TBD
Trailer SPOILER: So the only thing I snagged from the trailer was that MJ (Micelle Jones - Zendaya) moment.
END GAME: if you haven't seen END GAME don't read further.
AN: Welp, last chapter received a lot of negative or doubt-filled reviews. Oh well, this story keeps getting better and I'm enjoying it more and more.
Chapter 11 - TBD
Natasha had never expected to meet anyone from her world again, least of all Tony's prodigy. She had met Peter on a few occasions, and she knew of him, knew his background, but she didn't really know him.
Which was problematic as he and his girlfriend had just become her responsibility.
As they entered her apartment she had to ask, "Did either of you die to get here?"
"No," Peter said at once, "it was an infinity stone."
"The red one," the girl said blandly.
Natasha blinked, "You're telling me another stone from another universe transported you here? Was anyone wielding it?"
It was his turn to blink, "A multiverse, we're in a different universe! But that means-"
The girl cut him off, "No one was wielding it, it just appeared as a red syrup that spilled into Peter's lab."
"It was the Reality Stone, or should I say, a reality stone." Then to the girl, "I'm Natasha Romanoff by the way, no one knows me as Black Widow here."
"Michelle Jones, but you can call me MJ, if you want."
"What's with the Russian accent?" Peter asked.
Natasha coughed, then switched to American, "It's a part of my back story here. What year did you leave from? You were a part of Thanos's Snap, correct?"
"2024, and yeah, everyone came back. We won. Speaking of which, where are the other Avengers?" Peter asked, "Even if this is a separate universe, they have to exis-"
He stopped when he saw Natasha's expression.
MJ asked, "Is it completely different, like we wouldn't be able to find anyone related to us?"
"I haven't been able to find a single person that might have been from our world, I could be wrong, but the timelines are extremely different. The Starks never existed, neither did Steve Rogers, as a super soldier or recruit."
Peter took in a deep breath, then let it out, he stood up from the couch and began pacing, "That's okay, that's okay. All I need to do is find a way to recreate the time machine you guys used then, I don't know, um find a way to find the correct-"
"No," Natasha said flatly.
MJ sank back into the couch, clearly seeing what was coming.
"No?" Peter repeated, "We have to get home."
She shook her head, and said gently, "I'm sorry, Peter, MJ, it just isn't possible, and even if it were, it is too dangerous."
Heat rose to Peter's cheeks, "Of course it's possible, we got here, didn't we? We can get back, I just need-"
"You would need to understand time travel and the multiverse before anything, and I know you're smart Parker, but that's above your pay grade. Additionally, there is no tech here to help you. Stark Industries doesn't exist, I haven't seen a single definitive sign of alien life here. The technology is so far behind, even for the nineties."
"Wait, run that by us again?" MJ questioned.
"The year is 1994."
Peter sank to the floor, "But… how, how did you get here Ms. Romanoff?"
"Natasha is fine. When I died, Death brought me here due to some prophecy or whatever. I've been here for over thirteen years."
"Death?" Peter asked, "Is a person?"
She shrugged, "I was dead, I died. Then I wasn't, then I was here. I don't have a better explanation."
"Is Death a woman?" MJ asked.
Natasha's lips twitched, "I couldn't tell."
She nodded seriously.
"Magic!" Peter explained, "We can get back using magic."
"No," Natasha said, "the Infinity stones are out of the question even if they did exist here, you would have absolutely no way to wield them. And the magic of this world is powerful and wild, but I don't think humans could direct it for interdimensional travel."
"But-"
"How old are you both?" she interrupted.
"Sixteen," they said in unison.
"Then consider yourselves to be under my custody. Neither of you are to try crossing the multiverse until you're at least twenty-one."
"But-" Peter tried again.
"Do you want to die?" Natasha asked bluntly, "I am so sorry this happened to you both, but no one here can help us and the dangers, the infinite possibilities of failure… if it was just time travel, or if it was even a mirror world of our own, but it isn't. I won't let you get yourselves killed trying the impossible."
"But if it can be done once it can be done again," Peter said with determination.
Natasha opened her mouth to speak but MJ beat her to it, "She's right, Peter, this sucks, but we aren't dead. Not being dead is good. Natasha, do you have a bathroom I could use?"
"Down the hall," she answered.
They waited in silence for MJ to return, Peter sank to the floor resting his chin on his knees as he thought.
Natasha let him think. She hadn't truly lost anything coming to this world, and it was a fate far better than death, but these two had families.
It worried Natasha that the stones could transcend the multiverse on their own, that was if the Reality Stone had been on its own. Maybe it was worse if someone were directing it. But why these two teenagers, granted one was an Avenger, but there were others that would have been a more logical target.
"My aunt is going to kill me," Peter whispered.
"I'm so sorry, Peter."
"I guess after the dusting, everyone is a bit more prepared but…"
"It worked then," Natasha said softly, "I knew it would. Do you know… do you know how Clint was before you came here?"
"Hawkeye?" he asked, "Yeah, he's fine, his entire family came back safe."
She let out a long breath, a tension she had been carrying with her dissipating. She had known, known, he would be okay, that they would win, but to have it confirmed… that was a gift.
MJ came back into the room looking pale.
"Do you need anything?" Natasha asked at once, not bothering to ask if they were okay, clearly, they were not okay.
"I-" she stopped herself, "Can I take a nap?"
"Either guest bedroom, and I have something you can sleep in. Do either of you want anything to eat."
"No thanks," MJ said and Peter only shook his head.
"I have some of my son's clothes that should fit you, Peter, when you're ready to get some rest. We can pick up things of your own soon." She stood and headed for her bedroom, to get a comfortable T-shirt and a pair of shorts for MJ.
"You have a son?" Peter asked, finally looking up.
She nodded, "His name is Harry, he's fourteen."
He frowned, "I thought you said you were here for thirteen years. Were you pregnant during the war?"
She laughed, "No, Harry is adopted."
MJ said in a low voice that was less than thrilled, "I guess so are we."
Harry went on his morning run alone, Hedwig delivered Mom's message that something had come up.
It was on this morning that he ran past centaurs.
He stopped mid-stride when one halted in his path. He was pale, with stunning blue eyes, and long blonde hair.
"You are the slayer's son?"
It took him a moment to get what the centaur was referring to. "Oh, you mean of the spiders? Yeah, I'm Natasha Romanoff's son."
"And the Potter child, the Boy Who Lived?"
Harry let out a breath, "Yes, that too."
"Then I offer you this, the stars say you must die in order to live."
"Excuse me?" Harry asked, tensing and shifting to the balls of his feet.
"I am Fireniez, I mean you no harm Harry Romanoff, I am a friend, but there is more that you must learn about your first death."
"Then tell me plainly," Harry demanded.
"I cannot," the centaur said, "I can only see that you must- I must go. Stay safe, Mr. Romanoff."
And with that, the horseman galloped away into the trees.
As Harry was not fool enough to chase after the magical creature, he didn't linger, heading back to the castle feeling uneasy.
You must die to live. There is more to know about your first death.
What did that mean?
He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice when a girl came up to him and tugged on his sleeve. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she squeaked, "Hi, I'm Ginny. Ginny Weasley."
Harry was too busy mentally kicking himself to connect immediately that this must have been Fred and George's little sister.
"Hello," he said, forcing his shoulders to relax. He really wasn't sure if he could do three more years here.
"I was… just," she swallowed, then a determined gleam shone in her eyes. She straightened her petite shoulders and asked, "I was wondering if you had a date yet to the Yule Ball?"
"No…" he said, thinking that the last thing he wanted to do was go to that stupid ball, but yeah, he supposed he should ask someone. It was less than a month away.
"Do you want to go with me?" the girl asked.
"No," he said absently, then winced when he realized how tactless that was, his mother had taught him better.
The girl's face began to break down, the skin around her brown eyes pinching, and she tried one last time in a small voice, "Why not?"
He softened his voice, "Because I don't know you. Best of luck though, you seem like a nice person." And he walked away before he could say anything stupid.
He hated school. He wasn't used to being around so many other kids for so long. And he wanted out of this castle, off these grounds, he was feeling claustrophobic, and as he walked to his next class, hundreds of eyes on him, that feeling only grew.
Harry was so ready for a vacation.
Natasha doubted that either teenager had slept much the previous night. She offered to take them out for breakfast, but both settled for cereal.
"So, what's going to happen to us?" MJ asked after finishing her bowl.
Peter was pouring himself seconds, but froze to stare up at Natasha, waiting for her answer.
He should have been too young to be an Avenger, not because he wasn't capable, but because he deserved a childhood.
"Well that would depend on what you want," Natasha said, "You're both underage though not far from eighteen. I would be most comfortable taking you in, we are from the same universe, Peter and I were a part of the same organization, I have enough to support you through college, healthcare and what have you, but you do have choices. Going out on your own, isn't one, this world can be deceptively similar until it isn't, you might find adjusting harder than you think."
"So if not with you, and not on our own," Peter said, "what other options do we have?"
"A few. I would have to get you both identification papers. But if you didn't want to stay with me I can find a boarding school for you either here in Europe or back in America, or even Canada if you like. We could find you a host family if you wanted to attend a public school, or if you truly want nothing to do with me, you can try your luck with the foster care system."
"And if we did want to stay with you?" MJ asked.
"Then we can see if there is a non-magical school close by, or I could homeschool you. Harry and I do travel on holidays, however."
"Magical schools?" MJ asked interestedly.
"Some humans can be witches and wizards here."
"Like Dr. Strange?" Peter asked.
"Similar, the magic is more innate and less, well less structured. It's more like the fairy tales than science."
"Do you know any?" MJ asked, "I mean, they must be dangerous."
"They can be. I turned out to be a witch when I came here, and my son is a wizard. Most of the people in this town have magic, actually."
MJ and Peter exchanged a look, and MJ asked, "Could either of us end up with magic?"
"It's possible, as far as I know. Though here, it seems to be either you are born with it or you're not."
"I want to stay with you," MJ stated, she looked unsettled but determined, "I don't want to deal with this BS on my own."
Peter took her hand, "You aren't alone."
Natasha smiled sadly at them both, "Well, the world is ours," she switched back to her Russian accent, "what would you like to do with the day?"
"You know, that's cool that you can switch accents but also kind of creepy. You sound like a villain," Peter remarked.
"I like it," MJ said, "it seems more honest."
Natasha tilted her head, and made her accent thicker, "Do you think I'm the villain?"
MJ squinted her eyes at Natasha and said slowly, "TBD."
Natasha laughed, they were strong kids, they would be alright.
"So she didn't give back the cloak?" Sirius asked, laughter in his eyes as he watched his friend look of the dark objects that had been 'retrieved' from the Malfoy Manor by Natasha.
"I'll get it back," James said, "she's supposed to stop by tonight."
"Can we all agree that Natasha Romanoff would have been sorted into Slytherin had she gone to Hogwarts?"
James, Lily, and even Remus, who hadn't met her in person yet, nodded their agreement.
"This one is the weirdest," Lily said, picking up a small journal, "Tom Marvelo Riddle's diary, but there is nothing written in it."
"Let me see it," Sirius said, holding his hand out for it.
The moment he touched it, he recognized it. Well, not it, but the feeling of it. He closed his eyes trying to remember where he had felt it before.
Remus asked, "What were you all even doing at the Malfoys? This wasn't a legal search if you involved Romanoff."
Ignoring the werewolf's question, James asked, "Doesn't Marvolo sound familiar?"
Sirius' eyes flashed open and he tossed the diary back on the table, "Marvolo Gaunt, last direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin." He jabbed a thumb at the diary, "And that thing has the same residence as Salazar's Locket I found when I was cleaning out my parents' place."
"Where is the locket now?" Lily asked.
"The Salazar Slytherin's?" Remus asked.
"My vault."
"But what is it?"
Lily pulled it over to her, summoned a well of ink and quill and wrote, Hello, My name is Harry Potter.
"Why use Harry's name?" James asked.
"I don't think you should be writing in it," Remus cautioned.
"Because it always has something to do with Harry," she answered, ignoring Remus's words of wisdom.
The ink was absorbed and words appeared, Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?
All four of them pushed in close to read the words and Lily wrote back, In the Come and Go Room at Hogwarts.
"In the what room?" Remus asked
Lily and James smiled at each other, and Sirius whined, "You found a secret room in Hogwarts without us?"
Are you a student?
Yes, Lily wrote back, I'm a second year in Slytherin, but I fear they are going to close down the school, terrible things are happening.
"What terrible things?" James asked.
"If this is a relative of Slytherin," Lily said with a smirk, "What better bait than-"
What terrible things? The script echoed her husband.
Lily wrote back, The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. I was looking for something to help me. I'm afraid.
Sirius snorted, "It isn't going to fall for that. Even a talking book is going to know-"
"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."
"Lily," Remus said, "Are you sure you're not a seer?"
She stuck her tongue out at him, and he grinned, not having seen this side of her in a long time. She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder and said, "No, but unlike you lot, I grew up with something called logic."
More words showed up on the page, "I can show you, if you like. You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."
"Show you how?" James asked.
"Maybe it will give us a stick figure drawing rendition of history," Sirius said excitedly.
More words appeared as Lily hesitated, "Let me show you."
She shrugged, "What's the worst that could happen?" She wrote the word, okay.
And then the diary ate her.
"Lily!" the Marauders shouted.
Minutes passed, and when Lily was sprewed back onto the apartment floor in a rustle of pages, James was in complete panic mode.
He nearly squeezed the life out of her. She patted his back, trying to hug him back and breathe at the same time, "I'm fine, I'm fine."
He let go of her, took the diary, and threw it against the opposite wall.
Lily leaned back against the island table looking out into the living room, Remus knelt by her side checking her over.
"What the hell happened?" Sirius asked as James relearned how to breathe.
"We need to talk to Hagrid," Lily said.
"How do you feel?" Remus asked.
She took in some steadying breaths and said honestly, "Drained, weak. It isn't just a contained memory, like a pensive, it's something else."
"Drained," James growled, "like it's a parasite."
Lily rubbed at her eyes, "We need to do some more research."
"Why Hagrid?" Remus asked.
"Because according to the diary," she said, "Hagrid was the one to open the Chamber of Secrets."
They all looked at each other, and Sirius said, "Alright, Hagrid will have a story to tell us, but I'm stating it now, that book is evil."
No one disagreed.
Natasha took both teens clothes shopping as they pretended they hadn't just lost everything they had ever known.
To their credit, they were doing rather well.
Until some Londoner tried pulling a knife on MJ.
Before Natasha could break the street rodent, MJ threw out her hand and the man went flying backwards. Peter caught him and punched the man hard enough that he collapsed on the ground.
MJ was staring down at her hand in amazement. "I'm a witch," she murmured in awe.
Natasha's mind was spinning, "Change of plans, we are going to make a trip down to Magical London."
"As opposed to magically teleporting here?" Peter asked.
Natasha directed them through the streets.
And as they crossed into the otherworld both became as young children, staring in wonderment at the magic and the oddities around them. Diagon Alley was much more impressive than Hogsmeade.
"MJ, I hate to push you into this, but the magic of this world needs to be learned if you have it. Even I didn't realize what it was capable of until this year," four weeks ago to be precise, "and in order to get you enrolled I think you will have to go to the school tonight."
"Why tonight?" Peter asked.
Natasha winced, "Because I may have made an enemy out of the Headmaster. The paper gets published tomorrow morning."
Peter gave her a look, "And why make the Headmaster of a school, I'm assuming, your son attends, your enemy?"
"Because he likely did things that put my son in unnecessary danger."
"Likely?"
Natasha sighed, "I was trying to make friends, besides the Headmaster tried invading my mind. That alone was enough to get him on my list."
"Where are we going?" MJ asked.
"To get you a wand."
"Cool."
oOo
When they entered Olivander looked up and scowled at them. "Ms. Romanoff, who do you have with you?"
"These are my good friends' children. And we find ourselves in need of a wand."
"Hmm," the man -if he was a man, hummed, staring at MJ as if he could see through her. Then his eyes flicked to Peter who took an involuntary step back.
"You're a muggle."
"What's with that word?" MJ asked, "This is Peter Parker, and I'm Michelle Jones."
Ollivander's lips twitched, "An American, interesting. A moment, I have a few… hmm, where did they go?" He disappeared behind a stack of shelves.
He came out with a wand box, and Natasha stood behind MJ, prepared to catch her if the wand objected.
The wand didn't object, in fact, it lit up like a sparklier, "Ceder, Phoenix feather, thirteen inches, hmmm… I doubted I ever find a match for this one, but here you are, my dear. 'My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, 'you will never fool the cedar carrier.' And phoenix feathers are known for their range of magic. Remember, Ms. Jones, this wand chose you."
"Thanks," she answered, staring down at the wand as if it would burst into flame.
Natasha felt a similar wariness.
"So, there's no way I would be a witch too, huh?" Peter asked, seeming more curious than jealous.
Olivander wrapped a finger on Peter's forehead, "Sorry my lad, you are not a wizard, you are an odd one though, if that is any comfort."
Peter frowned at MJ who was giving him a mockingly sympathetic look.
"Ms. Romanoff, though you have Ms. Black's wand, perhaps there would be another here that may suit you?"
Natasha narrowed her eyes at him, but she had never turned down an extra weapon and she wasn't about to start now, "I can keep both?"
"Certainly, the wand you carry, you won and its loyalties belong to you alone. But if you would allow me to find another, you may find you can reach new understandings with your own magic."
"Why help me? I didn't think you liked me."
Olivander raised his chin, "Your son was the first person to ever enter my shop and not find a match. It stung my pride, but I think with the way his magic developed wands were simply not a viable option."
"Alright, if you can find me a match..." The wandmaker was already zipping through the shop.
He came back with a stack of boxes, that Natasha had the suspicion he had been compiling in the hopes that she would come back. She dutifully tried each one he handed her, he often snatched them back before her fingers could grasp them. But none of them threw her back as they had to Harry.
He sighed, and the last wand he gave her, sent a power singing threw her as if something had resonated with her soul.
The old man's expression was a mix of satisfaction and that of a man wondering if he had just made a monumental mistake. "Cherry wood," he said, "highly prized in Japan, known for being quite lethal. Dragon heartstring core, of a Peruvian Vipertooth that went rogue in a muggle city. They are the smallest of the dragon breeds, but poisonous and deadly. It is said that cherry wand paired with a dragon heartstring ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind."
Natasha smiled, feeling as if she had just made a new friend, she said, "I'll take them both, and do you sell wand wrist sheaths?"
Olivander seemed to conclude that he had done a very ill thing indeed, as he morosely rang them up.
Next, they went to the bookstore, where Natasha simply bought every Hogwarts required book, unsure of what grade they would put MJ into.
As they were leaving the store, MJ asked, "You sure you can pay for all this?"
"My dear, I'm from the future too, and have been here for over a decade. Let's just say I've made some rather advantageous investments."
She smirked, "Guess there are some bonuses to chaos."
"The world will surprise you."
Both teenagers looked distant, how ever surprising this world might be, they had still lost everything, their hands found each other. They had lost everything except each other.
Harry had finally discovered who had been stealing Luna's shoes. Unfortunately, he had yet to find a way into the girls' dormitories, but that was only a matter of time.
Now what he was going to do to them, that was the question.
He was going to have to get creative, because if he had to act again... things wouldn't go well for them.
Harry was pretty sick of this school. Yes, the magic was fun, yes, he loved the library, he oddly didn't even mind his parents, too much. But he didn't like being in school, he didn't like sleeping in the dormitories, or having to sneak out to see his mom and to work out. He didn't like being constantly surrounded by people.
His skin felt itchy, he had never had to pretend to be social this long, and he despised being watched all the time. This morning with the twins had been his first real slip, and he probably hadn't handled that girl asking him out correctly either.
He couldn't imagine three more years of this.
Hedwig tapped against one of the dormitory's windows.
"Hi, beautiful," Harry said to the snowy owl.
She hooted approvingly, accepting pets before giving him the message.
There is someone I need you to meet. Back entrance.
"You can go hunting, Hedwig, or get some rest, thank you."
She rubbed her cheek against his and flew off.
Harry jogged to the back entrance, making it there just as they were approaching. Next to Mom was a tall girl Harry didn't recognize.
"Harry, this Michelle Jones, MJ, this is my son Harry Romanoff."
He held out his hand, "Nice to meet you."
She shook his hand with a firm grip, she looked tired. "I'm Spider-Man's friend."
He blinked, "Peter Parker? You're from Mom's world?"
She smiled weakly at him, "Yep."
"When did you get here, and how?"
"Yesterday and an infinity stone. Peter is here too, but he doesn't have magic."
"Just you two?"
She nodded.
Harry looked at Mom with raised brows, "If you just got here, why are you coming to Hogwarts? I mean witch, or no, surely you want some time to adjust, right?"
MJ looked at her too, and Mom sighed, "I'm sorry, you don't even have to stay the night, tomorrow is Saturday, we just need to get you enrolled."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"I may have acted against Dumbledore in such a way that there are going to be problems when the morning paper is released."
"Mom."
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Harry looked at MJ and asked, "You okay with this?"
She shrugged, "At this point, the distraction is kind of nice."
They started walking and Harry let the silence stand as MJ took in the castle.
By the time they got to the Headmaster's office, she looked a little more interested in being here. Mom started guessing magical candies and on her fifth try, the gargoyles leapt aside.
Dumbledore greeted them warmly, not the least surprised to see them. "Ms. Romanoff, Mr. Romanoff, and who have you brought with you?"
MJ spoke for herself, "Michelle Jones, my family passed away and Natasha took me in."
True sympathy shown on the old man's face, "I'm sorry to hear that Ms. Jones. Which school are you transferring from, Ilvermorny?"
MJ lied so smoothly that if Harry hadn't known she was an alternative universe he would never have guessed, "I kept my magic secret from my parents, but Natasha seems to think a magical education is important."
"Indeed, suppressed magic can be quite dangerous, I'm surprised no one from Ilvermorny tried to convince you and your parents of its necessity."
MJ looked the old man straight in his baby blues, and shrugged nonchalantly. Without words saying clearly, wasn't my job to keep track of other people's BS.
Harry had to work hard not to smile.
"Hmm," the old man said, "how old are you?"
"Sixteen."
Dumbledore looked at Harry, and after a moment asked, "You have no magical training, Ms. Jones?"
"Nope."
He looked back at her with a kind smile, "You would not be able to keep up with the sixth years and it is a bit late in the year to start studying for your OWLs. However, like Mr. Romanoff, even without proper training, your magic is probably too developed to be placed in with the early years. I think the fourth year will be best, even if you struggle. I also believe it would be good if you stuck to the same schedule as Mr. Romanoff, you could help one another. That might mean you are separated from your housemates if you're not sorted into Ravenclaw, but it would be best both for you as well as the professors."
"That's fine, I've been held back before."
"Would she be able to live with me," Natasha asked, "and commute to classes?"
Dumbledore pursed his lips, "That would be highly unusual, but until winter break, I can make an exception. However, I would like you to be sorted in front of the other students, dinner will soon be served."
"Sure, whatever," MJ said, and Harry wondered if Dumbledore could see the tension in her shoulders.
MJ didn't rightly have words for what she was feeling. But she did think she was grateful for this distraction.
She wouldn't have traded her life for magic and to go to a magical school, but it was interesting.
The castle was huge, but there weren't that many students, not compared to the school she and Peter went to.
It would be odd not to be going to school with Peter.
Burying her emotions she went to the front of the hall, with the Headmaster who was holding a ragged old hat. Harry sat down at one of the four parallel tables. She guessed by the different colours of ties that there were four houses.
"I apologize for the delay of dinner tonight," the Headmaster greeted the room, all talking ceased. "We have yet another addition to our school, Ms. Michelle Jones."
She sat down on the stool that the Headmaster magickified into existence, and he put the old hat on her head.
She was worried about all the places this hat could have been when it began to talk in her head.
Ah, my dear, I am so sorry for your loss, the talking hat thought in her head.
Perhaps it was a thinking hat, not a talking one?
She thought back, thanks. Can you read my mind or do I need to talk out loud?
I can hear you, very new to magic I see, this is quite odd, quite wonderful. The change you will bring-
I'm no leader.
Perhaps, perhaps not. You're quite clever, quite intelligent, not one to follow the crowd… hmm… Hufflepuff might be good, though I am not sure they would appreciate your humour.
Not a lot of people do.
Hmmm, hmmm. Gryffindor is out of the question, they can be quite overwhelming, Ravenclaw, maybe, but, well, I think you have it in you to be someone more, something great.
She shrugged, A doubt a house sorting would change that.
You would be surprised.
Why are you hesitating so much, isn't choosing your job?
It is my job, and I know exactly where you belong, but I fear you won't thank me for it. Ravenclaw just won't do, Slytherin will help you to greatness, and likely, you shall help Slytherin rise to greatness as well.
Great, Slytherin it is then. Can I go now?
Remember, Merlin was a Slytherin.
Wait, Merlin, like Arthur and the Stone, is real?
You'll be fine.
"Why are you hesitating?" she asked again, her voice cutting through the silence.
The hat announced to the room, "SLYTHERIN!"
It was a talking hat after all.
Dumbledore raised the hat off her and gave her a wary look. He didn't have to tell her what table was hers, it was the green tied people clapping and roaring the loudest.
She sat down where a space was made for her. There were a few students who didn't look like they were from this school at all, the nearest people introduced themselves as Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Viktor Krum.
Krum didn't sound British, Scottish, or Irish at all.
A blonde boy butted into their bland introductions, "Is your family magical?"
"No," she said, "just me."
He sneered at her, "Isn't that perfect, the first mudblood in Slytherin in over a decade."
"What did you just call me?" she asked, something like fury rising in her gut. She wasn't even sure she was angry at him. She had grown up in New York, she had certainly been called worse, but this was not the week she wanted to deal with it.
Viktor Krum leaned toward the blonde and said in a voice so low and menacing it warmed her heart, "Sit. Down."
She was disappointed when she learned that Viktor wouldn't be in any of her classes.
"How was it?" Natasha asked as they walked back to Hogsmeade.
"Fine."
"If there is anything I can do for you, just ask. You don't even have to go to Hogwarts, I just wanted to ensure that you would have the option if you wanted it."
"I do want it. I want to go home more, but I get that isn't something we can control. So learning magic in the meantime… it beats doing statistics."
"Is there anything you want to do this weekend?"
"Sleep?" MJ mused, "not think…"
Natasha slowly put an arm around her shoulders, and the girl leaned into the support, "You're not alone."
oOo
"I'll be back in forty minutes, you two alright?"
"No promises," MJ said from the sofa where she had her legs hanging over the back, "if the walls start melting, I'm running away."
"We're fine," Peter said, poking a screwdriver into MJ's parished phone.
"Forty minutes or less," Natasha said, before popping away.
"You're late," Sirius greeted with a smile.
She smiled languidly back, "A witch is never late, she arrives precisely when she means to."
Lily laughed, it was the first time Natasha had heard a real laugh from the other woman, it was a nice sound. "Someone else who's read Tolkien."
Natasha blinked, there was a soul that had existed in both worlds, though now that she really thought about it, more than a few key historical figures had been in both histories. Perhaps it was possible that Peter and MJ had family here.
"You sold all the fun books," James complained.
"No I didn't, they are in storage."
"Find anything interesting?" Natasha asked.
Lily and James nodded, and he said, "We have some people we need to go talk to and some research to do about parasitical objects."
"One of them was a parasite?"
They all pointed to the floor where the unnerving journal she had found in a hidey hold in the manor.
"You're telling me it's alive?" Natasha asked.
"Alive and evil," Sirius sang.
Natasha pulled her new Cherry wand that she had yet to use, just as a sandy haired man came out of one of the bathrooms, assuming he was supposed to be there as no one jumped at seeing him, she kept her focus on the diary.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Green light, and then the thing shrieked. Black smoke emitted from the diary wailing, before disappearing into nothing.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Lily exclaimed.
"Why!?" James all but yelled.
Sirius began to laugh and the new guy stared at her horrified.
"You said it was evil and alive, now it's dead and not a problem, abracadabra," she concluded. Putting her free hand on her hip, she asked the sandy haired man, "Who the hell are you?"
"Natasha," James said a bit exasperated, "this is our friend, Remus Lupin, Remus, this is Natasha Romanoff."
The man said nothing, just continued to stare at her, mouth parted a bit.
"Is that all you found out?" she asked, moving on.
"A few leads, but yes, basically," James lied.
She would get the details out of them later, "Wonderful, now if you'll excuse me, I have places to be."
"Wait," Lily said, "Tomorrow, after lunch, we are still on to tutor Harry, yes?"
"Yes," she said, "Now, I need to be going."
"Why?" James asked, "You don't have a job."
She smiled sweetly at him, batting her eyes, "Not officially."
Then popped away, she really did love teleporting.
AN: Thoughts, comments, reactions, or world carrying tortoises?