner," said Harry, as he turned to face all of them. "Top floor is where my central computers are located; hopefully we'll find a match on these three..."
  
  "Yeah, maybe we can find out why that girl wanted to have half of the town put us in stocks," said Chloe, as she leaned back. "I wonder why her little mind control trick didn't work on me."
  
  "Mind control doesn't work on people who can think," said Kara with a smile. Clark looked at her, and began to admonish her.
  
  "Kara, you shouldn't judge them, they were scared..." started Clark, but Kara cut her cousin off.
  
  "I heard some of the things they said about the meteor infected, Clark," argued the girl. "Some of them didn't need to be prodded too much."
  
  Kara, Clark, Chloe, and Harry all walked out of the elevator, and into the computer console room.
  
  Chloe stopped in her tracks.
  
  She looked up, and saw the impressive state of the art and rather high tech computer system right before her. She looked over it, eyes glazed over.
  
  Chloe Sullivan had just died and went to computer geek heaven.
  
  "I think you broke her, Harry," giggled Kara, as Clark started to snap his fingers.
  
  "Sorry, lost focus...right," said Chloe, apologetically.
  
  She walked over with Harry, as he explained the system to her. This left Kara and Clark alone.
  
  "You know, I think this is the second time I had to save you," said Kara, breaking the silence.
  
  "I could have handled it, Kara," said Clark, but he looked at her. "Seriously, Kara what are you wearing?"
  
  "It's my new costume," said Kara as she turned around. "If I'm going to save people, I'm going to have to have my own look, aren't I?"
  
  "Kara, you're...." started Clark.
  
  "Not ready, no Kal-El, I'm more than ready," said Kara, as she looked her cousin in the eye. "It might be well and good for some of us to pretend we're something we're not, but I fully embrace everything that I am."
  
  "You should blend in more, Kara," argued Clark, but Kara just bit her lip in frustration.
  
  "I am blending in, Kara Kent, normal girl, best friends with Harry Potter, works for the Shining Light Foundation to help people, that's me blending," said Kara as she looked him right in the eye, as if daring him to contradict her. "Supergirl on the other hand, she can be a positive role model, and a symbol..."
  
  "Supergirl?" mouthed Clark in confusion.
  
  "I have super powers and I'm a girl," said Kara, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
  
  It was not the first time where she wondered if when that rocket ship landed, Kal-El went head first.
  
  "It's just, there's just a lot wrong with the outfit," argued Clark, as he found his voice. "The cape, the skirt..."
  
  "The cape is specially designed to help with my meteor allegory problem," said Kara, as she looked at Clark, before she added, "And it looks cool, you have to admit that."
  
  Clark just had no words. Kara was not done. "And what is wrong with my skirt?"
  
  He knew he was doomed, and had dug his own grave. Clark tried to back off, but Kara grabbed him by the wrist.
  
  "I asked you a question, Kal-El," said Kara in a sweet voice, as she looked him right in the eyes.
  
  "It's a bit too short," mumbled Clark.
  
  "Well, you learn to fly, and maybe we'll talk about my fashion choices," said Kara. "Harry liked it; he said it made my legs stand out nicely."
  
  Clark was about ready to open his mouth for another protest.
  
  "You know, Kal-El, I used to change your diapers when you were a baby, so perhaps you should just quit why you're ahead," added Kara smugly, as Chloe and Harry both snickered in amusement from the other side of the room. "You let that Lana girl move in with you, didn't you?"
  
  "Yeah, she needs a place," said Clark.
  
  Kara frowned at him before she replied in a gentle voice. "She's not going to be around forever, Kal-El. She'll grow old one day, and die, but you'll still be around. Well at least I hope you will be. But she'll be long gone before you. If she doesn't leave you again before then that is."
  
  Without another word, Kara moved over to be with Chloe and Harry.
  
  'Harry, Kal-El, and I, we're going to outlive them all,' thought Kara. 'And I'm glad I decided to stay with Harry. At least he respects me like an equal.'
  
  "Just about got something, I think," said Chloe as she broke a long silence. "And we have our three attackers right here. First, let's deal with Miss Mind Control here."
  
  "Grace Prescott," read Harry.
  
  "Yeah, she was kicked out of five different private schools," said Chloe. "She has a track record for bullying. She was sent to a public school, but she was charged for murdering her principal after she shoved him out a window. Prescott was acquitted, when evidence came out that the principal jumped out the window on his own accord."
  
  Kara and Harry exchanged a look. They thought the same thing.
  
  "Joseph Martin is our second one," read Harry.
  
  "Yeah he was a rather big name in the underground caged fighting circuit a few years back," said Chloe. "Here's a picture of him, five years ago."
  
  Chloe showed them a picture of a scrawny beanpole of a man with buck teeth.
  
  "So, he's trained, said his prayers, and took his vitamins, I take it," summarized Harry.
  
  "If by vitamins you mean illegal performance enhancing drugs, then yes," said Chloe, as she bit her lip and clicked through. "Steroids, with a little bit of crystalized Kryptonite mixed in for that added kick. He went through the underground caged fighting circuit, and beat everyone. He got the name the atomic skull because of his really hard head. No one could knock him out, ever."
  
  "So how did he get caught?" asked Clark.
  
  Chloe paused. "He tried to move up to the professional leagues, but got busted before his first fight. His T:E levels broke the scale. He did some time for some robberies, and then the government picked him up."
  
  "So, what about the third one?" prompted Kara, as she leaned against Harry.
  
  "Third one is named Claire Selton," she concluded. "No criminal charges at all, well not as much as the first two. She accidentally set her parent's house on fire with her powers, and she couldn't control it. She bumped around from foster home, to foster home...but she didn't stay very long. Until she got lost in the system, and the government grabbed her."
  
  "She didn't seem too bad," said Kara, as Clark and Chloe just looked at her. They shook their heads. They hoped she was right.
  
  "Yeah, that other girl, Grace, seemed to be the ring leader," said Harry. "Of course, she's a pawn in this as well I think."
  
  Kara understood immediately.
  
  "She talked about her mother," muttered Clark. "Who..."
  
  Harry did not say anything, but he knew. She was up to her old tricks again.
  
  He would make sure she would stay dead this time once he got his hands on her, wherever the real version of that woman was.
  
  It was for the first time where Harry wondered if she was really back, or someone just unearthed her remains to experiment with them. Which could be playing with an entirely different type of fire, but he shook his head to focus on the three meteor infected people he knew existed.
  
  He barely had time to think, as he heard Clark answer his cell phone. "Yeah...Lana, I got out of there, barely, so did Chloe, Harry, and Kara...your back on the farm house, good...I'll be right back there in a little bit. Did you get out of there alright? Okay, talk to you later, you too, by."
  
  "Clark, you do realize that Lana is likely under Prescott's thrall," said Harry without any sense of tact whatsoever.
  
  "Harry's got a point, Lana was there at the press conference in the crowd," contributed Chloe, as her eyes widened, but she maintained her composure.
  
  "Look, I know what you're trying to say, but it's not like whoever sent these three are going to be after Lana," said Clark, as he shook his head.
  
  "What if she was their real target all along?" piped up Kara.
  
  Everything clicked, and Harry almost admired Sinclair's brilliance.
  
  'A carefully orchestrated feint to direct us away from the real objective,' concluded Harry. 'Okay, Rosalina, you win this round, I'll give you credit for that, but why her? Unless...'
  
  "Clark, did anything supernatural happen to Lana?" asked Harry. "Anything in the sense of magic, or possession or anything..."
  
  Clark stopped, and considered, as he wrestled with his shaky trust of Harry. "She was possessed by the spirit of a witch named Margaret Isobel Thoreux, but that was years ago and the woman left her body."
  
  "Doesn't matter, magic always leaves something behind," said Harry, as he recalled Dumbledore's words to him. "And there might have been enough of something left over to put Sinclair right onto Lana..."
  
  "So your little zombie sorceress is after Lana!" yelled Chloe, nearly jumping to her feet, but she restrained herself.
  
  "Yes, glad we're all on the same page," said Harry dryly, but he looked up. "And there goes Clark, to save the day."
  
  In spite the situation, he smiled, even if it would likely make his life a bit more trickery.
  
  "Come on," sighed Kara as an exasperated voice, as she grabbed Harry's hand, and the two flew off, leaving Chloe alone with the high tech computer equipment.
  
  'If she's using an intermediary that means her actual form is weak,' thought Harry. 'If I can find her, before she returns fully to life, I can stop her.'
  
  Lana sat, arms folded, as she looked out the window into the corn fields.
  
  'Lana,' whispered a voice in her head. 'Lana. Come to me Lana."
  
  The woman looked, and a feeling of obedience washed over her. Opening the door, She walked outside the Kent Farm, arms like a zombie, as Grace sat outside, with Joseph right beside her and Claire at the edge of the fence, as a look out.
  
  'That's it, Lana, come to me,' said the voice. 'I'm not like Clark or Lex, I won't lie to you. I'm your friend, don't worry Lana, I'm here for you.'
  
  "Think the boss lady might let her keep what's left of her after she's done," said Joseph as he looked over Lana, with a lecherous grin.
  
  "We're going to let her go, we can't just keep her," said Claire in a shaky voice.
  
  "Claire, dear, just keep watch," said Grace in a warning tone, and Claire turned to peer over the fence. "If you play your part, I might persuade mother to let you keep her as a souvenir."
  
  Joseph nodded, as he eyed the merchandise.
  
  "That's it Lana, just relax, let all movement leave yourself," narrated Grace in a misty voice. "I can make you do anything, Lana, but all I want you to do is to relax and let me speak to the echoes of Isobel deep within you."
  
  "She left!" managed Lana. "What do you want..."
  
  "I don't want anything, for you to remain silent," said Grace, as she exerted more pressure. Lana seemed paralyzed. "Our mother said you might try, and lie. But she knows all, the residual magic deep within you is all she wants...just let her go..."
  
  "Grace, he's..." started Claire, but Clark picked up Claire, put her down off to the side, and knocked Grace over in one fluid movement.
  
  The girl's thrall was broken, but she just looked at Clark, and turned to Joseph Martin.
  
  "Joseph, dispatch of this overgrown weakling, and I'll hand deliver the girl to your quarters by morning," said Grace with a sweet smile.
  
  Joseph cracked his knuckles. An actual prize fight for a change, and his first bout with this hayseed had been cut short.
  
  "Alright, wimp, me and you, one on one," said Joseph, as Clark tried to punch him, but his fist did not even leave a mark. The powerful young man tossed Clark to the ground with ease. Clark bounced up, and tried to punch him again, but the blows were shrugged off. "They called me the atomic skull. Nothing could knock me out...including solid steel."
  
  The violent young man headbutted Clark, and knocked him for a loop. He summoned his powers, before a radiation blast spiraled towards Clark. Clark dodged the attack, but Joseph closed his eyes.
  
  "You need time to recharge, don't you?" said Clark, as he blew Joseph off of his feet, before he nailed him with a blast of heat vision. The young man ducked, and picked up a trash can lid. He rushed like a raging bull, and swung it towards Clark.
  
  "I don't need my powers to defeat some yokel from the corn fields," said the crazed young man, but Clark wrestled it away from him. The two continued to stagger into the cornfield, as Claire watched. Grace had Lana's arms and legs twitching, as she gave a blood curdling shriek.
  
  "Stop, it looks like you're hurting her!" yelled the red head girl, her lip trembling.
  
  Grace dropped Lana on the ground, not bothering to protect her. Lana had a pained expression on her face, as Grace turned slowly towards Claire. Claire stood her ground as the older girl towered over her.
  
  "It seems a stronger hand is needed to dealing with you, for being a disobedient little brat!" yelled Grace, as she backhanded Claire across the face and knocked her to the ground. "Now, keep an eye out for the other two, and let me finish my job."
  
  Grace turned to face the woman, to try and dig other parts of her personality out.
  
  Above the Kent Farm House, invisible, Harry and Kara watched, hands held.
  
  "Okay, two are bonkers, one might not be beyond help," concluded Harry, as the brawl between Joseph and Clark continued on the field.
  
  "That guy doesn't look too good," said Kara, as she saw half of the face and all of the hair burned off Joseph Martin.
  
  Harry got a reading, and his heart sped up. "Kara, he doesn't look good, because he's reaching critical mass!"
  
  Kara's eyes widened, but she had an idea.
  
  "So, let's try the move we practiced the other day," suggested the girl.
  
  "You need to go to the hospital," said Clark, as he saw the disgusting visual before him. His face was completely burned off, and he could feel the radiation.
  
  "No, you need to go to the morgue!" yelled Joseph, as he tried to strangle Clark, but at that moment, a large whirlwind kicked up, which knocked Joseph off of his feet. A double attack punched him back. "Show yourself, I don't care who you are, my head can take..."
  
  Clark lifted a tractor off of the ground, before he slammed it into Joseph's head. The meteor freak dropped, down for the count, but then he vanished before Clark's eyes.
  
  Joseph Martin stood surrounded by nothing but black.
  
  "You better tell me where I am now!" he shouted, as he reached forward.
  
  "The one prison where you can't get out of," said a voice, as Joseph fell to the ground, his head swelling.
  
  He was alone, right the second he went into nuclear powered roid rage, before he blew his top, and nothing but a bloody stain was left.
  
  Grace had Lana on her feet, but dropped her in disgust.
  
  "Nothing, mother made a rare error," muttered the woman in disdain. "I for one will not be punished for this..."
  
  Grace turned to face Lana. "Take your hands and wrap them around your own throat. Strangle yourself to death."
  
  Lana tried to fight it, but Grace exerted more of her will.
  
  "Clark, I need you!" shrieked Lana, as her hands lifted up, before they wrapped around her own throat to strangle herself.
  
  "Lana!" yelled Clark as he rushed over, to grab her, and try and yank her hands off of throat, without hurting her. It was a struggle.
  
  Grace turned around, before a flying girl kicked her directly in the face, and she was tripped up by an unseen force.
  
  "No one touches me!" yelled Grace, but Kara flew around, and flicked her finger, which caused Grace to fly back. "Claire, fry her!"
  
  Claire's hands trembled.
  
  "Claire, if you don't help me, you're getting sent back to the government, do you hear me?" asked Grace, as she struggled with Kara. A kick to the face sent the crazed meteor freak down.
  
  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," whispered Claire, as she closed her eyes.
  
  "You don't have to do this!" yelled Harry becoming visible as he gently grabbed her arm. "There are people out there that can help you. I'm one of there."
  
  Claire looked from Harry, to her "sister". This was the monster that her mother talked about, but he didn't seem so bad. Yet, he didn't save her. She watched the continued struggle as Grace tried to pull Kara's hair, but the Kryptonian returned fire by yanking the nose ring out with full strength.
  
  Grace screamed, and looked at Claire, nodding. A fearful expression appeared on the young girl's face.
  
  "Sorry, I have no choice!" yelled Claire, but in her fear, she lit up the cornfield. She screamed, as she fell backwards and hit her head. Harry levitated her out before she would be burned in her own creation.
  
  "Kara, help me put out the fire!" yelled Harry and Kara let Grace go, before they did their tandem effort again.
  
  Clark ripped Lana's hands from around her neck, and she staggered back, dazed and confused.
  
  "Lana, in front of me!" called Grace, blood gushing from her nose, as Lana moved herself in front of Grace. "You can't hurt me without hurting you, and I know you won't do that, will you?"
  
  Clark stood, and Harry moved forward, as he calculated if he would have to sacrifice Lana to defeat Prescott.
  
  "Come on Claire, I'm taking you home to mother, she'll know how to deal with you!" yelled Grace, as Lana remained a human shield.
  
  "You don't have to go with her!" yelled Harry at the girl, before his tone softened. "Claire, you're not a bad person, you're just lost, you're not a freak..."
  
  "He's trying to manipulate you, and you're letting him!" argued Grace, as Claire looked back and forth at them. "He killed mother's family before..."
  
  "Rosalina Sinclair is a serial killer, she's lying to you," contributed Clark in a kind voice. "Just let Harry help you...
  
  "Claire, you're a good girl, come with us, we'll help you," added Kara.
  
  The red head looked from one, to the other.
  
  "Just fry them, and all will be forgiven," said Grace. "Use your powers, and use them right for once."
  
  Claire's hands trembled, but she turned.
  
  With a fluid blast, she scorched Grace Prescott's face. This allowed Clark to sprint in and take Lana out of harm's way.
  
  "You disobedient, little bitch!" howled Grace at the top of her lungs. "You'll wish you'd be a pet of some old government..."
  
  Kara punched Grace in the face to shut her up, and Harry grabbed the woman.
  
  "No, mother will kill you if you hurt me!" yelled Grace.
  
  "That woman is not your mother," said Harry, as he forcefully apparated her away.
  
  Harry returned a moment later.
  
  "I brought her before our robed associate, it's in his hands now," said Harry.
  
  Clark nodded, as Claire sat on the ground, as she looked at Lana.
  
  "Your friend will be okay, won't she?" asked Claire as she bit her lip and eyes widened.
  
  "Harry?" asked Clark, as he clutched his burnt jacket in his hands.
  
  Harry looked at Lana, who breathed shallowly, and scanned her. He gave his assessment "She'll be fine, just some bed rest, some soup, plenty of fluids, and she'll be back on her feet."
  
  "She didn't have what Sinclair wanted after all," said Clark, and Harry scanned her.
  
  "Yes, no powers, no residual traces, not a thing," confirmed Harry, as he looked at Lana. "She's completely unremarkable in every way."
  
  Clark looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow, before Harry added. "As in she has no special powers, I wouldn't know anything about her personality."
  
  Kara knew what Harry meant, and she would have to agree. She looked at this girl, who Clark risked his life for again.
  
  'She better not betray him,' thought Kara in a savage and protective manner.
  
  "You were brilliant out there, Kara," said Harry. "You're a true hero, and deserve a lot of the credit for our victory.
  
  The blonde Kryptonian did not know what to say. She looked at Harry, and stepped forward, to look in his eyes.
  
  "Yeah, you were the best!" yelled Claire as Kara turned around, before red head blushed, and asked in a small voice. "Um, can I have your autograph..."
  
  Kara was taken aback by this. She nodded, as Harry got her a piece of paper and a pen. She scrawled a message.
  
  Stay strong, and you could do some good too.
  
  Supergirl.
  
  Claire took the piece of paper, like a treasured possession.
  
  "Thank you, both, I better get going," said Claire, as she looked at them. "Bye."
  
  "Where are you going?" asked Kara.
  
  Claire paused, and she said in a small voice. "I'll be somewhere..."
  
  "Claire, take this before you leave, and just think about it," said Harry in a gentle voice, and the younger girl turned to him, before he handed her a folded piece of paper. He handed her a little pendant. "This will take you right to this place, if you want to go."
  
  Harry made sure both of the items were safely in the girl's hand, before he adjusted her jacket and patted her on the head. "Stay safe..."
  
  The girl hugged Harry right around the waist, which caught him completely off guard. Harry awkwardly returned it. Kara and Clark both smiled, as the red head moved away.
  
  "Thank you for everything, she was wrong, you're not a monster," said Claire with a shy smile. She turned and walked down the streets away from the Kent Farm.
  
  "Do you think we should have had her stay?" asked Clark, as he hoisted up Lana in his arms, as she stirred.
  
  "She's going to a safe place I think," replied Harry, as he watched Clark help Lana inside.
  
  Kara and Harry sat on the back porch, and watched the sunset.
  
  "We make a great team," said Kara.
  
  "Yeah," said Harry, as he looked at her, and placed an arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.
  
  "I think we better get Chloe," said Kara suddenly, and Harry almost forgot that he had left Chloe alone with his computer system.
  
  Harry grabbed her hand, and the two became invisible, as they flew off back to the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  "C'mon Harry, just ten more minutes!"
  
  Harry looked at Chloe, as he gently helped her up and pulled her away from the computer.
  
  "Chloe, if you come back and let me help you with your powers, I'll let you use my computer, all you want," said Harry, in amusement.
  
  Chloe looked at Harry. She considered the matter.
  
  "I'll think about it," said Chloe trying not to sound too eager, as she walked off, in a daze, as Kara walked by her to make sure she made it safely out.
  
  "Lois should be out of the hospital by now," said Kara, but Chloe looked at her in confusion. "She took a hit at the Press Conference, she needs to learn when to run..."
  
  "Yeah, that's not going to happen," said Chloe, who tried to figure out whether or not Lois would have been released officially or had left after fighting half of the staff.
  
  Chloe stopped, as she came face to face with the red haired girl who attacked at the press conference.
  
  "Excuse me, I'm looking for Harry Potter," said Claire in a small voice. "My name is Claire Selton and I want to learn how about how to use my powers."
  
  "He's right over there," said Chloe.
  
  "Thanks!" said Claire in a happy voice, before she rushed off to great Harry. "Harry, I thought about it, and I came to you right away, I'm so glad you're here!"
  
  "Glad to help you, Claire," said Harry as he looked at her with a smile. "Here's some information about some of the programs offered here, and some of the activities. If you have any questions, ask, now Kara, would you like to show Claire where she'd be staying?"
  
  "Of course," said Kara, as she helped Claire get settled in.
  
  Chloe looked at Harry, confused, about him. This was the person who just a month ago was terrorizing pre-school children?
  
  "I really don't get you sometimes," said Chloe, but she shook her head. "So, see you around Harry."
  
  "Bye, Chloe," said Harry, as he walked off, to see Kara show Claire around her room. The girl looked overwhelmed with joy.
  
  "This is all mine?" asked Claire, she had never gotten her own room since her parents died. People were afraid she'd set one on fire.
  
  "Of course, dinner will be served in an hour," said Harry. "Make yourself at home, you're the first person to come here, but I'm sure you'll make the most out of until more come here."
  
  Claire nodded, as she just explored her room. It could be four blank walls and a bed, as long as it was hers, she was happy.
  
  Kara and Harry moved off to get back to the Kent Farmhouse. She was in good hands, and Sinclair could not touch her again.
  
  Harry felt he accomplished some kind of great victory on that regard.
  
  Rosalina Sinclair sat inside a laboratory as Curtis Knox stepped to face her, as she remained still inside a tube.
  
  "Doctor Knox, I grow tired of this go around," whispered Rosalina, as she drew breath. "My blood boils!"
  
  "Rosalina, it's not your blood that's boiling," said Knox, as he studied the results of the latest decomposition from her clone. "Nothing is yours; all have been harvested organs that your body keeps rejecting. You need a component to heal yourself permanently; you need organs closer to yours."
  
  "I thought for sure the woman who was once possessed in this town would hold the key," whispered Sinclair as she clenched her fists in fury. Once again the false Chosen One got in her way.
  
  "I managed to unearth this little anchor your created, and kept it sealed up tight," said Knox as he held up a gold necklace. "It contains half of your soul in it, you say?"
  
  "Yes, the transference will be risky without a stable body," said Sinclair, as she was bombarded by meteor radiation. "Death has half of my soul, I wish to gain enough power to reclaim it, and I'll be whole again."
  
  Knox looked at her, eyes narrowed. "Just remember, we have a deal, as I transfer your memories into another body. I didn't dig you up to become a modern day Dr. Frankenstein."
  
  "You allow me to defeat Harry Potter, and I'll give you the key to granting others immorality," said Sinclair as she eyed Knox. "The Philosopher's Stone..."
  
  "I worked with Flamel, and heard of his fabled stone," interrupted Knox, who had been around the block several times. Curtis Knox was merely the latest alias he had taken. "I managed to gather an incomplete copy of his notes, but I could never fashion an exact duplicate. No one in living memory has seen it."
  
  "You are mistaken, Doctor Knox," whispered Sinclair, as she felt her body return, at least for the next seventy two hours. "There is one person who knows how to make one."
  
  "Who?" demanded Knox.
  
  "Once I locate the person, I'll bring him before you," said Sinclair. "In the meantime, I'll bring you a temporary measure."
  
  Knox looked at Sinclair, and released her. "Just remember..."
  
  "I remember, I help you obtain immortality for your wife and you will in turn help me achieve my destiny," said Sinclair, but she paused as something washed over her.
  
  The woman's mind flashed back to the streets of London, in 1978. A frigid blizzard blew snow and cold wind throughout the street.
  
  A car door slammed, and a harsh blonde woman dragged a scared and sickly red haired girl onto the road, before she shoved her down onto the frozen ground without any remorse.
  
  "Tuney, please, wait!" shrieked the girl, as she sobbed. "Why are you doing this to me?"
  
  "Mother and father are dead because of freaks like you," said the woman in a harsh voice, as she turned her back to leave the girl stranded. "You'll never fit in anywhere."
  
  "Don't leave me here, it's not my fault!" yelled the girl, as she shivered, the cold winds nipping at her arms. She did not even have a coat on. "You're my family....sisters don't do this..."
  
  "I'm not your sister, Rose, you're just an accident that never was supposed to happen," said the woman harshly. "Even Lily doesn't want you; you're too big of a freak for her!"
  
  "Petunia, I love you, you're my sister!" shouted Rose, as she shivered, as she beat on the doors of the car with her little fists, but she collapsed onto the ground, lungs hurting.
  
  The car started back up. The man driving it, a burly man with a mustache looked out for a moment. "Petunia dear..."
  
  "Drive Vernon," said Petunia in a cold voice, and Vernon fell back into line. "I'll never take in a freak like her. Now we're late for a dinner party with the Teagues, so let's go."
  
  The car drove off. The six year old girl collapsed in the snow, as her fingers felt numb. She was so weak.
  
  She was going to die out here, forsaken by her family. Lily didn't want her, Petunia didn't want her, and her parents were dead.
  
  Tears flowed down her cheeks.
  
  Rosalina's eyes glazed over from the recall.
  
  "A problem?" asked Knox.
  
  "Just a dream I had once, a side effect of the transference," said Rosalina, a bit of emotion creeping in, but she squashed it.
  
  Curtis Knox sat as he watched this woman who he had reservations about reviving leave. She assisted him, and lured many meteor freaks to his doorstep, to help with his wife.
  
  Knox looked at the machines his wife was hooked up to sustain her. He had little choice, but to trust Sinclair.
  
  Lana sat at the kitchen table, and typed away on a laptop.
  
  "What are you doing?" asked Kara, and Lana looked up, before she shut the laptop.
  
  "Nothing, Kara, just surfing online," said Lana with a dazzling smile towards the other girl, but it faded, when Kara looked at her, arms crossed over her chest.
  
  Kara narrowed her eyes, suspiciously, and looked at Lana, before she spoke in a low voice. "I know what happened with you and Clark before. And if you hurt my cousin again, you and I will have problems."
  
  Lana just shook her head, and shrugged off the warning. She covered her tracks well. This was being done to help Clark.
  
  Harry waited outside, as he saw the door of the barn cracked open. He saw Kara, but grabbed her hand, and put a privacy barrier around them.
  
  "...Kal-El, you must be weary around Kara, you know who her father is, he plotted to murder yours. His daughter would be just like him and has been sent here to..."
  
  "Kara was an unwitting pawn," argued Clark. "Harry unblocked Kara's memories..."
  
  "Jor-El would want me to tell you to steer clear of both of them," said the first voice.
  
  "Who is that?" whispered Harry, as he spotted the look of despair on Kara's face.
  
  "That's the Martian Manhunter," whispered Kara, as she clenched her fists for a moment, before she faced Harry. "He was a friend of Jor-El's...Harry you can trust me, but you can't trust him."
  
  "I know I can trust you," said Harry as he held both of her hands, and looked her in the eyes, without blinking. He then decided to voice a response. "Why don't..."
  
  "I don't excuse what my father did, but...Jor-El isn't exactly the model of decency either," said Kara, as her eyes flared up at the memory.
  
  "Kara, control," warned Harry, as he pulled her into a comforting hug.
  
  "Jor-El was more concerned with forcing my father and me out of our house, with the help of his little pet Martian, than saving a life," said Kara, as she returned the hug. It gave her courage.
  
  "Whose life?" asked Harry, and Kara took a step back, as she tried to maintain her composure.
  
  "My mother, Alura, she laid on the floor, bleeding to death," said Kara hotly, but her voice broke and she allowed Harry to pull her back into his arms. "Jor-El just let it happen; he didn't offer her one bit of help! She was an innocent caught in the crossfire! She had no part of their little squabble."
  
  "Kara, calm down, please," said Harry, as he held her tight.
  
  "Sorry, it's just my entire family is messed up," said Kara, as she buried her face in Harry's chest.
  
  "I understand," said Harry, as he rubbed her neck. "It's going to be okay, Kara. I saw the kind of person your father was. I saw bits of that argument when I fixed your memories. Everyone involved was in the wrong, and it's...not good your mother had to suffer because of some petty feud."
  
  Kara's voice softened, as she looked up. "Kal-El gets any decency he has from his mother; Aunt Lara was a good person. Jor-El on the other hand, he's..."
  
  Kara just buried her head back into Harry's chest, and seemed beyond words.
  
  "I see," said Harry darkly, as he rubbed the back of her neck once again. Kara thought if felt nice, Harry had skilled hands. "Jor-El's all gone now; he's not going to cause any more damage..."
  
  Harry's attention was caught by something.
  
  "Potter might be powerful, but the girl's got him wrapped around her little finger," said the Martian Manhunter, in a warning voice from inside the barn. "It's imperative you find the crystal sent with the daughter of Zor-El, before they find a way to access who is inside it. Plus given the danger Harry Potter has brought into your life, he could prevent you from achieving your destiny. Anyone that Sinclair woman murders is because he chose to come here."
  
  Kara broke off from Harry. The Martian Manhunter could slander her all he wanted, but no one talked about her friend like that!
  
  'Jackpot,' thought Harry, as he held his friend back, so she did not cause a scene. He pulled her into a warm embrace, which she returned.
  
  "Kara, I like you a lot and I trust you one hundred percent," said Harry, as he reached forward, and brushed her hair back, before he wiped the tears from her face.
  
  "Thanks Harry, I'm glad someone does," whispered Kara, as they held each other. She looked at him with a smile.
  
  "You're a lot prettier when you smile, you know," said Harry, as Kara remained in his arms, embraced. "Of course, you're still beautiful regardless."
  
  Kara and Harry stared into each other's eyes. They leaned forward, their lips about eight or so inches apart, and the two drew closer, a mere instant away from joining.
  
  Clark stormed out of the barn in a temper causing Kara and Harry to be brought out of reality. The Martian Manhunter watched him go, and Kara backed off. She saw Clark's mood, and jumped to the worst possible conclusion.
  
  "I think I want to go home now," whispered Kara, as Harry just draped his arm over her waist.
  
  "Of course, Kara," said Harry, his face neutral, as he transported them to his house.
  
  'Good timing, Clark,' thought Harry sarcastically, as he led Kara into the house. 'Then again...maybe it's for the best..."
  
  Harry helped Kara to her room. There was only so much to be said right about now.
  
  Kara was dressed, and she followed Harry back into his bedroom. They both fell asleep, without any further words.
  
  Both of them knew what almost happened.
  
  Lex sat, and pondered, before he tapped the side of his desk.
  
  He would have to arrange a meeting with this Harry Potter, under the guise of business. Then he would know what step to take next regarding the journal. This entire mysterious messenger of death thing seemed shady, but so did Potter's entire operation.
  
  Given whom his father was, Lex could smell a rat a mile away, but he had find out for sure.
  Immortal
  
  
  Chapter Eight: Immortal.
  
  The wind blew in London, as two figures showed up, cloaked in a field of invisibility. They walked through the city street, having flown halfway across the world to be here. Harry looked around, to see if the coast was clear. He waved his hand, and Kara followed him.
  
  They remained silent until they moved from the streets and into the nearby building. Kara's eyes widened, as she turned her head from side to side.
  
  "So, why are we going around in some building that hasn't been used in years?" questioned Kara, before she coughed at the heavy cloud of dust inside the building.
  
  Harry waved his hand, to clear away the accumulation of dust and brought fresh air into the building. He shook his head, and spoke in a low voice. "Because...this is the former government headquarters of my world, or rather what's left of it."
  
  Harry blasted the termite eaten doors opened, and Kara followed him through the doorway. He moved instinctively, but allowed Kara to maintain the pace. The door pushed open, and shut it behind them. They reached a room with rows of filing cabinets lined across the wall.
  
  "The enchantments are long since burned out," explained Harry, as he waved his hand. "No one has showed up to work since about January 2001, but the records are still intact. Yeah, here I am right now."
  
  Kara looked at a faded picture with Harry. Underneath the photo were the words "Undesirable Number One."
  
  She shook her head, and just sighed. "Not your best picture Harry."
  
  "Agreed, figured the Ministry would get the worst photo of me ever," said Harry, as he looked through the cabinets. He stepped over cracked plates with pictures of wide eyed fluffy kittens on them. "Now we're looking for a man named Mundungus Fletcher. He's long dead, but if we find this address, we might find Mum's journal."
  
  "What makes you think this guy had the journal?" asked Kara.
  
  Harry continued to look, and then he responded in a low voice.
  
  "He has a very nasty habit of taking family heirlooms. I wouldn't be surprised if he raided my house after I was taken to the Dursleys."
  
  Kara jumped at a jubilant noise, but Harry found what he was looking for after an intense search.
  
  'Bloody lifeline tracker thing only works when it wants to work," thought Harry. 'Fine, it's just like old times. Only without Hermione hissing a bunch of overly complicated magical theory in my ear. Looking for the blasted journal is not going to be the easiest thing in the world.'
  
  They spread out the records, and shifted through them. After a minute, Mundungus Fletcher's last known address was located, and Harry grabbed Kara's hand.
  
  With another pop, they transported to the hovel. Without any tact, Harry bust down the doors.
  
  Kara scanned the property for anything, a journal.
  
  "Sorry," she whispered, but Harry grabbed her hand to calm her.
  
  "Not your fault, Kara," said Harry. A frown appeared on his face, and his teeth clenched. He began to think.
  
  "Yeah, it was a fluke, and a shot in the dark," thought Harry "I thought it was right, this can't be the one percent of the time where my instincts are buggered.'
  
  After a moment, he was visited by a burst of inspiration.
  
  "Kara, I've got another idea," interjected Harry, and Kara's eyes snapped up to look in his face. "Please try, and help me find anything...receipts, any records..."
  
  She hastened for the search. The two of them managed to scan the house in record time, and Harry located a battered file box. The enchantments long since faded, so he busted it open.
  
  The two shifted through the receipts, and finally struck pay dirt.
  
  "Good thing Dung kept records of all of his illegal dealings for tax purposes," said Harry in a soft voice, and then his heart skipped a beat. "Kara, he had the journal, and he sold it."
  
  "To whom?" she asked.
  
  Harry paused, and read it aloud to her, "Fifteen years ago, he sold it to a man named Lionel Luthor."
  
  Clark stood outside the barn. He pondered about what he had learned recently. Three days ago he had the conversation with the Martian Manhunter about Kara, and he did not know what to believe. He wanted to believe his cousin was someone he could trust. Then again, it was almost like that they were from different worlds, for lack of a better term.
  
  His earth upbringing kept him grounded in more ways than one. Clark was so far gone in his thoughts about Kara and Harry that he did not hear the footsteps behind him. Lana approached him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
  
  "Hi," said Lana, bringing Clark out of his thoughts.
  
  "Oh, hi, Lana," said Clark as he turned to face her. "How are you holding up?"
  
  "Well, I've been through this song and dance before," said Lana, as she shrugged her shoulders. "You look like you haven't gotten enough sleep lately."
  
  Clark walked over, and Lana followed him. He looked over his shoulder, every few seconds to make sure she was still there.
  
  "I'm much better now," said Lana as they entered the house, and sat down at the kitchen table. "I guess after what happened, you learn to take these things in stride."
  
  Clark nodded.
  
  "After all we've been through Clark; you know you can tell me anything."
  
  Clark just regarded the woman, as she gave him a smile. She did have that effect on him, where he felt he could tell her anything.
  
  "Did you ever feel as if you couldn't identify with someone you should?" asked Clark, and Lana invited him to continue. "Kara...she came to town, for a second I thought I had found a blood relative. Yet, it's...she's just fiercely independent and doesn't seem to understand that there are certain ways she should act, so she doesn't draw attention to herself."
  
  Lana took a cup of coffee, and drank it. She chose her next words rather carefully. "Your cousin has a bit of an attitude on her."
  
  Clark raised an eyebrow.
  
  "Well, she threatened me the other day," said Lana, who tried to brush it off with a chuckle and a smile. "She seems to think that I'm out to get you or something."
  
  "Kara's just adjusting," said Clark after a moment's thought.
  
  He looked outside. She had been back, and then she was gone.
  
  "She does identify with Harry a lot more,' thought Clark, as he looked out into the distance and out the window.
  
  "So what do you think of her friend?" asked Lana as she looked directly at Clark.
  
  There was a long pause, before he answered the question.
  
  "He's something," said Clark. "He's adapting from his own loss, in his own way."
  
  "I don't know, there's just something about him that seems rather suspicious," said Lana, as she shook her head and frowned. "I don't know both of them just seem to be up to something a lot of the time. And they are living together you said."
  
  "Kara can make her own decisions," said Clark, as he turned to walk, as his thoughts stirred in his mind.
  
  'She came here, expecting to find a baby, and found a twenty one year old man,' thought Clark. 'Not to mention what her father did, she's got to have some guilt when she found out the reason why she was sent here. It's a wonder she didn't just run far away, and never speak to you again.'
  
  Treating Kara like she was a teenager who needed discipline would not go over well. He got shut down every time he tried. Then again, Clark admired his father for what he put up with. He wondered if he could ever be Jonathan Kent.
  
  He suspected he might never know.
  
  "I'll be back Clark, I need to check on something," said Lana in an abrupt fashion.
  
  Clark just nodded, and waved her off.
  
  Lana moved off. She checked the monitoring she set up of all of Lex Luthor's incoming messages.
  
  She spotted one of the messages; it was a request to meet with Harry Potter. Potter had accepted.
  
  'So, he's up to something,' she thought to herself, with a triumphant smile on her face.
  
  She also noticed Lex Luthor seemed to be interested in keeping something really safe. Lana bit her lip, and prepared to investigate that matter more.
  
  Kara and Harry arrived, to speak with Chloe.
  
  "So, what do you know about a man named Lionel Luthor?" asked Harry without any preamble.
  
  "Yeah, I'm fine Harry, thanks for asking," said Chloe sharply, before she looked up, and turned to them. "Lionel, well he's current missing in action. It appears with the entire incident with the dam, someone picked him up and walked him into the night."
  
  Harry just looked at her, frustrated, as he and Kara sat down.
  
  "Why do you want to talk to him of all people?" asked Chloe.
  
  "We found evidence that he has the journal," said Harry.
  
  Chloe just let that sink in for about a second. "On a scale of one to ten, your bad luck must range on about a twelve. A Luthor has this mystical magical journal?"
  
  "No one can access it but Harry," argued Kara, but Chloe was silent before she spoke.
  
  "Well that's only a small relief," countered Chloe, as she got up to start pacing. She sat back down after a minute "Lionel has the journal, or at least he did. If Lionel's been missing for this long, who knows who has been going through his things? I wonder if Lex knows anything about it."
  
  Harry and Kara looked at each other, before Harry's head slowly turned to Chloe.
  
  "That's a happy coincidence," said Harry. "I'm meeting with Lex Luthor today."
  
  "He seems rather insistent, almost kind of pushy," chimed in Kara, as a frown appeared on her face. "I don't know...about that guy, something about him seems untrustworthy."
  
  "That's a pretty good instinct Kara, a lot is off about Lex," said Chloe, as she leaned back for a minute. Then she looked at Harry, serious. "If you're meeting with Lex today, I'd keep both eyes on him at all times. Don't tell him any more than he needs to know. If he gets a reason to be curious about you, he'll obsess over you until the end."
  
  "I warned him,' thought Harry in an exasperated manner.
  
  "I'll be as discreet as I can," said Harry, dismissively waving off her warnings.
  
  "Try to and be careful around anyone with the surname Luthor," said Chloe, as she looked at Harry, without blinking. "I know the journal means a lot to you, so I can't advise you to steer clear...but just don't give Lex a reason to start looking into you. He did it to Clark."
  
  "What did he do to Clark?" asked Kara, as she got up to her feet.
  
  "Kara, don't worry about it," said Chloe, as she looked at the other girl. "Clark's a big boy, he can handle himself. "
  
  Kara just blushed, and then continued in a quiet voice. "Yeah I know, it's just hard not to see him as this little cute baby after all of this time. When I went out, that's what I see and now...he can handle himself I'm sure."
  
  'He doesn't need me,' thought Kara. 'He's just too different. His Earth upbringing is both a blessing and a curse.'
  
  "Thanks, Chloe, we've got to run," said Harry, as the two left without another word.
  
  When the two were safely behind a privacy barrier, Harry talked to her. "Just talk to Clark about what you heard, if it's bothering you. The longer you wait, the worse it will be. I can handle Lex on my own."
  
  "Be careful," breathed Kara, as she hugged Harry good bye. The two lingered in each other's arms, and Kara lightly kissed him on the cheek. Surprised at her own daring, she flew off to meet with Clark.
  
  Harry stood there for a moment. He shook himself back to reality. With a shrug, he turned invisible and went off for his meeting with one Lex Luthor.
  
  Clark walked around to get a good start on the day's chores. A pair of hands grabbed him around the shoulders, and forcefully yanked him through the opened doors of the bar.
  
  He staggered, before he saw Kara hovering in the air, staring down at him.
  
  "You and I need to talk," said Kara, peering down at Clark. Her voice was firm, and hinted a bit of danger to it.
  
  Clark was confused, her tone indicated that she was not about to argue with him.
  
  "Kara, where have you been?" asked Clark.
  
  Kara folded her arms, and answered him. "Well, I've had my own things to do. You know, I have a life that doesn't revolve around the whims of the son of Jor-El. So, I didn't bother to clear my schedule with you, Kal-El. I'm sure you had some visitors around here to occupy your time. You know, like bill collectors or neighbors or Martians."
  
  Clark's mouth went dry. She had heard his argument with the Martian Manhunter the other night.
  
  "Kara, I...he just said some things," said Clark.
  
  "Who do you trust, Clark?" asked Kara abruptly. "The Martian or me?"
  
  Clark stammered, but he was at a loss for words.
  
  "I asked you a question, Kal-El!" yelled Kara as her voice rose, and her eyes flared up. "You see, the Martian Manhunter, he's nothing but trouble. My father was someone who didn't win the prize for decency, but Jor-El was no better!"
  
  Clark felt inclined to defend the Martian Manhunter, since he was not here to offer a defense, "Now, Kara, he's helped me...."
  
  She dropped down and snatched her cousin by the jacket. "Kal-El, listen to me. The Martian is nothing, but trouble! He stood there, and watched as my mother as she bled to death on the floor. She was caught in the middle between Zor-El and Jor-El!"
  
  That comment caught Clark's attention. He opened and shut his mouth. "I'm...sorry about that."
  
  "Not your problem, it happened long before you were even a thought," said Kara, as she looked at him. Her tone softened slightly. "But you need to figure out where your trust lies. I've done nothing, but try to help you."
  
  Kara turned, as her arms folded and her head inclined. "Just think about what I said Kal-El. Trust me or trust the Martian. Harry trusts me, and gave me somewhere where I could fit in."
  
  "About Harry, are you sure you can trust him?" asked Clark, but Kara had lost her temper at that moment. She grabbed Clark, and flew him over, before she pinned him against the wall of the barn. Her eyes glowed, as she stared him down.
  
  It was twenty seconds before her eyes returned to normal, but her strong grip tightened on his arms.
  
  "I...trust...Harry...okay!" she spat, before she backed off. "You're going to become exactly like your father if you're not careful!"
  
  Silence, but Clark then spoke up in defense of the man who raised him.
  
  "There's nothing wrong with being anything like Jonathan Kent," said Clark, as he looked at his cousin, as her fingernails tore through his jacket. "He was a good man..
  
  "I don't doubt that," said Kara, as she relaxed her grip. She flew back, to give Clark room to breathe. "But I was referring to Jor-El. You don't want to become like him."
  
  Kara backed off, as she flew towards the opened doors. She spoke to him as he left. "Clark, you had a good home. A good childhood, and friends here, it's both a blessing and a curse for you. You had two parents, I did too! I hope you're like Lara more than Jor-El. And I hope you understand something...I'm not my father!"
  
  Clark stood, dumbstruck, as she flew into the air. He rushed out the barn, where Kara floated out of reach, and she got further away. She paused to say one last thing.
  
  "If you don't want me around, I understand," continued Kara softly, as she hid the tears in her eyes. Her back was turned for a second, before she looked over her shoulder towards Clark. "Just at least think about what I said long and hard, if nothing else. Good bye Kal-El, maybe I'll see you around."
  
  Kara flew off as Clark tried to chase off after her. Yet, with her ability to fly, she was long gone before he could make it to the end of the driveway.
  
  Of course, it gave Clark a lot to think about. It was a good thing Lana was inside, because he did not feel comfortable bringing this up to her.
  
  Clark decided to take a long walk. Perhaps that would clear his head, and give him some time to think. He slipped inside and saw Lana was still in bed. Then, Clark scrawled a note to her, that he was going to be gone for a couple of hours. He bolted outside, and into Smallville.
  
  Two young men stared down each other for a moment. Then the dark haired young man broke the ice, speaking to the bald young man.
  
  "Harry Potter."
  
  "Lex Luthor."
  
  Both men shook hands, in an attempt to get a feel for each other. They maintained eye contact, a firm grip, and did not flinch.
  
  "Nice to see you in the flesh at last," said Lex, as he broke the silence.
  
  Harry just nodded. "So you wanted to see me."
  
  "I did," said Lex as he kept his voice low and neutral. "My study is on the next floor; my employees know better than to disturb me when I'm conducting business there."
  
  The two young men walked off. Lex opened the door, and invited Harry inside. Harry looked around, to discreetly conduct some scanning spells.
  
  'Three listening devices, just on a basic scan," thought Harry. 'Choose you words carefully, Mr. Potter.'
  
  Lex closed the door, and bolted it shut, before his eyes traveled to a chess table.
  
  "You play, Mr. Potter?" inquired Lex as he looked at the young man, waiting for a reaction.
  
  "A bit here or there," said Harry, as he sat down on one side of the chessboard and Lex sat down on the other side of the board. Both men maintained eye contact, neither taking an eye off of the other.
  
  "Well, I've been schooled by the best at the art of chess," said Lex, as the pieces were set up. "My father, Lionel, was a chess master."
  
  "Was?" asked Harry, as he began to make his first move.
  
  "He's missing in action," said Lex, dismissive and uncaring. "One of his many enemies likely finally caught him. It was bound to happen."
  
  They remained silent, as they continued the game.
  
  "So, your father, did he collect any oddities?" asked Harry.
  
  "Well, he did have some interesting hobbies," said Lex, as wondered where this was going. The players continued to move their pawns into place.
  
  Harry paused, and continued in a casual voice, "My mother had a journal, and I have received intelligence your father might have purchased it, about fifteen or so years ago."
  
  "Well, if he did, he long since threw it out," said Lex, as he prepared to trap his opponent in the corner. "I wouldn't know anything about it."
  
  "Oh, you wouldn't?" asked Harry, with a raised eyebrow, as he managed to outmaneuver Lex. "What was the purpose of you asking to meet me?"
  
  There was silence as the game continued.
  
  "Your work and your intentions perplex me," said Lex, as he continued to look at Harry. "A non-profit charity organization just randomly shows up in Smallville, to help people infected by the meteor show. Some people might think that you're up to something suspicious."
  
  "Well people will think a lot of things," said Harry, as the game continued. "It doesn't make them true."
  
  "Point well taken," conceded Lex, as he concentrated on the game. "Still, there are many of these people who have been warped by their powers."
  
  "One could argue they are products of their environment," commented Harry lightly. "After all, a person's upbringing can have an effect on people, wouldn't you agree, Lex?"
  
  Lex just nodded in a stiff manner, before he changed tactics. "So...do you know Clark Kent?"
  
  "Why do you want to know?" questioned Harry, as the game continued.
  
  "Well, I assumed you would have come across him," said Lex, as the game kicked up. "We used to be friends, until I grew up and grew beyond him."
  
  "I see," said Harry. "I met him only briefly, through his cousin. She was my friend for years."
  
  Lex just nodded, feeling compelled to give Harry the head's up about Clark. "Just a word to the wise, Harry, Clark tends to be about secrets. He will use you just like you used me. He's not exactly the all American boy scout he portrays himself to be."
  
  "Well, that's an intriguing interpretation," said Harry, as he continued to concentrate. "Well, this was an illuminating meeting."
  
  "I guess I'm not the only one capable of intriguing interpretations," said Lex, as he found himself in a bind.
  
  "Checkmate," answered Harry, his voice rising a little bit and showing a slight bit of emotion. "Well it was interesting meeting you, Lex, but business calls, I'm sure for both of us."
  
  Lex nodded, unable to believe he had lost this game of chess.
  
  "So, until next time, best of luck to you in all of your business endeavors," said Harry, as both men got off their feet, and shook hands.
  
  "Likewise," responded Lex.
  
  Harry walked off, as he had planted his own monitoring device inside of Lex's study which would be able to monitor the entire building.
  
  Lex sat down, and pondered his meeting with Harry.
  
  'Looks like I'm not the only one who learned a few tricks from a master chessmaster,' mused Lex.
  
  He returned to his daily activities, but he looked forward to a return match someday.
  
  "I'm three blocks away from Shining Light main HQ, I'll be there in a few seconds," said Harry.
  
  The ear pieces that he and Kara used to communicate worked out rather well. They could not be tapped in by any force. Given the government seemed to always listen in on every communication, Harry felt the need to have his business remain discreet. His systems directed a bunch of mindless small talk and chatter, nothing the government would be concerned about, and get him branded as a potential terrorist.
  
  Harry moved up, and met Kara inside the lobby. She was now dressed in business attire, although she seemed rather flustered at the moment. Without a word, Harry directed Kara into his private office, so they could sit and talk.
  
  The door was shut behind him. Harry poured her a glass of water, and she took it. He poured one for himself.
  
  "I'm guessing that your meeting with Clark didn't go as planned," said Harry with a frown.
  
  "That's putting it mildly," said Kara, as she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Harry looked at her, but Kara shook her head. "Just drop it, please; I don't want to talk about it."
  
  Harry respectively understood, and knew she was upset.
  
  "When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be ready to listen," said Harry before he changed tracks. "So, I'm pretty sure Lex knows something about the journal."
  
  "That's great Harry!" cried Kara her mood improving, as she jumped up, and hugged him in triumph. She broke apart from him and sat back down.
  
  "I wouldn't be cheering yet," said Harry in a firm voice. "We still have to find the thing first. I was able to slip a bug, for lack of a better term, inside Lex's study."
  
  Kara nodded. She could wait. It almost seemed the journal was right in Harry's fingertips. She did wonder if Harry would want her around after he had found the journal.
  
  Her head shook as she rid herself of those negative thoughts. They were friends, after all.
  
  'Maybe more one day," she thought, before she shook her head at those thoughts. "No, he's cute, but it just wouldn't work out...then again, maybe I can...just focus on your job, Kara!"
  
  "I find myself rather curious about what's in it," said Harry. "What did Mum leave me? It better be good for all of the trouble it's caused me."
  
  Kara just leaned over, putting her hand on his knee. She looked in his eyes, before she spoke in a soothing manner, "I'm sure it must be vital, and it will be worth everything you're went through."
  
  Harry nodded, as they sat. He absent mindedly shuffled through papers. He was not about to bring up what almost happened the other night, and Kara was not either.
  
  The phone rang, and Harry picked it up immediately
  
  "Harry, thank God!" yelled Chloe over the phone. "Sinclair, there's someone who looks like Sinclair, she's outside..."
  
  A loud scream echoed in his ear, and the phone line went dead.
  
  "Chloe, stay there, we'll be right over!" yelled Harry, but he had no response on the other end of the phone.
  
  In a flash, Kara and Harry moved off, hoping they would not be too late.
  
  'It ends tonight, you and I, for good,' thought Harry, but he reminded himself. 'Don't get fixated, innocent people are in danger. Take care of her, when you're sure innocents are safe.'
  
  Chloe tried to move out the nearest exit, but she was trapped. Against the wall, she breathed heavily, and she seemed beyond words. From the shadows appeared a gaunt figure, with sunken in eyes, scarred face, and the smell of decay filled her nostrils.
  
  "Get...get...GET BACK!" managed Chloe, but Sinclair grabbed her roughly by the arm.
  
  "At ease, my child," whispered Sinclair, as she used one hand to snap her own jaw back into place. "Relax, I'm here to liberate you from the shackles that you have been placed in...the house of lies you have been trapped in."
  
  Chloe broke free, and knocked Sinclair down with her efforts. She tried to get through the door, but it jammed shut.
  
  Without another word, Sinclair threw Chloe to the ground.
  
  "Why do you fight me?" asked Sinclair as she looked at Chloe. "I'm only here to protect you. The other three, they don't have your best interests in mind. You will be part of a new order, the world will be a better place when those who have been gifted rise above their oppressors."
  
  'Insane, she's nuts, completely bent,' thought Chloe as she began to lose her nerve.
  
  Chloe tried to pull herself away, but Sinclair tightened her grip around the woman's arm.
  
  "What are you?" asked Chloe, as she found her voice. "I've seen some weird stuff before, weirder than you'd believe, but you're...not really alive are you?"
  
  "I can draw breath, my organs...work," said Sinclair, as she shut out the pain. "Blood flows through my veins; I am capable of human emotion."
  
  "Yeah, well you're supposed to be dead...deader than dead," whispered Chloe, but she was choked by the woman.
  
  "I decay, that fool Knox didn't do his job properly," said Sinclair as she felt her heart struggle to draw blood. "HEAL ME!"
  
  Chloe's eyes watered, as Sinclair's grip around her throat relaxed.
  
  "N-no I can't, it could..." started Chloe, but Sinclair just threw her to the ground and pinned her by the arms.
  
  "Either heal me with your powers, or I'll finish the job I started a month ago," said Sinclair through gritted, rotting teeth, as Chloe struggled. "Your friend, Clark isn't it? He nearly wilted like a rose trapped in nuclear fallout around me. My very breath contaminates him, he can't save you."
  
  "Don't hurt Clark, and I promise I'll help you," whispered Chloe, and Sinclair gazed at her.
  
  "You're a good child, Chloe Sullivan, do what's best to heal your mother," said Sinclair, with a twisted grin, to show off her decayed teeth.
  
  Chloe closed her eyes. This was going to hurt. She touched Sinclair, and felt unbearable pain before she blacked out.
  
  Rosalina Sinclair performed some basic healing charms to ensure Chloe did not die. Sinclair was whole again. She took out her phone, and dialed her partner up.
  
  "Knox, I have your guinea pig, your temporary solution as I promised," said Sinclair, shortly, as she scooped up Chloe gently in her arms, and left a little message for her hated enemy to find when he arrived.
  
  As Sinclair left, she was visited with another flashback.
  
  "ROSALINA SINCLAIR!"
  
  A shy eleven, nearly twelve year old girl with auburn hair and green eyes made her way up to the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. She heard mutterings over at the house tables.
  
  "Blimey, she looks almost like Lily Potter..."
  
  "...yeah, she sacrificed her life so the Boy-Who-Lived could survive..."
  
  "I wonder if they're related..."
  
  "I wonder if she knows where Harry Potter is."
  
  Rosalina just blocked all of those words, and sat on the three legged school. She was found in the streets of London by a kindly squib named Phillip Sinclair. She was taken to St. Mungos, and healed. Then she was adopted, and renamed Rosalina Sinclair.
  
  "Hello Rosalina," said the Sorting Hat in her ear. "Or should I say...Rose Evans?"
  
  "I have...no clue what you're talking about,' thought the girl in a panicked manner. 'My name is Rosalina Sinclair; I don't know anything about this Rose Evans girl. Maybe you have a defect, or something. How often do they check you out?'
  
  "Ah just like your sister,' said the Hat.
  
  'I'm nothing like Petunia!" thought Sinclair, nearly voicing that thought out loud.
  
  "I was referring to your other sister" remarked the Hat. "But never mind the small thought, hmm, curious, curious, this is quite interesting."
  
  'Could you just sort me?" thought Rosalina impatiently. 'They're staring at like me because I look like my s...this Lily person.'
  
  "You are a tricky one to sort," muttered the hat. "You are brilliant in your own way, but also cunning. You do have a fair amount of courage, bred on the adversity because of the life you lead. Yet you are fiercely loyal to those close to you."
  
  Rosalina waited.
  
  "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the Hogwarts Sorting Hat.
  
  Rosalina joined her new house mates. Another girl joined her a second later. She had bright pink hair.
  
  "Hi!" said the girl in a chipper voice. "Man, Hufflepuff, I can't believe it. My entire family was in Slytherin, except for my Dad and my cousin. They were both Gryffindors."
  
  Rosalina just nodded in a polite manner.
  
  "My name is Nymphadora Tonks!" said the girl in a hyperactive voice. She resembled a chipmunk on a sugar high. "But, just call me Tonks!"
  
  She looked serious, and concluded in a low voice, "Call me Nymphadora and you die."
  
  Rosalina did not know how to take that little comment.
  
  "Right, um Tonks," stammered Rosalina. "My name is Rosalina Sinclair. I'm a Muggleborn witch, adopted, by my dad. He's a squib."
  
  "Oh," said Tonks as she looked at her new house mate. "Rosalina...mind if I call you Rose?"
  
  "Please don't," said Rosalina, turning to hide the shudder she gave from that bad memory.
  
  "Okay, Rosalina it is," said Tonks. "So what do you think of Hogwarts?"
  
  "It's interesting," said Rosalina, as she looked up at the ceiling in awe. "I might like it here. My dad's really sick right now, and I hope he gets better. At least this gives me something to do."
  
  "Hope he feels better," said Tonks, as she patted the other girl on the arm. "I think we're going to be best friends forever, kind of like sisters, maybe!"
  
  Rosalina just smiled. She would like a sister like Tonks, given how her two biological sisters abandoned her when she needed them the most.
  
  Sinclair shook her head, and scowled at the memories of that wide eyed, innocent, eleven year old child that visited her.
  
  'I'm not that girl,' thought Sinclair, as she returned to Knox's lab with Chloe.
  
  After breaking several magical barriers, Harry rushed into the apartment, and Kara followed closely behind him. Both looked frantic.
  
  "She's been here," said Harry, trying to remain calm, as they searched around for Chloe. There had been a struggle for sure.
  
  It took a moment to realize that Harry had been too late.
  
  "You brought this plague here into Smallville."
  
  Harry and Kara spun around, to come face to face with the Martian Manhunter. Kara's fists clenched, but Harry grabbed her arm. Then he placed himself between the two, to avoid a scene.
  
  "Plague, funny, real cute," remarked Harry in a sarcastic voice. "So you're the Martian Manhunter. I suppose Martians are an endangered species."
  
  The Martian Manhunter replied with a swift nod. "I am the last of my kind."
  
  "Well extinction might be in your future if you ever get in my face again," said Harry as he stared the Manhunter right in the eye. "I know what you did, you and Jor-El both. You have some nerve acting like Kara is in the wrong because of who her father was. Given how you let her mother die, my patience for you is in short supply."
  
  The Martian Manhunter did not offer any protest, or any words. Harry continued to stare him down, before he spoke once more.
  
  "I don't know what your game is, but I have enough people trying to play games with me without adding you to the list. Kara is my friend, and I don't take too kindly to what you are doing."
  
  "You need to open your eyes to the truth, Harry Potter," said the Martian Manhunter as he regarded Harry. "You cannot let your physical attraction to this girl blind you to her true nature. She will..."
  
  "Enough!" snapped Harry, and Clark showed up at that moment. Harry rounded around to him. "Call your father's pet Martian off before I send him to join the rest of his kind."
  
  Clark sighed. The Martian Manhunter took a step back.
  
  "Look we can solve this later...something might have happened to Chloe..."
  
  "We all know who did this," said Harry darkly as he walked around to search for a clue. He picked up a folded piece of paper.
  
  Bring the Philosopher's Stone, and I'll make sure your friend is safe. Come alone to the address on the back of the paper. Bring your little extra-terrestrial girlfriend or her cousin, and I'll kill them.
  
  R.S.
  
  Harry caused the paper to burst into flames, and turned around, to face the three.
  
  "I'll handle this alone," said Harry as he turned his back, and walked away.
  
  Needless to say, Harry Potter was trapped between a rock and a hard place. His mind worked into overdrive to try and find a situation.
  
  First, he had to find out about this Curtis Knox. He moved to a secure spot, and put up the privacy barrier.
  
  "Work please," said Harry, closing his eyes. "Who is Curtis Knox?"
  
  "Curtis Knox is the latest reaction of an immortal known as Vandal Savage," said the Lifeline. "He has been around since before even Hogwarts. "
  
  "And he wants the Philosopher's Stone," concluded Harry. "Why would he want it, if he is immortal?
  
  "It would indicate that he wants to give his gifts to others, potentially a loved one," said the voice. "His cure scheme is a front, as he's studying the meteor infected, and harvesting their organs."
  
  Harry counted to ten, before he spoke again.
  
  "So, no Philosopher's Stone, and I can't make one," said Harry "Too bad there isn't a cure for immortality, kind of like a reverse Philosopher's Stone?"
  
  A piece of paper appeared in the air, and dropped in Harry's hand. He looked at it, and scrambled to make plans.
  
  Time was of the essence.
  
  Chloe's eyes opened abruptly. She was strapped to a table, and unable to move.
  
  'Bad omen,' thought Chloe, before she peered into the face of Rosalina Sinclair. She could still smell the decay coming off of her breath. 'Worse omen.'
  
  "So you managed to survived, just rest my poor little child," whispered Sinclair, as she brushed Chloe's hair away from her forehead and pattered her on the head. "All of my other children, they're safe under the care of Doctor Knox. They will be better, stronger, and we will make the world a better place."
  
  "Knox...he's offering a cure to the meteor infected," managed Chloe, as she tried to pull herself free. It was useless.
  
  "Some of my children have forsaken me, others have perished at the hands of the false savior," said Sinclair. "Harry Potter is not the shining beacon of hope the world wishes him to be...he's nothing but the spawn of two diseased bloodlines. I shall correct the matter."
  
  "Harry's...he alright!" yelled Chloe, as she tried to pull herself free, but failed. "He might have a few odd quirks, but he's an alright guy...and you're...."
  
  "I'm what, Chloe?" said Sinclair, as she looked at the bound woman. "A monster, a serial killer, a freak who doesn't deserve to breathe air? What I am?"
  
  Chloe tried to remain strong, but the flood of tears overwhelmed her. Sinclair just dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "Hush, Chloe, once you've seen the light, you'll understand. Clark, he didn't appreciate your friendship, did he? Kara, she's cut from the same cloth. As for Harry Potter...well he brings death wherever he goes. I just bring about new life, and new hope."
  
  Sinclair just adjusted her shoulders, and slowly stroked Chloe's hair, a twisted reflection of a motherly smile appearing on her face.
  
  'She's nuts!" thought Chloe as she felt her heart beat faster. A door creaked open, to bring another party into the room.
  
  "Rosalina, thank you, but I can take it from here," said Knox, as he held his hand out. Sinclair departed to the other room.
  
  "Look...what are you doing?" asked Chloe. "Sinclair's...she's a monster, she killed hundreds of people and..."
  
  "Yes, I'm aware," said Knox, cutting her off. "I'm aware of much, about her. You see, life is fragile. Bones break, limbs get removed, and skin gets melted off. Yet, you have the ability to heal others, even with a great risk, mitigates them all."
  
  Knox prepared his surgical tools. "My wife, she lingers half of an inch between life and death, always. Yet, my dear Sophia, if I can give her the same gift I have, I would be a happy man. Your abilities fascinate me. I've used Rosalina Sinclair as the perfect guinea pig, now it's time to do the procedure for real."
  
  "Just what do you want from me?" asked Chloe, as her breath grew labored.
  
  "Your organs," said Knox, as he looked at her, seeing the fear on her face. "Let me prepare a sedative. It may sting a little bit."
  
  "CLARK!" yelled Chloe at the top of her lungs, but Knox had put a gas mask on her.
  
  "Calling for your friend, how touching," said Knox. "I have heard about Clark Kent, or Kal-El as he was born. In another life, I might have been like him. However, with immortality, there are no alternate lives."
  
  Chloe's eyes grew heavy. Knox looked at her. "Now sleep."
  
  In the dead of night, Lana Lang snuck into a guarded building. She knew from her monitoring that security was most lax around this time. Dressed in black, with a mask over her, she moved around the shadows, sticking to them. She crept around, looking for her objective.
  
  She reached a control panel, and gently opened it. She deactivated the security. Without another word, she slipped past a half asleep guard.
  
  Inside a small study, Lana pulled back a book, and a fake wall between a book shelves slid open. Inside a glass case rested a red journal with strange green markings.
  
  She had no idea what the journal even was, but if Lex was hiding it must be something valuable.
  
  She swapped out the journal for an identical copy, and covered her tracks.
  
  It was like Lana Lang was never even here at all.
  Rescue
  
  
  Chapter 9: Rescue.
  
  Harry wiped sweat from his brow, as he managed to piece together all of the components. It was a combination of science and magic, which meant this blood red stone could only be used once. Mixing the two was akin to juggling with fire. He managed to burn the notes that he had been sent. The twenty year old Herald of Death continued to check every single calculation, but he held in his hands a rather dangerous weapon. It felt like a magical version of a ticking time bomb.
  
  It would have been a lot easier if he was able to pop in and snatch Chloe before Sinclair got to her. Of course, it was never the easy. There were barriers that Sinclair put up. Harry could go through them, he would survive. In the process he would have killed everyone within a five mile radius on all sides, including the person he was going off to save. Harry wished he didn't care, but despite all of the loss he did. He resolved not to let Sinclair get to him. Tonight, she was going down, if he had to gift wrap her to death personally.
  
  There was something about Sinclair that unsettled Harry, and he wondered about a certain connection. He was brought out of those thoughts by a soft voice.
  
  "So do you have any plan?"
  
  Harry's eyes perked up. Kara stood in the doorway. Her arms were crossed, and she tried not to show any worry on her face. Yet her body language betrayed her true thoughts.
  
  "Going by a classic standby from back in the day," said Harry, as he moved closer to his friend. "Make it up as I go along."
  
  Kara just nodded, as she across from Harry. She had never seen him so flustered in the short time she lived with him. He was always so calm, cool, and collected.
  
  "So, I do wonder," said Harry as he looked at her. "If it came down to a choice, between saving Chloe, or finishing off Sinclair, what should I do?"
  
  "The right thing," said Kara in a quiet voice, as she looked at Harry seriously. "So, it might end between you and Sinclair tonight?"
  
  "Kara, I've got to take her out, even if sends me back to my boss," said Harry as he grabbed her hands. "She's a danger every second she's here in Smallville, to you and Clark, and just about everyone else. She thinks she's doing the right thing, but she's...twisted."
  
  Kara considered for a minute, but she stepped forward, with a pleading look in her eyes.
  
  "Let me help you, we can beat her, both of us," said Kara, as she grabbed Harry's hand to prevent him from walking out the door. "You and I...together...as partners...we can be..."
  
  "I know, Kara, and I know you can handle yourself," said Harry, as his hand lingered on hers. "I just can't bear you see you get hurt because I...well I just can't bear to see it."
  
  Harry paused, before he voiced something.
  
  "Is there a right thing to do though in this situation?"
  
  Kara shrugged her shoulders, and just looked into his green eyes. She saw much in them, determination and a bit of fear. Fear of failing someone yet again, despite his best efforts.
  
  "Kara, I need you to promise me you'll stay away," said Harry as he grasped her hands, and gazed into her eyes. "Please, I don't want to see you get hurt."
  
  "Okay, fine," said Kara quickly.
  
  'If he's not back in an hour though I'm going to help him, regardless of the consequences" she added mentally.
  
  Harry hugged her goodbye. She threw her arms around him, and returned it. They stood in the lab for a couple of minutes, arms wrapped around each other.
  
  "I better get going," said Harry as he slipped his arms from around her waist, reluctantly letting go, but he really had to go.
  
  "Yeah," said Kara as she turned her head away to hide her tears, reluctantly letting go of him.
  
  She watched him fly off.
  
  Kara realized something about her and Harry. She restrained herself to calling him back.
  
  "Good luck," she whispered but Harry was long gone.
  
  She hoped for a little more than a hug, but she just shook her head. Harry had more important things to worry about at the moment, and once they had the journal, Kara wondered where her place in Harry's life would be. She wondered if there was a place for her.
  
  Never more had she wanted to be wrong.
  
  Rosalina Sinclair sat, as she thought about her life, and her goals. Tonight would be the night she took down Harry Potter once and for all. With Potter gone, she would be able to claim the powers of the Deathly Hallows, and ascend to a higher level, where she could abolish death. The world would be perfect if no one would have to suffer loss.
  
  She felt a headache coming on, and not to mention a flashback.
  
  Seventeen year old Rosalina Sinclair walked up to the Headmaster's Office. She requested a meeting with him to find out about a certain young man named Harry Potter. She was let into the Headmaster's Office, and approached Dumbledore at his desk.
  
  "Ms. Sinclair," said Dumbledore, as he offered her a seat. "I must say, I didn't understand why you wanted to see me."
  
  "It's about Harry Potter," said Rosalina without preamble.
  
  Dumbledore surveyed her, as if trying to figure out why she would ask such a question.
  
  "Now, Ms. Sinclair, the poor boy doesn't need to be badgered," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. "You aren't the first young witch who wanted to get an autograph from Harry Potter."
  
  Rosalina just rolled her eyes.
  
  "I don't want an autograph, I want information," said Rosalina as she looked Dumbledore in the eyes. "My birth name is Rose Evans. I'm the younger sister of Lily Potter. I want information about my nephew."
  
  Dumbledore scanned her. Nothing seems deceptive, so he continued.
  
  "Well, I had no idea about you," said Dumbledore, but he chuckled. "The family resemblance is rather uncanny, the same red hair and the same green eyes, you look just like a younger version of Lily."
  
  "So I have heard for the last seven bloody years," said Rosalina bitterly, but Dumbledore looked at her reproachfully. "Sorry, sir, it's hard to be compared with your dead sister all of the time."
  
  'Not to mention being asked out by boys because you look like the mother of the world's hero,' thought Rosalina, as her stomach turned, revolted at the thought of that.
  
  "Understandable," agreed Dumbledore, as he moved through some of the instruments. "There is really no need for you to worry, Harry has been sent to live with your oldest sister and her husband."
  
  Rosalina's mood darkened.
  
  "Please tell me that she didn't marry Vernon Dursley after all," said Rosalina, her voice raised in a higher pitch.
  
  "Yes, and they have a son named Dudley," said Dumbledore in a cheerful tone of voice.
  
  The seventh year Hufflepuff rolled her eyes at this. Sounds like something Petunia would name her son alright. She supposed she had a bunch of sickeningly sweet names for the little monster.
  
  'After all, mixing Dursley's DNA with Petunia's isn't going to end well,' thought Rosalina.
  
  "Professor Dumbledore, what makes you think that Petunia didn't dump Harry out in the alley in the middle of winter at the first chance she got?" asked Rosalina.
  
  "He's still there, Ms. Sinclair," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. "I can assure you that Petunia willingly took him in, he's safe and protected at the Dursleys."
  
  That statement did not assure Rosalina Sinclair at all.
  
  'Ten years under Petunia's care, I hope the Wizarding World is ready for a foul little monster,' thought Rosalina darkly. 'He's damaged by now already, he's likely just as twisted as Petunia, and adding Vernon in there...yeah I don't think I could handle dealing with him.'
  
  "Thank you, Professor, I have homework to do," said Rosalina in a neutral voice.
  
  Dumbledore waved her off, and Rosalina Sinclair left.
  
  Rosalina walked from Dumbledore's study. She did not have the heart to tell anyone the conclusions she drew about her nephew. No one would believe her to begin with.
  
  She looked up, and frowned as she saw seventh year Slytherins bullying first year Muggleborn Hufflepuffs. Again, she had seen it for the past seven years, and these purebloods (and some half-bloods) barely got a slap on their wrist or a stain on their reputation.
  
  Rosalina held her wand. If no teacher wanted to put a stop to this, then she would. She would deal with detentions or any other consequences.
  
  It was on that day where Rosalina Sinclair made it her mission in life to protect those who were swept off to the side. She would do so by any means necessary.
  
  "Rosalina, are you still among the living?" asked Knox as he shook the woman.
  
  "Yes, Doctor Knox!" snapped Sinclair, as she looked up. She clutched the gold necklace in her hand. It was a treasured gift her father gave her before he died during her third year at Hogwarts. She used it to make sure she was always there to protect those in need. "Is the woman ready?"
  
  "She is," agreed Knox. "I do hope that your plan will work, and your friend will come."
  
  "He's no friend of mine and certainly no family," said Sinclair in a short tone, as she held her hand, and energy cackled from it.
  
  "My mistake," said Knox in a crisp voice took a step back. "But the real question is will he come?"
  
  "He'll be here," said Sinclair, malice dripping from her words. "He can't resist the glory, to play the hero and save the girl. It's encoded into his DNA at a genetic level."
  
  Chloe stirred on the table, as Knox moved over.
  
  "It appears her healing powers are a bit stronger than I previously calculated," said Knox, but he looked excited about the prospects. He reached over, to fetch a stronger sedative, but a new figure knocked him back into the wall.
  
  Clark struggled with Curtis Knox, as Knox tried to stab him with the needle. The needle broke on his skin.
  
  "Impressive, and durable," said Knox, as he punched Clark in the chest with full force. He strangled Clark, but to his credit the young man fought back. Knox looked into his eyes with disdain. "You must be the Kryptonian!"
  
  Knox and Clark struggled, but Clark aimed a blast of heat vision up. It bounced off a set of mirrors in the lab, and cut down a set of lights. They collapsed on top of Knox, and Clark flung Knox across his lab.
  
  A blast of energy caught Clark in the back, and Sinclair levitated Clark in the air. The young man went flying, although not willingly when he was hurled to the other end of the lab!
  
  "Clark," gasped Chloe, as she stirred herself weak, as Sinclair swooped in, like a shark smelling blood.
  
  "You grow weak, Kal-El," said Sinclair in a wicked voice, as she conjured two Kryptonite knives, and tried to stab them into the young man, but he blocked them with a large sheet of metal, and pushed them back into her. A pair of punches rattled her.
  
  Sinclair's head whipped around from the impact of the next punch. The force caused her head to twist completely around to the side. Clark's eyes and mouth widened in horror, but the woman grabbed her head, and snapped it back around to face Clark. She blasted him back to the ground.
  
  "Again and again, we do this, my energy will hurt you and kill you..." started Sinclair. Her words never finished, as a figure materialized from under the ground. A fist impacted her face.
  
  Sinclair moved, as Clark tried to get up, but Knox grabbed him, and flung the young back.
  
  "I might look like a mild mannered scientist, but I'm much more," said Knox, as he strangled the weakened Clark, a twisted grin appearing on his face. "Determined to win, I like that, makes strong DNA that I can play with after you're deceased."
  
  The Martian Manhunter and Rosalina Sinclair circled each other, as much of the lab had been damaged.
  
  "You seem determined to protect this menace," said Sinclair, as she battled with the Martian Manhunter. "So be it, you'll burn with him!"
  
  Sinclair held her hand, and the Martian Manhunter was bombarded by a huge blast of simulated yellow solar radiation. She held her other hand, and forced a blast of red solar radiation at Clark to knock him back.
  
  "How are you doing this?" demanded the Martian Manhunter, as he was knocked back hard.
  
  "Magic, it can do anything!" shrieked Sinclair, as they tried to fight through sheer force of determination.
  
  Knox pried open a storage freezer, and Sinclair blasted them inside it, before she sealed the weakened forms of the two aliens inside.
  
  "Put them on ice until I have a chance to study them," said Knox with a twisted grin, as he looked down at Chloe. "Now I believe you have a date with some surgical tools."
  
  "Who do you think you are, Jack the Ripper?" managed Chloe.
  
  "I was Jack the Ripper," whispered Knox. "I was many things, responsible for many wars, but today I will be the man who harvests your organs for..."
  
  "Let her go, Knox."
  
  Knox looked up as he saw a young man approach him.
  
  "Harry, it's a trap!" yelled Chloe, but she was gagged immediately by Sinclair.
  
  "Obviously," said Harry, as he looked at Knox and Sinclair, as he tried to calculate an attack. "So, Curtis Knox, or would you prefer the name...Vandal Savage?"
  
  "Ah, you've done your homework," said Knox as he stared down Harry. He was an impressive looking specimen and the doctor could hardly wait to study this one's DNA. "And you brought the Philosopher's Stone."
  
  "Just why do you want the Stone so badly?" asked Harry as he held the object in his hand.
  
  "Hand it over, Potter," said Sinclair as her fingers twitched, along with her eye.
  
  "Now, Rosalina, I think we can allow him a little bit of explanation," said Knox. "Before I let you loose on him, naturally, and I'd kindly ask you to exhibit some patience."
  
  "You don't know Potter, like I do!" yelled Sinclair. "He's a devious little..."
  
  "You know, you're rather animated for a corpse, Sinclair," taunted Harry, as he took a step forward, as Knox half restrained Sinclair and half looked at Harry.
  
  "Years ago, I posed as an apprentice to Nicholas Flamel, and tried to get my hands on the Philosopher's Stone," explained Knox. "I was only able to steal a partial copy of notes. I could transmute lead into gold, but the method to create the Elixir of Life that was lost on me."
  
  "Continue," said Harry, as he mentally calculated the energies coming off of Sinclair's body.
  
  'Sinclair's time is running short, her latest body can't be sustained for more than thirty minutes,' thought Harry. 'Keep Knox talking, Potter.'
  
  Clark's eyes opened, as he woke up. He shivered; his powers were at its lowest.
  
  "I underestimated her," gasped the Martian Manhunter. "Her danger is far greater than I could have realized."
  
  "She's stronger than she looks," agreed Clark, as he tried to look for anything in the storage freezer that would allow him to escape.
  
  The walls cracked open behind them on the outside of the building, and it allowed them to exit.
  
  Clark looked up, and was confused who done this for them.
  
  Naturally, he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as he helped the Martian Manhunter outside.
  
  Both saw a familiar figure fly off into the night sky. The red cape fluttered in the breeze as she flew off.
  
  "Enough chatter!" yelled Sinclair as she knocked Knox over and made a mad dash for the Stone "The Philosopher's Stone is mine!"
  
  She jumped at Harry, but she flew through an incorporeal duplicate. She turned around, to see the real Harry Potter charge her, and slash his hand at her. Sinclair was blown off of her feet from the impact.
  
  'That trick never gets old,' thought Harry, as he prepared to do battle with Sinclair. He transfigured and animated the chair to try and trap her, but Sinclair was a step ahead of her enemy.
  
  "Tonight, it ends," said Sinclair, as two spells ricocheted off of each other.
  
  "Yeah, you're right," agreed Harry, as he burned her hands, and shoved her against the wall. Several of the containment tubes containing the harvested organs knocked over. The Philosopher's Stone slid to the ground, forgotten and promptly buried underneath the fallen tanks.
  
  "WATCH OUT!" yelled Knox in absolute horror as they battled closer, but it was too late.
  
  In her fury, Sinclair tried to smash Harry, but he smashed the containment tank containing Sophia. Harry made a movement to try and seal the damage, but Sinclair grabbed Harry by the throat, and the two continued to duel, as the remaining life faded from the women on the floor. Sinclair sent broken glass at Harry, but Harry blasted them all with one fluid movement.
  
  Harry knocked Sinclair through the wall and both had disappeared into the next room. The moment they were out of sight, Harry pulled his hood up over his head.
  
  Chloe managed to free herself using one of the surgical tools to cut the strap. She looked up, and saw Doctor Knox on the floor, cradling his wife. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
  
  "Doctor Knox," said Chloe, slowly as she looked at Knox.
  
  "She's gone, the thing I wanted to prevent, I caused it," said Knox as he held her unmoving remains in his arms. "Thousands of years alive, everyone I ever met died. We all die eventually, Death can be harsh. She's even beyond your healing abilities now Chloe Sullivan. The organs her body has rejected...it's all Sinclair..."
  
  Knox shook his head.
  
  "All my fault," said Knox, but he realized something. "One last hope...the Stone, where is it?"
  
  Chloe backed off slowly, in fear that Knox might have a breakdown and do something insane in his crazed grief.
  
  Now robed as the Herald of Death, Harry slashed an energy scythe at Rosalina Sinclair, but she blocked it. They slashed their attacks together, the duel getting more intense. All Harry had to do was outlast her, but she was determined to get full mileage out of her body.
  
  "I've suffered long enough!" yelled Sinclair, as she tried to stab Harry with some red hot knives, but Harry deflected them.
  
  "Yeah, suffer, you," said Harry as he deflected her attacks back at her. "Look, Sinclair, when people die, there's a good reason why they should stay dead. You're not really alive..."
  
  Sinclair tried to burn Harry's face, but Harry dodged her flames. He had put the pieces together a bit ago, but he was certain he was correct. The battle continued, but Harry held her back.
  
  "You have some anger management issues, Rosalina Sinclair," said Harry, but he just paused. It all made so much more sense now. He added, nearly taunting. "Or should I say, Rose Evans?"
  
  Sinclair shrieked like a banshee at that name, broke out from her containment, and began to fire curse after curse at Harry. Harry dodged them with adept reflexes.
  
  "That girl means nothing to me!" yelled Sinclair, but Harry could see she was breaking down both mentally and physically. "Potter...you...will die!"
  
  "After you."
  
  Sinclair blocked the energy scythe, as they continued their duel. The two pushed back, as Sinclair's mind flashed back to the first time she encountered Harry Potter.
  
  Rosalina Sinclair moved down the streets, dressed in a cloak as quick as her legs could take her. She just escaped a group of Ministry Aurors that had tried to capture her to bring her in. Voldemort had taken over the Ministry, and Potter and Dumbledore both allowed it to happen.
  
  Her friends had been captured, and brought to the Ministry. Rosalina clutched her wand. Purebloods once again, they got away with murder, or even worse. She cast charms that cloaked her face, and then was able to blend into her surroundings.
  
  She heard voices. Rosalina continued to move, towards three figures in the distance.
  
  Her eyes widened, as she watched Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger rush down the streets, muttering in the distance.
  
  Rosalina followed closely behind them, she could almost touch them. They went into an inn, and Rosalina watched a group of Death Eaters move in to attack them.
  
  She was torn between helping them, and just leaving it alone. Despite what Harry had turned into, he was still family, technically.
  
  A loud explosion echoed from inside the inn. Sinclair moved in, and watched two more Death
  
  Eaters rush to back up their associates, but immediately; she blinded them with a disorientation spell.
  
  The two Death Eaters stumbled around, and took out each other with Killing Curses, seeing each other as their most hated enemy. Rosalina looked up, and saw the trio inside knock out the Death Eaters. Then her eyes widened, as they just simply modified their memories, rather than cut out the cancer.
  
  Rosalina Sinclair clutched her wand.
  
  'Every single person that dies from there, is on their heads for leaving those bastards alive,' thought Rosalina, as she rushed in when the trio had disappeared.
  
  On the floor, Rosalina saw a book that Granger had dropped. It had to do with something called
  
  Horcruxes. She stuff into robe, and made her way to catch a plane to Mexico.
  
  From there, she would get into the United States of America, where she would be free.
  
  The battle raged on, but Chloe peered through a crack in the wall. The robed figure that saved her all those weeks ago showed up once again, and Harry seemed to have vanished around that same time.
  
  The woman put a hand to her forehead, and her mouth opened wide. Sudden realization dawned on her, and she felt like an idiot for not piecing it together the obvious before now.
  
  Knox meanwhile slid himself across the floor, and found the Philosopher's Stone. The jagged age of the stone pricked him in the finger, and dripped a golden substance into his blood.
  
  Curtis Knox at that moment was visited by a seizure and sweated bullets.
  
  "No, pain, pain, I feel pain!" yelled Knox who seemed both horrified and jubilant. "But, I could never feel pain, could I?"
  
  Clark showed up, with the Martian Manhunter closely behind him. He moved over to help Knox as his hand blackened, and blood splash to the floor.
  
  "No, my wife, she's dead, and I feel something," said Knox as he looked at Clark his eyes widened. "I'm being pulled...I don't understand, I thought nothing could kill me. My entire life would be doomed to see the people around me die!"
  
  Knox collapsed on the floor. He would hopefully join his wife soon, in his eternal reward. The Stone crumbled into dust. Clark listened for a heartbeat or any signs of life, but found not one hint.
  
  "Are you okay?" asked Chloe, as she nearly tripped over the debris from the fight.
  
  "Well, I'm healing," said Clark, as he turned to the Martian Manhunter. "Knox..."
  
  "Dead," said the Martian Manhunter as he checked the downed form of Curtis Knox. "He was immortal, but someone had removed the chains of immortality from him."
  
  Clark found himself just nodding at this moment, as he helped Chloe away.
  
  "Thanks Clark," said Chloe in a quiet voice.
  
  'Harry's little secret, that's his to tell,' thought Chloe, as she allowed her friend, at half power, help her past the debris.
  
  The Martian Manhunter slipped off, his work for the night done, for now. He needed to reassess certain matters, regarding a certain girl who saved them both.
  
  Harry and Sinclair circled each other, as they continued their brawl, on a cliff. The two edged closer to the end.
  
  Sinclair screamed at the top of her lungs, but Harry impaled a blade into her chest.
  
  "As long as I live, you can never be free of your crimes," said Sinclair as her fists clenched together.
  
  Harry's eyes opened, as he spotted a necklace on Sinclair's neck. He knew what the necklace was immediately. Harry waved his hand, as he thought of the composition for something would surely destroy her little trinket.
  
  Sinclair shrieked in agony, as a jet of Basilisk venom sprayed both her and her necklace. The venom ate through the Horcrux around her neck.
  
  "That's how you've been hanging on Sinclair, but I need to make sure!" yelled Harry as he charged her, before he blasted a green energy scythe at her, but Sinclair blocked it with a shield.
  
  Her body was coming apart, but she refused to be pulled into the afterlife. Rosalina Sinclair was strong, she escaped death many times. She was a survivor.
  
  Harry flipped himself into the air, before he grabbed her around the head.
  
  'Okay, this will suck," thought Harry, as he forcefully disapparated Sinclair and ripped her body in half, purposely splinching the woman.
  
  There was a pained scream, as Sinclair's body being shredded in half created a magical backlash. Harry closed his eyes, and put a shield to block the backlash. The explosion was contained, but Harry stumbled back off of the edge of the cliff.
  
  A flying girl caught Harry in her arms. Kara flew off, and blasted Harry off to the safety of his home.
  
  She flew Harry inside his home, and set him down on the couch. Kara looked at him, as Harry's blurry vision tried to reconcile what happened.
  
  "Thanks, Kara," said Harry in a low voice, as he looked at her, standing there in her Supergirl attire. She reached around, and just hugged him. He returned the hug, but he deflated in her arms, completely fatigued from all of the energy he expanded to put Sinclair down for good.
  
  "Just rest Harry, it's okay," said Kara, as she held him carefully. "You...she's gone this time, isn't she?"
  
  "I'll know in a minute," said Harry as he tried to sit himself up. Kara got him juice, and a couple of sandwiches.
  
  Harry ate and drank, to regain some of his strength. Kara held onto him, as if she was afraid he would fall apart if she let him go.
  
  "Okay, the moment of truth," said Harry, as he closed his eyes. "Rosalina Sinclair, she's dead right this time. As in deader in dead? She's not a clone, or a body double or a hologram or just a figment of my imagination. Please, tell me she's gone."
  
  "She is dead," confirmed the lifeline reader.
  
  "Really?" asked Harry in a skeptical voice.
  
  "Yes, she's gone," said the voice. "She's currently in the afterlife right now, and making quite a scene about that arrangement."
  
  "Clarify please," said Harry.
  
  "The higher ups do not like immortals," said the voice. "This Curtis Knox was someone Death had her eye on for centuries. Sinclair was used as a means to lure him into the afterlife."
  
  Harry blinked. He just let that set in for a minute. Kara frowned.
  
  "Now, she's gone, right," said Harry, slowly and carefully as if addressing a five year old.
  
  "I did say yes," said the lifeline reader once again.
  
  With another smile, Harry collapsed back against the cushions of the couch.
  
  "Free, I'm free," said Harry as he raised his arms in weak, but great triumph. "No more, it's all gone, she's all gone."
  
  Kara had no words, but she just gave Harry a bright smile.
  
  "Did Chloe and Clark get out okay?" asked Harry.
  
  "Yeah," said Kara, as she dropped next to him. "Clark managed to get her out of there, and to safety. They're both shaken up, but they'll be okay."
  
  "That's good," said Harry, as Kara curled up next to Harry on the couch.
  
  They enjoyed each other's company quietly for a few minutes.
  
  "So let's see if there's anything good on television," suggested Harry.
  
  "That sounds nice," agreed Kara, as she rested against him. Harry flipped on the television, as they looked for something to watch.
  
  Life was good for the first time ever for Harry Potter. With Rosalina Sinclair finally dead, there was a huge burden off of his shoulders.
  
  They watched television for a little bit, before both crashed on the couch for the evening. The journal would be another matter for another time.
  
  "Clark, just head home, I'll be fine," said Chloe, as she rested.
  
  "You nearly got dissected in there, Chloe," argued Clark.
  
  Chloe sighed, he was just being his usual self, but she was fine. Beside she had something interesting to think about.
  
  "If you need me, I'm just a phone call away," said Clark in a reassuring voice, and Chloe nodded. She watched him leave at that moment.
  
  Her headache would leave by the morning she suspected.
  
  The mystery of the robed man had been solved, but that just left her more unanswered questions. Unanswered questions that made sleep rather difficult to come to her on that night.
  
  Lex stepped from the light. He could tell that someone had been snooping around where he had stashed the journal. Despite he had it moved after the woman had warned him away from his study, someone still tracked it down. Potter might have easily found the journal if it had been in his study, but the moment he was warned, he had it moved.
  
  Yet, the journal was gone.
  
  Whoever had taken the journal likely had no idea what they were dealing with. Lex punched up the security footage from earlier tonight. There was an attempt to disable the security, but there were other backups he could recall.
  
  "Let's see, who was snooping around that shouldn't have been," said Lex, as he noticed a figure. The vault had been compromised, and the journal switched with a duplicate with a similar cover. The figure was disguised, but Lex recognized her movements immediately.
  
  She thought she could outmaneuver him. He was just willing to let it go, let her move on with her life. Lex closed his eyes. He had failed in the worst way; his best security had been compromised. Who knew what else Lana had stuck her nose into regarding him.
  
  He would have to make arrangements to track the journal back down, before it fell into the wrong hands. While he was skeptical about certain matters, the fact that people now seemed to be after it made him all the more curious.
  
  Lex prepared to reacquire that blasted book, even if it required a bit of time and careful planning.
  
  Chloe sat up a few days later, as she thought about what had transpired. A soft knock on the door, brought her back to her senses.
  
  "Come in!" called Chloe, but the door opened and Harry and Kara walked in. She looked at them, as she struggled to find the words to say to Harry after what she found out the other evening."Oh...hi Harry."
  
  Kara and Harry looked at each other.
  
  "We're just stopping by to see if you're holding up after the other night," said Kara, as she surveyed the other woman.
  
  "Yeah, are you doing alright?" asked Harry as he surveyed the woman. Chloe just looked at them.
  
  "You really do have some heavy secrets don't you," said Chloe after a moment's thought. "The fact of the matter is, I figured it out...the big one...the robed one...you know what one I'm talking about."
  
  Kara and Harry stood on either side of her. Their faces remained blank and emotionless.
  
  "Yeah, I'm about ready to be drugged and dragged off to your super-secret lair of death to get my mind wiped, aren't I?" asked Chloe, trying to act casual. Somehow she was not surprised Kara knew about Harry's double life.
  
  "Well that depends," said Harry as he surveyed her.
  
  "Did you blab Harry's secret to anyone?" asked Kara, looking at the other woman through narrowed eyes.
  
  "No, I swear," said Chloe as she looked at both of them without blinking. "I...you know no one would believe me anyway if the owner of the Shining Light Foundation and Death was one in the same."
  
  "Ah, but I'm not Death," said Harry. He lowered his voice into a cryptic whisper. "I'm merely just a humble employee."
  
  "What, do you have to collect Death's dry cleaning or something?" asked Chloe with an amused expression on her face.
  
  Harry just winced at that thought, and turned to Chloe, his eyes narrowed. He gave her the dirtiest look he could manage. "Yeah, if I get that added to my list of things to do, I'll be sure to thank you."
  
  Chloe sat rigid, feeling like she was being scanned.
  
  "For the record, on top of everything else, I about figured you could read minds," said Chloe, breaking the very awkward silence that lasted for minutes.
  
  "The mind is not something simple to be read," said Harry with a smile. "I could tell if you were lying by your heart rate, how many breaths you take as you talk, and your body language."
  
  "She seems like she's telling the truth," said Kara with a smile.
  
  "And I trust Kara's instincts," added Harry in a confident voice. "But you seem to be telling the truth, so everything's all verified."
  
  "Fair enough," said Chloe, as she heard a knock at the door, which cut the meeting short.
  
  Clark let himself in a moment later. He was about to check on Chloe, but he stopped as he saw Kara and Harry standing there.
  
  The tension could be cut with a knife.
  
  "Um, hi," said Clark breaking the silence as he looked at both of them. "Kara, Harry."
  
  "Hi Clark," said Kara.
  
  "Clark," said Harry with a polite nod. "What brings you here?"
  
  "Just stopping by to see how Chloe was holding up," said Clark. "How about you?"
  
  "Likewise," said Harry.
  
  "Did you give any thought to what I said the other day?" asked Kara as she looked at her cousin.
  
  "I...really want to believe you," said Clark as he looked at Kara, as her hands were on her hips. "I just...need a bit more time to figure this out. I actually was defending you in there you know, I couldn't believe the Martian Manhunter would say such things, he's helped me in the past, but they did..."
  
  "Make a lot of sense," replied Kara, as she nodded, getting where Clark was coming from. She didn't like it, but she understood. "Well, you know why I'm not a fan of the Manhunter..."
  
  "You saved him though," said Clark.
  
  "No, I saved you," said Kara. "He just happened to be trapped in the same room."
  
  "You wouldn't have left him there, I know it," inputted Chloe speaking up for the first time in a while.
  
  "Maybe," agreed Kara. She likely would have saved him, but she was not about to admit that out loud. "Just give some thought to what I said, and when you're ready, I'll accept whatever choice you decide to make."
  
  Clark nodded. Kara turned to face Harry. "So, are you about ready to leave?"
  
  "Yeah, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," said Harry as he looked at her. "It's close to lunch, how about we go out for pizza?"
  
  "I'd like that," said Kara with a smile. "So see you later you, Clark, Chloe."
  
  "Bye," said Harry.
  
  "Yeah, bye, enjoy your date," said Clark, which caused both of them to freeze for a minute, but they recovered, and moved off without another word.
  
  "You do realize they're the only two that likely don't realize it," said Chloe, when they were out of earshot. She looked at Clark in amusement, and Clark laughed.
  
  "I'd imagine so," said Clark, as he looked at the spot Kara and Harry once stood.
  
  They would be good for each other, if they could figure it out.
  
  Kara and Harry sat outside at a table in the fresh air, enjoying their pizza.
  
  "So, what was the deal with Sinclair?" asked Kara.
  
  Harry remained silent for a long time.
  
  "She was a sick woman, who got driven around the bend by my world's government," said Harry. "She made some bad choices, and I had to put her down. Maybe she's at peace now, but she's gone."
  
  'As far as I'm concerned, that six year old girl, she froze to death when Petunia left her for dead,' thought Harry to himself. 'I could have been like her; I had every reason to be like her.'
  
  Sinclair was gone, and he needed to focus on more important matters.
  
  He watched Kara, and started to wonder about the true nature of his relationship with her. There were possibilities that visited Harry's mind, but he tried not to get too distracted.
  
  With Sinclair gone, the journal was next. Then, he could figure out where he stood, and what his purpose was here.
  
  Harry promised himself not to obsessed over one little book. He had a second chance at life, and he would take full advantage of certain opportunities. For twenty years, he never truly lived. This time it would be different.
  
  He smiled, as he watched Kara finish her pizza.
  
  A call interrupted his thoughts.
  
  "Three more, okay make sure they get settled in, I'll be over in the afternoon after I eat lunch," said Harry. "Is Claire doing okay? Yeah I know, the nightmares were bad, but given what was done to her, it's a wonder she's doing as well as she is. She'll work through it, just be patient. It's not going to go away in a few weeks."
  
  'If I ever get my hands on the bastard who experimented on her,' thought Harry, as the wind chimes rattled, as the passing bystanders looked nervously at the sudden wind. He calmed himself.
  
  "I'm paying," said Kara, but then she grabbed Harry before he could protest. "After all of the things you've done for me, lunch is the least I can do."
  
  Harry just had to smile. The two become invisible, as they flew up into the skies to the Shining Light Foundation HQ.
  
  
  Discovery
  
  Chapter 10: Discovery.
  
  Harry walked into the gym area of his home. He walked forward, and saw Kara just wrapping up a work out. Her long blonde hair stayed tied back so it did not get in her face when she worked out. She wore a tight white shirt that stretched over her. Said shirt showed her bare midriff, and Harry found his eyes lingering at the exposed flesh on her belly area. The shirt was drenched with sweat, achieving a slight transparent effect. She also wore a short and rather tight pair of black shorts. Her feet were completely bare, with no shoes and socks.
  
  He watched as she bent over to stretch. He felt a tightening in his pants, and wondered if they had always been a bit too small for him.
  
  "Hi, Harry," said Kara as she stared over her shoulder, eyes shifted towards him. She had a smile on her face, a knowing smile.
  
  "Oh, hi, Kara, I was looking for you...but I got distracted," said Harry in what he hoped was a casual voice. Kara just floated over, and landed a few inches away from him. Harry could see her cleavage from his vantage point.
  
  "I noticed," breathed Kara as she took a step forward. Harry found himself backed against the wall, literally. "So, do you like anything you see?"
  
  He looked at her, at her beautiful face, her body so close to his, all of her curves in those tight and slightly wet workout clothes. Harry tugged on his collar.
  
  "Tell me the truth, Harry," continued Kara, as her mouth was up next to his ear. He could feel her hot breath against his ear. She slowly undid the buttons on his shirt. "You seem hot, Harry, let's see if I can make things a bit more comfortable for you."
  
  She traced her fingers in patterns down his exposed chest.
  
  "You've been working out," commented Kara, before she closed in. He could feel see the outline of her breasts against her sweat stained shirt. "It shows, you seem to be in good shape. I'd imagine your stamina is high as well."
  
  Kara reached over to grab a bottle of water from the table, and took a drink. She squeezed the bottle, and accidentally squeezed a bit too hard. The ice cold water splashed onto her top. Kara gave a slight sensual gasp, as her fingers ran down the bottle.
  
  "But, I like your muscles down a bit lower," said Kara in a low voice, as she removed Harry's shirt off of his shoulders. Her hand reached his midsection as she rubbed her hands on the flesh. Her fingers skimmed his waist band, teasing to go lower.
  
  Harry could not resist her any more. He managed to shift his arms around the wall, and reached around her slim waist. Kara's hand reached down, and he could feel her hand close around his length.
  
  "Kara," moaned Harry, as she tugged on him.
  
  "That feel good," whispered Kara in Harry's ear, as she continued. "You're so tense, so stiff."
  
  Kara unbuckled Harry's pants. Harry rested against the wall, as she continued to play with him. Then she slipped her own shorts down.
  
  "Kara, oh yes Kara!"
  
  Before the fun could continue, Harry heard another voice in the distance.
  
  "Harry!"
  
  The images around Harry faded, and he realized he was being shaken awake from a dream.
  
  His eyes opened up, as the object of his dream hovered above him. Kara wore a red bathrobe, and Harry wondered if she was wearing anything underneath it. He could see her lovely legs, her bare feet.
  
  "Kara," said Harry.
  
  'A dream, of course it was a dream' thought Harry, disappointed. 'They've never been that bloody vivid, or real before.'
  
  "Harry, you were dreaming and moaning my name," said Kara. Harry could have sworn he saw a knowing smile on her face. "I wasn't...attacking you in my dreams was I?"
  
  "One could make that interpretation," said Harry, choosing his words carefully, but Kara closed the gap between her and Harry. Their faces were a few inches together.
  
  "I hope I wasn't hurting you," said Kara, as she pulled the covers back.
  
  Harry was thankful he wore boxer shorts to bed at least, because if he had worn nothing, that quite the awkward situation.
  
  "Yeah, it was a nice dream, don't worry," said Harry, as he adjusted to the sun on in his eyes.
  
  Then he realized what he might have implied. Kara surveyed him, but she threw herself on top of his chest. She put her hands on either side of his arms, and pinned him down, as she sat cross legged over his stomach. Harry could see that she might not have been wearing anything under that bathrobe, which did not help with the blood flow leaving his brain and being diverted to other areas.
  
  He was light headed, as she leaned down to look into his face. Her tongue trailed on her lips briefly.
  
  "So did we do anything in this nice dream?" asked Kara, as she rubbed Harry's arm with her hand. She squeezed his biceps.
  
  'That feels good,' managed Harry through his hazed thoughts. 'I wonder what else she could do with those hands.'
  
  "Kara," breathed Harry, as she leaned closer. They were practically nose to nose.
  
  Harry's mind was locked up right now; he was unable to properly think.
  
  "That's my name,' she breathed, as Harry could not take her eyes off of her for any reason. She turned, and whispered in Harry's ear. "You know, I've had some nice dreams with you in them, too. Maybe I'll tell you about them."
  
  Harry's mind ran wild with possibilities. Yet Kara was not done.
  
  "Or do you want me to show you?"
  
  Harry found himself unable to properly formulate a proper response. Kara sat on top of him, her skin pressed on his head. Her hands massaged his shoulders, and chest. She then scooted back, and brushed against the bulge of his pants as she moved.
  
  She slowly rolled off of the bed. Kara looked at Harry, a smile appearing on her face.
  
  "Well, someone needs a shower," said Kara brightly, as she shamelessly stared at the bulge in Harry's pants.
  
  "Um, yeah," said Harry, managing to remember how to speak. "So...yeah...I'll...see you at breakfast."
  
  "See you then, Harry!" called Kara cheerfully, as she blew him a kiss goodbye. Harry made his way out, quickly.
  
  Kara licked her lips, as she followed Harry with her X-Ray vision until he reached the shower. She stopped, and sat down on Harry's bed.
  
  She pondered her relationship with Harry. They started out essentially making a deal out of convenience with each other. Kara needed help finding Kal-El, Harry needed help finding the journal. Yet in the three months they had lived together, something more manifested between them. Granted, at first Kara enjoyed winding him up because he was so easy. For someone with such powers, he could be so gloriously dense about the obvious.
  
  Yet, Kara found there was much more to Harry than she first thought. Harry was there for her, and taught her so much. She mastered all of her powers thanks to Harry, and he also taught her how to fight without them. Harry helped her embrace who she was.
  
  Kara always heard there were two types of boys on Earth. The kind girls brought home to their parents, the nice guys to settle down with. Then there were the bad boys that were full of adventure, danger, and excitement.
  
  Harry was a little bit of both, and that's how she preferred it.
  
  Yet, she had a problem, they were good friends. Making the wrong move at the wrong time would be a disaster, and would make things awkward. Kara found herself wishing that Harry would be the one to make the first move.
  
  Yet, they grew closer with each passing day, and Kara remained optimistic that it would be only a matter of time before everything lined up properly.
  
  Kara walked off to fix breakfast for Harry. She had an idea that might entice him to make a move sooner rather than later.
  
  Harry entered the kitchen, and noticed Kara had already made breakfast for them. Of course, his attention was a bit diverted from that fact. He looked at Kara, and his mouth went dry. She wore a red dress that hugged her body. Slowly, Kara bent down as she placed the dishes on the table.
  
  "Hi, Harry!" called Kara, as she looked up. Her finger beckoned him over.
  
  "Hi, Kara, "said Harry, as he found his eyes magnetically attracted to her. He tried to pull his wits together.
  
  Harry found himself craving Kara more than anything that they would be having for breakfast at the moment.
  
  "So, I made us strawberries, with whipped cream," said Kara, as she sat down on a chair that was close to Harry's. Her knee touched his, as she slid the bowls on the table. "They...taste really good."
  
  Three months the two had lived together, and spent a lot of time together. Harry thought at first she was someone who could help him find the journal. Granted, she was help that was easy on the eyes, but then Harry got to know her and really enjoyed spending time with her.
  
  She was smart, beautiful, and could make him laugh. Harry found himself really liking his friend as something more than one, and his mind slowly processed what he should do, what he wanted to do.
  
  He found himself watching Kara dip and eat the strawberries. Her tongue licked the strawberry slowly. It was almost teasing, and seductive. Harry watched her, transfixed. She nibbled on it, and her eyes glazed back as she popped it into her mouth.
  
  "So, Harry do you want some of this?" asked Kara, as she flew off the table, and parked herself on the table. Her legs were slightly spread, a few feet away from Harry's face.
  
  "Yeah, I want some," managed Harry, not sure what he was answering, or what she was offering him.
  
  "Here," said Kara, as she began to feed him the strawberries one at a time.
  
  Harry's mind went haywire. No girl ever did anything like this for him. Yet, he found himself enjoying it. Kara's fingers lingered on his lips, tracing around them. She alternated between feeding the strawberries to Harry, and then eating them herself.
  
  He could watch her all day. As she wore that dress, Harry found he could almost see down it if he gazed at her. He watched as she slowly licked the whip cream off of her face, after she missed her mouth.
  
  It was almost like his inhibitions were being slowly broken away.
  
  His hands beckoned to touch her, but he just barely managed to restrain himself. Kara was breaking down his will power.
  
  "You've got some whipped cream on her lips," said Kara, as she peered at Harry through her eyelashes. Her hair swung as she leaned down. Her soft fingers brushed against Harry's lips. She took her own fingers, and then licked them.
  
  Kara sat on the edge of the table, and naughty thoughts filled Harry's head. He considered pushing Kara back on the table, capturing her lovely lips in a kiss, and then pull that dress up over her head, before...
  
  Harry was pulled out of hormonal fantasy land when his cell phone rang. He answered it, hoping that it was important.
  
  "Hello," said Harry, as he adopted his most professional tone to hide his annoyance.
  
  "Is this Harry Potter?" asked a voice on the other end of the phone.
  
  "Yes," said Harry promptly, as Kara watched, annoyed her fun had been ruined. She turned around, to hide her agitation, by putting away the dish. "Who's speaking?"
  
  "Mr. Potter, my name is Lionel Luthor," said the man on the other end of the phone. "I wish to meet with you, outside of Smallville City Limits. What is your earliest convenience?"
  
  Harry sat up, interested at that point. He was talking to the man who bought the journal. Yet, from what he heard, Lionel had vanished around the time Harry arrived. So he remained on his guard, and prepared to see what he would deal with this new situation.
  
  "One hour," said Harry curtly.
  
  "Very good," said Lionel without another word, and the phone line went dead.
  
  "So, do you want me to come with?" asked Kara. "You know, to watch you."
  
  Harry pondered this. Normally, he would have agreed, and he would have let Kara follow him anywhere, especially in that dress. Yet, Harry had to keep his mind on business, and off of his hormones.
  
  Something he thought died a long time ago. Yet, when his scars got healed, other things appeared to get healed as well.
  
  "No, Kara, I can handle this Lionel Luthor on my own," said Harry, as he looked into her eyes. He could not trust himself to look anywhere else at the moment. "Plus we got the communication devices, so if I get in over my head, I'll call you."
  
  "And I'll be over faster than a speeding bullet," said Kara.
  
  Kara rushed over, and threw her arms around him. Harry returned the favor.
  
  For a brief second, Kara thought he was going to kiss her, but Harry pulled away from the hug.
  
  "Goodbye," said Kara, as she watched him leave, frustrated. She had Harry eating out of the palm of her hand, until Lionel Luthor had to call. "Good luck."
  
  "Thanks," said Harry, but he was out the door.
  
  Kara sank down, frowning. She felt another little nudge, about five more minutes, and he would have kissed her or maybe more.
  
  She floated up to get changed. Harry gave her the morning off, her shift did not start until the afternoon today at the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  Invisible, Harry flew for his meeting with one Lionel Luthor. Yet his mind kept getting pulled towards other matters.
  
  He thought about Kara, and how he was falling for her fast. He wanted to kiss her so badly this morning before he left, but he barely managed to restrain himself.
  
  He wondered why he would hold himself back, if he had the opportunity for something right there. Harry came to the conclusion that he was his own worst enemy, and the only reason why he was rarely happy in the past because of his own doing.
  
  A part of him wished he never would find the journal. A nagging doubt in the back of his head told him that if he did, Kara really had no reason to stay with him. The bargain they made would be concluded.
  
  Harry shook his head. He defeated trolls, basilisks, evil wizards, giant dragons, Dementors, and all sorts of other horrifying creatures that went bump in the night. Yet, this girl, a girl he liked, and seemed to like him on some level, he was afraid of making a move.
  
  A part of him wished Kara would make the first move, but Harry thought that might be hoping for too much. His days of waiting around, thinking, and wondering had to cease. He would seize the moment, go for broke, and hope he would not get busted.
  
  If this worked, Harry thought he would finally find that someone that he could be with for a very long time. If it did not work, well he would lose a friend for being too forward, but by now loss and people leaving him was something Harry was all too used for.
  
  He did notice that she was flirting with him rather heavily, so the attraction had to be there. So, Harry made a decision. He knew what he needed to do.
  
  Yet, there was something he had to do first. Business beckoned at the moment, and the journal could be moments away from coming into his possession.
  
  Harry touched down, and got ready for his meeting with Lionel Luthor.
  
  Lionel Luthor leaned back against a sign, as he awaited the arrival of the young man known as Harry Potter. Needless to say, the last few months had been rough for the elder Luthor. He had just escaped within the past few weeks after being held captive by a woman named Mariyn. As it turned out, the woman worked for Lana Lang. It seemed Lana was willing to go to any extreme to make him suffer.
  
  Lionel beat his captor with a shovel, rendering her dead.
  
  Many weeks had passed since that incident, and Lionel was back on his feet. He watched for a young man known as Harry Potter. According to what he was able to find out, the man traveled the world for six years, before coming to Smallville, around the time Lionel was abducted. He researched the family tree of Harry Potter, and found information that intrigued him.
  
  "So, you wanted to speak with me."
  
  Lionel spun around to face a young man dressed in a black dress shirt and a black shirt, with black boots. Sunglasses hid his eyes, with his hair straight. "My name is Harry Potter."
  
  "So, we meet in the flesh at last, Mr. Potter," said Lionel, as he looked at the young man.
  
  'Nothing like the pictures,' thought Lionel.
  
  "Lionel Luthor, I presume," said Harry in an abrupt voice, and Lionel responded with a slow nod.
  
  "You presume correctly," said Lionel. "I am actually meeting you as a favor, but there is one question I must as you. Are you really the son of Lily Evans?"
  
  Harry became instantly suspicious, and his face adopted a neutral expression. Any inquires about his family; especially his mother put him on edge just on sheer principal. He surveyed Lionel, but the man seemed able to not to project any obvious thoughts.
  
  "Yes, she's my mother," said Harry in a clipped tone. "Did you know her by any chance?"
  
  "I did meet her a handful of times in passing," confirmed Lionel. "She wasn't much for the same high end social circles as her parents or her older sister...whom I believed raised you."
  
  "If you're referring to Petunia Dursley, then yes, "said Harry, as he carefully chose his next words. "She took me in...that's all you need to know."
  
  "That's all I asked," said Lionel, as he tried to get a feel on this young man.
  
  He was carefully guarded, and tended not to like to discuss his past. Lionel did respect that, sometimes it was best if the past should remain buried.
  
  "I do admit, despite not knowing her well, your mother interested me," said Lionel. "She seemed to be on the cusp of some really big secrets."
  
  "All of us have secrets, Mr. Luthor," said Harry, as he looked at the older man, the sunglasses hiding the suspicion in his eyes, and the fact they narrowed. "I'd imagine you're not an exception to this rule."
  
  Lionel did not respond. The lack of response was all of the response Harry needed.
  
  "So you only met her a few times in passing. Yet, you seem to have bought something that belonged to her, something rather personal."
  
  "What are you speaking of?" asked Lionel crisply.
  
  "Her journal, you purchased it fifteen years ago," said Harry, not fooled for one second.
  
  "Yes, I heard about your search for that journal," said Lionel without missing a beat. "I'd like to help you recover it, but I'm afraid it was thrown out a few years ago."
  
  A look of annoyance crossed Harry's face.
  
  "Why do you want the journal so badly?" asked Lionel.
  
  "Family heirloom, nothing more," said Harry in a flat voice.
  
  There was an eerie silence, both stood, but neither moved. Lionel decided to be the one to break the silence.
  
  "Very well," said Lionel, as he stepped back. "I do have another question for you. It regards a crystal. I have received word that your friend, Ms. Kent, has it, and you're trying to figure out what it is for her."
  
  "I have no clue what you're talking about," said Harry, as his body remained unmoving. He purposely remained still, but ready to strike. He was like a snake in the grass, cornered, surveying the other predators out there. "I don't have an idea who's been feeding you your information."
  
  "Well, I guess I was mistaken," said Lionel, as he shifted on his feet. "Just one more question. Does the word Veritas hold any meaning to you?"
  
  There was a short pause.
  
  "No."
  
  Harry heard that word one other time in his life. Once was barely worth his time, but now that he heard it twice, his curiosity was now piqued.
  
  "Very well," said Lionel, as he switched gears. "I understand you've had a few meetings with my son, Lex."
  
  "Just standard business matters," answered Harry.
  
  "Be careful around him, Harry," said Lionel seriously. "He gets obsessed easily, and you could get dragged down with him."
  
  Lionel clapped Harry on the shoulder, and went on his way.
  
  Harry moved forward. He would have another chat with the younger Luthor about the journal.
  
  Lionel crept around, as he made his way to the Kent Farm. Clark waited for him outside of barn. Lionel moved over, and the two men walked inside.
  
  "It appears our young Mr. Potter is hiding something about the crystal," said Lionel. "He seems to have learned the art of lying at the foot of a master."
  
  Clark remained silent. Going to Lionel had been a last resort. Despite the fact that the older man had changed, Clark had certain misgivings about involving him in such a delicate situation.
  
  Jor-El had pressured him about the crystal, and how it was imperative he acquire it.
  
  "I hate doing this behind Kara's back, and Harry's too, but I need to know for sure what the crystal is," said Clark. "And if it's dangerous or not."
  
  "Well if Jor-El believes it's a danger, then you should listen to him," said Lionel as he placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "And you should get your hands on the crystal, and figure it out before Harry does. I hate to tell you this, Clark, but he's sitting on big secrets. Those secrets could mean the end of you."
  
  'He gets it from the Evans family, thought Lionel mentally. 'Briar and Violet were all about their games and manipulations, and Petunia was the same way. And Harry was raised under her watchful eye for most of his life.'
  
  Disbelief appeared on Clark's face.
  
  "I trust him, and Kara does too...and I think I can trust her."
  
  Lionel just sighed.
  
  "I'm imagine the crystal may he held at the Shining Light Foundation," said Lionel.
  
  "Why on Earth would it be there?" asked Clark. "I told you, it's a place to help the meteor infected..."
  
  "Harry could very well be running other projects out of there," said Lionel, rubbing his chin in thought. "But we can't know for sure."
  
  Clark followed Lionel, conflicted. On one hand, Lionel proved himself to be a changed man. On the other hand, Harry appeared to be someone of his word.
  
  Yet, Clark felt pressured to get the crystal. He would bear the consequences later, this was a huge part of his training, and he could not fail the first test.
  
  "You're going to believe this, Chloe!" shouted Lois without warning the exact moment Chloe answered her phone.
  
  "Well that's always an auspicious beginning," said Chloe with a sigh. "What is it I'm not supposed to believe?"
  
  "Lionel Luthor crawled out from underneath the rock he was hiding underneath a while back, "answered Lois, who appeared to be bursting with excitement. She sounded like she was on the edge of a taboo secret that she could not wait to share with the rest of the world.
  
  "Yeah, I know," said Chloe.
  
  "And I spotted him meeting with the Shining Light nut, you know that Potter guy," said Lois, and Chloe just held her tongue, but frowned at Lois calling Harry "a nut." "Seems like a weird meeting, don't you think?"
  
  "Yeah, weird," agreed Chloe, as she tried to figure out why Lionel would want to meet with Harry. That got her interested, and slightly worried. "Did you hear anything of what they said?"
  
  "I was far away, a bit back," said Lois. "I swear there was a beehive close by, there was a lot of buzzing in my ears, it blocked out the conversation. It was hard to make anything out, but I'm sure it was suspicious. They were meeting, isn't that suspicious enough?"
  
  "Yes, it might be," agreed Chloe. "Lois, I need to talk to someone...a contact...talk to you later."
  
  "Fine, catch you later," said Lois.
  
  The moment Lois was gone; Chloe switched the ear piece on. Harry had given it to her, in case she ever needed to get in touch with him.
  
  "Hello?" asked Harry in a distracted voice.
  
  "Hey Harry, it's Chloe," said the woman. "Did you by any chance meet with Lionel Luthor today?"
  
  "Chloe, yes, but I'm very busy now," said Harry abruptly.
  
  "You're going after the journal again," said Chloe.
  
  "Yeah, I'm going after the journal again, talk to you later, take care, bye," said Harry.
  
  "Wait Harry!" yelled Chloe, but she got nothing other than static. She turned around, a bit annoyed about being blown off in such a manner.
  
  If she did not know better, Harry was starting to go insane, based on his hunt for the journal.
  
  Lex poured over his records. He found out what Lana was doing, and it was far beyond just one little book. If it was the book, he would not take as personally. Lex would have given her any money she wanted, just to shut her up and get her out of his life.
  
  The journal had just been the straw that broke the camel's back.
  
  Lex prepared to teach his ex-wife a valuable lesson. Her illegal activities were now leaked to certain interested parties, with implications about what else she was into. He would see Lana burn for this one.
  
  A moment later, a buzz brought Lex out of his thoughts.
  
  "Harry Potter is here to see you, sir," said the voice.
  
  "Send him in," said Lex, as he wondered what Harry wanted this time.
  
  Harry walked in, and faced Lex.
  
  "Drop the lies, I know you have my mother's journal," said Harry, without any preamble.
  
  "We've been through this, Harry," said Lex, as he stepped back. "I..."
  
  "Your father wanted to meet with me," said Harry, as Lex's face contorted in disgust.
  
  He had a hunch his father likely implicated him in having the journal, or at least that's the impression Harry seemed to be giving off.
  
  "Do not trust my father, or anything he says," said Lex, turning away from Harry to hide his scowl. "But, I do have to admit...your persistence is admirable. I have looked, and I think I have uncovered your mother's journal. This way."
  
  Harry followed, ready for anything. He refused to believe it could be that easy. Lex opened up a cabinet, and pulled the red journal out, before he placed it in Harry's hands.
  
  "Thank you," said Harry, as he turned around to leave with the book.
  
  "It was a pleasure doing business with you," said Lex with a calculating smile, as he watched Harry walk off with the fake. It would buy him the time to get the real journal, and deal with Lana. He would then place the journal in a safe and more secure location.
  
  Harry held the fake in his hands. He immediately knew it was a fake, but he now had a shrewd idea who might have taken it. Foremost on Lex's mind were annoyed thoughts about a certain Ms. Lana Lang.
  
  The real question was where that idiot woman was hiding his mother's journal.
  
  Kara casually walked up the driveway, dressed in a red shirt and jeans, with white tennis shoes. Given Harry was out doing his own thing this morning; she decided to drop by the Kent Farm to check up on her cousin. Their relationship had been rather cordial and kind of cool, but he was the only blood family she had left. She really held out hope that he could learn to trust her.
  
  The blonde woman paused, as she peered inside the window. She spotted Lana sitting on the Kitchen table. She seemed to be pouring over a book of some kind. Kara peered through the window, her nose pressed against it. She got a better look.
  
  Her eyes narrowed, when she saw what Lana had. In her hands rested a journal, or to be more clear, the journal.
  
  The journal she and Harry had been searching for all over Smallville had been at the Kent Farm for this entire time, in the possession of Lana Lang.
  
  A scowl appeared on her face. Kara pushed open the back door, and was behind Lana in the blink of an eye. She cleared her throat.
  
  "Oh, hi, Kara," said Lana as she stood up, a smile appearing on her face. "I didn't know you were stopping by. Clark's gone out, but if you'd like I..."
  
  "Hand the journal over," said Kara as she stared down Lana. Lana tried to act natural.
  
  "What journal?" asked Lana, as she hastily shoved the incrementing item back into her in bag.
  
  "The journal you stole from Harry," said Kara, as she stepped forward, and Lana slowly backed off.
  
  Kara restrained herself from doing something she would regret, or rather Lana would. This woman stole Harry's journal, and now was trying to lie her way out of it.
  
  Lana's mouth opened and shut, she was absolutely lost right now. Kara stared her down, and Lana felt her heart thump against her chest. This girl was not going to let her go without an explanation.
  
  'She's psychotic,' thought Lana, in fear for her life. The nineteen year old Kryptonian continued to move towards Lana.
  
  "I think you're confused, Kara," said Lana, as she backed off, a bit intimidated, but Kara snatched her by the shirt, and pushed her back onto a chair.
  
  "That journal was a family heirloom, how long have you had it?" demanded Kara, as she trapped Lana.
  
  "I..I..." started Lana, but she slid back into the chair, nearly tipping it over, her heart thumped against her chest.
  
  "Stop stuttering and answer my questions!" yelled Kara as her temper and her eyes both flared up.
  
  Lana was shaking, but Kara's face contorted into a scowl, as she grabbed the coffee cup Lana was drinking from and crushed it in her hand.
  
  That got Lana talking rather quickly.
  
  "I didn't know it was Harry's okay!" screamed Lana quickly as she caught her breath. "I took it, from Lex Luthor, he had it. I guess he must have stolen it first or his father did, I don't know. If the journal means so much, take it! I can't read a word of it anyway!"
  
  Lana slid out the journal, her hand shaking and sweat rolling down her face. Kara was about to snatch it away, but before this could happen the doors of the farm house were busted down. The two girls found themselves on the business end of several guns.
  
  "Okay, Lana, hand over the journal," growled a man who Lana recognized as one of Lex's thugs.
  
  "No, I saw it first, I'm working for the Shining Light Foundation," said Kara as she faced them, arms folded. "That journal belongs to its founder..."
  
  "The journal is the exclusive property of Luthorcorp," said one of the armed men, as he pointed the gun at Kara. "Lex Luthor also intends to press..."
  
  Kara made a mad dash for the journal, but a stun gun jabbed it her ribs. She found herself distracted and momentarily annoyed. Not to blow her secret, Kara had to take a dive.
  
  Lana took advantage of the distraction, and ran out the doors with the journal. The thugs followed suit, and chased her into the cornfields.
  
  "Stop right there, Ms. Lang or we will shoot!" yelled the thug.
  
  Kara made plans, to just snatch the journal, and fly as fast as she could out of there. She moved to the windows, but her eyes widened.
  
  'Of course it couldn't be that simple,' thought Kara in despair.
  
  She watched, as several helicopters dropped down, and Lana was being accosted by what appeared to be agents of the United States Government.
  
  "This journal is now the official property of the United States Government," said a gruff man as he walked up. "Go get the other one."
  
  Kara heard these words, bolted out the back door, and flew to the barn to hide from these men. Perched high above, she watched several government agents search the property. Lana was restrained.
  
  "Alright, the other one must have escaped, but she won't get far!" called a voice. "Ms. Lang, you will come with us for a few questions, but cooperate and you might see a few more sunrises."
  
  Kara peered through the barn, as she watched them walk off. She was about ready to scream. She had the journal.
  
  The United States Government had their hands on the journal, and they had Lana as well. This was a situation where she knew she might need a bit of help for.
  
  Taking a few minutes to compose herself, Kara lifted a finger towards an invisible item in her ear.
  
  "Harry," said Kara as she activated the communication ear piece she had to Harry. She heard it come to life.
  
  "Kara, what is it?" asked Harry. "Not that I don't mind talking to you but I'm following a lead on the journal..."
  
  "I found the journal!" yelled Kara, cutting him off.
  
  Stunned silence followed this declaration.
  
  "Really, that's great," said Harry, his voice sounding relieved. "Last I heard Lana had it..."
  
  "Yeah, I found her," said Kara, as she tried to think how to best break the news to Harry.
  
  "Good, you're the best Kara," said Harry, and she took a deep breath.
  
  "Well don't praise me yet," said Kara. "I noticed Lana took the journal, and was going to take it back from her, but the United States government showed up. They snatched both the journal and Lana."
  
  There was a long pause.
  
  "Harry?" asked Kara, concerned that the device stopped working.
  
  "I'll be right there to your location, and we'll track the journal back down," said Harry, as he disabled the communication link.
  
  Kara looked up a second later, and saw Harry standing right next to her.
  
  "Okay, let's go before we lose them," said Harry, as they held hands, turned invisible, and flew off. They barely got far, before a buzzing in Harry's ear went off.
  
  "What now?" asked Kara.
  
  "Someone's trying to snoop around at Shining Light Foundation HQ," said Harry, frowning. "Kara, go and check that out, I'll go rescue the journal."
  
  Harry paused for a moment, before he added as an afterthought. "Oh, and Lana, I suppose I should rescue her too."
  
  'I should really leave her rot, but since she knows about Clark and Kara, I can't let the government pump her for information,' said Harry. 'Fucking Lana Lang, if you didn't leave well enough alone, I would have been able to get that journal by now.'
  
  Kara gave a smile as Harry looked like he had just swallowed a foul lemon, but the two parted ways quickly without another word.
  
  The journal was so close Harry could almost taste it. He caught sight of the government transport.
  
  'It's going towards a place....," thought Harry as his eyes closed. 'Groom Lake in Nevada, it looks like.'
  
  The name sounded familiar.
  
  'Of course, Area 51,' said Harry, which caused him to quicken his flight and pick up the pace. He would have to survey the area to find out what he was up against.
  
  With any luck, Harry would be able to pop in, get the journal, get the woman who stuck her nose where it didn't belong, and leave.
  
  Of course, Harry was not going to count on things being that easy.
  
  Clark peaked around the corner as he made his way up to the main elevator of the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters. Lionel followed, also allowed himself a moment to look around.
  
  "Impressive, the technology in this place is light years ahead of anything I've seen before," said Lionel as he looked around, but he shook himself back "Best, I can tell, there might be an R and D lab up this way. All of the other floors seem to be for the guests of this foundation."
  
  "That's where we'd find the crystal?" asked Clark.
  
  Lionel just responded with a stoic nod. He was honestly surprised he did not find much in the way of security. Of course, that just would make locating the crystal much easier.
  
  The two men made their way up the stairs, and sure enough they walked into a magnificent looking lab. It looked so clean, almost eerily so. Clark scanned everything, in an attempt to locate anything that looked like a crystal.
  
  He moved over, when he saw a vault lined with lead. Clark put his hands on it, but Lionel grabbed his arm.
  
  "Son, I'd imagine that vault contains meteors," said Lionel as he looked at the safe. He motioned for Clark to move back safely, as he tried to crack the safe, but found the security to be foolproof. He tried to use every trick he knew, but he found nothing. "It's almost like the combination changes automatically to prevent guessing anyone from guessing it."
  
  Lionel tried, but found himself hitting a stone wall every single time.
  
  "So that safe's a bust," said Clark, but he turned around to find himself at the business end of several weapons.
  
  They had just met the security at Shining Light. Security who took pride in the job they were paid for, as they held their guns on both Clark and Lionel, fingers inching towards the triggers.
  
  "No, your attempts to break into Mr. Potter's research lab are a bust," said the leader of the security team in a gruff voice. The guns were armed, and ready to fire at the wrong movement. Clark looked like he was about to make a move, but he was cut off. "These guns can cut through anything, including solid steel. So put your hands in the air, and come quietly, or we will fire."
  
  The guns pointed on Lionel and Clark, and they had no choice but to follow. One wrong movement; and they were history.
  
  Lana's eyes opened. She was restrained behind the bars of a government cell. She remembered she had been tranquilized, to prevent knowledge of where she was going.
  
  "I don't get it, it's just a journal," said a voice in the distance. "There's not a damn word written in it! What's the big deal?"
  
  She looked up, and shook her head, to see a trio of government agents stand around. A fourth walked into her line of sight.
  
  "Would a normal journal be able to do this?" asked the agent as he flicked a lighter on, and tried to light it. The flame lit up the journal, but there was no damage as the fire extinguished itself. "And Ms. Lang is awake, although I would have preferred the other woman being brought here. She was Potter's supposed childhood friend, or so the official story goes."
  
  "Sorry, Agent Carter, she got away," said one of the men in an apologetic voice.
  
  "It doesn't matter, I have someone who has been messing around in things beyond her comprehension," said Carter, as he turned around to face Lana. "And you're going to tell me everything you know, whether you like it or not."
  
  Carter tapped his feet. He was suspicious on sheer principle about the Shining Light Foundation, and what their intentions. No one could simply come to help such disgusting freaks.
  
  When that woman, Sinclair, broke in to the previous base to liberate those meteor freaks, and ranted about Potter his curiosity was piqued about the young man even more. Given the damage Sinclair did with her efforts, his work would have to continue at a more discreet location.
  
  Yet the journal was the biggest, most interesting piece of evidence. Carter was convinced that this journal was actually some sort of beacon to call to summon an invasion force, to enslave the human race.
  
  Given that a fourth of Great Britain's population seemed to have been wiped off the map, he suspected Harry Potter, Kara Kent, and Rosalina Sinclair (if those were their real names) had been part of some kind of advanced invasion force to test Earth's defenses. Their government did a mass cover up, but Carter had enough numbers.
  
  Sinclair and Potter had a rift of some kind. Likely it was who would be the leader, so they fought over the meteor freaks. Potter won that battle, as Sinclair met her demise.
  
  Carter would be doing his civic duty to save the world from the alien menace. While the President chased his obsessions, Carter saw a bigger picture.
  
  He would find out what Lana Lang knew about this potential intergalactic menace, by any means necessary.
  
  To Be Continued in Chapter 11, "Breakout."
  Breakout
  
  
  Chapter 11: Breakout.
  
  "So, I suppose you are wondering why you were brought here, Lana."
  
  Lana shifted from her seat, blinking. Her hands were clammy. This government agent stared her down, an unsympathetic look on his face. He was outside of the cell, she was tripped in it. Surgical tools could be seen from her vantage point, and the smell of decay filled the air.
  
  "I'll tell you why I brought you here," said Carter, as he held onto the bars, peering through the cell. "You know something. Otherwise you wouldn't have had that journal. The fact many people seem to be after one little book is very suspicious. The fact it happened in Smallville of all places, well that just adds a bit more intrigue to this situation, now does it?"
  
  "I don't...I don't...I don't know what you're talking about," said Lana, her breath quickening in and out, as she tried to maintain a straight face.
  
  "Well, you did live there for years, it's the home of the strange and the mysterious, the meteor capital of the world," said Carter, as he walked around his lab. "For years, I've been wondering, is there other intelligent life out there? Over the years, many events have pointed to the fact that there are aliens among us. The conspiracy theories about this base, well they aren't so much theories as you can see."
  
  Carter paused for dramatic effect, and then continued.
  
  "We do conduct aircraft testing for sure, but the wildest explanation often is the truth. Alien spacecraft has been brought to this base, and picked apart, bit by bit. The visitors have been studied, and then dissected, before their remains are destroyed. Yet it's not who comes here that matters, but rather what they brought here."
  
  Carter lit up a cigarette. He took a drag from it, and blew smoke into the room.
  
  "Technology that could benefit humanity, or destroy it given the right motivation," breathed Carter, as he tapped on the side of her cell. "Once that meteor shower hit about eighteen or so years ago, I was just a lowly pencil pusher. Yet, I found myself rising through the ranks. Granted, I've had some very valuable and influential friends. Would you hazard a guess to who one of those men would be?"
  
  Lana just mustered a dirty look.
  
  "The Luthors gave me a leg up when they could," said Carter, as he turned away from Lana for the moment. "Lex called me; he implied you knew about certain matters involving the extra-terrestrials. This journal belongs to the owner of the Shining Light Foundation, Mr. Harry Potter. Are you acquainted?"
  
  "We've met," said Lana shortly. "He...asked me to hold onto the journal for him, until he could retrieve it. He has very important business."
  
  "Lana, we both know that's a lie," said Carter, as he took another drag of his cigarette. "This journal was purchased by Luthorcorp years ago. Yet, it is just blank pages. It's almost like someone bought it, but did not have a chance to fill it in. Yet, I spill acid on it, burn it with fire, or try and rip it apart. It does not get damaged at all. Why do you suppose that is?"
  
  "I don't know!"
  
  Carter just had a grin appear on his face.
  
  "I trust we could fill many books with what you may not know, Ms. Lang," said Carter. "But I know you know something. I know you're hiding something. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
  
  Carter turned to Lana, face to face with her.
  
  "Either way, I will find out what you know about strange occurrences in Smallville. For years and years, these meteor freaks have shown great power. But with some chemicals and the right combination of the crystalized rocks, we can create our own home grown variety. Of course, there are some who escaped when Rosalina Sinclair attacked us."
  
  Carter hid his forearm, which had been severely injured in that battle with that woman. He scowled.
  
  "Sinclair is part of an alien invasion force, along with Harry Potter and Kara Kent," said Carter. "And I believe there is a fourth one, Kara's cousin, he may be involved in this little incident as well. Do you know what I'm talking about Lana?"
  
  Lana shook her head. She knew, but she was not about to betray Clark to this madman.
  
  "I was just holding onto that journal, I swear!" yelled Lana.
  
  "No, Lex Luthor assured me you stole it, and you were trying to hack into his personal computers," said Carter. "It does make me wonder what other illegal activities you might be up to, Lana. I'll give you a few minutes to think where your loyalties lie. Is your life really worth gambling away for something like this?"
  
  Lana was left alone. Carter walked out, to check to see if Harry Potter had come after his journal. So far, there was nothing picked up on the radar. It would be able to clock anything unless there was a severe magnetic disturbance. Look outs would be posted to make sure. If Potter arrived, he would be spotted.
  
  Carter would make sure this E.T. did not find his journal, and phone home.
  
  "So, what are we supposed to be looking for again?"
  
  "Anything suspicious."
  
  "Yeah security's tight, there's no way this Potter is going to get one past us."
  
  A flash of light was seen in the distance, over by the fence. The troops rushed over to investigate the source of the disturbance. They were just grunts, doing their job. They had a duty to their country, and would protect the security of this nation. Most of them really had no opinion about extra-terrestrials, either good or bad.
  
  "Look over there!"
  
  The troops all stared into the distance, and saw a blinding light. The figure running in the distance matched that of Harry Potter. They all spread out to see if they could get a hold of him.
  
  Invisible, the real Harry Potter snuck past them. Now security had been sliced down, he could make his way into one of the bunkers. Two guards rushed by, as a scientist made his way in. Harry followed the scientist, invisible, to see what the man was up to. His footsteps were silent.
  
  With any luck, there would be a computer system that would point him to the journal.
  
  'That journal better be important for all the hell I'm going through over it,' thought Harry, as he continued to shadow the scientist. The scientist walked over to a case, where a familiar glowing rock had been stored. Bags of liquefied Kryptonite were placed on the floor.
  
  "You're the last one, aren't you?" asked the scientist, as he turned over the rock in his hand. "It's just as well, Luthorcorp should be sending more over before too long."
  
  The scientist turned around, and was paralyzed, unable to move. A hooded figure appeared in front of him. The scientist screamed, and staggered backwards, nearly falling over.
  
  "No, it's my time, it's...." started the scientist but he found his mouth shut, immediately.
  
  "I will return to you the ability to speak, if you promise not to be so melodramatic. Just nod if you understand."
  
  The scientist nodded fearfully, and the ability to speak returned to him.
  
  "What are you doing with these meteor rocks?"
  
  "I'm...it's an experiment," said the scientist, as sweat rolled down his face. "The government is trying to figure out what's going on...we're experimenting on people, injecting the liquefied rocks into them..."
  
  The figure swooped down onto the scientist, and he felt a sudden chill.
  
  "It's no one important, just convicts, really I swear to God," said the scientist, his heart rate and his breathing sped up.
  
  "That's the only free lie you get. I know for a fact you've been taking orphans, and experimenting on them with those rocks. So I would highly recommend you tell me the truth."
  
  "Fine, it's not like...well they won't be missed, will they?" asked the scientist, but he was flipped upside down.
  
  "You have a choice. Tell me who your supplier is for the meteors, or I'll just pluck the information out of your mind. You can believe I won't be gentle about it. You have fifteen seconds, start talking."
  
  "Luthorcorp, it's Luthorcorp," stammered the scientist. "I swear...I'm just a man doing my job. I have to make money; I have a wife and children."
  
  The scientist returned to an upward position, dizzy from the blood rushing to his head.
  
  "That point actually decreases my sympathy for you," said the Herald of Death, as he pinned the scientist to the wall.
  
  "Help, someone help me!" yelled the scientist, but no one rescued him.
  
  "No one can hear your screams, but me," said the robed figure, as he held the scientist in place "Anything else you know anything about a journal."
  
  "No, I just break down the meteor rocks, and prepare the injections, I don't know anything about any journal," stammered the scientist.
  
  "Very well, you seem to be telling the truth. You have hit your head, and will wake up in six hours. I will be nothing but a hallucination due to the stress of working too much."
  
  The scientist was thrown down onto the ground, as Harry stepped over his unconscious form. He disposed of the stores of liquefied Kryptonite, first.
  
  He walked over towards the computer that was open. After a bit of effort, he managed to hack into the defenses around the base, to cause some more headaches for these people. Harry began to search the base, and found the location of more stores of liquefied Kryptonite. He also found the location of several test subjects. A guy named Carter appeared to be in charge of the entire operation.
  
  'Son of a bitch, that's the bastard who experimented on Claire,' thought Harry. 'And there are other children, who weren't so lucky....died...dead...brain dead...a few are still alive...for what it's worth..well I'm going to have to shut both Carter and his little super soldier experiment down. He seems to be obsessed with aliens, but I'm going to make sure he's going down hard for what he's done.'
  
  Harry went invisible again, copying the information, so he could access it easily. Then, he slid into the shadows. Carter's main base of operations appeared to be deep underground, and a great deal of the liquid Kryptonite was stored with him.
  
  He had to keep moving, as he sent another decoy in the air, in the opposite direction where he was headed.
  
  Harry glided above the ground, to ensure that he would not even make any footsteps. He listened closely, as everyone ran around, panicked security had gone haywire.
  
  "Potter's flying around outside, he's causing havoc with the base's defenses!"
  
  Harry remained silent, as the door opened. He slipped inside, as two scientists walked out. He saw the next storage of liquefied Kryptonite. He disposed of it immediately. He waved his hand, and a scientist on the outside walked in, before he walked out.
  
  He popped into each and every lab, destroying the deposits one at a time, liberating any test subjects he found and sending the containment pods to the basement of the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters.
  
  Clark sat on the cot in the holding cell at the Shining Light Foundation. Lionel remained rather calm, as he reclined back, and ate the meal that had been provided for the two captives.
  
  "Well what you wish about Mr. Potter, but at least he does not let the people who break in go hungry," said Lionel, in between bites.
  
  "Yes, there's that," said Clark, as he tried to super speed into the glass, but it bounced him back.
  
  "You will find that to be a foolish move. These cells were designed in case any our patients became too much to control. Therefore, they are made of an alloy that will repel any powers back tenfold if someone gets unruly."
  
  Lionel nodded, as Clark rubbed his head.
  
  'The best security is something that no one notices,' thought Lionel.
  
  "Look, this was a misunderstanding," said Clark. "We just wanted to...I just came here to see my cousin, Kara. I wanted to see how she was doing; she seemed rather stressed lately..."
  
  "It is common protocol to call before coming," said the head of security, as he chewed on a toothpick and spit it out.
  
  "You can't even make one exception," said Lionel. "I swear, if you let us out, we'll never bother you again."
  
  "It's not our decision," said the head of security. "Just sit there, and be thankful that Mr. Potter isn't here. He would like to know why you were snooping around. If you had hurt one of our guests, you would not be getting the luxury holding cell."
  
  "I was not under the impression that Harry Potter could make such decisions," said Lionel. "Isn't that best left up to local law enforcement?"
  
  "Once you're on this property, Mr. Potter is the law."
  
  Clark's ears perked up as he heard his cousin's voice talking to security. Kara walked down the hallway, dressed in business attire, with her hair clipped back and she wore a pair of eyeglasses. She stopped in front of the holding cell, and her eyes looked from Clark to Lionel.
  
  It was a long time before she spoke, and the anticipation made it far worse for Clark.
  
  "You're the intruder," said Kara in a cool voice. Kara was calm and collected, and Clark slid back as she surveyed him.
  
  "Yes, I was looking for you, we had a misunderstanding with security," said Clark, and Kara just shook her head.
  
  "I'm sure you misunderstood that protocol for this building is that all guests are supposed to present themselves at the front desk," said Kara, as she stared him down. "You're also supposed to call to make an appointment."
  
  "It was an honest mistake, I just wanted to see how you were," said Clark. "I haven't seen you in a while and..."
  
  "I was fine, until I had to bolt down to Headquarters, I thought someone dangerous broke in," said Kara, as her eyes narrowed. "What were you really doing here? And who is this, and what is he doing here?"
  
  Kara opened the cell and slipped in, before she closed the door behind her. Only her and Harry could open them from the inside.
  
  "This is Lionel Luthor, he's....helping me look for something," said Clark.
  
  "Oh, is he?" asked Kara, as she stood with her back at the wall, and looked at Lionel with a look of deep disgust. "He was talking to Harry this morning. Pulled him away from our breakfast together before we could finish, and...I suppose you tried to rope Harry into whatever you're doing."
  
  "I just wanted to find out what Mr. Potter knew about a crystal you were rumored to be holding," said Lionel.
  
  "Who told you this?" asked Kara, as she grabbed Lionel.
  
  "I believe that doesn't matter now, "said Lionel, remaining cool despite the situation he was in. "All that matters is as long as you have the crystal, it puts Clark in danger."
  
  "I don't have the crystal though," said Kara, as her arms folded over. "Do you two really think that we would just leave a highly dangerous Kryptonian crystal lying around in this building? Where we have children who could pick it up, and play with it?"
  
  Lionel and Clark registered that, and both shook their heads.
  
  "It was a shot in the dark," said Clark with a sheepish grin.
  
  "So, you both thought you could break into this building without permission, and steal my crystal, without permission," said Kara, as she leaned back, but then she flicked Lionel in the chest with one finger. Lionel fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.
  
  "Kara, what did you do?" asked Clark.
  
  "Nothing fatal," said Kara, as Lionel rested on the floor. "You can now talk to me, but I don't want him knowing what we talk about."
  
  Clark's shoulders slumped, as he looked his cousin in the eye.
  
  "Jor-El sent me to get the crystal, as part of my training," said Clark, and that caused Kara's mood go from slightly annoyed to rather agitated in the blink of an eye.
  
  "Jor-El is dead," said Kara in a cold voice.
  
  "Well not the original Jor-El, but he left an artificial intelligence of himself behind to guide me," said Clark, and Kara just folded her arms and her lips curled into a frown, giving Clark the look of deepest disgust. "He thinks both you and Harry are...that you could be...a danger to me."
  
  "I see," said Kara in a brisk voice. "So the great and powerful Jor-El decided to take it upon himself to give you an order, and you fell into line. Did you ever think to talk to me or Harry about the crystal? Instead you do this little cloak and dagger act where you sneak around this building."
  
  "I didn't..." said Clark, as he shook his head. "I thought you would just...about the crystal..."
  
  "You can't even justify what you're doing," said Kara. "I can hear it in your voice; you're fighting with yourself in your mind. Your voice is breaking. You want to trust me, but you're afraid of incurring the wrath of Jor-El."
  
  "He's been right in the past," said Clark in a small voice.
  
  "Maybe," said Kara, as she looked away. "But don't think I'm going to just accept something at face value because Jor-El said it. You know why."
  
  Clark nodded slowly. Kara informed him of that quite clearly.
  
  "I'm going to leave you here Clark, and you should really think about what you did," said Kara, as she turned around. "The decision what's going to happen to you is going to be left in Harry's hands. I hope he's in a good enough mood when he comes back, for your sake."
  
  "Why wouldn't Harry be in a good mood?" asked Clark.
  
  "Oh, dear Lana decided to take his mother's journal," said Kara, as she looked at Clark, contempt dripping from her voice. "And now thanks to her, Harry has to go chasing after it, and risk having his powers exposed to the government!"
  
  "I'm just Lana didn't mean any harm, she might have picked it up somewhere," said Clark, but Kara just snorted at that thought.
  
  "You trust Lana, of course you trust her," said Kara in a sarcastic voice. "She's hurt you before, Clark, and....just never mind. That's your own problem to deal with. I do wonder how many times you're going to let that girl step on your heart before you open your eyes."
  
  "Kara I..."
  
  "I'm done talking to you!" yelled Kara. "Just sit in the cell, and be quiet, you don't understand what you've done! And if anything happens to Harry, it's going your fault because I wasn't there to help him!"
  
  Kara remained silent for another second, but then spoke once more.
  
  "And if you just actually walked up to Harry or me like an adult, and asked about the crystal, you wouldn't be in the fix you are in, Kal-El!"
  
  Without another word, Kara stormed off. Clark remained in the cell, as Lionel continued to snooze on the floor from after what Kara did to him. He wondered if this day could get any worse.
  
  Then he remembered a very important detail. Harry was not here. He remembered what happened to him the first time he met Harry, when he took a step onto Harry's property. Then when he followed Harry and Kara, he got pulled into another dimension, and lectured about what he was doing.
  
  Clark was not looking forward to that meeting.
  
  Kara walked down the hallway towards her office, taking a deep calming breath to rein in her temper. She was about to get in touch with Harry, to see if he had any luck with liberating the journal. As her journey continued, she was stopped by a ten year old girl with red hair.
  
  "Oh, hi, Claire, "said Kara, who tried to remain cheerful for the sake of the young girl.
  
  It was remarkable how far Claire had come in the past couple of months. She had a slightly haunted look in her eyes, and had nightmares for the longest time, but Harry walked her through them. Harry could have been spending that time tracking down the journal, but he helped a young girl who had been tortured and tormented that needed help.
  
  "Look Kara, I drew this!" cried Claire, exhibiting a youthful innocence that Kara hoped the girl would never lose.
  
  "Well, let me see it," said Kara as she took the piece of paper.
  
  She surveyed the paper; it was a picture of Claire, Kara, and Harry.
  
  "That's very pretty, Claire," said Kara, with a smile towards the girl. "You did a good job; I'm going to have to show Harry this, okay?"
  
  "Do you think he'll like it?" asked Claire in a shy voice.
  
  "I'm sure he'll love it as much as I do," said Kara. "Now, I've got work to do, lunch should be in a little bit. Just run along, and see if everyone else is ready."
  
  "Can I ask you a question?" asked Claire.
  
  "I guess that wouldn't hurt," said Kara, as she took a cup of water from the water cooler, and took a drink.
  
  "When are you and Harry going to get together?" asked Claire suddenly, and Kara spat out the water in surprise.
  
  "I...well...you see...Claire, you shouldn't really be bothered by that," said Kara, as she tried to desperately regain her composure.
  
  "You two should really just get over yourselves, and just kiss already," added Claire in a completely innocent voice. "You really should work out your sexual tension, um I don't know what that is, but it sounded like something you should do."
  
  "Claire!" yelled Kara in a reproachful voice. "Where did you pick up something like that?"
  
  "Oh, I heard Chloe say it a couple of days ago," said Claire with a dismissive shrug.
  
  "I see," said Kara in a calm voice.
  
  'I'm going to have to have a chat with Chloe later,' thought Kara to herself.
  
  "Claire, please run along, I need to...talk to Harry," said Kara, but she did not like the devious smile on the little girl's face.
  
  She blamed Chloe, this was all her fault.
  
  Kara entered her office, reaching her desk. Immediately, she received a message from Harry.
  
  Kara,
  
  I'm closing in on the journal. This time, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it. Maybe, ninety five percent chance of success, this time, I hope.
  
  Don't come after me, they've got enough Kryptonite to level a village. I mean it this time. I really care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. It would be the worst day of my life.
  
  If I'm not back by morning, I'm likely getting dissected, and we can all blame Lana for it. Oh and Death as well, we can blame her as well for causing me on a wild goose chase over a book. And if I don't come back, thanks for everything, I really appreciate everything you helped me with.
  
  Take Care,
  
  Harry.
  
  Kara held the note in her hand. She read it over, her eyes focusing on a couple of particular lines.
  
  "He's going to come back," said Kara in an undertone. "I l...he has to come back."
  
  The note was held in her hands, like a cherished possession. She read over the lines, "I really care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. It would be the worst day of my life."
  
  A smile appeared on her face.
  
  Patience was a virtue. Good things came to those who waited.
  
  Carter had Lana bound and gagged, a metallic headband strapped over her head.
  
  "I'm just going to ask you a few simple questions, Lana," said Carter, as he leaned down, peering down in her face "And this little machine, taken from an alien ship, will tell me what you're thinking about."
  
  The phone ringing distracted Carter. He took a moment to answer the call.
  
  "Yes, what is it?" asked Carter.
  
  "This is Lex Luthor," said Lex.
  
  "Ah, Lex, what can I do for you?" asked Carter in a faux polite voice.
  
  "You know what I want Carter," said Lex. "I told you Lana was up to something about your line of work. All I asked for in return was the journal, but I found out that your government agents swiped it from underneath my men's nose when they had tracked it down."
  
  "That journal is no simple journal," said Carter.
  
  "You have my property," said Lex, ignoring what Carter said.
  
  "The journal was confiscated as contraband, alien contraband," said Carter, as he held the cell phone. "You wouldn't want to be implicated in anything seedy, would you Lex?"
  
  "I would weather the storm," said Lex in a calm tone of voice. "If I had the wrong people in Washington take a closer look at you, your genetic experiments, and the like, they might shut you down cold and you'd disappear."
  
  Carter just chuckled.
  
  "You don't get it Lex, while you're doing big business, I'm saving the world," said Carter. "These aliens are a threat, and I'm going to pick apart Lana Lang's mind, to find out if she knows anything beyond the official word coming out of Smallville."
  
  "Denote her brain to science for all I care," said Lex dismissively. "I need the journal, I was..."
  
  "You were what, Lex?" asked Carter.
  
  Lex remained silent.
  
  "Let's make a deal," said Lex. "I'll supply you with more meteor rocks; your supply must be running low. I'll even bring you test subjects. The journal on the other hand, is something that I want."
  
  "Everyone seems to want this journal, I feel I'm holding a bomb in my hands," chuckled Carter. "One that could wipe out all of humanity."
  
  "Just cut to the chase," said Lex.
  
  "No deal Lex, I'm sorry, but that journal is too valuable and too dangerous for me to allow it to fall into your hands."
  
  The phone conversation ended, and Carter immediately caught a visual. He saw Harry Potter flying across the skies, on a computer screen. He had gotten sloppy in his arrogance.
  
  "Men, I have a visual on Potter," said Carter. "Make sure you give in a suitable response."
  
  "Copy that," said the man over the intercom.
  
  Carter turned on his heel slowly. A smile appeared on his face, as he leaned down over Lana.
  
  "Okay, Lana, where were we before we were rudely interrupted?" asked Carter, as he made sure the wires were hooked. "This may short circuit your brain, but since you would not cooperate, it's..."
  
  What it was never was stated, as a loud explosion rang out from the hallway. Carter tensed up.
  
  'One of the lab experiments must have backfired,' thought Carter, as he moved out to check on what happened.
  
  Lana remained on the table, but the wires were cut from her head. She looked up, confused, as the straps were removed.
  
  Then she found herself rendered completely unconscious.
  
  The invisible form of Harry Potter shoved a tin can into Lana's hand and transported her away from the area. She would land somewhere in Kansas, where he couldn't be bothered to figure out at this point.
  
  He spotted the journal on the desk.
  
  Harry reached forward, and closed his eyes. Immediately, when he touched the journal, he almost expected an anvil to fall on his head, or the journal to be magically sucked into a black hole or something inconvenient to happen.
  
  Yet he held the journal in his hand. Harry tucked the journal in his cloak, and disapparated back to his home in the blink of an eye.
  
  Harry dropped the journal off home, placed it in a secure vault, and returned, placing the fake Lex handed him in its place. Charms were placed on it to maintain the illusion that it was the original, and not a cheap fake.
  
  Carter returned with several men at that moment.
  
  One by one, they dropped from impact blows to the head. They appeared to have just blacked out.
  
  "He's here," whispered Carter, as he reached under the table, to pick up a large gun. "Okay, alien, I'm not afraid of you."
  
  "Really, you think I'm an alien?" asked the Herald of Death as he appeared. Carter tried to incinerate the robed figure, but the weapon was yanked out of his hand.
  
  "Stay back, stay away from me!" yelled Carter, nearly falling backwards. "Every single man on this base will be after you, they're coming right now."
  
  Carter tried to press a button, but nothing happened.
  
  "Your men are chasing ghosts around the desert, and I disabled the intercom," said the robed figure, as he held out his an energy scythe. "Did you really think you could get one up on me?"
  
  "You....what are you?" asked Carter as he felt absolutely terrified. "The meteor shower, you had to arrive in it, eighteen years ago?"
  
  "No, but the truth is something your simple mind cannot fathom," said the Herald of Death. "Now, I'm going to ask you a question. How do you justify experimenting on children?
  
  "They're nothing, freaks, no one wanted them!" yelled Carter.
  
  "Wrong answer," said the Herald of Death, as Carter was pushed onto his knees. He lost the use of his limbs. He was then pulled back to his feet.
  
  "I...maybe we should make a deal," managed Carter, shaking madly.
  
  "I don't make deals with vermin," said the Herald of Death. "I exterminate them."
  
  An energy scythe appeared in mid-air, and Carter had been sliced in the chest. He flew back, and struck the circuit breaker box. He was promptly electrocuted. He screamed in agony, until he passed out. The lights in the lab flickered. The slain form of Agent Carter slumped to the ground, burned to a crisp.
  
  Harry popped over to the main computer. He downloaded the information from the file, about other bases the government was working on, with various experiments around the country. All of them involved meteors. Harry reached the file on him.
  
  He made some slight alterations, using the passcodes he ripped from Carter's mind. Lana was released because she didn't know anything. The investigation was a dead end. Harry and Kara's records checked out, they weren't alien invaders threatening the freedom of American citizens.
  
  Harry sighed, as he stepped out. He erased any traces of his presence here. Carter would be found, the official word would be he died of accidental electrocution.
  
  The Herald of Death disappeared into the night, as he prepared to report to the Shining Light Foundation. First he made ensured the journal was safe, and secure. He nodded when he verified that fact.
  
  'I'll take a look at you, later," said Harry, as he saw the journal, next to Kara's crystal in the vault in his basement. He activated the protection spells around the vault.
  
  After all the hell he went over through the journal, he was not taking any chances whatsoever.
  
  Carter had been found on the floor, as the events of this afternoon were investigated.
  
  "He was accidentally electrocuted, one of his little science projects did him in," said a doctor, as he leaned over the remained form of the government agent.
  
  "So it appears his theory was way off base," said an agent as he looked at the computer. "There's calls coming in from Washington, this entire project is going to be called under question. We're all going dark, being re-transferred. The freaks...well they just disappeared."
  
  Everyone looked around, as they saw the journal. Lex Luthor walked into the lab at this time. He continued to quicken his strides to the journal.
  
  "Carter did me a favor and reclaimed this journal for me," said Lex, as he reached forward. "Its Luthorcorp property, and I would hate to see any of you get the book thrown at you."
  
  The journal was handed to Lex. He snatched it away, and walked out the door. His limo was parked outside of the gates. The bald young man held the journal, a smile of triumph on his face.
  
  He was blissfully ignorant of what he truthfully held in his hands.
  
  Kara sat at her desk as lunch had passed, with a couple of hours away from dinner, and looked up at the door clicking open. Harry entered her office. She looked at him, a smile appearing on her face.
  
  "Harry!" yelled Kara, as she nearly knocked over the desk, and flew over, to throw her arms around Harry.
  
  "Nice to see you too, Kara, "said Harry, as he returned the hug. "I got the journal; it's locked up safely with your crystal."
  
  "Oh," said Kara, as she deflated. Now that he had the journal, it was the moment of truth "Well...that's great Harry, you got the journal. Did you figure out what the big deal was?"
  
  "It can wait," said Harry, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her tight.
  
  "Harry," said Kara, looking up into Harry's green eyes. It took a minute to regain her composure "That journal...you looked for it for months, it was important to you. You spent all of your time obsessing over it like..."
  
  "Like it was the most important thing in the world?" asked Harry, as he pulled her closer. Kara looked up at him, nodding slowly. "It's not."
  
  Kara looked at Harry, opening her mouth, but Harry cut her off.
  
  "I only got the journal, because I had to. I'm doing this, because I want to."
  
  Kara was about to ask what Harry meant. She never got the chance. Suddenly, Harry leaned forward, and kissed her. Full on, on the lips, without any regrets or hesitation.
  
  Her mind and body went numb. On pure instincts, Kara did the only thing she could think of. She kissed back.
  
  Their arms were wrapped around each other's waist. Kara sighed softly into Harry's mouth, and Harry deepened the kiss. Moving her arms up, Kara ran her fingers through Harry's hair. Harry's hands roamed all over her body. The kiss continued for several minutes.
  
  Harry slowly backed up, as Kara nearly collapsed on the desk, but Harry grabbed her hand to prevent her from falling, and pulled her back up.
  
  They stared at each other before Kara spoke.
  
  "Wow," she sighed. "That was...it was...amazing."
  
  Harry just smiled. He scooped Kara up in his arms, and gave her one more kiss.
  
  The most beautiful girl in the entire universe was in his arms, and he was kissing her.
  
  His only regret was not doing this sooner.
  Regret
  
  
  Chapter 12: Fortress.
  
  The second kiss continued for several minutes, before both mutually decided to break it.
  
  "You don't know how long I waited for that," said Kara, as Harry set her down on her feet.
  
  "More than long enough, I think," said Harry.
  
  This statement caused Kara to laugh, as she nodded. The stood in the office, the two were face to face with each other.
  
  "If figured, if there was someone I wanted to be with, why wait around?" asked Harry, as he held his arms around her waist. He whispered into her ear, "For too long, I've been spending way too much time thinking. Guessing what might happen, worrying about things...and I was...I guess I could say that..."
  
  "You were scared what might happen if you let someone into your heart again," said Kara, gazing in Harry's eyes. "After all that you lost...you thought you deserved everything that happened, didn't you?"
  
  Harry gave a slow and stoic nod.
  
  "You're right," said Harry, as he held her and pulled her closely to him. "That's what I thought...but...I could be wrong. I could live my entire life, regretting would could have been, or I could just go for it."
  
  "I'm glad, I wanted to kiss you that night," said Kara in a soft voice, as she played with Harry's hair. "Outside the barn, if Clark was five seconds later, we would have..."
  
  "Yeah we would have, we should have, the time was right then," said Harry, as he looked into her eyes. "But, we're together now...with each other."
  
  Kara responded to the implied question, leaning forward. She pressed her lips against Harry's, before shoving him against the wall. Harry returned her efforts with equal passing. Both were engrossed in the kiss. Kara's hands undid his shirt, sliding it off of him. Her hands rubbed his back, soft, and Harry turned around their position, so she was against the wall. Kara shivered as her back was against the wall. Harry continued to kiss her against the wall, as he felt her up.
  
  "Harry," she moaned into his mouth, as Harry pulled back from the kiss. Kara allowed Harry to slip the jacket she was wearing off of her shoulders. She leaned back, and allowed it to fall onto the office floor.
  
  Harry took her back into her arms, and pressed his mouth against her neck. Kara's eyes closed, as Harry sucked on her neck. Harry worked his hands onto the buttons of her blouse, fumbling with them. After a moment, he unbuttoned it. She slid off the blouse.
  
  His eyes drank in the sight for a minute, as he saw her leaned against the wall. She wore a red bra. Everything else from the waist up was completely bare. Harry thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
  
  "Like something you see, Harry?" asked Kara, as she leaned back against the wall, legs spread slightly. Her pinky finger was in her mouth, her lips puckered together.
  
  "Everything, everything I see I like," answered Harry, as he pinned her against the wall. His fingers traced against her bare skin over her shoulders and stomach. Kara managed to lock her legs around his waist. She pulled him in and he deepened the kiss. She slowly worked her tongue into the kiss, and Harry matched her movements, as things continued to get heated.
  
  Kara's mind was going haywire. She could not resist him at this point, if she wanted to. Not that she really wanted to. It struck her how Harry could have any woman in the universe that he wanted to, and he would not have to try that hard. Yet, he wanted her.
  
  The kiss deepened, as Harry walked backwards, with Kara's legs still wrapped around him. A chair slid out, and Harry sank down onto it. The kiss continued, as Kara drew back, as she felt Harry's erection brush against her stomach.
  
  "So, do you want me to help you with that?" asked Kara, with a smirk as she slid back onto her knees on the floor above where Harry was sitting. She put the bulge in Harry's pants in between two of her fingers, and massaged it, teasing him.
  
  "Yes," said Harry, without any thought, letting out the breath he had been holding.
  
  Kara just smiled, and unbuckled Harry's pants.
  
  "I'll...do the best I can Harry," said Kara. "But this is my first time."
  
  "Mine too," said Harry, which caused Kara to pause and look at him.
  
  Kara remained determined. She would not screw this up; she wanted to make this memorable for Harry.
  
  Harry just let her pleasure him. If she was this good when she was inexperienced, Harry could hardly wait to see what Kara was like with some experience under her belt.
  
  'Yeah, it might be a sick Muggle fetish, but it makes me feel good,' thought Harry, thinking back to what his ex-girlfriend told him, when he breached the subject to her.
  
  Kara on the other hand, she had a talented mouth. She brought him to completion with her blowjob, and swallowed the contents. Harry was in heaven.
  
  Immediately, Kara drew back. She licked her lips, tantalizing.
  
  Now that she had a little taste of Harry, she wanted everything. She shook her head, unfortunately business called.
  
  "We really do kind of need to talk about the break in today," said Kara, sighing.
  
  "Oh, I almost forgot about that," said Harry, as he looked at Kara, who just grinned at him. "I had my mind on other matters."
  
  "Understandable," agreed Kara. "It was Clark, and Lionel Luthor. They were looking for my crystal."
  
  "Where are they now?" asked Harry.
  
  "Holding cell, don't worry, they got fed," said Kara. "I don't know if I can stand to talk to him right now."
  
  "Don't worry, Kara, I'll take care of it," said Harry, who was in good spirits. Kara put her jacket, and blouse back on. Harry pulled out a chair, and offered it to her. "You just sit there, relax."
  
  Kara just smiled, as Harry gave her one final kiss. It ended all too soon in her opinion.
  
  She sat down to relax. Her mind went wild with fantasies involving her and Harry. Reality was far better than dreams, but there would be plenty of time later. Plus Harry was worth waiting for.
  
  Clark looked up, and he saw Harry down the hall towards them. Lionel was just stirring awake, but Harry immediately shoved a portkey into his hand, and transported him out of the building.
  
  "He's outside, you can pick him up after we're done," said Harry in a curt voice. "We need to talk."
  
  'Yeah, this should be fun,' said Clark, as he saw the expression on Harry's face. Harry remained calm, almost eerily so.
  
  "This way, please," said Harry, as he lead Clark down the hallway. He did not offer many words, good, bad, or indifferent. "Follow me, main conference room is up here, we should be able to talk in privacy."
  
  Clark followed Harry. He opened the door, and the entered a dark room. Harry offered Clark a chair, and he took it. The doors shut themselves, and Harry snapped his fingers. A red light appeared on over Clark's head.
  
  "What were you thinking?" asked Harry in a calm voice. Clark almost wished Harry yelled him, perhaps knocked him around a bit with his powers. "Kara told me you and Lionel were here, trespassing in my building, and looking for her crystal. Is this the truth?"
  
  The red light made Clark feel as if he was in police interrogation.
  
  "Well, technically speaking, yes we were," said Clark, and Harry just looked at him.
  
  "Why were you after the crystal?" asked Harry. "We both know the Martian Manhunter told you about it. If you wanted to know about the crystal, you should have asked me or Kara. We might not have handed it to you, but we could have told you why you aren't entitled to it. And why it could be a danger to you."
  
  "Jor-El told me to," said Clark.
  
  "Your dead Kryptonian father told you to get the crystal," said Harry, immediately skeptical about the manner. "I'd prefer you tell me the truth, yourself."
  
  "My father, he lives through an AI, it's a shadow of him, an echo, but he's supposed to train me, for what I'm supposed to do," said Clark.
  
  "Did he ever tell you exactly what you're supposed to do?" asked Harry. "Or did he just give you orders, without any reasoning? And just expect you to fall into line because he's Jor-El."
  
  "Well it does seem like a bad thing when you put it that way," said Clark.
  
  "Okay, I'm going to tell you exactly why you should not lay one finger on that crystal," said Harry, as he took a deep breath. "The crystal was sent with Kara by Zor-El for a reason. I believe he may have implemented something into it. He was not going to let a simple matter like his death get in the way of his sadistic plans. I've been able to find out at least there's someone buried inside that crystal. It contains genetic material. It would be able to create a clone. I'd imagine when the time was right; you'd be the key to activate the crystal."
  
  "So, I know what I'm dealing with," said Clark. "I can handle..."
  
  "I'm sure you can handle it if it was just Zor-El in that crystal," said Harry as he waved his hand. "Seeing what was in Kara's memories, I'm pretty sure it wasn't just Zor-El preserved in that crystal."
  
  Clark took a deep breath, and opened his mouth.
  
  "That's my something I don't wish to even drag up, it's family drama," said Harry. "It's something you're better off not knowing about. It affected Kara far more than she'll ever admit, especially given what happened to her mother. Something that did not put your father in the best light, I should remind you."
  
  "Yeah, I can understand why she wouldn't like Jor-El," said Clark.
  
  Harry remained silent for a minute. Clark had a feeling it would be best to allow Harry to speak next.
  
  "The House of El might be dysfunctional, but why continue that tradition?" asked Harry. "You've made mistakes; I've made enough mistakes to fill about seven books. And I'm sure you'll make many more until you grow into what you have the potential to be. Making mistakes is fine; not learning from them is another matter entirely. I've been there; it took me a long time."
  
  Clark nodded in understanding. Harry moved over to show him out.
  
  "Next time you want to stop by for a visit, there is a common courtesy that you can implement," said Harry, as he looked at Clark, stoic and calm. "And that's call first. My security might not be nice with a repeat performance. And for your information, the crystal was not here in the first place. So you wasted an entire trip, and alienated your cousin."
  
  "Where is she, I should...go and apologize for her," asked Clark.
  
  "Wait for a few days when it actually has meaning, and when you've had a chance to think about what you've done," said Harry. "I'll let you know about the crystal, if I find out anything more. We might be able to come up with a solution to satisfy everyone, but I'm not going to hold out hope for it."
  
  Clark continued to stand there, wondering if Harry was done.
  
  "This is your last free pass," concluded Harry. "Pull another stunt like that ever again, and I might not be so nice about this."
  
  "Understand," said Clark as he shifted guiltily.
  
  "Have a good night, Clark," said Harry as he lead Clark to the exit. "Oh, and Lana's safe, somewhere in Kansas. She might have returned to the farm by now."
  
  Clark opened his mouth to ask, but he was already locked out. Lionel already had left, and Clark just moved off at that moment.
  
  He had a lot to think about.
  
  Lana rested inside the Kent Farm. She shook her head. The last thing she remembered, she was being chased by Lex's goons. Then there was nothing but a big blank. She shook her head from side to side.
  
  The door creaked open, and Lana nearly jumped ten feet in the air off of the couch. She relaxed, when she saw Clark walk in.
  
  "Oh, hey Lana, glad to see you made it back," said Clark.
  
  "Clark, where were you?" asked Lana.
  
  "I was out," said Clark in an evasive voice. "I had a long day."
  
  "You had a long day, I had a long day too," said Lana. "Your cousin stopped by to visit me."
  
  Clark looked at Lana, who proceeded to move to the journal, distressed.
  
  "She freaked out over some journal, it belonged to Harry Potter," said Lana, saying the name with a bit of distaste. "I don't know, it's just that she...she showed up here and I don't know what I ever did to her."
  
  "What did she say?" asked Clark.
  
  "Well, not much of anything," admitted Lana. "She informed me the journal was Harry's. I had no idea...I picked it up, someone dropped it. I was curious about it, but there was nothing written on it. The markings were weird on the journal. That someone who dropped it was Lex!"
  
  "Lex?" asked Clark.
  
  "Yeah, he's...well you know how he is," said Lana, as she sat down on the chair. "Your cousin...she's just...I don't know, she has a huge problem."
  
  "Kara's high strung, but she's...she's just fitting in her own way," said Clark, but Lana looked at him. "She's got a lot of things to deal with, and she'll do anything for Harry. But she's...got a good heart."
  
  Lana just looked at him.
  
  "So, you're taking her side," said Lana coolly, and Clark opened his mouth, realizing of the really awkward situation he had been put into.
  
  "I'm taking nobody's side," protested Clark. "I'm just saying that Kara...she's got her own view on the world. And she tends to be guarded. Harry's about the only one she identifies with, but she's done some good."
  
  "Yeah, well she threatened me!" said Lana as her voice got louder. "You're making excuses for her. She's dangerous, Clark, and she could hurt you. She almost hurt me. And Harry's been meeting with Lex a lot over the past three months."
  
  "How do you know that?" asked Clark, suspicious at this moment. "What are you doing Lana?"
  
  "Trying to help you!" yelled Lana, as she got up to her feet. "I'm trying to make things right, just like he told me to, but it just seems like it won't ever be good enough for you. You know what, fine Clark! If that's how you want to act like, fine!"
  
  'Just like who told her,' thought Clark, completely confused, as Lana sit back down.
  
  "Who told you to make things right, Lana?" asked Clark.
  
  "Never mind Clark!" yelled Lana. "You...I don't even know why I bother sometimes!"
  
  Lana sprung up to her feet once again.
  
  "Lana, you've had a rough day, just settle down."
  
  "Yeah, it was rough, but I just need to take a walk, get some fresh air, and clear my head," said Lana as she clicked open the door, shut it behind her, and walked off.
  
  Clark watched her leave. He was about to call after her, but decided against it. Today was just not his day.
  
  "So, I suppose we better figure out this once and for all, and while Jor-El wants Clark to destroy it."
  
  Harry held the crystal out, and put it on the table. Kara sat in the same chair beside him in the study. Harry analyzed the crystal. Everything seemed to click to him, as he scanned it.
  
  For some reason, when he got a better control of his emotions and stopped hiding from his feelings, everything flowed better with his powers.
  
  "So, anything?" asked Kara, as she slid on Harry's lap, but Harry lifted up a hand. He continued to look at the crystal, and suddenly, he heard a faint whisper from within it.
  
  "Kal-El. Please help me, Kal-El."
  
  "Kara, listen to this," said Harry, as he held the crystal, up to the light.
  
  "Kal-El, my son, you have to hurry, there isn't much time," whispered the voice within the crystal.
  
  "That sounds like Aunt Lara," breathed Kara, as she listened to the crystal. "But...she died with the rest of them, didn't she?
  
  "Yes, she's dead," said Harry, after he thought for a second. "A copy of her is in the crystal, and Clark wouldn't turn down the chance to know his birth mother. But there's something else in here, something more...yeah he's in here."
  
  Kara tensed up immediately, as Harry flipped the crystal over in his fingers in one hand and squeezed her hand with the other. He double checked to make sure his initial theory was correct.
  
  "He's in the crystal, connected to Lara," said Harry. "Your father, he's here, I can sense him. He doesn't know I'm here. The crystal was created to tempt Kal-El. He was going to take control."
  
  "Just smash it Harry," suggested Kara immediately, as she shivered looking at the crystal. She could feel his presence from inside it, and it was scaring her. The pedestal she had placed her father on had been destroyed when Harry restored her memories. She took a deep breath, and got ahold of herself.
  
  'Harry won't let anything bad happen to you,' she thought to herself.
  
  Harry looked at the crystal. He did wonder if that would be so easy, just to smash the crystal.
  
  "Kara, I've got an idea," said Harry, as it was either genius or insanity that hit him. "Give Clark a chance to do the right thing, to make right for what happened today."
  
  Kara's eyes looked at him, curious.
  
  "I'm going to give Clark the crystal, and explain to him what it is," said Harry. "But if it overwhelms him, I'm going to be there to bust it if it overwhelms him. Is that okay with you?"
  
  "Harry, it's up to you," said Kara.
  
  "No, Kara, it's up to you," said Harry. "It's your crystal after all."
  
  Kara slid off Harry's lap. She picked up the crystal, and placed it in Harry's hand.
  
  "Do it, I know you'll be able to protect Kal-El if the worst happens," said Kara, as she leaned forward, and gave Harry a kiss. He returned it, and they parted.
  
  "See you in a little bit," said Harry, as he slipped the crystal into his robe pocket, and popped back to the Kent Farm.
  
  Kara leaned back on the chair, as she waited. She let out a breath, hoping that a severe weight would be lifted off of her shoulders in a matter of moments.
  
  Clark investigated a sudden nose from outside the barn. Harry was waiting for him. The crystal held in his hand, as he walked up across the field.
  
  "Here's the deal, Clark," said Harry without giving him a chance to speak. "I have the crystal. I'm warning you right now, it's far more dangerous than we ever believed previously. Take the crystal, do what you need to do destroy it."
  
  Harry slipped the crystal into Clark's hand. The crystal seemed like fire in Clark's hand, as he flipped it over.
  
  "Kal-El, my son, you need to save me, before it's too late."
  
  "My mother's in the crystal," said Clark, as he looked at the crystal.
  
  "Remember, Zor-El gave Kara that crystal to hurt you," said Harry as he snapped his fingers in front of Clark's face to bring him back to reality. "He wiped her memories. He's using your birth mother to tempt you...."
  
  "I can't just stand by, there's got to be another way," said Clark.
  
  "Clark, there's no other way," said Harry sternly and almost coldly. "Both of them are tied together in the crystal. Remember that. Take the crystal to Jor-El, and let him know you're destroying it. And actually destroy it. If there was any other way, I would tell you. But I analyzed every angle. It's a two for one deal no matter what."
  
  "I understand," said Clark.
  
  "Good," said Harry. "Destroy it, I know that you have it within you to do the right thing."
  
  "Yes, I'll do that," said Clark, but he heard the frantic cries for help from inside the crystal.
  
  'This is what you sent me here for,' thought Harry. 'To guide him, but I feel like I'm throwing something dangerous into his hands. I'm going to make sure he does the right thing.'
  
  In the Fortress of Solitude, Clark moved in at the speed of light, the crystal still in his hand.
  
  "Do you have the crystal?" rumbled the voice of Jor-El.
  
  "Yes, I have the crystal," said Clark as he held it in his hand. "I got it, but there's someone in here. My mother..."
  
  "Lara died with the rest of Krypton," said Jor-El in a cold voice. "Do not be swayed by an echo. There is nothing you can do to reverse that effect. And that crystal was made by Zor-El, so it must be destroyed at all costs."
  
  Clark held the crystal in his hand. He was torn. Both his father and Harry told him that it was important that he smash the crystal. Yet the pained screams of his mother from inside the crystal rang through his ears. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Clark held the crystal over the Fortress Console. His hands wavered over it, as he was about to jam it in, to see what he could do.
  
  Then, he realized the potential consequences of his actions, and he smashed the crystal on the Fortress floor. It shattered into microscopic dust fragments.
  
  "I did it," said Clark in a deflated and haunted voice.
  
  "Well done, Kal-El," said Jor-El. "Depart now, and get some rest, your training can resume on another day."
  
  Clark turned around, as he walked off. He would be haunted by the nightmares of his mother calling out for him. Even if it was an echo, he still wondered if he should tried to do something.
  
  The Fortress of Solitude remained empty, except for the robed figure in the shadows. The moment Clark was long gone, Harry walked out, pulling his hood down. It was a few seconds before Harry allowed the Fortress to sense his presence.
  
  "Just what are you doing in this Fortress?" boomed Jor-El.
  
  "I just was following your son, to make sure he did the right thing," said Harry. "It appears that Kal-El might have taken a step down an interesting road. It couldn't have been easy to do what he did. And you have me to thank for that, I should note."
  
  "Do not presume to take credit for what Kal-El has done," said Jor-El.
  
  "Oh, I'm giving Kal-El the credit for what Kal-El is done," said Harry. "Although I wonder, what gave him more value? The AI copy of his father who gave him vague orders? Or the person who studied the crystal, brought it to him, and told him exactly what it was? Surely the greatest scientific mind in all of Krypton can put the pieces together. It's not exactly hard now, is it?"
  
  The Fortress of Solitude remained silent, and rather eerie.
  
  "I offer you one warning to stay away from Kal-El," said Jor-El, as the Fortress began to flash.
  
  "I'm pretty sure you know who I answer to," said Harry, and Jor-El stopped the light show. "I'm sure the great and powerful Jor-El knows everything about the Herald of Death. Of course, Kara did, but I'm beginning to think that she got her smarts from her mother's side of the family."
  
  Harry turned on his heel, and looked around the Fortress.
  
  "I'm sure you can give me threats all day and all night long," said Harry. "But I'm here to stay, whether you like it or not."
  
  "Kal-El has a destiny to fulfill, you present a danger to it," said Jor-El.
  
  "Destiny, that's a word that amuses me for some reason," said Harry with a smirk. "I'm sure Clark is capable of great things. Not because of some destiny, but because of the choices he makes. And tonight, he made the right choice. I'm not here to fight his battles for him."
  
  Harry looked thoughtful.
  
  "But, I've gotten my second chance to make something out of my life. I'm going to take full advantage of it. I've been called many things in my life, but I don't ever lay back and let authority figures step all over me. So, I don't care what you are, or who you are or if you think you're helping Clark. If you ever pull a stunt with like you did with the crystal again...well I'll just show you."
  
  Harry waved his hand, and with a loud crackle, Jor-El could no longer exert his will over the Fortress.
  
  "I could easy erase every single bit of your consciousness from existence with a few simple movements," said Harry in a deadly whisper, as he looked around the Fortress of Solitude. "I'm here to stay, and so is Kara. We're both a part of Clark's life whether the great Jor-El likes it or not."
  
  Harry let go of Jor-El at that moment.
  
  "I think I've made my message clear," said Harry, but he got no response. "I'm sure you have much to teach Clark. But there are times where people get blinded by a narrow minded view, of what they believe is written in the stars."
  
  Harry vanished into thin air, leaving the Fortress of Solitude intact.
  
  Harry returned home, as Kara waited for him in the study, dressed in a nightdress. He was so glad today was Friday, because had an entire weekend to recover from today.
  
  "How did it go?" asked Kara.
  
  "I'm back, so Clark destroyed the crystal," said Harry, as he sat down next to Kara. "That's out of our hair. We've got twelve pods with government test subjects in them currently in the basement of the Shining Light Foundation. I'll have the scientists figure them out on Monday. And I've got a disc detailing more locations in my bag. And I'll figure that out on Monday."
  
  "So are you ready to go to bed," said Kara, with a smile.
  
  "I'm not sure if I can sleep after today," said Harry.
  
  "Oh, I might have a few ideas to relax you," said Kara, turning, with a knowing smile.
  
  Harry looked at the want in her eyes, and it was hard to keep his mind focused on the last thing on his agenda tonight.
  
  "As enticing as that sounds, there's one more thing we have to figure out before we call it a night, "said Harry, as he reached into the vault, and pulled out his mother's journal. "After all I've been put through over this; I want to know what the big deal is."
  
  "It is the real one, isn't it?" asked Kara.
  
  "I know it is," said Harry, as he flipped through it. Every single page was blank. "And yet, I'm reading not one bloody word. That bloody obnoxious entity told me that it could only be activated by those of the blood of my mother."
  
  Harry felt sudden realization dawn upon him.
  
  "She couldn't be that literal," said Harry darkly.
  
  "I wouldn't be surprised," said Kara with a shrug, as Harry held his hand. He closed his eyes.
  
  He cut his own finger. It healed over instantly, but one drop of blood spilled on the pages of the diary. The journal began to glow, illuminated by gold.
  
  Time stood still at that moment. The journal appeared to be assessing the two figures in front of them. Kara sat back, as she felt a chill. A three dimensional projection of a canvas manifested before their very eyes, and writing appeared in the air.
  
  "Welcome Heralds of Earth and Krypton."
  
  "What?" breathed Kara as she nearly flew up and smacked her head on the ceiling, before Harry gently pulled her back down.
  
  Both remained silent, flabbergasted and absolutely freaked out by one simple six word sentence.
  
  "Did you know about this?" asked Harry, finally managing to find his voice.
  
  "No, I didn't," said Kara, as she collapsed back into Harry's arms. "Harry, I didn't even know...how could I...the journal must be confused or something."
  
  Harry remained calm, and silent. Further writing appeared before his eyes after the long silence.
  
  "Are you ready to begin your training?"
  
  "Training?" asked Harry. "Please clarify."
  
  More writing appeared in mid air.
  
  "Upon your eighteenth birthday, you were supposed to get this journal from Sirius Black. A letter would also be given to you to explain about your role, and your purpose. You act as if this is new information to you."
  
  "Why would Sirius have the journal or a letter for me?" asked Harry.
  
  There was a moment's pause, and more words wrote into the air. Kara watched in awe.
  
  "You were supposed to live with Sirius. Your training for standard magic was intended to begin at the age of eight. Private tutors were to be hired. You were to be kept as far away from the Wizarding World as possible not to endanger your future role as the Herald of Death. For instance, you were not to attend Hogwarts. It would make the break much cleaner. You would merge the three keys at age eighteen and then merge with them at the age of twenty one."
  
  "It didn't happen that way," said Harry slowly. "I never was sent to live with Sirius. I never started any training at the age of eight. I did go to Hogwarts, but I did merge with the keys after all was lost after the final war."
  
  The journal appeared to be processing this information at this point. Harry and Kara both sat on the edge of the house. More writing was scratched on the canvas.
  
  "Who were you sent to live with?"
  
  It was Harry's turn to remain silent for a brief moment.
  
  "The Dursleys," answered Harry.
  
  More words swirled in the air, and for a bit of canvas in the air, it appeared to be rather shaky.
  
  "What year is this?"
  
  "2007, almost 2008," answered Harry.
  
  The words faded from existence, but it was replaced by an angry scream that came from within the journal.
  
  "She broke her promise to me, now I'm going to break mine to her!"
  
  A three dimensional figure replaced the canvas.
  
  "Told me you'd live a happy childhood, told me there was no need to worry about anything!" ranted the figure, as Harry saw she had red hair. Her eyes were the same shade of green he had. "Told me that everything would work out, told me that there was nothing to worry about!"
  
  Both Harry and Kara sat, completely paralyzed by their confusion.
  
  "Every single scenario I thought of, this was the second worst one I could ever imagine!" yelled the woman. "You lived your childhood with Petunia...and you merged with the keys. How did you merge with the keys? You were supposed to be trained! Death told me that...and she was the only one who could cause you to merge with them!"
  
  "Yeah, once I had all of the keys, she took me aside, and told me what my purpose in life was," said Harry.
  
  "She didn't train you though, did she?" asked the woman, a frown appearing on her face and her eyes closing, to calm herself down.
  
  "No she just unlocked my powers, and sent me here," said Harry. "And just who are you anyway?"
  
  "Harry, I'm your mother," said the woman but Harry just looked at her skeptically.
  
  "She died when I was a year old," said Harry.
  
  "Yes I did," agreed Lily. "I'm...well it's best to think about me as a three dimensional magical portrait."
  
  Lily reined in her temper, but Harry just looked at her.
  
  "What deal did you make?" asked Harry in a quiet voice.
  
  "Yeah that deal, it's my greatest regret," said Lily in a somber voice. "I was fourteen years old. Most children around that age are selfish, and I was no exception to that rule. An accident killed me. Death visited me in the between point. There was a choice I could have made. Go on to the afterlife, or pledge my first born son to Death as her Herald. I chose the latter."
  
  "You did what?" asked Harry, but Kara grabbed him around the waist to hold him back.
  
  "You must have thought that you could get out of that deal somehow," said Kara.
  
  Lily nodded.
  
  "It was a foolish bargain," said Lily, regrets filling her voice. "A bargain made by a teenage girl who had no idea what the consequences were. Death stalked me from that point on to remind me of the bargain. My sister...my younger sister, she was taken from me because I tried to run and back out of the deal!"
  
  Harry's mood grew very dark. He knew who Lily was referring to.
  
  "My entire family, the entire Evans bloodline we were obsessed with control," continued Lily. "My parents, my grandparents, and every generation before for them, all obsessed with knowledge, and the power that came along with it. I was tempted as well. It was because of this pursuit for knowledge. That pursuit caused me to be put right before Death to make that devil's bargain. It was a bargain that even Faust wouldn't touch, but I made it because I was selfish!"
  
  Harry did not know what to believe at this point, and was moments away from losing it. Kara held her arms around Harry, while also giving Lily the most dirty and disgusted look she could manage.
  
  "You want answers," said Lily, and the two inclined their heads in affirmation.
  
  "Death inferred you would have information about my mission," said Harry coldly.
  
  "I do," said Lily, remaining as collected as she could be, and a bit wounded that her son appeared to hate her because of the stupid selfish decision she made. "I was supposed to just give you the knowledge through the journal, cold emotionless knowledge, written words to study. But in case worse came to worse, I built in this failsafe. First tell me everything about your life, up until the moment you merged with the keys."
  
  Harry immediately wondered if he could trust this image that resembled his dead mother. His past experiences with enchanted books made him very uneasy.
  
  "I can't help you unless I know how bad the situation has been screwed up," said Lily softly. "I can tell you this right now. You were supposed to be sent to this place six years ago. So, please Harry trust me about this one. Give me one more chance to fix everything I caused."
  
  Harry took a deep breath. He began to tell the story of his life, hoping he would not regret making that choice.
  Guide
  
  
  Chapter 13: Guide.
  
  Harry completed a rather scaled down, but mostly accurate retelling of his life. Kara remained by his side. Lily looked at the pair of them, calm, eerily, and utterly calm.
  
  "So what do you have to say for yourself?" asked Harry coldly.
  
  "This is far worse than I thought," said Lily. With another motion, she waved her hand.
  
  Before Harry could protest, a bright light engulfed the two of them. Kara and Harry had been sucked into the journal. They spiraled through the air and landed with a hard thud.
  
  "What was that about?" asked Kara, rubbing her head in confusion. She got a good look around, and opened her mouth to protest. She saw scribbles on the wall and many of them were Kryptonian.
  
  "You sucked us in the journal!" yelled Harry, getting into Lily's face. "I swear, if you don't send us back I'll..."
  
  "You have no comprehension how much this situation has been screwed up!" shouted Lily.
  
  "Oh, and I suppose you might have an idea," said Harry, staring down this distorted image that resembled his mother.
  
  Lily shook her head to regain her bearings.
  
  "Yes, everything that happened, words fail me," said Lily, shaking her head. "Your entire life was the opposite that I planned. You were supposed to grow up mostly isolated, and detached from your peers. And then Death slaps the keys on you, and doesn't train you before merging them with you. That could have destroyed you!"
  
  "Let's find a way out of here!" suggested Kara quickly as Lily as in the process of ranting. The two tried to find an exit, but they looped back into the journal.
  
  "Let us out of here, now," said Harry in his most dangerous voice.
  
  "No, you're staying here until I figure this out," said Lily, shaking her head. "Those three keys they could have ripped you apart without the proper training."
  
  "Oh, don't act like you care," said Harry, folding his arms.
  
  "Of course I care, I'm your mother," said Lily hotly.
  
  "Oh, that's a good one," said Harry sarcastically. "Did you or did you not tell me that you just got through selling me out in a bargain to Death? Kind of hard to put that behind me..."
  
  "Listen, you're being ungrateful!" yelled Lily, as her temper grew. "You know nothing, and..."
  
  "Harry obviously knows more than you do," interjected Kara, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and glaring at this woman. "He knows a lot more about human decency, and the fact his actions have consequences!"
  
  "I wasn't aware you had anything to do with this conversation," said Lily. "So why don't you just be quiet, or I'll shut you up myself."
  
  Harry turned to give her a nasty glare and Lily took a step back. She realized how she overstepped her bounds.
  
  "Don't you dare ever threaten Kara again," said Harry coldly, shutting Lily down. "To think, I always wondered what it would be like to meet my mother. Now I realize, I'm better off not ever knowing you."
  
  "And what's with all of the symbols on the wall?" asked Kara. "They're Kryptonian...it was you wasn't it!"
  
  Lily remained collected and calm.
  
  "I saw you, sulking around, my father didn't really pay much attention, but I saw you," said Kara. "It was when I was about seven or eight but I remember you! What were you doing on Krypton?"
  
  There was silence.
  
  "Kara asked you a question, Lily," said Harry.
  
  Lily remained silent, feeling the full implications of Harry using her given name and not "Mum" or any other variations.
  
  "That's really none of your concern," said Lily.
  
  "Well, I guess what I do is none of your concern," said Harry. "You can either tell me the truth, or I'll make you let me out."
  
  "Fine, you want the truth," said Lily. "The truth is Death took me there, she took me places every now and again, whether I liked it or not. To worlds that were eventually destined to die. Yet, this one was a bit different. Death pointed you out, Kara, and said this is the one from Krypton."
  
  "Did someone make a bargain for me?" asked Kara in a cool voice.
  
  "She didn't exactly tell me," said Lily dismissively.
  
  Kara was not going to let her off the hook that easily.
  
  "How come I wasn't informed of this?" demanded Kara.
  
  "Death only informs her heralds directly under the most extreme circumstances," said Lily. "Plus, she likely figured since Harry found you, he would inform you. Given he was supposed to find this journal first."
  
  Harry closed his eyes. He was reaching the point he almost wished he never found the journal.
  
  "You were sent here for a great purpose, Harry," said Lily.
  
  "Yeah, so I was told," said Harry in a disgusted voice.
  
  "I'm your mother Harry, couldn't you at least give me the benefit of the doubt?" asked Lily.
  
  Harry remained silent and chose his next words carefully.
  
  "Benefit of the doubt, yeah, well I've given so many people that, there isn't much benefit to it," said Harry as he looked at her. "Every single person died because of this game, many of them I did care about..."
  
  "You weren't supposed to," said Lily, shaking her head.
  
  "It's easier to groom a puppet that's been isolated," said Harry darkly. "Ask Dumbledore how well playing games with me turned out for the magical world. It caused many people to die. Good people, because he couldn't get over himself or face his own demons. But I guess you're no different than him."
  
  "I'm nothing like Albus Dumbledore!" raged Lily. The books on the shelves rattled at this declaration.
  
  Harry realized he struck a nerve. Kara stood behind him.
  
  "Why was I sent here?" asked Harry. "Why was I sent to Smallville of all places? What was the grand plan, Lily? Answers, I need them, and you better start explaining to me."
  
  "Fine," said Lily taking a deep breath. "This all started generations before you were born, before I was born, and before my parents were even born. It all ties back to one single minded obsession of the Evans family over the years. There were whispers for years, many times over many cultures about a traveler coming from a distant world. The traveler would have powers beyond all mortal man."
  
  Harry and Kara exchanged a brief covert look. Neither opened their mouth, but both were thinking the same thing.
  
  "My family, they were all about control and power," said Lily. "It was an obsession of the Evans bloodline. There were no family with us, and no friends, only resources to use to get ahead. It was a competition both inside and outside of the family."
  
  "I can imagine," said Harry in a cool voice.
  
  "And the obsession only got worse when I became a witch, and brought home a book I stumbled upon during my second year of Hogwarts," said Lily.
  
  "That would be around the time where your sickly younger sister would have been born, wouldn't it?" asked Harry. "You know, that particularly dirty family secret, Rose, remember her?"
  
  "Don't talk to me about Rose!" yelled Lily suddenly, her temper getting to her. "I regret everything that happened to her!"
  
  'Not as much as I do,' thought Harry to himself.
  
  "Just keep with your story, so we can get out of here," prompted Kara.
  
  Lily took several moments to compose herself and just had to hang her head. This was not the cheerful meeting she envisioned. She could strangle Death for this. She did suspect Harry would have a bit of an attitude; he was her son after all. However, nothing prepared her for how this meeting was turning out.
  
  She needed to gain Harry's trust, for her plans to work. She needed to gain Harry's trust to lead him towards his destiny.
  
  "Fine, just give me a minute," said Lily. "My parents were obsessed with controlling the mysterious traveler and the great power he possesses. They hinted that any child who could find them the proper information would be rewarded. They were not too happy with me; it interfered with their perfect life to have their little girl become a witch."
  
  "Aunt Petunia seemed to think differently," said Harry arms folded. "I remember her constant rants about how her parents were so happy to have a witch in the family. They stand out in my mind."
  
  "I don't doubt Petunia had to hear them," said Lily with a sad smile. "But I heard my share of rants directed at me. Petunia was normal and not a misfit. How, she would bring honor to the family legacy, and not spend ten months at some shady boarding school in Scotland. Of course, precious Petunia and all of her poise couldn't give them the gift I brought them. A gift I regretted later on."
  
  She got nothing, but two rather dubious glares from Kara and Harry.
  
  "It was a journal belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw, concrete proof that the traveler was coming and he would show up before the end of the twentieth century," continued Lily. "I also found something else, more notes made by the fame seer Cassandra Trelawney. Further proof that backed up what Rowena found out. It detailed a planet exploding in green rocks, the coming of a traveler, and three heralds who would hold the keys to his success or his demise."
  
  'Three heralds,' thought Harry, but he said nothing out loud. He knew about Kara, but who the hell was the third?
  
  "My parents tripped over themselves to give me attention and respect after I gave them their precious information," said Lily. "It wasn't worth it in the end, but when I was thirteen after years of playing second rate sibling, I finally won the game. My parents shared the information with their associates in high society."
  
  Harry shook his head. His mother had less sense than he did at that age. He would never do anything so brazen.
  
  "Of course, their arrogance exceeded all bounds and they got beat at their own game. They had many associates, and did not know the truth about a lot of them. One such family was the Malfoys."
  
  "Really, they didn't seem to be the type to even give Muggles the time a day," said Harry skeptical immediately.
  
  "They did keep an eye on the higher rungs of society, those who might pose a threat to their master," explained Lily. "Lucius took the information about the traveler back to Voldemort, and he tried to have my parents killed over it. That's what initially kicked off this entire mess. I trust you know about the prophecy."
  
  Harry gave a stiff nod.
  
  "Well the reason Voldemort tried to kill you was because he knew about my family's mission," said Lily. "The fact you were prophesized to be the one to stop him just caused him to step up his efforts in taking out my entire bloodline. If he had succeeded in killing you, he would have followed through to Petunia next. And then he would have likely sought out the traveler himself, to use him as a weapon"
  
  Kara tried to hide her fear at the thought of that possible scenario. She had seen enough about Voldemort to know that him finding and using her cousin would be the worst case scenario to end all worst case scenarios.
  
  "What about the deal you made?" demanded Harry.
  
  "The deal was a snap decision," said Lily. "I was fourteen years old. I didn't think about the consequences..."
  
  "When I was fourteen years old, I was fighting Voldemort for my life," said Harry.
  
  "Yes, I know, "said Lily as she closed her eyes. "It never was supposed to happen like this, but now we can make things right. You just have to trust me."
  
  "Trust you, yeah that's going to happen," said Harry in a dismissive voice.
  
  "You can't achieve your role as the Herald of Death without my help," said Lily.
  
  "Harry can get on just fine without you!" said Kara, grabbing her boyfriend's arm tightly. "He's rather resourceful, and he doesn't need any special help from you. All we learned from this journal was that it was because of your selfish actions..."
  
  "If it wasn't for my selfish actions, Harry wouldn't be alive!" yelled Lily, and Harry realized she was right, but the statement just felt so wrong. "You know Harry, I'm not sure if I approve of your relationship to this girl."
  
  Harry was angered behind words, and he pushed his mother back. Lily knew then he was powerful, because he should not be able to do any damage to her otherwise.
  
  "Your approval is unneeded!" yelled Harry. "You know what...I can get on just fine without you. If you have information I can actually use about these powers, give it to me now. It seems to be me like you're hoping that I indulge in the old Evans family obsession about this traveler rubbish."
  
  "It's not like that at all, well not anymore," said Lily, in a soft voice.
  
  "What changed your mind?" asked Harry.
  
  She took several deep breaths and turned toward Harry.
  
  "Well it was the day you were born," said Lily. "Harry, I know it's hard for you to trust people. After the life you lead, it would be asking for miracle. And I'm really sorry about some of the things I said. About you and about Kara, they were all way out of line. It's just...I don't want anything bad to happen."
  
  Harry said nothing, and turned around to look out the window.
  
  "Harry looked up to you," said Kara. "He told me himself. Every other adult authority figure in his life had flaws, but at least he could see his mother as a good person."
  
  "I wanted Harry to have a happy childhood," said Lily. "I don't even know what possessed Sirius to ask for the change of the Secret Keeper."
  
  "Well, did you have any second thoughts about your little deal?" asked Harry.
  
  "Yes, I may have," said Lily, remembering it. "Once I found out the prophecy, I knew the end was here for me, and then anything that happened to you would be out of my control. James also put off finalizing the will to November 1st. Death decided to punish me for trying to back out one last time."
  
  Lily remained thoughtful.
  
  "If you blame anyone, blame her," said Lily. "I don't deny I was selfish. Even up until my marriage...I won't lie. I only went with James because he was the best match to fulfill my bargain. I did grow fond of him. And when my son got born, I stopped seeing you as some tool that I had to groom...but another life."
  
  She walked around the library. She turned to Harry and Kara.
  
  "Please look at me," said Lily. "I swear, I'll make things right, somehow. This situation...well it's gotten twisted. You got the journal way too late; you got the keys before you understood your powers."
  
  "Just let us out," said Harry, still rather annoyed. "If you think you're going to run my life..."
  
  "I won't, I swear," said Lily. "If you ever need any help, I won't turn you away. I am proud of how my son turned out in spite himself. Despite that life, which should have twisted you to evil or at least extreme bitterness, you turned out wonderful."
  
  "Can we go back now?" asked Kara.
  
  "Yes," said Lily without a thought.
  
  She sensed the paradox going on in Harry's head. He would not exist if it was not for the deal, he accepted that fact. Yet, he did not like the fact this deal was made. There were many benefits he acknowledged, but also a bit of a curse.
  
  With another movement, the true powers of the journal kicked in. Lily regretted pouring her emotions into the journal because this made it a lot harder than it really should have been.
  
  'Harry, find it in your heart to forgive me for what I've done,' thought Lily. 'I'll implant as much awareness of your powers into both of your minds as I can. I'm sure Death would have liked me to rewrite your personalities to get something more obedient and less independent, but...I won't do it.'
  
  Lily closed her eyes. She got a good scan of the natural abilities of Kara and Harry. They could handle an information dump into their minds, with nothing but a headache. They were strong and would remain so for all eternity. If worse came to worse for humanity, and it was beyond hope, she could arrange for all humans to be wiped out and use these two to repopulate the Earth.
  
  In a way, it would be her ultimate revenge on Death. A world filled with immortals, and no one could ever pass to the afterlife.
  
  Yet her consciousness squashed those dark impulses. Lily still felt a small bit of obsession to win the old Evans family race. The traveler was here in this place, Smallville. Harry could control his destiny and Lily felt smug satisfaction that victory was in her grasp.
  
  Lily allowed herself to go dormant once again. It was a strain to keep awake for this long. She could move through any building created by her bloodline from the journal. Beyond that, she had to co-opt someone's body.
  
  The sunlight shined over them. Harry's eyes opened, as he found himself on the floor. He had a splitting headache, as Kara rested next to him. His arms steadied her so she did not roll in the table.
  
  "Kara," whispered Harry gently.
  
  She opened her eyes, and came back to life.
  
  "Oh, hi, Harry, why does my head hurt?" asked Kara.
  
  "You tell me, and we'll both know," said Harry, but he saw the journal open on the desk. Memories flooded back to him the past night. "She didn't."
  
  "What did your m...Lily do?" asked Kara.
  
  "She just knocked us out and dumped an entire load of information into our minds," said Harry. "About our powers, I think she might have crammed at least the entire three years of training into one eight hour session."
  
  Kara adjusted her eyes. She had new awareness, things that she did not know before. Harry helped to her feet.
  
  "What else did she jam into our minds?" asked Harry.
  
  "It just seems to be information, I can't make sense of most of it," said Kara.
  
  More writing appeared over the journal.
  
  "When you need to make sense of it, you'll understand."
  
  Harry looked at the journal and with a wave of his hand shut it. He levitated the journal in the air, and threw it in the vault. He slammed it shut.
  
  "I don't think I can handle looking at that book right now," said Harry, and the two moved from the study into the living room.
  
  Harry vowed not to let the unconventional circumstances of how he came to be get to him.
  
  Both Harry and Kara parked themselves onto the couch.
  
  "I think she thinks you were going to be your ticket to controlling Clark," said Kara breaking the long silence. "I can see it in her eyes; she's still obsessed with it."
  
  "You and me both Kara," said Harry. "I...can't do that to him. I'm not like my mother. I'm just..."
  
  "Harry, I know you won't," said Kara, pulling Harry in close. "I understand everything you're going through."
  
  Harry nodded. He knew exactly how Kara felt like when the idealistic image of her father she built up had been shattered. Kara ran her hands through Harry's hair, causing it to stand up on end.
  
  "I'm pretty sure she didn't plant any subliminal hints in either of our minds," said Harry. "My anger with her...it's the same I remember from last night."
  
  "Mine too," said Kara, but she looked at Harry. "I was hoping to have a better ending to that night that getting sucked into the journal."
  
  She stifled Harry's apologies before he could even begin them with a kiss. Harry returned the kiss, feeling her soft lips against his. Kara straddled Harry's lap. The two melted into each other with their passionate activity. Harry held her body against his, feeling her against him. His fingers moved up her nightdress. He traced patterns over her lower back, before his hands moved downwards.
  
  Her sultry moan filled his mouth as he began cup her rear end into his hands. She rubbed against his very prominent bulge. She leaned back from the kiss, to work the sash open on her nightdress.
  
  With a sexy little grin, Kara unraveled it, and let it pool to the floor. She wore nothing, but a lacy white bra and blue panties with a red bow. She pulled back his shirt and put her mouth to his neck, sucking on it.
  
  "Kara," breathed Harry, eyes glazed over. "I don't know if I can resist you much longer."
  
  "Don't resist me then," said Kara, pulling back and tracing patterns on his chest and arms with her hands. "I don't want you to resist me."
  
  Kara pressed her lips against his once more. Her tongue worked magic in his mouth. Harry returned it. They felt the inside of each other's mouths, as Kara's barely clothed body writhed against his. Harry felt her up, gaining more confidence with each passing moment.
  
  The dark haired young man had the presence of mind to rotate Kara and she was on her back on the couch. Harry kissed her full lips as she laid back and sighed into his mouth. Kara traced her fingers down his chest, past his stomach, past his belt line, and down into his pants.
  
  Harry marveled at this beauty beneath him. He could sense she was just as hot for him as he was for her. He deepened the kiss. The two continued to passionately make out for a time. Kara continued to work over him, and then began to pull his pants down.
  
  She licked her hand clean, and shifted her gazed towards Harry.
  
  "I want you," breathed Kara in his ear. Her hot breath inflamed his mind.
  
  Harry nodded, getting the meaning. He scooped up Kara in his arms and took her up to the main bedroom to step up their activities.
  
  Clark sat outside of the Kent Farm, deep in thought. The events of the last couple of days weighed heavily on his mind.
  
  "Well you look like you got an entire plane of Kryptonite dropped on you."
  
  Clark looked up, as Chloe stood before him.
  
  "Oh, hey Chloe," said Clark in a somber voice. "Sorry...I just hadn't gotten any sleep."
  
  "Is there any particular reason why?" asked Chloe as she sat down next to Clark.
  
  "Last night, I had to do something...well I had to do something that I don't want to talk about," said Clark. "Yesterday was a day I would like to forget"
  
  Chloe looked at him for a few seconds.
  
  "I see."
  
  "Kara's upset at me, Harry's upset at me, and Lana's upset at me," said Clark, as he thought about the situation.
  
  "You were busy yesterday," said Chloe, with a nod. "So do you want to talk about it?"
  
  Clark explained his day, well most of it. Chloe remained silent for most of it, just waiting until Clark finished speaking.
  
  "So, I made a mess out of things," concluded Clark. "I overstepped my bounds with the entire crystal thing, and now...I'll never do that again. Especially since both Harry and Kara were right about the entire mess. I had no right to that crystal, especially after what it did to me."
  
  "It's giving you nightmares, isn't it?" asked Chloe.
  
  "The crystal, or the fact my cousin isn't talking about me?" asked Clark.
  
  "All of the above, all of the above, I can see how that would stress you out," said Chloe as she looked at him. "But you'll get over it. You'll be back putting your foot in your mouth in no time."
  
  "Thanks for the confidence boost, "said Clark and Chloe just smiled. "I just can't believe Lana would do something like that."
  
  "Yeah, but we never truly know who people are," said Chloe, looking off into the distance. "Her marriage with Lex changed her, and it's a shame things aren't back to the way they were. I sometimes wonder about everything that happened there. She came back, and all seemed well. But nothing is well, isn't it? Something happened to her last night, and she's out there somewhere."
  
  Clark nodded. He hoped wherever Lana was, she didn't get hurt.
  
  "So have you heard from Kara or Harry?" asked Clark.
  
  Chloe remained silent as if debating on how much to say to Clark.
  
  "Last time I spoke with Harry, he was on some wild goose chase after that journal of his," said Chloe with a frown. "It's really consuming his life."
  
  "It's just his mother's journal," said Clark. "What could be that important?"
  
  "Everything else from his parents was destroyed, that's his one link to his past," said Chloe. "I tried to get in touch with him this morning, but I couldn't. His cell phone was turned off; I tried twice, about two hours apart. I've found out something related to the meteor infected that he might want to know."
  
  "Is this something I should be concerned about?" asked Clark.
  
  "Yeah, it's a concern," said Chloe. "Belle Reve got a turnover in management. They got a new doctor, someone who is used to the strange and mysterious. In fact, it's in his name, someone called Hugo Strange, I don't know if you've heard of him."
  
  Clark pondered that for a moment.
  
  "Name rings a bell somehow, but maybe you can give me a hint," said Clark.
  
  Chloe just proceeded to explain.
  
  "He was fired for unethical behavior from a place that has the worst turnover rate ever in curing their patients. It's a place called Arkham Asylum, in Gotham City. Half of the staff ends up becoming guests of the state eventually. And there isn't a meteor fragment in the city. It's crippled by constant gang wars. And the police are on the take. It's just one big cesspool of corruption and insanity."
  
  "Makes Smallville look rather tame," said Clark in a conversational tone.
  
  "That might be the understatement to end understatements," said Chloe. "They have a serial killer who leaves taunting messages in the form of riddles, a cannibal with a scaly skin condition, and a murderous gangster with a split personality that talks to a ventriloquist dummy. Not exactly an inviting place to live."
  
  Clark just shook his head at this.
  
  Two young adults rested in each other's arms.
  
  "I think we missed breakfast," breathed Harry.
  
  "Filled up as is," cooed Kara in his ear. "I know you had plenty to eat."
  
  Harry just smiled. They shared something special with each other. The first attempt had been a bit awkward, but after about the second or third time they got into the swing of things.
  
  The two leaned up against the pillows on the bed, their naked sweaty bodies pressed against each other.
  
  "That was much better than any of my dreams," said Kara, as she leaned over to give Harry a kiss. Harry returned it. It was light and tender, but still felt very nice.
  
  It seemed a lot longer than a few hours. Harry wondered if he had used his time stopping powers to stretch out the time they had for their activities.
  
  "Reality can be much better than any dream," said Harry, playing with her hair as she rested against him. "We might actually make it to lunch."
  
  "I think we should take a shower first," suggested Kara, with a smile. "We did get quite a workout after all."
  
  "Shower sounds wonderful," said Harry.
  
  "C'mon then," said Kara, grabbing Harry by the hand, and pulling him down the hallway, before the couple took a shower.
  
  The shower took three times as longer as usual due to the two getting sidetracked, but it was worth it. The couple finally got dressed a little past noon. Kara wore a nice red sweater and tight blue jeans. Harry was attired in pants and a sweat shirt.
  
  "How about we go out for lunch today?" asked Kara.
  
  "Sounds good, I'm too tired to cook for some reason," said Harry with a cheeky grin.
  
  "I wonder why," said Kara, who looked over Harry. Tight pants really served him well.
  
  "I'm sure the culprit's under my nose," said Harry, as he pulled her into another kiss. Kara returned it with a furious passion.
  
  Both had reason to smile, despite what happened the previous evening. Harry broke the kiss, and moved to check his cell phone to see if anyone called him when he was preoccupied.
  
  "I better call Chloe back, to see what she wants," said Harry, and Kara waited for him to return his call. "Hey Chloe, it's Harry, sorry I've been busy this morning."
  
  "Oh, just this morning," said Chloe. "So...did anything interesting happen last night? Anything involving any journals."
  
  "Switch to the other communication link if we're going to continue this conversation," said Harry, and Chloe did as she was told. "Yes, I found it, last night, it was in a Military Base at Area 51. I had to rescue Lana first, but I got it out."
  
  "Lana really swiped it," breathed Chloe. "I can't believe it."
  
  "I'm not about to ask you to defend Lana, or going to waste my breath demonizing her," said Harry. "Lex had the journal, and Lana took it. It's just one big mess that I really don't have the time or the patience to deal right now. Especially given the fact I'm having certain reservations about wasting time looking for the thing in the first place."
  
  Chloe appeared taken aback.
  
  "What did you find out?" asked Chloe.
  
  "Never mind," said Harry. "It's....family secrets that I wished stayed buried with the dead."
  
  Chloe remained silent for a moment.
  
  "Does Lex know that you have the journal?" asked Chloe.
  
  Harry snickered.
  
  "Dare, I ask why you find that question so amusing?" asked Chloe.
  
  "As far as he knows, he took it back," said Harry. "I'll be keeping a close eye on both of the Luthors. I've found out enough to make me very worried."
  
  "I've been telling you about Lex for three months and..."
  
  "Chloe, settle down," said Harry. "I'm in the habit of forming my own opinions based on evidence I've personally uncovered. And I've uncovered enough."
  
  Harry took a breath, before he decided to let the bombshell drop. "Lex is supplying the United States Government with meteor rocks, and they're experimenting on people. Orphans and prisoners...it's an entire seedy mess and I think I've just scratched the surface."
  
  "Think you could even begin to clue me in," prompted Chloe.
  
  Harry shook his head. It was a long extensive process, and he only scarcely investigated it.
  
  "Shining Light Foundation, after business hours on Monday, I should be able to find out how deep the conspiracy I'm dealing with is."
  
  "Fair enough," said Chloe. "I've got something for you too, involving Belle Reve, and their newest member of staff. I've dug up a ton on him, and...it doesn't sound good."
  
  "Well I'm sure it would be worth it, "said Harry.
  
  "Yeah, it's worth it," said Chloe. "You get what you pay for."
  
  "And if I recall, I am paying you a lot to uncover any information about the meteor infected for me," said Harry.
  
  "Well this is well worth my pay grade," said Chloe. "I still haven't figured out how you make all of this money. You don't make a dime off of the Shining Light Foundation."
  
  "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," said Harry mysteriously.
  
  "Well, just don't get caught...I think," said Chloe. "Just this information...well it could be a game changer. Especially given what you might have found as well. I've dug up some dirt on this guy, and....you'll be concerned."
  
  Dread filled Harry at that moment.
  
  "Okay, Kara and I are heading off to lunch, so talk to you later," said Harry.
  
  "Okay, you and your girlfriend have a great time on your date," said Chloe smugly.
  
  "Yeah, me and my girlfriend will have a great time on our date, just like we had a great time all morning," said Harry, and Chloe was rendered speechless.
  
  She finally found her voice.
  
  "Wait...you're actually...finally, together now," said Chloe, as Kara laughed. "She's listening in to every word we're saying right now."
  
  "Pretty much yeah," said Harry, as he eyed Kara, who grinned mischievously over in the corner.
  
  "Hi, Chloe," said Kara jumping in on the call. "You know, it might be a good idea to watch what you say in front of our guests. They tend to have ears you know."
  
  "What are you talking about?" asked Chloe, confused.
  
  "Claire, she overheard your little commentary about me and Harry," said Kara in a reproachful voice.
  
  "I didn't think she was listening," said Chloe, and now Harry looked curious.
  
  "What did you say Chloe?" asked Harry.
  
  "Never mind, you figured it out, you don't need...to know," said Chloe, backtracking. "I got to go...things to do."
  
  Chloe excused herself from the conference call. The couple laughed.
  
  "Chloe voiced our need to work out our sexual tensions," said Kara. "And Claire overheard her."
  
  Harry just gave a slight knowing smirk.
  
  "I think we cleared that minefield pretty well," said Harry as he held her in close.
  
  "Oh, I almost forgot in all of the excitement of the last day," said Kara, as she dug into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Claire drew this."
  
  Harry took the piece of paper, and saw the picture. He looked at it, with a slight smile on his face.
  
  "That's very well done," said Harry, closing his eyes to regain his composure. "I never thought I made that big of an impression on her."
  
  Harry placed the drawing on the coffee table, and made sure nothing would happen to it, as he turned around. He wiped his eye.
  
  'Bit of dust in my eye I think,' thought Harry to himself.
  
  Kara and Harry took each other's hands, and walked out the front door, before they flew into the fall breeze high above Smallville to enjoy a day out.
  
  Lex reclined in his study, savoring the fruits of yesterday. The journal was back in his hands, and moved to a more safe location. He read an e-mail for Harry, which thanked him for all of the help he gave on the journal.
  
  The bald young man had to shake his head. He believed that fake was the real thing. Harry Potter remained blissfully ignorant.
  
  The doorknob turned, and Lex looked up to see his guest. He did not give any permission for anyone to enter. He held his hand on his desk to call for security, but Lionel Luthor invited himself in.
  
  "Hello, Lex," said Lionel breaking the silence.
  
  "What do you want?" asked Lex, but his hand still hovered over the button.
  
  "Can't a father check up on his son?" asked Lionel.
  
  "Depends on who the father is, and who the son is," said Lex, but he withdrew his hand. "But you wouldn't give me the time of day, unless you wanted something. So again I say, what do you want?"
  
  "Very well," said Lionel and he sat down to face his son. "I'm here to give you a warning. One that listening to would be of your benefit. I understand that you've been meeting a few times with Harry Potter."
  
  Lex gave a stiff nod. That's all his father got.
  
  "Stay away from him, Lex," said Lionel. "He's not someone you want to be around."
  
  "Really?" asked Lex, mock thoughtful and he looked at his father. "Could that be because you got caught red handed snooping around his headquarters yesterday and spent some quality time in a holding cell?"
  
  Lionel's lack of response was all of the response Lex needed.
  
  "Losing your touch in your old age, aren't you?" asked Lex. "I know what Harry Potter is. Altruistic, a bit na?ve, and on a mission to save those who cannot be saved."
  
  "Manipulation runs deep within his bloodline Lex," said Lionel. "On his mother's side of the family, they might project the image of a friendly and respectable family. But snakes can be respectable when they want to. Up until the moment they bite you."
  
  "So, whose family are we talking about again?" asked Lex after he pondered the manner for a moment.
  
  "His grandparents were called Briar and Violet Evans, never formally charged for anything underhanded, but there were accusations," said Lionel, acting as if he did not hear his son's flippant comment. "They should be respected in some way, but their own obsession brought them down. They were killed by a glorified terrorist who had delusions of grandeur. But, they were obsessed with control."
  
  "Again, whose family are you talking about?" asked Lex.
  
  "That blood flows through the veins of Harry Potter," said Lionel, once again ignoring the question. "They helped their share of people in their day. When they could get something out of them, and they were obsessed with controlling power beyond all comprehension."
  
  Lex drummed his fingers on his desk, looking merely bored.
  
  "I do not wish for you to be dragged down with that bloodline," continued Lionel.
  
  "The ship has long since sailed for you feigning an interest in my well-being," said Lex coolly.
  
  Lionel regarded his son for a moment.
  
  "You have the journal, or rather you took it out of my trash," said Lionel in a crisp tone. "Potter's looking for it. He told me as much when I met with him."
  
  "It's taken care of," said Lex and Lionel's gaze looked at him. "It's not any of your business, but Potter thinks he has the real journal."
  
  Lionel took a few breaths and concluded in a soft voice.
  
  "You really think you won this round against him, don't you, Lex?"
  
  Lex offered a smirk.
  
  "My success rate speaks for itself," countered Lex. "And the embarrassment you suffered yesterday, well that speaks for itself, doesn't it? It seems to me like the great Lionel Luthor has gone soft. But old age does get the best of us."
  
  "Old age is not something you'd experience at the rate you're going," said Lionel.
  
  "Is that a threat?" asked Lex.
  
  "No, not a threat, merely an observation," said Lionel. "A conversation with you seems to be a waste of oxygen, as usual. You're playing with fire, just don't get burned."
  
  Lionel did not even offer a goodbye. Lex watched him leave. He wondered briefly, but shook his head.
  
  He had the journal, it was safe, and now he could focus more time in figuring out why Potter wanted it so badly.
  
  After a nice lunch together, Harry and Kara enjoyed a nice stroll around Smallville. They did not speak much, just enjoyed the sights and the company of each other. The two walked around a park. The fall breeze flew in their face. They sat down on a bench. Harry and Kara wrapped their arms around each other. The shared body heat allowed them some comfort against the dropping temperature.
  
  Harry never appreciated the beauty of life more than he did now, being with her.
  
  "You know how to show a girl a good time," said Kara, breaking the silence.
  
  Harry did not know how to respond to that little statement.
  
  "Really, I'm...really I'm just making this up as I go along," said Harry with a sheepish grin on his face.
  
  Kara laughed, and gave him a light kiss, before she shifted against him. "Keep improvising Harry, it's working out well for you."
  
  She took a breath.
  
  "Sometimes it's just best not to think," said Kara, resting her head on Harry's chest. "We might have been together a little bit sooner if you had just gone with your instincts. Sometimes you can outsmart yourself."
  
  He looked into her beautiful face, the smile on her face. The breeze continued to kick off, leaves blowing around.
  
  "You never told me what happened with Clark and the crystal," said Kara.
  
  Harry made sure the anti-eavesdropping spells held up. He explained what happened, including the conversation he had with Jor-El. Kara looked pleased when she heard Harry told Jor-El off.
  
  "So are you going to talk to Clark?" asked Harry.
  
  Kara pondered this a little bit. She sighed.
  
  "I just want him to understand what he did and why it upset me," said Kara. "He could have hurt someone, or himself. I don't really blame him, but he's got to learn to think a bit more."
  
  "No, I blame Jor-El, myself," said Harry.
  
  "Me too," sighed Kara. "So do you want to talk about the journal?"
  
  "Not really," said Harry with a sigh. "My mother...well I just can't believe what she did. And the fact she thought that I would just accept her help without any argument."
  
  "You might have been thrown into that role," said Kara, sliding over to straddle Harry's lap and look him into the eyes. "But...you're a remarkable person. No matter what, no matter how many obstacles were thrown in your way, you still did the right thing. It would have been easy to take control and use your powers to abuse people and control them for your own benefit."
  
  Kara placed her hands on either side of Harry's face.
  
  "It's just another obstacle thrown in your life," said Kara. "One you will be strong enough to overcome. It's just far bigger than the others. But you're a strong person Harry."
  
  Kara looked into his eyes.
  
  "It's not because of your powers," said Kara. "It's because of your strength of mind and your heart. You're amazing."
  
  "You're pretty amazing yourself, Kara," replied Harry, and she pressed her lips onto his with another kiss.
  
  The kiss lasted a minute real time, but ten minutes by their perspective as Harry subconsciously stopped time once again. They pulled back and Kara shivered a little bit.
  
  "It's getting a bit chilly out here," said Kara.
  
  Harry grabbed her tight.
  
  "Let's get back home and warm up then," suggested Harry, wrapping his arms around her.
  
  Kara melted into Harry's embrace, and they returned back home. The two cuddled together on the couch in front of the fire, half watching television until dinner time.
  
  Despite everything, life was good, and what happened the previous day was put behind them.
  Obsession
  
  
  Chapter 14: Obsession.
  
  The autumn breeze, with hints of winter, blew throughout Smallville. Harry and Kara flew up to the Kent Farm House. They held hand, before they touched down onto the ground.
  
  "So, you thought about it, and...I for one think you're doing the right thing," said Harry.
  
  "After having a weekend to cool down, I'm ready for this," said Kara, taking a deep breath. "I would have preferred that he would be the one to come to me, but I guess stubbornness runs in the blood."
  
  "Speaking from experience?" asked Harry, with a teasing smile.
  
  Kara just responded with a smirk, before she grabbed Harry and kissed him full on the lips, not caring who saw her. Harry was her mate, and she wanted to display her love for him whenever she had a chance to.
  
  Harry returned the kiss with equal passion. Their relationship escalated rather quickly, because of their powers and the fact they had repressed themselves in many ways. It was all about making up for lost time.
  
  The two broke the kiss after a time. Kara remained in Harry's embrace, almost as if she was procrastinating to avoid the awkward situation.
  
  "You sure you don't want to come?" questioned Kara.
  
  Harry shook his head.
  
  "No, I've got business to do, might swing back around in an hour or two," said Harry, before he leaned forward and gave her one more kiss on the lips. Kara sighed deeply into it, and once again they broke apart, too soon for either of their liking. Harry looked at her with an encouraging and warm expression. "Good luck."
  
  "Thanks," said Kara, watching Harry pop off.
  
  Kara moved over towards the front door and raised her hand, biting her lip nervously, before she knocked on the door.
  
  She waited a moment, before Clark opened, and saw Kara standing there waiting for him.
  
  "Kara, it's...sorry I didn't know you were stopping by," said Clark, but he looked happy that she was there. A part of him wondered if she would ever talk to him again after their unpleasant parting on Friday afternoon. "It's a bit of a mess in here..."
  
  "Don't worry about it Clark," said Kara walking in and sure enough the house looked like it was in a state of disarray. That was nothing compared to how Clark looked however. Worry immediately flooded Kara when she saw how her cousin looked. "Clark, what happened to you? You don't look like you've gotten any sleep."
  
  "Well, yeah, but I can normally run off of as little sleep as possible," said Clark. "But it's what I'm seeing in my sleep..."
  
  "The crystal, it gave you nightmares," said Kara promptly, cutting him off. "And it was because of what you heard, your mother calling for you in there."
  
  Clark nodded, but Kara gently guided him to the couch, before motioning for him to sit down.
  
  "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about the entire stunt I pulled on Friday," said Clark. "I wasn't really thinking, and...really it came back to bite me."
  
  "It's okay, you made a mistake," said Kara gently. "We all make mistakes, it's only human..."
  
  "I'm not human through," argued Clark.
  
  Kara just scoffed and glared at Clark at this statement.
  
  "You sure look like one, act like one, and were raised by them," said Kara. "Jor-El has been feeding you information about how your emotions are going to cloud your judgment, and not allow you to accomplish your destiny, hasn't he?"
  
  Clark nodded. Kara closed her eyes and sighed.
  
  "Your emotions make you who you are. Don't try and shut them out."
  
  "I don't know what I should do," said Clark.
  
  "What do you want to do?" asked Kara.
  
  Clark answered without any hesitation.
  
  "I just want to do good with my powers, but I can't save everyone," said Clark.
  
  Kara just smiled. The fact her cousin was worried that he could not please or save everyone in the world did make her feel confident that he was on his way to something great.
  
  "No one expects you to be perfect," said Kara, before she gave a long sigh. "The real reason why I was upset about what you did is...you could have gotten hurt. The security force at the Shining Light Foundation...well they do take their jobs kind of seriously."
  
  "I found that out the hard way," said Clark.
  
  It was funny how spending time in a holding cell could give one a reality check.
  
  "The real question is will you do it again?" asked Kara, looking him in the eye.
  
  "No," said Clark. "Especially when the consequences were just so..."
  
  Clark paused, before he voiced something that had been bothering him. "Is it a crime that I faltered for a brief second? That I wanted to save my birth mother. Even after both Jor-El and Harry told me the dangers of what would happen if the crystal was not destroyed."
  
  Kara gave him a sympathetic look and shook her head.
  
  "If I was in your place, I might have been tempted to save her," said Kara. "And no matter what, you would have done the right thing eventually. And you did, and you are wondering if you could have saved Aunt Lara. The answer is no. If Harry could have done it, he would have found a way."
  
  Clark nodded, but Kara was not done speaking.
  
  "But even with great power, there are limitations. The greatest power is in the mind, your ability to adapt and learn. Without a trained mind, even power beyond your wildest dreams is essentially useless."
  
  Kara closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment for thought. She could sense Clark's questioning gaze. She sensed many other things since her other powers manifested.
  
  The powers she felt it would be prudent not to tell Clark about, at least for now.
  
  "That's something that my mother told me before she died," said Kara. "I think she didn't want me to be dragged down with Zor-El's obsession. Of course, she couldn't save herself from being a victim of it. First she became...I believe the term humans use is dead on the inside. The lights are on, but no one's home."
  
  Horror appeared on Clark's face.
  
  "Your father he didn't...." started Clark, but Kara held up a hand.
  
  "He didn't need to use force, his words were enough to cause my mother enough agony," said Kara sadly. "And I ignored them, because he had duty pounded into my head. He always did imply my mother was always his second choice, how she should be thankful that he allowed her to have his child. I didn't recognize it until now, but my mind's clearer than ever before."
  
  'He blocked all of my memories of her when he erased my mind,' thought Kara. 'He wanted complete obedience to him. And...Harry brought them back. I can never thank him enough.'
  
  Clark looked at Kara, who fixed her face into a mask, to hide her pain.
  
  "Kara I..."started Clark.
  
  "No, it happened before you were even a thought, don't worry about it," said Kara, regaining her composure.
  
  "Something tells me this has to do with my mother," said Clark, and Kara paused, before she gave him a nod "That's....well...it was all over a woman."
  
  "Oh, I'm sure there were other reasons, but that's just the thing that pushed the entire House of El conflict over to the point of no return," said Kara, shaking her head. "But, never mind that. You've made your mistakes, and I've made mine. Not seeing Zor-El really was...I feel stupid."
  
  "We don't have to let either of our birth father's define us, you know," said Clark.
  
  "Yeah, well yours seems to be making a decent attempt to be putting his stamp all over your life," said Kara, letting a bit more bitterness slip into her voice than she would have liked to. She adopted a softer tone, before she addressed Clark. "The belief in destiny is something that causes us to lose sight of what is here in front of us in the present. Choices define who we are, Clark."
  
  "Did your mother tell you that one?" asked Clark.
  
  "No, I can come up with that conclusion on my own," said Kara, but then she added, "Of course, hanging around Harry all this time, and...well I get the impression that the actual concept of destiny just...well I think it mortally offends him. He lost many friends and family because someone believed in a prophecy, but that's Harry's story to tell you, not mine."
  
  "I understand," said Clark somberly.
  
  They sat in silence for a moment. That was until Clark had to voice a very nagging question on his mind.
  
  "Do you ever wonder what might have happened if Krypton wouldn't have died?" asked Clark.
  
  "At first, I did, but now I'm not going to burden myself," said Kara seriously. "An advanced civilization like that....well there are times where I wonder why it didn't collapse or die before either of us were born. It was teetered on the edge. It's not...well things happen for a reason. Krypton's death happened for a reason."
  
  Kara sighed. She knew the reason. It was the same reason why Harry's world had to die.
  
  "Death is a cruel and harsh mistress, Clark," said Kara, and this statement caught Clark a bit unaware. "She will take many when their time is up, without remorse and without care how many people suffer. In some ways, she's always there, watching, manipulating the strings of life."
  
  Clark decided to breach the one question that had been bothering him on and off for months.
  
  "Kara, I...a few months back, there was someone in a robe that looked like the Grim Reaper," said Clark. "But he saved Chloe and took out...someone I was facing."
  
  "I don't know anything about that, Clark," said Kara, evasively.
  
  Outside, she was calm, but inside she panicked a bit. Harry and Kara both knew from the information that the journal put in their heads that anyone knowing about their roles as the Heralds could be catastrophic.
  
  Technically speaking, Harry was supposed to wipe Chloe's mind when she found out. Given the experiences both of them had with their minds being tinkered with, neither relished having to do that to anyone else.
  
  "Of course, I didn't think you would," said Clark.
  
  She felt bad about having to lie to Clark, but telling him the truth about both herself and Harry could potentially have disastrous consequences.
  
  "Still everything does happen for a reason," she continued. "You were sent to the Kents, to get the upbringing you deserve to turn you into the person that you are today. I slept for eighteen years...and Harry found me for a reason. And Harry was sent here for a reason."
  
  Kara paused and looked at Clark, before she continued to speak once more.
  
  "One day, you'll understand, but the choice of what to do with your life is yours. Not something that is written down before you were even born. If you become a great hero, it will because it's something you choose to do."
  
  "Jor-El seems to think differently," said Clark, his turn to sound a little bitter.
  
  "Yes, well, we know about Jor-El, and what his idea of justice is," said Kara in a sour voice, but she shook it off. "Never mind, we have two parents for a reason. And you were lucky enough to have four. The Kents obviously did something right with you, and...Lara, there has to be enough of her nature within you to overcome the darker impulses of the House of El."
  
  "Will the nightmares go away?" asked Clark.
  
  "When you've come to terms with them, and what happened, yes," said Kara, scooting closer to him. "I might be able to help. If I told you some stories about your mother, it might actually give you something else to focus on. And help you understand that she never would wanted you to put your life on hold because you thought you could have saved her."
  
  "I'd like that," said Clark.
  
  The two cousins spent some time talking. Trust was a shaky thing to build, but it was best done one step at a time and they both hoped things would work out much better for each other.
  
  It was a slow process. In some ways, Kara still saw that young child that she was sent here for, believing that she was to protect him. Even if the reasons were far more nefarious if her father had his way, she felt compelled to do what she could to help Clark, even if he was just a tad bit older than she thought he would be when she got here.
  
  Clark did need to find his own way, and the influence of Jor-El was rather prominent, something that she hoped that both she and Harry could counteract or at least give him another option to take the right path for him.
  
  All she wanted was Clark to be happy, and not be burdened by some doomed destiny based off of the whims of a twisted artificial intelligence.
  
  Was that too much to ask?
  
  Harry popped in the disc with the information he collected from his raid of the Area 51 secret base into his computer. Most of the bases appeared to be secondary all of the experiments that had showed potential were shipped off to Area 51. The others at the satellite bases had been terminated.
  
  That was not the happy news he was hoping for.
  
  Harry just closed his eyes, and gave himself a moment to compose himself. He would still do a sweep of the bases, to ensure that no one had been left behind that was still living.
  
  The green rocks were still a problem, but Harry had people tracking down as many as those accursed things as possible. Between the two meteor showers, they seemed to be scattered, and collected by any number of seedy parties.
  
  Harry turned his attention to the twelve new guests. He sent the order to his staff to see what they could do, to get them the medical attention they needed. Hopefully, he could gain an assessment about their powers, their mental state, and who they were within the next couple of days. They could be orphans, runaways, or juvenile delinquents for all he knew.
  
  He made his swept of the floor with the guests, checking in to see if there were any problems. Most of the guests seemed to be settling in well, there were eight currently being helped by the Shining Light Foundation from ten to sixteen years of age.
  
  Most of them had parents or other family members. Harry could tell that a couple of the parents wanted him to fix their children of their "abnormality", so to not embarrass them.
  
  Harry frowned, if he caught any sign of abuse for any of the children, then he would take the steps to correct that unfortunate situation.
  
  So far, he just sensed coldness and disappointment. Most of the parents seemed to be glad that their children could get the help, but there were some who seemed very uncomfortable at best and disdainful at worst.
  
  Everything seemed to be in order with the guests, at least for now.
  
  "Hi Harry!" called Claire brightly.
  
  "Oh, hey, Claire," said Harry, turning around to face the red haired girl. "Kara showed me the picture you drew. That was very nice, I liked it."
  
  Claire gave a slight smile because of this review from Harry.
  
  "You can keep it if you want to," said Claire shyly.
  
  "With your permission, I will," said Harry, but Claire looked at him suddenly. "Do you need anything?"
  
  "I was wondering...about my homework, I'm kind of having trouble with it," said Claire in a small voice. "The teacher didn't really explain it, but...could you help me, please?"
  
  "Of course, I will Claire," said Harry with a smile. "Do you have it with you?"
  
  "Yeah," said Claire. The girl added very nonchalantly, "I kind of have to get it done by tomorrow, it's due then."
  
  There was a bit of a pause at this point.
  
  "And just when was this assignment set?" asked Harry, looking at her.
  
  "Um, a week ago," said Claire in a sheepish voice.
  
  "Claire," said Harry with a stern look that Professor McGonagall would have approved of. "You shouldn't have waited until the last minute."
  
  'Yeah, like I have room to talk,' thought Harry to himself, remembering all of the times he left his homework to the last minute.
  
  The one could thing about his mistakes is he could teach others to learn from them.
  
  "But, you can help me right, please?" asked Claire, and Harry just smiled.
  
  "Right this way," said Harry. "But you need to do these things when they're assigned and not wait until the last minute."
  
  It was at that point Harry wondered if he was subconsciously channeling Hermione's spirit, but he shook off those thoughts.
  
  "I know, I'll remember next time," said Claire. "It's just...with everything that's been happening around here, I got distracted."
  
  "Yeah, that can happen, but you should not neglect your regular education," said Harry, leading Claire into the conference room where they would not be disturbed. She set at her work on the table. She sat down in the chair next to Harry. "Your grades have improved, surprise pop quizzes not withstanding."
  
  "That was a rotten trick that teacher pulled!" yelled Claire angrily. "She...how are we supposed to study for something like that?"
  
  "Well that's why it called a pop quiz," said Harry, watching her set out her work.
  
  Harry was not about to do the work for her. He did walk her through it, and explained it to her. The ten year old got it, as she did the homework.
  
  "I think you did well Claire, I'd give you perfect marks," said Harry, giving it a courtesy check.
  
  "Well, if the teacher doesn't, you could fire her, right?" asked Claire with a smile, but Harry just shook his head at her. She just gave him a little grin, and a shrug. "Yeah, I know."
  
  "You've come a long way since you've arrived here, you should be very proud," said Harry. "I know I am."
  
  Claire tried to hide how pleased she looked at these words coming from Harry.
  
  "Just got to keep your temper in check, and you got to take your studies a bit more seriously," said Harry. "But you're on the right track. The nightmares are fewer and farer between, aren't they?""
  
  "Yeah, not as many," said Claire, but then she added, "Sometimes I still see it. When I discovered my powers, and what happened to my parents."
  
  There was a long moment of silence that followed. She sighed, and Harry put a hand on her shoulder.
  
  "You know that's not your fault, Claire," said Harry softly.
  
  "I know," said Claire, closing her eyes. She turned in the chair to look at Harry. "Do you ever remember your parents, in your dreams?"
  
  "Yes, all of the time," said Harry, remembering those particular nightmares all too well. "Well not as much I used to. When I was a bit older than you, I dreamed about when they died all of the time. And I thought it was my fault they died for years."
  
  "That's stupid!" exclaimed Claire, looking Harry in the eye. "You were only a year old, you couldn't have..."
  
  "Yeah, but is it any less stupid for you to blame yourself?" asked Harry and Claire stopped suddenly, before shaking her head. "You discovered you had powers and you panicked. Your control is much better."
  
  "I still can't cook marshmallows without burning them," said Claire, with a frown.
  
  Harry found a bit amusement that this was the thing that she worried about the most. He really hoped that never changed.
  
  "You just need to work on your temperature regulation control," said Harry. "I wish it was easy to train everyone, but I know better. Mastering your powers takes time. You're only ten years old, you'll get it."
  
  "How long did it take you to figure out your powers?" asked Claire.
  
  Harry paused, before giving her an honest answer.
  
  "Too long."
  
  "That doesn't tell me anything," said Claire, folding her arms and giving a slight pout at the lack of information.
  
  "All of us learn at different speeds, don't get frustrated," lectured Harry. "It leads to self-doubt, and that is our greatest weakness. When we don't believe in ourselves, bad things happen. The sky is the limit and nothing really is impossible."
  
  "I almost feel like I should be taking notes," said Claire.
  
  "No, this is just some friendly advice," said Harry, with a smile. "Make sure you put your homework away safely. The last thing we need is your invisible dog eating your homework again."
  
  "It breathed fire too, I can't believe you forgot that," said Claire, looking flushed. "And it was one time!"
  
  "I would hope you would come up with a more original excuse," said Harry. "But you're doing well, and turn that in tomorrow....I'm sure you'll get top marks. You have your classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, right?"
  
  "Uh huh," said Claire with a nod of her head, pleased that Harry remembered.
  
  "I wish I could have Monday off many times when I went to school," said Harry, cringing remembering some of those tough Mondays. "I never wanted to get out of bed, and my school seemed to do the worst schedule on Monday."
  
  "It couldn't have been that bad," said Claire.
  
  Harry chuckled.
  
  "My fifth year, I had all of the worst teachers in a row," said Harry. "And one teacher, she was a horrid excuse for a woman. Looked like a toad."
  
  "I wonder if you kissed her, would she turn into a prince?" asked Claire innocently.
  
  Harry grimaced at the very thought of anyone, but a Dementor kissing Umbridge. Then again, Umbridge would likely get off on a Dementor kissing her. For some reason, Umbridge and Dementors just struck him as soulmates.
  
  He would need some brain bleach after the last image conjured up in his mind's eye.
  
  "Well, no one was ever going to find that out," said Harry, shaking his head.
  
  "I didn't see, Kara," said Claire. "Is she here anywhere?"
  
  "No, she's visiting her cousin, they have a lot of catching up to do," said Harry. "Kara and I, we spent the entire weekend together."
  
  "So are you two going out or not?" asked Claire.
  
  "Yes, we are," said Harry.
  
  "Finally!" cried Claire in a jubilant manner, but Harry looked at her, with a questioning look. "It's just...well you two seemed like you would be happy together. And it was getting kind of annoying to see you two not get how you felt about each other."
  
  Harry just smiled.
  
  "If you two weren't going to get together soon enough, I swear I was going to have to lock you in a closet or something," said Claire firmly.
  
  Harry did not have the heart to tell the girl that they would have gotten out easily.
  
  "Well thankfully you didn't have to do anything that drastic," said Harry, with a bit of a laugh.
  
  A buzzing of the intercom caused Harry's interest to be diverted. Claire sighed, and crossed her arms in annoyance.
  
  "What is it?" asked Harry, business like as usual.
  
  "Lex Luthor is here," said the voice over the intercom. "He just wishes to have a brief meeting with you, if it is convenient."
  
  Harry wondered if Lex suspected his deception regarding the journal. There was only one way for him to find out.
  
  "Have security escort him up to conference room three," said Harry.
  
  Claire sat, spinning in the office chair for a little bit. A moment later the doors swung open and two security guards escorted Lex inside.
  
  "Claire, could you be a good girl and wait outside for a little bit?" asked Harry. "After, I'm done in here; I'll take you outside for a little bit, I promise."
  
  Claire looked excited about the promise of actually leaving the Shining Light Foundation building.
  
  "Okay," said Claire, with Harry giving her a hug goodbye. The redhead walked off but not before she gave Lex the evil eye the moment she walked by the bald man.
  
  Lex just chuckled.
  
  "I can see I was interrupting some kind of bonding moment," said Lex, reaching forward and shaking hands with Harry. Both maintained eye contact, which presented Harry a chance to take a look at Lex's surface thoughts. They were guarded, as Harry suspected. "So what's her power?"
  
  "She's a Pryokinetic," said Harry in a conversational tone.
  
  "Yeah, I should have figured, she was looking at me like I was a chunk of firewood," said Lex with a crisp nod. "Security's pretty tight around here. I thought was going to be submitted to a body cavity search for a minute."
  
  "After some incidents, do you really blame me?" asked Harry.
  
  "Yes, my father and Clark," said Lex, whistling and both of his eyes were on Harry. "For the record, I apologize for what my father did. And Clark too, but he always seems to have a knack for showing up where there is trouble."
  
  "Could it be that trouble just seems to find him?" asked Harry.
  
  Lex pondered this question.
  
  "Maybe," said Lex grudgingly. "I've always been interested in what his secret is. Every man has to have a secret and I've always gotten the sense that he was hiding something."
  
  "Well would secrets be such if you just told everyone?" asked Harry.
  
  "Well we were friends, so I assumed he would give me the benefit of the doubt," said Lex. "You know his cousin; surely you have noticed anything odd about him?"
  
  "What in this world is normal?" asked Harry airily, with a faux dreamy expression in his eyes darting around erratically.
  
  Lex sighed. He was not about to get any straight answers out of Harry. The young man was eccentric and kind of scatterbrained.
  
  "So did you get a chance to look at your mother's journal?" asked Lex.
  
  "Just nothing, but blank pages and empty words," said Harry.
  
  Lex nodded, he was hoping that Harry would give him a bit more of a hint since he had the real journal. If he could activate it, he could be sitting on secrets that could master the universe.
  
  "What did you hope to find?" asked Lex. "Surely, if you spent all of the time looking for it, there had to be reasons beyond sentimental value."
  
  "It was a journal written by a twenty one year old girl before she died," said Harry. "I was just hoping to get a picture into my mother's life, where her head was, when it happened."
  
  "Yes, the car accident if I'm not mistaken," said Lex, and Harry nodded. "When you were a year old, that must have been tough. But you were sent to aunt and uncle and lived there before you went up to that boarding school."
  
  Lex laughed at something, and he decided to elaborate based on Harry's questioning look.
  
  "My father seems fascinated about your mother's side of family. Seems to me he might have got burned pretty badly by them in the past. Maybe that's the real reason why he showed up on Friday."
  
  Harry gave a stoic nod.
  
  "I don't know why he would," said Harry in a casual voice. "What my family did before I was born, I have no idea. My aunt was less than forthcoming about any information...I'm guessing because she didn't want to talk about it because my grandparents and my mother died."
  
  'No hint, no clue about what might be in that journal,' thought Lex to himself.
  
  "I see, well...I'll just leave you with one word of warning," said Lex, sensing an opportunity. "If Clark's been working with my father to get something from you, then I wouldn't trust either of them."
  
  "Your father said the same thing about you when I met him," said Harry nonchalantly.
  
  'Just as well, he would,' thought Lex, making sure to nod politely and shake hands with Harry, before he saw himself out.
  
  "As for Clark, you really shouldn't be bothered," said Harry. "Obsession is dangerous; it's lead to the downfall of many far greater men than you or I."
  
  "Yes, thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind," said Lex, with security seeing him out at that moment.
  
  Lex might not have gotten any use from that meeting, but Harry sure did. He knew Lionel Luthor had dealings with the Evans family in the past. He knew Lex was still obsessed with Clark. And Harry knew that he would have to keep a closer eye on both Luthors, to see what their ultimate games ended up being.
  
  Harry and Claire completed their journey to the Kent Farm House. He decided it would be best to let her out for some fresh air, since she really come far in her time and it might do her some good. There were some ground rules set in place for her. No accepting candy from strangers, look both ways when she crossed the street, and no setting anyone's car on fire.
  
  No matter how ugly the car was.
  
  Harry saw some rather ugly ones, but then again who was he to judge?
  
  He walked up, and overheard Kara and Clark talking from inside with his enhanced hearing. He wondered if he should offer them a few more moments together before he intruded on their bonding.
  
  Claire, being a ten year old child, had no such tact or patience. She walked up and knocked on the door, with a smile on her face.
  
  The door opened, with Kara answering it.
  
  "Harry, I was hoping you'd be here soon!" exclaimed Kara, and she threw her arms around Harry, before giving him a passionate kiss in greeting. Harry wrapped his arms around her.
  
  Claire just shook her head, with a bit of a smile. While she wanted them to get together, she did not need to see that.
  
  Clark had just returned from upstairs, and was about to ask Kara who was knocking on the door. He was taken off guard to see Kara and Harry making out with each other, arms wrapped around each other. Before their activities could escalate, Harry noticed Clark standing like a deer in the headlights.
  
  Kara hid her smile, before she decided to break the news.
  
  "Oh, Clark, I forgot to mention, Harry and I are dating," said Kara nonchalantly.
  
  "It took you long enough," mumbled Clark regaining his bearings, but then both of them looked at him. "Congratulations, I wondered when it was going to happen."
  
  "You and the rest of the known galaxies," said Harry, with a smile, taking a seat. Kara shamelessly sat down on his lap. He put his arms around her waist, with the blonde lazily leaning back into him. "I was going to swing by bit earlier, but there were things that I got caught up in. Claire here decided to neglect her homework until the last minute, so I had to help her."
  
  "Claire," said Kara in a stern voice and Claire looked at the floor with an apologetic expression. "What did I tell you about leaving your school work to the last minute?"
  
  "Don't do it," said Claire, with Clark looking a bit amused and Kara just sighing.
  
  "So how are you doing, Claire?" asked Clark.
  
  "Fine, Harry and Kara really are helping me out, after what happened," said Claire brightly. "They're kind of like...well they're just helping me and the others too. But the other kids, they have parents that they can go home to."
  
  Claire realized what she said, and started backtracking over her own words.
  
  "Not that I'm mad about them," said Claire. "It's not their fault they have family members. It's...."
  
  "And it's not your fault that you don't," said Clark in a kind voice.
  
  "Harry told me that, Kara told me that, the counselor told me that, but ...never mind," said Claire in a heated voice, but she calmed herself down before she set the chair she was sitting on ablaze. "I'll just let you guys talk, I'm doing fine."
  
  Claire picked up the comic book she brought with her, and allowed the other three to talk. She buried herself into it, hiding the embarrassment she felt for how much she let slip.
  
  What Claire implied did not go unnoticed by Harry or Kara, but this was not the time or the place.
  
  "So, what about the journal?" asked Clark.
  
  "Not what I was hoping to find," said Harry in an evasive voice.
  
  "And what you were hoping to find?" prompted Clark.
  
  The two exchanged a slight look, but remained stoic before one spoke.
  
  "Something more useful than what Harry found," said Kara, shifting herself on Harry's lap.
  
  "So it was just a journal?" inquired Clark.
  
  Harry considered telling Clark about what truly was in that accursed book, but that would invite questions that he did not feel comfortable with answering at that moment.
  
  "Yes, and not one word was written in it," said Harry. "Three months of my life, that I could have been spending my time doing something else, wasted on that useless witch hunt."
  
  Clark had a feeling that there was something that either Harry or Kara were not telling him. In particular, Harry seemed to be in a weird mood when he brought up the journal. Almost like there was some kind of horrific secret that he found out.
  
  He was not about to press the issue. He was in the stages of patching up some semblance of a family relationship with his cousin, and he did not want to undo all of that work just by sticking his nose into something like this.
  
  Getting Harry upset, would likely upset Kara, and upsetting Kara would likely upset Harry even more, and it was just one huge cycle of people getting upset.
  
  So, Clark reined in his curiosity.
  
  "So any adverse effects from what happened the other night?" inquired Harry, looking Clark in the eye. "You did destroy it, right?"
  
  "Yes, and it was...." started Clark, but Harry cut him off.
  
  "Good, you destroyed it," said Harry breathing a sigh of relief. Naturally he was there, watching, but appearances had to be kept up. "And for the second part of my question..."
  
  "I keep hearing my mother's voice calling out for help," said Clark. "But Kara...after she talked to me, I think they'll cease."
  
  Harry nodded, feeling a great deal of sympathy for Clark.
  
  "They would have in time, but Kara was right to talk about you," said Harry in a serious voice. "Nightmares...well they are far worse the more powerful that you are. Trust me; regrets will be powerful for powerful people."
  
  'He's speaking from experience,' thought Clark.
  
  The three made a bit of small talk for a while, and the time seemed to fly by.
  
  "I'm surprised you and Kara are actually sticking around this long," said Clark, before he added. "Not that I don't mind having you around, it's just, I'd figure you'd be busy."
  
  "Well I had a few things to take care of this morning," said Harry. "But after that, it was smooth sailing. My staff is good enough that the company runs itself. I just like to pop in to make sure everyone's doing alright. And after the day Kara had on Friday, I figured she should enjoy a day off, especially given what happened."
  
  "Yeah, about that, I apologized to Kara so..." said Clark. "I'm sorry, that was...it was wrong what I did."
  
  "Yes, I know it was, and you know it was, but I don't blame you and I'm sure Kara doesn't either," said Harry, and Kara shook her head, trying to convey Clark that she was not going to hold one moment of weakness and desperation against him.
  
  Clark felt a bit more at ease that things were less awkward, but a knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts.
  
  He hastened to answer the door, in case it as an emergency. Claire continued to flip through her comic book, and Harry and Kara continued to sit, enjoying each other's company.
  
  "Oh, hi, Lana," said Clark, and this caused Kara to frown. "So, you came back."
  
  Things seemed to be rather cool at the moment, and Harry wondered if Clark and Lana had a bit of a tiff about the entire journal escapade.
  
  Not that it was any of his business, but he just sensed some underlying awkwardness between the two.
  
  "Yeah, I had some time to think, and...." said Lana, but she stopped as she spotted Harry and Kara over Clark's shoulder. "Oh, hi, I didn't know you two were here."
  
  "Yeah, we're just visiting Clark, but...something just came up," said Kara, looking at Lana with a forced smile. "So, you two...well whatever you do is your business."
  
  "Claire, you about ready to leave?" asked Harry, and she nodded, as the girl followed Harry and Kara out the opened doorway.
  
  "So did you find your mother's journal?" asked Lana, catching Harry off guard.
  
  "Yes, but it wasn't anything of value," said Harry waving his hand dismissively. "Nothing you or Lex Luthor should have been concerned about."
  
  Lana blinked, before she shrugged. The situation was awkward. Kara smiled as she wished her cousin a goodbye.
  
  "Clark, take care of yourself, I don't want to have to fly out here if something bad has happened," said Kara, in a half joking manner.
  
  "Kara, don't worry, nothing's going to happen," said Clark.
  
  "Don't worry, I'll make sure Clark stays out of trouble," said Lana trying to lighten the mood.
  
  Harry and Kara both turned away from her, but not before Kara had one more thing to say.
  
  "Just see that nothing bad happens to him, he's the only cousin I have," said Kara, voice dripping to hints of a veiled threat towards Lana.
  
  Lana's eyes widened and she took a deep breath.
  
  "So...we'll just let you two catch up," said Harry. "Good luck Clark."
  
  'You're going to need it,' thought Harry.
  
  "Bye Clark," said Claire, before she followed Harry and Kara off the Kent Farm.
  
  Lana shook her head. She proceeded to turn her attention towards Clark.
  
  "So you two have been catching up," said Lana, trying to keep any distrust out of her voice.
  
  "Yeah, we've been catching up, it's good to talk to someone who was there," said Clark, with a fond smile. "About what happened on Friday..."
  
  "Clark, I'm sorry, alright," said Lana.
  
  "I'm not the one you should be apologizing too," said Clark.
  
  Lana shook her head and gave a long sigh.
  
  "It's almost like those two have it in for me," mumbled Lana, closing her eyes.
  
  Clark had no idea what to say. The incident with the journal would make things awkward between them. He half wished that Lana would have showed up a bit later, as Harry and Kara seemed to be more relaxed and less guarded than they were before around him.
  
  "I had fun, it was good to get out of this place for today," said Claire with a bright smile. "Thank you both of you."
  
  "It's not a problem Claire, but you should get washed up for dinner right now," said Harry. "And remember; don't set the table on fire this time if you don't get the last dessert."
  
  Claire had a sheepish look on her face. She hugged both Kara and Harry goodbye, before she walked off. Kara had a smile on her face, looking from Claire to Harry.
  
  "What are you smiling about?" asked Harry.
  
  "Nothing," said Kara, as they turned to walk down the hallway. "I think it did her some good to get out there today. She's...well she doesn't have anyone like she said. The other guests, they have family, while she has to stay here all weekend with the staff."
  
  Harry nodded, he knew the feeling. He and Kara made their way into his main office and made sure the door was shut and locked behind them.
  
  "So how are you coping with what the journal let slip?" asked Harry.
  
  "About the Herald of Krypton thing...not exactly something I was expecting," said Kara. "So, how long does a Herald live?"
  
  "We can be killed, but it takes something extreme," said Harry. "And trust me when I say this, you don't want to be thrown at Death's feet, and have her chew you out for screwing up so bad that you died."
  
  "Extreme, as in almost the end of the world extreme?" asked Kara.
  
  "Yeah, pretty much," verified Harry.
  
  Kara sat on the desk to face Harry before he explained more to her, but there were things that he was not sure of.
  
  "We age rather gracefully, as in we stop once we hit our physical prime," said Harry, grabbing her hands. "Just imagine that, I found the one other person who is as long lived as I am."
  
  Kara shifted with a smile, as he joined her. They sat face to face with each other on the desk.
  
  "I'll be around for as long as you'll put up with me," said Kara.
  
  "I can put up with you, forever," said Harry, pulling her close towards him. "My feelings for you...I don't know how to say it, without coming off sounding corny."
  
  Kara leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips tasted sweet, soft and moist. Harry grabbed her and pulled her deeper into the kiss. Their fingers intertwined into each other's hair.
  
  They kissed for a few minutes, and Harry pulled himself away from her. He looked into her, taking in her beautiful features. She wore a blue blouse that really fit her nicely. It was unbuttoned to show a generous dose of cleavage and also was a bit short, so the lovely skin on her midsection could be seen. The red skirt she wore showcased her legs nicely, and gave a nice little tease to what was beneath. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and allowed Harry to see her beautiful face, with her blue eyes looking at him with so many powerful emotions in them.
  
  "I never thought this would happen, but there's just something about you that makes me feel like I can take on the world, no the universe," said Harry. "And win."
  
  "Really, you too?" asked Kara. "I feel the same way about you."
  
  The words seemed on the tip of both of their tongues, so they just blurted it out in unison before they lost their nerve.
  
  "I love you."
  
  Harry and Kara looked at each other, taken aback.
  
  "How could you..." started Harry, but Kara shut him up with a swift kiss to the lips.
  
  She broke apart after a minute.
  
  "I could ask you the same thing," said Kara, with a challenging look that cut Harry off from further protests. She placed her arms around Harry's neck and whispered in his ear. "But maybe we shouldn't be asking questions, and just keeping going with it."
  
  Harry cleared off the desk, so he and Kara could have plenty of room. He leaned forward, and pulled her into his arms, into a kiss. Kara returned it. Harry leaned her back, kissing the side of her neck. Kara returned the favor, straddling Harry's lap, and peppering his neck with a series of light, but loving, kisses. She sucked on his neck, with Harry rubbing the back of her neck, before putting her hands on the small of her back.
  
  The two lost themselves and their inhibitions to each other. They continued their activities.
  
  Harry cast the necessary charms to prevent any unplanned consequences. His hands removed her clothes with ease, as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. Kara returned the favor, and they just let their instincts take each other to what felt right.
  
  Harry was thankful for his foresight to put silencing charms around the office. Kara could be rather vocal when she was in the heat of passion.
  
  They were living life, with each other, and what they felt for each other could not be measured in mere words.
  
  Harry never truly knew what love was, and all of the benefits that came along with it until his relationship with this beautiful blonde Kryptonian currently beneath him and urging him to continue his activities. The world could end now, and he would find himself not caring. And judging by Kara, she mutually agreed with this assessment.
  
  It was only a taster for what they would do later that night, in the comfort of their bedroom, but their escapades in the office satisfied their rather powerful urges.
  
  Chloe arrived at the Shining Light Foundation, armed with the information she looked up for Harry. She moved her way towards the office door and knocked on it. There was a bit of a pause before Harry answered her.
  
  "Just a minute Chloe."
  
  She waited and a few minutes later, Harry invited her in. Kara was also in the office, and Chloe could have sworn she saw Kara buttoning her blouse back up and making sure her skirt was on right.
  
  "Hi, Chloe, sorry, Harry and I had to finish before we let you in," said Kara, with a slight smile, discreetly licking the excess off of her lips and from her fingers when she thought Chloe was not looking.
  
  "I see," said Chloe. "So, I see you're diving into the whole relationship thing with reckless abandon."
  
  "One could say that," said Kara with a far off expression in her eyes.
  
  She was in a good mood after what Harry did for her and what she could do for him, what they did to each other. Kara tried to not get lost in her thoughts of what was to come tonight. Always two hours before they went to bed, to make sure their powers remained stabilized.
  
  "I hope I didn't cut anything prematurely," said Chloe, fully aware of the euphemism she had given.
  
  "No, you're good," said Harry. "We just need a little pick up, because it was a long day. With our powers, we're...well that's not a matter to be discussed in polite company."
  
  "Are you accusing me of being polite company?" asked Chloe.
  
  "No, but you do have information for me about the turnover in management at Belle Reve," said Harry carefully changing the subject. "I made a couple of trips there. Some of the cases...well there are some rather extreme cases over the years. I'd like to avoid sending any of my guests there. But...it's inevitable that some people won't be able to function in normal society. Some people might say that about me."
  
  Kara just placed her hand on Harry's. Chloe took one seat, and Harry took the other. Kara took a seat on Harry's lap.
  
  "Your quirks pale in comparison to the new chief doctor at Belle Reve," said Chloe. "I've done my homework on this guy...well you take a look at this, and you'll see why I thought you'd like to know about him."
  
  Harry and Kara browsed the information that Chloe had passed over to them.
  
  "So, Hugo Strange," read Harry, after a moment.
  
  "His name is rather fitting," said Chloe. "He worked for a place called Arkham Asylum, in Gotham City, around Chicago I think it is. But he has the distinction of being the other doctor ever to be fired for any reason."
  
  "Unethical behavior," read Harry, frowning. The more he read, the more disturbed him. "And half of the staff becomes patients and they haven't had a cured patient in twelve years. Most either die or become permanent guests or..."
  
  "Escape," gasped Kara.
  
  "Do they have a revolving door installed or something?" asked Harry, looking at the escape statistics. A few times could be coincidence, but there were many escapes with the same patients.
  
  "Yeah, it seems like it, and Gotham is not a preferred tourist destination for obvious reasons and there is a rather weird urban legend coming out of there, something that the police want to keep quiet," said Chloe. The little information she had been able to find out was intriguing enough, it was what she could not uncover...that intrigued her. "Strange's predecessor put a paper bag on his head and tried to poison the city's water supply with a fear toxin. So Strange was considered to be even more extreme than that. And now Strange is Belle Reve's new chief psychiatrist."
  
  "I'm going to just have to keep a closer eye on Belle Reve," concluded Harry, or rather he would have his sources inside take a closer look at this Hugo Strange.
  
  "So, what was the big deal about your mother's journal?" asked Chloe, curiosity getting the better of her. "You went into weird and cryptic mode the other day."
  
  "It was...unsettling," said Harry in a voice that was too eerily calm and Kara tightened her grip on his hand, giving him strength. "The reason I have my role as the Herald of Death is because of a deal she made."
  
  Chloe tried to say something but Harry put up a hand to silence her.
  
  "To think that you know someone, but then that vision gets shattered in a few moments and what you thought you know...everything gets challenged. Honestly, that entire deal is quite the paradox. If she didn't make the deal she did, I wouldn't be here. But.. if she didn't make the deal as well, then...well I don't know. I never knew she was that way, but the people in that world seemed determined to build up an idealized picture of Lily Potter."
  
  "Or maybe that's what she made everyone believe she was?" suggested Kara. "She was trying to sway you into her little obsession."
  
  "Wait, a minute trying to sway Harry?" said Chloe, her voice rising because of what she heard. "Last time I checked Harry's mother was dead, that was why he went on the entire mad and obsessive quest for the journal. And..."
  
  "She preserved an echo of herself in the journal," explained Harry, and he could tell Chloe had a million questions, so he decided to take the shortest route to answer them. "In my old world, portraits move and can communicate with people in the real world. The knowledge they have is limited, but it's essentially artificial intelligence."
  
  For a second, Harry remained silent, but he had more to say.
  
  "And when she let me know what happened, and I may have gotten a bit short with her. If she showed a bit more remorse, and wasn't so rude to Kara, I might not have snapped at her."
  
  "That's not the only reason," said Chloe. "I get the sense that your mother was the only untainted link to your past and..."
  
  "My employer knew about the deal, and I don't know what she was trying to pull," said Harry. "Actually I do know what she was trying to pull."
  
  Chloe was about to ask for elaboration, but there was no need for her to.
  
  "Likely another way to demoralize me and...well trying to get me into line to follow her like a dutiful little soldier. She's played these games before. She made people suffer just so she can achieve some grand plan. And my mother...I get the sense she has her own plans regarding this situation. She wasn't too happy that Death changed the terms of their agreement."
  
  "Meaning?" asked Chloe.
  
  "Meaning she thinks she can use me to stage a coup against the guardian of the afterlife," said Harry, almost amused at the thought.
  
  "She really can't think she can outsmart a supernatural force of nature, can't she?" asked Chloe.
  
  There was silence, as Harry did wonder what exactly Lily was trying to accomplish. He had a feeling that there was something else that she was keeping from him, but that was par for the course for authority figures in his life.
  
  "Her mortal counterpart went off with Death, and...it was done quietly," said Harry. "I now wonder if that's because she knew she left a way to guide me and...others."
  
  "You seem to be sucked into it deep," said Chloe, and Harry just narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I know understatement."
  
  "At least she gave me information about my powers," said Harry.
  
  "Our powers," corrected Kara.
  
  It took Chloe only a few seconds before she caught the significance of that particular correction.
  
  "So, you're just like Harry, with being the employer of the Grim Reaper thing," said Chloe, surprised and Kara nodded. "Um..."
  
  "News to me too, but I'm not going to...well it's just something I have to do," said Kara in a determined voice. "I don't know if anyone made a deal for me or not. I have a shrewd idea who might have done it, but I can't prove it."
  
  "How does Clark figure into this?" asked Chloe. "You didn't tell him about this, did you?"
  
  Harry and Kara shook their heads. Chloe frowned. She could tell this was likely going to snowball into something.
  
  "Technically you're not supposed to know, but we're breaking one of the big rules," said Harry.
  
  "Well, I feel privileged then," said Chloe. "Seriously...how does Clark figure into this?"
  
  "He figures into...well it's complicated," said Harry, closing his eyes. "We still haven't figured out all of the angles...excuse me for one moment."
  
  Harry excused himself to take a phone call.
  
  The two girls heard Harry's tone get a bit distressed even if he tried to cover his panic.
  
  "You were....I see, and she...I see...yes Clark...I agree it could be dangerous, both herself and others. Thank for calling me...and don't let her out of your sight whatever you do until we get a full scope of what happened!"
  
  Harry sighed. He put a hand to his head.
  
  "There was an accident with Lana and Clark," said Harry, and Kara nearly jumped up immediately.
  
  "Is he okay?" asked Chloe.
  
  "Accident, if Clark actually admits it, he's not okay," said Kara before she took a deep breath. "What happened?"
  
  "They got struck by lightning, and....Lana received a part of Clark's powers," said Harry, and that point Chloe grew a bit nervous and alarmed. Harry was trying to wrap his head around how this happened. Kara's expression grew impatient, so he regained his bearings. "They're both recovering them. I'll take you both of them...now."
  
  Harry popped both Chloe and Kara away to the Kent Farm, but in the back of his mind he wondered what kind of damage control he to oversee and what kind of hand waving he would have to do.
  
  As long as Lana didn't do anything stupid, he felt he could deal with the situation.
  
  Somehow Harry's confidence faltered at that thought.
  Hostile
  
  
  
  Chapter 15: Hostile.
  
  Clark sat on a chair waiting, and a second later, Kara bust open the door of the Kent Farm House, to rush over towards her cousin and check on him.
  
  The door was reduced to mere splinters from Kara's forceful entry.
  
  "Maybe you should have done that teleporting thing inside instead of on the front step," said Chloe to Harry.
  
  Harry just nodded, allowing Chloe inside, before he turned and fixed the door with a simple motion.
  
  "Clark, what happened, are you okay?" asked Kara in a frantic voice. "I thought I told you...never mind, you're still breathing."
  
  "Kara, I'm just a little weak and sore," said Clark, with a reassuring smile on his face. "I did get struck with lightning."
  
  Kara shook her head at the blas? way her cousin was treating his near death experience. She tried to listen to her cousin's heartbeat, and as far as she could tell it was normal. She could tell he was not about to drop dead as a consequence to what happened, which gave her a bit of relief and allowed her to relax.
  
  "Explain, please," said Harry.
  
  Clark took a breath and proceeded to explain.
  
  "Lana and I were outside. I got weakened by a piece of Kryptonite, and lightning struck and caused my powers to transfer into her."
  
  "I see," said Harry, nodding slowly. He performed several scanning spells on Clark.
  
  "Power transference, that's never a good thing," offered Chloe. "Last person who got your powers through lightning...well the power drove him insane."
  
  "I know, but this is different, he had some issues before he got my powers," said Clark. "It's different, it's Lana."
  
  Kara just smiled fondly. Her cousin rationalizing and sticking up for his friends was kind of endearing, even if it was someone she was not particularly fond of.
  
  "Clark, please sit still," said Harry.
  
  This was delicate work. Harry had to get a clear scan of Clark to gauge everything that happened.
  
  Clark did sit still, and waited. Chloe watched in the background, before another thought visited her.
  
  "Well, how about your father?" asked Chloe. "He got your powers, and it destroyed his heart, and....well you know what happened there."
  
  "I know what happened, I'm not even sure how permanent this is," said Clark. "I can still use my powers, to an extent. Lana seems happy about this, she seems to think we can level...well do things that we couldn't do."
  
  Kara winced. While what her cousin did in his free time was his business, she did not need to hear about him potentially doing anything intimate. Especially with Lana, but Kara tried to keep her expression blank and calm as she waited for Harry's final assessment.
  
  "The good news is, your powers should naturally flow back to you completely in due time," said Harry. "Chloe mentioned this happening to you before, was it a complete loss or partial?"
  
  "Complete," confirmed Clark.
  
  "But this time it's partial," said Harry and Clark nodded to confirm. "That could mean something or it could mean nothing. It could mean the Kryptonite was weaker or you're getting a bit more immune to it because of constant exposure."
  
  "I didn't feel immune," said Clark.
  
  "I don't know without a more detailed study," said Harry, shaking his head before he turned towards Kara. "He's fine, Kara. A bit sore and a bit weaker than he would be normally, but a day or two, he will be back to his normal power levels."
  
  Kara let out the breath she had been holding. Perhaps she was overreacting, but Clark was the only family she had left. Her gaze was fixed on Clark.
  
  "I'm glad you're okay, Clark" said Kara.
  
  "Lana might be another matter entirely," said Harry.
  
  "Yeah, I didn't think invisibility was one of your powers," said Chloe to Clark. "So, where is she?"
  
  Clark shifted a little bit and decided to explain.
  
  "Well, Lana seemed to be thrilled when she got my powers, but the way she was acting...she has my powers but the control thing is a bit off. And I'm afraid she could hurt someone. That's why I called Harry, to make sure nothing was going to happen. And now..."
  
  He turned around and tried to use his X-Ray vision. It was a bit more of a strain until his powers completely boosted back up to what they should be, but he managed it.
  
  "She's still up there, good" said Clark, a bit more at ease after confirming Lana's whereabouts. "She...she wasn't too happy that I called you into this."
  
  "Doesn't she understand that you're only looking out for her well-being?" asked Kara gently.
  
  "Lana...well she accepted it after a while," said Clark.
  
  "Before or after much shouting," said Chloe. "So, if I looked upstairs, would I see the results of a super powered tantrum?"
  
  "Well she did bust a window, and break a glass, but that was just her breaking in her powers," said Clark.
  
  Harry remained silent and he pondered the situation. The good thing was Lana was still here, and he could fix this situation before it escalated out of control.
  
  "Bring her down here, I'll figure out what to do," said Harry.
  
  Clark zoomed upstairs, and Harry tapped his foot, and waited.
  
  "So what are you going to do?" asked Chloe.
  
  "There's enough information here for me to know that those powers could have a long term effect on her, whether it would be psychologically or physically," concluded Harry, and Kara sat down next to him. He placed his hand on hers. "I don't know how permanent the transference is. It could be something that burns out over time, or it could be something more...long lasting."
  
  "I hate to be the one to ask the obvious question, but couldn't you just wave your hand and have things be back the way it should be?" asked Chloe.
  
  Harry shook his head.
  
  "If only it was that simple. It's never that simple. I could do it, but it could hurt either Clark or Lana or both, and...well that's not a road that I want to go down. Power transference is a rather dangerous area."
  
  Kara remained quiet, and watched Clark and Lana upstairs. There seemed to be a bit of a heated argument, but Lana decided to concede to Clark to remain downstairs. The blonde Kryptonian remained by Harry's side.
  
  She used her super hearing and picked up an erratic heartbeat from Lana. The human heart was not meant to beat in such a manner.
  
  "Harry, listen to that, that doesn't sound good," whispered Kara.
  
  Harry listened, and he would have to agree.
  
  "Her heart beats erratic, it shouldn't beat that fast," said Harry before Chloe could even ask. "I don't know if it's temporary stress or something more permanent..."
  
  Lana was lead in to face Harry. She tried to fix her face into a neutral expression to hide the agitation she felt.
  
  "I swear I feel fine," said Lana to Harry before he could even speak. "Sure, new powers get some getting used to but..."
  
  "I'll be the judge of how fine you feel," said Harry in a tone that Lana sensed left no room for argument. "Kara already heard your heart beating erratically. Do you want to cut your life short for a few days of power?"
  
  Lana stopped and stared. In her high of getting her powers, that's something she had not considered, but she grudgingly conceded Harry had a point.
  
  Still the lure of power, and being with Clark on that level, it was almost too much to pass up, even if there were risks.
  
  "It's just settling," said Lana, but she seemed a bit less sure. "There had to be a reason why I got this power. Clark and I..."
  
  Harry cut her off again.
  
  "I need you to be perfectly silent while I scan you, to make sure none of your internal organs have been damaged when you got struck by lightning," said Harry. "Or if the Kryptonite didn't do any permanent mutation to you."
  
  Lana relaxed, mostly because Harry placed a sedation charm on her. The effects would only be temporary, but Harry could scan her without much resistance.
  
  Kara, Clark, and Chloe all waited and watched.
  
  Harry's results gave him enough to be rather disturbed by. She did have some low levels of Kryptonite within her genetic makeup. It was hard to determine whether or not it was from the accident or something else. It was not enough to be classified as meteor infected, but Harry suspected there were prolonged periods of time where Lana had been around a small sample of Kryptonite.
  
  Of course, Harry suspected anyone who lived in Smallville for any amount of time had been slightly tainted. Those who had been tainted the most were the ones who exhibited powers.
  
  "The powers are only temporary," concluded Harry. "In a few days, they'll fade, as I suspected, but they'll leave their mark. I would recommend that you come to the Shining Light Foundation with me, so I could find a way to remove them."
  
  Lana's eyes widened.
  
  "Remove them, I can do so many great things with these powers, even in a few days, how many people I can help," said Lana. "Are you sure they're only temporary?"
  
  "Very sure, but the damages will be permanent the longer you have them," said Harry in a calm voice. "And by helping people, are you sure you don't mean help yourself to your revenge on Lex Luthor?"
  
  Lana's eyes widened, and her breath sped up.
  
  "You can't be sticking up for him...after all he did to me!" yelled Lana, but Harry shook his head.
  
  "I'm not about to defend anyone with the last name Luthor did or did not do, but here's the thing," said Harry. "You get your revenge on Lex, and what does that bring you? Will it undo everything bad that has ever happened to you because of him? I understand your outrage...but this obsession has been taken to an unhealthy level."
  
  "Harry does have a point," conceded Clark.
  
  "I thought you'd be happy, isn't this what you wanted?" asked Lana.
  
  "Not if it kills you, Lana," said Clark in a diplomatic tone of voice. "Just think about your health. Really consider what this could do to you."
  
  "And think about what it would do to Clark, if he loses you to your obsession," whispered Kara in an undertone to her.
  
  Lana turned towards Kara, and she lost it.
  
  "Oh, it's not like you care, you've had it in for me from the first time you've met me, both of you," said Lana to Harry and Kara, and a blast of heat vision caught the curtains on fire.
  
  Harry was quick to put it out. Lana took a deep breath. Having accidents with her powers was not a good way to keep them.
  
  "I don't have it in for you, I just don't want to see my cousin hurt," said Kara hotly.
  
  "I'm not trying to hurt Clark," argued Lana. "And you've just flown in here, thinking you can run his life!"
  
  Kara was angry at this point and would have punched Lana had Clark not been standing between them. Chloe sat off to the side and she watched the situation transfixed. It was like a train wreck one could not look away from.
  
  "Enough from both of you!" yelled Clark, and both Lana and Kara both shut up, even if their angry gaze fixed on each other. "Everyone's just...this has been a rough time for all of us..."
  
  Lana took a deep breath, and it appeared for a second she had calmed down.
  
  Until the moment she jumped up, and broke the door open with super speed. Chloe, Clark, Kara, and Harry all watched her leave.
  
  Harry knew she was beyond reasoning right now. He recognized the symptoms.
  
  "That could have gone better," concluded Chloe.
  
  Clark did not know what to do. Lana was out there, with powers she could barely control and could be killing her. He tried to go after her, but Harry shook his head.
  
  "Clark, I need one more piece of information for you, before you go off after Lana," said Harry. "The scene of the crime..."
  
  "Crime's too strong of a word to use," said Clark. "Lana didn't purposely take my powers."
  
  "Fine, just take me to the place where you got struck by lightning," said Harry.
  
  "Couldn't you just...conjure up lightning again and reverse the effects?" asked Clark desperately.
  
  Harry pondered for a second, but shook his head.
  
  "I could, but to get it precise would be a one in a million fluke," said Harry. "I'd be more likely to blow you both into microscopic dust particles."
  
  Kara closed her eyes at the thought.
  
  "Lightning's definitely out then," said Chloe. "Maybe I should go looking for Lana..."
  
  "Chloe, thanks for the offer, but at her current state, she could do some serious damage if you got in her way," said Harry.
  
  "I'll look for her," offered Kara, and Harry had reservations about this as well. Kara responded with her logical reasoning for why she was the best to do this. "Anything she can do, I can do better."
  
  "That's not egotistical at all," said Chloe, but Kara just shifted her gaze.
  
  "Plus, I don't think she could fly yet either," said Kara. "So I can cover the most ground, while Harry finds out a way to reverse this...situation."
  
  Clark turned a worried glance towards his cousin.
  
  "Kara, you won't hurt her, will you?" asked Clark, the argument fresh in his mind.
  
  Kara's expression softened as she looked her cousin in the eyes.
  
  "Clark, I can't make you a promise that everything's going to turn out okay. For you, I'll make sure Lana is returned back safe and sound. But, I'm not going to just sit back and let her run free with those powers. If I have a chance to bring her in, I'm taking it. She might be sore in the morning, but...she'll be alive."
  
  "Just do what you have to do," said Clark. "Just make sure...you find her before she does anything that she'll live to regret."
  
  "I'll try," said Kara, eyes closed and she let out a sigh.
  
  "Just do what you can, Kara," said Harry, and she leaned forward, and gave him a kiss goodbye.
  
  After a moment, Kara flew off, and Clark led Harry off to the scene of the power transference.
  
  Several scientists proceeded to walk around a lab, and spoke in hushed tones. The doors opened, and Lex Luthor walked into the lab and surveyed the situation. His head looked around, as the scientists continued to hover around a vial. A liquid swirled around inside it, but was prevented from escaping with a green meteor rock.
  
  "So what am I supposed to be looking at?" asked Lex but he noticed what was peculiar about it. "Project Scion...how did it..."
  
  "We're not sure, sir, but it turned into liquid from the dust sample you had acquired."
  
  "That dust sample is the last remaining part of an advanced piece of alien technology," said Lex, and he looked at the vial. "The ship of Milton Fine, and I wanted you to keep it under lock and key. Something you seemed to have failed to do, given that it's changed."
  
  "It's almost like it is evolving," said the scientist. "Almost as if it's trying to escape, and find a way..."
  
  "It may be trying to escape, Dr. Jensen," said Lex grudgingly. "But it's something that must not escape. If anyone knows the truth about Project Scion, there are going to be questions. Questions you might not want to answer to, if the wrong people find out. Your ethics are without question, but...this is not a matter of ethics."
  
  Lex heard a door creek off to the side of him. Immediately, he remained on his guard and tensed up.
  
  The second he looked up, all of the scientists had been dropped down to the ground. They were rendered completely unconscious.
  
  "Whoever you are, come out," said Lex, reaching to call for security.
  
  Lex found himself knocked into a wall before he could even press one button. A shadowed figure appeared from the darkness and picked up Lex by the throat. He was knocked out cold.
  
  The gloved hand picked up the vial containing Project Scion and pocketed it without a sound. Lex was dragged off. Time had stopped around them all.
  
  Time would restart itself in a matter of moments, but the shadowed figure would ensure that they would have escaped with Lex Luthor and whatever project he was working out.
  
  Revenge would be sweet. The kidnapper had been waiting for this for a long time.
  
  The young Herald of Death bit his tongue and performed scanning spells on the ground. Using his powers, he could mentally reconstruct what occurred in his mind, down to the absolute micro-second. Clark looked over his shoulder, and waited for his assessment.
  
  "It just backs up my theory," concluded Harry. "There's a twenty five percent chance I can stabilize Lana and she could handle your powers...but that's playing the odds. There's more of a chance that I can remove her powers, and fix any damage. The ball's in your court now Clark. What do you want to do? They're your powers after all."
  
  Clark paused at this moment and mulled over his options.
  
  "If there's more of a chance to remove her powers and make sure she's fine then do it," said Clark. "What are the consequences if the first method doesn't work?"
  
  "Slow and agonizing death," said Harry in a somber tone. "But there are many things that can go wrong. With her mental state, which I can tell was already on shaky ground. I'm not going to tell you what you should do with Lana, but all I'm telling you is to remain on your guard. Those who think they are helping you, sometimes end up hurting you the most. And what Lex did...well I don't know everything, but I know enough to be concerned."
  
  Harry sighed.
  
  'Both of them, Lex and Lana, they're going to be the death of me,' thought Harry.
  
  "I'm going to warn Lex, give him the heads up," said Clark.
  
  Harry thought that would be best for Clark right now.
  
  "If you think that's for the best, then go for it," said Harry. "I'll take these readings back to the Shining Light Foundation, run a simulation on the main computer. To make sure everything will be safe for when I undo the power transference. I'll be in touch."
  
  Clark and Harry went their separate ways. Harry hoped Kara could track down Lana before that woman did something that Harry would have to fix. He had no questions about her capabilities, but given it was dark now, it would be a bit tougher to get a fix on Lana.
  
  Now Harry tried to calm himself down, and hoped that he could get everyone out of his situation.
  
  Hindsight being what he was, he should have stunned Lana and dragged her over to the Shining Light Foundation, but that was the price he paid for diplomacy.
  
  Clark moved at super speed, and reached the study of Lionel Luthor. Lionel just hung up the phone the moment he reached arrived. The elder Luthor surveyed Clark, and his breath was short.
  
  "Ah, Clark, what pleasure do I owe you?" asked Lionel. "You seem winded, given your powers; I would not have thought it to be possible."
  
  "Neither did I, but my powers haven't completely returned to me," said Clark. "I still have some of them, and I'm better off than I was an hour ago. There was an accident, lightning, and...well some of my powers got transferred to another person.
  
  Lionel inclined his head, and thought over the situation in his mind.
  
  "Well, that's quite the dilemma, isn't it?" asked Lionel. "As we know, your powers were never meant to be held by mortal men or women. Such a transference could have fatal consequences."
  
  Clark did know all too well.
  
  "It's temporary, the powers should fade in a few days," said Clark.
  
  "So, who's the lucky donor?" asked Lionel.
  
  Clark paused for a few seconds, before he answered a question.
  
  "Lana."
  
  Lionel remained eerily silent.
  
  "This is a worse situation than I had thought," said Lionel, breaking his own silence. "Clark, Lana's not the same girl you once knew, not anymore. The past few years have not been kind to her, son. And her marriage with my son pushed her over the edge, I fear. And when I went missing, she was the one who arranged for me to be kidnapped."
  
  "Lana...she wouldn't do something like that," said Clark, but his voice lacked the necessary belief in his convinctions.
  
  Lionel wondered who Clark was trying to convince.
  
  "Those powers present a danger, to both Lana and anyone around her," said Lionel. "And Lana's already capable of malice, but that's beside the point. The point is at least her motive is predictable."
  
  Lionel's gaze met Clark's eyes directly and without blinking.
  
  "Find Lex, and Lana will likely be closely behind him, watching his every move. The problem is my son is making himself rather difficult to track down, and he's has his own obsessions. But never mind, have determined how to reverse this situation, before Lana hurts anyone?"
  
  "Harry's on it," said Clark.
  
  At this point, Lionel's silence resumed, before he spoke again.
  
  "Harry Potter, the resident darling of the Shining Light Foundation, selfless and bold," said Lionel. "I know his type; he wears a mask in front of his intentions. And I'd hazarding a guess you offered him a full scan of your powers."
  
  "I had no choice," said Clark.
  
  "You could have refused," responded Lionel.
  
  "Kara would have insisted," said Clark.
  
  Lionel clicked his tongue before he offered his own brutally honest assessment of this situation.
  
  "Your cousin seems to be enamored by this young man, and would do anything for him," said Lionel. "Including attacking her own flesh and blood, if Mr. Potter convinced her it was for your own good."
  
  Clark was a bit agitated by this accusation, but Lionel seemed unfazed about this particular reaction.
  
  "Kara wouldn't do that and Harry wouldn't ask it of her," argued Clark. "We should have never gone into the Shining Light Foundation on that night. It was a huge mistake, and if Kara never spoke to me again, I wouldn't have been surprised."
  
  "Calculated error, yes," agreed Lionel. "But one that could have paid off in the end. The past is what it is. Just be on your guard around Harry Potter. His bloodline has been rooted in obsession, and he could have very well seduced your cousin over to his point of view, as a means to his ends."
  
  "You're wrong, I can tell what both Harry and Kara feel for each other is nothing but genuine," said Clark, his voice rising in agitation. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Just...I'll find Lex...unless you know where he is."
  
  "I would have told you, but I have a list of facilities where he could be," said Lionel and he handed Clark a printout. "Best of luck to you, but do consider what I said."
  
  Clark zoomed off. Lionel sat back and pondered the results of his latest encounter with Clark.
  
  'Harry Potter, you've done well in swaying him over to your point of view,' thought Lionel. 'If Potter finds a way to control the traveler's destiny...it can't happen.'
  
  Harry responded with a deep sigh, as Chloe hovered in the background and peaked over his shoulder. She waited to see if Harry would come up with anything.
  
  "Soon I'll have pieced together a brand new sequence to create a new spell," said Harry, more to himself and Chloe, as millions of lines of data scrolled by at the speed of light.
  
  "So this is how the magic happens," said Chloe.
  
  Harry nodded. He could read more information in a second than most could read in an hour thanks to his powers.
  
  "Close to getting something I think," said Harry.
  
  "So, this isn't going to have any adverse effects on Lana," prompted Chloe.
  
  "No, she won't have any physical damage, it will be just like she was before she got the powers," said Harry, and he focused on the screen. "Breaking down the matrix of Clark's powers is rather complex. There are infinite lines and strands of DNA. No computer created by a mere mortal could ever read it. I have at my fingertips information that many people would kill to get their hands on."
  
  "Well, people would have killed for less," said Chloe. "I just can't believe there aren't any spells that would just reverse everything."
  
  Harry conceded that was a good point, but he figured out the reason for it.
  
  "Those spells if they were created, they would be abused," said Harry. "In my world, if people could take the gifts away from those of...lesser breeding in their words, they would do so. And that was the stance the government took towards the end. Those born of non-magical families had to have stolen their gifts from magical users. It was the only explanation. It was the most logical explanation, after all."
  
  "They didn't think that there was a more logical explanation," said Chloe. "There had to be magical ancestors, a long time ago. It just makes sense."
  
  "Yes, there were, but they wanted to show themselves superior, but the past is the past," said Harry. "I think I've got...this."
  
  Chloe and Harry both stared, as the number sequences scrambled themselves on the screen.
  
  "With all of that money, I'd think you'd be able to afford some good spyware protection," offered Chloe to break the silence.
  
  Harry's teeth gritted.
  
  "This is not a bot, a worm, a Trojan, spyware, malware, or anything like that," said Harry. "If it was, they'd be destroyed. My computer eliminates any foreign data...unless..."
  
  It struck Harry immediately.
  
  "Chloe, could you please step out for a minute?" asked Harry. "Don't ask, but me and my computer need to have a word alone."
  
  Chloe raised an eyebrow, but slowly backed away at the look Harry gave her. She sensed there was something that Harry would want to do alone.
  
  When Harry was certain Chloe was gone, he turned to the computer.
  
  "I know you're in there," said Harry. "Now do I need to get a spell to exorcise you or will you tell me why you're trying to scramble numbers on a very important charm sequence?"
  
  One word typed out on the computer. "Headset."
  
  Harry sighed, and picked up the headset. He put it on.
  
  "You have five minutes to explain, Lily" said Harry.
  
  "I took a look at the charm you created to reverse the power transference," said Lily over the headset. "It's rather decent work, good work even, but I could have improved on it."
  
  "What did you do?" asked Harry.
  
  "Harry, nothing malicious, I swear on my own grave," said Lily.
  
  "I want a full explanation about what you did," said Harry in a warning voice.
  
  "Just a bit of a reminder to make sure this girl understands the price of what she's doing," said Lily in a quiet voice.
  
  "I'm trying to undo the damage, not create more," said Harry in agitation.
  
  "This Lana Lang girl stole my journal, she deserves to be punished," said Lily in a savage voice.
  
  "I'm not going to get into an argument with you about anything involving her, but...this is really a situation where I'm trying that I'm trying to mitigate the damage on, not create more," said Harry. "This has been really hard on Clark, and on Kara as well..."
  
  "Harry, do not let your heart defeat your head," said Lily in a warning tone of voice.
  
  "Put the charm back to the way it was, or I'll bury your journal so deep into the center of the Earth you'll never get out," said Harry.
  
  There was a long pause that a person could cut the tension with a knife.
  
  "I don't see why you won't let me help you," said Lily. "Done, it's back to what you did before, I swear. But Lana's a danger to what you're here for...you and Kara, the mission..."
  
  "Please leave my computer, and return to your journal," said Harry. "If I wanted you to help me, I'd come for you. I get why you made the deal, but I can handle this myself. I don't need anyone to guide me. I never needed it before, so why start now?"
  
  "Very well, just remember you were sent here to guide the traveler, by any means necessary," said Lily, and then Harry could sense her leave.
  
  Harry dropped the headset. He double checked the printout of the charm work. Sure enough, he would have to get Clark and Lana in the same place and perfectly still and have them both willing to have this charm performed on them.
  
  He shook his head. He knew Lily was gone from his building and back into the journal. His mother had the best intentions in mind, or so she thought. Harry vowed not to trust her just because of who she was.
  
  "Done, Chloe!" called Harry.
  
  Chloe entered the room.
  
  "Okay, good, did you and your computer come to an understanding?" asked Chloe.
  
  Harry just shook his head.
  
  "You think I'm insane, don't you?" asked Harry.
  
  "Oh, there's no thinking about that one," said Chloe with a grin.
  
  Harry just sighed. He moved onto checking in with Kara.
  
  "Kara, any luck with Lana?" asked Harry.
  
  "No, but I'm looking for her, do you want me to bring her back when I find her?" asked Kara.
  
  "Yes, any way you can think of, I'll remain in touch," said Harry.
  
  He ran one final simulation.
  
  "I've got everything that I need, it's just a matter of getting all of my ducks in a row," said Harry. "Be careful, Kara."
  
  "I am," said Kara. "I think I got a sight of her, she's heading towards one of the labs outside the city."
  
  "I've got a fix on your location, I'll be there in a couple of minutes," said Harry. "Do what you have to do."
  
  Harry turned around and walked over to the vault. Chloe watched him.
  
  "What are you getting?" asked Chloe.
  
  "Insurance," said Harry, and he opened up a vault, before he picked up a package wrapped in lead.
  
  "I should have known you'd have some Kryptonite at arm's reach," said Chloe.
  
  "Yeah, you should have," agreed Harry.
  
  "It's going to get bad enough for you to use it," said Chloe.
  
  "It always does," said Harry darkly, and he made sure the glowing green rock was secured. "I hope it doesn't, but better safe than sorry."
  
  'If Lana has Clark's powers, she also has his weaknesses,' thought Harry.
  
  A blur appeared, but stopped behind trees. Clark peered out at what appeared to be a crime scene.
  
  Police barricades were put up and several uniformed officers scrambled around the area. Clark remained in the background, and his mind jumped to the absolute worst conclusion.
  
  'No, Lana, she couldn't,' thought Clark in despair. 'She might have thought about it, but she wouldn't.'
  
  He took a step forward, but nearly bumped into a very familiar figure who was also snooping around in the shadows.
  
  "Fancy running into you here, Smallville," said Lois. "I thought you'd heard what happened. Lex got kidnapped."
  
  "Kidnapped, so no one killed him yet," said Clark, but he had to hide his sigh of relief.
  
  "Not that I know of, well there's been no body found," said Lois. "So until we find his body, I'd figure that there is a chance he's out there living. It's weird; whoever did this couldn't have sped past all of the bodyguards, all of the security, and knocked out every single scientist in that lab. They would have almost had to have..."
  
  "Super human powers," said Clark, dread flooding him.
  
  "I'm going to see if I can get a better look when this investigation dies down," said Lois, eyes focused. "It's...it's getting rather tense, because none of it seems to make sense."
  
  "Civilians back behind the barricade, and no press!" shouted a loud voice.
  
  Clark remained rigid and took a deep breath. He felt a bit better, but he would feel even better when he was sure Lana did not do something that she would live to correct. Lex did some horrible things to her, but Clark hoped that she did not fly down the path. The path towards the point of no return.
  
  If she did, and he felt a lump in his throat as he thought this, he would have to treat her like he would any other dangerous criminal. Clark did hope that it would not come to this, and he tried to find Lana.
  
  There was no telling where she could have taken Lex, but perhaps it was not too late.
  
  Clark always made these powers look so easy. This was the thought that was going through the head of Lana Lang. Her super speed was fine, but the stopping could use a little work. Especially on the rougher terrain, but she found she was getting the hang of it. Lana took a deep breath, and tried to focus her eyes.
  
  X-Ray vision was another one that flickered in and out. She just needed it to work long enough to find out if Lex was in this building or not. Her surveillance of him indicated that he was spending a lot of time in the lab area. On several projects that he would prefer no one get an idea about.
  
  Lana frowned, if any of these hurt Clark, she would end him.
  
  Before she could move around to the other side, she felt something grab her by the shoulders. Lana was caught off guard and hoisted up into the air. She gave a slight scream, but a hand clapped over her mouth to silence her.
  
  The next thing Lana knew, she was dropped in the middle of a field far away from where she was.
  
  Kara dropped down to face her. Her red cape fluttered in the breeze, dressed in her full Supergirl attire.
  
  "What are you doing?" demanded Lana.
  
  "I'm trying to stop you from doing something that..." started Kara.
  
  "Something that I'd regret?" asked Lana. She faced the blonde girl, about ready to lose her patience "Do you think I'm doing this for me? I'm doing this for Clark."
  
  "Oh, and how is putting yourself in danger doing anything for Clark?" demanded Kara.
  
  "Listen, you don't know half of the things Lex has put me through and he'd put Clark through if he ever found out the truth," said Lana.
  
  Kara took a deep breath.
  
  "What he did...if you did something violent to Lex, Clark would never be able to forgive you and he'd never be able to forgive himself. Revenge is easy, but you're in danger of becoming just like him. Just as obsessed..."
  
  "You don't understand," said Lana in an even voice.
  
  "What don't I understand?" asked Kara. "I saw Clark; he's worried about you and what could happen to you. And you could end up getting yourself killed if you don't get help now. These powers, they weren't meant for someone like you."
  
  Lana's anger flared.
  
  "You just want full run of Clark's life, don't you?" challenged Lana, but Kara snatched her by the shirt and pulled her forward so she could look Lana in the eye.
  
  "Clark's the only family I have left, and if anyone does anything to hurt him, I'll deal with it, I'll take care of them," said Kara through gritted teeth. "But...obsession brings down everyone and..."
  
  Lana tried to aim a blast of heat vision, but she shot it up over Kara.
  
  Kara darted Lana out of the way, as the oil drums that she connected with exploded.
  
  Kara blocked most of the blow with her own body.
  
  "Oh my God, I didn't..." started Lana, coming to her senses slowly. "Kara, it's..."
  
  "I'm fine," said Kara, pushing Lana away as she got to her feet.
  
  Her outfit was pretty much damage proof. Her hair was slightly messed up, and her pride was damaged by being knocked off of her feet.
  
  Realization hit Lana immediately and her breath became pained.
  
  "I don't have the control, maybe you should take me to Harry's and just have him do what you need to...to...take them away," said Lana.
  
  Clark zoomed in at the speed of light. He saw Lana and faced her. Lana deflated at the disappointed gaze that Clark gave her.
  
  "Where is he, Lana?" asked Clark. "Lex...you didn't..."
  
  "She didn't get to Lex, Clark," said Kara. "I stopped her before she did it."
  
  "Yeah I swear Clark, I was going to...well you have an idea what I was going to do," said Lana.
  
  That really got Clark's interest.
  
  "So someone else got to Lex," said Clark. "There was a crime scene, someone kidnapped him."
  
  Harry arrived as if on cue.
  
  "Kara, what happened?" asked Harry, and he grabbed her. She looked a bit worse for wear, smelled like oil. Clark noticed this as well, and both waited for an explanation.
  
  "Lana and I...we had a little disagreement," said Kara. "I'm okay, I heal easily, a nice hot shower, and I'll be good as new. But we've got a bit of a problem."
  
  "What kind of problem?" asked Harry.
  
  "Lex got abducted," said Clark, but he looked at Lana with a bit of distrust, which she wilted under.
  
  "I didn't have anything to do with it," said Lana, frustrated and agitated that no one seemed to believe her.
  
  "Lionel said that you seemed to have something to do with his disappearance," said Clark quietly. "You hired someone to abduct him."
  
  Lana grew rigid. The fact Lionel informed Clark of that fact would not help her case.
  
  "But, I didn't hire anyone to abduct Lex...Clark..."
  
  "Is she lying?" asked Kara, eyes on Harry.
  
  Harry turned to Lana and after a moment, shook his head.
  
  "She's not," said Harry, but Clark looked at him. "Her body language, heartbeat, and breathing rate would be way different if she was lying. Little trick I picked up when I was traveling, kind of useful."
  
  "So, lying to you would be useless," said Lana.
  
  "Yeah, but I've got the charm ready," said Harry. "It's too dangerous to leave your powers like this."
  
  "Don't suppose I could for a bit longer," said Lana.
  
  "You have to give them up willingly, or they will destroy you," said Harry in a warning voice. "And I know that will devastate Clark."
  
  'God only knows why,' thought Harry to himself, but he shook his head.
  
  Perhaps Clark saw something in Lana, but that was not his place to split hairs.
  
  "Stand there Clark, and you stand there, Lana," said Harry in a patient voice. "This will be over than trip to the dentist. Kara, stand in the back, we don't want any more surprises."
  
  "Okay," said Kara.
  
  "Lana, we're only doing this because...those powers will hurt you," said Clark.
  
  "Yeah, but it was an interesting experience while it lasted," said Lana. "So, work your magic, I guess."
  
  "Catch her, and if you feel any side effects, call me immediately," said Harry to Clark. "There's a less than one percent margin for error, but...better safe than sorry."
  
  Harry waved his hand, and the light engulfed both Clark and Lana. Lana collapsed and Clark caught her.
  
  "Clark get her back home, and get some rest, please," said Kara.
  
  "Okay, thanks Kara," said Clark, holding Lana in his arms.
  
  "So the charm put everything back to the way it was," said Kara.
  
  "Yes, it was," said Harry. "Letting her keep the powers...much more could have gone wrong with it, than could have gone right. And hopefully she can find peace with what happened in her own way."
  
  Kara wrapped her arms around Harry. The couple embraced.
  
  "You did the right thing, Harry," said Kara, looking into his eyes with pure unconditional love. The two were lost in the moment, before she spoke again. "Lana's just got to...well if she does care about Clark, she'll realize that this is for the best."
  
  "I sent Chloe on ahead to make sure they got back okay," said Harry, but sure enough there was a buzzing in his ear. "Chloe, did they get back?"
  
  "They got back," said Chloe. "I heard about Lex...what do you think happened?"
  
  "I have no idea," said Harry after pondering the matter. "He's...well it could mean any number of things. It's not my job to go running after kidnapped billionaires. He used his one get out of jail free card with me, my work's done."
  
  "Tell Clark, we'll swing in tomorrow night to make sure there are no side effects," said Kara.
  
  "Will do, and...you two did the right thing, even Lana will admit that in the end after she's had a couple of days to think about it," said Chloe.
  
  The words "I hope" seemed to be hanging off of Chloe's tongue, but she did not say anything further. Harry placed an arm around Kara's shoulder, and pulled her in towards him with a smile.
  
  The one thing Harry neglected to inform anyone was he left a backdoor open in the charm for Lana, as a reward if she had come to terms and conquered all of her demons. Harry did not want to get anyone's hopes up, and it had to be done willingly, without being forced.
  
  Until that moment, Lana would be blissfully ignorant to the fact that she still had powers. They were locked away until the moment where she could handle the great responsibility that came with great power, if that ever happened. If they ever did unlock, there would be no adverse effects.
  
  It was Lana's one last chance to prove herself, an unknowing test of character of sorts.
  
  "Let's go," said Harry, and Kara happily agreed.
  
  It was way late at night, and the two were happy to return to their home.
  
  Kara stretched in the bathroom. Harry walked by the open door when he heard her run a bath. Harry was dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt.
  
  "Harry, you're just in time," said Kara, and she threw her arms around him in greeting and gave him a passionate kiss. They pulled apart after a few moments. "I was just about to take a nice long soak, but it just doesn't feel right without you."
  
  Kara was a vision of absolute hotness. She only wore a lacy blue bra and blue knickers with red trim. She placed her leg up against his side teasingly, and leaned against Harry. He pulled her scantily clad body into his for another kiss.
  
  The blonde returned the favor, and as if by magic, both of them were naked. They climbed into the soapy, warm water for a nice long soak. Harry leaned back, and Kara rested against him.
  
  "It's been a long day," said Kara, and Harry soaped her back up. Her soaking wet body felt so good against his. "But it's almost worth it, to be here with you."
  
  Harry just smiled. Kara relaxed against his chest, shifting in the water to get comfortable.
  
  "You're going to end up spoiling me," said Kara, and she turned her head slightly with a grin towards Harry.
  
  "You're worth it," said Harry, and he washed her hair. "Most beautiful girl in all of the known galaxies, and some of the unknown ones I'd imagine."
  
  Kara giggled at this and Harry planted light kisses on the side of her neck. She shifted against him in the bathtub. She breathed in and out and Harry washed her front for her.
  
  "I can't image spending the rest of my life with anyone, but you," said Kara. Her head lazily rested on his chest for a moment. Harry proceeded to the lower portion of her, and Kara's eyes closed, with her head leaned back in pure bliss. She encouraged him with both her movements and her words. "Right there like that."
  
  Kara turned around and she lathered up Harry's chest for him. She reached around to do his back, and then slowly washed is lower body. Her hands were barely visible underneath the soapy water, but Harry sure felt what they were doing.
  
  They were sitting practically on each other in the tub, face to face with each other. Harry was pulled slightly, just so Kara could wrap her legs around his waist. Her arms were wrapped around his back and Harry wrapped his arms around her.
  
  Harry pulled Kara into a kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance. Their hands explored each other, as they slid against each other in the bathtub. Her soapy body rubbed against his, and the sounds she made inflamed him. They would be more than warmed up for their usual bedroom activities. In the meantime, the couple proceeded to have some good clean fun in the bathtub.
  
  The fun continued in the bedroom into the early hours of morning. They only needed three hours of sleep to recharge their bodies, a perk of being Heralds of Death. An hour of activity was on the menu before Breakfast, followed by a nice long shower, and then they more than got their fill for dessert.
  
  Harry and Kara felt stronger and more confident after these activities.
  
  Through a dazed and confused state, Lex tried to shift his way out of his predicament. He found himself bound and blindfolded. All he could tell about his location where there was ticking clocks all around him. So he hazarded a guess he was in some kind of antique shop that sold clocks.
  
  "Who's there?" managed Lex in a hoarse voice.
  
  "Ah, Alexander, I've been waiting for this for a long time."
  
  The voice was heavily modulated and disguised.
  
  "Lana if that's you, this isn't funny," said Lex.
  
  "Lana, no, not Lana, not her," said the kidnapper with a light chuckle. "The police will be looking into her though, and while she's being investigated, I'll get some time to play"
  
  The laughter sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Lex.
  
  "You see, Alexander Luthor, you've been protected for a long time, secured. The secure life I wish I could have had, but it was all for nothing."
  
  "What do you want?" asked Lex. "I can pay you any money if that's what you want."
  
  More nerve racking laughter echoed through Lex's ears.
  
  "Alexander, not all of your problems can be solved by mere dollars and cents," said the kidnapper. "Time is on my side. I'm intrigued about this vial, this liquid, it must be valuable."
  
  "You don't know what you're playing with," said Lex in warning.
  
  "But I'm sure you do," said the kidnapper. "I've been keeping an eye on you for some time. You've escaped justice, but the only justice is swift and final. But, rest assure, you have more use to me alive than dead. For now at least."
  
  Lex held his breath for a moment.
  
  "Just what do you want?" asked Lex. "How did you kidnap me?"
  
  "As I said, Alexander, time is on my side," said the kidnapper. "And your time has run out. The last name Luthor and the power it wields, it means nothing to me. I have nothing left to lose."
  
  "Just what's your motivation?" asked Lex.
  
  "Your father ruined my life," said the kidnapper.
  
  A few seconds was taken for silence.
  
  "That doesn't necessarily narrow it down," said Lex, but he got nailed hard with a blunt force to the side of the head.
  
  He slumped down into the chair.
  
  "Time makes a fool out of all of us, but it shall not make a fool of me," said the kidnapper. "I'll let everyone wonder where Lex Luthor is. They'll never find him, until I want them to, and I'll get everything that I want. Lionel Luthor will rue the day he dismissed my theories as those of a lunatic."
  
  Lex strained to try and get a hint of who had kidnapped him.
  
  "And if your father doesn't give me what I want, well I'll send you back in small pieces," breathed the kidnapper. Lex could feel the kidnapper's putrid breath in his face. "No money can buy your way out of this one."
  
  To emphasis how serious he was, the kidnapper bent back of Lex's fingers, and broke it with a sickening crack. Lex tried to hide the pain of a broken finger, but his expression betrayed him.
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Новые книги авторов СИ, вышедшие из печати:
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