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:
Jostanos: Actually, friend with friends, I have a very funny, but also interesting idea planned;
WhiteElfElder: I admit, I did have that same idea once Harry learned to focus his strength, so…well, just keep reading;
NA Wennerholm: Sadly, because the Brits are such douchebags, I doubt Harry would be able to get that without raising a stink bigger than Madame Maxime; however, that doesn't mean he isn't going to have the chance to get to know the family he never had;
"Hear, hear," said Lily, before she smiled as she added, "But I hope you realise that doesn't mean we won't get involved: at the end of the day, Thor, he is my son…Phoenix Force or no Phoenix Force."
"Aye," agreed Thor, before he looked to Harry, "Well, young one: what say you?"
Harry, looking around the room, gulped hard before, looking down at his stomach, he smiled thinly as he looked up to Franklin Richards.
"This might sound strange, and I don't really know why I'm suggesting this one, but…can I have a gauntlet?"
Chapter 7: The Gauntlet Is Thrown
While Franklin set to work, with help from Doctor Strange and the Asgardian Trio, Harry found himself pulled to one side by his Mother, who seemed all too eager to finally have the chance to do what she'd wanted to do since she'd first laid eyes on him.
Hold him in her arms, but, unlike the last time she'd done so, this time, she did it to fuss over him as only a Mother could, taking in his growth, his strength, the light in his eyes and the warmth in his heart. She even kissed his cheeks fondly, before she actually reached around and tickled her son, earning squeals of laughter from Harry as he pretend-wriggled his way free of her embrace.
"So beautiful," gasped Lily, stroking her son's hair between her fingers as she explained, "Despite everything my sister did to you, you still manage to remain so pure of heart, my beautiful boy. Although, given what the Other-You said in that letter, I'm guessing you used the power inside of you to alter your appearance?"
A cheeky blush rose up Harry's cheeks as he nodded before he admitted, "I…I did use it to make myself look better, Mum, but, at the same time, after…after eating the Infinity Stones, I…I became better too. When I woke up the morning after, I…I was healed, taller, healthier-looking and I could even see without needing glasses."
"Not that you should have needed them," argued Lily, conjuring a chair, seemingly out of the molecules and structure of the floor they were standing on, before she sat Harry in her lap – smiling when he didn't even try to resist, choosing instead to savour the feel of being comforted and loved by his Mummy after so long – before she let him rest his head on her shoulder.
As Lily continued teasing Harry's raven-black locks between her fingers, she rested her chin atop his crown as she continued, "I know a lot of pictures you'll see will tell you that James wore glasses, but, to be honest, even he admitted that he only did it to make himself look cleverer…didn't work, of course, but he was still so handsome, I didn't care."
Harry giggled like the little boy he was as his Mum made a passing joke about his Dad, before, looking up into her eyes, he asked, "What was Dad like, Mum? When…when you were alive and…and with him, what…what was he really like?"
"A roguish, but respected individual if ever there was one," admitted Lily, looking down at her son as she continued, "He did have a rebellious and, as some might claim, even disrespectfully-juvenile side that bordered on arrogant and a little one-track-minded, but, when he really wanted to, your Dad…oh…Harry, he was a demon on the battlefield. And off of it? He was protective, loving, friendly, happy-go-lucky and someone who either flew by the seat of his pants or, more often than not, decided that the best way to handle a situation was to let his wand do the talking."
"Even if he got in trouble for it?"
Chuckling softly at her son's understandable curiosity, Lily kissed Harry on his forehead as she told him, "James had a saying, sweetheart: sometimes, it's better to ask forgiveness than permission. Him, as well as his Rogues Gallery…or the Marauders, as they became known, they were notorious tricksters and pranksters, but they also had their own special skills…"
Harry could only listen with awe and wonder shining in his emerald-green eyes as he listened to his Mother reminisce, "There was your Dad, the Duel Master-in-Training and Transfiguration Prodigy. Then, there was Remus Lupin: a real master of his craft, a bit of a nerd, even he admitted it, and one of the biggest chocoholics I knew since…well…Dumbledore, to be honest. Unfortunately, Remus also had a negative side to him, which came from the fact that he…he's a werewolf."
"Wow!" gasped Harry, earning a soft laugh from Lily as she nodded.
"Yes, it was that little titbit, I often felt, which truly bound and sealed the friendship bonds between James and Remus, especially when, together with the biggest kid in the bunch, they went as far as breaking Magical Law by becoming illegal Animagi when they were not much older than you."
"Animagi?" asked Harry.
"People…wizards, I mean, who can transform into an animal form at will; your Dad was a proud, handsome white stag, whereas the big kid, your godfather, Sirius Black, was a wolfhound that was often mistaken for a Grim."
"Did you have a form, Mum?"
"Still do," said Lily, gently teasing her son's locks as she looked into his bright eyes. "Unlike what many believe, because of how James was a stag, mine isn't a doe, a female deer, but, instead, my Animagus form was a black panther…something T'Challa often found funny when I told them."
"Why?"
"Because of his sister," explained Lily, earning a curious look from Harry. "In the world, Princess Shuri is actually a super-heroine known as The Black Panther, named for the ancient spirit of justice and protection whom watches over the nation of Wakanda. The mantle would have been passed to T'Challa when his Father, King T'Chaka, decided to focus all his time and strength on increasing and bettering the relationships between Wakanda and the rest of the world, but…well…when the time came, an explosion on Wakanda's borders resulted in T'Challa being turned into the enhanced being he is: Captain Marvel, or, as he jokingly claims he prefers to be called, The Black Marvel."
Snatching a glance past his Mother, Harry saw T'Challa talking rather-sternly with Captain Barnes, who actually looked like he was regretting what he'd done, not only with Dumbledore, but to Harry.
"But…but His Highness is still a Prince, right?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Lily, sharing her son's look as she too glanced towards the Black Marvel, "And he's also a dear friend, not to mention he's in a pretty strong relationship with another friend of mine, Miss Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, because of her mutant powers. But, getting back to your Dad, there's another reason I'm telling you about this."
"Because I asked," said Harry in a matter-of-fact voice, earning a playful shove from his Mum.
"Don't be cheeky, Harry James," Lily chastised him, before she tousled his hair fondly as she explained, "Yes, I'm telling you because you asked, but, at the same time, I want you to know something about the members we haven't yet talked about: your godfather, Sirius Black, and the man who I pray Sirius will allow us, the Illuminati, if not me personally to deal with, should he discover I'm still alive…Peter Pettigrew!"
Even with his head resting against his Mum's shoulder, sharing her warmth and savouring the love he could feel in her embrace, Harry couldn't help but shiver with cold as a ripple of his Mother's Phoenix-Force-blessed power washed over him, while she hissed out the name of the Marauder with such vileness and hatred that, if he was being honest with himself, Harry could only compare it to how the Dursleys used to look at and talk to and about Harry himself.
Pulling himself upright, Harry frowned before, waving his hand, he willed another chair to appear, allowing him to sit next to his Mum, who looked shocked, but also proud of his feat, as Harry asked her, "What…what makes you so angry about…about this last person, Mum?"
"He was a friend, like a brother to James and even one to me," said Lily, watching as Harry leaned forwards, clenching his hands together tightly, if only to stop himself using his powers in rage as his Mum went on. "But, for reasons unknown, when the shit hit the fan because of Magical Britain's Civil War, Pettigrew revealed himself to be anything but a friend; instead, he showed himself to be a power-hungry, egotistical little coward who not only turned his back on his extended family. He is also the main reason, as well as Albus' BS prophecy, he is the main reason that James is dead and I…I was brought into my deal with the Phoenix Force!"
Harry's eyes widened in horror as he heard this, but as he saw his Mother's eyes burning with fiery rage and raw hatred, so too did Harry feel his own hatred burning inside of him, but, unlike his Mother, Harry had plenty of experience smiling through the pain.
Experience he tried to draw on as he drew in several deep, shuddering, enraged breaths before he asked in a hard voice, "What…what happened to him? This…this Pettigrew: what happened to him, Mum?"
"He's still out there," said Lily, earning a shocked look from Harry as his Mother continued, "Hiding like the cowardly rat he is, which, conveniently, is also his Animagus form, as is the nickname your Dad and friends gave him: Wormtail. Meanwhile, everyone else in Magical Britain…well, quite a lot of them, but it might as well be everyone: but they believe that Sirius betrayed us…betrayed you and, because of that bull-crap, Sirius is currently stewing in his own juices, and his worst nightmares, in Azkaban Prison! Framed for a crime he hadn't committed and, from what Chrissie tells me about Magical Britain's judicial systems, it seems Sirius didn't even get a trial!"
BOOM!
Forget a cannon, a supernova exploding or even a skyscraper plummeting to the ground with an almighty crash.
The explosion that rocked out of Harry was so powerful that even Lily's construct was disintegrated in his rage; at the same time, a cry rose from the Illuminati, followed by a scream that tore out of Harry.
One so emotionally-supercharged, so enraged and so primal in nature, it sounded like the shrieking predatory roars of a billion fully-grown dragons acting in chorus as they dived down as one mass swarm upon their unsuspecting prey.
"LILY!" Roared Christine, throwing up as many shields as she could, while she also looked past the shields to see Lily with her own hands raised, her body glowing with the power of the Phoenix Force as she tried to minimise the damage done to the Illuminati's meeting hall.
"WHAT HAPPENED?" Demanded Thor, Mjolnir now crackling with thunderous rage, while Loki had also conjured a long sceptre, as had Hela, her sceptre glowing with an eerily-familiar greenish-coloured glow – or so Lily thought – as the Thunderer demanded, "WHY IS YOUNG HARRISON ACTING THIS WAY?"
"It…it's my fault!" cried Lily, pushing the forces back as best as she could, but, to her alarm, even the Phoenix Force's mass seemed to be helpless against the shockwaves that rocked out of Harry, "He…he learned about…about how James and I…how we were taken from him…he wanted to know about our…about James' friends and…and now…he's just…he's…he's hurt! I…I didn't think about how he'd take it…and now…I don't know if we can…"
"HARRY-HARRY-HARRY-HARRY-HARRY-HARRY…"
Suddenly, Lily's eyes widened when a single word, echoed for what seemed like an eternity, rocked the chamber to its core; at the same time, the forces from the Sorcerer Supreme, the Phoenix Force's host, the Goddess of Death and Queen of Asgard and the Thunderer and Trickster all seemed to come together in one single shockwave, brought out by a truly-devastating force.
Black Bolt's voice, which caused the walls, floors and even the high ceilings to tremble as his vocal force was unleashed upon the shockwaves flying out of Harry.
Maybe it was the mass of extremely-powerful forces coming together.
Maybe it was the powerful…nay…uber-powerful tone of command that came from the King of the Inhumans.
Maybe it was some small part of his own childish soul recognising a higher authority scolding him and, like a kid, he felt guilty and scared.
Or maybe it was because there was enough in the clash to allow him to break through his rage and remember that he was in a room with some of the most-powerful people on the planet, including his Mum and a woman who'd let him go after hearing he was a threat from an old fool.
Lily didn't know.
But, all of a sudden, the shockwaves began to recede, Harry's primal scream became a ghostly echo that was oddly similar to Black Bolt's own now-dissipating command and, behind her, Lily could sense Christine depowering her shields, while the others also stood down as they saw Harry's wrathful energies recede back into him, causing the young boy to stumble and stagger before he fell.
Only to be saved by his Mother, who held him in her arms as he sobbed against her, his voice now filling the chamber with evidence of regret and pain as he gasped, "I…I'm so sorry…I tried…I tried to…to let it go…go over my head, but…but when you said…he didn't…they didn't even ask him for the truth…a man who…who sounds like he…he really loves me…"
"Like the son he never had, my beautiful boy," whispered Lily, shushing Harry's fearful murmurs and whimpers as she continuously teased his hair, while she also rubbed his back with her other hand, keeping him solely in her embrace as she added, "I…I'm so sorry I didn't consider the risk of revealing this to you, Harry. You…you didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart…it's going to be all right. We know it wasn't your fault, my beautiful little buck…don't cry…it's okay…we're not hurt…we're safe now."
"Speak for yourself," scoffed Bucky.
"SHUT UP, BARNES!" Chorused the entire Illuminati, earning an outraged, but also disbelieving look from the shield-bearer.
"Lily…"
Turning her head, Lily saw Franklin standing with her and Harry, a strange-looking box now held in his hands; offering her the box, he smiled softly as he nodded once, "I think this is the perfect time to give Harry this. And she's right too, little friend: we're all okay…mostly thanks to your Ma, the Queen and Chrissie, but…well…take it from me: I think this is only the fourth time I, personally, have heard and seen just how powerful and badass Black Bolt's voice can be when he opens his mouth."
Even as Lily took the box, Harry glanced to the Inhuman King, who looked relieved, but also seemed to be watching Harry carefully.
As the two forces met each other's gazes, Harry gulped before, stepping away from his Mum, he lowered his head and bowed down to the King as he whispered, "Thank…thank you, Your…Your Majesty; when…when you said my name…I…I felt your power…but…but I also…what I mean is, it felt like…like you were combining everyone else's voices into yours. I…I think that's what helped me…bring me back…sir…so…thank you."
With his head bowed, Harry didn't see Black Bolt smile thinly before he bowed his own head, before Christine told Harry, "Black Bolt says you're welcome, Harry; now, prove his risk wasn't a fruitless one. Take a look at what Franklin helped forge to help you focus, what we've now all seen, is perhaps the greatest power out of all of us…and yes, Queen Odinsdottir, I am also including the Odinforce that you wield in there."
Hela didn't seem to be fazed by the remark, while Harry turned back to his Mum and Franklin, the latter of whom nodded in agreement with Black Bolt's own response to Harry's words.
"Here, sweetheart," said Lily, levitating the box into her son's hands; when Harry opened the box, his eyes widened when he saw what was inside.
To his bewilderment, it looked like a glove, so it wasn't quite a gauntlet – and Harry still didn't know why he'd suggested it be one – but it still seemed right enough for Harry. It was a right-handed glove, which was pure-white in colour, like the colour of purest light, with six different-coloured spheres fused into the knuckles of the glove, as well as the spot on the back of where Harry's hand would go.
To Harry's amusement, the spheres all seemed to resemble the Infinity Stones, with the Soul Stone on his pinkie finger, the Reality Stone next to it, the Space Stone on his middle finger, the Power Stone on his index finger and the Time Stone on his thumb. Finally, the spot on the back of the hand was engraved with the Mind Stone, completing the set perfectly.
Lifting the glove from the box with his left hand, Harry carefully set the box down on the ground before, swallowing hard, he looked up to the others, all of whom gave him encouraging, supportive looks, smiles and even nods of mutual agreement.
Licking his lips, Harry splayed the fingers of his right hand before, with a single, almost-perfect stroke, he managed to fit the Infinity Glove onto his right hand; as he did so, Harry was then surprised, but also amused, to note that the glove was, itself, fingerless, allowing his fingers and thumbs to stick out from the spots next to the 'stones' with perfect, comfortable ease.
As the glove slid onto Harry's hand, the young boy gulped when he felt a soothing, comforting wave wash over him, pushing his strength inwards, but not in a way that might have hurt him or made him feel any weaker.
Instead, he could feel his powers, yes, but now, it was like each of the 'stones' on his glove were buttons that he would need to push to trigger the respective power. At the same time, he felt his mind linking with the glove's unknown energies, specifically the 'Mind Stone' on the glove, which shone for a brief moment, as did the other 'stones' before they all fell quiet and dim again.
"So, Harry? What do you think?" asked Franklin, earning a soft gulp from Harry as he looked to the Reality Warper.
"It's perfect…I…I can feel my power, Franklin, but…but now, I also know I…I don't have to be scared of…of losing it."
"That is still a risk if your emotions or focus slips too greatly, Harry," argued Doctor Strange, causing Harry to look up at her with surprise, as well as dread, both of which caused Christine to raise her hands defensively as she explained, "But that is what your weekly sessions with me are going to be for; to help you fully grasp and focus the power of the Infinity Stones' almighty energies so that, even with your focus on your hand, you still trust yourself to wield the omnipotent power safely and responsibly."
"In the meantime," added Franklin, returning Harry's attention to him as the blond-haired youth explained, "All you need to know about the Stones' combined potential will be passed to you, thanks to an added little skill I put into the glove. Now it's on your wrist, when you go to sleep tonight, you'll dream of a giant library; every book in there has information on the stones and what they can do. Of course, learning from the Doc, you're bound to learn a bit more too, but I thought I'd give you the basics for now, okay, Harry?"
"Thank you, Franklin," said Harry, flexing his gloved hand before he smiled as he looked back to the Illuminati, "And…and thank you to all of you; I promise, what I nearly did here, I…I am going to learn hard so that I don't do it again…not even if some greater evil tried to make me. I am going to learn how to use the stones in full, even if it means I'm learning for the rest of my life. I will not be the evil that him and Dumbledore believed I was, just because they don't like the fact I have power."
"And on that note," said Christine, looking to Thor before she asked, "Thor, would you ensure that Bucky here is safely returned to the other Avengers? And, remember, once he is away from here, he won't be able to recall or share what he's learned, so keep an eye on him…just in case."
"With pleasure, Sorceress Supreme," agreed Thor, leaping up before he grabbed Bucky as he added, "Fortunately for you, Barnes, I am not the kind to go squealing about your poor judgments. I can only imagine how Miss Walters might handle the news of you threatening a child!"
Before Barnes could say another word, a flash of rainbow energy caused him and Thor to vanish.
"And, on that note, I suppose that's our cue too," said Loki, inclining his head to the Illuminati before he turned to Harry, smiling softly as he added, "But do not think this is goodbye, young Harrison; both your Father and his closest friends would have made worthwhile acolytes of mine for their mischief; there are two others at Hogwarts School whom would also suit that, if only they could learn the difference between fun and bullying."
"Similarly," added Hela, now directing her full attention to Harry as she explained, "The time will come where you will need to visit Asgard, Harrison Potter-child; there is a side to your destiny that, for now, shall remain unknown. Once Doctor Strange and the others have agreed that you are fully capable of handling the next step, the gates of Asgard will be opened to you."
"Thank you for all your help, Your Majesty," replied Harry, bowing respectfully, despite Hela reminding him he didn't need to do that.
Seconds later, Hela and Loki left.
Looking to the remaining Illuminati members, Harry gulped hard before he looked again to Black Bolt, who seemed to be watching and waiting for the child's next movements.
As he did so, Harry licked his lips before, looking down at his glove, he looked back to Black Bolt as he told him, "You…you helped me, Black Bolt, sir…even though you would have probably destroyed anyone else who dared to make such a threat, right?"
Black Bolt nodded grimly.
"Then…for that…and…and to say thank you…I…I'd like to do something for you, Your Highness."
"Harry, are you sure…" asked Lily, but Harry cut her off with a firm nod.
"I am," said Harry, clenching his gloved hand, causing both the Mind and Power 'Stones' to glow as he lifted his hand before he explained, "I did what I did to Dumbledore long before I even knew about the Stones and their powers, so…so I think I…I can do this…for Black Bolt."
"Do what?" asked T'Challa, and, indeed, even Black Bolt himself looked on in curiosity as Harry lifted his hand and pointed it at Black Bolt.
As the glow from the 'stones' on the glove increased, Harry narrowed his eyes in concentration before, focusing all his will on Black Bolt, as he had done to Dumbledore before all this revelation had began, Harry let his power flow out towards the Inhuman King.
Unlike Dumbledore, Black Bolt didn't stagger or fall; nor did he seem to be in any kind of discomfort; instead, as he felt Harry's power hit him, his eyes widened before, looking to the other Illuminati members, Black Bolt gasped and swallowed hard as he looked back to Harry.
'Thank you.'
"Black Bolt!" gasped Christine, while Lily also looked on in abject disbelief, as did Franklin and T'Challa.
Harry, meanwhile, let out a sigh as the glow from his glove faded away, before he swallowed hard as he explained, "I…I didn't want to try giving you a voice back without…without maybe stripping your powers, Your…Your Highness, so…so instead, I opened your mind…like the telepathic gift my Mum has with the Phoenix Force…or even a powerful wizard might have. So…so you can talk to…to your people, but…but not…not…n…"
Suddenly, darkness rushed up to greet Harry as he felt his own body stagger and stumble.
The next thing he knew, he was looking at the backs of his eyelids.
The last thing he heard being his Mother's cry of alarm, or perhaps consoling pride and amusement at her son's method of living up to his Father's creed – better to ask forgiveness than permission – before the darkness claimed him, sending him falling into the arms of Morpheus.
Infinity
"He pushed too hard too soon…with the foci helping to limit his power, so it doesn't control him, but the other way around, his energy levels…well, they kind of plummeted to zero, pretty quickly."
"He's also tired from the day's events, and the lack of food, thanks to Albus bringing him out of the usual Welcome Feast," argued Lily, holding her sleeping son in her arms, while she smiled softly as she looked up to Black Bolt, "Better to ask forgiveness than permission: James would be so proud, if not laughing his arse off at this act."
'Is he going to be all right, my Lady?' asked Black Bolt, earning a slow nod from Lily.
"Anyone else feeling like that's going to take some getting used to?" asked Franklin, earning laughs from the other members, before Franklin looked to the sleeping youth as he asked, "So, what now, Lily? Back to school for him?"
"Yes," said Lily, looking up to Christine, who nodded in response, already knowing what Lily was going to ask.
Though Lily then looked steely-eyed and full of focus as she looked back to her unconscious child.
"But not before I have a little chat with a certain hypocrite about just how much he needs to interfere in the lives of those he has no business being around, least of all to make martyrs of them later-on."
Infinity
The sound of a rush of magical fire, eerily similar to the method of travel used by his familiar, caused Dumbledore to jerk to full wakefulness, having nearly fallen asleep at his desk as he'd planned for the next step in the school's life.
When he saw a familiar emerald-green eye, as well as an X-shaped patch and a furious look in their eyes, however, Dumbledore swallowed hard, before he heard the newcomer address him.
And not just verbally.
'Good evening, Headmaster…I know you remember…so don't pretend otherwise. Instead, sit there, keep quiet and listen…because we're going to have a talk that's more than ten years overdue. Then, if you're willing to listen and change your thoughts on the future, I might speak to our mutual friends about keeping you on as a liaison…if only until your successor comes into his own.'
Dumbledore stared in abject awe for only a moment, before his expression softened as he sighed deeply before he nodded.
"I had a feeling our business wasn't over, Lily…please, sit down; would you like a cup of tea? This time, I swear on my sister and nephew that there are no Sands of Nisanti waiting in the bottom of the cup…"
Chapter 7 and, wow, I admit it: even for a crack-fic, this chapter was a tough one to put together, but, anyway, now Harry's acquired the means to control his infinite power – puns fully intended – what's next?
Also, what, exactly, is Lily planning in speaking with Dumbledore after everything he's done to her, her family and, especially, her boy?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: The morning after, Harry gets to know one or two familiar faces a little better, while a mysterious package arrives for the young Lion Cub: one that might just change the future for a friend or, if Fate decides to be a bitch, even an enemy;
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