Xchange Students

Xchange Students

Chapter 2--Mayhem at the Mall

The following Saturday, Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived at Xavier’s with their luggage, transported by portkey into a large, sunny office. They had time to exchange brief greetings with their counterparts, a striking girl with a streak of pure white in her long, brown hair, a cheerful-looking young man the same size and build as Harry, and a towering, muscular youth even bigger than Ron. Then, the three Americans took their places around the portkey and vanished.

“Come in, come in! Sit down, all three of you,” a man welcomed them. “That must be quite a disconcerting way to travel,” he mused. “Now then, you are Hermione, Harry, and Ron, yes? Good. I am Professor Charles Xavier, principal of this school.”

Professor Xavier was a slender, wheelchair-bound man of indeterminate age, somewhere between forty and sixty years old, Harry guessed. The professor was completely bald, with a strong, kindly face and penetrating, dark eyes.

He spoke again. “Before I let you unpack, I thought I had better tell you how we’ve set things up. Harry and Ron will be sharing the room normally occupied by Bobby and Peter, the two boys who have gone to Hogwarts. Hermione, you will be sharing with Marie’s roommate, Kitty Pryde. I think you two will get along well but, if not, we can arrange a change.

“You may explore the mansion and grounds as you choose, providing you respect other students’ personal space. Certain areas are off limits to students unless accompanied by faculty, but these are clearly marked and kept locked. I must also ask you to stay within the school grounds unless escorted. You will be expected to attend classes, but we’ll discuss your courses on Monday. Professor Dumbledore has advised me that you have been given Hogwarts’ work to do while you are here, as well.

“Two members of my staff will show you to your rooms in a moment. First, I would like to introduce Ms. Ororo Monroe, also known as ‘Storm’.”

Storm was maybe twenty, the same height as Harry, about 5’10”, and quite the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The severely cut business suit she wore completely failed to disguise her superb figure. Storm’s face was almost perfect, with classic bone structure, flawless coffee-coloured skin, a generous mouth, and liquid, chocolate eyes. Her hair was shoulder length, thick, and silver-white like a Veela’s. She took Harry’s proffered hand in both of hers, squeezed it warmly, and spoke his name in a soft, slightly husky, contralto. She moved on to greet the others in the same fashion.

“And, this is my deputy, Mr. Scott Summers, also called ‘Cyclops’.”

Cyclops stood a shade over six feet tall, with a slim but powerful build. Unlike Storm, he was casually dressed in jeans and a sweater. He had dark hair, a strong jaw and firm mouth. He seemed to have an air of sadness about him.

Cyclops’ most striking feature was a heavy visor with an eye slit made from some kind of reddish glass or crystal. The visor obscured his eyes and the upper part of his face. Cyclops greeted them with a hearty, brisk handshake.

Professor Xavier continued, “Should you have any problems, I am usually to be found in this office during the school day unless I am teaching. My door is always open; feel free to come and speak to me about anything.

“Finally, welcome to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. We hope to make your stay here an enjoyable learning experience. Now, off you go to get settled in.”

The three of them began to pick up their luggage. Scott pointed at the brooms Harry and Ron had insisted on bringing. “Planning to do some cleaning, guys?”

“These aren’t for sweeping,” Harry said indignantly, picking up his Firebolt. “They’re for flying!”

Scott grinned. For a moment, the sadness left him and his natural enthusiasm emerged. “Now, that, I gotta see!”

*****

Kitty Pryde, an auburn-haired sixteen year old, was in the Quiet Lounge, absorbed in a battered paperback copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, when her friend, Dani, hissed to her, “Newbies at 11 o’clock! Cute newbies, too!”

Kitty looked up. Storm and Cyclops were escorting two boys and a girl along the corridor. Cyclops had stopped by the door and was saying, “This is the Quiet Lounge. Students come here to read, play board games, or just hang out. There’s no TV or video gaming allowed in here, and we keep the music turned down.”

Kitty focused on the girl in the group. So this was her new roomie--a small brunette, fairly good looking, who could use a makeover. But, then, Kitty thought, nearly everyone could use a makeover other than Ororo. The redheaded guy was the brunette’s boyfriend, judging from the body language between them. Kitty decided he wasn’t too much bigger than a grizzly bear. The other guy… hmm. The other guy captured Kitty’s complete attention. She studied his slender, dancer’s body, even features, mop of unruly, black hair and, finally, the emerald-green eyes. That one was hot!

Dani elbowed her, muttering, “Kitty, put your tongue back in your mouth before someone steps on it! These must be the guys from England Professor X told us about. Should we say hi?”

“I’m on it, Dani. Gotta meet my new roommate, anyway. Later!”

It didn’t take Kitty long to persuade Storm to let her show Hermione to their room, which was spacious, airy and warm despite the wintry scene outside the window. Kitty showed Hermione where to store her things, then sat on the edge of her own bed and began a conversation that jumped around like a grasshopper on a hot plate.

“That big redhead-- Ron--he’s your boyfriend, right?”

“Oh, yes!” Hermione still could not believe her luck.

“Cool. He’s a hunk,” said Kitty, then switched tracks. “Rogue--Marie, that is-- said Professor X told her your school is like a real castle, with battlements, suits of armor, and everything.”

“That’s right,” Hermione agreed. “We even have ghosts.”

“Really? You ever see one?”

Hermione was about to say “every day” when she realised that Kitty probably would not believe her or would end up thinking that she was, as Ron would say, “completely, bloody mental.” So, Hermione just shrugged. Kitty had jumped ahead, anyway.

“Your other friend--does he have a girlfriend back home?”

“Harry? No, he hasn’t.”

“You’re kidding me, right? A cute guy like him?”

Hermione experienced a mental hiccup. Harry--a ‘cute guy’? Hermione adored Harry: he was her best friend, but ‘cute’? She almost laughed aloud as she pictured the skinny, pinch-faced eleven year old who had first befriended her all those years ago. She must try to see him as other girls did.

She shook her head at Kitty. “Harry’s been through a lot. His life is a bit…complicated. To be honest, I think there are girls at home who fancy him, but he doesn’t seem to notice them. Harry can be very dense, sometimes,” Hermione revealed.

Kitty filed that info away for future reference. With a carefully neutral expression on her face, she changed the subject once more, chattering about the school. Hermione wasn’t fooled for an instant, but she let the other girl carry on.

After Hermione finished unpacking, she and Kitty collected Ron and Harry from a room halfway down another corridor. They went back to the Quiet Lounge. Hermione noticed with amusement that Kitty managed to walk beside Harry along the way, and sat him down beside her on the couch. Kitty introduced the newcomers to her circle of friends, saying, “We’re the only kids our age in the school right now, so you’re going to be hanging with us. Professor X would kill us if we ignored you. Besides, it’ll be more fun if we all get along.”

Kitty’s closest friend after the absent Marie was a pretty, Native American girl named Danielle Moonstar. Dani’s boyfriend was Roberto DaCosta, a fiery but good-humored Brazilian, whose roommate and best friend was Sam Guthrie, a gangly, soft-spoken sixteen year old from Kentucky. Sam was going out with Dani’s roommate, Rahne Sinclaire, a shy Scots girl with hair as red as Ron’s.

The young mutants bombarded the three young wizards with questions about Hogwarts and England and magic. In return, they offered a good deal of information about Xavier’s, America, and their lives as mutants.

The Xavier’s crowd was curious about the new arrivals’ powers. Harry, Ron and Hermione demonstrated a few basic spells, just to show that they were, in Roberto’s words, “on the level”. Roberto responded with a show of the immense physical strength he could achieve by drawing on the energy of the sun, which explained his nickname, ‘Sunspot.’ Rahne transformed into a red-furred wolf, revealing her Wolfsbane form, before Danielle, as Psyche, got them all laughing when she caught out both Sam and Ron with an illusion of a table groaning with food. Sam regretted that his talent, flying like a rocket, was too dangerous to display indoors—they didn’t call him Cannonball for nothing! Kitty could dissolve like a spirit; she showed her Ariel skills by walking right through the wall.

They marvelled and laughed. After dinner, the students watched TV together. But, as the evening went on, couples slipped out for some private time--Dani and Roberto first, then Sam and Rahne, finally Ron and Hermione. This left Kitty and Harry sitting together alone.

They did more talking than TV watching as they studied each other. Kitty realized there was more to Harry than good looks. Harry was drawn to Kitty’s intelligence and warmth, as well as her delicate features and slender figure. He felt something stirring inside him.

When, an hour or so later, Dani stuck her head in the door to inform them that everyone else was turning in for the night, Kitty walked with Harry as far as the landing where the boys’ and girls’ corridors separated. There, she turned to him and said, “Good night, Harry. Welcome to Xavier’s.” On an impulse, she stepped closer and gave him a quick hug. To her delight, he returned the hug. They parted company, both with hearts beating a little faster.

On Sunday morning after breakfast, the three friends followed the advice Kitty had given them to dress warmly. They passed through the empty recreation room, out the French doors, and onto a wide veranda that ran the length of the house on that side.

The day was crisp and bright. The veranda overlooked a busy scene. To one side was a basketball court, where students were playing a game. Sam Guthrie had a group of younger children (they looked like Hogwarts First Years to Harry) tossing a frisbee back and forth in the middle area. Finally, there was a small, but well-equipped skate park, complete with ramps, rails, a half-pipe--and Roberto, whizzing around happily. Arranged along the veranda were benches and tables.

No sooner had Hermione finished explaining frisbees and skateboards to Ron (she didn’t even try to tackle basketball) than Kitty dashed over to invite Hermione to join her, Dani and Rahne in a game of pingpong. Ron wandered to the edge of the lawn just as a little girl missed a catch and the frisbee sailed in his direction. Ron caught the thing without thinking and was promptly drawn into that game.

Harry took a deep breath of clean, cold air and was about to find a seat, when Roberto appeared at his elbow. “Hey, Harry, you ever try one of these?” he asked.

Harry looked at the skateboard. Dudley had one once, but quickly broke it. Harry shook his head. “’fraid not.”

“Piece of cake. You’ve got the build for boarding. C’mon, I’ll show you. You might spend more time on your butt than on the board at first, but don’t sweat it. Let’s get you a helmet,” Roberto said.

The morning passed pleasantly for Harry. He learned quickly under Roberto’s patient instruction. Boarding, like Quidditch, depended on balance. Harry took to it easily, though he felt strangely unsettled as the day wore on, just as he had the previous evening.

After a while, he and Roberto left the skate park to rejoin the others on the lawn. The younger children had gone indoors, replaced by the girls, who’d decided to try their hands at frisbee. As Harry tossed and caught the plastic disc, laughed at Ron’s clowning and at Dani’s wisecracks, he found himself flirting happily with Kitty. But, again, he felt that odd sensation, like a shifting inside.

His vague uneasiness crystallised into understanding. Harry suddenly became aware that, in this place, he was no longer Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, nemesis of Lord Voldemort, child of prophecy--and goodness knows what else. Here and now, he was just Harry, a student from England, someone to find out about and be friends with…maybe more than friends, he thought hopefully, catching Kitty watching him. He felt as if a weight that he hadn’t realised he’d been carrying had fallen from his shoulders.

By the time the lunch bell rang, everyone was more than ready for a meal. Harry naturally fell into step beside Kitty, and sat with her without really thinking about it. Hermione noticed, though, and when she caught Dani’s eye, the Native American girl solemnly winked at her, so Hermione knew she wasn’t the only one.

The conversation topic for lunch was quickly decided. Roberto and Sam planted themselves down opposite Harry and Ron. Sam said, “Ok, guys. So, tell us all about this Quidditch thing!”

Hermione rolled her eyes and groaned theatrically. Kitty leaned forward and spoke to her across Harry and Ron. “That bad, Hermione?”

“You have no idea, Kitty! This could take the rest of the week!”

*****

The rest of the week was, in fact, taken up with classes of one sort or another. The three visitors quickly discovered their own favorites. Hermione enjoyed Storm’s math class (“You’ve always been completely mental!” Ron teased) while Ron was intrigued by science, particularly because the subject was taught by the blue-furred and massively muscled Henry McCoy.

Harry most enjoyed philosophy classes. The teacher, Mr. Wagner, looked like a demon from an old painting, with his blue skin, yellow eyes, pointed ears and long, whip-like tail, but he taught his subject with a blend of deep spirituality and wry humor that Harry found fascinating. They all enjoyed Professor Xavier’s English literature lessons, and world history, which was taught by Mr. Cassidy. The Hogwarts trio had yet to learn why the easy-going Mr. Cassidy was called Banshee.

One teacher they rarely saw was Logan. (“Not Mr. Logan,” Sam warned them, “just Logan”.) He took the young mutants for what they called ‘Danger Room sessions’, the only lessons the three Hogwarts students were denied.

Logan was short, no taller than Kitty, but wide-shouldered and heavily built. His hair was thick, coarse and dark; his face, weathered and craggy. He had spoken to the Hogwarts students only once, approaching them in the Rec Room on Monday evening.

“Evenin’. The name’s Logan—Wolverine, to some. Just so you know, I told the Professor that you should be in my Danger Room sessions with the others. I’ve seen the files Dumbledore sent over. You’ve done pretty well, but, with some training, you could’ve done better.”

Nettled, Harry responded, “Oh? So you think you could have dealt with a Basilisk, do you?”

Logan shook his head. “No, bub, I don’t think so, I know so!”

He raised one hand and clenched his fist. There was a metallic clicking sound, and three curved, razor-sharp blades sprang out from the back of his hand. Wolverine moved them around in the light for a moment, then retracted his claws.

Harry grinned ruefully. “OK, I believe you! Next time I find a monster on the loose, I’ll give you a call!”

Wolverine looked at him for a long moment, then chuckled. “You’ll do, kid.” He addressed all three students. “I still think you should be in my classes.”

The week passed quickly, and Harry, Hermione and Ron found themselves part of a new circle of friends. They studied together, ate together, spent free time together and quickly became a tightly knit group.

Harry was growing especially fond of Kitty. In the evenings, when the other couples had drifted off, he would sit with her in the Quiet Lounge, talking. The conversations became more intimate, as they shared their dreams, hopes and fears, and spoke of their childhoods. Something was growing between them, but they felt relaxed and comfortable together; neither was willing to rush things.

The next Saturday marked the first time the three visitors had left the mansion or grounds. That morning, Scott drove all of them into the local town in what he called an MPV – Hermione called it a ‘people mover’ – and dropped them off at the shopping mall. This was apparently a regular outing for older students at Xavier’s, rather like the Hogsmeade weekends Harry and his friends enjoyed so much.

No sooner had Scott left, than the girls whisked Hermione away to some sanctum of feminine mysteries. The boys hit the video arcade, except for Ron, who disappeared into a jewelry store, returning after an hour, looking pleased with himself.

Dani came into the arcade later and hauled the boys out. Harry almost didn’t recognise Hermione. Remarkable things had been done with her hair, nails and makeup. She was lovely, and Ron told her so.

“Aw, man! Show some cool!” muttered Roberto in a pained voice. But Ron knew his woman. Hermione glowed.

Then, Ron showed her what he had spent an hour choosing: two small pendants, each shaped like half of a heart, engraved with an affectionate verse. One had a long, thick chain suitable for Ron’s neck, while the other was shorter and more delicate, intended for Hermione. Hermione seemed delighted. “Ron, they’re perfect! Just what we need!” Harry privately thought the things were decidedly tacky, but kept his opinion to himself, as his friends were clearly happy with them.

There was coffee at Starbucks, then some window shopping, followed by lunch at an all-you-can-eat buffet where Ron and Sam did some serious damage to that day’s profit margin. Next, they went to a multiplex theatre to see a film called Star Wars, which was a classic, Harry was told. It was loud, colourful, had a tissue-thin plot in which the characters seemed to spend most of their time running away, but Harry thought it was great fun to watch. Afterward, they stopped for cokes and ice cream. Finally, they made their way to what the Americans called the ‘parking lot’, to catch their ride back to Xavier’s.

As they were standing and chatting, they heard a roar of machinery. A brilliant white light fixed on them. An amplified voice called out, “ATTENTION, MUTANTS! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!” Suddenly, the parking lot was full of armed men dressed in blue bodysuits with facemasks.

The students retreated to the entryway and crouched behind waist-high walls. “Damn!” hissed Dani, “Hellfire Club mercs. What do we do, Ariel?”

“We call for backup.” Kitty pulled a device out of her jacket, thumbed a button and spoke urgently, “Ariel to Cyclops. We have a situation in the parking lot--Hellfire mercs.”

Scott’s voice, surprisingly clear, came out of the communicator. “Understood. On our way. Hold them off, if you can. Cyclops out.”

“ATTENTION, MUTANTS! COME FORWARD ONE BY ONE. SURRENDER AND YOU WON’T GET HURT!”

Kitty turned to Harry, expecting him and the others to be shocked, but she saw he was appraising the situation just as she was. For a moment, he reminded her of Scott, poised and in control, and she remembered some of the things he had told her about his past. He had been in battles before. Still…

“Harry!” she said, “Get Ron and Hermione inside. The mercs aren’t interested in you. It’s us they want!”

“We’re supposed to just stand here, and let them take you?” Harry snorted, pulling out his wand.

“Not bloody likely!” Hermione said, in a steely tone Kitty had never heard her use before.

“What kind of friends do you think we are?” Ron asked hotly.

“The best kind, looks like,” murmured Sam.

“But, Professor X said we were to keep you safe!” Kitty protested.

“Ariel, we’re three short,” Roberto reminded her. “Without Colossus and Iceman, we’re outgunned. If Harry and the others can help, I don’t see that we have a choice.”

“Och, we’ve no’ the time tae argue!” Rahne advised, her brogue coming out under the stress. “They’re formin’ up, an’ they’ve stunners to the ready!”

“MUTANTS! YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO COMPLY!”

“O.k.,” Ariel gave in. “O.k. Cannonball, Psyche, you two stop them forming up. Keep ‘em confused and off balance. Wolfsbane, Sunspot, get in there and mix it up. I’m gonna look for the command vehicle and try to disrupt their systems. Harry--”

“We work best from a distance,” said Harry crisply. “We’ll stay by the edges, trying to keep you all covered, throwing hexes and curses to keep them off your backs. Ron, go left; Hermione, right. Watch me for signals.”

“THIRTY SECONDS!”

“Cannonball, go!” barked Ariel.

Sam moved out from cover, taking a few steps before the lower half of his body transformed into a column of smoke and flame. With a roar, he shot across the parking lot and slammed into the tight formation of mercenaries, scattering them like bowling pins. Dani rose to her feet, turning her Psyche senses on a group of men who had somehow stayed upright. Immediately, they began to scream, dropping their weapons and fleeing terrifying illusions of their darkest fears—images that Psyche had drawn from their minds.

Roberto concentrated for a second, before all the color drained from his body, leaving a black, three-dimensional shadow shape that pounced on the dazed mercs and began striking with superhuman strength. Rahne, meanwhile, had stopped her transformation at a point midway between wolf and human, combining upright posture with lupine strength and agility. She, too, dashed into the fray. Ron and Hermione took up their positions, keeping to the periphery, looking for openings.

Harry and Ariel locked eyes briefly. “Good luck,” she breathed. Harry nodded once, and moved out. Ariel exhaled, then slipped through the nearest wall.

The Hellfire Club mercenaries were tough and experienced, the best money could buy. They had been briefed on the abilities of the mutants they’d been sent to capture. A briefing was one thing, but to meet Sunspot and Wolfsbane in the flesh, was quite another. The mercs rallied, trying to regroup and to focus stunner fire on one or another of the mutants rampaging among them. But, every time they did so, Psyche or Cannonball struck. Even worse was the third factor, and unknown, for which the mercs had not prepared. Who were these others fighting alongside the muties?

Sunspot was worried about this fight. As he told Ariel, they were three down, and though Rogue was reluctant to use her powers, the group usually relied heavily on her leadership. Sunspot and Wolfsbane were doing the best they could in the close fighting, but they missed Colossus, who was stronger than either of them and whose natural armor was immune to the high-energy stun bolts now crisscrossing the parking lot.

Roberto picked up two mercenaries, slammed them together and dropped them to the asphalt. Too late, he felt something behind him and tried to turn. He heard Hermione yell, “EXPELLIARMUS!” Something whizzed over his shoulder. He completed his turn in time to see a merc stagger when a stunner flew violently out of his hands. Sunspot took advantage of the time he gained, flattening the man with a powerful right. He saw Hermione crouched behind a station wagon. She flicked him a quick salute with her wand before tossing another hex into the melee.

It was the Wizarding factor that was turning the tide. Prepared for Xavier’s students, the mercenaries had no defense against the three from Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione controlled the perimeter, flitting from cover to cover, setting up a crossfire of spells that prevented Wolfsbane and Sunspot from being overwhelmed or surprised from behind.

Dani saw Ron dodge a stun bolt slightly too late. The blue energy grazed his right arm, which went limp. His wand clattered to the ground, and Ron dropped to one knee. The merc who had shot him walked over. “Stay down, kid, or you’ll get hurt some more. Hey, you ain’t no freakin’ mutie! You’re not showin’ on my scanner!”

The man let his stunner hang by his side for a moment while he stared at Ron. That was the opportunity Ron needed. His right arm might be numb, but his left was fully active. Ron uncoiled like a spring, his huge fist rising from near ground level to crash with sledgehammer force into the merc’s jaw. Psyche reported afterwards that the man’s feet lifted six inches off the ground before he collapsed, out cold. Ron swore, blew on his knuckles, then picked up his wand with his left hand.

Harry was sniping steadily, mostly giving Cannonball room to make the short blasts that prevented the mercs from regrouping or concentrating fire, when he heard Professor X speak close by his ear. (Harry, can you hear me?)

“Professor?” Harry didn’t look around; he was still focusing on the fight.

(There’s no need to speak aloud. We are communicating telepathically. Now listen, Harry. Ariel has located the Hellfire Club command center. It’s in the blue truck to your immediate left. Kitty is about to attack it. She may need your help to escape.)

“Got it!” Harry spotted the vehicle and Ariel approaching from the side. She vaulted onto a nearby safety barrier, then leapt through the side of the truck. Harry moved in closer.

(I have told Ariel to exit on the side by you.)

Harry raised his wand. There was pandemonium inside the truck--yelling, swearing, and a sudden shout of “Don’t fire that in here!”, followed by the wasp-like snarl of a stun bolt and a series of muffled explosions. Just as the truck erupted into flames, Kitty dove through the side nearest Harry, executing a perfect forward roll and jumping to her feet. She ran toward Harry. Three mercs bounded from the front cab after her.

Ariel had done her job. Phasing through the control systems in the command vehicle, she had disrupted all the electronics. The Hellfire Club comms were down and the containment unit meant for her and her friends was offline. The overeager young merc who had fired his stunner into a computer panel instead of Ariel had been a stroke of luck. Now, Ariel heard pursuers behind her. She had to make the wall, but she wasn’t going fast enough.

Harry was just ahead. “Kitty, get DOWN!” he barked. His voice was commanding; Kitty obeyed without thinking, dropping to the asphalt. She heard him shout foreign words and felt several somethings fly over her head. She twisted around to look behind her. One of the mercs had gone stiff as a board and was slowly toppling over. Another was sprawled unconscious, while the third was on her hands and knees vomiting live creatures in assorted colors. Gross! thought Kitty, as she made her way over to Harry, who grabbed her, and pulled her to cover.

“Cool moves, Harry!” she panted, “but those slimy things are nasty!”

“You walk through walls; I make people puke slugs. We all have our talents, luv,” said Harry absently, scanning the combat scene.

WHAT had he called her? Focus, girl, thought Kitty. Get back to that one, later.

She joined Harry in surveying the scene. The fight was pretty much over; most of the mercs were down, and the last couple were no match for Wolfsbane and Sunspot. Ron was flexing his right arm while Sam was thumping his back. Dani was hugging Hermione.

It’s not over, yet, thought Kitty desperately, as she heard the sound of more heavy vehicles drawing near. “Regroup!” she yelled, running towards her friends while three transports swept into the parking lot and began to disgorge more mercenaries. Overhead, a squadron of autogyros snarled by, turning directly for them.

Ariel could see the shadow around Roberto was starting to flicker. The sun had gone down. Sunspot could only store so much energy. Wolfsbane still had enough stamina for three, and Cannonball could go on forever. Psyche looked determined but exhausted; using her powers drained her.

Hermione was looking a little frazzled, but there was a set to her jaw that said she wouldn’t stop until it was over. Ron clearly lived for this kind of thing, his head was up and his mouth was curved in a challenging grin; somebody was going to be in big trouble if he crossed Ron Weasley right now!

Harry…Harry scared Ariel a little, even as she felt more attracted to him than ever. He was like ice--eyes blazing, mouth taut, body poised. Ariel was technically the leader, but she knew that if Harry started to give orders, she would obey him without question. They all would.

The mercenaries were in no hurry to attack. The autogyros made escape nearly impossible, and the ground troops took their time forming up. They had seen their defeated colleagues and the burning truck. They no doubt assumed that there were powerful, adult mutants in the vicinity.

Ariel’s communicator beeped. “Ariel,” she replied.

“Wolverine here, less than a minute out. Sitrep?”

“One merc squad down. Three more here, plus air cover. We’re holding.”

“Copy. Where are the Brit kids?”

Kitty smiled grimly. “Right in the thick of it, Logan, and doing one heckuva job!”

“Figures. I get to tell Charlie I told him so. Sit tight, we’re here! Wolverine out!”

Kitty turned, as two vehicles swung into the lot behind them. One was the MPV with Cyclops at the wheel. The other was the modified Humvee, driven by Wolverine. The roof of the Hummer flipped open as it entered the lot. Storm and Banshee leapt through the gap, took to the air, and streaked overhead. Sean Cassidy turned the shattering power of his ultrasonic banshee scream on the merc squads, scattering the men and wrecking their vehicles.

Storm directed her attention to the autogyros. As Harry, Ron and Hermione looked on, amazed, she broke their formation with hurricane-force winds, before knocking them out of the sky with precisely placed lightning strikes.

Cyclops and Wolverine joined the fray. With one hand raised to his visor, Cyclops delivered short, devastatingly accurate bursts of the energy beams that burned from his eyes. The few mercs left standing after his and Banshee’s attacks were the unlucky ones; they had to face the clawed fury that was Wolverine. Logan didn’t stop or slow, he moved constantly, kicking, butting, punching, and slashing with his adamantium claws. It was over in minutes--or seemed to be.

Harry went cold. There was darkness in his head and in front of his eyes, and there were voices in the darkness--voices that told him to give it up, that it was no good any more. The voices recalled his worst, blackest moments, parading them before him. Light and joy began to disappear.

A Dementor? It was Harry’s greatest fear, but he knew this evil, he knew how to defeat it. He called on the strength within himself--memories of the look in Molly Weasley’s eyes when he had called her ‘Mum’, images of Ron and Hermione in each other’s arms, Kitty smiling up at him. He called on them all, making them real. He felt his energy surge.

Harry’s vision cleared somewhat. He could make out Hermione, clinging to Ron, while trying to speak. “Harry, it’s not…” But he lost the rest as he swung around to face the source of the darkness. Harry had time to register that the figure before him was smaller than it should be, and white rather than black, but he was already committed.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

The silver blaze from Harry’s wand lit the entire car park. He heard exclamations: “Whoa!” from Cyclops, “Glory be!” from Banshee. There was a grim chuckle from Wolverine, while Storm whooped from pure exhilaration.

The familiar stag form came out of the light. It seemed to Harry that it was larger, more powerful, than the last time. Lowering its head, the stag charged thunderously across the asphalt.

Harry heard a woman’s shriek of fear that became a cry of pain as a body fell with a thud and something fragile shattered. The dark voices in his head shut off. The stag was standing above a blonde woman in a white cloak, who was lying on the ground, staring up at the Patronus in terror. Under one of the stag’s hooves, a silver device lay in fragments.

Banshee touched down lightly near the prone woman. “If it isn’t the White Queen, herself. I’d not be movin’, Yer Majesty, or yon beastie will be givin’ ye more perforations than a pincushion.”

“Call it off, Banshee!” the woman huffed, trying to sound commanding, though her voice shook.

“Now, why would I be doin’ that, with yer boys all ready to have at us again?”

The blonde turned to Scott. “Cyclops! Get this thing away from me!”

“If you were to call your men off, Ms. Frost, we might consider it.”

The woman glared at him, then pulled out a communicator similar to Kitty’s. She said, “All units, this is the White Queen. Abort mission. Full withdrawal. Immediate!” She looked up at Scott, “Well?”

“Harry?” asked Cyclops.

Harry lowered his wand and held out his other hand. The stag gave one more threatening toss of its head, then turned and trotted back to him, vanishing as usual just before Harry could touch his muzzle.

The White Queen got to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster, giving an irritated signal with her hand. A white limousine pulled up to her. As she climbed into it, she looked back at them all. “This isn’t over, ” she vowed.

“It never will be,” Scott told her, “while we’re still here.”

Harry relaxed, and looked around him. The others were settling down, taking stock. The three couples checked each other for injuries.

Logan’s heavy hand came down on Harry’s shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Nice moves, kid,” growled Wolverine.

Then, Hermione was hugging Harry and Ron was pounding his back. “Another great fight, mate!” roared Ron. “I’m sorry, Harry,” Hermione apologized. “I was trying to tell you it wasn’t a Dementor. I didn’t think the Patronus Charm would work on anything else, so I didn’t try it myself!”

“That’s what you get for thinking too much, darlin’, ” Logan warned. “Better to use your instincts, like Harry, or you miss your shot.”

Soon, everyone was congratulating everyone else. The expression on Ron’s face as Sam and Roberto hugged him briefly and thumped his back was priceless! Finally, Kitty came up to Harry, embracing him and kissing his cheek. She stepped back to say, “Harry, that was truly awesome! Way better than the slug thing!”

Only Cyclops wasn’t happy. He loomed over Harry and Kitty, his mouth tight. “Just exactly what did you think you were doing, Harry? Getting involved like that? Putting yourself and your friends in danger?” Scott demanded.

Harry felt a flash of anger. He glared at Scott and snapped, “I did exactly what you would have done in the same situation!”

There was a moment’s silence. Scott’s jaw actually dropped. Banshee roared with laughter. “Ye have to admit, Cyke, the lad has you there!”

“Gotcha!” called Storm, through gales of silvery laughter. “Right between the eyes.”

Cyclops grinned ruefully and shook his head at Harry. “OK, we’ll say no more about it. Now, all of you, back in the car. Let’s go home.”

Inside the MPV, the students arranged themselves into couples: Sam and Rahne, Dani and Roberto, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Kitty. As Kitty sat beside him, Harry, without thinking, wrapped his arm around her. Kitty snuggled in, resting her head on Harry’s shoulder as the car sped into the night.