Could It Be Magic?
Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my amazing friends and loyal fans: my recommended reads are Scion of Sorcery by DZ2, Master Potter of Kamar-Taj by Ryuko monogatari, Child of the Storm and Ghosts of the Past by Nimbus Llewelyn, Magical Avenger by EricPotter97, Something Worth Avenging by A Writer's Second, Heroes Assemble by Stargon1, The Phoenix by WinterAlice, Avengers: Broken Oath by LordSlytherin120, Saviour of Magic by Colt01, Prince of Asgard by Drakenn, Harry Potter and the Revival of Soul Magic and Harry Potter: Birth of Technomancy by AlphaPheonix, Crafting Magic by kgfinkel and Harry Potter and the Mystic Sorcerer by Winged Seer Wolf
Key Pairing: Eventual Harmony;
Other Pairings: Mentions of Tony/Pepper; Mentions of Lily/Stephen; Others TBD
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
'Mental Speech'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
Knight5946: I think you mean Scion of Sorcery, but I appreciate the review; if you like this one and that other one, you might also enjoy Harry Potter and the Mystic Sorcerer by Winged Seer Wolf;
Jostanos: This chapter should answer that question for you;
WhiteElfElder: All will be revealed;
Winged Seer Wolf: In that case, here's one for you to enjoy;
Suddenly, it was like a fire had been lit in Stephen; one that surged through him in such a way that it sent his body spiralling through the astral plane, back to his physical body, just in time to see and hear Dr Palmer deliver the TOD notice.
Before she could question him, however, Stephen was gone, cloak and all, leaving her confused and a little surprised by his sudden departure.
Little did she know, he had something very important to take care of. And, once it was done, he vowed, he would make sure the more-important thing was taken care of.
Once the world was safe. For Man…for Magic.
But, most of all, for his child!
Chapter 2: Mister Doctor
Six Months Later
The south of England was experiencing one of the hottest days of the year so far.
Given the fact that every other day had been overcast or less-summery than many people would have preferred, it was safe to say that the change in weather was certainly unusual, especially since the experts had said it was supposed to rain, with increased chance of thunder and lightning.
However, the day was clear, the skies were clear and the temperatures were as high as high could be.
Not that anyone really paid attention: to them, a hot day was an excuse for beaches, barbecues and bronzed skin.
Fun and games, swimming pools, water fights, sandcastles and sunbathing until you were redder than a radish; that was the idea of the day for practically everyone who lived in the south of England.
Everyone, that is, except the little boy in the garden of Number Four, Privet Drive.
Magic
Unlike everyone else on the street, the child of eight – nearly nine – years old known as Harry James Potter – also known as Boy, Freak, Monster, Orphan and names that no child should be exposed to at such a young, tender age – was not enjoying the sunshine. While his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin were at some local BBQ party hosted by one of the parents of Dudley's thick-headed friends, Harry was left to suffer.
Suffer and tend to the flowerbeds, with a promise of punishment if the Dursleys came home and found so much as a dry leaf waiting for them.
And, thanks to the heatwave, Harry saw more than his fair share of dried leaves, which seemed to increase in number, no matter how quickly he tended to them. Not that even a perfectly-clean, healthy flowerbed would matter to the Dursleys: they would find some way of finding fault in what Harry had put all his effort into.
In other words, whatever happened, he was going to be punished for yet another thing that wasn't his fault.
Not only that, but because his relatives had locked the door, he couldn't retrieve water for the plants, much less deal with the thirst that stung the back of his throat or find a shady spot to hide from the glare of the sun as it turned the back of his neck and his face redder than a tomato.
Not that his relatives would care; ever since he'd known them, none of them had ever cared about him or what he wanted; to them, he was in the way, the black sheep and something that should have died with his freaky parents rather than force good, normal people to waste all their time and money on him.
'What money?' Harry often asked himself, scowling as he was forced to pull up the ten-sizes-too-large trousers he'd been generously given by his Uncle when Dudley outgrew them, which, of course, only happened on days ending in the letter Y, but Harry couldn't think about such things right now, at least not out loud.
He had more important things to deal with.
As he tried to gather up more dried leaves, a part of him wondering what could have happened to make the weatherman so wrong about the forecast – again, as his Uncle often complained when he wasn't complaining about Harry, other topics and, of course, Harry – the young boy paused to wipe at his forehead before he smacked his dried, dehydrated lips together.
As he did so, a wince of pain flashed across Harry's face as he felt his lips crack while he tasted blood on his tongue, and not just for the first time either, not that anyone else knew that.
He was so thirsty, and this work was getting harder and harder the longer he was out in the heat.
In truth, Harry didn't know what he could do to try and help himself out of the situation; however, as he tried to come up with a solution, if not an idea of what he might be able to do, he jumped suddenly when a strange crackling noise suddenly filled his ears.
Turning to face the noise, the little boy's eyes widened with shock, disbelief and no small amount of juvenile awe and wonder as he saw a strange golden-coloured ring of something that looked like fire, or maybe lightning, suddenly appear in the air. A few seconds later, Harry's eyes widened with even greater levels of awe and wonder when he saw a strange man walk out of the ring.
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive before – and, if there had been, Harry had certainly never seen him or anyone like him before – though when he looked at the stranger, Harry thought he looked like some sort of important man, judging by the dark clothes he wore and the stern, grown-up glare he had.
When he saw the man's eyes, however, Harry let out a little gasp as he thought to himself, 'His eyes look just like mine.'
Not only did he have eyes that were similar to Harry's, but the man also had dark hair that stuck up in all directions like Harry's did, as well as an odd-looking red cape, like one of the superheroes he'd heard some of the kids at school talking about. The stranger also wore an odd necklace with an egg-shaped charm on the end of it, which was made from solid gold.
And yet, as Harry looked at the weird necklace, he couldn't help but shiver, almost as though he was standing too close to something that could give him the Mother and Father of all electric shocks or chill him to the bone and even deeper.
As he had his moment's pause and thought, Harry saw the man look up at the house behind him before, to his surprise, the man frowned, as though he was angry or annoyed, before he looked down. When he saw Harry kneeling there, covered in dried muck and sweat, his face and neck redder than red could manage, practically dying of thirst in the heat, the man's eyes widened before, to Harry's curiosity, the stranger made several strange gestures with his hands before he threw them into the air.
For a long moment, nothing happened, but as Harry looked up, wondering what the man had done, his eyes widened in shock when he felt a fresh, chilling, but very nice-feeling cold wind blow through Privet Drive. At the same time, a gasp of awe escaped Harry when, all of a sudden, the skies turned dark with rainclouds, which started pelting the ground with their dampness and yet, to Harry's shock, neither him nor the strange man seemed affected by the rain.
Not only that, but when the little boy looked back to the stranger, he was surprised to see a large glass of fresh cola in the man's hand, which he handed to Harry with a small, friendly smile on his face.
Even though he knew better to talk to strangers or accept gifts from them, Harry's thirst won out as he grabbed the glass before he downed it in several needy, greedy and gratifying gulps.
However, as he drank down what he thought was the last of the drink, his eyes widened again when he saw the glass refilling itself, almost like that which he wasn't allowed to talk about, and yet, as he saw the glass refilling itself, Harry couldn't help but put it to his lips again as he downed more of the drink.
Over and over, the glass kept refilling and Harry kept drinking, right up to the point where his small tummy couldn't take any more; finishing his last mouthful, he returned the glass to the strange man before he finally spoke up, "Um…thank…thank you, Mr…"
"Doctor," said the man, his voice soft, but warm.
"Mister Doctor."
To Harry's surprise, the man smiled thinly, shaking his head in amusement before he added, "It's Strange, young one; Doctor Stephen Strange."
"Oh," said Harry, blushing softly as he lowered his head before he added, "Sorry, Dr Strange, sir…are…are you looking for my Aunt and Uncle?"
"As a matter of fact…" Doctor Strange began, but before he could finish, Harry's head snapped up when a fierce, familiar voice roared at him.
"WHO ARE YOU? BOY, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO EARN CHARITY AGAIN, YOU'LL BE…"
"All right, bye-bye," said Doctor Strange, earning a gasp of shock from Harry as he saw the strange ring that Doctor Strange had walked out of suddenly move, just as the mystery man waved his hand in Vernon's direction. Again, Harry couldn't help but think of the Bad Thing as he watched the ring pass over his Uncle before it vanished, taking him with it.
Once the ring was gone, Stephen turned to Aunt Petunia, who suddenly moved to shield Dudley, who looked more-interested in the cakes he was eating, before the good doctor – if he was a good doctor, since Harry didn't know – smiled thinly as he added, "Hello Petunia, it's been a while."
"Strange?" asked Petunia, a note of horror in her voice as she looked from Harry to Stephen and back again before, to Harry's bewilderment, she scoffed as she added, "I should have known you were…one of them: who else would become friends with my freak sister?"
"Perhaps you'd like me to show you exactly where your husband's gone?" asked Stephen, earning a blanched look from Petunia before the elder man scowled as he looked at Dudley before he asked, "So you treat your own like you're fattening him up for Thanksgiving, but Harry's made to look like some sort of squatter in an abandoned hovel, is he?"
"He's a freak and freaks don't get good things," insisted Dudley, spitting cake crumbs all over Doctor Strange's cape, but when he did so, Harry let out an awed gasp when he saw the cape flick the crumbs off all by itself, before part of its lowest area seemed to rear up and move towards Dudley.
At the same time, Stephen put a hand on the cape as he told it, "Behave; I know you hate it when you get a bit mucky, but at least this isn't like what happened in the Dark Dimension."
As though agreeing with its wearer, the cape returned to its normal look, though Harry was still surprised, awed and a little bit amused by what he'd seen, which was more than could be said for Aunt Petunia as she asked, "What are you doing here? She said you left her crying after she revealed she was going to marry that other freak and have this little…"
"I swear, you say the f-word one more time and you'll see what a real someone like him and I can do," interrupted Stephen, his voice edged by something that made Harry and Dudley take notice, though in the case of the latter, it was probably the first time in his life that he did so.
As Petunia paled in alarm, Stephen nodded before he added, "That's better…and, for your information, Petunia, I know what Lily said to you and everyone else, though I imagine you didn't know that she didn't say it of her own free will."
"What do you mean?"
"James," said Stephen, looking once to Harry before he returned his attention to Petunia as he told her, "He made her decide between the child growing in her belly, which was not his, and the man she loved enough to ask him…beg him to be the real Father to said child; and that child, in case you're interested, was and is Harry…and the man she loved, as even you knew, though you let us have our friendship because you wanted to believe I wasn't like her…the man was me."
Suddenly, Petunia's eyes widened with horror and disbelief as she looked to Harry herself before, returning her attention to Stephen, she asked, "So that…that would mean that…that it…he…the little b…"
"Harry is my son," answered Stephen, earning a gasp of shock from Harry while Petunia took a few steps back in alarm, fear and terror.
As for Stephen, he turned to Harry, who was looking up at him in shock and almost-tearful hope and disbelief as he asked, "Did…did you just say I…I…I'm your…you're my…"
"My son, your Father, and yes, I did," answered Stephen, though as he did so, Harry gasped when Stephen left his odd cape hovering where he stood while the man himself kneeled down in front of Harry, his green eyes reflected in Harry's green eyes as Stephen added, "And I know you must be wondering why I never came for you before now, Harry; well, I assure you, I will never leave you again. I loved Lily and was prouder than I can recall when she told me I was going to be a Father, but…then some bad things happened and…and…it's hard to explain, but…"
"Don't you want me?"
Even in the years to come, Harry would never see Stephen as angry or determined as he was when Harry asked that question: before Harry had a chance to take it back, Stephen grabbed him and pulled him close, hugging him so hard and so tight, he might as well have been a boa constrictor holding his prey in his embrace.
All the while, Stephen growled under his breath as he warned Harry, "If I ever hear you even think that, Harry, I will make you know why you should never upset a Dad who is also the most-powerful sorcerer on the planet! I did want you, and I do, but…but when the bad things happened, I lost you and I never got a chance to see you, hold you, love you or be the Father I am to you."
While Harry sniffled and sobbed against Stephen's clothes, the elder sorcerer pulled away, if only so he could look into Harry's eyes as he told him, "But now, thanks to…a very old friend's last gift to me, I…I remember everything, even your Mother asking me to be your Dad and then telling me. I have spent six long months, risked many things and taken a lot of chances in tracking you down and now, at last, I've found you and, while I will understand if you'd rather stay here, if you want a home, a family and…and everything you have always wanted to know about yourself, but were too afraid to ask, then I will give it to you in spades: I swear it on your Mum's grave…and in the name of the love I had for her."
"Don't you…" Petunia began, but a quick flick of the hem of Stephen's cape – or cloak, as Harry learned – silenced her, especially when the flick left her with a slash mark like a whiplash to her thin body.
As for Stephen, he looked into Harry's eyes as he asked, "What do you say, Harry? Will you allow me to be your Father…again?"
"Can…can I call you Dad?"
Stephen's anger and warnings faded away faster than an illusion as he smiled before he stroked Harry's cheek, "Of course you can; you can even take my name, just like your Mum wanted: Harry Strange…has a nice ring to it."
"Harry…Strange," said Harry, looking to Stephen with perhaps the first warm, gratifying smile he'd ever shown anyone.
It was a smile that Stephen was determined to see him keep, no matter what.
"You like the sound of that?"
Harry nodded.
Smiling in response, Stephen pulled himself up before, turning to a horrified, but also-angry Petunia, the elder sorcerer shielded his son from her fury, aided by his cloak, which quickly flew back to Stephen and actually wrapped Harry in its folds for added protection, before Doctor Strange addressed Petunia.
"I don't know what you were thinking in treating my son…Lily's son like he was your servant or something, but I'm warning you, Petunia Dursley: if I discover you've done any sort of irreparable damage to him, as in the damage my lot, as you'd call us, can't undo, I will be back."
"If you come back, you won't leave again!" snapped Petunia, jabbing a bony finger at Harry as she told Stephen, "He is a monster, just like the freaks on the news, and if you want him, fine: we would have probably wound up killing him anyway. Better he serve his purpose than be a freak like the bitch!"
As Stephen went to move away from Harry, however, he stopped and, to Petunia's unease, he smiled coldly before, folding his arms, he nodded once, his eyes never leaving hers as he addressed her again.
"So, if you think people like me and Harry and Lily deserve to die before we can be what we were supposed to be, does that mean you'll kill him?"
Petunia went whiter than white as she saw Stephen point a finger at Dudley, who seemed both confused and surprised by what was going on; not only because of the strange things that were happening to his favourite plaything – play-mate – but also because of how the strange man who said he was the Freak's Dad took an interest in him.
As for Petunia, she looked to her son with horror and disbelief as she gasped out, "No…not…not my Dudders…he's not a freak…he's normal, do you hear me, Strange? You are the freaks; my baby boy…"
"Is a wizard," said Stephen, earning a gasp from Dudley before Harry followed suit as Stephen added, "Just like my son."
While Petunia fell to her knees sobbing profusely, almost as though Dudley had just been told he had some sort of incurable disease, Stephen sighed once before, reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small white card, which he sent flying to the large boy.
As Dudley took the card, Stephen lifted his hands and conjured a Sling Portal, which he left open even as he addressed Dudley.
"If what I think happens now is what will happen, call that number, but I warn you now, Dudley Dursley: where we go, only real family can follow."
Then, without another word, Stephen guided Harry through the portal, though as Dudley watched his cousin vanish, he gasped when the gold ring holding Stephen vanished.
Only to be replaced by another gold ring portal, which revealed Vernon, who tumbled out onto the ground with a roar of fury;
"I have been falling…for thirty minutes: where is that freak? I'm going to make him pay for this…wait…Pet? What's wrong?"
Somehow, even in his narrow, small mindset, Dudley had a feeling this wasn't the last time he'd see his cousin.
Him or his Father.
Doctor Stephen Strange.
Chapter 2 and, hooray, Harry's been found by his real family and saved from the false one, but what is the truth of his legacy as the Son of the Sorcerer Supreme?
Also, will Dudley's odd prediction come to pass, especially now he knows he actually has something in common with the boy he used to love to terrorise?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Harry has questions, Stephen has answers and a nice surprise also gives our hero the means to get strong, be it physically or magically;
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