The Sorcerer's Apprentice

by DZ2

When he learned of Harry's way of vanquishing Quirrellmort, Albus Dumbledore reached out for help, but instead of going to other Wizards, he went higher up the food chain. For Harry to become the Chosen One, he's going to need some Supreme teaching. Grey Super/OP Lunar Harmony; Good Dumbledore

The Sorcerer's Apprentice: A Harry Potter/Doctor Strange Crossover Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to JK Rowling. I do not own Doctor Strange or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to Marvel. I do not own any other crossover references used in the story: all rights belong to their original creators. I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

Plot: When he learned of Harry's way of vanquishing Quirrellmort, Albus Dumbledore reached out for help, but instead of going to other Wizards, he went higher up the food chain. For Harry to become the Chosen One, he's going to need some Supreme teaching.

Author's Note: So, here we have an old nugget freshly-rehatched from within my ideas dump, the Den of Delights and, well, all I'll say about it is that it's going to look and sound REALLY strange – puns fully intended – so get ready for fun.

Recommended Reads: Child of the Storm, Ghosts of the Past and The Phoenix and the Serpent by Nimbus Llewellyn, The Rise of the Last Potter by HPfanfictioner66, Dumbledore's Apprentice by kingnick81, Phantom and The War of Titans by PerseusPeverell092, Silver King, Widow's Vengeance and Trickshot by JustBored21, Harry Potts and the Infinity Stones by samhaine, Harry Potter and the Flamel Battery – TRK&TA Part 1 by srowdytg, I Fleetly Flee, I Fly by emouse33, Arch Mage, the Path of Magic by Kairomaru and When the Thunder Breaks by WeLonelyOldSouls

Key Pairing: Eventual Harry/Luna/Hermione (Lunar Harmony)

Other Pairings: To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

'Mental Speech'

/Parseltongue/

PHASE ONE: Dumbledore's Request: Chapter 1: The Lost Hero

After a mysterious summer, which had left both of them with more questions than answers, on the morning when Ron and Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express for the start of their second year, there seemed to be an air of expectant hope and mild concern guiding their steps.

In Ron's case, the air of hope and concern was more about the fact that his kid-sister, Ginny, was starting at Hogwarts, as well as a second reason that, primarily thanks to his Mum's deafening shrieks for the past week, had become less-important for him.

In the case of Hermione Jean Granger, however, she was hopeful and concerned for a different reason, and not just because she didn't have a sibling starting at Hogwarts like Ronald did. Instead, her emotional strains and turmoil were more because of how there was something else guiding her emotions, urging her towards the train, if only out of habit and a desire to hope and pray that her silent wish was going to come true.

More than that, however, her thoughts were focused on something else…

Or rather…

Someone else!

TSA

"Where is he?" asked Hermione, a mixture of desperation and slight disbelief lacing her words as she walked along the narrow passageway that ran alongside each of the travelling compartments within each of the train's carriages, her dark-brown eyes flicking from one compartment to the next as she checked each door that they walked past for the object of her desires.

But, even as the halfway point passed them, meaning they were rapidly running out of train, Hermione couldn't resist showing a little annoyance, if not hope-tinted insistence as she asked, "He couldn't have actually missed the train…could he? I know we haven't heard from him all summer, but do you honestly believe he could be in some sort of situation that'd cause him to miss the train and miss out on his second year?"

"For the thousandth time, Hermione, I…don't…know!" exclaimed Ron hotly, though he also seemed to be looking around just as carefully as the determined brunette as he asked her, "Look, can we just please get to a compartment before they all fill up with…"

"How many times do I have to remind you that it's a magically-forged train, Ronald?" Hermione interrupted, her voice filled with a hint of disdain at the boy's apparent lack of care for someone that he called his 'best mate' as well as being able to ignore and overlook the fact that they hadn't seen hide nor hair of the friend in question for a long time now. "It's never full: don't you read Hogwarts: A History?"

Rather than risk annoying her further, especially since he'd seen for himself just how seriously she took their friend's apparent persona non grata status over the summer, Ron just scoffed in response before, masking his disbelief as best as he could, he asked, "What do I need to do that for? The only thing that matters, as I was about to say, is that we keep away from any compartment that has those slimy snakes in them, especially that blond prat, Malfoy! So, again, if it's not too much trouble, can we just find somewhere to sit and ride out the journey before we wind up crossing paths with him? The last thing I need is to lose my appetite before lunch because of Malfoy!"

Whether she recognised what Ron was doing, or whether she was genuinely exasperated, she didn't know, but Hermione still rolled her eyes with an air of amused disbelief as she thought to herself, 'Please, there's more chance of Mr Filch winning the World Humanitarian award, than there is of you losing your appetite, Ronald!'

However, if only out of what their friendship meant to the wayward member of their troupe, rather than say it aloud, Hermione kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she just stopped outside one particular compartment before, deciding to at least indulge Ronald's desire to avoid unwanted company, she sighed in abject defeat as she nodded, indicating the compartment door nearest to them.

"Fine, we'll sit in here: from the looks of it, there's only one person here, so I'm sure they won't mind us joining them."

As Ron shoved Hermione out of the way before he took his seat, Hermione felt both anger and shock fill her as she heard said redhead's voice cutting through the train, laced with disbelief, rage and even a hint of complaint – not that he seemed willing to do anything else lately.

"Oh, hell no! Really, Hermione? I mean, out of all the people on the train, can you tell me why would we want to share a compartment with her?"

Peering inside the compartment in question, if only out of curiosity for the reason for Ronald's ire, Hermione's eyes widened slightly when she saw a young girl – whom was clearly a first-year since Hermione couldn't remember seeing her in class – who appeared to be sitting with what looked like an upside-down newspaper that, when she turned her head, Hermione read as being named The Quibbler.

Admittedly, it wasn't a name that she was familiar with, but what surprised Hermione even more than that was Ron's cold attitude, which seemed to be on a level that rivalled his disdain and hatred for Malfoy, Snape and all things Slytherin.

'I wonder how he'd react if he knew what I did about Harry,' thought Hermione, before she cleared her throat, if only in a desire to stop herself getting riled up, sad or even scared concerning the currently-lost member of their trio.

"Do you know her?" asked Hermione, looking to Ron as he made his way back to the door of the compartment, almost as though there was a part of him that had suddenly become more than a little intent on leaving, even if it meant resuming the search, while Hermione stood her ground, if only out of a wish to know a bit more about the redhead's sudden hostilities to the unknown girl.

From what Hermione could see, the girl was a normal, if perhaps-eccentric-looking blonde-haired girl – judging by the upside-down magazine, as well as what looked like earrings shaped like crystallised radishes hanging from her ears, as well as a pair of very unusual, somewhat-hypnotic-looking glasses hanging on a cord around her neck – with a kind, almost warm shade of mystical blue in her eyes, as well as an unusual-looking charm that hung from the same cord where her glasses rested around her neck.

If she had any problems, then Hermione knew straight away that they weren't with the brunette, though she was surprised by Ron's reaction

"How can you not know about Loony Lovegood?" asked Ron hotly, earning a shocked look from Hermione as, even without knowing more about the girl, she did know an insult from a bullying spirit when she heard it.

Primarily because she'd heard more than her fair share of insults from Muggle schoolkids before she'd learned of the existence of magic.

While Hermione had her private moment, Ronald kept shaking his head, "Compared to the likes of her, Malfoy would be just bearable…just!"

"Then maybe you should leave this compartment before you end up making the could-be-fatal mistake of actually insulting her again, Ronald Bilius Weasley," hissed a cold, apathetic tone of voice, the sound of which made Hermione wheel around, if only out of a renewed surge of hope as she recognised the cool tones for who they belonged to.

Sure enough, as she'd hoped, the young girl found herself staring into the brightest, most-illuminating shade of emerald-green eyes that she had ever seen, although from what Hermione could see of the rest of the owner's physical state, it seemed that, whatever he had been up to, it looked as though the summer had been rather kind to him.

"Who said…" Ron began, a part of him thinking Hermione had snapped at him because of how the speaker had used the full name of Ronald.

However, when he stepped out into the passageway, Ron's eyes also widened as he gasped, "Bloody hell!"

"Hello Harry Potter," remarked the mysterious Lovegood girl, earning looks of bewilderment and surprise from Ron and Hermione while, to Hermione's surprise, as well as mild relief, the new voice then replied to the Lovegood girl with apparent warmth and familiarity, as well as friendship in his words.

"It's nice to see you again, Luna Lovegood," replied the now twelve-year-old Harry James Potter, the emphasis on the girl's first name – or so Hermione assumed it was such – not lost on Hermione while Ron just scoffed as he looked back to the green eyes of his best mate.

This also gave Hermione the chance to take in what could only be described as a cornucopia of changes in her no longer lost, friend.

TSA

As Hermione had first said, it looked as though the summer had been kind to Harry, given how he seemed to have grown at least six inches in the time they'd been apart, while he also now had managed to put a fair amount of meat on his bones, giving him a healthy, if not lean appearance.

His black hair also seemed to have been miraculously tamed as it now stood up on top of his head in a sort of spiky manner, though Hermione was surprised to notice what looked like a few new reddish-coloured streaks that now ran along her friend's fringe.

He also seemed to have lost the need for his glasses as his green eyes burned like wildfire while he glared daggers at the speechless Ronald Weasley, his lip curled into a sneer of warning, as though he actually dared Ron to say anything else derogatory to the new girl.

However, the biggest change was his attire; what had once been a bunch of overhanging hand-me-downs that used to hang off of him were now changed into a tight, but comfortably-fitting black shirt and dark-blue, denim jeans with a strange, but awe-inspiring red-and-black long coat covering his body, one side of the coat holding a badge on the lapel that seemed to resemble a circular seal with a five-pointed star on top of it.

In short, Harry looked less like the weak, knocked-down child he used to look like.

And, now, he looked more like the hero they all claimed he was, inside and out.

The great wizard that Hermione herself had told him she believed he could be…

TSA

As Hermione stepped aside, a part of her feeling more than a little intimidated by the glow that filled Harry's eyes, as well as what felt like a real ripple of magical strength and presence, she watched with bated breath as this clearly-changed Harry James Potter walked past Ron and Hermione before he looked in on the unusual Luna girl.

Once he was sure that she didn't seem to be offended by what she'd heard from the redhead, Harry turned to face Ron before he asked in a curious tone, "Now, since you were the one to tell Hermione about the name, Ronald, would you mind telling me where you heard it?"

Ron opened his mouth, but for the first time since Harry had known him, no sound seemed to come out.

When he closed his mouth again, Harry scoffed before he looked right into Ron's eyes as he asked, "What? Don't you know where you first heard the name that basically convinced you to turn into a bully? Or is it the case that you were the one to come up with the disgustingly-offensive, not to mention pathetically-insulting nickname yourself, Ronald? Given how close you and the Lovegood family are, in terms of house locations, it certainly wouldn't surprise me…"

While Ron looked like a fish out of water because of how much better-spoken Harry seemed to have become, the emerald-eyed scion chuckled to himself before he nodded in agreement with…well…himself, as he pressed on, "Well, okay, maybe it would surprise me, but only because I'd think that my best friend wasn't the kind of boy who'd be a bully to others because they were different…a statement I'd have thought our encounter with the Hulk's ugly twin last Halloween also taught you."

A look of shock crossed Hermione's face, not only at the cavalier way that Harry made his case, but also the reference he'd made.

'The Hulk?' she thought, a mixture of awe and surprise in her mental voice as she wondered, 'Is he talking about The Avenger? I didn't know he knew about them…I mean, despite what he told me about the Muggles he lived with, Harry never mentioned those heroes before…unless…'

Looking again at Harry's changed physique, Hermione frowned, a suspicion, or perhaps a theory, crossing her mind as she watched while Ron opened his mouth again, but this time, Harry cut him off with a raised hand, his green eyes shining again while he smirked defiantly, if not with a hint of dark amusement as he explained, "Unless you're actually about to apologise to Luna for insulting her and making a mockery of her name, which is a lot more than you did for Hermione here, I suggest that you don't waste precious oxygen. And, speaking of you, Hermione…"

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes widened as Harry blinked once before looking towards her.

However, instead of yelling at her, the young sorcerer smiled softly, showing the Harry she'd known and…respected and claimed to be a great wizard just a few short months ago, before he sighed as he explained in a rather quiet tone, "I know you were scared for me, so, for now, the only thing I can do is apologise for any worries that my sudden disappearance might have caused. But…well, let's just say I received an offer that I just couldn't refuse…in fact, it'd be safer to say I didn't want to turn it down, even if I hadn't been given the chance by the Higher Powers."

"And…what? You thought you wouldn't even be bothered to tell your best mate about it?" asked Ron hotly, but rather than give him the privilege of an answer, Harry looked to his so-called best mate with a pitying expression.

"Didn't I just warn you about wasting precious oxygen?" asked Harry, indicating the far end of the carriage as he added, "Never mind: just go, Ron: I'm not going to put up with your one-track mind, much less your delusions of what I can and can't call a friend or have my own thoughts and ideas any longer."

"You…" Ron began, but before he could finish his statement, Hermione gasped when the red-haired wizard was suddenly sent flying down the far end of the train, trunk and all accompanying him.

Shaking his head, Harry looked back to Hermione before he told her, "There are two things that I can't stand in this world: bullies and liars and, from what I saw and heard as I started to realise so much more about the truth about who I am and what I mean to this world, I highly doubt I'll be calling him my best friend anytime soon."

Hermione just gulped before, seeing that she had the chance to do what she needed to, she asked, "Harry…where have you been?"

With a smile that seemed to show the boy beneath the man, Harry shrugged as he replied, "Here, there and everywhere: like I said, I got an offer that I simply couldn't refuse and, if you look at me now, I think that even you would agree it was a good call on my part."

Hermione nodded dumbly, but as she accompanied Harry back into the compartment, giving a curt nod of apology and friendly intentions to Luna in the process, Hermione then asked, "Who gave you the offer?"

"Actually, it was two people: one who had, and still has so much more to teach me than Hogwarts might ever manage," answered Harry, his cryptic response alarming Hermione, but she just laughed as she looked at him.

"You know that you can trust me, Harry," Hermione assured him, placing her hand in his as she explained, "You know I think you're going to be a great wizard, don't you? If this…offer of yours is helping you, then I'm fine with it."

"She's got a point, Harry Potter," agreed Luna, though she didn't look up from the Quibbler as she added, "And besides, she did say that you could tell her, because you told the other her that you thought of Hermione Granger as your best friend. What was it you called her? Mia?"

Hearing the surprisingly-warm nickname, Hermione's eyes widened while Harry blushed before he muttered, "Thanks a million, Luna…"

"You're welcome," said Luna, as though she hadn't noticed his discomfort, before Harry smiled softly as he nodded.

"But, at the same time, you're right: she did give me the right, but Hermione, if I tell you, then I need you to know that what I'm about to tell you, it's something that you can't tell anyone else…except the only other person at Hogwarts who knows what I've been doing this summer."

"Oh…o-okay," nodded Hermione, swallowing hard as she asked Harry, "Why? Who is it?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore," said Harry, earning a shocked look from Hermione.

"No, I…I meant who…who's been helping you? The way you're talking about them, I mean…it…it's not Merlin, is it?"

While Luna giggled into her magazine, which suddenly became better-acquainted with her face, Harry laughed loudly, shaking his head in amused disbelief before he confessed, "No, it's not Emrys, Hermione; that being said, to look at what they can do, you'd think so. But, no, Hermione, I ask that you don't tell anyone because…for all intents and purposes, when it comes to talking about the one I've been learning from, as far as our world is concerned, they…they're a Muggle!"

Hermione's eyes widened once more at that disbelieving revelation, before Harry smiled softly as he continued.

"You might have also heard whispers of them, Hermione: her true name is somewhat-lost to the annals of history, but, to those who learn from her, like me, she's known as The Ancient One."

"But to those who are well-and-truly in the know," added Luna in a casual tone, finally looking over the top – or bottom – of her magazine with a coy smile, before she winked at Hermione as she went on.

"She's called the Sorcerer Supreme!"

Wow, talk about a surprising twist of fate: instead of being locked up, blamed for something he didn't do and facing unknown mysteries, Harry's spent the summer in real magical company, but how did he find himself meeting the Sorcerer Supreme herself?

Also, what does Dumbledore have to do with this and, even with her promise, why would Harry feel so compelled to share his secret with Hermione, while blacklisting the sidekick of the trio?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: How it all began: some time earlier, in a certain office, Harry is told a dark and terrifying truth about his power: one that will lead him down a road to greatness far more than any he could have imagined;

Please Read and Review

AN: Canon

So, yes, before anyone asks, in this story's universe, Stephen Strange is NOT the Sorcerer Supreme.

Instead, in an idea I've sort of washed off from a previous attempt at a crossover like this, I have a much more interesting, and fun, angle to explore for our favourite Sherlock-portraying-actor Sorcerer Supreme;

What that plan is?

Ah…

Keep reading to find out…