A Brave New World
AN: THANK YOU SO MUCH for the response to my first chapter. Hope this finds you all well and distracts you from whatever problems you are facing right now.
We are all in this together!
Chapter 1
Harry stared at Heimdall awkwardly. She had never imagined Death to have a physical manifestation. Sure, she had heard the tale of the Peverell brothers who supposedly met Death and were granted three most powerful objects but that's all it ever was. A story. Not even Dumbledore or Hermione had put much thought into it. They too were under the impression that it was the three brothers who had crafted the Hallows to serve their own agenda.
Now though, looking up at Heimdall or Death's ethereal gold eyes, she wondered what the title 'Master of Death' truly entailed.
"Mistress," Heimdall interrupted Harry's thoughts, "What can I do for you?"
"Um, well, you see…" Harry struggled to find her voice. "Harry. Just call me Harry."
"Very well, Lady Harry." Heimdall sounded pleased.
"I am the Sorcerer Supreme. Strange." Strange cut in. "I am the one who requested Miss Harry's help on an important task."
"Go on, Protector of Time." Heimdall said formally. Harry assumed that that title belonged to the wielder of the Time Stone.
"It is a really long story. But the short version is that a man, from a different dimension, used the Infinity Stones to stop an intergalactic supervillain named Thanos who had wiped out half the living beings of the universe." Strange gave the cliff-notes version.
"I know of Thanos, the Mad Titan." Heimdall said sharply. "You wish to bring back one of your fallen heroes? The Avengers?"
"I wasn't aware the other dimensions knew about them, but essentially, yes." Strange informed. "Tony Stark to be specific."
"If Lady Harry so wishes, it is possible to summon the one you have lost." Heimdall answered thoughtfully.
Harry nodded in agreement. "So, uh, I can call you Heimdall right?" Heimdall gave a nod. "If you truly believe this is real, and I can save an innocent life then I agree."
"Lady Harry, if you doubt the credibility of the Sorcerer's words, perhaps you might want to examine what has really happened." Heimdall suggested after a lengthy pause.
Strange looked slightly irritated and Harry wanted to assure him that it was just a bit unbelievable-
"I mean I am not the legilimens, and I don't have any Veritaserum or a pensieve on hand." Harry explained more to herself.
"If there is a way to prove my story I will gladly do it." Strange said calmly. "However, you have my word as the Sorcerer Supreme and a Doctor that everything I have told you is the truth."
"I was simply advising Lady Harry that we could travel to your home dimension and see for ourselves how great a loss you have truly suffered." Heimdall deadpanned. "Lady Harry should not have even a miniscule amount of doubt about summoning your hero back."
"That it acceptable." Strange replied. Harry was relieved she would be making an informed choice instead of some hearsay.
Heimdall took out his sword and stabbed the ground making strange runes hover over the carpet on the floor, before Harry could memorise it, they apparated away.
In an instant, Harry was hovering over what looked like a lake house in the middle of nowhere. She let out a surprised scream just as Heimdall and Strange floated on either side of her. There was a gathering of some sort, a funeral Harry guessed due to all the black formal wear the people were wearing.
A red haired woman turned on a projection of some sort and a man in his fifties appeared as a hologram. A little girl who was clutching the red head's hand exclaimed happily, "Daddy!"
Everyone in the clearing looked like they had swallowed a bitter pill and carefully kept their eyes on the projection.
"No. Stark can come back!" Strange shouted. "Stop it."
"Only your soul is here, Sorcerer. They cannot hear you." Heimdall remarked coolly. Harry hid her surprise. The man in the hologram, Tony Stark, kept talking. Harry was listening attentively.
"-Everything is going to work out exactly the way it's supposed to. I love you 3000."*
Harry understood why Strange was trying as hard as he was to bring Tony Stark back after hearing that message. He had sacrificed himself believing that was the only way.
"Heimdall, I really do want to bring this man back." Harry declared. It seemed like Heimdall had been watching a blond man- who was one of the biggest men she'd ever seen, excluding Hagrid. Probably the biggest muggle she had ever seen.
"If that is what you wish, Lady Harry." Heimdall said and they were back in Grimmauld Place in seconds.
Harry woke up with a jolt, she was pleased to see Strange was also slightly disoriented.
"That was certainly an experience." Harry commented.
"Harry, you're alright!" Hermione Granger exclaimed, catching Hermione in a fierce hug. "What happened? I came over to find you and your date unconscious. I was just analysing your drinks for potions and stuff."
Harry stopped Hermione before she started asking too much. When Harry took a good look at her friend, Hermione appeared completely frazzled. She still had on her Ministry robes, she had come over directly from work, Harry guessed.
"Hermione, breathe." Harry tried helping her. "I didn't know you were coming over. I thought we weren't supposed meet until tomorrow." Harry thought over what could have happened. "Is it Teddy? Is he alright?"
"I believe she thinks we were on a date for some reason and I drugged you." Strange remarked offhandedly.
Harry looked at Hermione in disbelief and embarrassment. Hermione looked down guiltily not meeting Harry's eyes. Harry jumped as the Floo lit up in green flames. Ron Weasley appeared with his wand at the ready carrying a barely awake Teddy Lupin.
"Aunty Harry!" Teddy greeted sleepily. "I thought we were gonna see you at Grandma Molly's place for the super secret party."
"Hey, Teddy bear." Harry glared at Ron and Hermione. "Ron, take Teddy to his room and put him to bed." Harry looked at Hermione and curtly said, "Explain," and sunk into the comfy armchair gesturing at everyone to sit down.
"Um, well, you see, Harry." Hermione mumbled uncharacteristically. "Brian. Do you remember the Daily Prophet and the Ministry liaison? So he came into my office at around midnight carrying an article written by Rita Skeeter about you. Usually I tell them to bin whatever that woman writes, but she had pictures this time. It looked like you two were standing outside while the Fidelius was in effect. That cow has insinuated many untoward things about you two. Since I knew you were on that assignment and wasn't seeing anyone or you would tell me, I came here to let you know." Hermione hadn't gone on such a tangent since their Hogwarts days. "I came over and saw you with this - er gentleman, both technically not breathing and on the floor, I freaked out and called Ron. I didn't know what else to do!"
Harry felt exhausted and wished she could hide behind the wall, like Ron was currently to avoid his fiancé's tirade. She took a look at Strange who was visibly impressed.
"The gentleman, as you put it, is Doctor Strange. You remember the Master of Death?" Harry briefly explained everything that had transpired.
"So you want to bring a dead guy back to life in another earth and this strange bloke is not from here?" Ron finally made his presence known, arms crossed. "Well at least you weren't dating the guy or anything. No offence mate, but you're kind of ol- ow," Hermione reached out to pinch his arm.
"So I'm fine. I'll just bring Tony Stark back to life and carry on like it never happened." Harry said decisively. "Just stay here and watch over Teddy while we go do this thing."
Heimdall chose that moment to materialise. He gave off waves of guilt despite his poker face. Harry just knew that something was off looking at his demeanour.
"Everything alright, Heimdall?" Harry asked grimly.
"Mistress. Lady Harry. It appears as though doing this will have far reaching consequences." Heimdall said cautiously. He looked uncertain. "I cannot disclose everything at the moment. However, my best suggestion is for you to leave your realm and try to join the Midgardians we visited."
"What do you mean you won't disclose everything to Harry?" Ron demanded angrily. "Aren't you supposed to be the Master of Death? You know the master?"
"Lady Harry might be the Mistress of Death, however, I am bound by the Laws of the Universe." Heimdall responded coolly. Harry was glad she didn't have to diffuse another heated argument.
"Heimdall, what are these consequences?" Harry asked. "Anything you can say about it is fine."
Heimdall looked at Harry for a second, his golden eyes piercing into her emerald ones before slowly revealing of another world changing event.
"Lady Harry your life is in grave danger." Heimdall said candidly. "You have already unearthed a rather unexpected hidden danger. You have a large army of a tribe of some sort after your life. You have inadvertently destroyed and looted the realm of a sacred race of magical creatures."
"Is there any way to prevent it from happening? If we compensate perhaps, or maybe the Ministry of Magic could create an alliance of good faith." Hermione was throwing out possible courses of action.
"Relax Hermione." Ron interjected. "We don't know for sure we can trust this bloke. What if he's just saying that to whisk Harry into trouble himself?"
Harry and Hermione knew for certain that Heimdall could be telling the truth. Harry's recent mission to the Amazon was infact to examine the suspected home of the blood goblins. Harry had destroyed what she thought was a tomb but could have been anything really. She even had everything she had scoured on her person.
"What happens if I die?" Harry asked casually much to the displeasure of everyone in the room.
"I see possibilities, not the future." Heimdall glanced at Strange as he said that. "The worst probable future is you are killed by blood thirsty dwarf-like creatures. The magical community goes to war against all the scorned dark creatures and meets its end. This extends to the non-magical community and the human race of this planet will be eradicated."
There was silence as they mulled over the news. "What's our best case scenario?" Harry asked quietly.
If Heimdall was surprised, he didn't show. "Lady Harry, you will leave this reality and save the world. Your Minister and Lady Hermione will return what you have stolen and appease the creatures with a vow to not disturb the tribe in the future. That is the safest outcome."
"What about Harry? Will she be happy over in a different world? What if her life here then? She has a godson, a job, her friends and family-" Hermione was close to tears. "Perhaps the Department of Mysteries and our department can come up with a satisfactory plan."
"Hermione, maybe it's a good thing y'know?" Harry tried. "I mean maybe going away for a while could be a very good thing. I'll definitely miss you guys but I'm tired of doing this over and over again."
"Hey, don't go jumping to conclusions now." Ron interrupted. "We haven't even decided if these guys are telling you the truth."
"Not to mention the whole inter-dimensional immigration." Doctor Strange who was simply observing pointed out. "However, with so many new changes and half the dimension's living creatures having been suddenly brought back, you will have the best chance at making a new life with us. As a fellow wielder of the Mystic Arts, I would offer sanctuary at any of our Sanctums."
The Sorcerer Supreme had been glimpsing the future from the moment Death had materialised. He had a vague idea why the former Guardian and Gatekeeper of Asgard was insistent on having Harry Potter around a certain other Asgardian.
"Then it's settled." Harry declared loudly. "If the offer extends to my godson as well, I'd be delighted to take you up on that."
"I don't see why that would be a problem." Strange replied.
"I guess I'll ask Teddy and go to update my will and handle my finances." Harry said slightly overwhelmed. "I'd have to quit my job of course and turn in the findings from yesterday…"
Harry was moving around from room to room getting everything ready. She retrieved a few shrunk muggle suitcases and muggle bank cards. She hurriedly pulled out a bunch of parchments from a trunk, wrote a few things and signed each one off with a blood quil.
"You almost seem prepared to leave a moment's notice, Harry." Hermione accused looking at Harry's uncharacteristic organization skills. "Think about Teddy and how he would feel about all this."
"It's something I've been thinking of for quite some time 'Mione," Harry replied running to the owlery. She tied her parchments, gave the destination for each envelope before waking Teddy up.
Harry explained the situation best as she could to the young metamorphmagus who was disoriented but understood that he would be with Harry. They had discussed the possibility of them moving to another country.
Ron seemed to be in an altercation with Stranger and Heimdall. Harry gave a familiar mirror to Hermione and hugged Ron and Hermione tightly. "Take care all of you. Tell Molly I won't make it to the party after all."
Harry blinked back her tears and looked at the two mystical beings who had changed Harry's life in less than a few minutes. "Let's do this thing."
Heimdall nodded and struck his sword into the ground. Amid ancient times, Teddy's excited squeal and rainbow visions, they arrived at the lake from earlier.
Surprisingly, one Tony Stark had also joined the little group of travellers.
"What the f- peanuts!" Tony exclaimed, summing up everything perfectly and promptly collapsed.
AN: Yup that escalated quickly. Here's the next chapter, finally.
How are you all doing!? Hopefully we will all make it through safely. I started my job a few weeks after posting this story and it has been a crazy ride so far.
I'm sorry if it's rushed and I'm too tired to look for mistakes but I really needed to write something non work related this week or I'm gonna go insane. So I downloaded the app on my phone.
Let me know what you all think. Long story short, I'm still not over Endgame
PS take care and stay safe everyone. Lots of love.