Title: Inheritance: SHAZAM!

Author:Joshua

Disclaimer:Hopefully to be set in Dragonhulk's "Inheritance" universe, where a costume choice in his YAHF lead to Xander discovering a hidden past as Superman's half-human son, and the resurgence of superheroes and the Justice League in a world that had all but forgotten such beings ever existed in the first place. DC Comics owns the character names and me and Dragonhulk don't have any money they can sue out of us anyway, and this is a free posting in the spirit of the famous quote, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" and that was said so many times by so many people I don't know who FIRST said it I'm afraid. Superman, the Justice League, SHAZAM, and so forth are the current property of DC Comics, while Buffy, Xander, etc, etc, etc, are Joss Whedon's and Mutant Enemy Productions, Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and this fanfic is basically just a reinvention they haven't done themselves. Yet. : )

Summary:Part of the Inheritance Series. Around the world from Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, and the Sister Cities, a young boy is chosen to inherit the power of the most powerful wizard on Earth in order to stop the Dark Lord from destroying England and the whole world.

Chapter 1:Shazam

Rock of Eternity

An old man that many would call ancient sat beneath a mountain of a rock on a stone-carved throne, elevated above a platform that held seven demonic statues on either side. His long flowing white beard flowed past his waist, tucking into his belt even, while his dark robes shone like twilight in summer, and his physical form, while not as frail as one might think, was clearly not as powerful as it once had been. Suddenly, with no other warning, the old man's blue eyes snapped wide open.

"The Dark Lord has arisen," he gasped out loud.

His voice croaked from lack of use and the wrinkles of his face deepened with sudden emotion.

"The Chosen One must be found," he continued, sitting straighter in his throne while casting his attention beyond the space that was immediately around him. Forces were stirring, lines were being drawn, and old powers were awakening. As case in present.

"The Justice Society has passed its inheritance to the next generation," the old man continued, as though observing these facts from either memory or the ether itself. "The wheel turns and the inheritance of the old passes to the new. A new league has been formed from old familiar and new alliances alike." He sighed and held his hand to his forehead in apparent weariness. "Once I might have been able to help. Once I would take care of the Dark Lord without involving anyone else... but no. It is time. Time to pass on my own power to the one worthy of inheriting it. And so the wheel turns."

That having been said, the old man, the ancient wizard and keeper of the Rock of Eternity, the Wizard Shazam turned his attention to Earth and began to search in desperation for his heir.

4 Privet Dr.

Little Whinging, Surrey

England

TWO Years After 'Inheritance'

It was the same dream every night.

A man and a woman. His parents he subconsciously knew, were panicking and running into a large room. At least it looked that way from the perspective he was shown. They ran up to him, the man facing away, towards the entrance they'd come in. The woman picked him up and then hid him behind some blankets, but he could still see what was happening in the room, which was a nursery he could now see.

Before too long something pounded against the door. The man and woman tensed. It pounded again, and again, and on the next it exploded inwards, showering the room with debris. A monster with glowing red eyes stood outlined in the shadows.

His parents screamed something, nothing he could understand, not entirely anyway.

"GET BACK YOU BASTARD!" his father screamed.

"NO! NO! NOOOOO!" his mother screamed.

There was a flash of green light that filled the whole room... and his parents were dead.

"NO!" Harry Potter screamed as he awoke from his dream. Sitting up in his bed, sweating, he slowly allowed the adrenaline to drain from his system. He sat there gasping for several minutes before he finally realized it was time to get up and get ready for the day.

Half an hour later, Harry was sitting down at the kitchen table for breakfast. A typical English breakfast of course; eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits-n-gravy, and lots of milk, orange and apple juice for everyone. He decided to stick to the bare minimum today, seeing as he was still a little jumpy from his nightmare, and loaded up with only one of each, and some vegetable juice too, while the rest of those at the table partook of considerably... more.

His Aunt, Uncle and cousin all heaped up loads and loads of it onto their own plates before devouring it like starving prisoners. Although you certainly wouldn't tell it from the sheer size of his uncle and cousin. His aunt, on the other hand, was rail-thin, but only because she was as tall as any rail, not to mention she was the one that did all the cooking. After breakfast, he told them he was off to school and left at a run, seeing as he was already late, something which was said to have inherited from his father.

Harry James Potter you see, was an orphan. His parents, famous world-travelers, although he sometimes heard the words Tomb Raider around the household occasionally, had been killed when he was still a baby, barely a year old, or so he'd been told. Afterwards, his mother's sister and her family had taken him in.

They weren't bad people, and they weren't mean to him or anything like that. Still, they were not very close. If anything, they were just living in the same house until he graduated and could afford some place else to live. But that didn't matter, as Harry was still going to be late for school, unless he really booked it!

As he passed a newsstand, he casually noticed the popular headlines that surrounded the window of the box hut. Headlines such as; "HEIR OF TOMORROW", "JUSTICE LEAGUE, HOAX or HORROR?", "SUPERMAN RETURNS!", "WILL *WONDERS* NEVER CEASE!", "NEW GREEN LANTERN, HERO OR VIGILANTE?", "STAR GIRL SHINES!", "FLASH STREAKS COLONIES!", and even "APOCALYPSE APPROACHES? 13 FOUND DEAD OF NO CAUSE" all of which had matching pictures of Superman, the whole Justice League team, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Stargirl, a blurry red streak that was said to be the Flash, and so on and so forth.

That last article he'd seen was particularly gruesome, as Harry had heard about it the night before on the late-night news. Apparently somebody had broken into a secured wing of the London Museum and murdered thirteen people. The really weird part came in that even after autopsies, nobody could find any cause for their deaths. It was as though one minute there were alive, and then the next they just dropped dead on the spot.

As he ran on past the newsstand, racing towards school, Harry allowed his thoughts to drift back towards the return of the superheroes in the Americas. He honestly wanted to believe that people like that existed. But they'd been silent, or worse in hiding for the past fifty years, ever since the end of WWII, when they should've been doing what they were meant to do. After all, if heroes were still around and hadn't been driven away by everyone else... maybe they could've saved his parents.

But still... a man that can fly, is invulnerable, and is super strong? Or somebody that can run all the way around the world in minutes? Or to even know girls/women that look like that... uh, not that he's old enough to be interested in things like that just yet. Anyway, it was a child's dream to be able to do things like that, and to see others out there that can do it, it brings hope to those that still allow themselves those dreams.

Too bad Harry had stopped letting himself daydream like that, otherwise...

"HELP!" a voice cried out, drawing Harry out of his thoughts.

Looking around, he saw a little girl, at most eight years old though she looked six, lying in the middle of the street with her foot caught in a grate, and a garbage truck slowly backing up towards her, it's loud beeping drowning out the girl's cries so the driver couldn't hear or see her. Without thought, Harry dropped his school bag and ran as fast as he could to the girl. The truck was still several feet away, but that was rapidly shrinking, plus the girl's foot was stuck and he wasn't about to break a little girl's leg! Even to save her life!

As soon as he reached her, he grabbed her foot with both hands and warned her, "This might hurt a little bit," and then began to work her foot free of the grate. Not taking the time to celebrate, he picked her up and then dove out from behind the garbage truck, literally a second before the rear end would've crushed them both. The girl was still crying in his arms, but thankfully they were both safe, so he just held her for a bit until her sniffling quieted, and he asked if she was okay. She just nodded and then wriggled out of his grip onto her feet and ran off before he could stop her, leaving behind a very confused young hero. Not that anybody took notice as aside from the garbage truck driver, there was no one else around to see what he'd just done. And the truck driver had missed the entire thing and had already driven off.

Sighing, Harry just went back to his school bag and then took a second to notice the time and cursed himself. Now he was really late!

Rock of Eternity

The ancient wizard sat on his stone throne and looked down upon the pool, where he'd just witnessed the heroic act of a young man that he knew would never be thanked for it. And rather than racing off to tell someone what he'd just done for hopes of being praised, he simply went on with his life. If ever there was, it was the display of a true hero.

"Hm," the Wizard Shazam muttered to himself, "He's definitely got bravery, I'll give him that. And while there are many that are worthy, best to mold this one into my successor rather than a man that would be tempted. Yes, he will do, he will do just fine."

"After all," he said, "I do owe it to the lad. I was too late once in his life, I shan't make the same mistake twice." The Wizard then held out his hand over the viewing pool and cast out with his magic. A giant thunderbolt struck down from the heavens and hit the pool, and then seemingly went through it to it's true target, the young boy named Harry James Potter.

Across the street from Harry's School

One minute before classes start

Harry had just rounded the corner of the building, seeing the entrance to his school and several other late students going in ahead of him, and while he might be marked as late, his destination was now within sight. Just as he stepped up to cross the street, waiting for the traffic to lighten, Harry paused. He felt something, although he couldn't say what. It was almost like static electricity, only it didn't hurt and it was all over his body. Plus, it made him feel like whenever his aunt called him down from his room. Well, not exactly, but there was a definite sensation that he attributed to being called for by someone.

Before Harry could question this feeling any further, and before anybody could actually do or say anything, the sky darkened to a stormy-gray and a massive lightning bolt crashed down, ignoring all the surrounding buildings and slammed down upon the boy standing at the side of the street just across from his school. People cried out, there was a car crash or two, but everyone immediately recognized that where they once saw a little boy standing there, nothing was left, not even ash.

Rock of Eternity

Almost in a deliberate rewind of when it struck, the thunderbolt came out of the same spot and arched up into infinity where it disappeared into the darkness, only rather than reveal the Pool of Viewing, it left behind the crouched boy, smoke and steam wafting up off him as he lay there for a moment or two. After a brief time of quiet, he finally noticed his surroundings and slowly looked around before cautiously standing to his feet. When he saw the old man sitting on the throne before him, he was thrown for a bit of a loop, at a loss for what to say or do in such circumstances.

Finally, after some minutes of anticipatory silence, Harry decided to make the first move, raised his right hand, smiled thinly and said, "Hi, I'm Harry Potter."

The old wizard sat there, staring at young Harry for several long moments, until Harry uncomfortably lowered his arm, still smiling, but no longer as confidently. "I know who you are, young Harry James Potter," the Wizard Shazam spoke in a surprisingly powerful voice. "I have been looking for you for... some time now, young Mr. Potter."

"You have?" Harry asked.

The Wizard Shazam nodded his head gravely, before sitting straighter in his stone chair and staring a little closer at the boy. "Yes, I have. I am the Wizard Shazam. I have been the Guardian and Keeper of the power of Magic since before time, officially, began. I hold residence here, at the Rock of Eternity, to watch vigil over the world and to keep the Seven Deadly Sins from running amok upon the Earth. I have seen men rise to dizzying heights, only to be struck down. I have seen Ages of Heroes come and go, until only legends remain of their deeds. I fought alongside the first in the line of Slayers against horrors the world can hardly comprehend today. I am very, very powerful, and even the gods themselves respect my name and mingle their power with mine, just as mine is mingled with theirs. I am simultaneously the world's greatest wizard and its oldest resident."

"For reasons you shall soon come to understand, I must ask that when you address me, not to call me by my name. Though it may seem rude for the moment, I would ask that you call me Wizard for now."

"Uh, all right... Mister Wizard, sir," Harry hesitantly replied.

The Wizard Shazam chuckled and laughed. "I always did enjoy that show, teaching young minds and opening them to the possibilities of the universe. Thank you, young Harry, I needed that," the Wizard Shazam smiled down at him. "Now, I trust you have some questions for me? Let's hear them then, if you please."

"Yes sir," Harry respectfully replied, before asking, "Why am I here? Where am I? And what do you need me for?"

"Ah, the ever present questions to all things," the wizard chuckled. "We've already covered who, now why, where, and what, hm? What of When and How?"

"I'm barely eleven years old, there's only so much I can handle at one time here, sir," Harry admitted.

"Fair enough," the ancient wizard chuckled once again. "As I mentioned, this is the Rock of Eternity. Suffice it to say, it does not exist on Earth, but rather outside of space and time altogether, and is a refuge for Magic, and a prison for the Seven Deadly Sins Of Man. And it is also my home. That actually managed to cover where and when together, so let's go ahead and get the easy questions out of the way, shall we? How you were brought here was through a version of magical transportation, which I cast to bring you here, and what I need you for is to hear me out and listen to me very carefully. Because now we come to the very difficult question, of why you are here."

The Wizard Shazam shifted in his seat before letting out a weary sigh. "I am old, Harry. Older than I look, which should tell you something right there. And while appearances are not everything, I am so far past my prime that I am quite literally on my death seat here. However, I hold a position of power and authority in the Grand Design, and my position must be filled. There must always be a Supreme Wizard, it is the nature of things, and maintains the Balance."

"Okay... That explains why you haven't quit, but it doesn't really touch on why I'm here, sir," the child pointed out with surprising logic.

The Wizard Shazam let out another weary sigh, the twinkling in his blue eyes much diminished. "I can no longer carry my burden, Harry. I can no longer fulfill my role in the Grand Design. Therefore, according to the Rules of Magic, I must choose my successor, and give him all of my power."

Harry may not have been the brightest bulb of the bunch, or gotten straight A's in school, ever, at all. But he could take a hint, and he was most certainly not stupid. "Whoa! Wait a minute here! I think you have the wrong person here, sir!"

"You don't understand, Harry," the Wizard Shazam whispered, before chuckling darkly. "After all, how could you? There wasn't enough time, never enough time to do things the right way. That's the one thing everyone always regrets you know. Being late, neglecting what should not be put off, not finishing things before it's too late to do anything... So much left unfinished. I did not wish to place this burden on you Harry, but things are progressing faster than expected, and we are out of time. The Dark Lord has arisen. Only the Supreme Wizard has the power to stop him, and I have faced him and others bearing the title before, but I can no longer defeat him, I am too weak and my time is nearly here. Unopposed he will lay waste to the entire world, magical and mundane alike, without a care for innocents only for power, giving neither quarter nor mercy. Only you can stop him... my successor."

Harry was no fool, but he wasn't heartless either, and he recognized a "Last Request" when he saw one. Finally, feeling with his heart rather than bothering to think this out, he asked quietly, "Why me?"

"It has always been you, Harry. I... wanted to wait until you were older, more prepared, more ready. But there is no time. Never enough time," the wizard seemed to shrink in on himself as Harry watched on. "I never wanted things to turn out this way. I just want you to know that, my boy. You were meant to be raised by your loving parents, guided and finding your way to Magic on your own until you earned my attention the way others have in the past. I was... I was too late to save your parents, and I refuse to make the same mistake again, waiting too long for something that may never come now."

"Sir?" Harry's voice quivered, unsure of what he was being told.

"It is a long story, young Harry," the wizard sighed again. "Too long to tell now. All I can tell you is that you were always meant to be my successor, my heir. There is no one else, young Harry, because it's always been you."

"But... I..." he stuttered, then asked, "C-could you have saved my parents? Could anyone have?"

The Wizard Shazam shamefully shook his head no. "Once it was done, nothing could bring them back. I saw that they were in danger and I did what I could, sent allies to aid and warn them, but... You see, young Harry, it was the last incarnation of the Dark Lord that killed your parents. I did my best, but I was too late. I was able to save you, but not them. I release your memories now."

Harry gasped as it all suddenly became so clear to him now. The nightmare, the same dream he had every night. He finally remembered the rest of it! After... after his parents had been killed, the monster with red eyes had entered the room and started searching for him. When baby Harry started crying over his parents being 'hurt', the monster had found him and was going to kill him. But before that could happen, an old man in bright red and gold robes appeared in a flash of lightning and thunder and fought the monster. The monster was slain and the blue eyed old man took the baby Harry and flew him to England and the doorstep of his Aunt and Uncle on Privet Drive. The last thing he remembered after that was the old man casting a spell on him, which Harry only realized by now must have been a block on his memories!

"You... you... you..." he couldn't get the words out, but looking upon the old wizard now, take away the beard and the long hair, and it was the same old man that fought the monster that killed his parents. "You saved me. From... that monster, didn't you?" The wizard nodded his head sadly.

"There really wasn't anything you could've done?" Harry cried, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Even with all I know now," the wizard explained, "with all the power that I possess, however much I wish with all my heart, there was nothing I could have done differently. And interfering with what has already come to pass is yet another Rule of Magic, and is strictly forbidden. If going into the past or the future was meant to happen, then under Magic's Law, it will happen, but changing what was... is impossible. I'm sorry, young Harry. I truly am."

"So," Harry sniffled a bit, wiping his nose and eyes with a handkerchief, "You said that, the Dark Lord is the monster that killed my parents? And that, it's back?"

"I'm afraid so," the wizard answered. "Do not worry however. You will not be alone, I can promise you that. Your powers will guide you and give you what you need, when you need it. All of Magic and the magical community will answer to your call, and even the gods themselves will listen to you should you need it. Still... you must do the job, so to speak, and protect people, and guard the Seven Deadly Sins Of Man. I know you can do this, Harry. I saw you, when you rescued the girl, not even bothering to ask for thanks. That is the makings of a true hero, and it is time you received your inheritance."

Harry stared at the old wizard, confused and hesitant, but in his heart he already knew his answer and a part of him was cheering for it. Finally, he took a deep breath, and asked, "What do I have to do?"

"Say my name."

He was confused, not sure what he meant at first until a flash of magical insight swept through him, and he just knew. With this knowledge, more than just the man's name, but also the magical contract he was entering into, he spoke the name with a shout.

"Shazam!"