LAST TIME
He watched as his golden hands emerged from his flesh ones, leaving them behind, as he floated out, his mortal body falling to the ground.
His body fell in slow motion toward the ground, as he examined his golden arms.
'This is the Astral plane.'
He became aware of the Ancient One's presence in the room, a few feet away from him.
Yao. Daughter of Aodh.
'No one knows the Ancient One's real name. I do. Yao. But— how?'
Harry clutched his head as his senses expanded.
Suddenly, he knew.
He knew that outside the room, there were twenty-three people within Kamar Taj. He knew where everyone was. What they were doing. He knew their names. He even knew the names of their parents.
There was a ringing in his ear, faded through the sounds of millions of thoughts.
His head began to spin.
The ringing increased. So did the noise of the thoughts.
'Stop. STOP!'
He began to feel the presence of people outside Kamar Taj. Thousands of people spread over Kathmandu.
'No. No. Too much. Help.'
He couldn't speak. His head was spinning. His vision went blurry, his vision taking a hue of pure gold.
His mouth opened in a silent scream.
Suddenly, everything went black.
Ch.7 Exploring New Avenues
6th January 2005
Kamar Taj, Kathmandu
Patches of darkness swam into his vision. His head throbbed and drums rang in his ears.
"Mr. Potter," a deep voice rumbled through the place. "You are awake."
"Shuddup," Harry murmured.
Colors swirled in his vision, streaks of orange mixing with the white and black.
A chisel hammered at his temples. His eyes burned.
Harry blinked, and a blurry face swam into view.
'Hamir, son of Ahupathi' His mind supplied.
"Master Hamir." Daggers clawed inside Harry's throat.
"Easy there," Hamir's voice boomed. "Take a few deep breaths. Calm your mind. Relax your body."
'He's way too loud.'
Pain spiked sharply in Harry's head. His eyes drooped, orangish-golden spots dancing in the darkness.
"Take a deep breath, Mr. Potter," Master Hamir's voice rang in his ears. "In… and out. Relax your body. Breathe in… breathe out."
Harry heaved. A sharp pain twisted under his ribs.
Slowly, with each breath, the pressure eased. The raging headache gave away to a dull throb and things swam into clarity. The ringing in his ears subsided.
Slowly, memories of what had happened flooded back.
The Soul Stone had met the Astral Plane. And then… the world had turned golden.
"I suggest you rest for some time," Master Hamir's voice rang after a few moments. "I will send for the Ancient One."
Harry gave a nod, slumping back on the bed. His eyes drooped close.
'I should just lay here for a bit,' Harry snuggled into the white sheet, drawing his legs closer.
A few moments later, a sharp knock rocked him out of his drowsiness.
The Ancient One stood at the door, her yellow robes looking painfully sharp against the whitewashed walls.
'At least they are better than Dumbledore's.'
"I heard you were awake, Mr. Potter," a smile tugged at her lips. "You gave me quite a scare."
"What happened?" Harry croaked hoarsely, propping himself against the bedrest.
The Ancient one stepped forward, a steaming cup of tea appearing in her hands.
Harry wordlessly accepted the cup and blew the steam away.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, and the throbbing at his temples lessened immediately.
"You are lucky to be alive, Mr. Potter," she sat at the foot of the bed, and rested her palms on her lap. "Allowing the Soul Stone to enter the Astral Plane so soon was a mistake."
Harry let the hot tea soothe his throat.
"We both knew that it was dangerous, didn't we?" Harry studied the rim of the cup. "And it was something that needed to be done sooner or later."
The Ancient One gave him a brisk nod, staring past him, outside the window.
Harry ran his thumb over the smooth porcelain for a few moments, before clearing his throat.
"Yes?" The Ancient One asked.
"What exactly happened after I entered the Astral Plane?" Harry questioned. "I only remember the lights and the feeling like I was being put under the cruciatus curse."
"The Stone reacted to your Astral form, Mr. Potter," she said slowly. "It sent waves of power cascading through the Astral plane. Had I not pushed you back into your body in time or been at Kamar Taj, we would've had a crisis at hand."
"A crisis?" Harry murmured. "How?"
"A burst of mystical power from an Infinity Stone might've attracted unwanted attention to the planet," she said. "Thankfully, we were prepared for it. The burst of power was largely absorbed by Kamar Taj— and distributed to the Sanctums after being blunted by the protections I had put around the room."
"So we are not in trouble?" Harry asked.
"We are not," The Ancient One confirmed. "But you did cause quite a few electronics within a couple of miles to blow up."
Harry gave a tired nod, slumping against the headrest.
'It could've been a lot worse,' Harry mused. 'Thankfully, we are in Kathmandu, not New York.'
"What now?" Harry asked. "I am no closer to understanding this stone and going to the one place that might hold answers can be fatal."
"I believe you just need to learn how to channel the powers of the stone, Mr. Potter," The Ancient One rose to her feet. "What I think happened was you lost control over the stone's powers, or more accurately, you didn't know how to."
"Which is where we were months ago," Harry grumbled. "Square one."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," The Ancient One smiled. "But do not be disheartened, Mr. Potter. What you have is one of the most mysterious— and powerful objects of this universe. If using them was easy, I could barely imagine what the universe would've been like."
30th January 2005
Kamar Taj, Kathmandu
A purple beam of energy arched past the Ancient One sending the car behind her up in flames.
The flames cast shadows over her face as she moved her hands, weaving multiple strands of red energy between her fingers.
The hairs on Harry's neck stood and he twisted sharply, apparating to the opposite side of the street.
A moment later, the Ancient One's crimson whip tore through the concrete where he had stood a second ago.
The Ancient One turned on her heel, a fog of dust and mud rising behind her. A smile flickered at her lips. With a sharp slash of her arm, a fireball rushed toward Harry.
The ball of flames swirled in mid-air, growing bigger and hotter, tearing its way toward Harry.
Harry threw his hands out forming a golden-green shield between himself and the ball of fire.
The fireball exploded in flames with a bang. A moment later, Harry dropped his shield, waving his hands forming burning orange runes in the mid-air.
"Flames of Faltine!" Fire roared out of Harry's hands, consuming the flames from the fireball on its way toward the Ancient One.
The vision of Voldemort sending a fiery snake at Dumbledore flashed in front of Harry's eyes.
Harry saw the Ancient One take a slight step back watching the fiery serpent tower over her.
With a twist of Harry's wrist, the serpent lunged. Before it could touch the Ancient One, a wall of mirrors appeared, consuming the flames into nothingness.
Barely a second later, Harry felt the street beneath him shift and he let go of the flames.
'She's manipulating the mirror dimension and I can't overpower her here,' Harry realized and apparated away as the street folded into half to eat him up.
Appearing on top of a building a distance away, Harry watched the street settle back into place while the Ancient One stood atop a floating rock. Her hands waved through the air, glowing runes forming around her.
Harry drew a glowing blue runic circle in the air and he felt the wind around him shift.
"WINDS OF WATOOMB!" Harry thrust his palm into the middle of the runic circle and he felt the wind shift.
A strong gale of wind surged toward the Ancient One, ruffling the leaves of trees and drawing her attention.
'Stronger. This won't do.'
Harry jabbed his hands, willing the wind to grow stronger.
The wind rippled through the streets, pushing cars away. Tiles of roof went airborne and lamp-posts began to bend under the strain.
The sky grew stormier and the winds took a gray hue, swirling under Harry's command to engulf the Ancient One. Around the block, the smaller trees were uprooted, while bicycles and motorbikes went spinning through the air.
Suddenly, Harry felt a slight thrum under his ear and the skin of his neck itched.
"Dead, Mr. Potter," The Ancient One's voice rang out from behind. Harry turned to see her standing behind him, a blade of energy at his throat.
"Shit," Harry let go of the spell and the winds stopped billowing. Moments later, things came crashing down loudly, making Harry wince. "How do you do that?"
The Ancient One let go of the blade of energy and stepped forward.
"Come now, Mr. Potter," She grinned. "You too can teleport in the blink of an eye. Why couldn't I?"
"Yes, but mine is apparition— done by my magic, which you cannot do," Harry coughed. "Even if you had opened a portal, it would've drawn my attention. It is rather noticeable."
"And there are more than one ways to travel magically," her lips tugged upward. "In time, you too will learn them. Spells to transport not only yourself but even armies in the blink of an eye. You have barely dipped your foot into the pool that is Sorcery, Mr. Potter."
Harry nodded. "It was not like I expected to win against you anyway."
She chuckled, staring into the horizon.
"You are more than good, Mr. Potter. And young. Do not underestimate yourself." She waved her wand and the city began to fly back into place, the mirror dimension twisting to the Ancient One's whims. "And you've improved since we last went against each other. What you now need to do is start becoming more aware of your surroundings."
"Of course," Harry muttered, watching the town repair itself to its pristine condition. "You won't sneak up on me again."
"Let's hope so," The Ancient One smirked.
"Well, race you to the sanctum," Harry twisted on the spot, vanishing with a sharp crack.
The world righted itself a second later and Harry found himself standing in the inner sanctum of Kamar Taj, facing the Ancient One.
"How did you get here so fast?" He muttered.
The Ancient One smiled mysteriously.
"We are in the mirror dimension, Mr. Potter. Not the real world." A portal formed in the middle of the room at her words. "After you."
Harry sighed and stepped through, walking back into the real plane. The Ancient One followed him and the portal closed behind them, dissipating into a shower of golden sparks.
"You seem to have a peculiar affinity for elemental spells, I noticed," The Ancient One took a seat on her mat. "I have never seen someone manipulate elemental spells like you do."
"The serpent?" Harry frowned.
"And the Winds of Watoomb," She folded her palms over her lap. "None have ever mastered the spell so quickly and have enough control to either send only a single man flying or rip a whole city apart on their whim."
"Ah," Harry scratched his head. "We were taught similar spells at Hogwarts. Magic has a whole array of elemental spells. So, I have practice with elemental spells and manipulating them, I guess. They are familiar to me."
The Ancient One hummed in response before snapping her fingers. Golden sparks burst forth from her palm until a book floated in front of her.
"Another book," Harry muttered. "You gotta be kidding me."
The Ancient One smiled.
"While I understand your frustration on learning theory, it is a necessity as I have told you before." The book floated toward Harry. "As you will advance into sorcery, you will realize that even a small mistake while casting a spell can lead to the whole spell failing— or worse."
She didn't need to elaborate what worse meant.
"Yeah," Harry plucked the book from the air. "I know. Now, what is this new one about, if I may ask?"
"The book in your hand is one from my private collection," The Ancient One said. "It is a book on elemental spells of all kinds. Normally, I wouldn't be giving you— or anyone less than a Sanctum Master this book."
Harry looked up sharply. "It is not one of the sentient books, is it?"
"Fortunately, it isn't," She ran her thumb over her palm. "But it contains knowledge of the forbidden arts. Darkness manipulation for one takes up a considerable portion in it."
Harry frowned. "I didn't know darkness can be manipulated."
"If it exists, it can be manipulated," The Ancient One said briskly. "That aside, I only want you to read the sections of air, fire, water, earth, lightning, and ice. Nothing further. Am I understood?"
"Okay."
"I need your word, Mr. Potter," The Ancient One reiterated. "And even if you happen to read those parts, you wouldn't practice any of it. Promise me."
"I promise," Harry nodded solemnly.
"Then give priority to this and finish it at the earliest, Mr. Potter." She smiled. "Your practice with the stone can wait."
"You mean I should stop trying to control the stone's powers?" Harry frowned. "Especially after I just discovered a new power?"
"Have you borne any fruit in actually controlling the stone?" The Ancient One raised an eyebrow. "While it is good that you now know everyone's names by seeing them, it is still something subconscious. Like the stone's healing."
"It is still a progress," Harry pointed out. "And I can feel the power at my fingertips. It is just not— going out."
The Ancient One sighed.
"Mr. Potter, in the past three weeks, you have done nothing but try to learn more about the stone," she began softly. "You even began researching and throwing yourself into books— something you hate, in its pursuit. Maybe it is time to take a break."
"I have one of the most powerful objects in the universe around my neck," Harry rubbed his temples. "And I have no bloody idea how to control it. It irks me."
"You don't know now," The Ancient One conceded. "But I believe you will soon find answers to what you seek. Often the best answers come to us when we are not looking for them."
"So, I should just sit tight?" Harry scowled. "I can't even enter the Astral Plane without causing a potential crisis."
"Then at least learn to protect it," The Ancient One said. "If someone gets wind of the fact that you have the Soul Stone— you will be in the fight for your life. So, for now, I suggest you train in sorcery. Maybe the answer will come to you in time. Maybe, we will find something. Till then—"
"Learn to defend myself the best I can," Harry completed.
"When it comes to what we deal with, there is nothing like too much knowledge. Maybe, you will find the answers to controlling the power of the stone on the way."
"Let's hope so," Harry muttered.
10th May 2005
Grand Central Station, NYC
The cold, snowy winter had given way to a sunny, bright May. The sky was a brilliant shade of orange-golden as the sun set, peeking through the gaps of the high-rises in New York.
Over the streets, the street lamps flickered on, so did the neon lights of the shops. On the street, cars passed by, honking loudly as they weaved through the evening traffic.
Harry slowly turned the page of his notebook, revising all he had written down. Spells, both magical and mystic, were scrawled over the page, with runic circles scribbled at the corner.
'The fiery bolts of Yùyōu seem better than the Confringo curse,' Harry's pen hovered over the page. 'But shooting a Confringo is faster and more convenient. So speed or power?'
Harry's eyes ran over the list of spells he had made.
'My chain starts with the lightning bolts of Balthakk, followed by the Reductor curse and/or Bombarda Maxima. Considering I am picking spells to blow enemies apart—' Harry drew a small tick on the page. '—fiery bolts of Yùyōu it is.'
Harry ran a hand through his hair, capping his pen. and placed it at the center of the book.
'I am almost through this one as well,' Harry eyed the thick notebook. 'And this is my third one. Hermione would be proud. And Ron would be aghast.'
A smile flickered over Harry's lips as he snapped the notebook shut. Placing the book on a side, he slowly rubbed his eyes.
It had been little over three months since he had begun practicing advanced Sorcery in its earnest. Three months filled with nothing but reading, writing, and practicing.
'I reckon if I had put so much effort into my OWLs, I might've even beaten Hermione,' Harry mused. 'Then again, Hermione worked harder than Ron and me combined.'
The chiming of the bell drew Harry's attention as a rather bulky man with a French beard walked into the room.
"Evening," Harry stood from his seat. "What may I get you?"
"Chocolates please," The man glanced around the store. "The best ones you have got. But not dark chocolate."
"Okay," Harry said slowly, glancing around. "Would you like stuff like chocolate bars or candy?"
The man hesitated for a moment before looking over his shoulder.
Harry followed his gaze to see a black Rolls Royce standing outside the shop.
'He's certainly a rich guy or works for a rich guy,' Harry deduced. 'Works for one, more likely.'
"Chocolate, please. Not the candy." The man said a moment later.
"Do you want sweetened or unsweetened?" Harry asked. "And milk chocolate or white chocolate?"
Uncertainty flashed in the man's eyes as his hands drifted to his tie. "Err—just get me the best ones please. Price is no concern."
"Certainly," Harry moved to get the most expensive chocolates out. "These Godivas are the best ones, sir. And— you might like this one as well."
Harry quickly placed five different varieties on the counter— all, packets, boxes, and bars.
"I will take them all," the man held out a black credit card.
'That's a bloody Centurion Black Card,' Harry plucked the card from the man's hands. 'Belonging to one Anthony H. Stark. Bloody hell, Tony Stark is buying chocolates from me.'
"Any problem, sir?" The man asked.
"Oh, no. No problem at all." Harry swiped the card.
Once the machine beeped and generated the slip, Harry put the chocolates in a bag with the store's name embossed on it.
"Thank you," The man picked the bag and the card. "Good day."
"Good day to you too," Harry watched the man depart and drive off before retaking his seat.
He cracked his fingers and picked the notebook, eyeing it tiredly.
'Enough revision for today,' Harry decided, placing the book back. 'And enough study too. I seriously need a vacation.'
Harry sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall.
"A couple of hours more and nothing to do," he muttered. "Brilliant."
Pinching his nose Harry looked around for something to do until his eyes fell on a pouch of chocolates lying amongst the gifting category.
The image of Hermione pulling things out of her small, beaded bag flashed in front of Harry's eyes.
'Maybe I can try and enchant one like hers,' Harry drifted toward the gifting section. 'It was just an undetectable extension charm— And maybe a few others like the feather-light charm and the strengthening charm to make sure it doesn't tear or become too heavy. She never went into details.'
Harry picked the pouch up, weighing it in his hand. It was a rather small jute drawstring pouch, with a design of cocoa trees on it.
'Well, it costs five whole dollars,' Harry read the tag with a grimace. 'I can afford it, but it is still steep for chocolates.'
Removing his wallet, Harry dropped a five-dollar bill in the money box before billing himself.
'If I bill myself, Mrs. Harvey won't say a word. It's not like I am stealing.'
Harry opened the pouch before spilling the bite-sized chocolates under the counter. Bright silver packing of the chocolate bites gleamed under the overhead light.
Harry tore the wrapper off one of them before popping it in his mouth.
'Almond and caramel.' Harry chucked the wrapper into the bin near his feet. 'Not bad.'
Taking his seat atop the cushioned stool, Harry picked the jute bag, weighing it in his palm.
"Tenacitas Augeo," Harry jabbed his hand at the bag. The bag glowed with a blue hue.
'The material is strengthened so its integrity will hold,' Harry tugged the bag from both ends. 'Now, for the extension charm.'
"Amplio Saccum," Harry waved his hand at the bag. But nothing happened. There was no glimmer or shift in the fabric.
"Amplio Saccum," Harry repeated more forcefully. Still, no glow came, or no part of the fabric moved.
Harry frowned and turned the bag, putting his hand in it.
To his amazement, his hand sank into the bag, much deeper than Harry had expected. His fingers met the bottom of the bag when it was elbow deep in.
'Well, I did it,' Harry glanced at the clock again. 'And I still got two hours to pass. Fuck.'
AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter. I know that the update is a couple of weeks late and I am sorry for that— but in my defense, I had exams.
Anyhow, they're now over and here we are, back on track!
BTW, as I have said before, do keep dates in mind while reading. This chapter got almost a four-month time-skip for those who didn't notice it.
As for the Soul Stone itself, what Harry unlocked as a result of his visit to the Astral Plane was the thing that Red Skull did in Endgame. Basically, knowing everyone's name when they are in front of you. It is not a super-power by any means but let's face it. Not every power is a superpower.
Oh, and Happy Hogan made a cameo in this chapter ;)
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Guest: Harry is not a god. He is a wizard. A sorcerer. But not a god. So the astral plane is not his 'Domain', just like time isn't the domain of the Ancient One (or Stephen Strange in Canon). Though, there would be a very few who could, in the future, stand a blow from Harry within the Astral Plane if he uses the soul stone.
ThunderSphinx: Tbh, as I have said before, pairing Harry with someone is a tough thing especially when it comes to the MCU. Everyone has their pros and cons. So, right now, I am more focused on the story rather than the romance part of it. Harry is still eighteen, so I do have time to set him up comfortably with someone.
Bariy: I don't know how many times I have said this… I don't plan on bringing X-men into this., even if Deadpool might have a cameo.
Insanecoop: I do understand your point of view. I too seldom touch long-fics unless they're about 50k words in. Yes, right now the training montage is going on but it is for the best. I did rather prefer a Harry who can take on his enemies with skill than luck or plot armor. And realistically, that skill cannot be developed in a few days. I found 2004 rather fitting as compared to 2008(Iron Man) or 2012(Avengers) where most fics start.
Bountyhunter1977: The translation charm is basically google translate but easier to use for Harry. As for your other suggestions… well, the astral plane incident did unlock a power of the soul stone, didn't it?
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That's all for now. Thank you for your reviews.
A huge thanks to Mughil for betaing the chapter.
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As of this moment, I have six main stories. They are:
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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!
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