Prologue:
Fawkes the Phoenix started his life as the first true wizard. A child of the Ori galaxy, his unique powers differed from those of the Priors and prevented the Ori from controlling him. As a young man, he began developing his powers in secrete. He began to question Origin and was not found out until his son, who did not inherit his powers, was captured in a purge of non believers.
The brutal murder of his child sparked a vow from Fawkes to never rest until all the Ori were destroyed. Following clues left behind by the Alterans, he eventually found the means to leave his home galaxy, and did so in hopes of finding a way to fulfill his vow.
Kept alive in stasis, Fawkes eventually made it to the Milky Way galaxy with the help of Merlin. Merlin believed in the threat of the Ori being something that the Ascended Ancients could not ignore, and sought to learn more about the man who had a power denied even to his own people.
Upon reaching Earth, Fawkes found a thriving human society just recovering from throwing out its own false gods. Merlin taught him much about Ascension, but this did not satisfy him. Knowing that even if he Ascended himself, he would not be able to take revenge for the death of his son, Fawkes delved further into his own power to see if it held the key. He found that his power over the energy that the Ascended beings were made of was connected to the universe in such a way that words and actions allowed him to shape it to his will.
After decades, as he neared the end of his life, Fawkes discovered that he had the ability to Ascend beyond the level of those before him. He would be to the Ori what the Ori were to mortal life. Fearing him becoming too powerful for them to prevent interfering with mortal life, the Ascended Alterans combined their power to prevent his Ascension.
The Alterans were only partly successful, and Fawkes became a Phoenix. As a Phoenix, he was beyond the power of the Ascended Alterans to kill, but his powers were limited. After centuries of rage at the Alterans, and mourning his failure, he decided to work across the eons to achieve his goal indirectly.
Fawkes was bound to the Earth, and unable to communicate directly with anyone, though he could reveal his name. The tears he shed were a concentrated liquid magic that when combined with certain creatures caused them to become magical themselves. Thus where created wizards and witches, dragons and goblins, veela and mermen, house elves and unicorns; all of which spread across the world and grew in number.
Fawkes also had baby phoenix; but to his sorrow, they did not have the mind of a human like him.
These creatures were his attempt to eventually counteract the Priors, as they would have their own power that could not be bent to the will of the Ori. Free will and human nature, however, had their own effect. Soon other creatures were also created, vampires and werewolves, dementors and snakes. Wizards also corrupted his gift, and created the Dark Arts, which he had never foreseen.
Once again, the Ascended Alterans stepped in to prevent his interference, and removed his ability to spread his magic. They could not interfere with what had already been started though, and magic thrived. Fawkes took a wait and see policy, living with worthy wizards and witches to watch how they would develop.
Among the Ascended Alterans, the debate continued, and Merlin decided to take his own actions against the Ori. Giving up his own Ascension, Merlin worked to counter the Ori directly by researching Ascension. In memory of his old friend Fawkes, Merlin also created the wand as a backup against the Priors. The wand gave the wizards and witches a new age of magic, and the name of Merlin became legend.
After centuries, the wizards decided to remove themselves completely from the rest of humanity, and their development stagnated. Alarmed, Fawkes searched for ways to prevent the inevitable extinction of his children. As he searched, the divide became worse, prejudice and hatred took over. One particularly vile man split his own soul several times in search for immortality and began to gain incredible power.
Fawkes could not allow this man to take over. With his partial immortality, it was virtually guaranteed that he would eventually encounter the Priors and the Ori, and would probably be seduced by them.
Fawkes decided to take drastic action, and chose to give up his option to Ascended to the same plane as the Alterans and Ori. By giving up this ability, he was able to temporally get around his restrictions during the resulting disruption of his life force, and he sparked the conception of a child that would be his heir for all intents and purposes.
For the parents of his heir, he chose a couple he had watched grow into admirable adults. Their record of overcoming adversity and their true love for each other would provide the perfect home for the one to continue his revenge.
Fawkes did not foresee the prophecy that set in motion the downfall of the Dark Lord, and could no longer do anything to prevent it. He watched as the parents of his heir went into hiding and then were killed; he watched as young Harry Potter was put into a home that could have turned him into a monster; he watched and could do nothing as he was beat and forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs.
Fawkes faced a choice, to allow things to proceed as they were and hope for the fruition of his plans, or to take action with one final sacrifice.
Unknown to him, if he did nothing, the boy would eventually win and settle down with his own family, never knowing his own power; leaving Fawkes to try again. If he acted, his last child would realize his potential and have a chance to direct the destinies of galaxies; at the risk of making things far worse than they already were.
In one alternate universe, Harry Potter was stunted intellectually and emotionally and never saw the hints of his potential for what they were. This is not that universe, but one in which two incredible tales will eventually merge for your reading pleasure…
—Line Break—
The Tok'ra symbiote Dax was the last child of Egeria, and her attempt to fundamentally change her children enough to finally make them different than the Goa'uld. Unfortunately, Egeria was captured before Dax reached the age where a symbiote could blend with a human. Dax was supposed to be her first daughter, and the last child she intended to bear.
Egeria was the first Goa'uld Queen to have ever broken free of the corruption of her ancestors. The genetic memory of her people was hard to overcome, something Egeria only accomplished because the atrocities of her child Anubis. Anubis was evil even compared to the rest of his race. Making his own mother a slave so satisfy his lust for power over others, Anubis caused Egeria to be his own downfall. After helping in the capture and death of her child, Egeria set out to reform her people.
Setting herself against the Supreme System Lord Ra, Egeria bred new children. Passing on her newfound understanding of the concepts of good and evil, she sent her children forth to help atone for her own past. As a Queen, she was able to give her own children a moral compass, one that would be as part of them as their genetic memory. A new Queen, however, would have been able to overcome such genetic programming; something she refused to risk.
Soon before her capture by Ra, Egeria had an idea that a new queen could succeed her if that queen did not have her people's genetic memory. Setting out to create the perfect daughter, a mother of a new race, she played with many ideas before settling on her daughter's genetic make-up.
Dax was born with only the technical knowledge of her race, and no further memory. This new Tok'ra race would learn and grow with their host's, and the blending would be different from before. Instead of two beings inhabiting a single body, the symbiote would completely merge with the host. Thinking as one with the host, symbiote and host acting as one, living one life, the new Tok'ra would never be able to revert to the monstrosities of their past. Instead of the host joining the cause of the Tok'ra, the Tok'ra would enhance the lives of the hosts as companions. If together, the new being created by the blending chose to fight the Goa'uld, it would be a completely equal choice; not the obligation of one half of the whole.
Dax was entrusted to Aurelia, a Jaffa woman especially created to nurture the new Queen till maturity. After Egeria's capture by Ra, Aurelia fled to Earth, a planet she knew Ra had abandoned thousands of years earlier. Spending years hunting for the perfect first host for the new Queen, Aurelia traveled the earth and learned much about its peoples and history. Still a primitive race, it was hard to find among them a worthy being.
Desperate to not let her charge down, Aurelia took an opportunity that had not occurred to Egeria. A young and beautiful girl had come into Aurelia's care, for Aurelia was known as a healer. Kimi was delightful, and would have made a perfect first host if she had been older. Only an adult could make the decision to blend and become a new person, this had been insisted upon by Egeria. Kimi, however, was dying and beyond Aurelia's ability to heal. Blending with Dax would save her life; surely such a choice could be made by a child in this situation.
Thus Kimi Dax was created, to the delight of all who knew the child. Creative, smart, loving to all, Kimi became a leader of her community. With a large family, Kimi Dax never thought of leaving, even to find the Tok'ra. The blending Egeria had hoped for was more complete than even the old Queen could imagine. Kimi never felt anything but grateful for the knowledge she gained from Dax, but felt no obligation to the one who created her symbiote.
For two thousand years Dax lived among her own descendants, content with his or her own children and never feeling the drive to create more Tok'ra. Among loving families, Dax did not often extend the lives of the hosts, as living longer than loved one's was almost always too painful. Each new life brought new joys and challenges, but with the leadership of Dax, her family flourished.
—Line Break—
By the time Dax's people met again the Europeans, the wizards had already gone into hiding from the rest of the world. She watched as her people were destroyed in less than three centuries, beaten back by the greed of the invaders. A peaceful person, Dax grew angrier with each new life.
Fawkes was wary of Dax, even though he knew it was only prejudice against her species. He had watched carefully to make sure that no Dax ever found out about his children, for fear it would lead to a being capable of taking over the world by force. As Dax grew more aggressive, Fawkes considered ending her life.
It was only the newest Dax that stayed his hand. Jason Dax had a white father and grew up proud to be American. Serving in the Second World War, he turned the aggression Dax had gained into a productive soldier. Getting on in age, he was now a leader that was respected; and had shown his willingness to listen to others but still get things done when needed. Fawkes had gained a lot of respect for Dax over the last few decades, and it was that respect that led him to arrange a meeting between Jason and Harry Potter.
Harry was soon to discover he was a wizard, but he was in no way prepared for the responsibilities that were about to be laid on his young shoulders. His family had been allowed to beat the life out of him and the boy would be lucky if he was able to be an average student and make even one friend. With no role models and many older wizards looking to manipulate him, Harry was no ones idea of a hero.
The combination would be risky, but the possibilities for good things being done were tempting. Having made his decision, Fawkes had to be careful that things did not go wrong again. Someone who could first unite the wizards to overthrow Voldemort and then continue on to unite the entire galaxy was hard to imagine, but Harry Dax was the only candidate Fawkes had ever found.
—Line Break—
General Jason Dax was set on enjoying a long vacation after his retirement before returning to his mother's people to help lead them into the twenty-first century. The world was changing at a pace that concerned him, having seen many indications that such a fast advancement were doing the people of earth more harm than good. While he had refused to use his advanced knowledge to increase the pace of advancement for fear of making life on earth worse, he knew his excuses would wear thin soon.
Trying not to contemplate such things, while enjoying his vacation, was proving very hard. He loved his country and wanted to improve life for many people, but knew he deserved this vacation. It was during one such mental side trip that the most amazing thing in his life (and that is saying something) happened.
A large red bird appeared before him in a flash of flame, and somehow Jason knew that Fawkes was about to change is future forever. Looking into Fawkes eyes, he felt a powerful sense of destiny, made all the more powerful by the understanding that this destiny had something to do with Egeria and the rest of the Milky Way Galaxy. Even knowing his life was about to give way to another that he had never met, Jason wanted this destiny more than anything he ever wanted before. Thinking he was following an ascended being, Jason never questioned what he chose to do next.
Jason knew where he needed to go; he knew that there was a young boy that would be the next Dax, and needed to begin that life now. Driving up the coast of England, he searched for a shack on an island that he had never seen before. Fawkes was with him the whole way, always looking in the same direction. Seven hours later, as it was just getting dark and starting to rain, he reached his destination. There was no boat, but he was able to swim the distance with no problem. It was when he reached the shore that Fawkes gave him one final look, conveying one more name, Harry Potter, and disappeared in flames, the way he showed up.
—Line Break—
Harry Potter was cold, hungry, tired, and would have been angry if he thought he had a right to. The letters that had been addressed to him were on his mind constantly; even his hunger went unnoticed in comparison. He did not know if any more would appear the next day, out here in this shack on a rock. It hurt more than he could explain that he did not think it possible.
If a responsible adult had cared to get to know this boy, Harry would have proven to be a contradiction. Typically withdrawn as would have been expected from a child with his past, his drive and ambition were well hidden but could be brought out by even a slight show of interest. He took pride in things that most children hated, which was all the more confusing since the things he secretly enjoyed were used as punishments by his family. No one may ever praise his cooking or give him credit for the state of his garden, but he knew they were accomplishments that he could be proud of.
None of that mattered now that he knew someone wanted to talk to him very badly. Uncle Vernon seemed scared by the letter sender, and anything that scared Uncle Vernon had to be good for him. The man who was supposed to care for him was hiding from whoever wanted to talk to Harry; the boy saw this as silent admission of a single fact that he had been trying to not think about for a couple years now. His Aunt and Uncle were wrong in how they treated him, wrong enough that they were BAD PEOPLE; the kind of BAD PEOPLE that the teachers told students to stay away from and call the police on.
Never having anything to compare his life to, it had taken him longer than normal to reach this conclusion and he had resisted it for too long. Now that he was beginning to admit to himself how bad his own life was, and now that he was beginning to understand that he should have a better life by the right of any child to be cared for, he was for the first time considering leaving his home.
In the alternate universe that the first person to show up on that tiny rock was Hagrid, Harry Potter had forgotten about leaving when he found out he would get to go to Hogwarts. In this universe, someone else showed up first, someone who would change his mind and help him understand that he could have everything he wanted as long as he was willing to work for it.
The knock was not a bang, but it was still loud even compared to the noise of the storm. It had just gotten dark outside and Aunt Petunia was just handing out rags that were supposed to be used as blankets. Uncle Vernon was upstairs and did not hear the knock at first. By the time Harry Potter opened the door in excitement at maybe getting his letter delivered in person, it was too late to tell him not to.
Harry stared at the man he had just opened the door for, not expecting to find him clad in just underwear and soaking wet. The smile on the old face staring at him had the boy nervous and speechless. Aunt Petunia broke the momentary spell.
"Who are you! Vernon!" The scream and then scuffle as she placed herself in front of her son brought her husband downstairs with a shotgun.
Jason Dax stepped inside and held up his hands to the armed man who looked like he was about to whet his pants in fear. Jason may have known that he was supposed to pass Dax on to the small boy in front of him, but did not know anything else and needed to calm the situation before he did anything else. Used to keeping his symbiote a secrete, he needed to lie to these people for the moment.
"Hold on for just a second there sir, I'm sorry I startled you and your family. My boat was sunk in the storm and I had to swim in and this is the only building I can see. I mean you no harm and if you can point me to the nearest place I can find a phone I will be on my way." He smile changed into a sheepish grin as he tried to convince the man with the gun not to shoot him.
Vernon, however, was more afraid than Jason realized. The wizards were after his family and had followed him once before, he did not even think for once that this man was not one of them. When he pulled the trigger on the gun, it was without even considering that the near naked man was telling the truth. His cowardly act was followed by grabbing his wife by the shirt and son by the belt and pushing them upstairs as his nephew was left screaming and crying with a stranger that was on the ground bleeding.
Jason Dax had been shot beyond even his symbiote's ability to heal. The shotgun blast included his lungs and his heart. Seeing the retreat of his murderer, he turned his attention to the hysterical boy in front of him. Harry Potter looked starved and mistreated, something Jason had not expected. That he was scared was understandable, but that he seemed to genuinely care more for the fate of a stranger than his family forced Jason to try to understand his frantic babble.
"I'm sorry sorry sorry! The letter wasn't that important, why did you have to follow us? Please don't die! How can I help you?" Harry had taken off his thin shirt and placed it against the holes in Jason's chest in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.
For the three minutes it took for the initial shock to wear off and Jason to begin to think again, the babble of the boy repeated itself along those lines. This was not how he wanted to pass Dax along, with no explanation and no choice. Never before had Dax taken an unwilling host, something that was repugnant and cruel. If it weren't a life or death situation for the boy as well as the Dax symbiote, it would never have happened. The chance that Harry would be killed to, as it was becoming all to clear from his babble about his hated uncle, was even more unthinkable than what he was about to do.
Harry stopped babbling when the eyes of the man in front of him glowed. Never having heard about such a thing, he sat confused for a moment, only catching on that the man was speaking to him from the movement of his lips. Harry leaned forward so far that his ear was less than a centimeter from Jason's mouth.
"Harry Potter, I know not of these letters of which you speak. I was led here to help you by a phoenix, do you know what that is?" Harry nodded. "You don't know me, but I need you to make a choice. I can live if you agree to take my spirit into yourself and share your life with me." Jason did not have the time to explain things fully, so that explanation would have to do.
Harry was confused and scared, but any chance for this man to live was enough for his own peace of mind. He did not understand what was being asked, but that did not matter to him because he felt responsible for his uncle's actions. He nodded his head again.
"Open your mouth." Harry did as asked.
As Dax passed from Jason to Harry, Jason's last act was to try to protect the boy. He reached into his underwear and pulled out his id, hoping that proof of his identity as a retired USAF General would stall Dursley long enough for Harry to make his escape.
—Line Break—
Vernon Dursley was at that moment out of his mind, literally. The fear of the last few days had him posing over his wife and son like a caged animal protecting his family. The only thought in his head was that they had to get out of there as soon as dawn arrived, and that maybe if he left his unwanted nephew there with a dead body it would get the boy arrested for murder. Vernon never thought someone else would show up, so never reloaded his gun, even though he clutched it in his hands until he heard the banging on the door at midnight.
Rushing downstairs again with the intention of shooting again, the door crashing down and crushing his first victim was the only thing that saved his life. Harry was passed out on the floor and the giant of a man who stepped through the threshold did not at first understand what was going on.
Hagrid was about to apologize for the door when he saw the gun pointed at him and heard the click that signaled his attempted murder. "Dry up Dursley, you great prune!" He chuckled as the ripped the shotgun out of Vernon's hands, but stopped when he noticed the boy lying motionless in front of him and the arm sticking out from under the door he was standing on.
"Merlin what have I done!" Hagrid shouted as he stepped to the side and lifted the door up. He did not notice Vernon retreat because he was too busy looking at the bloody body in front of him.
After a second, another thought had him crying out. "Harry!"
Lifting the boy and checking for damage, he noticed a lot of blood on the boy's hands and the signs of malnourishment on Harry's bare chest. Sobbing now, Hagrid carefully placed Harry on the couch and pulled out his umbrella. He paused his sobbing long enough to aim his umbrella out the door and mutter something under his breath. As a pure white stream of light left the shack on the rock, Hagrid knew that this night was not going to go anything like it should.
—Line Break—
Harry Dax slowly woke up and paused as he considered his new identity. The instant understanding of who he now was amazed him, and for a second he pondered the differences between his past lives and this one; some things were different. For one, his mind seemed to have clarified and his memories crystallized. Every memory was as sharp as if it had happened five minutes ago and his thoughts were going at a speed that amazed even him.
As his body began to catch up to his mind, he also understood how poor a physical shape he was in and why he had passed out after the blending. His senses were as improved as his mind, despite the damage of years of malnutrition and abuse. This became apparent when he heard the whispers from outside, even over the still raging storm.
"I just don't know Headmaster, but I'm certain that he was dead before I knocked the door in. There are holes in him that look to come from the gun, and I think Dursley killed him like he tried to kill me. And look at Harry; he looks like Dursley has been trying to starve him to death." This voice was comparatively loud, but the second voice was still clear.
"We need to find out what happened, is Harry still asleep?"
Harry assumed that the person with the louder voice nodded as nothing more was said before they came inside. Deciding not to pretend, Harry opened his eyes. The shock at what he saw was hopefully masked by the situation. His current vision could not be explained as the influence of the symbiote, it was far too good even for that. Like his mind, it was crystal clear, and his mind processed far more of what he was seeing than it should.
In an instant he took in the three meter giant who wore a shaggy beard and reminded him of an outdoorsman, as well as the well dressed older man with the look of a scholar and a white beard that was tucked into his belt. Both dressed in robes of all things, in a style that even Dax with his long life had never seen. The older man proved to have the softer voice when he spoke to Harry.
"Ah, I see you are awake young Harry. You probably have many questions for us, but given the situation I must ask the first questions tonight. Would you care to tell me what happened to this poor man here?" Harry understood that whoever this man was, the situation placed him in charge as the adult to Harry's child status, despite Dax's age. Besides, the man seemed to know him, even if Harry was not going to be taking anything for granted tonight.
Careful to not deepen his voice as would be his instinct, Harry replied in a child's voice. "Uncle Vernon killed him, shot him with a gun. Jason didn't do anything; he just looked scary because he had to take off his cloths to swim. Jason said that his boat got damaged in the storm and he was trying to swim ashore, he was just on vacation and didn't know this was not the shore and just wanted to use a phone." Harry was letting his youth slip through the still new influence of his symbiote. No one could know he was Dax now, so he had to lie a little and it was distressing.
Albus Dumbledore surveyed the young boy that was in front of him. It was clear Harry had been crying a great deal, something all the more disturbing because of his physical appearance. In any other situation, Albus would first have the boy clean up and had Poppy look after his health. A murder was about the only thing that would override that impulse to look after the child.
"Why did your uncle kill him Harry?" The old man with the beard asked.
"Uncle Vernon was trying to get away from someone who was sending me letters for some reason; I think he was scared of whoever was sending them. Jason did look scary, but he explained he was just looking for a phone when he came in. Then he was shot and lying on the floor, I tried to save him, I really did. He just kept bleeding and Uncle Vernon took Dudley and Aunt Petunia upstairs. I think I fell asleep after he died." Harry looked ashamed at not being able to stay up with the dead body.
Dumbledore sighed inwardly, knowing that even if it was fear of magic that drove Mr. Dursley to murder and attempted murder, Harry would never again be safe with this family. The Dursleys had left Harry in mortal danger to save themselves, something that would remove the blood wards he had cast so many years ago. Not that it mattered any longer, now that he knew just how bad the boy's home life must have been. If only he had looked closer and listed to Arabella when she warned him that things were not right in that house.
Harry was the important one now; Hagrid could deal with the Dursley's. Albus would have to put off a great many things to deal with this today, and could not afford to. Sorry that he had to do this, he sent for someone else to take Harry shopping. At least he could be the one to explain things to the boy.
Harry Dax was experiencing many strange things this night, so he did not even react to the light that left the old man's wand. In the time it took Dumbledore to decide on a course of action, Harry Dax had sorted out his own immediate priorities. First he had to know about those letters.
"Excuse me sir, but are you the one who has been sending my letters?" He asked politely.
"Yes Harry, I am, and it is time you read it." As he pulled out the letter, he continued, "My name is Albus Dumbledore by the way Harry."
Harry could wait to make this man's acquaintance; his obsession over the letter was overriding every other thought right now. What he read shocked him beyond even the knowledge he gained from Dax.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
"Is this a joke?" Harry's anger was evident in his voice, startling Albus.
"No of course not Harry, were did you think your parents went to learn to use their magic my boy?" Albus could not understand what was causing Harry's distress. The fact that he was talking to a being older even than his friend Nicholas never occurred to him and he treated Harry like a child. The fact that he was condescending for that reason did not occur to young Harry.
"There is no such thing as magic!" Harry was having very angry thoughts about the Goa'uld. Anyone passing themselves off as better than someone else because of superior technology or knowledge was bound to bring those thoughts out of any Dax.
Dumbledore was dumbfounded, never thinking that his past and history could have been kept from Harry Potter. It was only years of brining letters to muggle born students that caused him to react in the only way that would turn Harry's anger. He waived his wand in front of the boy and the room they were in was clean in an instant.
The obvious magic of cleaning spells had always been Dumbledore's favorite method to introduce young students to their new life. Not only spectacular to see, their obvious utility usually drew the most skeptical muggle out of ignorance very fast. In this old shack, it was even more effective on a being that knew how to build an interstellar warship.
"How did you do that?" Harry exclaimed with his eyes pinned to the wand. There was no metal or gems mixed with the wood of the stick the old man was holding. Almost any other spell with a singular effect would have Harry Dax dismissing it as advanced technology, but to just clean a condemned shack like that so well was too complicated for even the most advanced race Egeria had ever passed him knowledge of.
"This is a wand Harry, and I too am a wizard. Wizards need a wand to draw out the energy born in them to shape it to their will. Hogwarts is a school where you can learn to use your own magic. If you think about it, I bet you will remember strange things happening to you when you were feeling strong emotion." Dumbledore extended his wand for inspection.
Harry Dax was thinking fast, for he did indeed remember unexplainable incidents in Harry's past. They were very clear, just like all his other memories. As he searched his past, he ran across a block in his memory. Beyond when he woke up to his Aunt's screams for the first time at the age of one, his scar was somehow preventing him from remembering. That a scar was having an effect on his brain stopped him cold in his thoughts. Whoever this Albus Dumbledore was, he had answers to questions that must be asked.
"Ok, maybe I do. I still don't believe in magic, can you prove it?" He held out his hand, indicating he wanted to inspect the wand.
Albus Dumbledore was once again shocked by this boy; no one had ever questioned the existence of magic after such a display. What caused Harry Potter to be so skeptical? In his shock, he did something he had never done and would not have done if he was thinking rationally that second, and handed over his wand.
—Line Break—
This was the moment that Fawkes was waiting for, his final sacrifice. The Elder Wand had been created by one of Merlin's three son's using direct knowledge of the energy of the Wizards. It was unbreakable and in the hands of its true master would never be taken, would appear when called for, and would provide an edge against any other wand currently in existence. That was nothing next to what he was about to do to it.
In a flash of flame that startled both Dax and Dumbledore, the phoenix that had been so important to both of them appeared on Harry's shoulder. Dumbledore could only watch in horror as both Harry and the Elder wand were engulfed in a flame to hot to touch.
Hagrid tried to grab the bird off of Harry, but even his tough hands were repelled by the flame.
The Dursley's, who had been about to make another appearance, saw the fire burning Harry and hid themselves again.
The Ascended Alterans moved to prevent this interference, but found that they could not, as Fawkes had transferred his unique immunity to ascended powers to the boy.
Harry Dax felt no pain, but did have the privilege of being the first being to hear Fawkes speak on over a thousand years. "Your power is that of the ascended beings, but can be used by wizards. Learn from them, but remember your destiny is to fight the Goa'uld, for now you will be the one best able to do so in the entire universe. Trust Albus, for he is a good man and I love him, but keep your own console, for he is, like you, but one man."
—Line Break—
When the flames died down, Harry was completely naked and bald. He was also completely healthy, fit, and five whole inches taller than before. His muscles were those of an athlete and while that could have been achieved by Dax after a couple of years, the change in his bone and muscle density almost made him no longer human. It was as if he had grown up on a planet with twice earth's gravity and came from a long line of robust people. At that moment, even without the help of a symbiote, Harry Potter was the strongest person on earth.
Harry could fell and understand the changes, but that was not considered by him for the moment. He could feel the power within him that he was now willing to call magic. While he did not know a single spell, he knew why it worked the way it did. The shaping of spells with words and wands was a limitation imposed on the wizards by the Ascended Alterans. It was Fawkes joke that the wizards had become much more proficient with their gifts with this structure than they would have ever become without it.
The wand in his hand sang with his magic, drawing it forth without effort, eager to use it to its full potential. Harry Dax knew this wand was now his forever, and as he looked at the astonished face of Albus Dumbledore, he felt almost sad at taking it from the man.
Albus, for his part, was torn between incomprehensibility at what just happened and wanting to not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Fawkes just gave his life so that the Elder Wand would bond with Harry. 'For He Will Have Power the Dark Lord Knows Not,' rang in Dumbledore's ears. The Elder Wand was supposed to have been unbeatable, and Albus had known the moment he won the duel with Gellert that neither of them would ever be its true master. For Harry Potter to end up bonding with the wand at age eleven gave Albus more hope than he had had since he was a child himself. The true master of the Elder Wand was the one supposed to be unbeatable in a duel.
—Line Break—
Still in wonderment, Harry Dax stood and hugged Albus Dumbledore, for he knew how much Fawkes had loved the man. "I'm sorry Fawkes died Albus, he said to me while I was burning that I should trust you, and that he loved you. He also showed me that magic is real, I'm sorry I was so angry with you."
Hagrid had backed off into a corner, knowing that things were happening that he was not meant to understand. Albus Dumbledore was a great wizard; his phoenix was a beautiful creature; and his wand well known. Even Hagrid understood that the markings on Harry's right hand, and the fact that they extended to the wand he was holding marked the change in ownership. Maybe, the kind man thought, there really was something more to Harry being the boy-who-lived.
Albus finally started crying himself in grief for his old friend. Even knowing that the bird had loved him with such certainty was a priceless gift, never mind that a phoenix trusted him enough to recommend him to the remarkable young man he was now holding. Fawkes had always been special, even among phoenix, as could be seen by the way the others respected him.
It was to this scene that Severus Snape appeared, answering the Headmaster's summons. Taking in the scene, including the dead body and a bald, naked boy being held by the headmaster, he drew his wand. "What has happened headmaster, and what do you need of me?"
Albus Dumbledore did not want to deal with Snape's reaction to Harry just yet, and wanted to give the boy some dignity before making him face a future teacher. Still holding Harry tight, he answered. "There has been a murder in reaction to an acceptance letter, the family is upstairs and the father is the one responsible. Please go restrain them and then wipe their memories completely. I want it too look as if they had an accident after the murder, they are responsible for enough that this is more than justified, but the statute of secrecy comes first."
Severus just nodded and headed upstairs. Seeing the family, who were cowering in a corner, he stunned them completely, grateful for a chance to do this efficiently. He was surprised that the Headmaster wanted this, but asked no questions. It did not matter who these people were, they were muggles that had murdered and deserved what they got.
Back downstairs, Albus was in a bit of a dilemma without his wand. He knew he could not ask for it back, as he would never be able to use it again. His first wand was still in his rooms, but he had stopped carrying a second wand years ago. Then an idea formed; something he had been curious about for years.
"Hagrid, may I borrow your umbrella? I'm not sure I'll be able to use it, but let's see shall we?"
Albus Dumbledore was considered by many to be the greatest wizard in a century, but even he had never been able to get the best out of another's wand. The umbrella being almost as tall as he was did not help. At least the child smiled and laughed when he conjured cloths that would fit his new frame.
A silly looking old man using an umbrella for a wand was not the only thing that made Harry Dax laugh. He was a Wizard! Out of all the lives of Dax, he had been many things, but never something as strange and wonderful as this. It also was amusing that for all their arrogance, the Goa'uld never had true magic, and would give up all their realms to obtain it.
Thinking on what had been said so far, it seemed his parents were also wizards and had gone to Hogwarts. Harry had always wanted to know more about his parents.
"You knew my parents?" He asked the man in front of him.
"Indeed I did Harry, and so did Hagrid here, and Professor Snape upstairs. They were wonderful students and it was sad when they were murdered. It is..." Harry's interruption stopped him from going down memory lane.
"Murdered, but they told me my parents died drunk in a car crash!" Harry had only been bonded with Dax for a few minutes so far, but that did not excuse him from not understanding immediately that he had been lied to. Harry was getting angry again.
Concerned with the boy being so angry, Albus sought to calm him for now. Headmaster he may be, but dealing with angry eleven year olds was not something he was used to any more. "I'm so sorry you have been lied to my boy, for the truth is a tale of war and heroics. Alas, I will not be the one to tell it to you as I have much to do and this night has already taken me from business that can not wait." Albus turned to Hagrid. "Tell the boy everything Hagrid; better make a full day of it. I will collect the stone personally as your full attention needs to be on Harry. When you are done shopping, bring him to Hogwarts so he can spend the rest of the summer there. We will figure out what to do about his holidays later."
Albus looked up the stairs in thought, and decided to not leave the next task to Hagrid. "Goodbye for now Harry, I will see you both tonight at dinner. I must now go see Severus about getting this mess cleaned up."
Walking upstairs, he found Professor Snape completing the last memory charm. It was unfortunate that this must be done, but as Harry Potter's relatives these people were in a position to cause the boy great harm; it was better to leave them with no memory of their nephew.
As Albus Dumbledore arranged for the murder to be found by the local authorities, his fallibility and ignorance set in motion events that would take years to come to pass, but have a profound effect on Harry Potter's destiny. Assuming that Snape understood him and only removed the muggle's memories of Harry Potter, he did not understand the scrutiny they would be placed under when three people simultaneously forgot who they were at a scene of a murder of a USAF General on terminal leave. The missing Harry Potter would be found to have been an abused child and become a person of interest to the USAF, as well as British authorities. The Zat'nik'tel found on the dead General's body was more Harry Dax's screw-up than Dumbledore's, but would eventually bring about the meeting of Harry Dax and General George Hammond, an old friend of General Jason Dax.