Scion of Sorcery: The Avenger of Hogwarts
Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Notes: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone who enjoyed the original version of this story: my recommended reads are Trickshot, Reborn, Raven, Widow's Vengeance and Wands and Claws by JustBored21, Man of Iron, Child of Magic and Child of Iron, Goblet of Fire by Zathara001, Master Potter of Kamar-Taj by Ryuko monogatari, Child of the Storm and Ghosts of the Past by Nimbus Llewelyn, Harry Potter: Wizard of Kamar-Taj by Trace Carter, The Rise of the Last Potter by HPfanfictioner66, Harry Potter and the Lightning Lord and Saviour of Magic by Colt01, Knight Errant and Harry Potter and the Shadow of the Demon by ArlyssTolero, Harry Potter The Protector of Magic by TigerSwarm9122, Two Sides to Every Galleon by GJWickham and Magical Origins by Dante 2K-25
Key Pairings: Harry/Daphne; Stephen/Christine;
Other Pairings: Tony/Pepper; Thor/Jane; Others TBD
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
'Mental Speech'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
Silverdragonstar: I confess: when it comes to powerful Harry stories, I just have to have Filius as an ally, even if that's dark-sided;
Nagiten: So, I suppose what I should have him say is…hmm…see the end of the chapter
Vampireking40: Oh, rest assured, I have a plan for the idiot and his toadies, as well as the Queen of Pink Warts;
"I'm not Harry Potter, sir," argued Harry, smiling proudly as he added, "Thank you for the talk…and for your discretion."
"Good luck, Master Strange," said Filius, earning another smile from Harry as he left the class, leaving the goblin professor curiously-interested at the prospects of what the future could hold for this talented young man.
Whatever it was, woe betide anyone who chose to stand in his way.
Chapter 6: Snape vs. Strange
As the end of the first week came around, those who'd come to admire, if not at least tolerate his presence couldn't help but notice how Harry seemed to have become content with the idea of being someone with both challengers and accepters to his special gifts.
Unbeknownst to many of them, however, the young sorcerer also found himself wondering when things would take a turn for the worse.
After all, if there was one thing he'd noticed about his Father's life, both as Sorcerer Supreme and as an Avenger – if not liaison, as he remembered Uncle Tony saying Fury called Doctor Strange – it was, when he wasn't mentoring Harry or watching over Kamar-Taj, he was off dealing with some threat to Earth or the many Dimensions of the Universe on an almost-weekly basis.
Of course, Dr Strange had said on many occasions that Fatherhood in it of itself was a kind of adventure that took up most of his time, but it was an adventure he enjoyed going on every day of every week of every month of every year that he had known and loved his son.
Still, despite the fun he'd had toying with McGonagall and being able to release his magic in a way that showed these medieval, Dark Age ingrained weirdoes what real magic looked like, Harry was rapidly growing bored, which was a bad thing.
Well, it was bad for anyone at Hogwarts, anyway.
However, on the Friday of his first week, Harry found someone who he could toy around with, especially since they didn't seem too likeable in the first place because, whenever they looked at Harry, they seemed to think he was someone else.
Well, unfortunately for Professor Severus Snape, the heir to the Sorcerer Supreme wasn't as pig-ignorant or as forgiving of any attempted mistakes on his person, let alone because of someone else's ego being so swelled up that they chose to see him for someone he wasn't.
Let the games begin…
Scion
As Harry sat down at breakfast that first Friday morning, taking his usual place with the Gryffindors instead of his Slytherin Housemates, it was Neville who noticed it first as he saw Harry looked a little…different this morning…
And he meant different in a scary way, at that.
"Um…Harry?"
Looking up from his breakfast of strawberries-in-porridge, Harry saw his only real friend in the Lion's Den watching him worriedly, but Harry didn't seem concerned by that fact.
"What's wrong, Neville? You look like you woke up with the Hulk in your bed this morning."
"As usual, I'm going to pretend to understand what that means," muttered Neville, unaware of the eyes of one or two Muggle-borns, including a certain pain in Harry's butt, widening with shock at the reference. "But what's up with you? You look like you're either going to cause world-changing chaos or you're really a cat who's just been given a lifetime supply of canaries to eat."
"Meow," drawled Harry, earning a few titters from those near him, including a wary-looking Neville and a certain amused-looking pair of redheads.
That being said, even those who suspected the truth of Harry's power let out a soft laugh as they too noticed the shark-like smile that was fixed on the face of the Sorcerer Supreme's Son, his green eyes shining like wildfire in his face while even his familiar was in a good mood as she allowed others to pet her while she joined her human friend at the Gryffindor table.
Harry, on the other hand, lifted an eyebrow as he drawled, "Sorry: first of all…yuck: if anyone's going to eat canaries, I'd think it'd be your Head of House, but I digress; and as for the second bit, can't a guy be in a good mood on a day that he guarantees is going to be fun for all, even some of you stuck-up Lions who think I'm the Devil's Curse on Hogwarts and Britain?"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Ron Weasley, earning a scoff from Harry as he looked to the redhead.
Seeing him wolfing down food with his usual lack of table manners – one of the things Harry didn't like about the guy – the young sorcerer sighed before he answered, "Before I answer that question, Mr Weasley, would you mind swallowing instead of spitting? I mean, it's good practice for when you're older, but the rest of us didn't ask for dinner and a show, especially when said show is dinner."
While Ron looked at Harry in shock, seeing an attempt at civility rather than his usual barbarous version of sarcasm, the boy gulped his breakfast before Harry, heaving another sigh, went on, "Thank you…now, I'll answer your question with a question: who do the Gryffindors loathe more than anyone else in Hogwarts, including me and my Housemates?"
"Snape?" asked the Weasley Twins, but their question earned an automatic response from Granger.
"Professor Snape."
Ignoring the girl's outburst, Harry nodded to the Twins as he added, "Cigars for the gentlemen: yep, Professor Snape is Public Enemy Number One, DoAPD on the list of Gryffindor's Most-Hated."
"DoAPD?" Asked Dean.
"Dead or Alive, Preferably Dead," replied Harry, earning a horrified look from Granger, while a few Gryffindors actually laughed as he added, "Given how much you lot despise him and his ilk, I'd have thought it was an appropriate title for the Man-Bat of Hogwarts!"
"Yeah, but only because he's a biased git of a greasy hairball who can't see the Slytherins for the monsters they are!" spat Ron, earning a shrug from Harry as he added, "I mean, he'd probably even scold you because you don't bend over and kiss their asses like the others in the Snake Pit do, Strange: and what was that BS about calling you Potter too? I mean, you're not Harry Potter; no-one even knows what happened to him, so why does he think you're the Boy-Who-Lived?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Mr Weasley," drawled Harry, giving a sly wink to Neville, which also masked his displeasure at the use of the memory-disgracing nickname.
Neville, meanwhile, smiled worriedly as Harry looked back to the Gryffindors, especially his honorary brother, as he went on, "Anyway, as I said, to answer your question about my smile, Neville, let's just say I'm going to have some fun with Professor Snape and his bias. And, when I do, I think that the level of fun I intend on having might just see me lose this crest on my robe…I hope not. Then again, you know what they say about fools learning and counting chickens."
Perhaps for the first time all week, the Gryffindors looked appreciatively and with excitement in their eyes at the outsider in their ranks.
At the same time, however, Granger, ever the buzzkiller around Harry, scoffed as she asked, "And how are you going to cause trouble this time, Strange? Your cheating ways won't work in Potions, because there's no spell work involved: honestly, don't you read?"
"Aww, really?" asked Harry, mocking disappointment evident on his face as he scoffed, "Well that's thrown a wrench in my plans…"
A few of those closest to Harry also groaned, one or two of them looking at Granger with loathing for ruining their fun before Harry began sputtering before he let out a loud, raucous belly laugh that made several people look at him as though he'd lost his marbles, whilst Harry slammed his hand against the table, waving dismissively in the insufferable know-nothing's direction as he laughed.
"Oh…oh, I'm sorry…so sorry, but…but I…I couldn't keep a straight face…I couldn't help it: I mean, honestly, it's priceless…and maybe just a little cute that you honestly think you know how my magic works, Granger."
Suffice to say, the brunette looked alarmed at the prospect of what Harry had planned while the junior sorcerer went on, "I mean, all right, as I'm sure you remember from your Head of House's lesson, my magic doesn't need foolish wand waving, silly incantations or pathetic excuses for rules and guidelines other than those set down by the Ancient Forces that govern the power, but that doesn't mean it's as helpless as you lot stuck here in the Dark Ages might think."
While Granger huffed, once again choosing to believe herself over the truth staring her in the face, Harry smirked as he looked back to the other Gryffindors as he added, "And, besides, Potions does involve some spell work; stirring the pot, heating the flames, ensuring that any and all explosive possibilities are contained to your cauldron and, ideally, a knowledge of Healing Magic and even mild Cutting and Kitchen Applied Charms is necessary to be a true Potions Master and not…whatever he is!"
He indicated Snape, who seemed to be watching Harry like the stalker he was as the young boy sniggered before he applauded mockingly, "But I applaud you for trying, Granger; maybe you're not as uselessly-impotent as old Thunderball…ooh, bad reference, naughty Harry!"
He slapped himself on the hand, earning dumbfounded looks from the others as he added, "You know Mum loves those movies; how dare you compare that biased, power-mad prick to a legend like Old 007: really, bad form, sir!"
'Harry?'
Pulled out of his self-punishment by Mana's cautionary whisper, Harry reached down and petted his familiar before he looked up to the Gryffindors as he asked, "But, I'll tell you what, ladies and gentlemen: since someone who clearly thinks she's the next Rowena Ravenclaw knows more about what I'm capable of than me, how about we make this day a bit more interesting?"
"A bet?" asked the Weasley Twins, whilst Granger once again sulked like a child spitting her dummy out – completely ignorant to the fact that the only real reason Harry kept going after her with an attitude worthy of his favourite uncle was because she was always sticking her nose in where it wasn't wanted or needed – as the Twins moved from their seats to sit either side of Harry and Neville, the one on the left of Harry smiling just like Harry had been while the one on the right asked, "What do you have in mind, Strange?"
"Well, my dear children of the Great Prankster Prince, Loki," replied Harry, again noticing a few people blanch at the reference, while Granger's eyes darkened with hatred at the praise for the Trickster – again, almost as though she knew he wasn't just making references – he went on, "How about…off the top of my head: how about, if I can make Slytherin lose at least fifty points with old bats-in-his-belfry, the right honourable Professor Snape? If I manage to do it, then you Lions must let me spend as much time as I want with my friends in Gryffindor, including giving me the year's password to Gryffindor Tower!"
"Now see here…" Percy Weasley began, but he was cut off by the one on the left of Harry putting his hand over the prat's mouth.
"And smell, taste and touch too, Weasley, well done, you know the five senses," drawled Harry, earning more laughs from the Twins.
"And if not?" asked the one on the right of Neville, earning a shrug from Harry.
"If not," said Harry, heaving a dramatic sigh while he scratched his head in a look of mocking thoughtfulness before he smiled as he explained, "If I can't make Slytherin lose more points than in recorded history since Old Man Greasy took over, then, on my honour, and in my Father's name and the presence of Mother Magic…"
Even the loud-mouthed moron that Percy Weasley was couldn't resist staring at Harry in alarm and disbelief as the young sorcerer put one hand on his heart and held the other up, like he was swearing on the Bible, as he went on.
"…I, Harrison James Stephen Strange, do solemnly swear that I will not only leave Gryffindor alone…for good…and return to Slytherin House, but, for reasons I will never understand, I will also relinquish my ability to use my magic as I do, meaning using it as it was meant to be used by a real master of the Mystic Arts. And, instead, I shall relinquish myself to the macabre, medieval ways of foolish wand waving and silly incantations for the rest of my Hogwarts life!"
Even the staff of Hogwarts felt the rippling wave of magic that filled the Great Hall as Harry finished reciting his vow.
Once the magic recognised his words, Harry clicked his tongue before he looked to the Twins as he added, "There; now I have no choice, but to honour my word. So, let's hope I can do what I say I can, because, honestly, having to be any less of me would be a real shame because I can only imagine the mischief I could get up to with the right kind of chaos-loving, fun-creating and imaginatively-minded friends by my side: why, who knows? With my power and their resources, together, we'd be a force to rival those other guys…what were their names again? It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't quite reach it…hmm…do you know, Neville-mate?"
"The…Marauders?" asked Neville, earning shocked, even horrified looks from the Twins while Harry snapped his fingers at his friend.
"That's them," answered the young sorcerer, running a hand through his hair as he laughed, "So, if I can't make Snape blow his top, I can't make them proud that their legacy of lunacy goes on in me and the ones who seem responsible for chaos around here…that's you two, by the way, hello."
He pointed to the Twins as he said the last part before, while whispers rose up along the Gryffindor Table at the crazy, if not borderline-insane risk that Harry was taking, the mail arrived; as many differently-sized parcels and letters were given to the owners of the owls, a collective gasp of awe and curiosity settled over the hall as a beautiful red-feathered bird flew into the hall with the owls.
As several heads looked up, the beautiful creature began circling the hall before it flew down to the Gryffindor Table, perching itself on Harry's lap, much to the surprise of the Gryffindors while Harry looked at the bird with respect and appreciation.
However, before he could say anything, Harry heard the most-unwelcome voice speak, "That's a phoenix! They're unbelievably rare. I've read all about them…"
"Well, Bully for you," said Harry, though his eyes never left the golden-coloured eyes of the phoenix on his lap before, to the bewilderment of the others, Harry inclined his head respectively to the bird and, lifting a hand, he asked, "Greetings, noble Life-Guardian: may I have the honour?"
"What are you talking about now, Strange?" asked Granger, but, this time, Harry ignored her in favour of watching as the phoenix let out a trill of positive emotion, which caused Harry to smile as he started stroking the bird's plumage.
At the same time, Mana spread her own wings with a cry of greeting and bowed to the phoenix, who inclined his head in response to her, earning a knowing smile from Harry, who continued stroking the beautiful creature's crimson plumage while he looked to a starstruck, if not envious-looking Granger as he filled in the blanks for the peanut gallery.
"You know, I'm sure I've proved this true a few times already this week, Granger, but since you're as slow as Jameson's moustache growth rate, I'll say it again: you can read all about it as much as you like, but, no book, no matter how rare or detailed, can compare to the real thing!"
"Then how will you learn? By cheating?"
"What is it the kids are calling it these days, Miss Idiot? Oh yes, that's right; magic," drawled Harry, now gently running a finger over the crown of the phoenix's feathers as he went on. "As it happens, I learned all about the real honour and might of these beautiful creatures, courtesy of having the honour of visiting the Fire Heart Caverns themselves and hearing the song of the Dawn Queen."
"The what and the who?" asked the Twins curiously, watching as Harry then noticed that the phoenix carried a letter, which the sorcerer removed from its talons while he looked to his companions.
"The Fire Heart Caverns are the oldest phoenix nests in the world," said Harry, earning awed looks from the others as he explained, "In fact, it'd be more-appropriate to call them a Phoenix Reserve, just like the ones in Shangri-La, Wakanda, the depths of the Amazon and, of course, Romania."
"Our brother works there," gasped Fred, earning a surprised look from Harry that showed genuine surprise.
"Really? Well, if he's anything like you two, I look forwards to meeting him. Now, as I was saying, the Caverns are a well-guarded, heavily-fortified reserve, protected by the best of the best in the International Confederacy of Wizards: as for the Dawn Queen, she is, as her name suggests, the Queen of All Phoenixes. Her flame burns so brightly, she is caught in a permanent Burning Day, hence the beyond-top-level protection required for the caverns, because, in a nutshell…"
"She's immortal," whispered Neville, earning a nod from Harry as he asked, "How did you get to visit them if they're so well-guarded, Harry?"
"Meh, I know people who know people," answered Harry, earning sniggers from the Twins while unsurprisingly, Harry saw Granger looking like a kid who'd just seen another kid get a bigger, better Christmas Present – she could have rivalled the Hulk with how green she looked – though Harry kept his attention on his friends as he continued his explanations. "But that's not important: like I said, there's reading about these ancient creatures of flame and life from books…and then, there's the real deal, which means I also know how to treat these graceful masters with the respect they deserve and I understand the true meaning behind their esoteric life-force."
"The…true meaning?" asked Granger, but Harry shook his head in response.
"Sorry, kids, but here endeth the lesson," said Harry, removing his hand from the phoenix at long last, before he kissed the tips of the fingers he'd used to groom the bird's feathers as he addressed the phoenix. "Thank you for letting me groom you, Fawkes: I pray to the Living Fire that I have the honour of doing so once again: may your song last for all Light."
"How do you know his name?" asked Neville.
'I told him,' replied Mana, earning a nod from Harry, while Neville blanched, as though he'd actually forgotten that the thunderbird could communicate in such a manner – though, seeing as how no-one else reacted, he guessed she'd only told him that, while Harry just shrugged in response, for the sake of everyone else, as Fawkes let out another trill before he flew off.
Harry, meanwhile, looked to the letter in his hand before, cracking the seal, he read the enclosed information, which seemed to be important as he clicked his tongue before, scrunching up the letter, he disintegrated it with a wisp of magic, earning yet another envious glare from Granger.
Which, naturally, Harry ignored, in favour of being courteous and warm with his friends.
"Bad news?" asked Neville.
"Depends on your definition," said Harry, looking from the Gryffindor Table to the High Table as he added, "But let's just say that my free afternoon just became a not-so-free afternoon, which reminds me, Neville, have you managed to contact S…uh, I mean, Lord Black about what we talked about the other day?"
"Yes," said Neville, lowering his voice to a whisper as he added, "He's told me he would like to meet you before he makes any decisions about what we talked about, but he'd also like to have a chance to talk to you about…about the past and the future."
"When?"
"Tomorrow, if you can make it," said Neville, earning a curious look from Harry as he added, "Unless we have specific things that need to be taken care of, our weekends are our own and, as long as we have permission from our Head of House and/or our guardians, we can leave for family business, but only as long as we're back before nightfall."
A look of discomfort crossed Harry's face as he asked, "So, what you're saying is, I'd have to ask Snape and you'd have to ask McGonagall?"
Neville shrugged, while Harry scoffed, "Given how they both have a bit of a problem with me, it'd be easier to try and get J Jonah Jameson to call himself a Spiderman fan."
"And, once again," said Neville, although he laughed as he added, "I'll pretend I understood that."
Scion
After breakfast, Harry left before the rest of the students, making his way down to the dungeons so that, despite his wishes to do otherwise, he could return Mana to the dormitory, which she agreed wasn't something that she would enjoy since she too suspected that Snape was going to be a problem for Harry, but she relented when he promised he'd have her with him afterwards.
Once he was done in the dormitory, Harry made his way to the Potions classroom where, unsurprisingly, he found the other Slytherins waiting for him and their Head of House, one or two of them giving Harry wary looks, especially Parkinson, who averted her gaze from him.
As for Daphne, she greeted Harry with a friendly air before she asked, "Are you ready for this? It's not going to be easy given…"
"I know it's not going to be easy," argued Harry, cutting Daphne off before she could say anything that he didn't want people to misinterpret as he added, "But it's going to be fun: mind you, I should probably apologise…"
"For what?" asked Daphne curiously, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she asked, "You're not going to cause trouble for us, are you, Harry?"
"Yeah," said Harry, a note of inevitability in his voice as he added, "But I'm not apologising for that: you see, what you'd call trouble, I call fun. No, I'm offering a bit of a pre-emptive apology because our House is going to do something it's not done before: get in trouble with our Head of House."
"So, you're going to disgrace our House further, are you, Strange?" asked Theo Nott, earning a shrug of feigned apology from Harry. "Have you no limits to how low you'll sink? You smear our name and…"
"And I betray blood, dine with mud and choose to stick you all in piles of crud, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah, bigotry, bigotry, bigotry," sighed Harry, gesturing with one hand as though he was saying that he'd heard it all before.
While Nott was silenced, Harry sighed deeply before he asked, "So, are you guys going to deal with the broken record player anytime soon? I know a few good electricians and technological masters who'd be happy to do it at a reduced price."
"What are you talking about, Strange?" snapped Millicent Bulstrode, "You know, you're always spouting nonsense about things we're just supposed to understand: I think I finally see why you're called Strange, because you're crazy, insane and just plain weird."
"When do we get to the bad stuff?" finished Harry, earning a few titters from the less-inclined members of the group.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Malfoy also sniggering under his breath, earning a small smile from the Junior Supreme as he added, "But is it my fault that you're all stuck so deeply in the Dark Ages that you don't recognise the better options and the common world when you hear of it? By the Allfather, even MACUSA accept the differences and they once tried to segregate No-Maj and magicals until they, like the rest of the world, were forced to accept that the Bard's right when he said: there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
"Shakespeare?" asked Draco, surprising Harry with the fact that he, along with a few others, knew of the man.
"Yeah," said Harry, indicating the door as he added, "And as much as I'd like to talk tragedies with you lot, we'd better get inside: after all, I guess I owe it to my friend, Miss Greengrass, and her more-neutral peers to at least try to seem normal before things take a turn for the crazed."
While Bulstrode, Nott and even Parkinson glared at Harry with suspicion and loathing, the young sorcerer walked into the Potions classroom, taking a seat right at the front of the class.
To his bewilderment, he was joined by Daphne and Draco before, a few seconds later, the Gryffindors turned up and made their own way to their seats, Neville sitting with Harry while the others moved to seats that were available.
As everyone waited for the arrival of their professor, Neville leaned in close as he whispered, "The Twins wanted me to give you a message, Harry: please don't lose the bet; not only because of your vow, but because of what it'll mean if you do."
"Hey, be your guardian's first name, Neville…come on: if they think I will, they're fooling no-one but themselves," chuckled Harry, brushing a hand through his dark hair as he added, "By the way, I don't think you'll need to talk to McGonagall about tomorrow because, let's just say I've got a way to get away before that mange-infested hairball can stop us."
"I don't want to know," scoffed Neville, rolling his eyes as he added, "Well, all right, I do because you're not meant to be able to Apparate into or out of Hogwarts, but where you're concerned, Harry Strange, I don't want to know: instead, I just accept it: you are impossible."
"Not impossible," argued Harry, feigning hurt as he shrugged, "Just a bit unlikely."
Before Neville could say anything else, however, he was cut off by the door opening and, as the room fell silent, a low-toned voice cut through the silence, announcing the arrival of the Head of Slytherin as he walked forwards while he gave a pretty-impressive first-lesson speech.
"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class: as such, I don't expect you to understand the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition…"
He seemed to trail off as he reached the front of the class, his eyes looking to Draco, who seemed in awe of the man for reasons Harry couldn't understand, not that he tried to understand them either. Instead, he watched and listened as Snape, folding his arms with a gesture that, thanks to his flowing robes, made Harry think of a bat folding its wings while he continued.
"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses: I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death."
Whispers rose up in the class while Harry, deciding that he had heard enough, put his head down on his arms, deciding to follow the example of students in another class as he started to snore lightly, feigning a look that he had fallen asleep because of the man's droning voice and the lack of interest in what he was saying.
After all, if this medieval place actually taught first-year students any of that, then maybe they wouldn't be so out-dated and worthless to the other parts of the world where they taught real magic.
Heck, the ability to put a stopper in death wasn't even Potions-based: a decent Stabilisation Spell or a good, well-trained Healer could do that with a few choice gestures and, in the case of these wizards, a few good words, accompanied by foolish wand-waving and silly incantations.
And then again, there were also technological advancements made among the No-Maj that could do something similar – heck, Harry couldn't recall how many times his Dad had talked about SHIELD ensuring almost-fatal injuries were left treatable because of their tech – not to mention his Uncle Tony himself being still alive, albeit with the equivalent of a nuclear reactor in his chest.
As Harry half-feigned boredom, however, he smiled when he heard Snape address him directly, "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough…to not…pay…attention!"
Feeling someone – Neville, he guessed – nudging him, Harry lifted his head, smacking his lips while he yawned before he asked, "Oh, sorry, did I fall asleep? Sorry, I couldn't help it…I mean, that voice of yours was so soothing, Professor: have you ever thought of a career reading children's bedtime stories on tape or CD? You'd be famous with that voice…I bet you've got a good singing voice too."
"Mr Potter…" drawled Snape, cutting Harry off while, at the same time, more whispers rose up as the man used the name, but Harry didn't seem to notice. "Our new celebrity: tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?!"
As someone behind Harry – likely Granger, he guessed – threw their hand into the air, Harry frowned before he looked around, his eyes scanning the faces in the room before he asked, "Hey, I think the teacher asked someone a question…"
"Mr Potter!" spat Severus, earning more gasps from the others in the room.
"Potter? Potter? Who's got the Potter?" asked Harry, his eyes filled with curiosity and bewilderment as he held up an imaginary radio microphone as he went on, feigning a tone used in hospitals as he asked, "Psst…Paging Dr Potter; you are required in the Potions Classroom. Mr Potter, come on down…it's time to play the Price is Right! Paging Dr Potter, Dr Fine, Dr Howard…"
"Mr Strange!"
"Yes dear?"
As Harry spun back round to look at Snape while his slanderous, if not surprisingly-quick remark earned a few laughs from the Gryffindors.
Snape, however, glared at Harry, who just smiled before he asked, "Did you want me to answer that question, Professor? Certainly, but, for future reference, my name's Strange…anyway, powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood creates a sleeping draught so powerful that it's known as the Draught of Living Death."
While Snape glowered at Harry, the young sorcerer frowned thoughtfully as he asked, "Mind you, now I think about it, I think that's an interesting question to pose to a first-year, Professor Snape, especially when you intended to ask the unknown Mr Potter that question. I mean, we only learn that potion in our NEWT year…or rather you do: who'd call them NEWTs anyway? Kind of an insult to newts, if you ask me…"
"Harry, you're pushing it," whispered Neville, an air of fear and intimidation in his words as he saw Snape's murderous look.
Harry, however, looked to the Potions Master as he asked, "Or, again, given you wanted to ask someone called Potter that question, I wonder: are you trying to say something about something someone else wouldn't understand, Professor? You see, by my understanding, if I remember my floral studies lessons with my Potions Master, asphodel is a variety of some other plant: a lily, I think…"
Snape's eyes widened in horror as Harry went on, "And wormwood, which is bitter, is also used as a symbol of intoxicating regret while asphodel is also associated with death: is there someone's death you regret, Professor Snape? Someone with the name Lily perhaps? I can't imagine why; it's not like you put the wand to their skulls yourself, right?"
"ONE HUNDRED POINTS FROM SLYTHERIN!" Screamed Severus, his voice filled with desperation and outrage as, just as Harry predicted, the man drew his wand from his robe, practically slashing his wand in the direction of the door as he exclaimed, "Get out of my class now, Strange! How dare you think you can talk down to me about things you do not understand! And how dare you upstage the class with your arrogant desire to be an insufferable know-it-all!"
Picking himself up from the desk, Harry sniffed once before he told Severus, "Well that's fine, but since we're talking about dares: how dare you ask a question that no British first-year in this medieval world could possibly answer? Well, except Granger, but we've all realised by now that she wipes her ass and sleeps with books and pages, so that's not important."
"Get out!" snapped Severus, "And if you ever show off your arrogance in my lesson again, I will see you expelled, do you hear me, you arrogant little brat?"
"Oh, I hear you," said Harry before, to the bewilderment of the others, he made several gestures with his hands; to the shock of the students, what could only be described as a gold ring appeared in the room, which flew backwards, taking both Harry and Professor Snape away.
While everyone else, including a practically-rabid-looking Granger, asked what had happened – since, to everyone else, it looked as though Harry and Severus had disappeared – in the Mirror Dimension, Harry dropped all pretences and cast off his mask for the shocked, alarmed Potions Master to see, which meant that Severus could see the real Harrison Strange, a side of him no-one else had seen all week, not even McGonagall.
With his mask dropped and his true self revealed, Harry's eyes burned with fires of emotion as he addressed the man in a powerful voice.
"But in the meantime, Professor, you hear me!"
Without bothering to consider what might happen as a result, Harry conjured an Eldritch Whip and used it to hold Severus in place, almost like a fish on a hook, which Harry lifted into the air, his green eyes filled with new fire as he hissed, "As you continuously proclaim, I'll now confirm it: I am Harry Potter, but only in the adopted sense!"
"WHAT? NO! YOU'RE POTTER'S BASTARD! I KNEW IT!"
"Funny," drawled Harry, moulding the Mirror Dimension into a set of stairs, which he climbed so that he was looking Snape in the eyes as he went on, "Because there's a lot of things I know too, Snape: for example, I know that, despite what happened with my mother, Lily Potter, and my birth Father, Doctor Stephen Strange, my adoptive Father, James Potter, loved me like the son he never had. He loved me, raised me and cared for me in the short time we were together and, for that, I will always hold that love in the highest regard!"
To Snape's alarm, the strange realm they were in seemed to crackle, as though magical lightning had suddenly filled the space between them, as Harry hissed, "However, as Dumbledore knows and as everyone else believes, I am Harry Strange, son of the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Stephen Strange and the woman you claim to feel regret for! Although, I don't know why you'd regret her death, unless…"
As he left the point hanging there, Harry saw Severus' eyes widen with horror, while Harry's eyes burned like the Killing Curse incarnate as he growled, "Whatever…the point is: Severus Snape, this will be your one and only warning: if I find out you had anything to do with the events leading to my Mother and my adoptive Father's death, I will make you suffer in such a way, you'll wish you'd never even seen me again, let alone deluded yourself into thinking I am anything like James Potter."
Here, he smiled as he added, "Because I'm not…I'm worse!"
While Snape was left unable to respond, mostly because his arms, and wand, were bound by Harry's whip, the power of the Junior Supreme caused the Mirror Dimension to spin like a kaleidoscope, while Harry, seeing the fear in Snape's eyes, smiled coldly as he went on.
"Nauseating, isn't it? Well, for your information, we're not in your realm anymore; we're in mine, figuratively-speaking! And, if you try anything to delude yourself into thinking you have a victory over a man who was, in every way, better, braver and more-human than you or any of Dormammu's fiends, I promise you: this will be the least I leave you in. and, trust me, no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations will save you in here…so get the hint, Snape: grow up or go to Hell!"
While Snape was left borderline-sickened by the distorting, disorienting and dizzying effects of the spinning Mirror Dimension, Harry quickly summoned a Sling Portal – just like he'd once heard his Dad had done to someone he didn't want to have to use against Snape, because he'd probably kill the grease pit – and transported them back to the Potions Classroom.
As Harry touched down, he heard more than a few gasps of alarm and disbelief while, as he turned, he also heard Snape vomiting heavily, shaking and gasping feverishly before, at long last, the Potions Master collapsed, his face paler than pale and his eyes wide and borderline-glassy.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Thundered Granger.
"I'm afraid it looks like it's class dismissed," said Harry, looking to Neville before he smiled, "And since I lost 100 points, I guess I've won the bet; so, I'll see you in the Gryffindor Common Room later, Neville."
With that, he walked out the open door, ignoring Granger's screams for him to come back and explain himself.
Chapter 6 and, yowzah: it looks like Harry's given a taste of what the real scion of House Potter – adoptively-speaking – is capable of, but will this be enough to make Snape do the impossible and get over himself?
Also, now Harry has an open-door policy to the Lions' Den, what will he do?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Harry needs to relax, preferably before he takes any more ire out on anyone who doesn't deserve it: fortunately, a friend has a nice surprise for him, but it might as well be the calm before the storm as Dumbledore beckons…
Please Read and Review
Scion
AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT…In thanks and dedication to my friend nagiten, I present this omake…
"Whatever…the point is: Severus Snape, this will be your one and only warning: if I find out you had anything to do with the events leading to my Mother and my adoptive Father's death, I will make you suffer in such a way, you'll wish you'd never even seen me again, let alone deluded yourself into thinking I am anything like James Potter."
Here, he smiled as he added, "Because I'm not…I'm worse!"
While Snape scoffed, Harry took a step back before he smiled as he said, "And, if you're not down with that…we've got TWO WORDS FOR YOU!"
Scion
"SUCK IT!"
"What are you doing?" demanded Hermione Granger, looking on in disbelief as Fay Dunbar, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown and even the Patil Twins all stood up and cried out in unison.
"Sorry," said Seamus, before he shrugged ruefully as he added, "For some weird reason, I suddenly had an urge to do a DX salute."
"What's DX?" Asked Ron Weasley, earning a laugh from Seamus.
"Oh, like I'd tell the brother of the Demons of Gryffindor, who are themselves degenerates, about the chaos-makers of the Muggle world."
Suddenly, a gold ring appeared, startling the rest of the class as they all saw Professor Snape fall out of the portal, accompanied by Harry, who looked down at Snape, whom, everyone noticed, was now covered in neon-green paint with two black letters written in paint on his forehead.
DX
"Harry?"
"I guess he wasn't down with it," muttered Harry, before he gave a crotch-chop to Snape as he shrugged.
"So…class dismissed?"
I DON'T NORMALLY DO OMAKES, BUT WHEN I READ A REVIEW FROM ONE OF MY FAITHFUL FANS AND FRIENDS, I JUST COULDN'T RESIST MAKING ONE UP