Fic: a Different Kind of Friendship (HP/CSI:NY, gen)
Title: A Different Kind of Friendship
Author: loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)
Fandom: HP, CSI :NY
Characters/pairing : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), Mac
Rating: PG
Summary: Adam comes across the symbol of the Deathly Hallows during an investigation.
For: crossovers100
Prompt: 042. Triangle.
Disclaimer: The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.
Prompt table
A Different Kind of Friendship - main entry
042. Triangle.
After what had happened with Jess, the whole team knew about Adam having a roommate but, except from Jess and Flack, they had never met him and Adam hadn’t thought it would change anytime soon. There was no reason for it. Until there was.
The murders had been extremely brutal, if not especially gruesome. Mac was treating the case as a priority because there was a good chance that it was the work of a serial killer. They did not alert the press or the media, of course, not wanting to create the usual panic that came with the knowledge of a serial killer on the loose in a city, especially when they couldn’t be a hundred percent sure it was the case.
Adam had been working for a few days straight now and he hadn’t been able to find anything remotely useful that could lead to a suspect. He had, of course, identified a few substances here and there, but none that would help and he was quite frankly beginning to despair. That killer was good, very good, and it seemed that he hadn’t left anything behind him. The scene was unusually clean. He had no idea how until Sheldon brought to him the one thing that made his blood run cold.
Sheldon had come into his lab with a piece of paper, where he had drawn a symbol, telling him he couldn’t find anything on it and was leaving it for Adam to try to identify it when he had the time. Adam hadn’t looked up at the time, busy with his present analysis, but he had heard and had decided to do it later on. And when later on arrived, he took the piece of paper and promptly chocked on his saliva.
He had seen that symbol before, drawn on a book that Harry possessed. Harry had done the drawing himself and had told Adam it was a symbol associated with the story and it was very important to him. He hadn’t explained more, but Adam had understood it must have had something to do with the war and he had not asked for a deeper explanation, though he was beginning to regret it now.
He practically ran out of the lab and went to Mac. His boss looked up from his report as Adam almost crashed into his office.
“Can I do something for you, Adam,” he asked, his calmness a veritable contrast to Adam’s nervousness.
“No, I mean yes. Here,” he said, handing Sheldon’s paper to Mac. “Hawkes gave me that so that I could find what the symbol is. Thing is, Mac, I’ve seen it before and, well, I’m not exactly sure what it means but I know someone who does and I think that, maybe, you should talk to him. He could explain it better than me if I was to try and find the information by myself.”
Mostly, because there was no way he could find the information by himself in any database. It was magical and there would be nothing on his computer, not even on the internet, he just knew it.
"Can I do something for you, Adam," he asked calmly, in contrast to Adams nervousness.
“And where can I find that person,” Mac asked, an eyebrow raised in question, and Adam was afraid he would think Harry was responsible because that would be just ridiculous.
“It’s Harry Potter,” he said and yes, that would mean more in the magical world. “My roommate. I can call him and tell him to come by, I’m sure he would do it immediately.”
He wasn’t kidding. If anyone was drawing that symbol on a crime scene, it meant that there could be magic involved and Harry would like to know, just to he could notify the right people to take care of it. Adam knew that, if there was a wizard killing people out there, his friends would be in danger if they tried to go after him by themselves. They wouldn’t be ready for what they would have to face.
Adam tried not to flinch under Mac’s insistent look and he mostly succeeded. His boss nodded and smiled slightly.
“Then call your friend, and tell him it’s important to come as soon as possible. I want that case solved, the sooner the better.”
Adam nodded and stammered that he was going to call Harry and tell him to come by. He knew Harry wouldn’t make them wait, not when it was that important. Two minutes later and he was hanging up, after having explained the symbol’s presence to Harry, getting the wizard’s promise to come immediately.
It didn’t take very long for Harry to show up. Adam suspected he had used magic to get there quicker since he had been nowhere near home when he had answered his call and he had had to get by the apartment to get the book he was holding. He hoped dearly that Mac wouldn’t begin to question the timing and place, because that would get weird.
“Mister Potter,” Mac called when he saw the new arrival standing with Adam and he offered his hand. “Mac Taylor. Thank you for coming promptly.”
Harry nodded with a smile.
“Just Harry, please. Adam told me you needed information on a symbol.”
Harry followed Mac into his office while Adam went back to work. He wasn’t especially worried about being alone with the lieutenant, though. According to Adam, Mac was a very fair person and he wouldn’t try to pin anything on him just because of his knowledge of something. He would follow the evidence, wherever they may lead, though Harry had to wonder what kind of evidence would a wizard leave being that could help a scientist.
“Yes,” Mac answered and gave Harry he paper; he needn’t have bothered. “Can you tell me anything about this.”
Harry nodded and motioned to the book he was still holding. It was fairly new edition, but Harry wasn’t all that interested in collection books, not like Hermione. He had just wanted a copy of the story, because of how it was entwined with his own.
“This is the Tales of Beedle the Bard,” Harry said, handing to book to Mac. “It’s mostly a children book, well, as much as the Grimm tales are, something like this, except less well-known I suppose. The symbol in this book, well I’m the one who added it because it’s usually not written in it. Not everyone knows about it nowadays, but my mentor did know and… I saw it in his own copy and, since I knew it corresponded to the story, I added it when I bought the book. That’s where Adam saw it. It’s in the last story, the Tale of the Three Brothers. It’s a representation of three objects called the Deathly Hallows.”
Mac was looking at the book in his hands with interest, skimming through it but not seeing any story he had heard before. It was strange, they were really not well-known.
“And what are those Deathly Hallows?” he asked, intrigued by the term and how it could be linked to his case.
That was the moment where it would become complicated. The moment Harry was going to talk about it, Mac would dismiss the story as fiction, when it actually was real, or at least the objects were real. He just hoped he was going to take on the position that the suspect believed in the tale.
“Well, the story is about three brothers. They are walking together and their path leads them to a very dangerous river. Most people would die trying to go to the other side but the brothers are wizards so they make a bridge appear and, as they are crossing it, they meet Death. Death is angry because, normally, people fall victim to Him at this place but he pretends he’s impressed and offer them a wish. Each asks for an object: one for an unbeatable wand, another for something to resurrect the dead and the third one for something that would prevent Death from following him.”
Harry marked a pause in his story, letting Mac the time to digest what he had already said. He went on when Mac motioned for him to.
“The first one babbled about his wand being all powerful and he’s murdered and robbed in his sleep. The second one bring back the woman he loved but she’s not completely alive, just a shadow, and he ends up killing himself to join her. The third on, well, Death can’t find him because of the cloak He had given him but he ends up removing the cloak and giving it to his son years later. He chooses to leave with Death, as if he was an old friend. Basically, that’s the story but, really, you should read it. It would be better.”
Mac nodded. He had listened with rapt attention, actually immensely interested in the tale. And yes, he would have to read this book very attentively.
“Would you mind if I kept the book until the end of the investigation.”
Harry shook his head.
“No, keep it if it can help. Just… it is said that whoever possess the three Hallows at the same time becomes the Master of Death. I know they are people out there who have tried to reunite them, without success. Maybe someone is trying again.”
Mac acquiesced, lost in thoughts, and he let Harry go. He had what he needed from him, there was no reason to keep him there, though he made Harry promise to answers further questions should he have some. Harry said that he would stay around anyway so, if he was needed, he would be there.