The Boy-King of Infinity
Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Recommended Reads: Raven, Magical Spider, Bonded, Widow's Vengeance, Wands and Claws and Reborn by JustBored21, Harry Potts and the Infinity Stones by samhaine, Master Potter of Kamar-Taj and He's definitely got the stones for it by Ryuko monogatari, Child of the Storm, Ghosts of the Past and The Phoenix and the Serpent by Nimbus Llewelyn, The War of Titans by PerseusPeverell092, A Fallen God by Hostiel, Kill me if you can and The Overpowered Gamer by PercyPendragon3, The Eye of the Phoenix by GrandSpaceWizard, Master of Death and Wielder of Infinity by bhanfhen, Do Not Meddle In The Affairs Of Wizards by Corwalch, Harry Potter the Mutant Obscurus Gamer by GnomeBob and Harry Is A Dragon, And That's Okay by Saphroneth
Key Pairing: Harry/TBD
Other Pairings: To be determined
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
'Mental Speech'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
WhiteElfElder: Well, ultimate power will do that to a guy, but it's safe to say his arrogance is about to be tested;
Jostanos: Do you know something, old friend? I'm almost frightened by the idea of how you'll react to this chapter…ah well, batten down the hatches…
Hagrid, on the other hand, was someone Harry could get used to being around.
Like Hedwig, Harry felt like they might have been friends in any sort of life he lived…
And it was a friendship he was more than happy to help, even if it meant using all his strange, new powers to help out in any way he desired.
Chapter 4: School Is So Illuminating
"Welcome to Hogwarts! Now, in a few short moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before that happens, you are to be sorted into your Houses! They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin…"
'Is that list meant to be in order of favouritism?' wondered Harry, before he decided to drown out the rest of what was, clearly, a very well-rehearsed speech by Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.
Instead, he let his eyes, and his mind, scan the crowd of first-years, all of whom had travelled across the lake with him and the giant man, Hagrid, whom, by some miracle – alias a touch of Harry's powers – Harry had convinced to let him ride across the lake in the giant's company, if only because Harry was scared he might fall in and drown.
He still remembered the disgruntled sounds of complaints from the other boats, while he, Harry, had been safely ensconced by Hagrid's large coat and larger, protectively-shielding arm. On the way across the lake, Harry had also been told, by Hagrid, about how happy the giant was to see the little baby boy he'd left in Little Whinging looking so healthy and strong, as compared to the now-groundless fears of Professor McGonagall, because she'd believed the Muggles would hurt Harry, or worse.
'If only he knew,' thought Harry, smiling to himself as he half-heard the end of Professor McGonagall's speech, which was the elderly lady's cue to leave the first-years to, in her words, tidy themselves up a bit.
As Harry continued examining the crowd, he found more than a few of his soon-to-be classmates were eyeing him up curiously, if not suspiciously; one of them, a gormless-looking redhead, was even trying to look at Harry, as though he was actually trying to figure out the boy's identity.
However, thanks to how much better Harry looked, and the fact that his powers kept anyone who might want to use him from fully-noticing him – at least he had made it so, until he was safely Sorted and ready to face the school as a whole – he immediately knew that the greedy-looking, if not desperate-looking redhead wouldn't be able to see the truth until it was already too late.
As well as the redhead, Harry also noticed the blond from the walk to the boats seemed to be struggling to see him; his grey eyes were squinting, as though he was someone who needed glasses, but refused to wear them, while his expression actually seemed to be darkening ominously before, scoffing at his feeble attempt being foiled, the blond turned to speak to two boys who could have passed for magical versions of Dudley.
'That's two,' thought Harry, leaning against the wall behind him as he wondered, 'Who else wants to try and use me?'
"Excuse me?"
Turning suddenly at the sound of a soft, somewhat-meek voice addressing him, Harry was surprised, but also relieved and curious, to find himself chatting with another blond-haired boy, although this one was slightly-rounded by baby fat, as well as cute-looking chubby cheeks, and watery eyes that made him look like he'd been crying.
At the same time, Harry noticed a toad that seemed to be lazily flopped in the boy's hands, croaking gingerly, while the boy asked, "Um, sorry if I might be…be disturbing you and…and everything, but…but I was just wondering how…how you managed to fit in the boat with Mister Hagrid?"
"Magic," said Harry dismissively, flashing the boy a smile, before he winked knowingly as he added, "And charm…the non-magical kind; sometimes, all you've got to do is ask nicely, mate."
"Oh," said the boy, lowering his eyes before he asked, "Um…sorry…this is going to sound like a weird question and all, but…but do you think you might want to…to be friends with me? I…I know you've probably heard all the rumours, but…"
"I don't even know your name," said Harry, extending a hand before, lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, "My name's Harry, for the record; Harry James Potter…and yours is?"
"N-N-Neville…" said the boy, taking Harry's hand, before he actually seemed to squeeze a little too tightly, not that Harry seemed to notice, as the boy added, "Neville Long-Longbottom: wow…I mean…are you…are you really Harry? Aunt Lily and…and Uncle James' son?"
"The one and only," replied Harry, smiling softly, as well as a little sadly, as he asked, "You…you knew my parents, then?"
"My…my Mum did," said Neville, a look of awe, as well as pained apology, in his eyes as he explained, "She…she's always telling me stories about them; I…I guess she wanted me to…to grow up knowing the…the family I could have lived with, had…had things been…different…"
"What do you mean?" asked Harry curiously.
Before Neville could answer, however, he let out an eep when someone cleared their throat loudly; turning away from the boy with the teary eyes, Harry saw Professor McGonagall had returned, and was now looking from one boy to the other with a hint of suspicion and curiosity. Unlike the blond and redhead that Harry had noticed, Professor McGonagall did seem to be able to see him, judging by how she looked both surprised and relieved when she saw Harry turn his eyes in her direction.
Rather than out him as who he was – thereby shattering his illusion, not that she knew it – however, she looked from the two young boys to the rest of the first-years as she told them all, "We're ready for you now…follow me, please."
As Harry and Neville fell into line, the young boy then frowned when something akin to a whisper of mystical potential crossed his mind, closely followed by a very soft whisper of a voice that he barely managed to recognise as Neville's.
'If…if you really want to…to know the…the whole story, I…I'll be willing to…to tell you…gee…your mind is…it's really strong…sorry…'
"That…that's okay," whispered Harry, offering a friendly smile to Neville, who returned it in kindness, while Harry also wondered exactly how it was that his mysterious new companion, possibly even friend, was able to do such a thing.
He knew, if he really wanted to, he could get the answers by using his powers to make Neville tell him, or even just to get him to be able to understand it all. However, he was more-curious about how it was that Neville even knew his family, much less Neville's Mum doing the same.
So, for now, he let the boy have his secrets, especially since he was also one with secrets of his own.
Infinity
As he thought on how Neville might take the secrets of Harry's power, the young boy jerked suddenly when, without warning, something akin to a finger trailing across his senses suddenly filled his mind.
This time, Harry didn't hold back for one reason or another as he had decided to do for Neville.
Instead, he pushed back with as much will as he could, intent on discovering the source of what was, without a shadow of a doubt, a very uncomfortable, not to mention intrusive presence on his brooding, as well as his person.
Willing his power to follow the trace, Harry's eyes widened briefly when he found images flashing before his mind: images of fire, darkness and destruction, of troubles and triumphs, all of which came together surrounding the image of a ghostly, blue sphere, and an eerie voice that seemed to resonate through his very core.
"…THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES
BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE DEFIED HIM THRICE AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES
AND THE DARK LORD SHALL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT
AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER, FOR NEITHER WILL LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES
THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD SHALL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…"
'What…what is this?' wondered Harry, again reaching into his willpower as he asked, 'What am I seeing? Who…who would…why do they want me to…to die? Why? Just…just so the world can…can survive?'
"I have a few start of term notices to give…"
Suddenly, as Harry wondered about the source of the most-disturbing thoughts he'd ever heard – for now, anyway – his head jerked up when he heard a wizened voice speaking to the assembled students, as well as adults in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Looking up to the source of the voice, Harry saw a white-haired, white-bearded gentleman whom was dressed in robes that were similar to the colour of the summer sky – clear-blue – with twinkling blue eyes that, even as he looked at them, shining and sparkling brightly, gave Harry a very cold, dark feeling in the pit of his belly.
As the elderly gentleman – whom Harry guessed was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, judging by how everyone was hanging on his every word – began to speak to the people in the hall, the young boy focused all his power on the old man, which meant it was almost too easy for him to not only enter the man's thoughts and pierce the veil of whatever defences stood between them.
He also identified the man as the source of the thoughts.
Especially those that wanted him to die, so the world could be saved.
'No!' thought Harry, fear and determination welling up inside of him as he insisted, 'I…I won't die…not for this! I…I know I probably shouldn't do this, but…but I don't have a choice! Sorry, old man…but you can't think a kid like me has to die…not anymore!'
With his will and determination driving him, Harry unleashed his infinite power on the elderly man.
Infinity
Suddenly, to the surprise of those in the hall, Professor Dumbledore stumbled and staggered before he fell back, startling many of the students, as well as his colleagues, as he fell into his golden chair.
How he even managed to not look embarrassing or the slightest bit concerned, nobody knew; and yet, as Dumbledore looked around, trying to find the source of the strange force that had just sent him ass-over-tea-kettle, his eyes settled on one individual.
A young man, who could have probably passed for a teenager with how well-developed he looked, smiling at the Headmaster in smugness, if not an air of relief. He also seemed to be surprised by what had happened, though only momentarily and, as Dumbledore looked at the young man, he saw green eyes, dark hair and a faded, but still-visible lightning-bolt scar.
This told him everything he needed to know, for…for…for…
'Wait!' thought Albus, his eyes widening only momentarily as he struggled to compose himself, 'What…what was I thinking? Why…why does my mind seem…hazy? Lost? What…what sort of Magic can do this?'
Whatever it was, Dumbledore knew one truth.
Harry James Potter was at the centre of it, and, unlike the man sitting two seats down from him, Albus knew Potter was responsible.
He just wished he knew how…and not just how he might be able to stop it from getting worse, before…all for…ahhh!
'Why can't I remember why I must keep an eye on this boy?'
Infinity
"Harry Potter?"
Finally, after Dumbledore made some half-hearted excuse about fatigue, and then gave an equally-rehearsed speech about dos and don'ts, the Sorting Ceremony went ahead, revealing a few things to Harry, chief among them being how his new companion, Neville, was more than he seemed to be.
Why else would he be sent to the House of the Brave, Gryffindor?
Meanwhile, he also discovered the blond, name of Malfoy, was just as arrogant and self-serving as his power suggested, and not just because he went to the same House as the man who'd destroyed Harry's family, the House of Slytherin.
In the end, it was Harry's turn and, as he sat under the hat, he silently scowled when he felt his illusion of being someone in the background/out of the corner of his eye fading away, putting him on the pedestal he had hoped to avoid being put on, as people began whispering, pointing and, in the case of the redhead who was yet to be Sorted, even loathing murmurs about wasting time and not being able to get Harry away from some slimy snake, whatever that meant.
'He means the House of Slytherin.'
'Ahh,' thought Harry, closing his eyes, if only to block out the sea of faces straining to look at him, 'So you can talk about more than the House you send someone to, can you?'
'Indeed I can, young one,' replied the Sorting Hat, earning a frown from Harry, before the hat went on. 'Oh, don't worry: even if I wanted to offer some word of consolation to our wayward Headmaster or others, I am forbidden by Magicks far older than these walls from doing so. However, if I might offer one small word of advice, young one.'
Harry gestured for the hat to continue.
'As you progress down the path, never forget: With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility…and, on that note…better be…GRYFFINDOR!'
Suddenly, the hall exploded into rapturous applause, the sudden sound of which only annoyed Harry.
"QUIET!"
The fact that Harry's voice managed to overwhelm the tempestuous din that filled the hall wasn't nearly as surprising as the fact that his roar for silence was met with stunned expressions and, as he had demanded, absolute silence, all of which left Harry able to not only think clearly, but make his way over to the Gryffindor Table where, as he sat down, he smiled approvingly.
"That's better…no offence, but I've always hated sudden loud noises…so, where were we?"
Through confusion and curiosity, the Sorting continued…
Infinity
'How…how did he…impossible! Did…did he do that? How? What? Why?'
All these questions flooded Dumbledore's mind, sending the man into a frenzy of lost answers and curiosities, none of which could placate him.
It looked like, if he was going to get some answers, Albus could only do one thing.
And, in order to go down that road, he was going to need one thing.
Harry…
Infinity
"Potter?"
Looking up from his food, as well as the soft, casual conversations from his new Housemates, Harry was a little surprised to see Professor McGonagall had made her way over to him, her expression one of curiosity and concern as she looked down at him before she spoke again.
"Congratulations: you have officially broken the record for most trouble earliest in the year."
"Professor?" asked Harry.
"The Headmaster wishes to see you…now…in his office," explained McGonagall, earning a curious look from Harry, while her words also earned him a round of curious, suspicious, questioning and – in the case of a certain pair of redheads, whose youngest brother had, to his horror, found himself sorted into Slytherin House instead of Gryffindor – even proud, celebratory expressions from the rest of the Lions' Den.
Harry, meanwhile, curious though he was, let himself be calmed by one guarantee.
Whatever Dumbledore wanted with him, it wasn't about to lead to his death…
Infinity
"Harry! So glad to meet you at last: come in, my boy. Apologies for the sudden summons, but I thought we should talk before school officially starts; can I offer you a cup of tea?"
"Thank you, Headmaster," said Harry, half-aware of the way that the wise man and elder mentor of Hogwarts was intent on speaking to Harry, as though they were old friends. At the same time, given the old man couldn't plan his death anymore, or do anything to try and lead Harry to such a tragic, horrifying conclusion, the young boy guessed this was the Powers That Be making up for lost information and time.
So, for now, he allowed himself a brief reprieve as he sat down and accepted the drink, while Dumbledore smiled, "Now, Harry, let me first congratulate you on your sorting into Gryffindor: truly, your parents would be proud…"
"Thank you, Professor," said Harry, taking a long drink from the tea, which was surprisingly-sweet, but not so much that Harry hated it.
In fact, he found himself relaxing even more with Dumbledore, as he asked, "Sir, if it's not too big a problem, could I…maybe…call you…"
That was when he felt it.
The relaxing feeling…
It was more than relaxing…
It was…drowsy…uneasy…disorienting…
"Al…bus?"
As Harry looked up, trying to force out even a little of his power, if only to lift his strange feelings and bring him back to full alertness, he gasped suddenly when, as he looked at the teacup he'd been drinking from, he saw a shimmering veil of green sparkly sand dancing in the brew.
"What…what…"
"I'm sorry, my boy, truly," said Albus, earning a horrified, if not troubled look from Harry.
As he looked up, he saw only a faint outline of the old man's face, twinkling eyes and all, as the Headmaster spoke again…
"But you have some explaining to do…and I need to know you're telling the truth…"
'You son of a…bitch…'
The next thing Harry knew, he was looking at the backs of his eyelids.
Infinity
Darkness.
Cloying dizziness, mixed with fear.
Claustrophobic weakness that closed in all around him.
All these were feelings Harry had vowed he would never experience again, not after doing what he'd done that night in the cupboard under the stairs with his strange-looking alternate self.
And yet, as he felt his body's natural weight and strength returning to him, this was exactly what Harry felt: a strange, all-encompassing feeling of closeness, mixed with a weakening air that dug down deep into his body, seemingly – impossibly – preventing him from tapping into his will-bending power and bringing himself back to full wakefulness.
He was also dimly aware of the fact that his hands were bound by some heated material, which seemed to fuel the weakening sensations that Harry felt blocking him from his powers. As he struggled to perceive the world around him, Harry saw thick, green bands were wrapped around his wrists, both of them glowing with a level of power he wasn't all that familiar with.
At the same time, even though he couldn't feel his power, he could feel a sensation that told him one thing.
He wasn't alone.
Pulling himself up, as best as he could, given how weak he felt, Harry was surprised to see what could only be described as a semi-circle of white chairs set on a raised platform, as well as a large, unknown mystic symbol engraved behind the chairs, which looked like a circular net-like symbol. Around the chairs, there were large, grey-coloured walls, as well as torches that burned with electrical light, filling the room with a warm, but definitely not welcoming glow.
However, the glow also revealed something else…
Or rather…someone else!
"YOU!" Snarled Harry, earning a sad shake of the head from his only accomplice.
Albus Dumbledore himself.
"I'm sorry, Harry…but the rules are clear…and, given what you have done to me, however you did it…"
He might have said he was sorry, but, again, even with what little he could tap into, Harry knew he wasn't sorry, and this only made him feel angry, not only at the Headmaster, but at Harry himself.
He'd let himself lower his guard, because he believed Dumbledore was appeased, unable to prove himself a threat.
What a fool he was!
As Harry tried to pull himself to his feet, if only so he wasn't in any way beneath Dumbledore, the sound of a door opening overhead made Harry look up to the floating platform; to his bewilderment, what had to be the strangest-looking group of people filed into the room, each one radiating strength, confidence and pride as they gathered before the chairs over Harry's head.
In the centre of the group, a somewhat-pretty lady with light-reddish-coloured hair and bright, brown eyes looked down at Harry with a glimmer of surprise, if not curiosity before, clearing her throat, she spoke in a loud, clear, but also strong and authoritative tone of voice.
"Harrison James Potter, you have been brought before the Illuminati of Earth-777 to explain a matter of importance for the future of both the mundane and magical realms: I, Doctor Christine Strange, Sorceress Supreme of Earth-777, lead and declare this assembly open!"
"Uh…okay?" said Harry somewhat nervously, trying to hold onto his courage, while he also silently marvelled at the fact that there was another powerful being out there, as he could sense something oddly-familiar in the Sorceress Supreme's power and presence. "But, listen, Miss: I don't know why I'm here, but…"
Suddenly, Harry jumped as a shield hit the ground in front of him, embedding itself at his feet before, to his surprise, the shield flipped itself free of the indented spot, only to return to the arm of a fierce man with shoulder-length black hair and cold, piercing blue eyes, whom wore a suit of leathery armour emblazoned with the American flag, as well as a symbol that looked like an eagle inside a circle.
"Captain Barnes," said Doctor Christine Strange, indicating the man as she explained, "The First Avenger: Liaison of SHIELD!"
"Really? You know, I've recently been told to not trust a shield-bearer," drawled Harry, deciding to go with blatant sarcasm, if only to mask his fear.
Although, given what he'd been told by his other self, he wasn't lying, either.
While the captain sneered at Harry, the young boy looked to the figure next to him, whom was a black-clad warrior with what looked like a two-pronged fork on his brow, as well as eyes filled with a mixture of warning and ominous foreboding.
"Blackagar Boltagon," said Doctor Strange, seemingly introducing her compatriots one by one as she explained, "Keeper of the Terrigan Mists; the Inhuman King and Guardian of the Alter."
"The Alter?" wondered Harry, while he also silently wondered who or what would be so nuts as to name their kid Blackagar Boltagon. "So, you're saying it's in a church?"
To his surprise, Blackagar's lips twitched in amusement, before he gently tapped his lips, earning a frown from Harry, "You want me to be quiet? I don't know who you think you are, Your Highness, but my king isn't one of them."
"You should take Black Bolt's advice, if only to ensure he does not address you directly," argued a new voice, this one soft, but powerful, and coming from Doctor Strange's right, where Harry then saw another man, this one dark-skinned and dark-eyed, dressed in black-and-gold-coloured armour with what looked like a panther's claw marks cut or engraved into his outfit.
"Captain Marvel, also known as Crown Prince T'Challa; Guardian of the Cosmos and Representative to Wakanda."
"Thanks for that," said Harry, before his eyes widened when a burst of energy appeared at the end of the semi-circle, revealing a very unusual sight.
A young man, with golden-blond hair and bright, illuminatingly-so, blue eyes; he was dressed in a long, blue coat with a number four stitched into the lapel, held within a white circle. On one arm, the man also held a strange-looking wristwatch, which shone with eerie, blue light as Harry stared at it, feeling like he should know it from somewhere.
"The most-powerful man on Earth," said Doctor Strange, indicating the newcomer, "Franklin Richards, Reality Master, Member of the Fantastic 4!"
"Egotistical, much?" asked Harry, earning a smirk from Franklin.
"Well, you should be able to sympathise that having ultimate levels of power gives you a certain sense of self-righteousness, Harry," argued Richards, his voice tinged by youthful delight, while he also seemed amused by Harry's argument.
As Harry shrugged in response, he looked back to Doctor Strange as he asked, "All right, so I know all of you and, I guess, you know me, but…what I don't understand is what I'm doing here: I mean, why did you let Dumbledore poison me? Why can't I use my powers?"
"That'd be me," said Franklin, raising a hand as he smirked, "Nothing personal, Harry; you're a good kid. I can tell, but, as the Doc there will tell you; when the Illuminati are gathered like this, we have to take precautions."
"Truer words were never spoken, Mister Richards," said Dumbledore, earning a scoff from Christine as he added, "And now, with the usual intros done, perhaps we might get to the reason for this meet? Namely, discovering what Harry has done to me and how we might undo it?"
"That would imply we'd want to undo his work!"
Suddenly, even Harry was left speechless as his eyes went upwards, as did the members of the Illuminati, and, to Harry's surprise, a dumbfounded Dumbledore, who suddenly looked like he was hearing the voice of a ghost.
Although Harry had to wonder if he was seeing a ghost when he saw a figure, dressed in a long, flowing red outfit, complete with what looked like an X-shaped insignia on their belt and over one eye – like an eyepatch – descending from the ceiling, their expression one of alarm, outrage and disbelief as they landed in the centre of the group, making even Doctor Strange back away as she indicated the figure.
A figure with flowing red hair, which actually seemed to burn like fire as the Sorceress Supreme indicated the newcomer.
"And our final member…Professor Lily Potter…co-assigned-leader and mentor of the X-Men, Representative of the Homo Magi Communities of Planet Earth…and Host to the Phoenix Force!"
"Lily?" asked Dumbledore.
"Mummy?" asked Harry, a small part of him aware – and hateful – of how childish he sounded, even as he looked into the fiery-green eyes of the woman standing over his head, looking down at him with fondness, love and loss-all.
"Hello, my beautiful boy…we have so much catching up to do…"
Chapter 4 and, BLODDY HELLFIRE AND ALL THE POWERS COSMIC!
Lily…Lily's alive?
She…she's this Earth's – now identified as Earth-777: cheesy, I know – vessel of the Phoenix Force and…and she's alive?
How?
What will this mean for Harry?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Albie: you've got some 'splaining to do! Lily, you've got questions to answer and, Harry? You've got a life-changing truth to discover, all thanks to the Powers That Be;
Please Read and Review
AN: Portrayals
Franklin Richards: Alexander Calvert
Lily Potter: Michelle Harrison
(Obviously, everyone else is as their MCU canon counterparts)
