Scion of Sorcery, Dimensions of Destiny

Disclaimers: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Review Answers:

WhiteElfElder: Later-on in the story, there'll be a fuller explanation of James' reactions and why he did what he did;

"Lily…"

'She has fallen,' said the bird, its voice female, edged by power as it addressed the Sorcerer Supreme, 'Your vow is enacted, Sorcerer Supreme. My grace shall be with this child, watching over him as I have done for all whom have sanctioned my will through the words of the Archmage.'

At the same time, Wong stepped forwards from where he'd been watching as he asked, "Who…who is he, Stephen?"

"His name," replied the Sorcerer Supreme, one hand stroking the black locks from Harry's fringe.

"Is Harrison Strange…he's my son."

Phase One: Potter-Strange?

Chapter 2: Father and Son

Six years.

That was how much time had passed since the day Kamar-Taj became home to Harry Strange-Potter and, since that day, a real element of change had come over the sanctuary of the Mystic Ones, though none faced it bigger than the Sorcerer Supreme himself.

From the first day he'd woken to the cries of his son, Stephen had slowly become less stoic and acted more like a real parent as well as master of the sanctuary. When he wasn't away on business with his partners-in-heroism or attending to matters that arose in the New York, London or Hong Kong Sanctum, he was in Kamar-Taj, tending to his son and watching over his progress as a child of the arts.

As Lily had warned him and as the ICW had cautioned him, Stephen had to be careful with training his son because Harry was so much stronger than an ordinary Mystic. As the son of the Sorcerer Supreme, his penchant for the Mystic Arts was a definitely-hereditary thing, but as he was also a second-gen Master-in-Training, there was every chance that his skills might even surpass Stephen.

And that was before he achieved the rank of Master.

Then there was the way his Wixen-born magical core was also part of him, which not only boosted his Mystic might, but also granted him access to abilities that even eluded Stephen's years of experience.

To that end, Stephen kept the Wixen Archmage, Rameses Wulfgarden – who was their world's version of the Sorcerer Supreme, though probably not as disreputable with the pureblood elite as Stephen was – in the loop, since the old man kept a certain other old man away from the Sorcerer Supreme and out of the business of the Junior Sorcerer Supreme.

In return for this protection, from when Harry was four years old, Rameses surprised the small boy by becoming a regular visitor introduced to him as a friend of Doctor Strange, who also turned up once a week and started teaching the child more about his Wixen power as well as mystic one.

In no time, Harry developed an understanding of magic, as well as an affinity for it that was eerily similar to Stephen's almost-natural skills, though as Wong reminded him, there were some things even the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't understand about the magic of Wixen and how it differed from Mystic Masters.

Of course, there was also the vision from before Harry's conception for Stephen to think about, not that he'd had it again since that night.

But, as Sorcerer Supreme, he knew better than to ignore a good streak after such a terrifying nightmare…

SoS

One other thing that did make Stephen worried about the future, as well as his son's role in it, was the fact that, when he turned eleven, Harry would return to Britain by the fact that he was to attend the same school that Lily had done. Despite the fact that there were other schools that he could have attended – such as Castelobruxo in Brazil, Mahoutokoro in Japan or Ilvermorny in America, which would put Harry close to the New York Sanctum – this was something the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't keep from happening and he hated it.

He'd gotten so used to the idea of being a Dad that the thought of returning his son somewhere so in the dark that they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces made him more than a little on edge.

However, Stephen caved to the fact that Harry had to return to England because, as he learned from the Archmage, just as it was Stephen's destiny to be the defender of the No-Maj community, so too was it Harry's destiny to be a Champion of the same purpose for the medieval, archaic ways of the British Magical Community.

Besides, Stephen admitted it wasn't fair for Harry to know his Father's world and not know the world that his Mother and adoptive Father had come from, although he told Rameses that he'd be keeping a very close eye on his son from the London Sanctum.

So, despite the fact that the dreaded date drew closer and closer, Stephen still allowed himself to watch as his son grew into a fine young wizard and a child that was worthy of the title Sorcerer Supreme, or indeed, Heir of the Sorcerer Supreme.

However, Stephen also knew that, if he was going to fully grasp and understand his destiny, Harry needed to know the full story.

This was the reason that, on his son's seventh birthday, Stephen summoned Harry to his chambers…

SoS

As always, Harry walked into the chamber of the Sorcerer Supreme accompanied by the other mysterious symbol-slash-representation of his power that everyone at Kamar-Taj had grown accustomed to seeing.

Mana.

The proud creature that was known as a thunderbird, her gleaming white feathers never seemed to lose their shine while her bright, mystic blue eyes seemed to see everything and nothing at the same time. Across one of her eyes was a streak of feathers shaped like a lightning bolt while her wings folded elegantly along her back as she walked next to the boy at her side.

Harry himself was dressed in the classic black attire of trainees, his appearance so much like Stephen that he caught many people looking at him with awe and respect, though when he caught them looking, they soon averted their gazes. Around Harry's neck was a chain that had been sent on his fifth birthday; looped through the chain, which was enchanted to be unbreakable, were a pair of rings, one of which held a crest shaped like a stag rising up on his haunches.

The only thing that had come with the rings was a note that read: For when the time is right.

Harry hadn't understood the how or why behind how the chain made him feel so warm, but for whatever reason, he never took it off and, because it was enchanted magically, it couldn't be taken from him or removed by anyone save Harry himself.

Even the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't take it off and he had tried once in a rage for something that Harry hadn't known what he'd done.

Reaching the centre of the floor where newcomers waited for an audience, Harry gulped before, as he'd done many times before, he dropped to his knees, bowing his head while, in front of him, Stephen read the American newspaper, the Daily Bugle, which reported another crime by Spiderman.

Next to Harry, Mana lowered her head, but she didn't go down as low as her partner, not that Stephen noticed this.

In this manner, the two remained there, both of them knowing that an audience with the Sorcerer Supreme was not something that could be rushed so easily. Harry remembered once when he'd been waiting for nearly an hour because Stephen had been enjoying dinner. His legs had gone numb with the hunched over position, but Stephen still apologised and seemed to be proud of Harry's patience in receiving him.

This time, however, they were only waiting a couple of minutes before Stephen folded up his paper, "You know, I'll never understand why someone like Stark or Fury can't have a word with Jameson about spewing his one-sided lies about Spiderman: I mean, don't they care that, if he wanted to do so, the flat-topped fraudster could turn on them? I'll never get it."

Harry managed a small smile before Stephen looked to his young student, "Anyway Harry, thank you for coming, and of course, you have Mana by your side: good. I think that, if anyone should hear this, it's your familiar…excuse me for a moment."

As Harry lifted his head, his eyes widened when he saw Stephen move his hands in a powerful gesture.

Seconds later, the world seemed to distort around them, causing a crystallising effect to shimmer in the air around them while the rest of the world seemed to remain anonymous. This, Harry knew, was the Mirror Dimension, access to which was one of many abilities used by the Mystics and the Sorcerer Supreme for battles, training and meditation exercises that wouldn't cause too much damage on the real world.

It was also used to seal others in, especially if they couldn't create portals using the Sling Ring or other known spells and devices.

As Harry looked around, he then returned his attention to his mentor as he asked, "Why are we here, Master?"

"Doctor," corrected Stephen, earning a coy smile from Harry, though before he could say anything else, Stephen cut him off with a stern, raised finger and a smirk that danced on his lips as he insisted, "Don't you dare do the joke: honestly, ever since Kaecilius did it that one time, it's become something of a bad pun from everyone else."

"Sorry Doctor," said Harry, though he giggled at the way Stephen saw through his efforts before he asked, "Um…why are we here?"

"Because there's something I have to tell you," said Stephen, his eyes looking into Harry's, "And I'd rather not do it where students can hear."

Harry raised an eyebrow before Stephen picked himself up and, walking towards Harry, he slowly kneeled down so that he was looking him in the eyes, his own gaze reflected in the bright glow of his son's stare.

"Harry, what do you remember about your Mother, Lily?"

"I remember her voice," said Harry, a surprised, but saddened look crossing his face as he privately wondered what could have forced the Sorcerer Supreme, and his mentor, to bring up what everyone else knew was a sore topic for the mystically-gifted young prodigy. "She used to sing to me every night to help me get to sleep. Then Dad would tuck me in and…and she'd tell me I was safe, strong and loved…why…why are you asking?"

"Because there's something I need to tell you," said Stephen, swallowing hard as he explained, "Once you know, it's my hope that you'll understand your exceptional magical power a little better."

Lowering his eyes for a moment, Stephen took a very deep breath before he looked up again, "Harry…your Mother was the kindest, sweetest and bravest witch that the world will ever know…and trust me, I know that for a fact!"

"How…why?" asked Harry, his lip quivering while, next to him, Mana let out a low trill of comfort as she nuzzled Harry's fingers with her head.

Stephen, however, gulped before he said it.

"Because…you see, Harry…the truth is…I'm your Father, Harry: your real Father!"

Silence followed his words and, as Stephen looked from his son to the creature at his side, he looked back just as quickly as Harry whispered the last thing he expected to hear.

"I know…"

While Stephen stared in shock, Harry gulped before he looked to the Sorcerer Supreme, "I…I mean…I didn't know for sure until…till now, but…but I always felt…I don't know…safe whenever I was with you, Doctor Strange. You…you never talk bad about me except…except when you…you saw my chain and…and you…you always try to make me better with my…my powers, so…so I guessed you…you had to be someone special to me. Even when I make a mistake, you're also not as stern as you are with the other students, which I always though was cause I was only six…uh…I mean, seven, but…well…guess not."

While Stephen smiled, remembering how he'd been angry when he'd first seen the rings because he'd stupidly believed Harry's world was trying to force his son away from him sooner than before he was ready for such a big change and an equally-large burden, Harry looked up again as he asked, "But then…if…if you're really my Dad, who…who was my…who was the man I've sometimes called Dad?"

"He was your adopted Father," replied Stephen, placing a gentle finger against the stag-crested ring around Harry's neck, "This crest on your ring is the crest that belongs to his family: the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter. The other one…"

Here, he touched the second ring, which was a dark emerald fixed into a silver ring, the emerald engraved with a symbol shaped like a triangle with a circle and a straight line on the inside, as he went on, "This one, from what I learned from your Mother, is the crest and the ring of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Peverell, an ancient, powerful bloodline that passes through you from James Potter when he adopted you."

"How?"

"Well, like I said, when he adopted you," answered Stephen, returning his attention to his son, "It made you his son and heir in every way, just as you are also my son and heir by birth. In his case, it gave you the Family Magic of the Potters and Peverells added to the gifts from your Mother and, of course, from me. Of course, it also augmented your magical capabilities, which is why both Master Rameses and I have taken such a vested interest in your lessons, little one."

"So…so is that why I'm so…so strong?" asked Harry, earning a proud smile and a nod from Stephen, "But why…why won't you train me like the others? If…if I'm your son…then why won't you train me?"

"Because I promised your Mother I'd do everything in my power to give you yours," said Stephen, indicating Harry's heart, which he patted the spot on his boy's chest with the flat of his palm as he explained, "I had Master Rameses help with that because I'm not like the witches and wizards, or Wixen, as we've come to call them. Anyway, I'm nothing like the magic users of your Mum's homeland, a fact that actually contributed to my meeting Lily in the first place and…and doing what we did."

To his amusement, Stephen actually saw Harry blush redder than Stark's armour as he seemed to get what his Father was telling him, before the Sorcerer Supreme quickly added, "On that note, I want you to know: as much as your Mum was devoted to her impending nuptials and handfasting ceremony to wed your adoptive Father, something…some deeper, primal magical strength between us brought us together. And when it did, I give you my word on her memory, young sorcerer; I did not force her and treated her like a queen, even agreeing that what had happened between us was not something we needed to revisit. Nearly two months after, she married James and, at the same time, she started to sense your growing life inside of her; however, it wasn't until just after you were born that I approached her, learning about what James had done, for which I was proud…if not relieved…for reasons I won't go into just yet, okay?"

As Harry nodded, tears of delight, as well as relief – as he'd heard stories of people getting close and not wanting it to happen, so knowing his Dad hadn't forced himself on his Mum was a relief – running down his cheeks while he smiled with understanding and warmth, seeing as how Stephen wasn't even bothered by the fact Harry had worked out something connected them, the Sorcerer Supreme cleared his throat as he continued.

"However, given how well you're progressing with those lessons, the time is finally right for me to start training you in the other side of your power: the side that you claim from me as the only son and heir of the Sorcerer Supreme of Planet Earth."

Harry's eyes widened with awe and delight before he blushed heavily as he said, "Sorry…sorry that I yelled at you…um…what do I call you now?"

"Well," admitted Stephen, his eyes filled with pride and warmth, "I'd be honoured if you would call me Father, but if you think you'd rather stay with James Potter having that right, then it's your choice."

As Harry looked up again, he suddenly smiled before he asked, "If I do, you've got to promise to do something for me: will you?"

"In return for the honour of you calling me what I am?" asked Stephen, earning a nod from Harry as he asked, "All right, what is it?"

"I have your word?"

"You have my word," replied Stephen, although he suddenly noticed Harry's smile turning sly, "What is it, Harry?"

With a giggle that told Stephen more than enough, Harry said what his condition was.

"You got to ask your friend, the other doctor, on a date!"

Stephen's jaw dropped and, before he could stop himself, he laughed, "You little devil…"

Harry's laughter turned into hilarity as Stephen grabbed his son and tickled him for all he was worth, both Father and Son reunited in all ways now as they enjoyed the family moment together.

Although Stephen never did find out how it was that Harry even knew about his 'relationship' with Christine in the first place…

He just put it down to the Sherlock Holmes-level of observational skill that was just one more good thing from his son's upbringing.

SoS

For the boy known as Harrison Harry James Strange-Potter, the next year was filled with fun, games, new discoveries and a better time in studying magic than he could have ever asked for.

Every day, he met his Father in his chambers, each lesson filled with long, intense hours of meditations, study and practice in being able to use the power of sorcery to achieve feats similar to the Sorcerer Supreme, the other Masters and their students. Sometimes, other Masters such as Wong or Master Hamir would join them in their lessons, working with Stephen or in his place as they worked together to teach Harry about the finer points, historical significance and the rules and risks of magic as an art.

Whenever Stephen had an errand, work with other heroes or personal business, Wong gave Harry access to the library while Master Hamir taught Harry about the power of Constructs. The one-handed Master also taught the boy more physical exercises and put him through training to increase his agility and reflexes, including using his sorcery and his magic to complete tasks that would be impossible by means done by No-Maj – the Wixen term for Non-Magical people, which Stephen had also explained was what many though he was, since he couldn't use Wixen Magic, which also made him a criminal in their minds – such as swinging across large gaps and gripping hard-to-hold surfaces or edges.

Like Stephen, Hamir was surprised by Harry's other abilities, one of which he demonstrated when, like Kaecilius, Harry demonstrated the power to walk on surfaces that normal people couldn't without being hindered by steepness or material of the surface in question.

Like Spiderman, Harry could walk on walls and ceilings.

He could also use his magic to grip the ground against any pressure that might try and knock him off balance or send him flying in the opposite direction. Unlike said hero, Harry could also, literally, walk on water and air like Mordo used to, except Harry didn't need the Vaulting Boots of Valtor to reach new heights or move around unrestricted by the laws of physics.

When Stephen heard this, he wondered if Harry was exactly like Kaecilius, the Ancient One and the once-fallen Master's Zealots – somehow, Harry had learned to draw power from the Dark Dimension.

As a Father, this made him concerned for his son, since he'd seen how blind and arrogant this made those who believed in the power.

However, as a Master and as Sorcerer Supreme, he was concerned for how someone could do this without the required rituals, which he'd made certain were destroyed after the battle with Kaecilius and his many deaths at the hands of Dormammu.

SoS

One night, while Harry slept, Stephen cast a spell on his son, designed to check for influences from said dimension, but, to his surprise and relief, the Sorcerer Supreme found no such traces of poison or corruption or influence from the Dark Dimension.

Harry's magical ability was completely natural and his learning curve was greater than any other student.

Stephen honestly didn't know whether to be proud or concerned, but he did know one thing:

His son, Lily's son, James' adopted heir; with the strength, gifts and powers from these three birthrights combined, Harry would be more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme by the time he learned to fully master his incredible powers.

And that made Stephen proud!

SoS

That Same Night

Screams…

Terror…

Pain…

"Harry? What have you…wait! Stop! HARRY!"

Blue fire…

Stephen tore himself out of his sleep as, for the first time in nearly eight years – seven-and-a-bit plus the nine months since Harry was conceived on such a rare magical night – the vision from his clash with Nightmare came back to him.

Admittedly, it had only come in drips and drabs, but, this time, there was more.

There was Harry.

And Stephen screaming at him.

And the blue fire…

'What is that fire?'

Stephen didn't get back to sleep that night…

SoS

It wasn't long after this, just before Harry's eighth birthday in fact, when the young sorcerer found himself feeling beyond delighted when Stephen said he'd started getting serious with Christine.

As a result, he was considering asking her to marry him, but he wanted Harry's opinion on the matter first.

On one hand, it'd make Christine Harry's stepmother, which would give him a maternal figure in his already-amazing, if not often-crazy life; she would be someone who could watch out for him if and when Stephen couldn't.

On the other hand, Stephen didn't want to force his son through anything that would make him think he had to forget his birth Mother, Lily.

In response, Harry told him he could never forget his birth Mother because he felt her love, spirit and her strength in him every time he tapped into his magic and when he did work in the Astral Dimension.

Even though Christine was a No-Maj like his Father, he'd be happy to have her as his stepmother and be there with his Father at their wedding.

Before he popped the question, however, Stephen let Harry and Christine spend some time together.

On the day, Harry was asked similar questions by the kindly female doctor, who told him flat how she wasn't trying to replace Lily because Stephen had shared the truth with her about Harry's birth and how he'd lost his Mother; as a result, Christine knew she could never replace someone as brave as Lily and she wouldn't try.

If Harry let her, she would love him as though he was her own and she also knew Stephen wasn't likely to have any more kids due to his duties as Sorcerer Supreme and his care for his son and heir, that wouldn't stop both of them from loving Harry. It also meant Harry would have a home in New York City that he could stay in with Christine when he was at the New York Sanctum or he needed some time away from Kamar-Taj.

By the end of the day, Harry knew he'd be happy to have Christine as his new Mum and, when he asked her if he could call her such, she cried and made him feel happier than ever when she explained she'd be delighted, but as she said, she wasn't trying to replace Lily and she also knew he would never forget her.

After all, what little boy or girl wouldn't like the chance to have someone they could call Mum and Dad?

SoS

In an amazing double-present for their now-shared son, on the date of Harry's eighth birthday, Doctors Stephen and Christine Palmer-Strange were married and, as they had unanimously agreed, Harry had the honour of both standing with his Father as best man, while he was also allowed to carry the rings and got to walk Christine down the aisle, handing her to his Father in the ultimate sign of acceptance.

Master Hamir acted as a witness while Harry felt a little bemused when the vicar presiding over the ceremony talked about it being about time that the wise-cracking doctor got serious with someone and something other than his extracurricular duties.

Personally, Harry was a little bewildered by the white-haired man with the excitable tone of voice and the wizened, but youthful appearance. (1)

After the ceremony, Stephen and Christine sat down with a still-smiling – in truth, he hadn't stopped smiling like the cat that ate the canary since he'd gotten to put Christine's hand in Stephen's, though not before both had kept his between them in a sign of their familial union as well as the romantic one of Doctor Strange and Doctor Palmer – Harry and talked about what would happen from now on.

First and foremost, because Christine wasn't as deep with the magical side of the world as Stephen, she would be Harry's No-Maj liaison, helping him with his schoolwork and anything that wasn't to do with his mystical training.

When Stephen heard Harry wanted to call Christine his Mum, he too hugged his son and admitted he was afraid about how his boy would see his new bride because she was not only not Lily, but she also wasn't someone with magic.

Harry's desire told him more than enough.

While the two went on their honeymoon, Harry returned to the New York Sanctum under the watchful eye of Master Hamir, continuing his studies as well as honing his magical skills as he studied and practised with his mentor and the others who came to visit the Sanctum.

It was here that Harry found his life changed by something that every Master of the Mystic Arts wound up finding.

Although Master Hamir, Wong and Stephen himself admitted that none of them had been as young an age as Harrison Strange.

SoS

After going through his motions, practicing with his weaponised constructs and working on his meditation, Harry took a slow walk through the Relic Room, eyeing the many display cases and the objects they contained, taking in the many forms and descriptions of their magical abilities.

Although he was only eight years old, Harry had progressed to the point where he began to get curious about the relics.

According to his Father, each sorcerer had at least one, but it wasn't a case of pick and choose.

They chose you to be their masters, not the other way around.

For a while, Harry wandered the halls of the Sanctums as well as Kamar-Taj, hoping his magic would reach out and bond with a relic since, as he'd heard many times, his magic was similar to the Sorcerer Supreme, but it was also more than Stephen because of his natural magical ties from his Mother and his adopted Father's bloodlines.

'I wonder what they'd think about me,' thought Harry, moving along one of the walls while he pondered on his birth Mother and adopted Father.

Stephen had told him the truth about his Mother's death and how the Archmage had been the one to invoke the edict that said Harry would be sent to Kamar-Taj if anything happened. He also knew Mana had come from that same magic and that she was part of him as much as a relic would be; his familiar was what she'd been called by his Father.

Still, it didn't stop Harry wondering.

And silently coming up with a plan, which mostly involved things he was quickly learning from Master Rameses, but he wouldn't be able to put into effect until he'd returned to Magical Britain around his eleventh birthday.

As he pondered on his curiosities, Harry suddenly felt a prickling rise up on his neck, giving him the sensation that he was being watched.

Master Hamir and Wong had both taught him to always be on alert because, as sorcerers, attacks and surprises could come from anywhere.

His Father had also told him of the nasty surprise of an Astral Battle he'd been forced into while Christine was trying to save his life, so Harry knew that any sort of warning could come from any sort of realm.

Turning to examine the area, Harry's eyes narrowed when he caught sight of something in a corner of the room: a faint silvery glow that seemed to shine through the gap in an ornately-decorated box. As he made his way to the case, Harry felt his magic rippling as he drew closer until, as he stood in front of the case, he felt a faint, ominous rumbling that made his heart beat like a jackrabbit, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the box.

Looking to the plaque under the item, Harry was perplexed to find not words, but images that seemed to arrange themselves in a select order.

Under his Father's tutelage, Harry had started learning a few foreign languages and recognising others, but this one was…different.

Older…ancient, even.

Still, he couldn't ignore the drumming inside him, neither did the glow seem to fade.

Swallowing hard, Harry put a finger to the lock on the case and, pouring his magic into it as Stephen had taught him, he watched as the lock clicked open, allowing him a chance to reach in and take the box.

It was very heavy!

That was the first thing Harry noticed as he dropped to the floor like a stone, the weight of the box pulling him down; at the same time, he gasped as the box's latch clicked open, allowing more of the silver glow to escape, its radiance shining on Harry's face.

As he stared into the light, Harry heard a sound like the cry of a bird of prey.

An eagle or maybe a falcon, he wasn't quite sure.

The only thing that he was sure of was the glow as it crept across his face until, unable to stop himself, Harry reached into the light and wrapped his fingers around it.

As soon as he did so, his whole world turned white with mystical energy before Harry felt a blinding pain hit him in the face.

Then he knew no more.

SoS

"How could he be so stupid?"

"The pull is strong, Stephen."

"I know, but still…"

"You have to make exceptions for him; he is more than another normal Mystic…"

"Dad?"

Stephen, currently arguing with Wong, rounded on the bed where his son was lying, his face showing relief as he walked over to Harry's bed, his eyes softening from what had been a furious glare as he sighed deeply, "Are you all right? You gave Hamir a terrible fright when he found you."

"I…I think so," said Harry, lifting a hand before he groaned softly as he opened his eyes and looked up to his Father, who seemed briefly stunned when, instead of any sort of blinding pain or discomfort, Harry looked up at the Sorcerer Supreme with confusion and no small amount of child-born juvenile apology, the latter of which he showed as he asked, "Did…did I ruin yours and Mum's holiday? I...I'm sorry, Dad…"

"Nothing is more important to me than you, son," argued Stephen, sitting down next to Harry before he looked into Harry's eyes as he asked, "But are you sure you're okay? Like I said, you gave Hamir a shock; he said you were thrashing and…and your body was glowing…"

"I found my relic," said Harry proudly, earning a weak smile from Stephen as a slow smile crossed his son's face before, frowning again, Harry looked to his Father as he asked, "I…I did find it, didn't I, Dad?"

"That's how it looked," agreed Stephen, leaning in close again before he asked, "But…Harry: you…you're looking right at me and…and you don't feel any discomfort or…or pain from…from the Eyes?"

"No," answered Harry, a little worried that his Father was rather adamant about his pain. "Why…you…you said Eyes; what…what are they, Dad?"

"They're known as the Eyes of Horus," said Stephen, his voice soft, but reassuring while he put a hand on his son's arm, his gentle touch and soft, fatherly voice reassuring Harry that all was well, even though Stephen still looked perplexed by this change in events. "They were grafted in magic by combining energy from the Mirror Dimension with the warped powers of the Dark Dimension: the result? Eyes that see all, read all and pierce any illusions as well as cast their own once learned in the arts."

"Reminds me of a manga I once read," observed Harry, earning a smirk from Stephen, "Hang on: Horus? Isn't he an Egyptian God?" (2)

"Yes," replied Stephen, his voice laced with worry, "But he was also a sorcerer and these eyes were his greatest and most-dangerous achievement: if you'd been able to read the warning that was on the box, you'd have seen they said: he who gains my sight shall lose his own: for the world is full of wonders that can now never be closed off to me."

Harry's lip trembled, but as he looked to his Father, his eyes widened as he then said, "But…hold up; I…I can still see, Dad!"

"I know," said Stephen, waving his hands in front of Harry's eyes, before, seeing Harry follow his hand gestures perfectly, he also smiled as he explained, "And make no mistake, Harry; I am grateful, but…the relic bonded with you, so there's no telling what's going to happen now."

"You're worried about a nightmare you had?" asked Harry, earning a shocked look from Stephen.

"How…how'd you know about that?"

"I…I can see it…floating around your head," said Harry, waving his hand over his Father's head, which, to him, caused wisps of strange energy to dissipate as he explained, "There…gone now, but…hey; why are you thinking about Mum on the beach?"

"What?" asked Stephen.

"Dad…" frowned Harry, a look of bemusement on his face, "Why's Mum not wearing any clothes?"

"What?"

"Urgh…" groaned Harry, pulling a face recognised by parents everywhere as that, which appeared on their kids' faces when it came time for the talk, though the Junior Supreme wasn't done.

"Dad…what does being aroused mean?"

"WHAT?" (3)

And the changes continue: Harry's learned the truth – though he's suspected it for a while – and started down the path to his true calling, but…wait: how is it that such a powerful relic hasn't altered the boy we know and love?

Also, what could have kickstarted the nightmare from years ago to return again?

Could it have anything to do with this very weird change in plot and circumstances?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: Harry might still have his sight, but, as Stephen discovers, his son also has some new tricks up his sleeve; also, the inevitable finally comes to pass, but not before there's a gift from beyond, and a decision for the Junior Supreme;

Please Read and Review

NUMBERED ANNOTATIONS (1)

Stan Lee – RIP – cameo, everybody

What's a Marvel adventure without one?

NUMBERED ANNOTATIONS (2)

The manga referenced is Naruto: I based the Eyes' power and lore on the Sharingan, Rinnegan and Byakugan

NUMBERED ANNOTATIONS (3)

A funny way to end this chapter, somewhat based on a classic closer from David Tennant's Doctor;

For some reason, given the change I planned – Harry NOT being blinded by the Eyes at all, but something else that ties into the overall theme of the new-and-improved story – I felt this back-and-forth was necessary and funny too;

Agree? Disagree? Ah well, onwards…