"Are we going to mate now?" Seline asked Harry, causing Remus to choke on his soda.

"No," Harry replied as he passed her a couple of slices of pizza, "pizza is for other special occasions as well, like giant parties like this one." He gestured at the mass of costumed individuals spread throughout the mall.

"Okay," the little redhead agreed cheerfully, picking the bits of meat off her pizza and eating them.

"She doesn't like bread or cheese," Harry explained to Remus, seeing he looked a little off.

"It's okay, just really tasteless," Seline offered cheerfully.

"People do tend to overcook things," Remus said, trying to cover up his reaction.

"Is this enough for now or should we grab you a bunny and head back now?" Harry asked. "I've got loads of books, so there isn't anything more to get right now."

Seline nodded rapidly. "Everything is so loud and some of these people are so large they had to have eaten dozens of children!"

"Food is so plentiful in the muggle world so they don't even have to eat their mate to get that large," Harry assured her.

"Really?" the little spider-kin asked wide eyed. "Wow!"

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing," Harry said.

"Can we live in the muggle world?" she asked hopefully.

"We can get food, all we want, from them without living with them," Harry told her. "All the food with none of the noise."

"That's awesome!"

"I know," Harry agreed before reaching over to tickle her. "You're never going to have to eat me," he teased as she fended him off with all four hands while giggling loudly.

"Hands," Remus reminded them, glancing around to make sure nobody noticed all four of her arms moving.

"Try this," Harry said, sticking a straw in her soda for her, before demonstrating on his own soda how to use a straw.

Seline took a cautious sip and her eyes lit up, before she drained the entire soda in one long slurp and then burped loudly. "Excuse me," she said, blushing with embarrassment.

Harry laughed and even Remus found himself grinning at that.

"Let's go get you some real food," Harry told Seline, after he'd made half a pizza disappear by means other than magic, though Remus had actually checked to make sure Harry hadn't used his wand. For such a small child he was a big eater.

The three got up and Remus led them out of the mall, smiling and nodding at the ones who complimented their costumes, though why they insisted he was a noir detective he was still unsure of. 'Well, at least this visit to the muggle world was uneventful.'

Five Minutes Later

Harry thrust his hands out, blue fire pushing back yellow while Seline sank her fingers into the car door in front of her and ripped it in two like it was made of cardboard, freeing the trapped family inside.

"Hurry!" Seline told the trapped family, causing them to spring into action, the teenage son all but tearing apart the car seat holding his younger brother while his parents undid their belts and followed him out into the bubble of safety Harry was holding in the center of the conflagration.

"Follow," Harry ordered, blue flames pouring from both his hands as he panted at the amount of power it took to hold the firestorm at bay.

The small group hurried and Harry let out a sigh of relief as he shoved all the flames behind them, fresh air rushing in.

"Harry!" Remus called out in a panic as he joined them, ignoring the flames that covered half his body. "You can't just run off like that, it's dangerous!"

"No time," Harry said, shaking his head and waving for everyone to follow him as he ducked into an alley.

There was a loud explosion as a car exploded in the street, causing everyone to glance out and shudder.

"You're still on fire," Seline pointed out to Remus.

Remus tapped his chest with his wand and the flames winked out. "if you'd waited a second I could have cast a flame freezing charm on you," the older wizard lectured.

"You could have but you wouldn't," Harry replied confidently, "you would have argued that we should get to safety and there wasn't enough time for that and to save them."

"What just happened?" the father asked.

"Things you can't be allowed to remember," Harry said. "In a fit of hysterical strength, your son kicked a hole in the side of your car and you all rushed out before the flames could do more than singe you."

"Jeremy always was strong for his age," the mother said, catching on quick.

"What?" the father asked before realizing what she was hinting at. "Yes, there is nothing stronger than our son's love for his family." He didn't care what was going on, his family was safe and that was enough.

"I can't confund the kids, they're too young," Remus said.

"Confund the adults, Jeremy will keep it to himself and his little brother can say whatever he likes," Harry said.

"That I can do," Remus said quickly, tapping each adult on the head and repeating the story to them.

"Thanks," Jeremy told them, still holding his baby brother tightly.

"It's what heroes do," Harry told him.

"Let's go before we attract any attention," Remus said, gesturing for the kids to head down the alley while Jeremy guided his family back out onto the street.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Did you do that?" Loki asked Lady Luck.

"I arranged for them to be nearby when it happened," she replied with a smirk.

"May you live in interesting times, curse?" Odin guessed.

"Can't be a hero without showing up where the action is," Thor said with a grin. "Enough bad things happen that we don't need to arrange them, just arrange for them to be there."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You do know all these books written about you are fake, right?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Of course," Harry agreed. "I think I would remember slaying dragons and living in castles and while I have rescued at least one princess, it was Shank-ko who is a goblin princess. Pretty sure the veela girl was just a normal girl, if rich, and Milena was a Naga... not sure about her to be honest."

"I... what?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Well, when I found out they were keeping slaves at the Emporium, I couldn't exactly turn away, so I freed everyone and took over," Harry explained.

"That's why the Emporium is hiring tutors?" Remus asked, still confused about what he was hired for.

"Not everyone had a home to go back to," Harry said, "but while a lot of them can't learn wanded magic, they can all learn the other types. Potions are practically designed for squibs to make them."

"That is a very good point," Remus said as he considered the matter. England was a bit short on potion masters, seriously driving up the price on potions which had made things harder on everyone.

"Everyone is excited to learn to brew potions," Harry said cheerfully, "and I'm sure there are other jobs the wizarding world needs done that doesn't require a wand too, we just have to figure out what they are or make them."

"Can I get two rabbits?" Seline asked. "They're kinda small."

"Sure," Harry agreed, "you're a growing girl, can't grow unless you've got lots of food."

Seline turned and hugged him with all four arms. "Life's been so much better since you found me."

Harry grinned and hugged her back. "For me too."

Remus smiled. The pair were adorable even if you knew she was from a class of creatures that were confirmed wizard killers. "There's a pet store less than a block away. Can you two stay out of trouble while I get the rabbits?"

"Probably not, but we can wait right here," Harry said with a grin.

Remus laughed. "Well, I doubt a fuel truck is going to overturn next to a small family in the alley, so I think I'll take the chance. Be right back."

He exited the alley, ignoring the emergency crews who were rushing to the scene of the accident and entered the pet shop. "Hello, I need a pair of full grown rabbits."

"Any preferences for breed or color?" the clerk asked, turning away from the window where a news crew was setting up outside.

"Large with a lot of muscles, good strong jumpers," he requested.

"I've got a pair that fit the bill, both male," the clerk said, "you'll need a cage to transport them."

"I don't live far from here," Remus lied, "so a small pet carrier should do. I'll have them out in a couple of minutes anyway."

"Excellent, I'll have them ready in a second and I can ring you up," she said. Normally she'd try and sell him a number of animal care products to go along with it, but she planned on closing the store so she could go see what all the excitement was about.

Remus had a pair of large gray rabbits in a pet carrier and was on his way in just over a minute. He ducked back into the alley to find Harry and Seline being thanked by a young woman with a torn shirt who had tears running down her face. The unconscious man at their feet was barely worth a glance.

"I was only gone for a moment," Remus complained.

Harry shrugged. "And we stayed right here, but some bozo dragged her into the alley saying he was going to do horrible things to her, so we hit him."

"Only once," Seline said firmly.

"You kids must know karate or kung fu," she said, searching her purse for a handkerchief.

Harry conjured a handkerchief with a snap of his wrist while she was distracted and passed it to her.

"Thank you," she said, wiping away her tears and snot. "I don't know how I can ever thank you."

"We're heroes, it's what we do," Harry assured her, causing her to pause and examine their costumes for a second before bursting out in laughter and hugging them.

"Well you two were my personal super heroes today," she said.

"We better go before the bobbies take an interest," Remus told the pair.

"Bye, it was nice meeting you," Harry said, causing the young woman to burst out in laughter with an edge of hysteria but mountains of relief in it.

Remus quickly led the two a couple of blocks away and cast a notice-me-not charm before apparating them to Diagon Alley. "That was a close one," he said. "Normally visits to the muggle world aren't nearly as dangerous."

"We got to rescue some people and get all the books I need," Harry said, "it was pretty fun."

"It was dangerous," Remus argued as they joined the throngs of midday shoppers in the alley.

"Could you have lived with yourself if you'd let that family die when you could have helped them?" Harry asked, no judgment in his tone, just childish curiosity.

Remus fell silent as he thought about the question for a minute before answering, "Only if I'd done it to keep others safe. If you hadn't rushed in I'd have done some quick casting and damn the consequences." He grinned, somehow feeling lighter for having admitted that.

Harry simply nodded as they entered Knockturn Alley, not at all surprised at the answer.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Rupert woke up feeling better than he had before he'd been knocked out. He forced his breathing to stay steady and kept his eyes closed, trying to gain as much information as possible before he made his move.

Subtle movements of his arms and legs showed he wasn't restrained and from the feel of things he was naked and covered with clean sheets. He'd have guessed a hospital, but he didn't hear the familiar sounds of medical equipment nor smell any antiseptic or the cleaning products they used to keep everything sterile.

"I can tell you're awake," a low gravelly voice said, "and an agent from MI6 will be by shortly to brief you, but if you feel the urge to fight your way out before they arrive feel free, it'll give us a good idea of how well you've responded to our healing methods."

Rupert leapt to his feet, balancing awkwardly on the bed while flinging the sheet that had been covering him at the voice. He bounced off the bed feeling like he could go three rounds with the entire Australian rugby team.

Rushing out of the room he found himself in an obvious medical ward, though still in the same theme as the station had been.

"Round two!" Rupert roared out, ready for a fight.

One of the midgets in a fright mask and full body makeup looked up from the paperwork he was doing behind the counter. "If you want to fight security go down the hall and take a left Mr Head," he said politely, "we're all medical staff in here and too busy to take a break, but I would suggest retrieving your clothes and weapons first. Getting into a fight with your balls in biting range is never a good idea."

Rupert sighed and lowered his fists. "You're really taking the wind out of my sails here."

"Sorry," the midget said and sounded genuinely apologetic, "but we've got nearly forty people with a wide variety of injuries both new and old who are requiring our complete attention to ensure they get the best care possible so it's left us with little time for fun."

"Try me now!" an older woman with long blonde hair mostly turned to gray challenged as she leapt out of a room without a stitch on... or an ounce of fat or visible wrinkle.

"Susan?!" Rupert exclaimed in shock, not expecting to run into her, especially looking so good.

Blue eyes locked on his own and narrowed as she looked him up and down before focusing on his groin. "Rupert! Is that really you?"

"Must you always identify me by my penis?!" he demanded.

She pretended to consider that for a moment before giving him a foxy grin. "Yes, yes I must."

Typing By: Abyssal Angel

Beta By: Abyssal Angel and Mist of Shadows