Tempest Potter: The Master of Mysticism

Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Recommended Reads: Saviour of Magic by Colt01, The Rise of the Last Potter by HPfanfictioner66, Harry Potter and the Daft Morons by Sinyk, No More Games by VagueJester, Yield to the Darkness by Quatermass, Trickshot, Apex and Bonded by JustBored21, The new Marauders and the trickster God by JasminSky, Strings of Fate by Knife Hand and Master Potter of Kamar-Taj by Ryuko monogatari.

Key Pairing: Eventual Harry/TBD

Other Pairings: To be confirmed

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

'Mind Voices'

/Parseltongue/

Review Response:

Syanyde: You know something? You're the only one who offered an opinion, and I appreciate it: I still have some thinking to do, though;

ALSO: To everyone who inquired about Harry's 'death' let me assure you the explanation is coming, although, really, if you read between the lines, it should be obvious what happened;

"I'm sorry," whispered Harry, turning once on the spot before he ran off into the night, his only companion being the watchful eyes of the stars that glittered in the night sky and very little else.

This made it easy for him to reach his freedom where, pausing again for breath, he looked back one last time before he shook his head slowly, a look of firm determination in his emerald-green eyes as he whispered to the darkness and the silhouette of his now-former-home-away-from-home.

"I don't want to die…not again…"

Chapter 1: Into the Tempest

14 Months Later

"You must be joking!"

Sirius Black, known to many throughout the Magical Community of Great Britain as the recently-exonerated ex-prisoner of Azkaban, as well as one of the oldest and dearest of friends to the late Lily and James Potter, couldn't help, but let out a dry laugh as he looked to his left where his only surviving friend, Remus Lupin, stood with a cheesy smile on his face, both of them standing before the entrance to one of the UK's most-popular theatres and tourist attractions.

The legendary, awe-inspiring and skyline-dominating spectacle that was Blackpool Tower.

Over their heads, as well as the entrance signs and a promotion about paying less for other attractions by merging tickets together, a second sign proclaimed the latest attraction to grace the Tower's famed Circus Stage, but the identity of said attraction made Sirius laugh with disbelief and amusement as he asked, "Seriously, Moony, and please don't do the joke: but, seriously, after all we do, would you mind telling me why on earth you would suddenly suggest me coming to see a Muggle magic act?"

"What can I say? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Padfoot," said Remus, an amused smile on his face as he explained, "I've seen shows like this before and, let me tell you, to look at them, you'd think they were magical themselves."

"Pfft, bitch, please; Muggle magic is all about prestidigitation: you know, sleight of hand, strings and trapdoors," scoffed Sirius, heaving a sigh as he asked, "Why are you doing this, old friend? Especially today?"

"Because you, more than anyone else, need a distraction," answered Remus, shaking his head as he walked forwards, paying for the tickets he'd already taken the liberty of pre-booking, while he explained, "Come on, Siri: you've spent the past five months searching for Harry, but everyone else has been looking for over a year, and all with no result. So, given the date, I thought: why not show you what Lily was always going on about with Muggle magicians and stuff?"

"I hate you," grumbled Sirius.

"No, you don't," drawled Remus, giving Sirius a wink that he'd always thought was reserved for use by him alone, whilst the two old friends walked past a full-size poster that displayed the attraction they were here to see.

A particularly-tall, lean-looking male figure dressed in a long, flowing black coat that, in the case of the poster, billowed out around him much like the overflowing black robes of a certain someone Sirius knew and loathed – and silently blamed for his boy going MIA over a year ago. His hands were covered by two black gloves, both of which had pentagram symbols stitched onto the backs of them while his face was obscured by a mask, but no ordinary-looking mask.

It was a black-and-white face mask that was designed in such a way that, to anyone who looked close enough, it made them see lightning bolts in the design as well as an air of mystery, wonder and eeriness to his looks from behind the mask.

The lightning bolt mention, however, emphasised the title of said act in ways that had made him a celebrity in the circles of the Muggle World:

THE TOWER CIRCUS PROUDLYPRESENTS, FOR ONE DAY ONLY…

The text was written in sparkly-silver writing that stood out like a 3D image as it drew in those who saw it with its words.

TEMPEST: MASTER OF MYSTICISM AND SOVEREIGN OF THE SECRETS OF SORCERY!

As Sirius and Remus walked past the posters, Sirius scoffed to himself as he asked, "A magician? This is his distraction?"

However, as he looked at the poster, something about the glare of the strange attraction drew him in, although he couldn't explain it.

Maybe it was the way that the picture seemed to jump out at him because of the 3D imagery.

Or maybe it was the fancy-looking costume…

Or maybe, just maybe, it was because of the fact that, when Sirius looked close enough, he saw something that made him shiver uncomfortably.

The image of Tempest, whoever this guy was, looking back at him from his still-captured image of a prison with eyes of the brightest shade of emerald-green Sirius had ever seen.

'No,' thought the Black Lord, turning as he heard Remus call out for him to hurry up so they could take their seats.

'It can't be him…no, it's just a coincidence…'

Tempest

As the two friends took their seats, neither one could deny the air of childish excitement that filled their hearts as they waited for the show to start.

Around them, others who'd come to see the show were discussing the possibilities of what was going to happen; among them, Sirius overheard one couple talking about how young this Tempest guy was while another talked about debunking their so-called magic acts while their companion argued that anyone who thought it was successful to be able to do so, would instead discover that it was impossible.

Some of the younger attendees were talking in excited, and none-too-hushed whispers about how they'd heard about Tempest from their friends or seen him on the internet – a revolution of the Muggle world that Sirius still couldn't wrap his head around – while, just like the couple nearby, Sirius also heard one or two of them argue how he does half the tricks he does.

After what seemed like an eternity, however, the doors were closed at the back of the theatre and, as Sirius and Remus faced the front again, they, along with everyone else, heard an announcement warning about strobe lightning, flashing images and pyrotechnics being used.

There was also an announcement that told the spectators to go ahead and feel free to record and enjoy the show, which wasn't something that the magical members were familiar with, but their attention was too focused on the stage to notice anyone else doing just that.

Seconds later, the whole audience let out awed oohs, ahhs and gasps of wonder and bewilderment as each one held their breaths when the lights dimmed to near pitch-blackness.

At the same time, the floor on the stage area started to fill with pillars of smoke that, to Sirius, seemed oddly-convenient in its choice of colours; one pillar was blood-red while the others were emerald-green, midnight-blue and sunlight-yellow, each one mirroring four other colours that both Sirius and Remus knew, but, for obvious reasons, they kept their peace.

However, they did jump with a start when, from somewhere none of the spectators could see, a loud, bone-jarring rock musical number started up.

As the music erupted into a chorus of loud guitars and drums, Sirius' eyes widened as the lights started flashing in a series of colours that lit up the stage in shades of gold, silver, bronze and black, once again mirroring four colours the once-Marauders of Hogwarts knew.

As the lights bathed the stage in a glow that, when Sirius looked closer, made him gasp when he realised that it made it look like lightning flashes lit up the stage, the rock music erupted into a song that spoke of masters of the game and how everyone knew their name. When the song spoke of making them see that they should not have messed with whoever was singing it, Sirius' blood ran cold while he kept his eyes on the stage.

Seconds later, Sirius jumped again as he heard a clap of thunder followed by a loud explosion that startled many of the audience as they saw bolts of lightning strike the stage, each one lighting up the backdrop and the floor with a series of letters.

All of which spelled out one word:

TEMPEST!

As the song spoke of its singer apparently hunting something down, a loud crash echoed through the arena before the stage lit up, revealing the act they were here to see seated rather relaxingly in the curve of the M in the named display.

With the appearance of the figure, the song died down while the figure – whom everyone recognised from the posters as the mysterious, but, apparently, flashy showman that was Tempest – looked to them, his lightning-bolt decorated mask and dark attire causing a few people to whisper among themselves while others applauded and some, particularly the young members, cheered and called out the masked figure's name.

Lifting a hand in an almost-cheerful, if not-mocking wave, Tempest swung his legs over the side of the M he was perched on, almost as though he'd been sleeping in a hammock before, with a leap that would have probably won him gold at the Olympics, he took off, spinning through the air in a 450-degree forwards flip before spreading his long coat out like the wings they resembled.

As he glided to the floor, there were an array of oohs and awes at the sight of more lightning bolts following his path like a comet streaking across the sky before, as he landed on the ground, Tempest gestured once, causing an array of fireworks to explode in the air, causing the signs with his name on them to vanish at the same time.

"I'll give him props: for a Muggle, the kid sure knows how to make an entrance," muttered Sirius amusingly, earning a thin smirk from Remus, while Sirius then found himself eyeing the mask Tempest wore as he wondered again about the creepy factor of the eyes behind the mask.

"If half the rumours I've heard about him are true," argued Remus, though he too sounded amused as he drawled, "We haven't seen anything yet."

Before either one could say anything else, however, the two of them, along with the rest of the audience, listened as Tempest addressed them, but when he did so, Sirius noticed how his voice sounded oddly-distorted, yet echoed throughout the arena, as though he was speaking to the crowd using a variation of the Sonorous Charm.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen: thank you all for coming to this one-night-only, very special event. Now, rest assured that, while I don't need magic to know that there are a few naysayers and non-believers among you, I assure each and every one of you that what you're about to see will be unlike any other show you've seen before…or ever will again…I promise."

A few of the younger members of the audience made ominous oohs and sounds of anticipation and excitement when they heard this.

However, from where he was seated, Sirius' eyes narrowed as he saw Tempest turn in their direction.

When he did so, however, Sirius' expression turned a little suspicious when he noticed Tempest flinch when he looked at them.

Next to him, Remus' body tensed up as he too noticed the eyes that looked at them before the performer returned his attention to the crowd.

"Now, before we get started, there's just one small thing: and that is this. If today is going to be a success, I need each and every one of you, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, to answer me one question: do you believe in magic?"

A few murmurs and cheers from the younger members rose up before Tempest shook his head, throwing up his arms in apparent exasperation while his strangely-distorted voice became tinged with an air of amusement as he asked, "Oh, come on! I know it's late in the day, and we're all tired and would rather be down the pub or over on the Pier, but you can be louder than that, right? I said…do you believe in magic?"

This time, louder cheers rose up like a thunderous wave of encouragement and positive emotions before Tempest applauded as he went on.

"Then, I invite you to sit back, relax, fasten your seatbelts and strap yourselves in…because the adventure is about to begin…but first…"

Here, Sirius' eyes widened when he saw Tempest pull out an ordinary looking bottle from under his impressive garb that, when he held it, made the magician frown as he asked, "I have to ask for your help: could someone open this for me?"

As a few people volunteered, Sirius felt a smile touch his lips as he saw Tempest call up a young man from the crowd who, when he spoke, Sirius recognised as one of the people who'd talked about debunking the supposed Master of Mysticism and proving this was all tricks.

While the audience held their breaths, the man from the crowd twisted and turned the cap several times, but when he did so, they all cried out when the bottle, on the third turn, exploded, showering the stage in blue liquid that, when it hit the ground, made the kids gasp in awe, amazement and even earned a few laughs as they saw small, mouse-like creatures form from the liquid.

As for the naysayer, he was left speechless and without any possible explanations for what was happening as he saw the largest mess of the liquid rise up and form a large, fierce-looking cat who prowled around the front of the stage, sniffing audibly at the ground while it also growled hungrily.

"How…how's that possible?" asked Remus, earning a silent shake of the head from Sirius.

As for the liquid cat on stage, the fun was only just beginning as, to the amusement of a lot of the spectators, the stage suddenly turned into what could only be described as a medley of humorous scenes from Tom and Jerry.

Mallets, dynamites, ACME joke packages and a vast array of slippery surfaces – apparently made from the liquid bodies of the creatures – caused the cat to go absolutely crazy until, with a yowl, the cat took hold of the nearest dynamite and, with a loud boom, it exploded, showering the stage and the first few rows in sparkles that, when he touched one, made Sirius frown as he noticed they felt very real.

And yet, there was something very wrong here, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

As for Tempest, he made his way from where he'd been watching the show before, stopping next to the man who he'd called on stage, he glared at him with that frightfully-entertaining, if slightly-intimidating visage of his before he asked him.

"So, Mr Magic-Isn't-Real: care to tell me how I did that?"

A few members of the crowd called out in agreement with Tempest's challenge, but when the volunteer faltered, Tempest nodded once before, indicating the crowd, he added in a cool tone of voice.

"In that case, sir, I invite you to sit back down and enjoy the show then…"

Some of the crowd actually booed the debunker as he sat down with his head hung, but not before Tempest let out a cheer as he added, "And while he's eating humble pie, ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for our intrepid volunteer!"

Tempest

After the opening act with the debunker, the show really started and, despite his worries and concerns, Sirius had to admit that he enjoyed it.

First, Tempest used an array of familiar tricks with cards, rabbits and rings, but with his own twists; for example, when he juggled rings, he made the audience cheer as he somehow managed to link the rings over his head, but not before changing their colours so that they looked like the rings of the Olympic Symbol, all five of them linked in perfect unity.

As if that wasn't enough, the rings then became a straight line, through which Tempest actually leapt up into the air before, to the amazement of the crowd, he suddenly flew on his winged cloak, the same sparks from before causing the rings to ignite before, as he landed on the ground, the Master of Mysticism blew once, extinguishing the flames and returning them to their once silver colours, which he then caught in his hand as though resuming his juggling act.

Another example was when he showed off an element of mind reading using cards: he didn't just get the volunteer to draw cards from the deck, he actually took the card and, without looking, he tore them up, reducing them to shreds. Then, as if that wasn't enough, to the awe of the audience, Tempest turned round and, stripping off his coat, he revealed the very cards they'd drawn, in the order they were drawn, tattooed on his back.

When he went with the famous rabbit from the hat trick, Tempest put the rabbit in the hat, but then he launched the hat into the audience where it landed in the lap of an excitable young girl who, when she went to look into the hat, saw it was empty.

With a worried look, Tempest instructed the audience to check under their seats while he tapped his mask thoughtfully before, letting out a squeak of surprise, he reached into his cloak and, to the shock of the audience, he withdrew said rabbit as well as the hat that the little girl had in her hands.

However, since the lights were up and everyone had seen him put the rabbit in the hat at the start of the trick, no-one, not even the two wizards in the crowd, could theorise, let alone offer any sort of explanations as to how he'd done it.

So, when the interval came, the applause was so thunderous that it made England winning the World Cup in 66 look weak in comparison.

However, while many people headed for the exit to get drinks and snacks and discuss what they'd seen, no-one noticed two figures at the front make their way backstage, one of them with a worried look while the other looked determined.

If they were going to get any answers, then the time was now.

Tempest

Finding the dressing room was pretty easy, but Sirius still had to use a little cunning to get around the bodyguard at the door.

Thanks to a little Confundus Charm on Remus' part, the man left them alone, which gave Sirius a chance to walk into the room where he found Tempest standing before a full-sized mirror, his fantastical visage filled with a look of pride judging by the smile on his face.

However, when he saw Sirius and Remus standing there, his expression faltered as he asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"We wanted to speak to you…Tempest," said Sirius, earning a hum from the masterful magician as he added, "First, let me just say: that was a pretty impressive show you put on out there; best one I've seen in a long time."

"Well, thank you kindly, sirs, but, if you liked that, then stick around," said Tempest, adjusting the collar on his cloak as he added, "The second act's going to be just as exciting, I can assure you."

As Remus turned to leave, Sirius stayed where he was as he looked the young magician up and down before, letting out a hum, he went on.

"You know, it's a bit creepy, but looking at you, I'm reminded of a friend of mine: they were quite the showman too. Oh, the things they could do."

"I'm sure, whoever they are, they appreciate the compliment, and so do I, so, again, thank you: now, if you'll excuse me…" remarked Tempest, turning away from the mirror while he made his way to a nearby table.

Sirius, meanwhile, kept his eyes on the young man as he asked, "How old are you?"

"How old is magic?" asked Tempest, earning a snigger from Sirius that was covered by a cough while the magician went on, his words edged by a faint note of haste as he added, "Now, again, sir, if you'll excuse me, I really do have to be getting ready."

"Of course," replied Sirius, inclining his head before he added, "It was nice to see you doing so well…thanks for the smiles, Harry."

"You're wel…" Tempest began, unaware of the knowing smile on Sirius' face as he turned back to the man, his green eyes filled with a hint of unease and pain as he suddenly went from humbled showman to alert, cornered animal. "How did you…what do you want?"

"Well, for starters, no offence, but I'd have thought you'd actually ask me who Harry was," drawled Sirius, keeping his distance while he also raised his hands for emphasis as he explained, "But you don't have to be afraid, kid: I don't want anything from you. I don't know why you ran away and I don't know why you hide behind a mask, but if you don't want to tell me, that's perfectly fine, pup. I'll go…well, after the show…but I'll leave you be and you'll never hear from me again. I won't even mention seeing you here, though I might talk about Tempest and his amazing acts."

As he finished his remark, Sirius smiled sadly as he added, "I give you my word on the graves of your parents."

For a moment, Tempest's proud stance faltered slightly before, to Sirius' bewilderment, whatever he'd used to make his voice sound deep and dramatic seemed to fail him when a voice less distorted spoke from behind the mask.

"Who are you? When I saw you out there, I thought I knew you, but…but I couldn't remember why."

"Like I said," replied Sirius, closing the door before he smiled as he added, "I'm someone who is glad you're doing okay, kiddo. In truth, I'm your godfather, Harry: my name's Sirius Black."

"The escaped criminal?" asked Tempest, earning a shake of the head from Sirius.

"Wrongfully accused, but thanks to some friends of yours, my name was cleared a few months ago," said Sirius, earning a frown from Tempest as he explained, "That's when I finally learned that you'd been gone so long: I just thought you were avoiding meeting me because of what they said I did. Like I said before, I don't know why you ran, but…"

"I didn't run," growled Tempest, throwing off his mask, revealing the slightly-handsome, but older features of Harry James Potter, his green eyes no longer restrained by cheap, often-broken glasses while his expression was thunderous, if not defensive.

"I escaped! What else could I do after…after what that place…those people…my fame…after what it nearly cost me?"

"Slow down," Sirius insisted, his voice edged by a note of worry as he asked, "What happened to you, pup? Why are you here?"

"Why are you here?" snarled Harry, a small piece of his magic rippling from his body, causing the electrics to fizzle while, to Sirius' alarm, Harry's whole body seemed to become enveloped in an unseen wind, making his impressive attire billow around him like bat wings, mirroring the image from the poster as he snapped at Sirius. "What exactly do you want, Sirius Black? To convince me to go back? To tell me how stupid I am for doing something out of blinding, paralysing, experiencing-a-level-no-twelve-year-old-should-have-had-to-fear? Trust me, I've heard it all, mostly from my own lips whenever I doubted myself, but…but it's too late for arguments: I've left that behind me and I will not change my mind!"

"I just want to know why," Sirius replied, a note of promise in his words as he told Harry, "After that, I don't need to know anything you don't want to tell me and, like I said, if it's what you want, I'll go and you'll never see me again."

A lone tear rolled down Harry's cheek before he turned away, looking at his green eyes and the image of his mask in the mirror before, holding back a choked sob, he told Sirius, "I…I had no choice…I had to get away from…from there!"

"Why?" asked Sirius, a note of worry in his words as he asked, "What happened to make you so scared, Harry?"

His answer, however, made Sirius feel more than just shock, horror and a modicum of disbelief;

It made him wish he'd never set foot in Blackpool Tower at all that day, "I ran away because…because I died!"

"What?" asked Sirius, a note of horror lacing his words.

Harry, however, sniffled as he growled darkly, "And when…when I tried to explain…nobody…no-one cared! All they saw was…was the guy who'd saved the school…avenged the Muggle-borns…kept things rosy…like I was just meant to do it…like it was all part of the plan!"

Then, with a pained look, Harry clenched his hand around his Tempest mask before he bit his lip so hard that a single speck of blood trickled down over his mouth as he whispered, "I ran because…because I didn't want it to happen again…I don't…I don't just want to be a shadow…and I didn't…I couldn't risk it all happening again."

"What happening again?"

It was a stupid question, really, but Harry/Tempest's answer proved it as he stared at Sirius' reflection.

And when he did so, his eyes shone like emerald fire of the brightest, most-ferocious degree as he drew in a breath before, returning his mask to his face, Harry spoke in his Tempest voice again as he told Sirius the truth.

"I didn't want to die again…not before I had a chance to live…and if the magical world weren't going to care, even if my first death was all to save them…to do whatever it took to keep my home safe…then I decided…I was going to go it alone!"

Sirius' eyes widened, but as he watched, he saw Tempest straighten up, dusting down his attire before he sniffed as he explained in his distorted voice, "I died, Black, when I was barely in my teens, but not only that, when I died…the only reason I was reborn…risen anew like a phoenix from the ashes…was because of a fickle point. But, when…when I came back…nobody else bothered to see that I wasn't me anymore…not the old me anyway; I was someone else…I was…something…else…"

"How do you mean?" asked Sirius, but instead of a straight answer, Harry/Tempest chuckled before he looked up again, catching sight of Sirius in the mirror before he answered the question with a question;

"How do you think I'm able to do everything you've seen so far…and everything that's still to come?"

Tempest

Sirius' POV

Darkness.

That was the first sign that the second half of the show was about to begin, though, from where he was seated, Sirius couldn't get the words of the showman…his godson…out of his mind.

He'd said he'd died – and not just nearly dead, but really, most-sincerely dead – and that was something he didn't want to do too soon, not again, but that left a question unanswered.

How had he survived Death all over again?

After being given his freedom, after spending twelve years in the Hell that was Azkaban Prison, Sirius had asked a lot of people to explain about the events leading up to Harry's disappearance from Hogwarts over a year ago and no-one, not even his closest friends, had told him anything about the boy dying, let alone how or why.

Even Albus hadn't been honest with the explanations, but given how little he'd already done for Sirius – not to mention the revelation from one of Harry's friends talking about his Muggle relatives putting bars on his windows and treating Harry like a slave putting Sirius in a fouler mood – Sirius wasn't exactly taking Dumbledore's word as gospel anymore.

So how had he died?

And why hadn't anyone offered help, or even consolation with that event and the traumas it had clearly left Harry with?

Then there were his last words:

How do you think I'm able to do everything you've seen so far and everything that's still to come?

If all that was real magic, as in the actual magical forces, energies and powers of all wizards, then it meant Harry had become more-powerful than any witch or wizard Sirius knew, including the likes of Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort and even the strongest members of his own family.

In fact, the only one living whom Sirius could wager came close to that sort of power was Nicolas Flamel, but he had no idea of how he was meant to prove or disprove his theory.

So, instead, Sirius decided to wait until after the show, if only to get the chance to know his godson was happy.

Then, if he wanted it, Sirius would leave Harry…Tempest…whoever or whatever he was calling himself now…he'd leave him alone.

However, even as the lights went down and a tune that Sirius dimly-recognised from some Muggle fighting film he'd seen some years ago echoed through the arena, there was a part of Sirius that couldn't help but hope for one thing.

'Please Harry…please, if only for a little while, please allow yourself to come home…'

Tempest

Harry's POV

With the music of Survivor's Eye of the Tiger echoing through the auditorium, behind his mask, Harry smiled to himself as he let his magic flow, a part of him deciding to give these folks a real show to remember.

At the same time, he was momentarily distracted by the fact that there was a genuine wizard – two of them, actually – among his observers, but he was more shocked by the fact that they knew him and, from the expressions and the way Sirius Black had spoken to him, Harry also had a feeling that the man knew him…in the familial sense.

Unleashing his magic on the stage, Harry sniggered when he heard awed gasps fill the stands as what could only be described as a flock made up of a thousand differently-coloured birds of all shapes, sizes, breeds and colours flew through the air over the heads of the spectators.

As the flock of rainbow-coloured birds flew onto the stage, Harry gestured with one hand, causing several of the birds to crackle and spark like they'd been struck by lightning. As these lightning birds flew over the heads, their trails of sparks and sparkles earning oohs and aahs from the crowd, Harry let off a bit more of his magic, using it to create a flash of lightning that, to the shock of the audience, summoned a creature he knew to be a thunderbird to the stage, its body emitting bolts of lightning from every part of its body.

As the thunderbird unleashed its power on the other birds, striking them down in such a way that, to the shock of the audience, the bodies exploded into showers of confetti and sparks – which earned a tumultuous round of applause come the end of the stunt – Harry used more of his magic to leap up over the head of the thunderbird, landing nimbly on the tip of its beak where, with a dramatic gesture, he caused the remaining birds to explode, leaving the crowd speechless.

While the thunderbird lowered him to the ground, Harry gave another gesture, carving his hands through the air in the shape of two lightning bolts before, with a final, thunderous crack worthy of Zeus himself, the thunderbird exploded in a burst of thunder, a flash of lightning and a loud, fierce cry, leaving only smoke, sparks and feathers that fluttered down into the laps of the younger members of the audience.

Holding off his address for applause, Harry saw Sirius Black laughing and applauding, as was the man next to him – the name of which Harry hadn't learned, but he didn't give it much thought – as they too shared in the excitement and wonder of the act.

Even when the applause started up, Sirius whistled loudly, as did many others, before the man gave Tempest a knowing wink.

Clearing his throat, Harry let his magically-enhanced voice do the talking, all the while, he laughed to himself;

'If they thought that was good, let's see how they enjoy my last stand.'

He had promised a show and that was what he was going to give them.

How?

He was going to tell them a little story…

Tempest

General POV

"Welcome back, friends of the fantastical and devoted disciples of the disbelievingly-impossible; now, in the interval, I hope everyone stocked up on the umbrellas and cagoules…because there's a TEMPEST coming!"

The younger members laughed at the wordplay while Sirius scoffed, but he said nothing as Tempest – aka Harry, but in his mask, Sirius thought of him as Tempest since that might as well be who he was now – waved his hands, shushing the audience before he went on.

"No, but seriously, guys: what you saw earlier was just the appetiser. I'd say get ready for the main course, but, after tonight, I guarantee this is one storm that won't be coming back anytime soon."

Here, Tempest lifted himself up into the air, spreading his impressive attire wide so that he actually looked like a black-clad bird or winged angel of magic and wonder in flight as he exclaimed, "Because you see, there's a reason this one-night only event was arranged: after all the time I've spent honing my way with the weird and wonderful, I have decided that tonight is going to be my final show, ladies and gentlemen, so sit back, strap in and let's skip the main course and go and gorge ourselves on dessert! However, I warn you: what you're about to taste is not the goody-goodness of magic before; so, you have been warned: bon appétit!"

While many of the younger members gave cries of argument and fearful, if not disappointed protest to Tempest's proclamation about his somewhat premature retirement from the circuit, the master magician made his move.

To the awe of the audience, what was one Tempest suddenly curled up into a ball in mid-air before, to everyone's shock, one Tempest became thirteen, each of which started to fly around the arena. At one point, one of the Tempests made a commanding gesture, once again flooding the stage with light, which revealed that none of the doppelgangers of the master magician were using wires, magnets or strings to fly.

Of course, only two people knew this to be true, but they were too busy enjoying the show.

As the small swarm of Tempests regrouped, Sirius' eyes widened with horror while Remus gasped with evident disbelief when a bunch of familiar green flashes suddenly flew from the stage, striking two of the Tempests down.

When the doppelgangers landed on the floor, however, Sirius' eyes widened when one of them exploded into nothing more than a shower of blood-red-coloured lily petals while the other similarly exploded. However, instead of flowers, he simply turned into a pile of smoke, like he had become nothing more than a ghost in the ether.

"What's he doing?" whispered Remus, earning a worried look from Sirius before he was cut off when, to the shock of the Marauders, three more of the Tempests let out cries of dramatic emotion as they were changed.

One of them became a large, bushy-moustached walrus while the second changed into an unattractively-thin horse; as for the third, he gave a very high-pitched squeal before he was changed into a less-than-cute-looking pink piglet with blonde hair and a grotesque look about him. This just left seven of the Tempests, though as Sirius and Remus watched, along with the rest of the crowd, they all gasped when one, whom many assumed to be the real Tempest, flew down and came to a crash landing on the ground.

As though bidden by this action, the horse, walrus and piglet charged at the downed Tempest, beating, stomping and, to the horror of several of the onlookers, even crunching through the remains.

However, when the animals moved away from their prey, everyone gasped as they saw the stage was empty.

Seconds later, what could only be described as barred cages suddenly dropped down on top of the three animals, each one of which squealed as they charged, butted, kicked and, generally, screamed and roared at the bars. Finally, another green flash filled the stage, leaving the cages empty and the animals within now nothing more than empty duplicates of Tempest's mask and coat.

Suddenly, as he looked to the remaining half-a-dozen Tempests, Sirius whispered in shock.

"This is for us!"

"Huh?" asked Remus.

Lifting his hand, Sirius kept a close eye on the Tempests overhead while he whispered, "Lily petals and a second whom is a ghost; that's Lily and James. And I remember what Lily used to say about her sister: so thin, she made skeletons look fat. So, this means that the walrus, horse and the piglet must have been them and the Tempest they beat down until there was nothing left…that's him!"

"And the cages?"

"Breaking free," replied Sirius, indicating the cages as he explained, "Leaving them in the dust so there's nothing left of him."

Before he could say anything else, Sirius let out a jovial cry when one of the Tempests suddenly transformed into a proud, very fierce-looking lion, which, again, to the horror of some of the onlookers and the bemusement of the Marauders, pounced on one of the remaining Tempests.

But instead of savaging him, the Tempest-Lion swallowed his doppelganger whole, even licking its lips before it burped out the mask as it leaned back where, to the unease of some parents and a few weaker-stomached members of the crowd, the lion's belly began writhing and rippling, as though there was someone inside it.

Which, there was, of course.

"Sorted into Gryffindor, House of the Lion," whispered Sirius, earning a slow nod from Remus before, to both of their shocks, the Lion suddenly gave a cartoonish, comedic look of worry. As everyone watched, they saw the fur on the lion's belly vibrate and ripple even harder than before.

Then, with another clap of thunder and a familiar flash of green light, the lion's stomach exploded and, from within, Tempest emerged, shaking himself down like he was a dog drying his fur.

"Yuck…I hate it when that happens," drawled Tempest, earning laughs from many of the crowd.

Sirius, meanwhile, leaned in closer to Remus as he whispered, "Breaking free of the lion and what it wants from him: it wants to eat him, to consume him so he becomes what it wants…the Boy-Who-Lived…ergo, the survivor here."

"So that leaves four…plus him," added Remus, indicating the Tempest on-stage, "What's next?"

The words were no sooner out of his mouth before everyone gasped in awed wonder as two of the Tempests changed once more, this time becoming a large, very fierce-looking serpent as well as a large, glamorously-beautiful bird. As for the last two Tempests, they changed into a pair of unusual-looking items: one of them became a ruby-encrusted sword while the other took on the form of a black book, which seemed to flutter and fly around the stage provocatively.

As the serpent seemed to engage in a battle with the bird – which Sirius and Remus knew to be a phoenix – everyone else watched as the book leaked out several grey clouds of smoke, which seemed to pass through the serpent, but when they did so, one by one, the clouds were changed into what looked like shop window dummies, each of which were frozen in place like weeping angels.

"Oh Merlin," whispered Sirius, looking from the serpent to the lone Tempest on stage, who seemed to be searching for something he couldn't find, much to the bewilderment of the crowd.

"What?" asked Remus.

"That snake…" replied Sirius, looking again to Tempest, who winked at him as he murmured, "I think it's meant to be a…a Basilisk!"

Remus honestly had no idea what to say, but as he watched, he gasped again when two more puffs of smoke suddenly flew from the diary, one of which seemed to take on the shape of a goat while another became a much smaller serpent, who coiled their way around the goat and dragged it off into darkness.

At the same time, Tempest ran to catch up with the animals, but when they vanished into the ether, he grunted disapprovingly before he turned to the stage and the audience beyond.

"Looks like it's up to me!" exclaimed Tempest, summoning a burst of wind and lightning, which he used to launch himself into the air where, grabbing the sword, he held it up as he snarled at the snake/Basilisk, "All right, you overgrown earthworm: just try and defeat me!"

Cheers rose up at the challenge, especially when the bird only managed to hurt the eyes of the serpent before it was swallowed up by the snake as easily as Tempest had been eaten by the lion. With fury in mind, the serpent charged, jaws parted and eyes ablaze; again, many of the onlookers, especially the younger ones, cried out for Tempest to move, but the snake's aim proved true.

Tempest was bitten, hard by the serpent, though not before a fang also pierced the book, turning it into a shower of water that drenched many of the onlookers, some of whom groaned as they realised Tempest's earlier play on his name wasn't just banter.

As for Tempest, he carved the sword clean through the snake's body, which freed the bird from its stomach; however, as Tempest's magic failed him, sending him falling to the ground, many kids held their breath and looked away when they noticed how still and calm Tempest seemed to have suddenly become.

But, not a minute later, their looks of fear soon turned into delight when Tempest's body became enveloped by the bird whom he'd saved, the beak of the bird now emitting a beautiful, soothing song.

In the crowds, many of the onlookers started to feel drowsy and a little light-headed; as for Sirius and Remus, however, they both gasped while Sirius, looking to where the bird had set Tempest down, whispered, "Basilisk Venom…Phoenix Tears…"

"And Magic saved him…" finished Remus, watching as a final flash of light filled the arena, but not before Tempest's voice echoed throughout the entire auditorium.

"You've all been brilliant…I just wasn't fast enough…thank you…and…don't worry…because magic always finds a way…"

Then, the lights fell one last time and, when they rose up again, Sirius' eyes widened as both he and Remus saw that the two of them were the only ones who seemed to be awake.

As for the rest of the auditorium, they were all out for the count, some of them holding programmes and tickets while others had hold of the feathers, masks, coats and other remains from the incredible performance, but every single one of them was out for the count.

As the two Marauders stared, both of them felt someone tap them on the shoulder, but when they turned, Sirius and Remus gasped again as they found themselves no longer sitting in their seats in the Tower room.

Instead, they were both standing in front of a familiar pair of plain-looking graves where, there, standing between them, one hand on each of the graves, was Harry, his green eyes filled with sorrow, pain and a small amount of inevitable acceptance as he looked from the graves to the men standing in front of him.

"So, tell me, and be honest…do you still think I can just live happily ever after?"

So, the adventure begins and Harry has told a story that definitely seems too good to be true, but what does the fallout from that story have to do with the showman he became as Tempest?

Also, can Sirius and Remus answer the riddle wrapped up in a mystery inside an enigma and give this clearly-changed sorcerer a reason to even think of going back to the place that killed him?

More to the point, if he did die, how did he come back and what does this Doctor-Strange-level magical ability of his have to do with that?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: It's time for Harry to do something he never thought he'd get the chance to do: say goodbye to those who sacrificed everything for him…but is this also him saying goodbye to the Magical World? And, if so, with Tempest retired, what will the all-powerful sorcerer do next?

Please Read and Review

AN: Tempest

As weird as this is going to sound, the attire for 'Tempest' was actually inspired by TNA/GFW's Willow – Jeff Hardy's 'alter ego' – so if you want an example of what he looks like in his alternate attire, go and look that up; also, the idea for Harry/Tempest distorting his voice and making it sound deep and a little intimidating was inspired by Arrow/Flash and other DC Characters – e.g. Batman – altering their voice in a costume to make themselves sound different; the method in which Harry does it, however, is more similar to Barry Allen/The Flash and other speedsters distorting their voices;

AN: Music

The song playing in the introduction of Tempest is Saliva's Hunt You Down: weird? Maybe, but something about the lyrics seemed to make it work, so that's why I used it;

ALSO; Before I get any nitpickers going on about timelines and such, first, I'm sure I don't need to remind you all of how DH 1 had a song that wasn't out in 97 when Harry and Hermione danced; and, second, if it makes you feel better, then just forward the timeline anyway, since this chapter does mention the internet and recording the show and other such things that probably wouldn't have made sense in the 90s, right?

Anyway, keep reading to find out what new fun awaits our hero;