LAST TIME
"No, but the amulet certainly might hold the answer," She replied.
"The Amulet?" Harry asked, his fingertips ghosting on the warm metal of the amulet. The power of the Soul Stone thrummed within.
"You said yourself that it acts like a focus for your magic. Why not sorcery? It acted as a focus, rendering your need for a sling ring to conjure a portal invalid."
"Is it possible that I would be capable of… using the powers of the other relics without needing the relic? Like the Boots of Valtorr?"
"To be honest, the Boots of Valtorr is a relic imbibed with a spell, channeling the powers of Valtorr. The difference is, when you use the spell physically, it is rather difficult to achieve and maintain. Constant concentration and incantations would be required to do it, rendering it useless in a fight. But the Boots of Valtorr will make it a cakewalk. They are rather useful in battle."
"So can I or can I not?"
The Ancient One gave him an amused look. "That, I am afraid, is something to explore yourself. Read up about relics. Read up about how they channel energy and spells. We have everything you need in our library."
Harry just groaned in response.
"For now, let me teach you to summon a gateway to the mirror dimension."
Harry nodded, just as the air in front of him cracked like glass again.
Time to learn some magic. Properly.
Ch.4 Iter Ad Magnitudinem
27th September 2004
Harry's Home, Bleecker Street
"You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!"
A terrible scream filled the manor.
The sound went through Harry like physical pain.
He started to run around the cellar, feeling the walls for he hardly knew, knowing in his heart that it was useless. Ron was half-sobbing as he tried the same.
"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"
Hermione's screams echoed off the walls upstairs.
"HERMIONE!"
Harry Potter woke up with a jerk.
Sweat matted his forehead. His heart was hammering against his chest, his breathing deep and heavy.
Ripping the bedsheets off, Harry stumbled out of his bed. His feet shook as he pushed his way out of the bedroom toward his kitchen.
'Another nightmare. It's alright. Everything's over. They're fine.'
Harry fumbled for a glass in the darkness. His hands trembled.
His fingers brushed against the cool glass and he immediately took the glass out of the rack.
'The jug.'
With a twitch of his finger, a bright ball of light illuminated the kitchen.
"Accio water jug."
The water jug flew across the kitchen counter into Harry's hands.
Harry immediately tilted it and a few, scant drops of water fell into his glass.
'Empty.'
Harry dropped the jug carelessly on the counter. The faint metallic clang rang thrice as it hit the smooth, black granite.
His heart continued to beat rapidly in his chest as he pointed a shaky hand toward the glass.
Blood thumped at his temples.
'Aguamenti.'
A torrent of water shot from the thin air into the glass, making it overflow in the blink of an eye.
'Stop! STOP!'
The spray of water seized. Harry watched as the water snaked its way away from the glass, across the granite counter.
Harry didn't care as he grabbed the wet glass in both hands and gulped the water down rapidly.
A faint burp escaped Harry's lips as he put the glass down.
'Deep breaths. Deep breaths.'
His heartbeats calmed slowly, thumping softer with each beat as he controlled his breathing.
As his heart rate returned to normal, Harry used his forearm to wipe the sweat away.
'Damn nightmares.'
Taking another deep breath, Harry refilled the glass of water, this time, perfectly and drank it at a more sedate place.
Harry put the glass on the counter before looking at the water that he had spilled.
'Evanesco.'
The water vanished from the counter.
'Thank Merlin for magic.'
Running a hand through his hair, Harry gave a sigh before walking out of the room, as the ball of light dimmed, and illuminated his path.
Looking at the wall clock in his drawing room, Harry realized that it was a little before five in the morning, New York time.
'This means it is already afternoon in Kathmandu.' Harry though. 'It is not like I am going back to sleep anytime soon.'
And with that, he dragged himself to the shower.
27th September 2004
Karma Taj, Nepal
"Mr. Potter. What a pleasant surprise!" The Ancient One greeted, rising from the floor where she had been sitting in a lotus position. "I didn't expect you till later today."
"I got up early," Harry shrugged as the portal behind him vanished into pinpricks of golden energy.
"Nightmares?"
"Memories," Harry amended. "Of the war, you know?"
"I understand. Do you wish to talk about it?"
"No, it is okay. I have come to terms with what happened. Nothing to worry about." Harry waved off, as he felt a pang through his heart.
The Ancient One's lips curled disappointedly.
"If you say so," She muttered. "How may I help you today?"
"I don't know. I thought that you might've something for me other than reading books."
Her lips twitched. "Innate knowledge of the magic you cast is necessary, Mr. Potter. I am afraid there is no getting around that part of learning. Especially where the mystic arts are concerned."
"Yes, you've said that before," Harry grumbled. "But— maybe we can practice? Spell casting or something? Maybe dueling?"
"A magical combat then. Most interesting." The Ancient One said, more to herself than Harry.
"I know I'm gonna lose. Just— maybe you can give me tips on using Sorcery in combat."
She tilted her head curiously, her dark-brown eyes glinting.
"You underestimate yourself," She said briskly.
Harry scoffed. "You have decades of experience and tons of knowledge over me. There is no way I am winning in a spar against you."
"That might be true," The Ancient One conceded. "But that is not the point. The point is, you do not know your own potential. You underestimate yourself. You have your own magic and the Soul Stone in addition to Sorcery. The stone heals you faster than you can exclaim your pain. And I am not aware of the limits of your magic."
"What's your point? I know I have those things. But I am nowhere near your level. Not even with my magic. And I don't know how to use the Soul Stone."
The Ancient One smiled sardonically. "That might be true for now. But you have the capacity to surpass me. You have everything that the realm of magic can offer. Tell me, do you know of my significance throughout the greater Multiverse?"
Harry blinked at the unexpected question.
"You are the Sorcerer Supreme."
"That is my title. What is my significance?" She reiterated, taking a step forward as her dark brown eyes bored into Harry's green ones.
Harry frowned as the Ancient One stared inquisitively at him.
"I, Mr. Potter, am Earth's foremost defender against threats from across the Multiverse. My expertise in Sorcery and my possession of the Time Stone makes me powerful and dangerous enough to keep most threats, including the Elder gods and other malicious deities at bay. I am Earth's first line of defense. Till I breathe, Earth won't fall."
"They're scared of you and won't attack Earth as long as you're here, is what you're saying." Harry deduced.
"Indeed," she smiled emphatically. "And you too have such a capacity. An unparalleled capacity for greatness. To do so much good for humanity. To protect Earth and this Universe by your mere presence — perhaps better than I do."
"You see me as your successor." Harry said bluntly.
The Ancient One gave him a wide smile as she shook her head.
"No. No, Mr. Potter. You are not going to be my successor. That is not your role. It can be. It is certainly a possibility but not something I plan to let happen. You won't be the next Sorcerer Supreme. No. You, Mr. Potter, are going to be so much more."
"A job greater than that of the Sorcerer Supreme?" Harry questioned skeptically.
The Ancient One shook her head again, her smile ever present. "As I said, you underestimate your own capabilities. You know too little. You are seeing too little. You do not know what you have. You have little faith in yourself. For someone wise beyond his years, you're still naive."
"Then tell me."
"You have your own brand of magic, Mr. Potter. One never seen or heard of before in this Universe. One unique to you and only you. In addition, you have the Soul Stone. Do you have any idea how much power one would have to use to score a proper blow against you? The Stone heals you in the blink of an eye. That makes your healing factor unparalleled and we don't even know its limits."
"That makes me a tough— near impossible opponent to put down. Because any blow against me wouldn't matter a few seconds later."
"Precisely. That is why I see so much potential in you. Your unending capacity for good just adds to everything I see in you. You have the power and the capacity for goodness. It is seldom that a man has both. You do."
"And?"
"The thing is, I want you to train both in magic and Sorcery. I just use Sorcery and I make lesser deities tremble in front of my power. You have Sorcery and magic. And that is not to mention the powers of the Soul Stone which is tied to your being. For me, the Time Stone is just a weapon. But the Soul Stone? It is your companion."
The warmth of the Soul Stone burned against Harry's chest.
'Feels like the times when Hedwig pecked me for my stupidity.'
"Right," Harry said after a moment.
"Develop your own style of combat. The Mystic Arts combined with your magic and, if plausible, the power of the Stone. Because if you are correct on the level of threat that approaches, you would need every single thing in your arsenal to combat it. You have to be the best you can be. That is why you were given a chance in this world."
"Yes. Yes, I will."
The Ancient One smiled brightly.
"Then, Mr. Potter. Let us spar."
The Ancient One threw her hand out, making the air around them crack. The sound of cracking glass made Harry wince as the mirror dimension manifested around the room.
"Can I use magic?" Harry asked as the cracking stopped.
"Yes, you may. That is the whole point, isn't it?" She asked rhetorically, before she knelt and hit the ground with her palm.
The tiles of the floor cracked in perfect geometric designs and began to flip over, expanding as the wave progressed.
Harry took a step back as the white tiles beneath his feet flipped and the walls began to move like illusions.
The room became bigger as Harry watched dumbstruck.
"What you are seeing is the manipulation of the mirror dimension at its finest," The Ancient One said with a slight grin. "I did it so we can have more space to spar. Now, start."
"Err— a countdown please?"
The Ancient One laughed. "Just start, Mr. Potter. Make your move."
"Right. Confringo!"
A light, lemony-colored beam of light leaped straight at the Sorcerer Supreme. Without as much as a reaction, she masterfully twisted out of its way. The beam passed harmlessly from her side just as two dimensional discs manifested in her hands in the blink of an eye.
'She's too fast.'
She brought them together, joining the discs for a fraction of a second, before pulling them apart.
Harry's eyes widened as a dozen discs, the size of dinner plates, floated between the construct in her hands, whirling with energy.
Harry's hands in a mudra drawing an energy mandala in the air just as the Ancient One threw out her hands, making the discs fly towards Harry.
The discs spinned menacingly, emitting golden-sparks as they curved towards him.
"Shield of the Seraphim! Protect me!" Harry bellowed.
A greenish-golden shield manifested in front of him just as the first disc hit.
The disc shattered with a gong against the shield, but the assault was multi folded. As the second disc hit and shattered, the other discs reared back, avoiding impact.
The discs flew around, making Harry look at the Sorcerer Supreme, who was waving her hands, glowing with the same disc-like mandala which were flying around.
The discs flew back at Harry, at great speeds in a trajectory to hit him instead of his shield. Six years of bludger-dodging kept Harry from being hit as he quickly repositioned himself.
Harry's arms recoiled from the impact of the onslaught, his feet skidding back. His ears rang from the loud gongs.
But the green shield held strong.
Just as Harry was about to take a breath, a bolt of lightning shot forth from the Ancient One's hands, directly impacting Harry's shield.
Harry watched as the shield shattered and yelped as electricity ran down his arms. A moment later, the weightlessness hit him as he went airborne.
The tiled ground of the sanctum's floor hit him hard as he heard a crack, and pain flared in his shoulder.
As Harry rolled on the floor, the warmth of the soul stone rushed through his body.
Pain flared terribly in his shoulder again as he felt the bone crack back together as if Madame Pomfrey had healed it.
Harry groaned against the floor before looking at the Ancient One who drew another mandala in the air, smiling briefly at him. As she twisted her hand sharply, a bolt of crimson energy flew from it.
'Protego Maxima!'
The almost transparent shield manifested in the path of the spell moments before it hit Harry. With a gong, the spell rebounded back at the Ancient One, like light hitting a mirror.
Harry saw her eyes widen fractionally as she dropped the spell she had been preparing for.
Multicolored sparks fluttered harmlessly to the ground as a dimensional shield, as big as a truck's tire, manifested in the path of the rebounded spell.
The shield and the spell both burst into sparks of Gryffindor colors, reminding Harry of Fred and George's fireworks.
"Avis. Oppugno."
A score of tiny birds with razor sharp beaks flew at the Ancient One.
Her eyes glinted sharply as a ball of whirling golden energy formed in her hands. As the birds neared, they were immediately sucked straight into the ball, like a vortex.
Without waiting, she threw the ball at Harry, who had already drawn a small mandala for his next spell.
"Disc of Munnopor!"
A silver disc manifested in Harry's hand and shot forth, spinning in a silver haze. The disc met the ball of energy, and both exploded in a frenzy of energy silvery-golden, making Harry stumble back.
"Sectumsempra!" Harry bellowed, slashing his wand as he regained his balance.
Harry felt his spell — Snape's spell fly wildly and invisibly at the Ancient One, who erected a shimmering purple body shield in front of her.
Purple sparks flew from the shield as the spell clashed against it harmlessly.
Suddenly, the Ancient One moved her hands faster than Harry's sight could follow. In the blink of an eye, a spiral of flames flew toward him from her hands.
"Aqua Eructo!"
A jet of water, thicker than Harry's thigh, shot forth, extinguishing the spiral of flames with a hiss of steam.
Instead of ending it, Harry pushed it forward.
The image of Dumbledore trapping Voldemort in a ball of water swirled in front of Harry's eyes.
The stream thickened, shaping itself into a wave.
Harry watched, almost in slow motion as a blue colored disc, made of criss-crossing geometric shapes manifested within the Ancient One's palm as the wave roared toward her. The blue glow of the spell highlighted her facial features which were as serene as ever, yet alert.
She slashed her through thin air, barely a moment before the water would've enveloped her.
Harry felt it before it happened.
His spell broke like glass, pushing him on his back as the water turned to steam with a hiss.
The steam filled the vast room, obscuring Harry's vision.
'Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy.'
Three beams of reddish pink light vanished through the steam.
Harry held his breath in anticipation. There was no response. No flaring of light. Nothing.
'Did I—'
Harry's world was suddenly filled with pain as a force slammed into his side with the power of a dozen bludgers.
His world went black for a second before he was awoken again as the hard ground mercilessly slammed into him as his body was thrown like a rag-doll.
Pain flared all over his body. Pain akin to the one Harry had only felt under Voldemort's Cruciatus.
Harry was sure that he had multiple broken bones.
Amidst the pain, he registered the amulet burning against his chest like a candle.
Pain flared horribly as bones began to snap back into place with sharp cracks all over his body.
Not even the Cruciatus had been this horrible.
Harry screamed. And screamed again before devolving into a fit of coughs.
The pain began to subside after what felt like hours, but was just a few seconds in reality.
Harry opened his eyes to a clear surrounding, his breathing labored. The taste of copper filled his tongue as warm blood dripped out of his mouth.
His body still ached as he felt the Soul Stone's power course through his being, soothing it.
He let out a sudden grunt as a bone in his hand snapped back into place with a crack and healed.
Harry's ragged breathing echoed against the mirrors covering the walls alongside the faint clicking of footsteps.
Harry blearily opened his eyes, blinking away tears to see the Ancient One walking around calmly without a single weapon, gazing at him expectantly.
'She is expecting me to continue my spar once I heal. But what the hell was that?'
The Ancient One caught his gaze and grinned lightly at him. "Impressive. You regained your bearings in just about half-a-minute after getting hit by the whip of Cyttorak. A very delicately controlled one but a head-on hit, nonetheless."
Harry just laid on the ground, the seconds ticking by.
"Of course, your spells were no less impressive. The Shield of the Seraphim was not something I had expected you to learn so soon. The first spell you began the spar with seemed powerful as well. And the water you conjured and reshaped. Most impressive." The Ancient One commented as she continued to roam around the expanded room. "I do not get what the three bolts you fired, but it was a good move. To take advantage of the steam. I get master Daniel's comment on you having good instincts."
"Thank—" Harry dissolved into a fit of coughs, as a mild ache flared in his ribs.
"The disc of Munnopor was also a great counter-offensive. Most would've shielded against it." She complimented. "The other spell though… Sectumsempra, as I heard you intone, felt dangerous."
"A curse—" Harry heaved. "It cuts like— a slash from a sword. Difficult to heal."
"Interesting. Much akin to the Slash of Zoroaster. Deadly if shot with precision much like a strike from a sword. Now, are you ready to continue?"
Harry took a controlled breath and shakily pushed himself to a sitting position.
"Good, good," The Sorcerer Supreme said as she turned around and took a few steps away from him, a semi-circular disc of energy manifesting in her palms.
"But I already lost," Harry croaked as he knelt on the ground, still breathing heavily.
"I am not here to defeat you, Mr. Potter. Had I wanted to defeat you, I would've never let you use your second spell." She said with a shake of her head, a grin still framing her features. "Your magic, while powerful, is vastly avoidable as it is concentrated in bolts of power as far as combat is concerned. Fast, yet very visible and hence, avoidable."
"There are other spells," Harry muttered, as he felt his heart throbbing at his temples from the exertion.
"Then use those," She dismissed. "The water spell you used was a good one. Most would've been trapped in the spell. You can get creative with the bolts of magic as well. You can fire them with nary thought and thus, at an overwhelming rate. Overwhelm your opponent and corner them. Similar to what you tried to do with the red-bolts at the end."
Harry hummed.
"You can do many things with your magic, Mr. Potter. Think where you can use it to set yourself apart from a Sorcerer. Now, begin when you want. We will be doing this today till I deem your skills passable for an apprentice."
"You mean—"
"Once I deem you passable, you would begin learning more advanced levels of Sorcery under the guidance of the other masters, having progressed from your beginner stage of basic Sorcery."
Excitement bloomed in Harry's chest at that.
"I see you're excited about the prospect. So, better begin."
28th September 2004
Grand Central Station, New York City
"And here is your change ma'am. Have a good day." Harry said before he sat back behind the counter with a sigh of relief, watching the mother and the kid leave the candy store.
"You okay, kid?" Mrs. Harvey asked. "Cause you look dead on your feet."
Harry nodded tiredly. "I am alright, Mrs. Smith. Just a little tired from yesterday."
The previous day had been nothing short of torture for him. He had sparred with the Ancient One for several hours, losing each one of the spars.
Losing so badly that Harry had realized that he was out of her league by miles.
An indication of the fact was that Harry hadn't managed to land a single hit on the Sorcerer Supreme despite having had a score of spars with her. Not even a glancing blow. Each of his spells had been diverted, blocked, dodged or worse, turned against him.
It was only thanks to the Soul Stone's powers that he wasn't lying comatose on a hospital bed. The Soul Stone was something Harry was beginning to value like he valued Hedwig. A companion and a friend. Not one as sentient or as caring as his beloved owl but still, a part of him.
The Soul Stone had healed him in seconds after every hit that landed on him.
But that didn't mean that all he had done was take a beating. No.
He had learned a tremendous amount of things the previous day. The Ancient One was a literal goldmine of knowledge. She had taken it upon herself to teach Harry several spells or perfect the ones he had been unable to cast properly according to her standards.
She had also encouraged him to use everything in his repertoire, instructing him repeatedly to not hold back or hesitate during fights.
Not even in spars against her.
'Because one day, your life will depend on it and possibly, so will the lives of a trillion others.'
Those had been her words.
And Harry had done just that. He had unleashed everything he had, short of the unforgivable curses on her. To be frank, he only knew to cast the Imperius curse perfectly.
He couldn't muster the hate to cast the Cruciatus on someone he genuinely respected. And he had never cast the killing curse. Neither did he ever want to. He would never cast the spell that had taken the lives of so many he loved. His parents. Hedwig. Fred. Dumbledore. Mad-Eye. Colin. Remus. Tonks. Everyone.
But still, he had unleashed everything else he had. Blasting curses, bone-breakers, severing curses, piercing curses, fire spells, and even transfiguration. But the Ancient One had still said that he was not using his magic to its fullest potential. The magic he already knew.
She told him that he could do much more with it.
What more? Harry had no idea. But he would find it. And learn everything he could. Because, one day, as the Ancient One had said, the lives of trillions of souls through the Universe would depend on it.
He had been forewarned.
It was the very reason he had been sent to this new universe by Death.
The Ancient One too, had seen multiple possibilities of the future. And in each future, his presence at the center always remained a constant even if she had refused to elaborate any further.
'If I tell you what is about to happen, it won't. That is why it is only best to know that you will be playing an important role in the greater scheme of things. And that is why you need to be great. The greatest of us all.'
Greatness. A word that had echoed in his mind from time to time, through his short life.
'Not Slytherin, eh?' The Sorting hat's voice whispered naggingly in his ears. 'Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that.'
He had refused the path then. But he knew he had to choose it now.
The path to greatness, even if he was unsure what it truly meant.
It was his destiny. One he couldn't fulfill in his own world, being naive and unprepared as he had been.
Not here though. He wouldn't fail here like he had in his own universe. Especially not when he had been given a second chance.
And this time, he had a goldmine of knowledge. An excellent teacher. Time to prepare. And above all, an unavoidable purpose to learn it.
Because he was the Chosen One.
The notion had almost made him laugh. The Chosen One. A title he had truly hated, only second to the moniker of the boy-who-lived and its numerous variations.
And yet, here he was, knowing that it was all true. He needed to be the hero the wizarding world had always thought him to be. This world needed him. Not now, but soon.
And when it did, Harry would be ready.
AND… DONE! Hope you all liked this chapter.
Now, I know a select few of you all would be upset about some parts of this, especially the ending where Harry's thoughts are narrated and his refusal to use the Cruciatus and the killing curse is expressed.
Let me make this ABSOLUTELY clear right here. I have started this fic from the near-end of the Harry Potter canon. Harry had a personality clearly defined by that time. It is not going to change immediately. I'd be a terrible writer if I did that.
Oh, but I am going to continue with my refusal to use the killing curse in this fic. We must remember that Harry has seen too much death (in canon– 7th book) already by that curse like it was mentioned. Also, I feel it will prove to be HIGHLY ineffective against most main villains of the MCU anyway. Loki is a god. Ultron's a robot and thus, non-living. While Thanos is Thanos, who is powerful enough to take the Storm-breaker through his chest and survive while bearing the power of six infinity stones (which killed Tony).
As for the Ancient One defeating Harry with absolute ease… she's a master of the Mystic Arts with centuries of experience while Harry is just a kid who is still learning. As far as the Mystic Arts go, he is still a beginner. Even with magic, the Ancient One has survived and won against far worse than Harry would've ever dreamt of facing (i.e. Voldemort).
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Ilayhyams: So, according to the net, Tony Stark is worth 12.4 Billion Dollars. So, hundreds of Billion dollars is okay for Stark Industries in my opinion. And it is still 2004 in the story. So it is still four whole years till the events of Iron Man kick in.
Edoabb: By his own brand of magic… It is wizard magic. That is what makes Harry Potter the character he is. Can't take that away, can I?
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Thank you everyone else for your reviews.
A huge thanks to Ultimate Gamer and Mughil for betaing the chapter.
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Also, join my server, House of HP66, to interact with me directly, and see the pictures of the characters there, so you all can get an idea of how they look. I will also post descriptions and stuff for reference.
Link: discord . gg / 4qfP3fxdQ4 [Remove the spaces please]
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As of this moment, I have six main stories. They are:
1. The Rise of the Last Potter: My Novel length Harry Potter fic which is already 300k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly.
2. The Legend of the Son of Poseidon: A Novel Length Percy Jackson fic which is already 250k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly
3. Loved Ones Skipping Stones and Ice-cream: A fluffy Haphne one-shot. It is completed obviously.
4. SECRETS: Another romantic one-shot I published recently. Complete as well.
5. Agent Potter: The Wizard of W.A.N.D. - My spy!Harry fanfic which I implore you all to read!
6. Guardian of the Soul: Infinity Saga – My newest fic. An HP–MCU crossover. Novel length, in progress.
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