The Power Within
Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Recommended Reads: Harry Potter and the Mystic Sorcerer and Custos Aeternus by Winged Seer Wolf, Child of the Storm and Ghosts of the Past by Nimbus Llewelyn, Trickshot, Bonded, Magical Spider, Widow's Vengeance and Wands and Claws by JustBored21, Magical Origins by Dante 2K-25, Lightning, Part 1 and Lightning, Part 2: An Eventful Fourth Year by The New York Bear, Master of Death and Wielder of Infinity by bhanfhen, Magical Blocks and Bonds by raspberry dreams, A Third Path to the Future by Vimesenthusiast and Harry Potter The Protector of Magic by TigerSwarm9122
Key Pairing: Harry/Wanda; Sirius/Remus;
Other Pairings: To be determined
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
'Mental Speech'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
No responses for this chapter.
Instead, let me say thanks to everyone for voting on my pairing poll and, as you can see, the winner was someone who, thanks to Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness, I now have NO problem believing is Marvel's most-powerful member – though, personally, she'll actually be number 3 for me, behind a certain silver boarder and the Sorcerer Supreme;
Anyway, just a heads-up: this chapter also introduces two of our favourite characters, but…
WARNING:
I am writing a Wolfstar – Sirius/Remus – pairing in this story AND the chapter starts with references to it, so if you're so picky that you can't even read about slash for someone other than Harry, I'd stop reading NOW!
I mean, Seriously; you lot who hate slash? You do realise the more-modern, PC-rich, open-relationship/genders world we live in today, right?
Heck, I'm probably setting myself up for negativity here, but I'll say it: I myself am a male bisexual – and proud of it – and, when I was younger, I had both boyfriends and girlfriends as partners. Nowadays, however, if I wasn't happy being a single guy nowadays and not really one for the romance scene, I'd be someone more into going long-term with guys rather than girls…
Anyway, getting a bit too personal here, but this is just my thought.
And, as such, yes, I DO like writing slash pairings and I WILL write slash - and even point out who the pairing is when I do, even if I've only decided after starting out as a TBD pairing - but, at the end of the day, you don't HAVE to review your dislike.
Just click that little Back button and go find something more...to your liking.
Getting back to it, this story is now a Harry/Scarlet Witch pairing and, as weird as it might seem, YES, it IS still going to be Elisabeth Olsen's portrayal - but, to be fair, with his new looks, Harry/Daniel Radcliffe looks more like a full-grown adult of godlike proportions and not the weedy boy he was in canon 4th year, so...anyway...
Enjoy…if you can…
TPW
"You won't find it here, old man…because the answer to healing her…it is still standing in front of you in the Great Hall…and its down here with you…and it is seriously pissed off!"
"What? You?" asked Albus, earning a nod from Harry. "How?"
"I'm an Arcanite," replied Harry, unaware of a horrified, if not beyond-awestruck look crossing Albus' face as Harry went on;
"But, right now, you might as well call me Doctor Potter…because this school needs healing…and, no matter what arguments you may have already thought up, I'm telling you, Albus Dumbledore…I will heal her! And then you and I are going to have a long talk about why I shouldn't just strip you of your magic, lock you in your own mind and dump you in the nearest old folks' home!"
Chapter 6: The Regeneration of Hogwarts
Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester, New York
A jolt of magic.
That was the only way that Sirius Black could describe what seemed to pull him right out of a dead sleep, forcing him to full wakefulness, his eyes darting around the room for a long time before he felt a soft hand press itself against his right arm, making Sirius wheel around in alarm.
However, when he saw the familiar bright-green eyes of none other than Remus John Lupin, his best friend, as well as his lover and sole reason for holding onto what little remained of the hope that had really diminished as of late, after being granted the miracle of his freedom from Azkaban and his cleared-name status – twelve years after the fact, he didn't hesitate to add – Sirius relaxed just enough to smile at his boyfriend.
"You felt it too?"
"As strongly as you, Padfoot," said Remus, kissing Sirius' forehead in a gesture of mutual love and realisation as he explained, "I was pulled out of a dead sleep, just like you. But, when I was pulled out of it by this magic, whatever it was, it was strong enough to nearly force a full-body change in me…something I never wanted to experience again, not after…after being given my gift last year; thankfully, since coming here and learning from Charles, Logan and even Jean, I've gotten better at holding back the tide."
"Well…except for when you're in heat!" laughed Sirius, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, earning a playful swat from Remus as Sirius pulled himself from their bed, stretching out his joints as he asked, "All joking aside, though: what was that, anyway, Moony? That strange power…that weird sense of…of alertness, of…of Magic…"
However, when Remus answered him, Sirius' apparent morning routine became shattered.
"It was Harry."
Rounding on Remus with an alarmed, if not disbelieving and slightly-angry look, Sirius shook his head as he insisted, "Don't! Don't you dare toy with my emotions like that, Moony: not about this…you know how long I've been waiting for news from Albus and Charles, and even that Strange bloke that Charles mentioned: we've been waiting nearly a year now for anything that would suggest that my boy is still alive."
"I know, and I do understand your caution and your alarm to my words, Sirius," agreed Remus, before he put a hand on his heart; as he did so, his eyes flashed wolf-amber as he continued, "But, like I said, when I was pulled out of my own sleep, my…my inner wolf…the magic that gave me this gift, instead of…of my former-cursed, lycanthrope state, it…it smelled him! It was so strong, it was almost as though he was just a newborn cub lying happily, sleeping in-between his loving wolf-dads: I swear to you, as far as my other self was concerned, Harry…he was right here, Sirius! I know how long you've waited for any news, staying with me, while we figure out these new powers of mine, since last year…but…I swear to you, my love…on the memories of our dearly-departed brother-and-sister-in-all-but-blood…it was Harry!"
Sirius was now standing on jelly legs, his eyes wide and stunned while his lip quivered with fear and loss; his eyes were also brimming with tears while, over the quiver of his lower lip, he also seemed to be smiling as he stared at his boyfriend in abject surprise, wonder and pained relief.
Before Sirius could say anything, however, both of them gasped when a male voice they'd come to know and accept as a friend of theirs over the past year echoed through both of their minds.
'Ah, Sirius…Remus…good, you're awake: come to my office immediately. I've got something that I think the two of you should know.'
"If it's that Harry's back, Xavier, you're a little too late," argued Sirius, before he heard a soft laugh from the voice in his mind.
'As true as that may be, Sirius, you really should come and meet me in my office; it would seem that your lost pup's return has come with some rather…unexpected surprises, and I would like the two of you to investigate.'
"Then why not let us Apparate straight to Hogwarts?" asked Remus hotly.
However, it was Charles' answer, laced with mystery and mutual support – the same support he'd been showing Remus ever since the former werewolf, in a manner of speaking, had shown up in Westchester with Sirius nearly a year ago – that cut off any arguments from the Marauders.
'Because, you will not be going back alone…'
TPW
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, UK
The familiar noise of the Great Hall, laced with confusion, wonder, curiosity, suspicion and more-intrigued and questioning whispers than the night he had been sorted as a first-year, greeted Harry as he returned to his physical body, accompanied by a dazed-looking Dumbledore, who took a moment to look around, as though he couldn't believe he was back in his own body, before he looked to Harry.
"Can…can you really do…"
"Yes," said Harry, releasing Dumbledore's hands from his before, looking to Helios – whom Dumbledore was surprised, if not awed, to notice hadn't left his master's shoulder, in all the time that he and Harry had been in their apparently-named Astral Forms – the mystically-eyed young sorcerer smiled softly as he asked, "Before I do, though, would you like to meet a friend of mine, boy?"
When Helios chirruped in response, Harry walked down the High Table, giving a curt nod to his former teachers and the guest adults in Hogwarts before, reaching Hagrid, Harry pointed once, "Go on, boy; say hello."
"Merlin's beard!" gasped Hagrid, watching as the three-headed dragon leapt from Harry's shoulder, where he proceeded to cross the table and, extending his middle head, he sniffed at Hagrid curiously, even as the giant gasped, "'Arry…he…'e's beau'iful! Reminds me o' Norbert, but…I can' say I've ever 'eard of a dragon like 'im!"
"He's one of a kind…for now," said Harry, smiling fondly as he watched Hagrid gently stroke Helios along his middle heard, before the giant used two other fingers to caress the dragon's two other heads, before Harry laughed. "And if you think he's impressive now, just wait until I introduce you to his other form, Hagrid: I think even you will be left speechless…but, for now, would you mind keeping an eye on him while I take care of…well, let's just call it unfinished business?"
"'E'll be as safe as 'ouses wi' me, 'Arry!" Hagrid announced, earning a thankful smile and a nod from Harry as he moved back towards the centre of the Great Hall where, as he stood in the exact same place Dumbledore would stand when he delivered the start-and-end-of-year announcements, the young sorcerer glanced down at his once-peers.
'This is my home,' thought Harry, shivering with a mixture of loathsome dread and discomfort as he once again felt the poisonous whispers of the dark, disgusting maleficence within Hogwarts' magic tickling at the edges of his magical shielding. 'I have to protect it…and make sure nothing else can ever threaten Her.'
"Your attention, please!"
Not to Harry's surprise, especially given the fact that he'd come into the hall accompanied by an unknown – meaning Stephen, whom he saw standing off to one side, his eyes closed in what looked like contemplation – the entire hall fell silent, while Harry sighed softly as he looked to his peers, friends and former classmates.
"First, let me just say that it feels so good being back here, in the place I never got the chance to tell anyone else was a place I considered home, but, more-importantly, I'm glad everyone's here in front of me now, because I want as many of you as possible to not only witness what's about to happen, but remember it!"
As he said the last part, practically spitting out the words with fiery vigour and determination, Harry swept past Dumbledore's lectern, so that he was now standing in the centre of the hall, with everyone else looking at him from almost-equidistant measurements from where he stood. Looking around the hall, Harry saw Ron and Hermione looking at him in disbelief, wonder and even curiosity – though this was more-Hermione than Ron, which made Harry smile as he silently wondered how his female friend would handle a one-on-one meeting with the Sorcerer Supreme himself.
He also saw several other Gryffindors – including one whom, although he hadn't physically met her, Harry immediately recognised as Ron's younger sister, Ginny, who was looking at him with no small amount of gratitude and relief – looking at him, giving him their full attention as he continued in a powerful voice.
"As each and every one of us sits here…or stands, in my case, each one of you needs to understand something, both about me and about the very citadel you're currently sitting in. Centuries ago, before monsters like Lord Voldemort…"
As he expected, more than three-quarters of the hall shuddered and flinched at the name, while Harry kept his expression, and his voice, neutral as he continued, "…existed, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was built by four great and powerful sorcerers, all of whom were so great and powerful, they achieved a rank that is supposed to be impossible to bear in this modern time: the rank of Archmage!"
A collective gasp of awe, accompanied by whispers of curiosity and amazement, followed Harry's words, while the young sorcerer continued, as though he hadn't even noticed the disruption. "However, as impressive as that feat was, what was even more impressive was the fact that these four magic users, especially the one whom many of you label as being as bad as Voldemort…"
Once again, cue the shudders, and, once again, Harry kept going, "…if not worse: Salazar Slytherin; all four of them worked their hardest, pouring more than just their sweat and blood into the school. Their also poured their hearts, their souls, their minds and their abilities into this fine, ancient citadel, within whom we all gather. As a result, Hogwarts gained a level of sentience that, I imagine, many of you find hard to believe…but it's true: at her core, from the walls, to the curtains to the bedposts. From the largest tower to the smallest blade of grass…Hogwarts is alive!"
"What rubbish!" spat a random Hufflepuff, earning a scowl of loathing from Harry as he turned to face the surly-looking blond-haired boy, as the aforementioned Badger insisted, "Hogwarts is a building, Potter! I don't know where you ran off to when you scraped your knee and had to be carried out of here, crying like a little baby, but…"
Before the boy could finish, however, Harry's new powers struck: one second, the boy was shouting the odds and mocking Harry's information.
And the next, there was a very ugly-looking baby swaddling in a Hufflepuff-yellow baby blanket, crying like a little baby and even emptying his bowels all over the blanket he was wrapped in, as though he hadn't even heard of diapers.
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron, while many others seemed to sum it up with more-classic euphemisms – Merlin's beard; holy shit; good God etc.
"Mr Smith!" exclaimed Professor Sprout, earning an apathetic look from Harry.
"Not too loyal, is he, Professor? This just emphasises the point I'm making, but, don't worry, once I'm done, Smith will return to normal. Sadly, he'll still be the Hufflepuff equivalent of Draco Malfoy and his ilk, but even I can't change people's free will."
More than a few heads looked to the Slytherin Table, but, for once, even Malfoy didn't seem willing to go against Harry, especially in light of the magic and power he was displaying, first by silencing Snape, then with the dragon and, finally, by apparently transforming Smith into a baby.
Harry, meanwhile, continued, "Now, as I was saying, Hogwarts is alive and, like all living things, there are things in this world…certain experiences, traumas and, yes, even poisons that are slowly killing her, rotting away the greatness that all four Founders of Hogwarts worked so hard to achieve. Now, normally, such evils would take years, if not decades…hell, maybe even centuries to revert back to their true forms and make right the wrongs that poisons our home…but, fortunately, and I don't say this to sound arrogant or big-headed, but…thankfully, for both Hogwarts and for each and every one of you, be you student or teacher or…other, currently in this school, I'm here!"
"What…what are you going to…to do, Potter?" asked one of the Slytherins, earning a curious look from Harry as he turned to the speaker.
"Bole, isn't it? I remember facing you on the Quidditch Field the last time I was here."
"That's right," said the Slytherin boy, earning a nod from Harry, while Bole asked, "Well? What are you going to do?"
"What does any Healer do when they encounter a particularly-nasty wound?" asked Harry, moving back to the lectern before he smiled broadly as he faced his peers. "They heal it…but, before I do that, I'm afraid I need to do something to you guys…but it won't hurt."
Suddenly, each and every member of the Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons parties found their hands moving from wherever the students or staff had them placed, only to be forced to plant their hands firmly on the desks where, to the shock and awe of many younger students, what looked like golden-coloured cages seemed to form around their hands, fixing them to the table, if only for now.
"It's nothing personal, you guys," said Harry, looking to Stephen, who now had his eyes open and, seeing Harry's inquisitive look, he smiled and nodded in unspoken agreement, while Harry went on. "I just have a very funny feeling that at least one of you might be tempted to try and stop me, if not attack me with the vulnerable state I'm going to be in for…say…the next seven minutes, give or take a second…"
"Seven minutes?" asked Hermione, earning a nod from Harry.
"You can go ahead and time me if you want to, Hermione…now, once I'm done, something tells me you might find yourselves feeling a bit different, but…we'll see…anyway, here we go…"
With their hands fixed to the table, none of the staff or the students – not even Baby Smith, who seemed to be bound in a harness to his seat, though, now, he was thankfully diapered – could do anything, but watch as Harry lifted his hands to the skies.
With the first two fingers on each hand, Harry kept lifting his hands up to the heavens before, finally, he brought both pairs of fingers together where, to the surprise of many of the students, as well as the staff – especially Dumbledore, who could only watch with bated breath as Harry proceeded to go through his necessary motions – a bright, pure, flicker of white light suddenly ignited when the tips of the fingers touched.
As awe-inspiring as that was, it was nothing compared to the sight of what even Stephen recognised as a giant, Mystic Seal being drawn by Harry as he let his arms fall out to the sides, before bringing them down to the ground. Once the outer circle was drawn, Harry then began to trace two separate-looking designs onto the inside of the circle.
At least, they looked separate until, as Harry proceeded to trace his fingers through the circle, all those who knew of such shapes realised that he was actually using each of his hands to draw one half of a perfectly-shaped five-pointed star, which, when combined with the mystic circle, created what had to be the largest pentagram that any of them had seen.
With the last point of the white pentagram drawn in place, Harry pulled his hands back before, taking a deep breath, he whispered, "Now, for the really fun part…still timing me over there, Hermione?"
To the amusement of the Weasley Twins, as well as the girl herself, Hermione was timing Harry, looking at a watch on her wrist while she also looked up at Harry as he brought his hands together; when he did so, the same white energy he had used to draw the pentagram ignited once again, forming a whirling, swirling, gyrating mass of magical energy that, with several flashy, twisting gestures of his own, Harry seemed to reshape and forge into a large, glowing, burning, all-powerful white sphere of raw magic, which he held firmly between his hands as he looked to the seal.
"You know, suddenly, I have an urge to shout out Kame-Hame-Ha, but I'm holding it in…"
TPW
Unknown Place
In another part of the world, a certain Merc with a Mouth shuddered as he finished tea bagging one of his enemies.
"Oh great…do you know something? I think somebody just made an obscure anime reference…sure hope it wasn't Dragonball Z…THAT's been done to death…oh well, at least it wasn't a DC reference, or worse, a Green Lantern reference; something like that in the Marvel Universe…that'd be like Uncle Stan appearing in a DC cartoon movie as a cameo for ratings' sake…whoops!"
His whoops came from the loud, rancid fart that suddenly erupted out of his ass, earning a horrified look from his victim.
"Sorry…I shouldn't have eaten those chimichangas…guess they were past their sell-by date…lesson here for you, kids; eat fast, fart more! And now, back to our regularly-scheduled slice of fun…"
TPW
Hogwarts
Harry, meanwhile, let out a laugh at his joke before he cocked his head to one side with an amused smirk.
"You'll like this bit."
With that, Harry thrust the sphere straight into the seal – ironically, using the same gesture as a Kame-Hame-Ha – with a cry of insane, almighty effort; as the energy passed through the seal, the pentagram began spinning profusely, building up energy as it rose higher and higher into the air before, to the awe of the onlookers, the whole seal suddenly exploded!
A wave of raw, all-powerful white magic suddenly swept through Hogwarts, sending the crockery on the tables, as well as the floating candles, the goblets, the currently-full food platters and more than a few pets, as well as books and personal effects flying off in all directions with the force of the wave. Any student with regrettably-long hair was also buffeted by the wave, including, but not limited to Snape, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Hermione and more than half the female population of Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, though each and every one of them was also caught up in the awe and wonder of the moment.
Above the heads of the students, the enchanted ceiling suddenly lit up with white light before, to the shock of the onlookers, what was normally the view of the weather outside changed into a scene of Hogwarts as a whole. Only now, everyone who could see the ceiling watched in abject amazement, disbelief and no small amount of curiosity and wonder as the wave seemed to cover every inch of Hogwarts. From the towers and turrets above to the Forest below, there wasn't one spot on Hogwarts' grounds that was spared from the force of Harry's magical healing.
As everybody watched with speechless looks on their faces, a bright, white shield suddenly formed around the school, only now, it shone so bright that many of them had to avert their eyes while, upon closer inspection, the students also saw their classrooms, as well as the walls and windows outside, not to mention the dorms, hallways, Grand Staircase and even the less-explored areas of the school all glowing with the same light.
Slowly, but surely, the white magic seemed to breathe new life into every corner of Hogwarts, cleaning her up in a way that even made the awestruck Argus Filch envious of the talent, while the windows, lit candles and even the usually-cramped, claustrophobic dungeons seemed to be filled with life, comfort and strength. In their portraits, the occupants of each sang with cheer and celebration while, from time to time, one of the ghosts of Hogwarts could be seen actually weeping with joy – even the usually-intimidating Bloody Baron – while the statues and gargoyles seemed to regain their life, offering salutes and – in the case of more-bestial gargoyles and statues – even bowing and roaring their thanks to the magic.
As everyone watched with amazement, the magic then doubled back before it seemed to cause a string of miniature, though non-fatal and non-damaging explosions to erupt over the top of the school, filling the air with more fireworks than even the Weasley Twins could have used. As each firework exploded, a second, smaller wave of magic seemed to flow through the halls and corridors, making the students shiver in their seats while, behind Harry, one or two of them suddenly saw Karkaroff, Snape and, curiously, even Professor Moody turn white with horror.
Seconds later, the aforementioned trio started screaming bloody murder, all of them trying and failing to reach their arms while, at the same time, Harry clenched his fists tightly when he, along with everyone else, saw Professor Moody's visage crack and splinter before, with a sound like plate glass being smashed, the illusion of the ex-Auror vanished, only to be replaced by a screaming man with wild hair, terror and rage in his dark eyes and his identity known to quite a few.
Especially a certain Gryffindor, who stared at the man's screaming face with horror, rage and disbelief.
Harry, meanwhile, lifted a hand and swept it through the air one more time, seemingly dissipating the remaining energy in the Great Hall before, trailing his finger down his body, like he was opening a zip, he dispelled the protective shielding he'd put around himself.
With his first proper step onto Hogwarts' soil, Harry breathed a sigh of relief before, snapping his fingers, he silenced the screams of the three men as he looked to a sea of amazed, awe-inspired faces.
"There really is no place like home…now, what should we do with these three threats to our home, my friends?"
Phew, this one actually took some thought and, weird cameo aside – you're welcome, Deadpool – I think it's safe to say that the adventure is only just beginning, but, now Hogwarts is healed, what will Harry do about the elephants in the room?
Also, who is Charles planning on sending with Sirius and Remus and how might the two react when they see exactly what has become of the little pup-and-cub they knew and loved?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Justice or Vengeance? That seems to be the question of the day, and not just for Harry, who has some serious decisions to make as he is forced to confront not only the ghosts of his past, but the inevitable evils of his future; fortunately – or possibly even unfortunately – he's not alone confronting his demons;
Please Read and Review
AN: Portrayal
Charles Xavier: Patrick Stewart