The next day, Harry was woken by a knock on the door. He had had a late night after returning to the hotel. He had done some shopping with Natasha keeping him company. Harry had found out some things that amazed him. Apparently he was in a world with superheroes and supervillains, supernatural beings and mutants! She couldn't be specific, but that was expected.
He had also learned about some of the technology of this world. They were far more advanced than his previous world in some regards. He had looked into a cell-phone and found that there were some that were hardened against interference. He had thought of purchasing one, but decided against it. Who would he call after all? He'd have to use runes on the device just so he could use it without there being a chance of it simply frying. The signal interference part might be nice, since cell-phones tended to always sound like they had bad lines in his hands.
Later, they had ended up going to an Italian restaurant. He had never had Italian cuisine and found that he liked the food immensely. He'd have to look into some of those recipes. He'd probably have to add more herbs and spices to his collection, but he was certain there was space for some of them in his herb garden.
After dinner, they walked back to the hotel and Harry said goodbye to her at the door. He hoped he'd see her again. She was beautiful, good at carrying a conversation, smart with a dry wit, but he sensed that he'd need to know a lot more about her before she'd get close to being herself. And Harry could never be with someone he didn't truly know and trust. But he could take the time.
When he got back to his rooms, he secured it and scanned the bedroom for devices. Nothing. Seems they had decided to stop trying. That was nice of them! He smiled and went to work after entering his trunk. He had a plan.
When Harry reached the door the next morning, it was to find Coulson smiling at him. "Ready to go?" he asked, looking at Harry's dishevelled appearance.
Harry, knowing he was joking, just scowled at him and invited him in. Once Coulson was in, Harry excused himself to his room and quickly got ready. It was not a minute later and Harry exited his room, clean, refreshed and dressed in a smart-casual suit with a suitcase in hand. "Now, I'm ready." Harry smiled at him.
"Looking good, Harry." Coulson asked. "Should I even ask how?" he asked.
"Not in this room, you shouldn't," Harry said looking around the room, indicating he knew about the bugs.
"You didn't check did you?" Coulson asked. "The bugs were removed before you came back last night. Apparently you're being given the benefit of the doubt until your meeting with Fury." he said.
Harry scanned around the room and found that the devices were all gone. "Huh, I've only been checking my room, since I can't sleep when I can sense I'm being observed." Harry shrugged.
"We were wondering about that." Coulson said. "Useful skill too."
"Necessary skill. There were a couple of pranksters at school, who'd wait for you to go to sleep before pranking you. You'd wake up with feathers instead of hair, or the wrong gender, depending on what they were working on that week. I learned fast to know when they might strike and that skill only developed over time." Harry explained.
"Okay, that's scary. Those were considered pranks?" Coulson asked amazed.
"Sure. We had a school nurse that could fix pretty much anything, from dragon pox to splinching your head right off." Harry replied.
"Dragon pox, splinching?" Coulson asked.
"Magical disease. Don't worry, I don't carry any pathogens. I'm somewhat immune to disease. As for splinching, it's what happens when something goes wrong while apparating." Harry said.
"Apparating?" Coulson asked again. Every time Harry answered a question more just came up.
"We apparated to New York." Harry replied with a shrug.
"That was a possibility? Can you fix splinching?" he asked Harry worriedly.
"I could, but you don't need to worry about that. I've never splinched anyone. The more power you possess, the safer it becomes and I was probably one of the strongest wizards in my world." Harry said. "I'm not bragging, honest. I actually wished more times than I can tell you that I was just a normal kid. It is likely because of my power that the bad-guys kept coming after me. By my mid-twenties, I was considered the strongest wizard alive besides the bastard that ended it all."
This struck a chord with Coulson. "Harry, how old are you now?" he asked.
"I'll be turning 32 at the end of July. Why?" Harry asked.
"You don't look like you can be older than 24. Is that normal?" Coulson asked.
"Wizards age more slowly than normal people." Harry answered not really wanting to think about the fact that he's stopped aging at 25. Thanks to the magic though, he looked younger than he had actually been when that happened.
"That's a perk if I ever heard one." Coulson replied noticing a look he couldn't identify. "Well it's almost time we leave. Do you have everything you need?"
"Actually, I need to know what's about to happen. I had an idea about how we can secure our secrets between the director and me, but I can't do that if we're being watched." Harry said. He then went about explaining his plan, taking items out of his suitcase as he explained.
Coulson was astounded. This could change so many things. The director was no fool. He'd see the benefits immediately. "That's… amazing!" Coulson said, not able to hide his child-like wonder at the information he was given. He couldn't wait to see Fury's reaction!
Half an hour later, Harry and Coulson walked into a warehouse. They had first stopped at another location for some photos to be taken, but Harry couldn't get Coulson to explain why. He just told Harry it was necessary and smiled a mysterious smile. Harry knew there were people watching over the warehouse, but he was assured that the inside was clean. He'd check for himself, but he'd wait until he'd met the director.
In the middle of the small, well-lit warehouse, stood a tall black man with an eye-patch standing behind a small round table with three chairs around it. Harry was unsurprised to see him wearing sunglasses. They walked up to the table and Coulson introduced them. "Director Fury, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Director Nick Fury."
"Pleasure to meet you," Harry said.
"Likewise. Agent Coulson here seems to think you're the best thing since sliced bread. I'm here to find out why and if we're in positions to help each other out." Fury said with a disapproving tone to his voice.
"Don't blame Coulson. If things go well today, you'll probably see why." Harry said.
"Is that so? I was under the impression there are things I can't know. Agent Coulson made special arrangements using SHIELD bylaws and protocols to ensure the safety of your secrets." Fury asked with a frown.
"Sir, if I may. Harry has explained to me what he intends to show you and I think you'll like the implications. He has a whole display worked out for you." Coulson said with an excited smile.
"You look way too happy about this, Agent." Fury said.
"Please, if I may?" Harry said holding up his briefcase.
Fury nodded and sat down. Harry put the suitcase on the table and opened it. He took two folders out of the suitcase. They were green and yellow.
"What I have here is a way to secure information between us. I could explain it, but you'd probably prefer to see for yourself." Harry said. He slid the green one across the table to Fury and he opened it to see the first file. It was a simple page with only a couple of lines.
Fury looked sceptically at it. "What is this?"
"The first page is a contract that states I cannot say your name aloud or I'll be pricked in the back of the left hand. Said prick is specified to not heal until the contract is destroyed. The contract is bound using my own special skills. Once I've signed it, it becomes active, which I will do right now as proof of concept. I will then break the contract by saying your name and the penalty will be applied while the contract turns red, to indicate that it was broken." he explained. "The second and third page is similar, but for you and Coulson not to say my name. Do you understand?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure I can believe that without proof." Fury said dubiously, sliding the file back to Harry.
Harry took out a pen and signed the contract. He then held his left hand up showing its back to Fury. "Nick Fury." Harry said. Immediately a spot of blood appeared on the back of Harry's hand and the contract turned red, indicating it had been broken. He then held his hand out to Fury, to inspect. Fury, being amazed, but slightly weary took his hand and then produced a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped at the blood and inspected the small wound. It kept bleeding.
Harry explained. "This contract now holds power over me. If I don't destroy it, my hand will always have that prick. Since that's what the contract states. I didn't specify anything about repeat offenses, so the contract is still active, but with the penalty clause in effect. I can now say your name without fear of further penalties, since there are none specified."
Harry slipped the next page to Coulson, who had already agreed to this. He signed the contract forbidding him from saying Harry's name and waited.
"Well?" Fury asked.
"Sir, may I go outside? Once Harry's display is complete you'll understand, but you need confirmation that he doesn't need to hear me saying your name for the penalty to apply and that it's the contracts power at work and not him using other means to achieve his goal." Coulson explained.
"Let's sync our time first, I'll watch the contract." They synchronized their watches and Coulson left the room. They waited.
"Coulson is probably just waiting to increase the drama." Harry said, a little nervously.
"No, there's protocol for time related instances that you shouldn't be aware of. He should wait for a minimum time set in the protocol. I won't tell you either." As they waited, Harry scanned the warehouse for any devices, and found nothing. Fury wasn't even looking at the page, making sure Harry didn't know when it was supposed to go off. A couple of minutes later, the contract went red and Coulson came in, holding a handkerchief to his own bleeding hand. Harry had not bothered to destroy his contract yet. It would serve as further proof of his claim. His own hand was still bleeding slowly into a cotton ball he had produced from nowhere.
"You didn't say that it would feel like something is still in there." Coulson said, showing his hand to the director. "Can we destroy that contract? It still hurts."
"Pansy," Harry said, smiling at Coulson. He picked up Coulson's contract and ripped it in two.
"Thanks," Coulson said in relief. He and Fury compared times and confirmed they were the same.
Harry slid Fury's contract to him. "You'll note yours states that you will be pinched. I didn't think injuring you would be appreciated."
"And you didn't think of that for me?" Coulson said with mild annoyance.
"No, I have a different plan for your wound." Harry said, mysteriously.
Coulson caught on and said, "Really? That's useful." Harry just smiled.
Fury looked between them and then the contract. He was beginning to see what this skill could mean for them, but played along for now. He signed the contract and walked out the door without a word.
Two seconds later, his contract turned red and he came back in. Coulson noted the time as Fury had done. He walked up to the table, grabbed his contract and tore it in two. He didn't show any signs of pain, but then, he wouldn't.
"Okay, you've got my undivided attention." Fury said, sitting down and waiting for Harry to continue.
Harry smiled and slid the yellow folder over to Fury, who immediately opened it and read it through. It was a contract stating that any information given today, that they do not wish shared and that that they had not already known, was not allowed to be recorded or shared in any form, outside of the people in the room. The penalty clause was losing the memories themselves.
Fury glared at him, knowing exactly what that meant. He could finally find out Harry's secrets, but he would not be able to pass the information on. At least it meant he could discuss it with Coulson. He passed the file to Coulson, since all their names were on the contract. Coulson read through it. Once through, he picked up the pen and signed it.
"What are you doing, Coulson?!" Fury asked incredulously.
"What do you mean, sir? This protects all of us and sticks with what you approved already." Coulson shrugged.
Fury looked at the contract and saw the wording for what it was. Harry could not share anything they didn't want either. He looked up at Harry and sighed. He picked up the pen and signed it as well. Once done he put the contract in front of Harry and held the pen out to him. Harry took it and signed without hesitation.
Once signed, there was a flash and suddenly there were three contracts on the table. He handed two of them to Coulson and Fury and left his on the table in front of him. "Thank you director. Those are your copies. All three must be destroyed for the contract to be cancelled, as all three of us are the beneficiaries of the contract." As he said this he touched his and it was replaced by another piece of paper.
"Okay, you need to start talking. What just happened? Where did these copies come from, how do you make contracts that are enforced instantly and how can they erase memories?!" Fury exclaimed.
"One answer to all your questions, sir. He does magic." Coulson said.
"Magic? There's no such thing. Only science we don't understand." Fury stated irrevocably.
Coulson held his bleeding hand to Harry and said, "Do you mind?"
"Of course not." He held his hand palm down over the wound for a second and then removed it. Underneath was clear skin with no blemishes.
"Thanks, Harry." Coulson said rubbing the spot. "It itches."
"New nerve endings. They do that." Harry replied simply.
Fury grabbed Coulson's hand and inspected the spot he knew had a wound in earlier.
"Rather look at mine." Harry said holding out his. He put his finger next to his own, still bleeding, wound and healed it. A second later it just opened up again. "Why do you think my wound won't close, director Fury?"
"Don't patronize me." Fury pointed at Harry's first contract.
"Exactly." Harry picked up his first contract and had it burst into flame until it had entirely disintegrated. He then healed his wound and, this time, it stayed closed. "I did that on purpose, so you know there's no way out of the contract. If you feel that I have deceived you, you may leave now and have no ill effects except for the fact that you can't talk about my having magic." Here he placed the paper that had replaced the secrecy contract, in front of Fury. "If, however, you want to stay, I have magical gifts for you after signing this contract stating that any magic items you receive from me will become inert should our secrecy contract be broken. Since it's my magic in the contracts it can destroy any magic items I have created."
"Gift?" Fury asked.
"Does that mean you are staying?" Harry returned.
"Fine!" Fury said. Signing, hopefully, the last magically binding contract for the day. He noted there was a place for Coulson to sign and passed it along with a frown.
Coulson read through the document, noting that it was exactly what Harry had said and signed it. He handed it to Harry who held it in his hand for the moment. "Why don't we get a copy of that one?" he asked.
"That's because it's for my protection not yours. If you had no memories of me or my magic how could you explain having magic items?" Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Fair enough, I suppose. What are these gifts?" Coulson asked eagerly.
Harry smiled, put the contract back on the table and pointed a finger at it. It was replaced by a box. The switching spell is an amazingly useful spell. Since his entire pocket dimension was with him at all times and as long as he knew where an item was, he could have access to it with the simple act of replacing it with an item in his possession. A leaf for a vial, for example.
Harry pushed the box over the table to Fury and Coulson quickly got up to see as well. Fury opened the box and looked at Harry. Inside were two leather bags with draw-strings, an eye-patch and two needles.
"What am I looking at, Potter?" Fury asked.
"Why spoil the surprise?" Harry asked. "Put the eye-patch on, you paranoid sceptic." Harry lifted his right hand and said, "I swear on my life and magic that the items I gave you will not harm you." There was a flash of magic and Harry lowered his hand.
"What was that?" Coulson asked.
"Magically binding oath. Normal people cannot do those, so contracts are needed. If I was lying I'd be dead." Harry said this matter-of-factly.
"That's what you meant about your oath of service being more binding?!" Coulson exclaimed.
"Yup." Harry responded.
Fury looked between Coulson and Harry and the box. He then reached in and pulled out the eye-patch. He looked at Harry again sceptically and stood up. Turning his back on them he removed his current eye-patch and placed the other one on his head. Then waited. "Is something supposed to happen?" he finally asked.
"Give it a moment. It's a delicate enchantment. It needs time to do the work." Harry replied, rolling his eyes.
A minute later there was a gasp from Fury and he turned his head left and right, before turning back to Harry and Coulson. The new eye-patch did not fit as well as the old one had, but the look of amazement in Fury's eye, brought a smile to Harry's face. "How is this possible?" Fury asked.
"Magic." Harry replied.
"What's going on? Harry, what did you do?" Coulson asked.
"He gave me back my depth-perception." Fury said still amazed at seeing in a way he had so missed.
"What?! You can do that? That's unbelievable." Coulson exclaimed, happy beyond belief for his old friend.
"Well, I'm a believer." Fury said. "Thank you, Harry. I will treasure this gift for as long as I have it."
"No problem, Director. Play your cards right and I might one day consider giving it x-ray vision." Harry said with a straight face.
"Really?" both Coulson and Fury said at the same time.
"It's not as fun as it sounds. It doesn't see through only clothing. It sees through everything. It's like a living x-ray machine. All you see are bones, innards and the outlines of people. Useful to see if people are carrying guns and stuff, though." Harry replied wryly.
"Would still be useful. Imagine doctors had that, firefighters, airport security even?" Coulson said.
"Well, it is considered a medical charm. Enchanting it takes a bit longer than just casting it, though." Harry replied. "Do you want me to make it look like your old one?" Harry asked.
"How long would you need it back?" Fury asked slightly apprehensively. He'd only just got his sight back, can you blame him?
"Not at all, just hand me your old one." Harry said holding his hand out. Fury handed the old patch over and looked while Harry examined it. He didn't even notice when the one he was wearing shifted to fit like the old one. Harry transfigured the old one into a hand mirror and handed it to Fury.
Fury looked at the mirror, then Harry and then back to the mirror. He held it up and looked at himself for the first time. "It's pink!" he said incredulously, shooting a look at Coulson who seemed to be valiantly trying to stop from laughing. He succeeded, barely. Harry had let out a laugh himself and just pointed to the mirror. Fury looked at himself again and found that the pink had been replaced by the original black again. "That wasn't funny." he said at Coulson.
Coulson had gained control and just smiled his normal smile. "Of course not, sir."
"Sorry about that. You were getting way too serious for me. Also, you forgot the other gifts!" Harry encouraged them.
Excitement bloomed on Coulson's face. He had forgotten in all the excitement that he was also receiving something. He turned to the box and pulled out one of the bags. He examined it and found nothing special. Not knowing what to look for he stuck his hand in and found that it looked like a normal bag. Nothing inside either. "What am I looking at?" he parroted Fury's words from earlier accidentally.
"Okay, what you do is, take a needle and prick your finger. Let your blood touch the bag and it bonds to you. Only you can retrieve what you put inside it. What safer place to keep your contracts?" Harry asked with some excitement. He really did not want those contracts falling in the wrong hands.
Coulson followed his instruction first and Fury watched as Coulson's bag flashed a blood red.
"In my old world blood magic is taboo. Almost considered dark magic, but I've come to realise it's what you use magic for that makes it good or bad." he said.
Coulson looked at the document and the bag, then folded the contract up so it would fit the dimensions and dropped it in the bag. Holding it out to Fury to inspect, he confirmed that it was gone.
"Too bad it's so small." Coulson said, thinking of all the uses this might have.
"Too small, is it?" Harry asked, mischief playing across his face. "Take the contract out again for me?"
Coulson looked at Harry and shrugged. He put his hand in the bag only to frown, he then put his hand in deeper, his frown turning to wonder. "Harry, how big is this bag on the inside?" he asked.
"Big." was Harry's reply. He loved showing new people magic. Seeing the wonder and amazement never gets old.
Coulson suddenly frowned, his arm in the bag all the way to the elbow now, still not touching the bottom. "How do I get the contract then?"
Harry just smirked and said, "Think about what it looks like and it will be right at your fingertips."
Coulson's expression changed to relief as he apparently found the contract. He pulled it out and then promptly dropped it back in.
"No modern electronics, though. Magic and technology don't mix." He warned.
"Thanks Harry. This will really come in handy. I can't believe I own a bag of holding!" Coulson said his excitement renewed.
"Geek." Harry said, knowing the reference. "Oh and thanks for reminding me. Same rules apply. Don't put one of these bags in another. You will lose everything in them and the bag." Harry recalled.
Fury in the meanwhile had taken and bonded his own bag to himself, rolled up the contract and dropped it in, retrieving it with a small smile on his face. "I wish we could tell people about this. The uses for this alone…"
"Wait until he decides to teleport you across the country or turns you invisible." Coulson scoffed.
Fury's face went blank. "You mean to tell me you can do that? And I can't use any of this information? You're a cruel man Agent Potter."
"Agent?" both Coulson and Harry said in unison.
Fury turned to Coulson and said, "If you think for a second I'm not going to use him, then you need your head examined." he said out loud before thinking to himself, 'I wonder if he can help the team.'
Suddenly Harry had an idea and stood up. "Now, since we've got this wonderful opportunity for secrecy and honesty, would you like to see where I lived the last couple of years?" Harry asked with a sly smile.
"How would we do that Harry? Did you find a way back?" Coulson asked, hoping that Harry wasn't planning on leaving. He'd known him only for a short time, but he found that he liked him.
"No, I mean… never mind, let me show you." Harry said. He removed his own bag from around his neck. He expanded it, put it on the ground and lifted it off his trunk.
"Can ours do that," Coulson asked with wide eyes.
"I'm afraid not. It's a bit like yours in that only I can access it, but besides that it can only contain one thing." he pointed at the trunk.
"You stayed in a chest?" Fury asked, incredulous.
"No, don't be silly." Harry said with a roll of his eyes. "I stayed in a trunk. Big difference." Harry smiled and opened the trunk. Putting his foot into the top he started climbing down. Just before his head disappeared, he said, "Are you coming?"
Coulson looked at Fury and took the lead while Fury just stared. He reached the ladder, looked down and then tried to move the trunk. It didn't budge. Shrugging he put his foot over the edge and started climbing in. "It's like the bags, sir. Bigger on the inside."
Fury just stared a couple more seconds, before shaking himself and then followed them in. At the bottom, they stood in a cluttered room with an old bed on one side and an old chest of drawers with no drawers in it next to it. A torch was burning in the wall, the only source of light besides the light coming in from the outside. There were many items in the room, but nothing that impressed them so far. "What are we supposed to see?" Fury asked.
"Let me show you," Harry said. "What do you see here?" He pointed to the wall opposite the ladder.
"A wall." Fury and Coulson said.
"Good. Now I'm going to show you one of the greatest magic charms ever invented for keeping secrets. I'll need to whisper something in your ear." He walked up to Coulson and whispered, "The wall across the ladder has a door."
Coulson shook his head as if clearing it and to his surprise, when he looked up, there was a door. "Yeah, I see it."
"What do you see, Coulson?" Fury asked.
"The… thing. There's a d… a d… Why can't I say it?" he asked Harry.
"Because it's not your secret to tell. Only I can reveal this secret." Harry said proudly.
"That doesn't make any sense. It's right there. How can he not see it?" he asked Harry. Harry just twiddled his fingers. "Right, Magic. Just tell the director before he pulls a gun on me for not telling him."
Harry whispered the secret to Fury. The same thing happened again as Fury's eyes focussed on the door. "That's not possible. Has that door been there the whole time?" he asked Coulson.
"Yes, sir. I could see it the moment he told me there's a door." Coulson frowned. "There's a door. Why can I say it now?" Coulson asked.
"Because everybody here knows that secret." Harry replied.
"You mean there are more doors hidden in here?" Fury asked.
"I'm afraid that's classified information." Harry said seriously. After all, the chest of drawers had drawers… and tools that he might need to get quickly, which is why it was here.
"Ha-ha, okay. What's through the door we can see?" Fury asked with some humour. Harry had been very honest with them since they signed the contracts and he'd not stopped amazing them. He now understood Coulson's fervent support of Harry. If he had anything to do with it, and he did, there would soon be a wizard on his payroll.
"Welcome to the Backup Plan." Harry said as he opened the door to the well-lit hallway beyond. Harry had considered a name for his home. It was what he had called it in his head for so long, he could call it nothing else.
"Wait a minute, I thought you can't put one bag in another. Wouldn't that apply to the trunk?" Coulson realized.
"Technically, your bags are expanded spaces. Because their spaces are as big as they can go, adding more space to their inside would rupture them. This space however, exists in its own self-sustained pocket dimension. When you entered the trunk you technically left your dimension." Harry said matter-of-factly.
"This is a different dimension? And you made this?" Fury asked.
"Too be fair, I had some help. One of my friends was a genius. She was often called the smartest witch of our age. She was also a wonderful friend..." Harry trailed off lost in thought for a moment.
Fury then finally saw the look Coulson had described, of a broken man. He was saddened for this man. He also suddenly realised he believed his story of being the last man of their world to survive. How could one man carry so much and still be standing. Fury's respect for him went up several degrees. "Sorry for your loss," he said, not knowing what else to say.
"No, it's okay." Harry said as he shook away the memories. "Just promise not to work me too hard. I've got a whole room over there filled with her research and projects that I promised her to continue."
"I'll see what I can do," Fury joked with a wry smile. "Who knows, magical research might have some use to us in the future."
"Okay, okay. First door on the left here is my room." He opened up the door and showed them into the rather large room.
Coulson saw the window and made a beeline for it. Before Harry knew it he was looking at Hogwarts in all its splendour as Coulson threw it open.
"How the HELL did you fit a castle in your trunk!?" Fury asked walking up to the window.
"It's not real." Came the whisper. Harry had frozen by the door. His eyes were locked on the scene before him. Never before had the image of his first home so affected him. He realised how beautiful that place really had been. He smiled ever so slightly. It might one day be so again.
Coulson had heard his voice and was about to close the curtain. When Harry spoke up. "It is an illusion. It's the school where I learned magic. Made my first friend. He was a half-giant. He loved dangerous creatures. Thought they were just misunderstood." Harry was walking closer to the window as he spoke. "He once hatched a baby dragon in his hut. Couldn't understand why it was a bad idea. Not the smartest fellow. Couldn't keep a secret to save his life, but he had the biggest heart."
They were staring out the window with him now. The idea of a dragon having mystified them both, but not wanting to interrupt Harry, who seemed to be having a moment. Suddenly Fury exclaimed, "What the hell is that?!" he pointed at the lake.
Harry smiled, "That's the giant squid. All the kids were afraid of it, myself included. In one of my later years though, I heard it rescued one of the first years that fell in the lake. Just picked him up and put him back in the boat. We should have known. If it was malicious the Merfolk would have killed it long ago."
"Okay, now you have got to be kidding me? Giants, dragons, giant squids, mermaids? Seriously, what the hell kind of world do you come from?" Fury asked.
"A wonderful, horrible, scary place. I still miss how it used to be." Harry had put his hand on the window as if trying to reach through it. The cold of the glass somehow brought him back to reality. He wiped the tears from his eyes. And said, "Wow, thanks Phil. Don't warn me or anything." He joked with mild sarcasm.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I wasn't thinking. Actually I thought you were going to amaze us with the view, because the window is the biggest feature of this room." Coulson said. He made eye-contact with Fury, who just nodded. He'd seen it too. Harry might need some time for R&R. If he was to be believed, he'd not even had time to mourn the fallen. In Fury's estimation, this man was fast gaining more respect from himself than he had given any other.
"I was actually going to offer you some tea or coffee, but now I'm thinking a drink might be in order. I have some firewhiskey, if you're interested. It's a treat." Harry walked to the kitchen conjured three glasses and took a bottle from a cupboard. He had several cases of the stuff. Might as well drink it.
He poured himself a large one, and for his guests he poured a single. He was about to take a drink, when Fury spoke up, "To the fallen. May they lift us up as we carry them with us."
"To the fallen." was the solemn reply.
Fury and Coulson both sipped a bit of the liquid. Coulson coughed and a bellow of flame came forth. Fury's eyes bulged as what felt like fire went down his throat, followed by a warming tingle up his spine. He felt almost instantly relaxed.
Coulson felt the same thing, but was astounded as Harry downed his half a glass and didn't even wince. He did smile in pleasure, though. "Best thing about wizarding alcohol. They got the whole 'drink your sorrows away' thing right. Like a cheering charm, just more lasting."
"Cheering charm?" Fury asked.
"There's pretty much a piece of magic for anything a witch or wizard ever dreamed up. Unfortunately they never found a way for someone to cast a cheering charm on themselves. Some types of magic affect the mood. For other things they have potions. One of my parents' friends was a werewolf. He needed to take a potion every full moon, so he that he could maintain control over his mind when he became a monster." Harry replied. When Coulson and Fury exchanged a look he asked, "What?"
"Is that just the alcohol speaking or did you just say you can make a potion that would allow a person who becomes a monster to maintain control over his mind." Fury asked very interestedly.
"Firstly, alcohol does not affect a wizard as much as it does normal people. What would kill you, gets us tipsy. Why do you think I gave you so much less? Did you think I was just mean, or something?" he asked incredulously. "Secondly, the wolfsbane potion was made for werewolves. It would have to be modified to work for something else and that is one subject I am no master at. I'm assuming you have someone in mind?" Harry questioned.
Fury and Coulson finished their own drinks, having really enjoyed it, and followed Harry to the door as Fury replied, "We do. Let's put a pin in that for after the tour, though."
"Fair enough." Harry said and closed the door behind them. "Through this door is my library." He opened the door and the lights came on. "I liberated most of this from my old school. It was destroyed during the war, but I was able to clear the rubble and found the library mostly in-tact. If you want to browse you're welcome, but don't go in the cordoned off section."
"Why?" Coulson asked.
"Some of the books in the restricted section can hurt you. Seriously. There's one book in there that sucks to your face and tries to suffocate you. Don't even know why. It's a book on magical plants."
"Is it just me or does it sound like your world had a lot of dangers where they were completely unnecessary. People who want to raise dragons in huts and books that suffocate you. Where did you get that book anyway?" Coulson asked.
"School library. It was in the restricted section though." Harry defended.
"Yeah and teenagers never break rules." Fury replied sarcastically.
"I suppose you have a point. While no system is perfect, I nearly died every year, and most of those occasions were at the school. To be fair I did have a madman after me from since before I was born. But that's a story for another time. Next room!" Harry had noted that they had decided to leave the books alone after seeing one of the books move towards them when they approached. The monster book of monsters. He had just chuckled. Fury and Coulson were apprehensive to say the least. That book was not even in the restricted section.
Next Harry showed them his garden. Once again they were impressed, until it started raining. It was on a timer, but the sky had clouded over, the effect being that it got colder and there wasn't much to show after that anyway. A drying charm or three later and Harry showed them through the greenhouse that was currently active. He explained some of the plants when Coulson turned out to know a thing or two about horticulture. Explaining the process of gathering certain magical ingredients without permanently harming the plants.
He next showed them the Potions Lab and the ingredients he had already prepared and put in stasis. Why every potions master didn't do that was beyond him? Maybe there was a reason, and he just didn't understand, but his potions all tended to work. When Fury expressed an interest in the calming draught, Harry gave him one, but warned him not to try and analyse it in a machine. Not unless he wanted to lose the machine. Potions contained magic after all.
Next he showed them his Magical artefacts room. Explaining what some of the devices did, had Fury looking like a kid in a candy store, especially when Harry explained about the dark detectors. The Foe-Glass and the Secrecy Sensor specifically. Unfortunately Harry only had one of each and couldn't part with them. Fury started making a list in his mind. When he had Harry on the payroll, he already had a couple of projects in mind for him. And since Harry wanted to figure out how they work anyway, it's win-win.
"You mean you actually fly on brooms? Why?" Coulson was asking while Fury tried to get Harry's Foe-Glass to show him the faces of his enemies.
"Because flying carpets were illegal in Europe, of course!" Harry explained, knowing exactly how absurd broom flying would seem to the non-magical.
"You have flying carpets?" Coulson asked with wonder again. Harry wondered if he had watched Aladdin a lot as a kid.
"Sure, you tell a guy you fly on a broom he scoffs, but tell him a piece of floor covering can do the same and he thinks it's a wonderful idea." Harry joked.
"It's not the same thing and you know it!" Coulson was obviously very offended that anyone could think badly of flying carpets. Harry didn't have the heart to tell the man that you need to be magical to work them.
"Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. At least it can handle more passengers. I'll give you that. But they don't go near as fast." Harry stood up for his favourite form of transport.
Then he came to one of his favourite item. The Pensieve. He had found Dumbledore's old one at the base of the headmaster's tower. A little scratched up, but still working fine. "This is one of my favourites. It's called a Pensieve. You concentrate on a memory and withdraw it from your mind and then you can go into the memory and experience it all over again. Really useful tool for law enforcement."
"That does sound useful," Fury said as he walked up to them having only been able to see shadowy figures in the Foe-Glass. "Can you show us an example?"
"What do you want to see?" Harry countered.
"How about a memory from school?" Coulson asked. He wanted to see the school Harry missed so much. Too bad for him Harry had already thought of the perfect memory to scare them for the window incident.
"I have the perfect memory for you. It happened at the end of my second year, so I was twelve at the time." he said. He concentrated for a moment and put his finger to his temple. When he withdrew it, there was a string of memory attached to his finger and he dropped it in the bowl.
"Okay, so what you do is put a finger in the bowl, and you will enter the memory. When the memory ends you will come back. Simple." Harry pointed to the bowl and both Coulson and Fury put a finger in the bowl. Harry just chuckled. He only put a small bit in there, not the whole confrontation. Just the end, where he killed the snake and defeated Riddle's diary.
A couple of minutes layer Fury and Coulson came back to themselves. They stared at each other and then at Harry. Coulson exclaimed. "You were just twelve! Where the hell were the adults!?"
"They were too busy pointing fingers and not believing a twelve-year-old about what he had figured out, to listen. The girl was one of my best friends' sister. Someone had to do something. That was actually one of my milder years. First year we faced a mountain troll, a giant Cerberus and one of the teachers tried to kill me. Third year, there was that escaped convict, who turned out to be innocent and my godfather oh, and a teacher tried to wipe my memories. Fourth year there was a dragon, a sphinx, and the rebirth of my parent's murderer, oh and one of my teachers tried to kill me. Fifth year, a teacher tortured me and my godfather died because of the same madman. Sixth year there was a horde of Zombies and my mentor died. I kind of went on a year-long camping trip from hell the year I was supposed to graduate and more people died. Hell, I died that year…" Harry was not usually so glib. He was just stating facts at this point, knowing he'd have to tell the story at some point.
"What do you mean you died?" Fury asked, slowly.
"Took a killing curse, right in the chest. Statistically un-survivable. Unstoppable, instant death. I thought it would save more people. The madman and his troops were going to kill all the children at the school to get to me, so I went to him and took it like a man. Turns out prophecies are immutable, but once they run their course, anything goes. So when I saved the world from the madman and defeated him the prophecy was over. Problem was, he was defeated, but not gone. When he came back from the dead, again, he decided that the world should suffer for his failures. That's when the war truly started. And the rest you know. And here I am." Harry finished with a sad smile.
"How are you still sane?" Fury asked.
"Don't know. Maybe I'm not and that's why I am still going." Harry joked. "Come on. I'm going to show you one more room and then that's enough of my secrets shared."
"Harry, you do know that you will need to speak to someone about all this at some point, right?" Coulson said softly.
"Who would I speak to? You're the closest thing I have to a friend and you're just doing your job!" Harry snapped. He realized he was suddenly breathing hard and his magic was rolling off him in waves. He did not know it, but for a second his eyes had flashed. There was a smell in the air like ozone and the air seemed charged with energy.
He took a step back holding his hands up with his eyes downcast. He reigned in his emotions and waited for his heart-rate to slow. When he was in control of himself again, he looked up and saw that they were both just looking at him, no fear or judgement. Coulson actually looked a little sad. "Sorry about that. Going through my memories, must have jostled something loose." Harry apologised.
"I was actually just thinking that you need some R&R. Honestly, you're conducting yourself admirably after what you've been through. I've known men with half your experience that had to leave the service for good because they couldn't contain their emotions. Half your experience and twice your problems. You're a rare find Harry Potter. And I'd be happy to have you on our side when the going gets tough." Fury said honestly.
Coulson just gaped. Fury had never spoken like that before.
"It may just be because of my mental conditioning. The practise of Occlumency is a mental technique used to protect against mental attack. It has the side-effects of allowing for better emotional control and greater recall." Harry supplied.
"And we're going to need details on that at some point, but let's finish the tour first and then I think we'll get something to eat before continuing our discussions." Fury said.
"Okay then. The last room is my vault. It contains only some items of sentimental value. Mostly it's just stuff I picked up in my travels and stuff I thought may be useful when I still thought there was hope for my home-world." Harry said.
He led them to the last room and opened the door. Both Fury and Coulson just stared. In front of them were mountains of gold, jewels and treasures. Portraits from masters, and Faberge Eggs. Incalculable wealth, everywhere the eye could see.
"Most of this stuff is useless, though." Harry scoffed.
"But this is a fortune!" Coulson said.
"Yeah and what will it do to the economy? I might get away with some of the jewels, but the art probably exists in this world already. I suppose I could do little bits here and there, with gold. Enough to survive, but I can't do that forever. If I want to live, I need to work." Harry explained. "Fortunately, I have all these useful skills to rent out." Harry joked, looking at Fury.
"That's very sensible of you Mr. Potter. We'll talk to our people, though. Find out what viable options there are if you are interested in letting go of some of this." Fury said, gesturing at the room around him. Coulson just nodded and continued following them as they left the rooms.
They exited Harry's trunk and Harry put it back in the bag, which he put around his neck again. "You are the first and only people who knows about that place. My safe haven. There was only one purpose for that visit, even though you seem to have discovered other things of interest along the way. I needed you to see that I'm trusting you with more than just the contracts enforcing our co-operation. One day, when we know each other better and we've developed a relationship based in trust, we might consider destroying the contracts. Or replace them with something better."
Fury had a look in his eye, which Harry didn't know, having basically just met the man. "I understand, but since they serve all our interests at the moment, let's leave them in place. Could they be modified though?"
"In what way?" Harry asked curiously.
"I was thinking, we will definitely need to discuss things in the future that need to be kept safe and there doesn't seem to be a better way to protect information between us than what you have set up, but you've specified that our discussion in this room stay secret. We won't always be able to come here." Fury explained.
"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked.
"Can we change it so it includes anything we discuss in your trunk? It's a safe space that won't allow for us to be overheard, that you always carry with you and that nobody knows about. How safe is that pouch? Do we need to set up something for you or will it be safe with you?" Fury asked wondering what would happen if the pouch was damaged.
"Didn't I tell you? Once the pouch is bonded to you, only people who you want to can see it. It's one of the reasons why its creation was strictly monitored, documented and only allowed for law enforcement or people who took a binding oath. It's also why the Goblins were in charge of keeping track of them. They were thorough and kept track of everything.
"Couldn't have just anyone walking around with an indestructible safe that could be used for nefarious purposes. Imagine what a criminal could do with these? I keep mine around my neck. It hangs over the chest and adds a layer of protection as well. Even if I'm stripped naked, nobody could take this from me." Harry said putting the pouch back around his neck and in his shirt. Coulson and Fury soon followed suit.
"Thank you, Harry." Coulson said. "This is a precious gift and will come in handy more than you think."
"I can't agree more." Fury said touching a finger to his eye-patch before smiling. "Okay, back to business. What do you know about mutants?" Fury asked. They started discussing a wide range of topics, Harry noting that Fury took some delight in shocking him over and over again. He supposed he deserved it after all his own reveals. There was an interruption as someone delivered food, which Coulson had stepped out to arrange.
It was some hours later, when they were interrupted again with a knock on the door. Fury looked at his watch and smiled, knowing who it was and called their meeting to a close. When Coulson answered the door, it was to find an agent with a thin package. Coulson took it and returned to a table, giving the folder to Harry.
He opened it to find a folder full of documents. When he opened what looked like a small book, he found it was an ID with his name and a SHIELD badge on the side. It stated that he was a foreign consultant working directly under SHIELD for an indeterminate amount of time. He looked up at Fury. "What is this?"
"We arranged for your documentation to be made. You are now SHIELD's premiere consultant on the occult. You will be working off the books on your 'own research'. Your past has been fabricated and any agency wishing access to you will need to contact us. Your past has been heavily 'redacted' for your own safety and that of the unnamed agency you used to work for." Fury said with a straight face.
"He means you are now registered as being from our world and nobody will be able to find out anything except through us. Congratulations Harry. You're now an Agent of Shield." Coulson said with a smile and held out his hand to shake. Harry shook his hand. And turned to the director whose back was straight with a hard look in his eyes.
Harry recognized that look and straightened himself up. "Agent Potter, reporting for duty, sir!" he said, saluting with his eyes front.
Fury suppressed a smile. "At ease agent. We're not the army. You may call me 'director' or 'Fury'. Coulson will arrange a place for you to live and get you situated. You have a month before physical conditioning and combat assessment. Be ready. We won't hold back."
At this, Harry smiled and relaxed. "What do I do in the meantime?" he asked.
"You've been on mission for years, Harry. You will need to relax, take a break and come to grips with your situation. Take the time to grieve and acclimate. Once you start work, if you hadn't, you'll look back and wonder why you didn't." Coulson said.
"I'll start making plans for how we communicate and a safe place for our meetings. I'd rather not use my Backup Plan as a debriefing room. I'll make the place I set up as safe as it would have been though. I have some plans you might find advantageous." Harry said.
"Fine, but you will take the time to get your head straight. That is an order, Agent." Fury scowled.
"Yes, director. I understand." Harry said. "Thank you."