Wands and Claws

Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Recommended Reads: Apex, Damaged Raven, Widow's Vengeance, Bonded, Magical Spider, Silver King and Hydrus Black by JustBored21, Ruby Tinted Glasses by StormyFireDragon, Shattering the Mirror by arturus, Child of the Storm, Ghosts of the Past and The Phoenix and the Serpent by Nimbus Llewelyn, Lightning, Part 1 and Lightning, Part 2: An Eventful Fourth Year by The New York Bear, Harry Potter The Protector of Magic and The Protector and the Four Guardians by TigerSwarm9122, Harry Potts and the Infinity Stones by samhaine and Ascension, The Son of Storms and The War of Titans by PerseusPeverell092

Key Pairing: Eventual Harry/Jean;

Other Pairings: Logan/Ororo; Erik/Raven; Others TBD

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

'Telepathy'

/Parseltongue/

Review Answers:

Devilsummoner666: I appreciate the compliments, friend: hope you enjoy this new addition;

RavenousBibliophile: Aww, do I have to? He seems like such a nice guy, it'd be a shame to ruin such a slimy, greasy, overcompensating pain in the ass by making him have what he is…oh, and by the way, I'm being sarcastic;

Le Diablo Blanc2: No;

BROMBROS: No, Pixie is a real X-Men character, just one I've decided to introduce into this story;

ALSO:

A reminder on what I said before about new content: this chapter is completely-new, with a little added fun that comes with a query from yours truly to my loyal readers.

See the AN at the bottom for more info…

WsCs

It took Sabretooth ten minutes to reach the school, and, even then, it was only because of a pink-haired mutant who seemed to be surprised by the fact that she found the Big Bad Sabretooth hugged by a little girl who could have passed for his kid with her wildness.

Meanwhile, when said mutant girl appeared, Harry, who was waiting by the front door with three hold-all bags, growled warningly, "Who is this?"

"Pixie," said the girl, her voice soft, but also edged by a note of surprise as she looked not to Harry, but to Victor.

"And, FYI, Vics, why on earth didn't you tell me that we were coming here to find and bring The Boy-Who-Lived and his sister to Genosha?"

Chapter 9: Red Is The Colour of Power

"I'm sorry? What…what did you just call Harry?"

If he wasn't so focused on getting as far away from Xavier and his hypocrisy, whilst taking his sister and their new friend with them, Harry might have been able to find enough of a spirit to agree with the air of disbelief and curiosity that laced Laura's voice as she, along with her brother and Jean, looked to Pixie and Victor, the latter of whom looked as confused as his honorary cubs.

"What do you mean, Pix?" asked Victor, his voice tinged by curiosity and a gruff sense of confusion. "I don't even know who this…this Boy-Who-Lived is, much less what he's got to do with my honorary grand-cubs and their new pack-mate here…so…care to fill in the blanks for us?"

"Not here!" insisted Harry, earning a troubled look from Victor, as well as Laura, while Jean was looking to her two friends in genuine confusion, as Harry indicated behind them. "I won't deny it: I'm curious too, Sabretooth. But, for now, all that I want is to get Laura, Jean and I as far away from this house of hypocrites as I can! So, whatever your friend there has to say can wait until we're on…where was it? Genosha?"

"Uh…y-y-yes, that…that's right," replied Pixie, her voice tinged by a note of shock and dread, even though she was older and stronger than the little boy before her; that didn't matter now. One look into his eyes and Pixie saw a wildness similar to Sabretooth, as well as a cold sense of ruthlessly-driven determination that was similar to the one dubbed by many of her peers and colleagues as the Unofficial King of Genosha.

Indeed, even Laura seemed to know this as she asked, "Genosha? Isn't that the place Miss Munroe said was ruled over by Magneto?"

"It is," said Pixie, indicating Sabretooth as she explained, "When we got your call from Wolverine, Magneto opened the island to you three, under the condition that Vic bring you to him directly. Although, as I said to Victor, I had no idea that my teleported passengers were going to be the Harry Potter, as well as his sister…oh, and her too, I guess."

"Hey!" snarled Harry, letting his claws slide out as he snarled at a now-alarmed Pixie, "Don't just brush Jean off, you fairy-winged pinkie! Dismiss her so casually because, apparently, you don't see her as someone who is as famous as I am…apparently, and I'll turn those wings into confetti!"

Pixie actually backed away in terror, while Victor smiled thinly as he looked not to Harry, but Laura, "What did Chrome Dome do now, little cub?"

"He…apparently, Harry caught him attacking Jean psychically," replied Laura, blushing softly at the warm feelings that she could sense rising up inside of her as she addressed the only friend that she and Harry had shared under Stryker's so-called care. "When Harry caught him, he went nuts! You know…like Grandpa gone feral kind of nuts? I…I don't know what happened, but…but I do know that he was going to mess with Jean's powers and…and now, Harry…he's decided that…that he can't trust anyone. Not…not Charles…not Grandpa…not even Miss Munroe. So…so that's why Grandpa called you, Victor; but…"

Here, she grabbed Harry's hand, making him wheel around as she sniffled sadly, shaking her head feverishly as she insisted, "I…I don't want to go, Harry! I…I don't want to lose my…lose our family all over again; please! I…I know what Xavier was planning…it…it wasn't right, but…but please, big brother! Please don't make me lose any more relatives…not like this!"

To Victor's surprise, as well as relief, Harry's claws slowly slid back into their sheaths, before the young boy smiled thinly as he reached out and cupped his baby sister's cheek in one hand.

"You know I would never force you to do something you don't want to do, Laura," said the wild mutant, before Laura smiled, nodding in agreement, as Harry then lifted a hand and set it against the other side of her head.

"Such a shame I'm not talking to my sister…Jean: do you think you can focus your powers on us?"

"Maybe if…if I do this," said Jean, taking Harry's head in one hand, before she did the same with Laura, who suddenly gasped in alarm.

"Harry, no…you…you don't…"

"DO IT!"

Even Victor felt the waves of psychic energy vibrating around his honorary cubs, while as it did so, he also saw Laura stagger and stumble, before she shook her head as she looked around in confusion and curiosity. "What? Where…Harry? Why…why are you…Jean? What…"

"Somehow, Xavier managed to worm his way into your head," said Harry, releasing Laura's head from his grip as he looked back to the school building, before he lifted his voice to a demanding roar of a cry as he yelled, "Why don't you come out where I can see you, Charles?"

"Because you're too angry," said Victor, earning a scoff from Harry as he glared at Sabretooth in disbelief and rage.

"So much for never doing things without permission…you hypocrite!"

"Harry, I'm sorry…"

"You're always sorry, Charles," a new voice argued, this one as mature and wizened as Xavier, but with a colder edge to it. "And there's always a speech…but nobody cares anymore."

As Harry and co looked to the voice, they saw Pixie's portal reveal not one, but two newcomers; one of them was a young, somewhat-pretty, but also dangerous-looking woman who was dressed in a mystic-red-coloured ensemble, as well as flowing red hair that was held in place by a tiara or diadem of some unknown origin.

As the woman appeared, Harry saw her eyes flash red, before Sabretooth recoiled, even as her companion made his presence known; he was dressed in a red-armoured outfit, which seemed to be completed by a thick, red helmet that shone in the light from the portal; he also had a long, flowing cape that billowed out behind him as he flew through the portal, gliding in the air while his eyes, which were a cold, fierce shade of blue, locked onto the school building as he addressed the so-called benevolent mutant inside.

"You never learn, do you?"

"Erik," replied the familiar voice of Charles Xavier, the sound of which made Harry back away, though not before he made sure Jean's hands stayed firmly planted on his and Laura's heads, keeping them entombed in her protective psychic bubble.

As for Xavier, he finally made his presence known as he wheeled out onto the porch, a worried, but also tense-looking Logan, as well as a saddened Ororo with him, both of them surprised, but also in a state of worry for the fact that their wards had needed to ask their new friend for her protection, but also for the fact that the once-enemy of Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto, was standing in the front yard.

Charles, however, looked less-appealing than usual, mostly thanks to the X-shaped scar that could be seen bleeding through the bandage he'd managed to apply onto one side of his face, the sight of which made Harry smile as he hoped that scar would be there for a very long time to come.

Poetic justice for what the old coot did to his best friend, only to justify himself and not take responsibility for his actions.

In the meantime, Charles looked more to his old frenemy than the children he had wronged as he explained, "I know what this looks like, my old friend, but if you ever trusted in my judgment…"

"Wasn't it my trusting your judgment and listening to you that put you in that chair in the first place, old friend?" asked Erik icily, his voice tinged by a note of darkness as he indicated the three mutants near Sabretooth. "Now, you make the exact same mistakes you once made with me on these young souls, one of whom even I have been made aware of…that's the young Miss Grey, by the way."

"I know."

"How?" asked Harry suddenly, drawing everyone's attention to him as he faced Charles. "How do you know Magneto's been interested in Jean?"

"Because he came to my house," replied Jean, earning a surprised look from Harry and Laura, while Jean now lowered her hands, dropping her psychic shield – for now – as she turned to face Professor Xavier, her own green eyes shining with tears of pain and betrayal as she locked eyes with the man she'd trusted, as much as her friends had trusted him.

"It was the morning after you came to my home, Xavier," continued Jean, her voice tinged by a note of firm strength and personal mistrust as she explained, "Unlike what you did, Magneto only had to intimidate my parents into letting him speak to me. This girl here was with him too; she's your daughter, you said, yes, sir?"

"My daughter, Wanda Maximoff, yes," said Erik, though as Charles went to open his mouth to respond, Erik cut him off with a growl, "Yet another example of your failings as someone out to help young mutants, Charles. Tell me, does Stephen still wear that plastic replica of his amulet when you ask to meet him at the school?"

"Actually, I have not seen Stephen since…since you decided Wanda would be better off on Genosha, Erik," said Charles, a note of disappointment in his voice as he added, "Of course, you are her Father, so I could not stop you, but you also remember Stephen's warnings about what she may yet be capable of?"

"And yet, we have worked hard since that day to tame and control the chaotic powers of her magic without needing to resort to bindings and false promises of aid, Charles," growled the redheaded girl, whom Harry assumed was Wanda, before the girl then indicated Jean as she added, "Sorry, Jean, you were saying about our visit?"

"Err…y-y-yes," replied Jean, indicating her best friend as she added, "Well, as I said, you…you and your Dad came to my home and…and my parents again insisted I was safer with the Mardies or with my powers stripped. But you, Magneto-sir, you weren't going to take that; so…so you asked Wanda…I mean, Miss Maximoff…"

"Just Wanda's fine, young one," replied the woman whom the kids would soon learn was dubbed The Scarlet Witch by those who knew her.

"Right, Wanda was asked by her Dad to take me out of the room, where we talked…just like Harry talked with me; and, while we talked, Wanda said she could feel my power. That it was almost as great and as powerful as hers and her Dad's…she…um…"

Here, Jean blushed before taking Harry's hand in hers as she added, "She also said she could sense the aura of a powerful spirit who'd been there; I…I don't know how I knew, but when she said it, I just knew she was talking about Harry."

"Indeed I was," agreed Wanda, earning a curious look from Harry, which prompted the Scarlet Witch to incline her head to the emerald-eyed mutant as she added, "And, like I suspect Pixie has done, may I also say it is an honour to meet you at long last, Mr Potter? I sense you are curious as to how it is that she and I know who you are, to which I confess I am surprised that the Professor has not asked Doctor Strange to come to the school and fill in the blanks yet."

"I…I wanted to…"

"You would deny these children the truth of their birth right, Charles?" asked Magneto, earning alarmed looks from both Harry and Laura, while the appropriately-named Master of Magnetism shook his helmed head disappointingly. "Was it not bad enough you attempted to do that to Wanda when you convinced Strange that you could seal her own magical capabilities away?"

"Magic?" chorused the twins, earning a small smile and a nod from Wanda.

"That's right, you two…and you're not the only ones…"

She nodded to a stunned-looking Jean as she said the last part, earning surprised looks from the Twins, before Wanda went on, "But, as Harry has already said, Laura, I think we can wait until you are both safely away from those who are, clearly, still so insistent on lying and manipulating the truth of things to suit their own purposes."

"I…I'd appreciate that, Miss…um…Wanda?" asked Laura; when Wanda nodded in confirmation, the younger Potter smiled with relief, before she tapped Harry on the shoulder, causing him to turn to her. "I…I know Xavier forced the words out through me, Harry, but…but please, if…if I never ask you for anything else ever, ever again, please say we can keep in touch with Grandpa and Miss Munroe at least?"

"I don't need to be psychic to know and see that Wolverine would appreciate that, young Harry," agreed Magneto, earning a scowl from Harry as he turned to the aforementioned clawed mutant, who did indeed look hopeful, if not curious as to the young cub's response.

After a moment's silence, Harry removed his hand from Jean and, instead, he clasped Laura's hand before he pointed his free hand at Logan and Storm as he explained, "What I'm about to say…I am only saying out of gratitude for what you've done for my baby sister, Wolverine."

"Harry…"

"He would have let Xavier do to us what he did to Jean, especially if he knows about whatever magic we have, Laura," argued Harry, but even as Logan went to open his mouth to argue that point, Harry shook his head as he locked eyes with the Wildman.

"Like I told him, Wolverine: I've been at the mercy of people who thought they knew what was right for us…never again!"

"My, doesn't that sound familiar?" asked Magneto, a note of genuine amusement in his voice as he added, "Like I said, Charles; you never learn."

"No, but you'd better start, if you ever want to see my baby sister smiling around her…around our family again, Dead Legs," growled Harry, earning a snort of amusement from Victor, while Harry looked Wolverine in the eyes as he went on.

"If you can manage to keep it without letting him interfere, then I won't stop Laura from talking to you and contacting you, Logan, but, as far as we're concerned, you've got a long way to go in order to earn back my trust, especially since, as powerful as I may be, I'd have thought a guy who has already let Xavier go free-wheeling through his mind would have developed a sixth sense about him using it on others like that!"

Logan's hands suddenly clenched tightly into fists as he looked down at Charles, before Harry went on, "But, be warned, Wolverine and Storm: if I even suspect either one of you is playing walkie-talkie for Xavier, you will never get another chance and I don't care if that choice costs me my little sister's smile. I will never allow either one of us, nor any of our friends, to be used for what some mad old crackpot deludes himself into thinking is all for the Greater Good!"

Unseen by Harry, Magneto smiled amusingly, while Wanda's eyes darkened ominously as she saw and heard the fire in the voice of her Father's newest ward.

"Thank you, Harry," said Storm, finally breaking her own silence on the matter, before she looked to Laura as she added, "If you ever want to meet, I'm sure Erik won't mind asking Pixie to bring you to a neutral meeting spot."

She looked to Harry as she said neutral, before Storm and Wolverine both stepped past a shocked Charles, the clawed man now kneeling down to his cubs' level as he asked, "Can an old gramps at least get a hug from his cubs before they go off and enjoy their new home?"

Laura ran into his arms, sobbing quietly as she finally broke down.

Harry, on the other hand, turned and walked towards the portal, vanishing through it seconds later.

As Wanda, Pixie and Sabretooth made to follow, Laura hugged Ororo, though not before she whispered in both her grandfather and her favourite teacher's ears.

"Don't worry…I'll see if I can help Harry forgive you both…we really don't want to lose our family again, promise…"

"Look after him, little tigress," whispered Ororo, earning a curious hum from Laura.

"Tigress…I like the sound of that, Aunty Ororo…"

Logan actually had to catch Storm as her legs failed her when Laura whispered her last words before, parting from the dark-skinned mutant, she turned and followed her brother through the portal, though not before giving a final wave to her distant family as she vanished.

"Logan…" whispered Ororo, earning a small smile from Logan as he helped her stand up.

"Come on, I think this is one occasion where even I won't turn down a good strong cup of coffee over a beer…but you had better take care of those kids, bub, or even all your powers won't stop me coming hunting, do you understand?"

"On what little remains of my civility with Charles, and for what you and yours did for my girl when she was here, I vow that those two will be treated like VIP guests of my island nation, Wolverine," replied Magneto, earning a scoff from Logan before he left with a sad, actually-crying Ororo.

The tears of whom seemed to be mirrored in her mutant powers as the heavens suddenly opened, causing a light rainfall to descend onto the grounds of the school.

This left Charles and Erik alone, the Master of Magnetism looking at his old friend with a mixture of disbelief and sadness as he shook his head slowly before he asked, "Since when did you ever need to feel the desire to manipulate with the lives of innocents, Charles?"

"Erik…Miss Grey…you don't know…"

"Oh, I know very well, old friend," argued Erik, before he turned and, as he had entered, so too did he leave by gliding through Pixie's portal before it closed up behind him.

Though not before Erik delivered one final, parting shot to Charles.

The words of which would stick with Xavier for a long time to come.

"I just wondered when, exactly, you decided to go back on your vow to never turn into the man your Father was, that's all!"

Before Charles could give a response, Erik was gone, leaving Charles out in the cold, the wet and the darkness.

His face paler than pale could go as he shook his head, fear, terror and sorrow etched into his features as he spoke to the emptiness;

"I…I am…I will never be like him…I will not…I cannot be…that bad…can I? Oh…Merlin's beard! What have I let happen?"

Chapter 9 and, aside from being a completely-original addition to this story, it also looks like new wheels have been set in motion: Harry, Laura and Jean are now in the company of mutually-powerful beings, who wish to genuinely help, but can they?

Also, what could be so terrible about Charles' Father that even Xavier fears that Magneto may be right and…wait…hang on?

Did…did Charles just say…Merlin's beard?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: Harry and Laura learn the dark truth of their origins, while Wanda also takes a closer look at the elder Potter's strange ability to sense others and be like Jean in some respects; also, a small timeskip leads to an inevitable reunion between family members, but can Harry let sleeping Wolverines lie, or is the Beast about to be unleashed?

Please Read and Review

AN: Portrayals

Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto: Sir Ian McKellen

Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch: Elisabeth Olsen

AN2: Additions

So, in this chapter, you see one of my original ideas added to the story and, if you can guess what's going on, good. If not; keep reading to find out.

Also, yes, before anyone asks, Quicksilver is also still alive – though I'm using the X-Men Universe's portrayal of Evan Peters, not the one from Avengers: Age of Ultron – and, at the same time, I'm basing Wanda's abilities off of her MCU portrayal, so she's a powerful psychic and a witch capable of world-bending magical feats.

Who better to teach a less-heroic Harry and his sister, as well as Jean, about who they are and what they can do, eh?