Scion of Sorcery, Dimensions of Destiny

Disclaimers: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Review Answers:

Subhogue: I don't understand why so many people keep leaving 'anonymous' reviews in any of my stories claiming it, either, friend; I am the writer and, as you said, I'm simply 'rewriting/editing' the old version and trying to make it something I can work with; still, thanks for your review and summing up my thoughts too – I've never even heard of these programs they claim I'm using, either;

Jostanos: I wonder how our DRS will react to what's about to happen;

Shizkane: I didn't mean to smash anything; on the contrary, your previous review actually inspired a prompt in my forums, so thanks;

Dennisud: Let's just say I'm basing Hermione's attitude – and subsequently bashing her too – on one of my least-favourite MCU characters from one of the TV shows in the MCU, who also seems to be a know-it-all and someone who can't help but be a nuisance;

Pizza9612: I wondered if anyone would spot it;

Archdruid89: That's coming in a later 'phase' of this story;

As for Daphne, she was amused because Harry definitely had stones to be able to cheek off someone and not give a damn, but when she found him studying quietly instead of attending his detention, which resulted in a twenty-point deduction from Slytherin the next morning, she wondered what might be going through his mind.

Given they were yet to attend a lesson with Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin House and someone who suspected the truth about Harry after what happened at the Welcome Feast, she was worried.

The man was an avid hater of Harry Potter and he was clearly someone with an agenda of his own given how he always glared at Harry in feasts and, worryingly, didn't say anything about the boy missing his detentions.

She didn't know what Harry's special talent was, but if it was something that happened in Potions, then there was only one thing Daphne could see;

Trouble.

Phase One: Potter-Strange?

Chapter 8: Snape vs. Strange

As the end of the first week came around, there were those in the school who noticed that Harry seemed content enough with the idea of being someone with both challengers and accepters to his special gifts.

At the same time, the young sorcerer also found himself wondering when things would take a turn for the worse…and with good reason – at least, to him, it was a good reason.

If there was one thing he'd noticed about his Father's lifestyle, be it as a magical superhero, or the Sorcerer Supreme, it was that, when he wasn't mentoring Harry or watching over Kamar-Taj and the progress and security of the other Sanctums, odds were that he was dealing with some threat to Earth or the many Dimensions of the Universe on an almost-weekly basis.

Of course, Dr Strange had said on many occasions that Fatherhood in it of itself was an adventure that took up most of his time, but it was one he enjoyed going on every day of every week of every month of every year that he'd known and loved his son.

Still, despite the fun he'd had toying with McGonagall and being able to release his magic in a way that showed these medieval, Dark Age weirdoes what real magic looked like, as well as finding an advocate in Professor Flitwick, Harry was rapidly growing bored, which was a bad thing.

Well, it was bad for anyone at Hogwarts, anyway.

However, on the Friday of his first week, Harry found someone else who he could toy around with, especially since they didn't seem too likeable in the first place because, whenever they looked at Harry, they seemed to think he was someone else.

Well, unfortunately for Professor Severus Snape – who also had the misfortune of being Harry's Head of House – the heir to the Sorcerer Supreme wasn't as pig-ignorant or as forgiving of any attempted mistakes on his person, let alone because of someone else's ego being so swelled up that they chose to see him for someone he wasn't.

SoS

As Harry sat down at breakfast that morning, taking his usual place with the Gryffindors instead of his Housemates, it was Neville who noticed it first as he saw Harry looked a little different this morning…

And, when he said different, he meant it in a scary way.

"Um…Harry?"

Looking up from his serving of porridge, Harry saw his only real friend in the Lion's Den watching him worriedly, but Harry didn't seem concerned, as he showed when he addressed said friend with his usual carefree sense of delight, "Hey, what's wrong, Neville? No offence, but you look like you woke up with the Hulk in your bed this morning."

"O…kay; as usual, I'm going to pretend to understand what that means," muttered Neville, unaware of how the eyes of one or two Muggleborns at the table, including a certain bossy girl who'd become a real pain in Harry's butt, widened with shock at the reference to the not-so-jolly-green giant hero from Muggle TV, while Neville went on, "But what's with you? You look like you're either going to cause world-changing chaos or you're really a cat who's just been given a lifetime supply of canaries to eat."

Even those who suspected and felt unnerved and suspicious of Harry's power let out a soft laugh as they too noticed the shark-like smile that was fixed on the face of the Sorcerer Supreme's Son, his emerald-green eyes shining brighter than ever, making it look like green wildfire was burning in his gaze, while even his familiar was in a good mood as she allowed others to pet her while she joined her human at the table.

Harry, on the other hand, lifted an eyebrow, "Okay, first of all…yuck: if anyone's going to eat an aviary of canaries, we all know it'd be your Head of House; second, can't a guy be in a good mood on a day he guarantees fun for all, even some of you stuck-up Lions who think I'm the living embodiment of the Devil's Curse on Hogwarts and Magical Britain in general?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Ron Weasley, earning a scoff from Harry as he looked to the redhead.

Seeing him wolfing down food with his usual lack of table manners, the young sorcerer sighed, "Before I answer that question, Mr Weasley, would you mind swallowing instead of spitting? I mean, it's good practice for when you're older, not that many would probably appreciate it, but, here in the present day, I know that the rest of us didn't ask for dinner and a show."

While Ron looked at Harry in shock, seeing an attempt at civility rather than his usual barbarous sarcasm, the boy gulped down his breakfast before Harry, heaving another sigh, went on, "Thank you; now, since you asked without any of your usual loathing aimed at me, I'll do you a solid and go ahead and answer your question…but I'll answer your question with a question of my own, ready?"

Ron could only blink and nod, before Harry smiled slyly, looking more like a fox, or perhaps a distant relative of the Cheshire Cat, as he asked the redhead, "All-righty then, Mr Weasley: for one hundred points, answer this pretty easy question: who do the Gryffindors loathe more than anyone else in Hogwarts, and I mean hate on a level that's even greater than that which is aimed at me and my Housemates?"

"Snape?" asked the Weasley Twins, but their question earned an automatic response from Granger.

"Professor Snape."

Ignoring the girl's outburst, Harry nodded to the Twins, "And cigars for the gentlemen…sorry, Ronald; no points for you…sorry."

Ron, again, didn't know what to say and, instead, he shrugged dismissively as Harry nodded again in the direction of the Weasley Twins, "And, again, that's a big yep to the two of you: the correct answer is the supposedly-named Professor Severus Snape, aka He-Who-Is-Public-Enemy-Number-One-Two-And-Three; Mr DoA on the list of Gryffindor's Most-Hated."

"Only because he's a biased git of a greaseball who can't see Slytherins for the monsters they are!" spat Ron, earning a shrug from Harry, "I mean, he'd probably even scold you because you don't bend over and kiss their asses, Strange: and what was that BS about calling you Potter back on the first day?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Mr Weasley," drawled Harry, giving a sly wink to Neville, who smiled worriedly, though given Harry's good mood, he didn't do anything to try and stop him…for now, anyway.

Harry, meanwhile, cleared his throat as he looked back to said friend before he pressed on, "Anyway, as I said, to answer your question about my smile, Neville, let's just say I'm going to have some fun with Professor Snape and his bias that might just see me lose this crest on my robe: hope not, mind you, but you know what they say about fools learning and counting chickens."

Perhaps for the first time all week, the Gryffindors looked appreciatively and with excitement in their eyes at the outsider in their ranks.

At the same time, however, Granger scoffed, "And how are you going to cause trouble this time, Strange? Obviously you never read our books, because if you did, you'd know that your incessant cheating won't work in Potions because there's no spell work involved."

"Aw, really?" asked Harry, mocking disappointment evident on his face, before he pretended to smack the table in annoyance, the sarcasm still evident in his voice. "Well gee, I guess that's thrown a wrench in my plans…oh darn, and I had such…such…pffffftttttt!"

A few of those closest to Harry also groaned, one or two of them looking at Granger with loathing for ruining their fun before Harry, sputtering, let out a belly laugh as he slammed his hand against the table multiple times, his laughter filling his words with mirth, "Oh…oh, I'm sorry…I…I couldn't keep a straight face…oh Gods above and below…seriously. Sorry, everyone; I tried to keep a straight face, but I just couldn't help it: that was priceless…and just a little cute that you think you know how my magic works, Granger."

The brunette looked alarmed at the prospect of what Harry had planned while the junior sorcerer let out another softer titter before, clearing his throat again, he went on, "I mean, all right, my magic doesn't need foolish wand waving, silly incantations or pathetic excuses for guidelines other than those set down by the Ancient Forces that govern the origins, dos and donts and methods of invoking such power, but that doesn't mean it's as helpless as you lot stuck here in the Dark Ages might think."

While Granger huffed, once again choosing to believe herself over the truth, Harry smirked as he looked back to the other Gryffindors, "But I'll tell you what: since Professor Granger, PhD in all things magic seems to think herself the one with all the answers, let's test her theory…tell me: how do you lovely ladies and gents…and Granger, feel about making this a bit more interesting?"

"Do you mean…"

"Make a bet?" asked the Weasley Twins, moving from their seats to sit either side of Harry and Neville, the one on the left of Harry smiling just like Harry had been while the one on the right leaned forwards, resting his head against his hands as he stared deep into Harry's shining green eyes.

"What do you have in mind, Master Strange?"

"Well, dear disciples of Loki," replied Harry, hiding the mirth at how the twin chose to address him, whilst again noticing a few people blanch at the reference to the anti-hero-slash-villain who'd once been infamous with the world. "How about…if I can make Slytherin lose at least fifty points in our inaugural lesson with the not-so-neutral Professor Snappy, then you and your lot will let me spend as much time as I want with my friends, both old and new, in Gryffindor, including giving me the passwords each and every year, granting me and mine unrestricted access to Gryffindor Tower!"

"Now see here…" Percy Weasley began, but he was cut off by the one on the left of Harry putting his hand over the prat's mouth.

"And smell, taste and touch too, Weasley, well done, you know the five senses," drawled Harry, earning roars of laughter from the Twins.

"And if not?" asked the one on the right of Neville, earning a shrug from Harry.

"Hmm…let's see…got it; if not," said Harry, heaving a dramatic sigh as he gestured to an apparently-smug Granger, "If She-With-All-The-Answers is right and I don't end up costing Slytherin more than even they can afford, then I will not only leave Gryffindor alone…for good and return to my sorted post in Slytherin, but, for reasons I will never understand, and will end up making some people I know and love unhappy that I've been forced to resort to such things, but I digress. If not, then I will relinquish my ability to use my magic as I do and bind myself to the macabre, medieval ways of foolish wand waving and silly incantations for the rest of my Hogwarts life!"

Here, Harry clicked his tongue as he looked to the Twins, "Which would be a real shame because I can only imagine the mischief I could get up to with the right friends by my side: together, we'd be a force to rival those other guys…what were their names again?"

"The…Marauders?" asked Neville, earning shocked, even horrified looks from the Twins while Harry snapped his fingers at his friend.

"That's them," answered the young sorcerer, smiling wolfishly at the alarmed Weasley Twins. "If I can't make Snape blow his top, I can't make them proud that their legacy of lunacy goes on in me and the ones who seem responsible for chaos around here: that's the two of you, by the way."

He pointed to the Twins as he said the last part before, lifting a hand, Harry put his hand to his heart, "I seal this pledge with a vow on the magic: my word is my bond, so mote it be."

"So mote it be," mumbled Percy, clearly thinking that Harry meant his word.

SoS

If he hadn't been so stuck-up and pathetic in his ways, the Prefect and those who didn't trust Harry would have noticed that no magic sealed his vow or his bet with the Weasley Twins.

After all, Harry had come back to have fun; how was he supposed to do that limiting himself to the ways of these backwards nutcases?

SoS

As Harry lowered his hand, giving the impression he was done with his promise, the mail arrived.

As many parcels and letters were given to the owners, a gasp of awe and curiosity settled over the hall as a beautiful red-feathered bird flew in with the owls, circling the hall before he flew down to the Gryffindor Table, perching itself on Harry's lap, much to the surprise of the Gryffindors while Harry looked at the bird with respect and appreciation.

However, before he could say anything, Harry was cut off by Granger, "That's a phoenix! I've read all about them…"

"Bully for you," said Harry, his eyes never leaving the eyes of the phoenix before, to the bewilderment of the others, Harry inclined his head to the bird and, lifting a hand, he asked, "May I?"

In response, the bird, the phoenix, let out a trill, which caused Harry to smile as he started stroking the bird's plumage. At the same time, Mana spread her wings with a cry and bowed to the phoenix, who inclined his head in response as he enjoyed the respectful air of attention and homage from the gifted youth who was petting him.

As his fingers danced over the feathered body of the beautiful creature, Harry sighed wistfully as he addressed the brunette, "Just so we're clear here; you can read all about it as much and as obsessively as you please, Granger, but there isn't a book in the entire Multiverse that can compare to being able to experience the real thing, as I'm sure our peers can agree here and now."

A round of nods and murmurs of assent ran up and down the Gryffindor Table, before Harry smirked as he added, "As it happens, I've had the honour of visiting the Fire Heart Caverns and hearing the song of the Dawn Queen herself."

"The what and the who?" asked the Twins curiously, watching as Harry noticed how the phoenix carried a letter, which the sorcerer removed from its talons while he looked to his companions, silently sniggering at the dumbstruck look on Granger's face as, once again, she was forced to not admit that she had no idea what Harry was talking about.

So much for knowing everything.

"The Fire Heart Caverns is the name for the oldest nest of phoenixes in the world," said Harry, earning awed looks from the others, while Harry ran a soft hand along the phoenix's wings as he explained, "They're a heavily-fortified place, protected by magic that is invoked by the best of the best in the International Confederacy of Wizards, as well as…"

Here, he looked around before he coughed as he added, "Actually, never mind that second bit. For a moment there, I forgot where I was: anyway, getting back to it, as for the Dawn Queen, she is the Mother of All Phoenixes and her flame burns so brightly, she is caught in a permanent Burning Day, hence the top level protection required for the caverns, because, in a nutshell…"

"She's immortal," whispered Neville, earning a nod from Harry, "How did you get to visit them if they're so well-guarded, Harry?"

"As you know, Neville, I know people who know people," answered Harry, earning sniggers from the Twins, while Neville nodded, silently realising that Harry had almost admitted that he knew one of the supposedly-most-dangerous sorcerers – according to Magical Britain's ways, anyway. "But that's not important: like I said, there's learning about these beautiful, enchanting creatures of flame and life from books and there's experiencing the real deal, which means, unlike some so-called experts in this room with brown hair and too big an ego, I know how to treat these graceful masters with the respect they deserve and I understand the true meaning behind their esoteric life-force."

"The…true meaning?" asked Granger, silently seething at how Harry was again targeting her – because he was jealous of her, obviously.

Harry, however, sighed deeply, if not with an air of relief and finality, before he shook his head in response, "Sorry, kids; here endeth the lesson."

Here, he removed his hand from the phoenix, kissing the tips of his fingers softly before he inclined his head to the beautiful creature, "Thank you for letting me groom you, Fawkes: I pray to the Living Fire I have the honour of doing so once again: may your song last for all Light."

Fawkes, since it seemed that was the phoenix's name – though how Harry knew that, nobody knew…save Mana, who'd told him the name when she had bowed to the phoenix and spoken to him – let out another trill before he flew off again; Harry, meanwhile, looked to the letter in his hand before, cracking the seal, he read the enclosed information, which seemed to be important as he clicked his tongue before, scrunching up the letter, he disintegrated it with a wisp of magic.

"Bad news?" asked Neville.

"Depends on your definition of good and bad, I suppose," said Harry, looking from the Gryffindor Table to the High Table, "Let's just say that my free afternoon just became not-so-free, which reminds me, Neville, have you managed to contact Lord Black about what we talked about the other day?"

"Yes," said Neville, lowering his voice to a whisper, "He's told me that he would like to meet you before he makes any decisions about what we talked about, but he'd also like to have a chance to talk to you about…about the past and the future."

"When?"

"Tomorrow, if you can make it," said Neville, earning a curious look from Harry, "Unless we have specific things that need to be taken care of, our weekends are our own and, as long as we have permission from our Head of House and/or our guardians, we can leave for family business, but only as long as we're back before nightfall."

A look of discomfort crossed Harry's face, "So I'd have to ask Snape and you'd have to ask McGonagall? Given how they both have a problem with me, it'd be easier to try and get J Jonah Jameson to call himself a Spiderman fan after all these years."

"Again," said Neville, although he laughed as he added, "I'll pretend I understood that."

Harry just groaned.

'One day, I'm going to find someone who'll openly admit they get what I'm talking about.'

SoS

After breakfast, Harry left before the rest of the students, making his way down to the dungeons so, despite his wishes to do otherwise, he could return Mana to the dormitory, which she agreed wasn't something she would enjoy since she too suspected that Snape was going to be a problem for Harry, but she relented when he promised he'd have her with him afterwards.

Once he was done in the dormitory, Harry made his way to Potions where, unsurprisingly, he found the other Slytherins waiting for him and their Head of House, one or two of them giving Harry wary looks, especially Parkinson, who averted her gaze from him.

As for Daphne, she greeted Harry with a friendly air before she asked, "Are you ready for this? It's not going to be easy given…"

"I know it's not going to be easy," argued Harry, cutting Daphne off before she could say something he didn't want people to misinterpret, "But it's going to be fun: mind you, I should probably apologise…"

"For what?" asked Daphne curiously, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, "You're not going to cause trouble for us, are you, Harry?"

"Yeah," said Harry, a note of inevitability in his voice, before he shrugged dismissively. "But I'm not apologising for that, Greengrass. I'm offering a bit of a pre-emptive apology because, if my theories are correct, I predict that a certain member of our House, meaning yours truly, is going to do something that's never been done before: get a Slytherin in trouble with our Head of House."

"So, you're going to disgrace us further, are you, Strange?" asked the weedy boy who'd failed to attack Harry on the first day, Theo Nott, if Harry remembered correctly. "Have you no limits to how low you'll sink? You smear our name and…"

"And I betray blood, dine with mud and choose to stick you all in piles of crud, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah, bigotry, bigotry, bigotry," sighed Harry, gesturing with one hand as though he was saying that he'd heard it all before. "So, are you guys going to deal with the broken record player anytime soon? I know a few good electricians and technological masters who'd be happy to do it at a reduced price."

"What are you talking about, Strange?" snapped Millicent Bulstrode, "You're always spouting nonsense about things we're supposed to understand: I think I finally see why you're called Strange, because you're crazy, insane and…and just plain weird."

"And those are just my good points," finished Harry, earning a few titters from Blaise, Daphne and a couple of less-inclined members of the group, while Harry held his hands up defensively, "But hey, in my defence, tell me: is it my fault you're all stuck in the Dark Ages, so much so that you don't recognise the better options and the common world when you hear all about it? By the Allfather, even MACUSA accept the changes and they once segregated No-Maj and magicals until they, like the rest of the world, were forced to accept the Bard's right when he said, and I quote: there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

"Shakespeare?" asked Draco, surprising Harry with the fact that he, along with a few others, knew of the man.

"Yeah," said Harry, indicating the door, "As much as I'd like to talk tragedies with you, we'd better get inside before things take a turn for the crazy."

While Bulstrode, Nott and Parkinson glared at Harry with suspicion and loathing, the young sorcerer walked into the Potions classroom, taking a seat right at the front where, again, if his theory was correct, Snape wouldn't be able to resist singling him out.

Not that he wanted that, of course, but, hey; if the guy was going to be a Jameson-meets-Ross-worthy man-child, why make it hard for him?

To his bewilderment, he was joined by Daphne and Draco before, a few seconds later, the Gryffindors turned up and made their own way to their seats, Neville sitting with Harry while the others moved to seats that were available.

As everyone waited for the arrival of their professor, Neville leaned in close, "The Twins wanted me to give you a message, Harry: please don't lose the bet. They already think you're more fun in a week than they've had in two years, so please don't lose your bet, Harry. If you do, they've sworn to unleash all manner of prank Hell on you."

"If they think I will lose, they're fooling no-one but themselves, Neville, and likewise if they think they can out-prank someone who's met the King of Tricks and Pranks in the flesh," chuckled Harry, brushing a hand through his dark hair, ignoring the thunderstruck look on Neville's face. "By the way, I don't think you need to talk to McGonagall because I've got a way to get away before that mange-infested hairball can stop us."

"I don't want to know," scoffed Neville, rolling his eyes in a bid to mask the shock at Harry's previous statement, before he laughed softly, "Well, all right, I do want to know, but only because you're not meant to be able to Apparate into or out of Hogwarts, but then again, where you're concerned, Harry Strange, I know I don't want to know: instead, I just accept it: you are impossible."

"Not impossible," argued Harry, feigning hurt as he shrugged, "Just a bit unlikely."

Before Neville could say anything else, however, he was cut off by the door opening and, as the room fell silent, a low-toned voice cut through the silence, announcing the arrival of the Head of Slytherin as he walked forwards while he gave a pretty-impressive first-lesson speech, ironically just as Harry had guessed back in the first Transfiguration lesson.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class: as such, I don't expect you to understand the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition…"

He seemed to trail off as he reached the front of the class, his eyes looking to Draco, who seemed in awe of the man for reasons Harry couldn't understand, not that he tried to understand them either. Instead, he watched and listened as Snape, folding his arms with a gesture that, thanks to his flowing robes, made Harry think of a bat folding its wings while he continued.

"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses: I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death."

Whispers rose up in the class while Harry, deciding he had heard enough, put his head on his arms, deciding to follow the example of students in History of Magic as he started to snore lightly, feigning a look that he'd fallen asleep because of the man's droning voice and the lack of interest in what he was saying.

After all, if this medieval place actually taught first-year students any of that, then maybe they wouldn't be so out-dated and worthless to the other parts of the world where they taught real magic. Heck, the ability to put a stopper in death wasn't even Potions-based: a decent Stabilisation Spell or a good, well-trained Healer could do that with a few choice gestures and, in the case of these wizards, a few good words, accompanied by foolish wand-waving and silly incantations.

Not to mention how Muggles/No-Maj could put people into an induced coma to try and stop the inevitable too – but, of course, Magical Britain didn't know about such things, much less admit that the magic-less were capable of such feats.

As Harry feigned his boredom, however, he smiled when he heard Snape address him, "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough…to not…pay…attention!"

Feeling someone nudging him, Harry lifted his head, smacking his lips while he yawned, "Oh, sorry, did I fall asleep? Sorry about that, Professor. I just found that voice of yours so soothing. Tell me: have you ever thought of a career reading children's bedtime stories on CD? You'd be famous with that voice…"

"Mr Potter…" drawled Snape, cutting Harry off while, at the same time, more whispers rose up as the man used the name, but Harry didn't seem to notice as Snape asked, "Our new celebrity: tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?!"

As someone behind Harry threw their hand into the air, Harry frowned before he looked around, his eyes scanning the faces in the room before he asked, "Hey, I think the teacher asked someone a question…"

"Mr Potter!" spat Severus, earning more gasps from the others in the room.

"Potter? Potter? Who's got the Potter?" asked Harry, his eyes filled with curiosity and bewilderment before he feigned speaking into a microphone as he exclaimed, "Paging Dr Potter; you are required in the Potions Classroom: Mr Potter, come on down; you're the next contestant on…"

"Mr Strange!"

"Yes dear?" asked Harry, spinning round to look at Snape while his instantaneous remark earned a few laughs from the Gryffindors.

Snape, however, glared at Harry, who just smiled, "Oh, sorry. Did you want me to answer that question, Professor? Maybe you should get the name of your students right when you address them."

His expression then became one of smug knowing – a look he'd practiced having had to put up with Granger showing it whenever she gave an answer in their shared classes throughout the week – as he dipped his head to his red-faced teacher. "Very well, then, I, Mr Strange, will gladly answer the question; now…ahem-hem; powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood creates a sleeping draught so powerful that it's known as the Draught of Living Death."

While Snape glowered at Harry, the young sorcerer frowned, "Mind you, if I might add my two cents here, I must say that's an interesting question to pose to a first-year, Professor Snape: from what I hear, we…well, you only learn that potion in NEWT year: who'd call them NEWTs anyway? Kind of an insult to newts, if you ask me…"

"Harry, you're pushing it," whispered Neville, an air of fear and intimidation in his words as he saw Snape's murderous look darkening, his wand hand twitching as he saw Harry go on without a care in the world.

Harry, however, looked to the Potions Master, his own jokester expression now fading slightly as his green eyes shone in his face.

"Or…could it be that you're trying to say something about something someone else wouldn't understand about the question, or perhaps the content of the ingredients in that question, Professor? You see, by my understanding of the meaning behind the ingredients in that question, asphodel is a variety of some other plant: a lily, I think…"

Snape's eyes widened in horror as Harry went on with his usual I-don't-care-what-you-think tone and attitude, though his also seemed to harden just a little as he continued delivering his response to Snape's given question.

"And wormwood, which is quite a bitter form of herb, is used as a symbol of intoxicating regret while asphodel is associated with death…I wonder."

Harry's green eyes were now fixed on the ashen-faced Snape, his green eyes still glowing, but now, they were cold and hard in their glare as he asked a question of his so-called teacher, his words coming out in a cool, ominous tone of voice.

"Tell me, is there someone's death you, apparently, regret, Professor Severus Tobias Snape? Someone born with the name Lily perhaps?"

Next to Harry, Neville blanched as he looked to the Professor, but Harry's voice only grew harder as he shook his head slowly.

"I can't imagine why you might regret the death of anyone with the name of Lily, Snape; I mean, it's not like you were either the one to put the wand to their skulls yourself, much less be responsible in any way, shape or form for it, right?"

"ONE HUNDRED POINTS FROM SLYTHERIN!" Screamed Severus, his voice filled with desperation and outrage as, as Harry predicted, the man drew his wand from his robe, first using it to throw the door to the class open with a very loud bang, before he then aimed the wand at a cold-faced Harry, who didn't even shrink back from the apparent threat.

"Get out of my class now, Strange! How dare you think you can talk down to me about things that an arrogant, lazy brat like you does not, and never will understand! And how dare you upstage the class with your arrogant desire to be an insufferable know-it-all! Go on, get out! I refuse to teach someone who thinks they know better than me!"

Picking himself up from the desk, Harry sniffed before he told Severus, "Fine, but, since we're talking truth or dare: how dare you give a question no first-year in this medieval world could answer? Well, except Granger, but she wipes her ass and sleeps with books and pages, so that's normal."

"Get out!" snapped Severus, throwing his hand towards the door, which flew open, "And if you ever show off your arrogance in my lesson again, I will see you expelled, do you hear me, you arrogant little brat?"

"Oh I hear you," said Harry before, to the bewilderment of the others, he made several gestures with his hands.

Seconds later, to everyone else, it looked as though Harry and Severus had disappeared.

While Granger screamed and yelled about calling for the Headmaster, and the Slytherins stared in dumbfounded fear, if not awe at the power shown by Harry Strange, Neville closed his eyes, only just noticing how his hands trembled as he played back the last few minutes.

If Harry was right…

Sirius was going to kill Snape…

If the Son of the Sorcerer Supreme didn't do it first!

SoS

"WHAT IS THIS? WHERE ARE WE?"

"The Mirror Dimension," snapped Harry, earning a shocked look from Snape, which only grew more alarmed when, with a sharp slash of his hands, Harry somehow caused the distorted glass of the Mirror Dimension to close in around Snape, forming something akin to an Iron Maiden as he very nearly skewered the man on the glassy spikes. "Where I'm in control!"

In this realm, Harry dropped all pretences and cast off his mask for the shocked, alarmed Potions Master to see, which meant Severus could see the real Harrison Strange, a side of him no-one else had seen all week.

With his mask dropped and his true self revealed, Harry's eyes burned with fire as he added in a powerful tone, "Now, seeing as how I have what you want me to have, namely your attention, Professor, you can hear me!"

Harry conjured an Eldritch Whip and used it to hold Severus in place, before thrusting his free hand out, snatching Snape's wand from his hand, cutting the Potions Master on one of the glass spikes at the same time. With his eyes still cold, but burning with rage-filled light, Harry watched as Snape's expression paled when he realised the danger he was in, but Harry did nothing to release him. Instead, he held the man there, dangling him from his whip like a fish on a hook, which Harry lifted into the air, his green eyes filled with fire as he used the Mirror Dimension to lift him up to eye level with the alarmed wizard.

"In here, your petty little grudge means nothing, Snape," growled Harry, his voice resonating around the Mirror Dimension as he insisted, "I don't know and I don't care what you thought you'd find by going after the darkest night of my life, but, since you were so desperate to tickle the sleeping dragon, let me show you what you've woken up by doing so!"

"You…you can't be this….mmph!"

Whatever Snape was going to say was cut off as the Mirror Dimension's glass extended again, this time covering his mouth, as well as driving him closer to the spikes as Harry snarled, "No, you coward! A criminal like you doesn't get the chance to preach your outdated bullshit to me! Given that you are even still allowed to live, much less breathe, you should be fully aware of what I can and cannot do…like, for example, for what your childish reaction to my answer suggests, if I wished, for what you did…I could end you!"

Suddenly, Severus' eyes widened in horror as actual lightning flashed through the Mirror Dimension; at the same time, Harry's eyes seemed to go from fiery glowing to a gaze filled with emerald-green lightning all his own, his voice once again filled with fury as he snarled at his prisoner. (1)

"You see, Snape, as far as weaklings like you are concerned, in your world, I am Harry Potter, but, more importantly, as I have been ever since I was put in my Mother's womb, I am also Harry Strange, son of Doctor Stephen Strange and the woman you claim to feel regret for!"

Severus' eyes widened with horror as Harry went on, his voice laced with a growl that would have made both Hulk and Thor proud, "James Potter was my adoptive Father, not my real Father and, although he loved me, raised me and cared for me in the short time we were together, the fact of the matter is that I am who I choose to be and I choose to be Strange! But that does not mean I will just allow the honourable sacrifices made that night, because of people like you, mean nothing! They died heroes and, trust me, I know heroes, but since your world would never be able to accept the truth of my power, I choose to do what I can to protect that memory…and if that means never acknowledging my Potter identity until my plans come to fruition, then so be it."

Yanking on the whip, Harry watched as Snape squealed, thanks to the whip crushing him in its grip, while Harry's voice grew colder than before as he added, "As for my earlier point, because James' magic is a part of me, so too is the debt you owe him, which, despite whatever delusions you told yourself to justify what you did, did not die with him! So, again, if I wanted to, I could end your miserable life and, because it would happen in here, nobody would miss you, nobody would find you and only the bile you spew would mourn you!"

Unseen by Severus, mostly because of the fact he was now struggling to breathe and less than an inch away from ending up a glassy pincushion thanks to the Mirror Dimension, a tear rolled down Harry's cheek as his electrified gaze seemed to recede, his hands trembling while his breath was short, quick and filled with pain.

SoS

He…he wanted to do it…it would be so easy…one more tug…

One whisper of the power of the Mirror Dimension…

One flick of his wrist…

Hell…one blast from the power he'd claimed from the Eyes of Horus…

It…it would be…so…easy…

SoS

But that was the point.

It would be easy…

Too easy!

Closing his eyes, Harry growled under his breath, waving his hand to return the Mirror Dimension back to normal, before he pulled hard on the whip, forcing Snape to look right into his tearful, on-the-edge-level glare as he growled at the white-faced Potions Master.

"Know this, Severus Snape: I now know how little your so-called obsession meant. I know how little you care for anyone or anything other than your worthless little life. So, trust me, if I find out you had anything to do with the events leading up to and including my Mother's death, then adoptive name or not, I give you my word on both of their graves that I will make you suffer in such a way, you'll wish you'd never even seen me, let alone deluded yourself into thinking I am anything like James Potter. Because I'm not…I'm worse!"

A blast of magical energy unwillingly flew from Harry's eyes, but when it hit Snape, it burned a very deep scar into his cheek.

One shaped like a bolt of lightning, which burned white-hot against the man's skin before it settled in, leaving a permanent mark.

Returning to the ground, Harry released the Eldritch Whip from Severus, causing him to crash down to the ground, where the man coughed, gagged and even spat up blood at Harry's feet as the young sorcerer growled again.

"I could end you, but that would be too easy…my Mum gave her life for mine and my true Father, aka one who is much more of a hero than you and any member of your so-called greatest world can hope to be, has helped to turned me into a warrior, a hero and someone that will not allow anyone to slander the sacrifice that she made for me. So, for that reason, because, despite your delusion, I am not the villain here, I'm going to do the worst thing I could do…and let you live!"

"You…you…she…what…"

"I neither know nor care what excuses you have, Severus," said Harry, clenching a fist against his heart as he added, "You are, and always will be, the same pathetic little worm that stalked Mum through school and decided to stick your abnormally-large nose into places you weren't welcome nor wanted. All you have is your envy, your ego and whatever you claim to have because you hate James, and loathe how my Mother is dead. You refuse to blame anyone except the dead and, worse, you think you can aim that hatred at me and I won't do anything…let this prove you wrong!"

Harry's hands still trembled with pain, as well as rage, both of which he knew what he had to do and where he had to go if he was going to put himself back together again, but first, he had to nip Snape's one-sided grudge in the bud.

Before he, meaning Harry, ended up doing something he would regret forever.

"But also, let this serve as a warning, one emphasised by the scar you now bear on your face, you slimy git! If you ever try and use that pain against me, if you say or do anything and claim it for whatever sick obsession you never got over or, Merlin forbid, you ever claim regret for something that, if you truly regretted it, you'd have never done in the first place, so we both know that's shit! Do anything like that and I swear to you: I will seal you in here and, as you are left scrabbling at the walls like the helpless runt you are, I will leave you a frothing, jabbering mass of grease as I tear your mind apart piece by piece until all that's left is the mewling quim you really are, Snape!"

Then, without another word, Harry waved his hands, dispelling the Mirror Dimension and returning them to the real world, which earned a few more troubled, shocked looks from the students in the room as Harry brushed past Daphne and Draco as he left the Potions Classroom.

He didn't reach back as he left, and yet the door slammed shut, causing the cauldrons, as well as the vials in the room to tremble violently.

SoS

Weirdly, after that day, Snape seemed to change from a snarky git to someone who had the same neutral look on their students and their charges that any other teacher was supposed to have.

As for his conflicts with Harry Strange, they ceased altogether; instead, Severus became a neutral party who seemed to do the same thing for the young sorcerer that he did for his own Slytherins: he watched out for him, shielded him when necessary and had an open-door policy on his office in case the boy needed assistance.

And yet, all throughout those times, the man had a look on his face that no-one could remember seeing on the face of the dungeon bat of Hogwarts;

And that look was fear!

Fear, and a lightning-bolt-shaped scar that nobody could figure out for a good long time as to where he'd gotten it from.

Yikes, talk about tickling the sleeping dragon: Snape has, unwittingly, shown his hand and roused a force that could put even Dark Phoenix to shame, but can he actually keep his abnormally-large nose out of Harry's business and let it go?

Also, with rage now lacing his steps and lurking in his heart, can Harry himself let go of how far he nearly went because of what he saw in the riddle of the Potions Master?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: There's only one place Harry feels safe now, but his trip leaves more questions than answers, especially when Stephen decides to share some worries of his own; also, Hogwarts wonders about the Junior Supreme and Harry's divided circle of friends seem to be brought together with one common goal: worry for their wayward peer…

Please Read and Review

NUMBERED ANNOTATIONS (1)

Harry's 'electrified eyes' look like a green/Killing Curse variation of when Thor goes full-lightning; as the suspicions and realisations tickled the sleeping dragon, I thought it'd make a badass and scary look for the boy-sorcerer

AN: Harry's Reaction

Also, before anyone goes off about Harry going too far too quickly, remember he doesn't know how Lily died or how Voldemort managed to get to them; he also doesn't know anything about before then…not yet, anyway, and now someone comes along and seems to be incapable of realising the truth or even getting his name right.

And yet they claim to regret his Mother's death?

HELL NO!