The Veil of Death rippled like water as Harry Potter stepped through, the ancient archway's whispers finally silencing the endless torment in his mind. The world was gone—every last soul, every blade of grass, every memory of joy reduced to radioactive ash. Even his wives, the five women who had made immortality bearable, had fallen to humanity's final folly.
*Let this be the end,* he thought desperately. *Please, let me follow them.*
But instead of oblivion, Harry found himself in a vast space of swirling mists and starlight, neither alive nor dead. The familiar sensation of the Deathly Hallows' power hummed through him—a gift that had become a curse when it meant watching everyone he loved perish while he remained untouchable.
"Harry!"
His emerald eyes snapped wide, heart stuttering in his chest. That voice—
"HARRY!"
Five figures materialized from the ethereal fog, rushing toward him like homing missiles. But these weren't the broken, radiation-poisoned forms he'd held as they died. These were his wives as they'd been on their wedding days—Daphne with her platinum blonde hair cascading over one shoulder, elegant poise intact despite her obvious emotional state; Hermione with her wild chocolate curls bouncing as she ran, brilliant amber eyes blazing with unshed tears; Susan with her strawberry blonde hair catching the strange light, warm freckles scattered across flushed cheeks; Luna with her silvery hair flowing like water, blue eyes serene yet somehow knowing; and Tonks with her signature bubblegum pink hair, dark eyes sparkling with mischief even as she sprinted toward him.
"You beautiful, stupid, stubborn man," Daphne said, her cut-glass accent thick with emotion as she reached him first, elegant fingers framing his face. "Did you really think death would keep us apart?"
"Well," Harry managed, his trademark smirk tugging at his lips despite everything, "I did try very hard to die dramatically. Thought it might work this time."
"Oh, shut up," Hermione sobbed, crashing into them both with the force of a small hurricane. "You absolute git, we told you we'd find a way to be together forever, didn't we?"
"Forever was the operative word, love," Harry murmured, wrapping his arms around them as Susan, Luna, and Tonks completed their circle. "Hard to keep promises when the world ends in nuclear fire."
"Details," Tonks said with a dismissive wave, her hair cycling through rainbow colors in her excitement. "We're resourceful witches, we are. Death of reality is just another Tuesday for the Potter household."
Luna hummed thoughtfully, her arms sliding around Harry's waist from behind. "I always knew we'd meet again here. The Narglés whispered it to me when I crossed over."
"Luna, darling," Daphne said with fond exasperation, not loosening her grip on Harry's face, "there are no Narglés in the afterlife."
"How do you know?" Luna asked with perfect sincerity. "Have you conducted a comprehensive survey?"
"She's got you there, Daph," Susan laughed, her warm contralto voice sending familiar shivers down Harry's spine as she pressed closer to his side. "Besides, stranger things have happened. Like our husband being too stubborn to die properly."
"Hey now," Harry protested, his green eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked down at the redhead. "I'll have you know I'm excellent at dying. I've done it several times now. It's the staying dead part I seem to have trouble with."
"That's because you're ours," Hermione said fiercely, her grip on his shirt tightening. "And we don't let go of what's ours."
"Possessive little thing, aren't you, 'Mione?" Harry teased, pressing a kiss to her wild curls. "I do love it when you get all territorial."
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink, but before she could retort, a new voice cut through their reunion.
"That would be my doing."
The voice that spoke was rich and sardonic, with an undertone of cosmic amusement that made Harry's teeth itch. The mists parted to reveal a figure that made his breath catch—tall and curvaceous, with skin like polished obsidian and curves that could stop traffic. Dark hair fell in waves to her waist, and eyes that held the depth of every grave ever dug sparkled with wicked intelligence. She was beautiful in the way that black holes were beautiful—mesmerizing, dangerous, and utterly impossible to ignore.
"Well," Harry said, his voice dropping to that low, honeyed tone that made his wives shiver, "you're not quite what I expected from Death."
"Disappointed?" Death asked, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow arching as she took a step closer. Her movements were liquid grace, and Harry found himself appreciating the view despite their circumstances.
"Hardly," he replied with his most charming grin. "Though I have to say, if I'd known Death looked like you, I might have tried dying sooner."
"Harry James Potter," Daphne said in her most aristocratic tone, though her eyes were dancing with amusement, "are you flirting with Death itself?"
"I'm married to five brilliant, beautiful, powerful witches," Harry said with a casual shrug, his emerald eyes never leaving Death's face. "Flirting is just my natural state at this point."
Death laughed, and it was like silver bells mixed with distant thunder. "Oh, I like this one. No wonder you're all so devoted to him."
"He does grow on you," Tonks said with a grin, her hair settling into a vibrant purple. "Like a particularly attractive fungus."
"Thanks, love," Harry said dryly. "Your romantic poetry always makes my heart flutter."
"Indeed, Master of my Hallows," Death said, her smile sharp and amused. "Though that title may soon change."
Luna tilted her head with characteristic directness, studying Death with the same intensity she once reserved for invisible creatures. "You're not quite what I expected. More... substantial. And your aura is fascinating—like a cosmic lava lamp."
"A what now?" Tonks snorted.
"It's a Muggle thing," Hermione explained automatically. "A decorative lamp with colored wax that moves in hypnotic patterns when heated."
"I take the form most appropriate to my purpose," Death replied, clearly amused by the comparison. "And I have great need of you six."
"Need?" Hermione stepped forward, her analytical mind already shifting into overdrive. Harry could practically see the gears turning behind her golden eyes. "Why would Death itself need mortals? What could we possibly offer that cosmic entities can't handle themselves?"
"Because someone seeks to court me through mass murder," Death said, her expression darkening like storm clouds gathering. "In another reality, a being called Thanos believes that by killing half of all life, he will win my favor and affection. He is... profoundly incorrect. Such crude butchery is not worship—it is waste."
Harry felt his wives tense around him, their protective instincts flaring to life. Even in death, they were ready to fight for what mattered.
"Let me guess," Harry said, his voice taking on that dangerous edge that had once made Voldemort himself step back. "A megalomaniacal bastard with a god complex and delusions of romance?"
"That's a remarkably accurate description," Death said with genuine surprise. "Have you encountered him?"
"No, but I've dealt with megalomaniacs before," Harry replied, his green eyes hard as jade. "They all have the same playbook—grand gestures, cosmic importance, and a fundamental misunderstanding of what actual power looks like."
"Ooh, he's doing the voice," Susan said with obvious appreciation, her hands trailing along Harry's chest. "I do love it when you get all dark and dangerous, husband mine."
"Focus, Susan," Daphne chided, though her own breathing had quickened slightly. "We're having a cosmic conversation."
"I can multitask," Susan replied innocently. "Besides, look at him. All brooding and heroic and ready to save the universe again. It's ridiculously attractive."
"Everything about Harry is ridiculously attractive," Hermione added matter-of-factly. "It's been scientifically proven."
"You conducted studies?" Luna asked with genuine interest.
"Extensive studies," Hermione confirmed with a slight smirk. "Very... thorough research."
"Right then," Harry said, his cheeks flushing slightly as he cleared his throat. "Perhaps we could save the detailed discussion of my alleged attractiveness for after we've dealt with the cosmic threat?"
"Alleged?" Tonks gasped in mock horror. "Harry Potter, you are many things, but modest about your looks is not one of them. Have you seen yourself lately?"
"Every morning in the mirror, thanks," Harry replied dryly. "Usually right before one of you lovely ladies drags me back to bed."
"That's because you're irresistible when you're all mussed and sleepy," Daphne said with a predatory smile. "It brings out your eyes."
Death cleared her throat pointedly. "As entertaining as this display of marital devotion is, we do have a universe to save."
"Right, sorry," Harry said, though his grin suggested he wasn't particularly apologetic. "You were saying something about wanting us to stop this Thanos character?"
"I want you to stop him. All of you." Death gestured, and the space around them shifted, showing glimpses of a blue-green world teeming with life. "I name you my Champions. In exchange..." She looked meaningfully at Harry. "You asked once for a way to share the gift of the Hallows with those you love. I can grant this, but the price is service."
"What kind of service?" Daphne asked carefully, her business instincts kicking in. "And for how long?"
"Until Thanos is defeated and the universe restored to proper balance," Death replied. "After that..." She shrugged elegantly. "We shall see. Time moves strangely for beings like us."
"Define 'beings like us,'" Hermione pressed, her legal training evident in her precise questioning. "Are we talking immortality? Enhanced abilities? Cosmic awareness?"
"All of the above, potentially," Death said with obvious amusement. "You really can't help yourself, can you? Even in the space between life and death, you're taking notes."
"It's a compulsion," Harry said fondly, pressing a kiss to Hermione's temple. "She once interrogated a Hogwarts ghost about the metaphysical implications of his unfinished business."
"It was a perfectly valid question!" Hermione protested. "The magical theory behind ghostly manifestation is fascinating!"
"And this is why we love you," Susan said warmly, squeezing Hermione's hand. "Never change, brilliant girl."
Harry looked at each of his wives, seeing the same desperate hope in their eyes that burned in his chest. They could be together again—truly together, with the power to protect what they loved.
"We accept," he said without hesitation.
"Just like that?" Death asked, raising an eyebrow. "No negotiation? No demands for additional terms?"
"Love," Harry said with his most roguish grin, "I've been married to five of the most formidable witches in magical Britain. If they're in, I'm in. Besides," his voice dropped to that low, dangerous register again, "I've got some experience dealing with bastards who think murder equals power. This Thanos sounds like he needs a lesson in manners."
"And we excel at teaching lessons," Daphne added silkily, her aristocratic smile sharp enough to cut glass.
"Excellent." Death extended her hand, and Harry was struck again by how perfectly formed she was. "The Hallows, Master."
Harry hesitated only briefly before removing the Invisibility Cloak from his shoulders, the fabric shimmering like captured moonlight. The Elder Wand came next, sliding from his sleeve with familiar weight. The Resurrection Stone came last, pulled from his pocket where it had rested since the day he'd first died and returned.
"Giving up your immortality, Harry?" Tonks asked softly, understanding the magnitude of what he was doing.
"No," he replied firmly, his emerald eyes blazing with determination. "Sharing it. With the people who matter most."
Death took the items with reverent care, and Harry could feel the cosmic significance of the moment settling around them like a heavy cloak.
"The Cloak and Wand I can share among you," Death explained, her voice taking on an otherworldly resonance. "But this..." She held up the Resurrection Stone, her fingers beginning to glow with eldritch power. "This was never truly what you believed it to be."
"Oh, brilliant," Hermione breathed, her eyes widening with understanding. "Of course it wasn't. The Resurrection Stone, the Soul Stone—they're connected, aren't they? Part of the same cosmic framework?"
Death smiled approvingly. "Very good. I can see why you married her, Harry."
"One of many reasons," Harry replied, his voice warm with affection as he looked at Hermione. "Though her ability to figure out cosmic mysteries in record time is definitely a plus."
The black shell of the stone cracked like an eggshell under Death's touch, revealing a brilliant orange gem that pulsed with inner fire.
"The Soul Stone," Death announced. "One of six Infinity Stones scattered across the reality you'll be entering. Your first task will be to claim them before Thanos can complete his collection."
"Six stones, six of us," Luna observed dreamily. "The universe does love its symmetries."
"Speaking of symmetries," Susan said, eyeing the Soul Stone with professional interest, "that thing looks like it could power a small country. What exactly does it do?"
"In simple terms? It grants dominion over souls—the ability to see them, judge them, manipulate them, even steal them under the right circumstances," Death explained. "It's considered the most dangerous of the Infinity Stones by many."
"Perfect for Harry then," Tonks said with a grin. "He's always been good with souls. Saved mine often enough."
"And ours," Daphne added softly, her ice-blue eyes warm as they met Harry's. "Every day we were together."
Harry felt his throat tighten with emotion. "You lot are going to make me cry, and that's not very becoming for a cosmic champion."
"We'll love you anyway," Susan assured him, standing on tiptoe to press a soft kiss to his jaw. "Tears and all."
Death set the Soul Stone aside and took up the Cloak and Wand. "Now for the truly interesting part."
Power flowed from her hands, black and viscous like liquid starlight, consuming the artifacts until they became a writhing mass of shadow and cosmic energy.
"This will be your armor," Death explained as the mass pulsed with malevolent beauty, "your strength, your shield against what is to come. It will enhance your natural abilities and grant you new ones."
"It looks alive," Hermione observed with scientific fascination.
"In a sense, it is," Death confirmed. "It's woven from the fabric of reality itself, infused with the power of the Hallows and my own essence. It will become part of you."
The mass divided into six equal portions, each flowing toward one of them like sentient oil. Harry gasped as it touched him, spreading across his skin in a sensation that was neither cold nor hot but utterly alien—like being embraced by the void itself.
"Well, this is new," he managed, watching as the substance hardened into sleek black armor that fit him perfectly. The design was elegant yet intimidating, with clean lines that somehow managed to suggest both advanced technology and ancient magic. A helmet formed around his head, complete with swept-back horns that gave him a distinctly draconic silhouette.
"Bloody hell," he said, his voice now carrying a slight electronic resonance. "We look like something from that Power Rangers show Dudley used to watch. Except, you know, actually intimidating instead of ridiculous."
His wives were undergoing the same transformation, and Harry found himself appreciating the view. The armor molded to their curves like a second skin, emphasizing rather than hiding their feminine forms while clearly providing serious protection.
"I was going for 'terrifying champions of cosmic justice,'" Death said with obvious amusement, "but I may have... borrowed some inspiration from your world's entertainment. The aesthetic seemed appropriate for warriors in service to Death herself."
"You watch Earth television?" Tonks asked, her voice now carrying the same electronic undertone as Harry's.
"I watch everything," Death replied with a shrug. "Eternity gets boring without entertainment. Your species has a remarkable talent for creative violence."
"That's... slightly disturbing," Hermione said, though her tone suggested she was more intrigued than horrified.
The armor was remarkable—Harry could feel its capabilities humming just beneath his consciousness. Enhanced strength, speed, durability, flight capability, stealth systems, and what felt like integrated magical amplification.
"This is just the beginning," Death said, lifting the Soul Stone again. The orange gem pulsed like a heartbeat, and Harry could swear he felt it calling to him. "Each of you will bond with one of the Infinity Stones. Harry, as my primary champion and wielder of the Soul Stone, you will have dominion over souls themselves—the ability to know them, judge them, even manipulate them when necessary."
She stepped forward, and Harry was acutely aware of how the armor made her movements even more hypnotically graceful. "Are you ready?"
"Do I have a choice?" Harry asked, though his tone was more curious than concerned.
"There's always a choice," Death replied seriously. "But some choices echo across eternity."
"Then let's make some noise," Harry said with his trademark grin.
Death pressed the stone against his chest, and Harry cried out as it sank into the armor, merging with it completely. Orange veins of light spread across the black surface like molten lava, culminating in a stylized draconic symbol over his heart that pulsed with each heartbeat.
The sensation was indescribable—suddenly he could *feel* every soul in the surrounding reality, sense their hopes and fears and dreams like a cosmic symphony. His wives' souls blazed like stars in his perception, beautiful and familiar and beloved, their love for him shining brighter than supernovas.
"Fuck me," he breathed, then immediately winced at his language.
"Later," Daphne said with obvious amusement, her aristocratic accent making the promise sound both elegant and filthy. "We have stones to collect first."
"The others," Death continued, gesturing to his wives as their own armor began to change, "will claim the remaining stones. But first, let me attune the armor to their destined stones."
She moved to Daphne first, her hands glowing with sapphire light. "Daphne, yours is the Space Stone—blue as the void between worlds, granting dominion over distance and dimension itself. You'll be able to teleport, create portals, even fold space to your will."
Daphne's armor erupted in brilliant blue light, the same draconic symbol appearing on her chest in radiant sapphire. "Oh," she gasped, her eyes wide behind her helmet's visor. "I can see... everything. Every path through space, every possible destination..."
"Don't get lost in it," Death advised gently. "The Space Stone can be overwhelming at first."
She moved to Hermione next, golden light dancing around her fingers. "Hermione, the Mind Stone—yellow as the sun of knowledge, granting power over thought and consciousness itself. You'll be able to read minds, implant thoughts, even enhance intelligence beyond mortal limits."
Golden light cascaded over Hermione's form, and Harry watched through his soul-sight as her already brilliant mind expanded exponentially. "The connections," she whispered in awe. "I can see how everything links together, the patterns underlying all thought and consciousness..."
"Try not to accidentally ascend to a higher plane of existence," Death said with dry humor. "I need you corporeal for this mission."
Susan was next, and Death's hands glowed with crimson light. "Susan, the Reality Stone—red as blood, granting the ability to alter the very fabric of existence. Matter, energy, the fundamental laws of physics—all malleable to your will."
Crimson energy wreathed Susan's armor, and she gasped as impossible possibilities suddenly became tangible. "I can change anything," she said wonderingly. "Rewrite the rules of reality itself..."
"With great power," Death began.
"Comes great responsibility," Susan finished with a slight smile. "Don't worry, I won't accidentally unmake existence. Probably."
"Probably?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows.
"I'll be careful," Susan assured him. "Very, very careful."
Tonks was next, and violet energy crackled around Death's hands. "Tonks, the Power Stone—purple as a bruised sky, granting strength beyond measure and energy without limit. Raw cosmic force made manifest."
Violet lightning crackled around Tonks, and she grinned fiercely as raw power coursed through her veins. Her hair cycled through every color of the spectrum in rapid succession before settling on electric purple. "Bloody brilliant," she said with obvious delight. "I feel like I could punch a hole through a planet."
"You probably could," Death confirmed. "Try not to."
Finally, she turned to Luna, emerald light swirling around her hands like flowing water. "And Luna, the Time Stone—green as growing things, granting dominion over past, present, and future. You'll be able to see potential timelines, accelerate or slow time, even step outside the temporal stream entirely."
Emerald light swirled around Luna like flowing water, and her already serene expression became knowing in a way that transcended mortal understanding. "Oh," she said softly, her voice carrying echoes of past and future. "I can see it all now. Every possibility, every choice, every consequence rippling across time like stones thrown in a pond."
"Don't get lost in the timestream," Death advised. "It's easy to lose yourself when you can see all of time at once."
Luna smiled with infinite patience. "Time and I have always understood each other. We'll be fine."
Harry looked at his wives, now glowing with the power of cosmic forces, and felt a surge of fierce pride and protective love.
"Your armor will provide enhanced strength, speed, durability, flight, and the ability to cast magic without focus," Death explained. "It can shift into any clothing you require for infiltration or social situations. Or..." She glanced meaningfully at the group, "it can disperse entirely when complete privacy is desired."
"How complete are we talking?" Tonks asked with obvious interest, her hair shifting to a suggestive shade of pink.
"As complete as you wish," Death replied with amusement. "The armor exists in a quantum state when not actively manifested—present but not present, protective but not intrusive."
"Convenient," Daphne murmured, her ice-blue eyes heating as they focused on Harry. "Very convenient indeed."
"The Stones will unlock greater abilities as you bond with them more deeply," Death continued. "Harry's mastery of souls will grow to encompass resurrection, soul manipulation, and eventually the ability to judge the worthiness of entire species. Daphne will learn to fold space like origami, create pocket dimensions, and teleport across galactic distances. Hermione will develop telepathy, mind control, and the ability to enhance or diminish intelligence in others. Susan will be able to rewrite physical laws, transmute matter at the subatomic level, and eventually reshape reality according to her will. Tonks will gain strength capable of moving planets, energy projection that could destroy stars, and durability that laughs at nuclear weapons. And Luna will master time travel, precognition, and the ability to exist in multiple temporal states simultaneously."
"That's..." Hermione began, then trailed off as the implications hit her.
"Completely mental," Harry finished. "We're talking about god-level powers here."
"Indeed," Death confirmed. "You'll be among the most powerful beings in that reality. Which is necessary, because Thanos is no ordinary threat."
"What exactly are we walking into?" Daphne asked, her tactical mind already working.
"A battle currently raging in New York City," Death explained, gesturing as a portal of swirling energy appeared behind them. "Aliens have invaded Earth through a portal in the sky. The local heroes are fighting valiantly but are outmatched. Two of the Stones you seek are already there—the Space Stone powers the portal device, and the Mind Stone rests in Loki's scepter."
"Loki?" Hermione asked sharply. "As in the Norse god Loki?"
"The very same, though he's more alien prince than mythological figure in that reality," Death confirmed. "He's leading the invasion, but he's as much a pawn as a player. The real threat is his master—Thanos."
"And the other stones?" Susan asked.
"The Time Stone rests with a sorcerer called the Ancient One in a place called Kamar-Taj. The Reality Stone is hidden on a world called Asgard, though it's disguised as something called the Aether. The Power Stone is sealed in an orb on a planet called Morag, guarded by ancient traps."
"Right then," Harry said, rolling his shoulders as he felt the armor adjust perfectly to his movement. "Alien invasion, megalomaniacal gods, cosmic artifacts scattered across the galaxy. Just another Tuesday for the Potter family."
"I do love your optimism," Luna said dreamily, though her eyes held depths that spoke of futures seen and choices yet to be made.
Harry looked at each of his wives, seeing determination and love shining in their enhanced features. They were together again, with purpose and power beyond imagining.
"Ready?" he asked, his voice carrying all the weight of their shared history and limitless future.
"For you?" Daphne said, her aristocratic mask slipping to reveal the fierce devotion beneath. "Always."
"To save a universe?" Hermione added, her brilliant mind already cataloging possibilities and strategies. "Absolutely."
"To kick some purple arse?" Tonks said with bloodthirsty enthusiasm, her hair flaming bright red. "Bring it on."
"To protect the innocent?" Susan said warmly, her hand finding Harry's. "Without question."
"To dance with destiny itself?" Luna said with her characteristically dreamy smile. "It sounds delightful."
As one, the six champions of Death stepped toward the portal, armor gleaming and Stones pulsing with eldritch power. The swirling vortex showed glimpses of a city under siege, heroes fighting desperately against impossible odds.
"Wait," Harry said suddenly, turning back to Death. "What should we call ourselves? I mean, we can't exactly introduce ourselves as 'Harry and his wives' to other heroes."
Death's smile was sharp as a blade and twice as beautiful. "You are my Champions, my Chosen, my instruments of cosmic balance. But if you need something more... theatrical..." Her eyes glinted with dark humor. "How about the Death Guard?"
"Bit on the nose, isn't it?" Tonks asked.
"The Infinity Champions?" Hermione suggested.
"The Soul Sworn?" Daphne offered.
"The Eternity Corps?" Susan added.
"How about," Luna said thoughtfully, "the Death Dealers? We are, after all, dealing with Death herself."
Harry considered this, then grinned—a expression made somehow more intimidating by the draconic helmet. "I like it. Has a nice ring to it."
"The Death Dealers it is then," Death confirmed with obvious approval. "Now go, my champions. Show that reality what true power looks like when wielded by those who understand love."
The portal pulsed, ready to transport them across dimensional barriers to a universe in desperate need of salvation.
"Last chance to back out," Harry said, though his tone made it clear he knew none of them would.
"Harry Potter," Hermione said with fond exasperation, "after everything we've been through together, do you really think any of us would abandon you now?"
"Never," Daphne said firmly. "We're bound by more than magic or cosmic forces. We're bound by choice, by love, by the unshakeable conviction that together we can face anything."
"Even a purple titan with delusions of grandeur," Susan added with a warm smile.
"Especially a purple titan with delusions of grandeur," Tonks corrected with vicious satisfaction.
"The threads of fate are quite clear," Luna said serenely. "We succeed, or we fail together. There are no other possibilities I care to consider."
Harry felt his heart swell with love and pride. These incredible women had chosen him, had bound their souls to his across multiple lifetimes and realities. Now they would save a universe together.
"Then let's go remind the cosmos why Death chose us as her champions," he said, his voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction.
As one, the Death Dealers stepped through the portal, leaving behind the space between life and death for a reality where heroes were falling and hope was fading.
Behind them, Death smiled and began to fade back into the spaces between heartbeats.
"Show them, my darlings," she whispered, her voice carrying across dimensions. "Show them what happens when Death itself takes sides."
The portal snapped closed, leaving only starlight and the echo of destiny being rewritten.
In another universe, the Battle of New York was about to become something entirely different.
The Death Dealers had arrived, and Thanos had no idea what was coming for him.
---
The portal deposited them thirty stories above Manhattan, and Harry's first impression of the universe was that it was spectacularly fucked.
Alien aircraft screamed through smoke-filled skies, energy weapons carving molten scars across familiar skyscrapers. A massive biomechanical creature—easily the size of a blue whale with armor plating—swept through the urban canyon below, Chitauri soldiers pouring from its sides like metallic locusts. The acrid smell of burning concrete and ozone filled the air even at their altitude.
"Well," Daphne observed, her aristocratic voice carrying clearly through the armor's comm system, "this is significantly worse than the promotional materials suggested."
"There weren't any promotional materials," Hermione pointed out, though her enhanced analytical mind was already cataloging threat assessments and tactical possibilities. "Death just said there was a battle."
"I was being sarcastic, darling," Daphne replied with fond exasperation.
"Right, focus up," Harry commanded, his Soul Stone-enhanced senses painting the battlefield in vivid detail. Every human soul blazed like a candle flame—most flickering with terror, but some burning with fierce determination. "I count six distinct signatures down there that feel... different. Stronger."
"The local heroes," Luna said dreamily, her Time Stone showing her glimpses of their immediate past and future. "They've just assembled. How poetic—we arrive at the moment they truly become a team."
"Speaking of teams," Tonks interrupted, her purple hair whipping in the wind as she gestured toward the massive creature sweeping toward them, "incoming Leviathan at two o'clock!"
The biomechanical monster had noticed their arrival, its whale-like head turning toward them with predatory interest. Chitauri soldiers began firing energy weapons, blue bolts streaking past them like deadly fireflies.
"Right then," Harry said, his voice dropping into that commanding tone that had once rallied the students of Hogwarts. "Time to make an impression. Susan, think you can give our new friends a demonstration of what reality manipulation looks like?"
"With pleasure," Susan purred, crimson energy beginning to dance around her armored form. She raised her hands, and the very air around the Leviathan began to shimmer and twist. "Let's see how well their biology handles a little... adjustment."
The Reality Stone's power flowed through her, rewriting the fundamental properties of the creature's armor plating. What had been impenetrable alien alloy suddenly became as brittle as spun glass. The Leviathan's confused roar echoed across Manhattan as its protective shell cracked and crumbled like a broken eggshell.
"Brilliant work, love," Harry said, his emerald eyes glowing with appreciation behind his helmet's visor. "Tonks, care to finish what Susan started?"
"Thought you'd never ask," Tonks grinned, violet lightning crackling around her as she drew power from the Power Stone. "Stand back, everyone. This is going to be messy."
She shot forward like a purple comet, fist drawn back and wreathed in cosmic energy. The impact was spectacular—Tonks punched straight through the now-vulnerable Leviathan with the force of a small nuclear weapon, emerging from the other side in an explosion of alien gore and twisted metal. The creature's death scream cut off abruptly as it plummeted toward the street below.
"Show off," Daphne muttered, though her tone was fond.
"Says the witch who once teleported an entire Death Eater squad into the middle of the Atlantic," Harry replied dryly.
Below them, the battle had momentarily paused as both sides processed what they'd just witnessed. Six figures in gleaming black armor had appeared from nowhere and casually destroyed one of the invasion's primary assault creatures in a matter of seconds.
"I believe we have their attention," Hermione observed with scientific satisfaction.
"Time to make introductions then," Harry said, spreading his arms and allowing his armor's flight systems to carry him downward in a controlled descent. His wives followed in perfect formation, their various Stone energies creating a light show that would have made the Aurora Borealis weep with envy.
They landed in the middle of the street where the local heroes—the Avengers, Harry's enhanced senses told him—had been making their stand. Up close, they were exactly what he'd expected from Death's descriptions: a man in red and gold armor that hummed with arc reactor technology, a blonde god whose hammer crackled with lightning, a super soldier with a shield that sang with vibranium harmonics, a woman in black leather whose soul burned with deadly competence, an archer whose precision was almost supernatural, and a green giant whose rage was as much spiritual force as physical power.
The giant—Hulk, Harry realized—had just finished punching another Leviathan with enough force to stop it dead in the air. The creature hung suspended for a moment before crashing to the ground with seismic impact.
"Well," said the man in the red and gold armor—Tony Stark, the name floated up from Harry's Soul Stone perception—his faceplate retracting to reveal sharp brown eyes and a carefully maintained goatee, "that was new."
"Indeed," Harry replied, his own helmet retracting to reveal features that made several of the Avengers do subtle double-takes. Even enhanced by cosmic forces, he still looked remarkably, devastatingly human. "Apologies for dropping in unannounced. We're here about your Loki problem."
"Our Loki problem?" The blonde god—Thor—stepped forward, his blue eyes narrowing with suspicion and recognition. "You speak as though you know my brother."
"Not personally," Daphne said, her own helmet dissolving to reveal platinum hair and aristocratic features that could have graced magazine covers. "Though we're familiar with his type. Megalomaniacal younger sons with daddy issues are surprisingly common across realities."
"Across realities?" The man with the shield—Steve Rogers, Harry's enhanced perception provided—looked like he was developing a headache. "Are you saying you're not from around here?"
"That's one way to put it," Hermione confirmed, her helmet flowing away to reveal wild curls and brilliant amber eyes. "We're from a parallel universe where magic is real, dark lords are regularly defeated by teenagers, and Death itself occasionally recruits champions to handle cosmic threats."
"Magic," Tony said flatly. "Right. Because flying armor, alien invasions, and Norse gods weren't weird enough for a Tuesday."
"Oh, this is much stranger than Tuesday weird," Luna assured him with serene certainty, her silvery hair catching the light as her helmet dissolved. "This is 'the fate of multiple realities hangs in the balance' weird. Much more significant."
The archer—Hawkeye—lowered his bow slightly. "And you are?"
"The Death Dealers," Susan said warmly, her strawberry blonde hair framing freckled features as her helmet retracted. "Cosmic champions in service to Death itself. We're here to prevent a purple titan named Thanos from courting our employer through mass murder."
"Thanos," Thor repeated, his expression growing grave. "I have heard whispers of that name. A being of terrible power who seeks the Infinity Stones."
"Two of which," Tonks added cheerfully, her bubblegum pink hair somehow managing to look both adorable and threatening, "are currently in this city. The Space Stone powering that portal device up there, and the Mind Stone in Loki's scepter."
The Avengers exchanged glances, and Harry could practically feel their mental recalibration. They'd been dealing with an alien invasion. Now they were being told it was part of a much larger cosmic threat.
"Right," Tony said after a moment, his arc reactor humming as his armor's sensors undoubtedly tried and failed to get useful readings on their cosmic-enhanced forms. "So you're magical interdimensional champions of Death itself, here to stop a cosmic tyrant from collecting universe-destroying artifacts. And you just casually destroyed a Leviathan to introduce yourselves."
"That's a remarkably accurate summary," Harry said with his most charming grin. "Though you forgot to mention that we're also quite lovely people once you get to know us."
"Modest too," the woman in black—Natasha Romanoff—observed dryly.
"Modesty is overrated," Daphne said with aristocratic dismissal. "Especially when you have cosmic power backing up your claims."
Around them, the Chitauri forces were beginning to regroup, energy weapons charging and alien voices chittering with renewed aggression. The brief pause in the battle was over.
"Philosophical discussions can wait," Steve Rogers said decisively, raising his shield as energy bolts began streaking toward their position. "Right now, we have a city to save."
"Our thoughts exactly," Harry said, his helmet flowing back into place as orange energy began pulsing along his armor's veins. "Though I should mention—we're not just here to help with the invasion. We need those Infinity Stones."
"The Tesseract and Loki's scepter?" Tony asked, his own faceplate snapping shut. "And you expect us to just hand them over?"
"We expect you to help us take them from Loki before Thanos gets his hands on them," Hermione corrected, golden light beginning to cascade around her armor. "Trust us—you really don't want to see what happens if that purple bastard completes his collection."
The Hulk roared his agreement, seemingly unbothered by the cosmic implications and more focused on the immediate prospect of more smashing.
"Avengers," Steve called out, raising his shield as more Chitauri forces converged on their position, "looks like we've got new allies. Let's finish this."
"Death Dealers," Harry replied, his voice carrying the weight of cosmic authority, "let's show them how it's done."
The battle resumed with renewed fury, but now the scales had shifted dramatically. The invasion that had been slowly overwhelming Earth's mightiest heroes was about to encounter forces that treated physics as a polite suggestion rather than an immutable law.
Manhattan was about to see what happened when Death itself decided to intervene in mortal affairs.
---
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