The white light swallowed Barry whole.
When it cleared, he arrived in a vast circular chamber. It looked halfway between a Zoom call and a council hall carved from light. Floating windows hung in a ring, each one displaying a person. The air buzzed faintly, like energy waiting for instructions.
A pleasant chime rang.
"Splendid!" announced a crisp voice with a Scottish lilt. "All participants are now present."
Barry turned toward the central window. There, framed by an old-fashioned desk covered in scrolls and parchment, sat Professor Magonigal — Assistant Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her green robes shimmered faintly as if the light obeyed her command.
"Welcome to the Infinite Worlds Chat Group," she said with patient authority. "You may refer to me as Moderator Magonigal. This room exists between worlds. Its purpose is to unite beings of exceptional talent so they may share wisdom, trade resources, and, in times of need, offer aid across realms."
Barry's gaze drifted to the names glowing beneath the other windows:
Dr. Emmet Brown: Inventor of Time TravelDiamond Jack: Adventurer and Champion of the Downtrodden, Lord Rohlan: General of the Army of Light, Son Goku: Saiyan, Tsunade: Princess of the Senju ClanProfessor Abednego Danner: A Man Beyond His Time, Seven of Nine of Voyager, formerly of the Borg
Each stood — or sat — in their own environment: a lab, a battlefield, a dojo, a starship corridor. Yet they were all somehow here.
Barry glanced down; his tag read Jax Zod: Superman.
"Used my Kryptonian name and title," he murmured.
"Before we begin," Magonigal continued, "there is one matter of formality. In all chat groups across the multiverse, participants are divided into Houses — much like Hogwarts, an institution for teaching young Wizards and Witches, where I am the Assistant Head master.
The House system encourages cooperation, friendly rivalry, and the earning of merit points. The House with the highest total at the end of the year will win the House Cup, bringing with it certain… privileges."
"Like what?" asked the only child present, Goku. The boy never tired of smiling.
"Items of power, rare knowledge, and passage to other universes — even those not represented in the current roster," Magonigal said, smiling faintly. "So, quite worth your effort."
A ripple of interest moved through the group.
"Now," she said, producing a battered old hat that floated beside her desk, "allow me to introduce our next participant: the Sorting Hat."
The hat opened its brim like a mouth and began to sing in a slow, warm tone that seemed to come from everywhere at once:
"I am the Hat of Houses four,
Of courage, mind, and heart's deep core.
Of cunning paths and loyal hands,
Of seekers bold from distant lands.
When new souls gather from worlds untold,
I weigh their hearts — not what they hold.
For those who dare and lead with flame,
To Gryffindor, I call your name.
For wit and learning, keen and true,
Ravenclaw awaits for you.
For hearts that heal and stand by friend,
Hufflepuff shall never bend.
And for ambition, sharp and sly,
Slytherin shall reach the sky.
So take your place, both near and far,
The Hat shall see the truth you are!"
The hat dipped once, satisfied. "Let's begin."
It turned toward each participant in turn.
"Dr. Brown, Professor Danner, and Seven of Nine — Ravenclaw! Your minds are constellations, forever chasing the next solution."
The three gave small, acknowledging nods, pragmatic, already thinking of applications.
"Tsunade, Hufflepuff!" the hat said warmly. "Your heart beats to protect others, even when the cost is pain."
Tsunade smiled faintly. "Thank you," she said softly.
"Lord Rohlan — Slytherin!" The hat's tone carried weight. "Your will is iron, your ambition disciplined, your light forged by a war against darkness."
General Hoth bowed slightly. "I accept."
Finally, the hat turned toward Barry, Goku, and Diamond Jack. "Courage, instinct, and the drive to act — Gryffindor!"
Goku cheered. "Yeah! Sounds fun!"
Diamond Jack grinned, straightening his expensive suit. "Guess we're the bold ones, eh, lads?"
Barry chuckled. "Seems that way."
Magonigal's voice cut in, brisk again. "Splendid. Houses are as follows:
Gryffindor: Jax Zod, Goku, Diamond Jack
Ravenclaw: Dr. Brown, Professor Danner, Seven of Nine
Hufflepuff: Tsunade
Slytherin: Lord Rohlan
Now, the goal of this first meeting is simple: connection. You will meet privately within your Houses. Learn something about one another. Then return to share one positive thing you did not know about another member."
She gave a thin smile. "Yes, it is mandatory. No exceptions."
A flick of her wand — and the world split into smaller rooms of light.
Gryffindor Common Room
The common room was much like the one in the Harry Potter movies, comfortable and welcoming. Not that the three in this room could experience it. They were still in their framed chat room pane.
Goku immediately waved. "Hi! I'm Goku. I love training and good food."
Diamond Jack leaned back, folding his arms. "Goku, how old are you?"
"Bulma says I'm twelve, but I thought I was fourteen. My Grandpa told me I was more than two hands old," Goku responded with a smile.
Jax (Barry is referred to by his Kryptonian name and title when involved in matters of the chat group), and Jack pity the poor boy's education.
"Hello, folks, call me Diamond Jack on account of my magical diamond ring. I'm a professional risk-taker, although my ring doesn't allow me to risk much. I also look out for the little guy. My ring was given to me by a powerful mystic."
Jax nodded politely. "Jax Zod, I'm called Superman. I'm still learning the limits of what I can do. This place is amazing," Jax looks around the common room.
"Nice!" Goku said. "You look strong. We should train sometime."
Jax smiled faintly. "Maybe after I stop breaking everything I touch."
Jack gave a low whistle. "Strength without control? Dangerous combination. But useful in a pinch."
Barry studied him for a moment. "You sound like you've seen a lot of pinches."
Jack grinned. "More than my share."
Hufflepuff / Slytherin Room
Tsunade and General Hoth faced one another across the small chamber. The faint hum of digital air hung between them.
"So, a general," Tsunade said, curious. "What's the Army of Light?"
"The galaxy is consumed by the darkness of the Sith who worship power. They follow the dark side of the force and formed a Brotherhood of Darkness, so I founded an Army of Light along with like-minded Jedi."
Tsunade's expression softened. "There are a lot of words I do not understand, but it seems you fight for light. I wish the shinobi world I come from could profess such goals."
"I wish to lay down my lightsaber for peace, but until the Sith are defeated, there is no time for rest," he said quietly. "What about you?"
"I'm a Jonin-level ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. We're fighting against several other Shinobi villages. They want our resources and will crush our families to get it. My brother has eagerly followed me into this war, but he's too young. I don't know if I can protect him."
"Train him. Teach him to protect himself," General Hoth said. Tsunade smiled and nodded gently.
Main Room
The smaller chambers dissolved, reforming the circle of windows. Magonigal clasped her hands.
"Well then. One positive thing about someone else, please."
Goku raised his hand first. "Barry was put in a rocket as a baby, just like me! I think he's pretty strong, too!"
Barry smiled. "And Goku… well, his energy is contagious. Hard not to like him."
Diamond Jack gestured toward both. "They've got heart."
Tsunade spoke next. "General Hoth isn't what I expected. He's seen horror but still believes in light. That's… admirable."
Hoth inclined his head. "Tsunade fights for her home, powerful but humble."
"Dr. Brown's ability to create a time machine from the primitive technology available on ancient Earth," 7 of 9 offered.
"Yes, and this young woman who broke free from the Borg menace still braves the stars."
"Both are amazing, I cannot wait to collaborate," Professor Danner admitted.
"Excellent," Magonigal said, genuine warmth in her tone. "This is precisely the purpose of our Houses, to learn the strengths of others as if they were your own."
She raised her wand, and a golden scoreboard appeared in the air.
Each House name gleamed beside a glowing number.
"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin will each earn House Points for teamwork, wisdom, and valor. The House Cup will be awarded at the end of each term. Its winner will receive items of value, resources, and a passage, yes, a literal passage, to other universes."
A faint murmur spread through the group.
"Now," she said, closing her notebook, "The term begins tomorrow. Behave yourselves… or at least, make your chaos productive."
The windows began to fade — one by one. But Barry's screen lingered. A faint text shimmered in the corner of his vision:
[System Notification: External Network Detected.]
[Integration Successful.]
[New Function Created: Chat Tab.]
Barry's brow furrowed.
"Guess my system plays by its own rules," he murmured.
The light folded around him, and he vanished.