A couple of mornings later Harry got up and went through his usual early morning routine of working out in the gym. He had increased the number of push ups and sit ups to 20 each. He was also running eight laps on the track now. Lastly he was slowly starting to increase the amount of weight he used on the various weight machines. He couldn't see any physical changes in his body yet but he did know that he was starting to build up his strength.
After he finished his morning workout he took a shower and then dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading down to the kitchen for some breakfast.
As soon as he entered the kitchen he stopped dead in the doorway. Sitting at the kitchen table eating his own breakfast was someone Harry had never seen before. It was a male teenager, probably around the same age as Scott. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, was very well built and was good looking enough to easily become an athletic model – except for the enormous white feathery wings sticking out of his back. Harry stared at the newcomer in amazement for several seconds before he realized what he was doing and lowered his eyes. He forced himself to walk further into the kitchen, clearing his throat as he went.
"Hello?" asked the winged male looking up.
"Uh, hi" said Harry, "I'm sorry about staring, I was just surprised. I didn't know anyone was in here. I can come back – "
"No, no" was the reply, "I understand." He got up from the table and held out a hand to Harry.
"Warren Worthington III" he said as he and Harry shook hands. Harry took note of Warren's last name. It was familiar somehow.
"Harry Potter" said Harry, "pleased to meet you. Are you a new student?"
"Yes" said Warren, "I arrived late last night."
"Ah" said Harry, "I turned in rather early yesterday so obviously I missed seeing you come in."
"How long have you been at this school?" asked Warren.
"I got here three weeks ago" said Harry, "though I'm only here for the summer, then I go back to my regular school in Britain."
"What's your mutation?"
"I can control electricity and I'm telekinetic" said Harry and promptly demonstrated his telekinesis to get some cereal, a bowl, and a spoon.
"I see" said Warren, "very nice."
"I'd ask you what your mutation is" said Harry, "but I guess it's pretty obvious."
"You don't say" said Warren but he grinned when he said it, "so what's your story?"
Harry sat down at the table and began to eat his breakfast. As he did he and Warren continued talking. Warren had been a student at a prestigious private school when his wings first began to grow. After school let out a few weeks ago he had rented an apartment in New York for the summer. That was where the professor had found him and had sent Scott and Bobby to see him. The initial meeting between them had not gone well but after they resolved their differences Warren had accepted the professor's offer to join the school.
For his part Harry told Warren a highly edited version of how Xavier had found him. He didn't hide that he was a wizard as well as a mutant. He figured that if he and Warren were going to be classmates, even if only for a little while, then Warren should know the same things about him that Scott and Bobby already knew. He didn't talk about facing the basilisk or Voldemort but he did tell Warren a few things about Hogwarts. Warren was an easy person to talk to, Harry thought. He didn't laugh or ridicule what Harry told him. He was also very interested about flying on a broom.
"You have to show me that some time" he said to Harry, "we can go flying together."
"That would be fun" said Harry, "flying is one of my favorite things to do."
"I know exactly what you mean" said Warren.
"Sorry if this is a personal question" said Harry, "but your last name, Worthington, I've heard it before somewhere."
"I wouldn't be surprised" said Warren, "my family is very rich and very well known."
"That's right" said Harry snapping his fingers, "Now I know why your name is familiar. Your family is like one of the richest in the world."
"Yes" said Warren who started to look a little wary, "uh, you're not about to ask me to lend you money, are you?" Harry laughed.
"Oh no" he said, "I've got plenty of that. If there's one thing I don't need right now it's more money."
"Really?" Warren asked looking at Harry with greater interest.
"Really" said Harry, "my parents died when I was a baby and while I've known my family was well off for several years it was only a few weeks ago that I was told about the full extent of my family's holdings. I'm still taking it in that I'm obscenely rich. My account manager at my bank told me that my fortune is comparable to those of people like Tony Stark, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Her Majesty the Queen – and the Worthington family. In fact I believe I own seven percent of Worthington Industries myself." Warren was now looking at him as if he was trying to figure something out.
"Wait a minute" he said, "did you say your last name was Potter?"
"Yes."
"Are you one of the Welsh Potters?" he asked.
"Potter Castle is in Wales" said Harry, "is that what you mean?" Recognition seemed to enter Warren's face.
"I've heard of your family" he said.
"You have?" said Harry in surprise.
"Not very much" said Warren, "I know there's a British family called Potter that's as rich as my family is but they're very secretive. I don't know that much about them except that many years ago when my grandfather ran the company he had help from someone in the Potter family who invested in Worthington Industries at a time when the investment was really needed."
"That's right" said Harry with a nod, "I was told about my family's secretiveness when I learned about my full holdings. Part of it is because we're a magical family and we don't want non-magicals to know that and part of it is that we don't want other rich wizarding families to know just how wealthy we really are. Actually I guess I should say 'I' now as everything came to me when my parents died."
"Well" said Warren with a smile, "I'm glad to meet someone else who knows what it's like." Harry dropped his eyes a bit.
"Actually" he said, "that's a problem for me. I don't know what it's like. I've only known about all of this for a few weeks. It was a major shock. I, well as I told the professor when I found out, I don't know how to be rich."
"That's easy" said Warren, "you just don't think about it most of the time. You don't want to go about flaunting it too much or people might get enviously mad."
"That's what the professor said" said Harry thinking of Draco Malfoy, "and I know that's true because I know one or two people who do flaunt their wealth and position in other people's faces. Hardly anyone likes them. He also said that if I wanted to meet another really rich person he could introduce me to Tony Stark."
"That would be fun" said Angel, "my family does business with him. He knows me and he's a cool guy."
"I think I would like to meet him" said Harry, "his company is another one my family invested in years ago. Apparently I own ten percent of it now." Warren gave a low whistle.
"That's a good chunk" he said, impressed, "Stark will definitely see you if you want to meet him."
"Professor Xavier said that too" Harry replied, "do you think you might talk to me about investments and things like that? I imagine you would know something about that kind of stuff."
"Oh sure" said Warren, "I've been learning about that stuff since I was little."
"Thanks" said Harry, "I appreciate the help."
"Not at all" said Warren, "as someone who owns part of W. I. you're part of the Worthington family. It would be wrong of me not to help you."
"Then I look forward to learning whatever you can show me" said Harry. Warren smiled a very winning smile at him.
"Harry" he said "to quote Casablanca I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."