Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 173: Holidays and a Commitment Delivered (III) (CH - 193)

"So you're really sending Jean away to another school? Have you properly thought this through?"

Hank McCoy stood with his back to the room, hands in his trouser pockets, staring out the tall window while absentmindedly watching the sleek black Porsche 911 parked near the mansion's entrance.

Behind him, Professor Charles Xavier sat in his wheelchair at the desk while quietly flipping through a stack of documents.

The only other person in the room was a woman with sharp features and a calculating expression. She sat on a nearby sofa, her eyes fixed on Charles and was waiting for his answer just as much as Hank was. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Yes. Her abilities go beyond just mutant powers, and unfortunately, I'm neither qualified nor able to guide her in that area," Charles answered with his eyes still on the papers in front of him.

"Can't you just hire someone from their group?" The woman stood and walked over, leaning on Charles's desk with both hands. "You know she's no ordinary mutant. What if she loses control?"

Charles let out a quiet sigh, set the papers down, and looked up at the woman. "I trust they're capable of handling her, Raven, if it ever comes to that. Besides, I've explained everything to Mr. Caesar, and he assured me he'll personally look after her."

Hank turned away from the window, walked around the desk, and sank into the sofa. He let out a quiet sigh as well, seeming to agree with Charles. "I hope things turn out the way you say."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Looks like they're here. Raven, please let them in," Charles said with a small smile as he looked toward the door.

With a click, the woman—Raven—opened the door and saw her colleague Ororo smirk before stepping inside with a young man trailing behind her.

She eyed the young man—someone she had heard many great things about from Charles but never met, and the one who would be taking her student away to another school—trying to figure out what was so special about him.

However, the moment her eyes landed on him, they widened and her pupils shrank to pinpoints. For a split second, it felt like time itself slowed around her, and a sudden, unnerving chill ran through every fiber of her being. Her whole body shivered, as if she had glimpsed something so unfathomable, so vast, that her mind went completely blank.

Then, just as quickly, the feeling faded away.

A drop of sweat formed on her forehead as she saw him raise a brief brow before stepping inside and following Ororo toward the professor.

With Maverick, he gave her only a quick, curious glance—her face was unfamiliar, someone he hadn't seen the last time he was here—then turned his attention to the man in the wheelchair and walked over with a bright smile.

"Charles…"

"Mr. Caesar."

They shook hands before Charles gestured for him to sit.

Maverick gave Hank a nod in greeting too, then settled onto the sofa, while Ororo took a seat beside him. Only Raven still remained frozen at the door—until...

"Raven?"

Xavier's voice pulled her out of her trance.

Raven Darkhölme—the shapeshifter-slash-spy-slash-superhuman—did her best to hide the chaos racing through her head and gave a stiff, fidgety nod, then walked over and sat down next to Hank.

To her credit, no one noticed her abnormality—no one except Maverick, of course. And he, quite simply, didn't care much. Her reaction wasn't anything new. Ever since he became an Archmage, he had gotten used to people flinching the moment they looked him in the eye the wrong way.

It wasn't something he did on purpose, but over time, he figured it had to do with intent. Whenever some random idiot looked at him with the wrong mindset, whether it was doubt or challenge or something else, and that intent brushed up against his, their subconscious just... folded, like they saw something they weren't supposed to.

And Mystique—after years of spying all over the world—had a danger sense that bordered on supernatural, so she must have felt that jolt hit her straight in the soul just now. But alas, who told her to size him up?

Xavier smiled once everyone was seated and the conversation began.

"Mr. Caesar—no, I suppose it's Councilor Caesar now, isn't it?"

Maverick figured the topic would come up. Ever since he became a Councilor and gained access to classified information, he had done a general review of the world's extraordinary elements from the perspective of the Muggle world. One thing that had caught his attention was the mutant community and their ongoing push for a seat at the global decision-making table.

So far, they hadn't been able to secure one. And from what he had read, it was Professor Xavier himself who had been leading that charge.

"Oh? Professor, how did you find out about that?" Maverick asked, pretending not to know anything.

Charles let out a light chuckle. "The World Security Council might operate behind the scenes, but I still have my connections."

Fair enough, thought Maverick.

"Wait—World Security Council?" Hank leaned forward, taken aback by the casual info drop. "How you end up as one of WSC Councilors?"

"High Councilor, to be exact," Charles answered instead, giving Maverick a small smile.

Unlike Charles, Hank and the others only knew the basics about the WSC and its role as an international organization. So, seeing an opportunity—with a High Councilor sitting right in front of them—Charles took a moment to give his colleagues a more thorough rundown of the World Security Council, the wizarding world, and how the two had been connected behind the scenes for years.

By the time he finished, Ororo, Hank, and Raven were looking at Maverick in a whole new light. Their expressions held a quiet mix of surprise and... envy.

Everything they had been fighting for—mutants having a place in the world without fear, without hatred—it seemed the wizarding world already had it. A hidden society, yet fully integrated with the larger world.

It stung, just a little.

But then, sensing the mood in the room getting a little too heavy, Charles shifted gears and turned back to Maverick, bringing the focus to the reason he had come today.

"So, my friend... you're here to take Jean to the magical world, just like your school's letter said?"

Maverick nodded. "Yeah. It's just a standard orientation for muggle-born witches and wizards—nothing special... like the walkthrough I gave you and Ororo a few months back, except Jean will need to purchase some specific school supplies. But since Hank and Raven didn't come along that day, I'll give a quick rundown."

With that, he gave a quick overview of the magical world's customs, explained how the orientation worked, and went over what Jean would need for her first year at school.

"We should be back around sunset," he added, glancing at his watch. "Although, I think it'll still be mid-afternoon here by then."

Hank asked a few more questions, mostly about the differences between mutant powers and magic. Raven, on the other hand, stayed quiet. She still hadn't said a single word since Maverick walked into the room.

"Raven?" Charles finally took notice of her odd demeanor. "Are you alright?"

But before she could say a word, the office door suddenly swung open and Jean Grey burst in, with Hermione and Harry close behind her.

"Professor! When are we going to... Diagon... Diagon Alley?" she asked, stumbling over the name. She stopped right in front of Maverick's chair, not even glancing at the others in the room, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Seeing her so enthusiastic, everyone smiled. Maverick stood up, gently ruffled her hair, and chuckled. "So eager... alright, we'll be going now."

He gave Charles and the others a nod, then glanced at Hermione and Harry. Judging by the look on their faces, they had probably told Jean all about Hogwarts already. Hopefully all good things.

"Right, gentlemen, ladies... we should be back in a couple of hours," he said, and with a nod from Professor X, made his way out. It was almost midday here, which meant it was already past three in the afternoon in London.

A few minutes later, Jean was in the back seat of the Porsche with Hermione, grinning from ear to ear, while Harry sat up front. Maverick flashed a grin of his own, shifted gears, and stepped on the accelerator.

The car zoomed forward, then—

Wroooom!

From Xavier's office window, Charles, Ororo, and Raven watched in stunned silence as the sleek black car lifted off the ground and soared into the sky.

Mouths slightly open, no one said a word for a while... until Hank finally broke the silence.

"Charles," he said slowly, turning toward him with a serious look, "I don't care how you do it, but... you must ask Mr. Caesar to make a flying car for me."

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