Summary: Harry gets dragged off to New Orleans with the Dursleys for the summer and once there meets a mysterious red-eyed man. Will Harry finally have an incentive to win the war and survive?

A/n: I don't own Harry Potter or X-men. I just borrowed them for a little while. I'm making just a few changes to the Harry Potter timeline. This takes place at the end of 6th year and goes through till the final battle, however Dumbledore never died and therefore Snape never became Headmaster. Also this takes place before Gambit meets Wolverine and is around 22 or 23 years old. Harry is 16 and turning 17 in July.

By the way I have no idea how to write Gambit's accent so I'll do my best.

Speech: Harry's thoughts

Speech: Parseltongue

Wish Upon a Falling Star

Harry leaned his head against the train window and sighed. Why can't Dumbledore just let me stay at the school this summer or even at Grimmauld Place? Blood wards are great and all for keeping out Death Eaters and all but they aren't much help against your own family.

Its not like the Dursleys were extremely abusive per se, but Vernon tended to slap him around if he didn't do something like his uncle wanted but most of the time the Dursleys ignored him and somehow that hurt more than anything else in the world.

Besides it's easier to slap someone around if they barely get enough to eat and as a result are short and skinny.

Harry snorted at that last thought. Despite being the Boy-Who-Lived and the soon to be Savior of the wizarding world, he was short, barely 5'4" and scrawny. Oh he had muscles and all from playing Quidditch and doing all the chores at the Dursley's, but no one would ever feel intimidated by him that was for sure. Looking around the small train compartment he noticed for the first time that he was alone.

Wonder where Ron and Hermione ran off to? Probably gone off to make out somewhere without their third wheel interrupting them with dangerous missions. Harry thought bitterly. Even though Ron and Hermione had said they understood and forgave him for the fiasco at the Ministry last year, the Golden Trio had kind of…drifted apart. Not so much that anyone noticed or commented on it, but they didn't have that same kind of intimacy and closeness that they had until the end of 5th year. After all it is kind of hard to be friends with someone knowing that he has to either kill or be killed. Harry felt even more depressed thinking about the prophecy that Dumbledore had been keeping from him. It is just like him to keep something this important from me just so that I can on being the good little puppet. I bet he thinks that now I know that I either have to kill or be killed I'll work even harder to destroy the Dark Lord and save all of the ungrateful prats out there. Harry tried to shake himself out the ever growing depressive mood he was falling into. The sad thing though is that he's probably right.

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"Now arriving at Platform nine and three-quarters!" the conductor announced as they pulled into King's Cross station.

"Well, guess its back to another fun summer at the Dursley's." Harry stated to himself sarcastically as he grabbed his trunk and Hedwig's cage where she was sound asleep in it.

Getting off the train and passing through the barrier he saw Hermione and Ron gathered with the rest of the Weasleys and frowned when none of them even looked his way. "I suppose it was too much to ask of them to say good-bye before the summer." Harry mumbled to himself. Then he spotted his aunt and uncle and let his mask fall into place. The meek, quiet mask that he wore whenever around the Dursleys. Sometimes I think I've spent my whole life wearing masks. It's a wonder the Sorting Hat didn't fight harder to put me in Slytherin. Harry thought humorlessly to himself as he dragged his things over to his family.

"Well come on then boy. We don't have all day to stand around waiting for you." Uncle Vernon barked glaring at his nephew.

"Sorry Uncle Vernon."

They headed to the car and Harry put his things in the trunk before climbing into the backseat next to Dudley who was playing a video game and didn't even look up. Harry stared out the window as he waited until they returned to Number 4 Privet Drive for another long summer break.

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Startled from his dozing state Harry looked around in confusion as the car came to a stop, not at Privet Drive like he expected but rather at London's Heathrow Airport.

"What are we doing here?" Harry asked his family in surprise.

"For your information boy I received a very high paying assignment with one of Grunning's branch offices in New Orleans in the United States. So we are all going over there until we have to be back towards the end of August so Dudley can finish high school and we can get rid of you with your freaky friends." Vernon responded harshly. "Now get all of our things out of the car so we check our luggage and get through security before our flight." Vernon ordered as Petunia wheeled a luggage cart over so Harry could load everything up as the others just watched him.

Ten hours later the Dursleys and Harry Potter exited the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and took a taxi to the apartment that Grunnings had rented for their stay in the city. When they got to their new apartment behind Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Harry unloaded the luggage from the cab and then hauled it up the steps to apartment number 30 on the 4th floor. Looking around he smiled at the tasteful décor and wide open space. There was a rather large living room, a separate dining room, a kitchen, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

"Now listen up boy. I expect you to keep this place sparkling clean and make sure all of the meals are prepared if we don't go out to eat. There is a laundry room downstairs where you can wash all the laundry and you can do all the grocery shopping as well. After that I don't care what you do so long as we don't have to see you and it doesn't involve your freakishness, boy. Do I make myself clear?" Vernon growled at his nephew.

Harry sucked in his breath. This was going to be so much better that living at Privet Drive. He would be able to have his things with him and would be able to get his homework done without having to sneak it out of the cupboard when his family wasn't around. Not only that but he would be able to leave the apartment and go somewhere without the neighbors watching him suspiciously or having the threat of Death Eaters hanging over his head. He still had to do chores, but somehow that paled with the thought of freedom. "I understand Uncle Vernon." Harry said meekly, his eyes downcast so his uncle couldn't see the sudden joy in them.

"Good. Now here's some money so go and get us some take out. I don't care what." Vernon snapped as he pulled some American currency from his wallet handing it to his nephew. "And make sure you bring back the receipt and any change as well."

"Yes, sir."

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Two weeks later Harry felt he had never been happier in any of the summers he spent with the Dursleys since he went to Hogwarts. As long as he got his chores done the Dursleys didn't care what he did. Vernon was always at work doing whatever he was required to do by the company while Petunia was attempting to spy on the neighbors or going out with the few friends she had managed to acquire in the complex. Dudley on the other hand was of course bullying any of the kids in the complex weaker than he was along with his new posse or wandering the streets attempting to pick up girls.

Harry on the other hand was halfway through his summer homework and reveling in his new found freedom. Luckily he had exchanged some of his wizarding spending money for British pounds at Gringotts before the school year ended so it was no big deal to exchange those pounds for American currency. He finally bought some muggle clothes that actually fit him although he kept them hidden from his relatives and he wandered throughout the French Quarter whenever he was done with chores. He actually got to eat full meals while he was out and surprisingly he found himself enjoying looking through museums and bookstores. Must be because Hermione isn't there to force me into doing anything and then prattling on non-stop about every little detail she knows. Harry thought bitterly to himself.

He knew that the American wizarding community was set up a lot differently than the British one and found that here wizards and witches mixed freely with muggles even if the muggles didn't know it. That accounts for all of the voodoo shops here on Bourbon Street. Harry thought to himself even as he exited one such shop, this one run by a muggle.

"Of course this means that the small magic community here is more knowledgeable about how to dress like muggles." Harry murmured quietly to himself thinking about the various and odd outfits some of the people he knew had come up with. Harry himself had no fears of being recognized by the magic community as he had discovered, quite by accident, something that managed to very effectively hide his famous scar: liquid foundation. I guess living with Aunt Petunia has been somewhat worthwhile. After all those years watching to her trying to cover up the imperfections on her face I finally see her put on foundation and then I manage to deduce that it could cover up my scar. It is hard to cover it with glamours but muggle makeup? No one would think of something like that.

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Harry jerked awake shaking and a few tears slipping down his cheeks. "Sirius." Harry breathed out softly as he sat up in bed. "Wonder what time it is." Harry asked aloud trying to push the nightmare out of his mind. His bedside clock told him it was 10:30 pm. Harry sat in bed a few minutes longer before making up his mind and threw on a pair of jeans and a black button up shirt along with a pair of Nike sneakers. Sighing he tucked his wallet into his pocket and stealthily snuck out of his room and out the apartment. It's not like the Dursleys could hear me leave over Vernon's snoring. Harry thought sarcastically once he left the apartment complex.

"What to do now?" he questioned himself rhetorically as he headed towards Bourbon Street.

A few minutes later Harry was sitting at a bar, a bottle of Coke in his hand as he examined the dimly lit club. A singer was on the small stage off to the side and there were people dancing on the floor in front of the stage. Hah, as if you could call that dancing. It is more like sex with clothes on. Harry thought rather bitterly to his own surprise. Well it is not like I can go around dating or even have a one night stand with someone when all they are going to do is run and tell the Daily Prophet for their 15 minutes of fame. Harry sighed as he looked around again. It seemed that all the people in his life either wanted to be around him to bask in his reflected glory or to lambast him as he once again fell out of public grace. Well fuck them. Harry thought before his eyes fell on the back tables.

There were several people gambling at the tables but what caught Harry's attention was the man at the table directly in his line of view. The man had shoulder length copper brown hair, black eyes and was wearing a brown trench coat over a black silk shirt. The strangest thing though in Harry's mind was that his eyes had a ring of red around them that seemed to glow especially when he did strange tricks with the deck of cards he was dealing. The red-eyed man was apparently winning the game and Harry thought it had something to do with the strange energy he was giving off. Not magic yet certainly not normal. Oh well. I suppose everyone has their secrets. Harry thought wandering out of the bar and heading back towards the apartment.

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Surprisingly Harry found himself coming back to the bar where the red-eyed man was several nights in a row. To Harry although the man was attractive and mysterious going to the bar also helped Harry avoid the nightmares that always seemed to plague his sleep. With the amount of sleep I've been getting, or rather not getting, the bags under my eyes will be the least of my worries. Harry grimaced as he looked at his reflection in the mirror before heading out once more.

As Harry took what he was now beginning to think of as his usual seat and usual drink at the bar he noticed that his red-eyed dealer wasn't at his normal table. Feeling slightly disappointed and not knowing why, he finished the last of his Coke and was contemplating leaving when someone spoke to him.

"Are ya havin' a good time then mon ami?"

Surprised Harry turned to his left and saw the red eyed man comfortably sprawled atop one of the bar stools. "What do you mean?"

"Every time I see ya, ya be sittin' 'ere drinkin' Coke 'n watchin' me deal. I just wondered if ya enjoyed yourself." The man said as he sipped his own drink and watched Harry.

"Oh, sorry if I bothered you. I liked watching you do your tricks with the cards and its funny watching the reactions of the people you seem to beat. Plus it keeps the nightmares away." Harry replied, though the last part was merely a whisper as he stared distantly over the tables.

The man studied Harry for a long moment without speaking, and then he tossed the rest of his drink back and held out his hand. "Da name be Gambit."

Harry looked at his outstretched hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it. "My name's Harry." He replied but didn't give out his last name. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone named Gambit before."

Gambit smirked causing Harry's pulse to race for a moment. "I like ta think it be unique."

Harry smiled. "I'm pretty sure that it is."

"Have ya played cards before?" Gambit asked talking hold of Harry's hand and more or less dragging him over to what Harry referred to as the red-eyed man's table.

"Ah, no not really." Unless you count Exploding Snap as a card game.

"Im goin' ta teach ya then. Let's start with poker." This was accompanied by another one of those smirks that made Harry feel like there were butterflies in his stomach.

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"So what brings ya ta New 'Awlins?" Gambit drawled one night while attempting to teach Harry blackjack.

"Oh I'm spending the summer here as my uncle is on an assignment for his company." Harry responded absently as he studied his hand. Hmmm…a King of clubs and a 4 of hearts. "Hit."

Gambit dealt him another card and then looked at him for a moment. "How old are ya 'Arry?"

Harry looked up suddenly shy. "Umm 16 but I'll be 17 in about 5 weeks."

Gambit looked a little startled and then smirked as he lay down his cards. "Tha' be 20 fo' the dealer. What ya got 'Arry?"

Looking at the card Gambit dealt him, Harry grinned. "21." He stated proudly laying down the King, 4 and newly received 7.

Gambit threw back his and laughed which made Harry's breath catch in his throat. What on Earth is wrong with me?

"C'mon 'Arry let's go somewhere." Gambit said standing up and offering Harry his hand.

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A/n: There's the first chapter of Wish Upon a Falling Star. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.