Scion of Sorcery, Dimensions of Destiny
Disclaimers: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Review Answers:
WhiteElfElder: Are you psychic? Just kidding…
SoS
ALSO:
Can people PLEASE stop asking about artwork commissions, comics and other such things that have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the story; it's just a waste of a review and I delete the PMs because, as I've said to practically all of you out there, I DON'T DO THAT!
Also, to the guest reviewers who keep insinuating I use AI to write my stories: ARE YOU THICK?
Just because I went and reposted my ideas with edited chapters, new titbits and fun changes, it DOESN'T mean I'm some robotic machine printing them out like copies of the Daily Telegraph; I am as human as the rest of us and wearing out my fingertips, my mind and, sometimes, even my emotions writing these ideas.
Plus, hello?
I have NEW ideas onsite, so how the heck can they be AI when they're coming from me?
Yes, the style's different, but, again, hello?
It's been nearly two years since I decided to hang up my keyboard and stop writing; I only came back because friends showed support and the itch was there. I have been writing, as a hobby, since I was a kid and, all right, so the ideas might not be what my old ones used to be, but, at the end of the day, what would you prefer?
New DZ2 who posts ideas he CAN finish – even if it takes 10 years and longer-still; trust me, there are stories on here that are that old and still being updated – or old DZ2 who got a couple of chapters in and then decided screw it and deleted them for no reason?
Me?
I choose New!
So, just stop with the guest reviews, and the one insisting I wrote the praise on my profile myself – you know who you are.
Either you're just being petty, stupid or you can't write your own stories, cause otherwise, you'd create a profile of your own and prove me wrong…
Phew.
Sorry for the rant there, DZ2 fans, but ever since I've come back, there's always been at least three or four of these in every story.
Um…hello?
You do remember I can DELETE anonymous reviews and BLOCK active members, don't you?
SoS
Anyway, now I've had my rant, let's go on with the show…
And get ready for a twist that will really churn the waters…
"This…this is amazing!" cried Harry, lowering one hand to his familiar's feathery head, "Since when can you shift your size like that? I never knew you could do that before."
'I acquired the gift when your birth Mother's magical gift became yours, augmenting both your power and the strength of our bond,' explained Mana, earning a gasp of wonder from Harry. 'I wanted to surprise you with this and, given your looming worries of your meeting with your companion's honorary Father figure, I thought this would cheer you up.'
"You were right," whispered Harry, petting Mana's feathers, "Can we fly together more often, girl?"
'Whenever you need it, little one,' replied Mana before Harry laughed as the thunderbird's body shone with several powerful bolts of lightning that filled the sky with an atmosphere similar to a fireworks display, the explosions of light and energy around them adding to the wonder of the moment.
Phase One: Potter-Strange?
Chapter 11: A Good News, Bad News Day
Had anyone other than Mana asked him about it, Harry would have admitted that the time he spent at Hagrid's was as fun as it was interesting, especially when Harry noticed a report about an idiot who tried to break into Gringotts, only to fail as it looked like nothing had been taken.
Personally, having encountered the defences of SHIELD, as well as Avengers Tower and Kamar-Taj, Harry silently wondered whether or not the would-be thief would have been executed, even if he were caught, or just turned over to the pansies in charge of Magical Britain.
His money was on the latter.
Pulling himself away from yet another reason to feel disgusted about the attitudes of his birth country, Harry let himself get lost in his time with the gentle giant and his slobbery, lovable hound. One of the highlights was getting to taste Hagrid's cooking as he offered rock cakes that were so hard, Harry suspected that only someone like Hulk could eat them…
Well, maybe he could eat them, or just use them for smashing practice.
However, in the case of the not-so-gamma-irradiated guest, it was amusing to see Hagrid's air of surprise when Harry didn't just bite into them, he ate four of them while offering some to Mana, who shared in her friend's attitude as she politely ate two, before using the hardness of several other cakes to sharpen her claws and beak before breaking them down and eating them.
When Hagrid asked how they'd done it when anyone else who'd tried them wound up breaking their teeth or discarding them later, Harry laughed.
"When you have a skill with magic like mine, Hagrid, anything's possible, even biting into diamond-hard rock cakes. Nice flavourings, though; I might have to ask you for the recipe."
SoS
It was nearly dark by the time that Harry and Mana left Hagrid's hut, both of them promising to return while, to Harry's surprise and relief, Hagrid told him that Mana was welcome to stay with the half-giant anytime she wanted to fly without having to return to the dungeons.
To Harry's bewilderment, Hagrid didn't even seem troubled by the fact that he was a Slytherin, much less that he bore a strong resemblance to the boy he wasn't.
Given the reaction he'd seen from the other non-human professor – meaning Professor Flitwick – Harry had a theory, which said that, if Hagrid had chosen to believe that Harry was who others said he was, he didn't show it and, instead, he chose to respect Harry for the boy he was and not the boy he was meant to be.
For that, Harry was grateful, though he didn't show it.
SoS
As Harry and Mana made their way up to the Great Hall for the evening feast, the young sorcerer looked back for a brief moment as the faint sound of a flute reached his ears, the tune just as eerie, but warming to the ears as the man himself.
'I've said it before and I'll say it again,' commented Mana, earning a smile from Harry as she told him, 'I like him.'
"Me too, girl," said Harry, stroking Mana's feathers as they walked into the Great Hall, their arrival noticed by the thunderbird at Harry's side as well as the fact that, unlike earlier that day, Harry no longer looked troubled.
Instead, he smiled and, not to anyone's surprise, he went and sat with Neville and the rest of the Gryffindors, one or two of whom seemed to be more accepting than before his lesson with Snape, though it was the Longbottom Heir who looked at Harry with a mixture of relief and warm, friendly banter as he addressed his friend, "What happened to you this afternoon? Did someone slip you a Cheering Draught or something? You could light up London with that smile."
"Well, compared to how I felt earlier, Nev," argued Harry, tucking into a piece of chicken, despite the protests of his belly from the sweet treats at Hagrid's. "I'm definitely more relaxed and readier for tomorrow: I only hope Sirius doesn't judge me too harshly…for obvious reasons."
"Me too, Harry," replied Neville, although he was still surprised to notice Harry's improved behaviour, though not as much as he was surprised to notice that almost every Gryffindor at the table welcomed Harry as though he was one of them, but not everyone felt so warm or welcoming of the Snake in the Lion's Den.
However, from the looks of things, not even the accusing glares of Hermione Granger and Percy Weasley could dampen Harry's mood tonight.
SoS
Early the next morning, Harry woke in his dorm in the Slytherin Dungeons and, after using magic to ensure he looked his best for what was going to be one of the toughest meetings he'd had to endure – well, the toughest one outside of his Father telling him the truth, if not since his first meeting with Master Rameses all those years ago – he smirked as he opened a Portal that took him straight into the Gryffindor Common Room, which was empty given it was a Saturday and hardly anyone was here.
Stretching up as he looked around the well-lit Common Room, Harry took a deep breath, steadying himself as he remembered this was the same Common Room, the same surroundings and the same colours his Mother and adoptive Father had worn when they were a student. Although he was a Slytherin, Harry couldn't help but smile while he brushed a tear from his eyes as he thought about how much fun and how much work his Mother must have put into her life to make it work for her…
And how the result of that life was Harry himself.
As he looked around the Common Room, Harry was aware of a weird prickle on the back of his neck.
Having experienced this once before with the Eyes of Horus, Harry was immediately put on high alert as he felt a feeling of great and powerful magic, almost like the pull of a Master's unknown relic to its respective master, surrounding him as he stood in the Common Room, where the pull almost seemed to move through him until it brushed against his heart.
While Harry tried his best to shut out the feeling – since, as far as he was concerned, today was a day of different dilemmas and dealing with tasks at hand rather than the enigmas surrounding his power – he heard footsteps walking down a set of stairs at the far end of the Common Room.
Trying to push the feeling away, Harry smiled as he saw a tired, but excited Neville walk into the Common Room, but when he saw Harry there, his eyes widened before he laughed, "Okay, how did you get in here without the portrait's password?"
"Being me has its privileges, Neville," laughed Harry, earning a scoff from Neville, who sensed that was something he'd have to get used to Harry saying as the years went on. "So, where are we meeting Sirius?"
"Is Su coming?" asked Neville, earning a small shake of the head from Harry.
"I offered her a spot, but since this was personal, she said she'd see me when we got back," replied the emerald-eyed scion, though he also frowned as he sensed a whisper of doubt, if not dread, lacing Neville's intentions with his question. "Why do you ask about her?
"Because…we're going to be meeting Sirius, and probably Remus too, in the only place I thought was even slightly appropriate for your…your reunion after all these years," answered Neville, swallowing hard before he looked up at Harry with a mixture of finality and apology.
"We're going to Godric's Hollow."
For a moment, Harry's expression darkened before he took a breath, "Well…I admit two things to you there, brother-mine: first, never would have guessed you'd choose such a place, but, as you said, it is appropriate…in a way."
"I…I thought you…you might want to…to see them too," admitted Neville, earning a small nod from Harry.
"That brings me to the second thing I'll admit," argued Harry, a small part of him wishing Mana hadn't been so insistent on staying away for the day, either, seeing as how his heart was racing, while his expression was on the edge of dark and doubtful as he pressed on. "You see, Neville: for reasons that are going to be pretty damn obvious, I haven't been there in ten years. Not since the night the combined powers of my Father and the decree set down by my mentor took me home. I hope you're not doing this out of some hope I'll accept and admit I am who this lot want me to be?"
"No," replied Neville, although he looked a little worried at the dark look in Harry's eyes, which reminded him of the day before and the incident with Professor Snape, and the way that look had caused Harry to disappear for a time.
Perhaps he'd made a mistake in arranging such a personal place for the reunion.
Trying to put it into words as best as he could, Neville explained, "I…I suggested to…to Sirius to meet us there because, in a way, it…it's kind of like closing the circle: it all started there and, even if you choose to be Harry Strange rather than going by your adopted title…well…what I mean is: you can't deny that the place might give you some closure too, right?"
"I suppose," sighed Harry, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to get his emotions back under control, having sensed the same fight-or-flight instinct that Neville saw in his friend's eyes. "You did tell Sirius that I won't answer to that name, didn't you?"
"I warned him, but he might let slip once or twice," replied Neville, heaving a sigh as he saw Harry easing himself back into the boy he knew as both a friend and ally, as he explained, "No matter who you are, he is your godfather, Harry, so surely you can allow him some leeway, right?"
Harry just hummed in response before, holding out his hand to Neville, he asked, "Shall we go, then?"
"Yeah," answered Neville, taking his friend's hand before he asked, "But how do we get out of here without alerting others?"
"Weren't you listening, my dear brother-in-all-but-blood?" asked Harry, smiling like Tony Stark when he was about to do something he shouldn't.
"Being me has its privileges."
SoS
When Neville felt the ground touch his feet again, he gasped and heaved with awe and disbelief rather than nausea or disorientation, as he looked over to Harry, who'd just transported them out of Gryffindor Tower, using what could only be described as some sort of magical flash, and straight to the edge of the graveyard in the quiet, sparsely-occupied street of Godric's Hollow's main road.
As Neville coughed and gasped, he noticed Harry's eyes flash for a moment before the boy remarked, "There; that should keep any snoops off our backs. Now, where do we meet Sirius?"
"The…the…" Neville began, taking several deep breaths before he asked, "Harry…how did you do…that?"
"As I've said a few times this week, Nev," answered Harry, moving to his friend before he gently soothed Neville's shock with a massage to his back, a part of him noticing how Neville seemed to be shaking from the surprise, more than fear or alarm. "You have no idea what I'm capable of and, try though they might to limit my power, I've got all the rights in the Multiverse to use my power as I wish, when I wish for whatever purposes may suit the task at hand and if they don't like it? Well that's tough because I'm not changing for anyone."
Neville blinked in surprise and awe while Harry smiled softly, "Now, where are we meeting Sirius?"
"The place you haven't been to in ten years," answered Neville, indicating the graveyard, "Your Mum's gravesite." (1A)
Once again, Harry's expression darkened before, waving his hands, the young sorcerer surprised Neville again when, without so much as a spell, much less a wave of a wand – not that Harry had one, as Neville reminded himself – the Strange Scion changed his casual clothes from what had been an everyday casual tracksuit into a dark-blue, formal-looking pinstripe suit complete with black tie and black, Oxford-style dress shoes.
While Neville stared in awe, Harry snapped his fingers, conjuring a bouquet of roses before he walked through the gate, into the cemetery.
Following his friend's footsteps, Neville gulped before he asked, "Why…what's with the change in attire, Harry?"
"Like you said," Harry reminded him, his voice frighteningly-apathetic, "I haven't been here in ten years…give or take a month, so if this is my first visit in all that time, then I'm going to pay my respects here just like I have done every year on Samhain at home."
"Don't you mean Halloween?" asked Neville, earning a snort from Harry.
"Tricks and treats don't matter to me," argued the junior sorcerer, silently chuckling at his lie, seeing as how Uncle Tony had taken him out every year, without fail, and returned with a sugar-crashed youth in his armoured arms every year too, much to Christine and Aunt Pepper's mutual amusement and spousal scorn – even though Christine never voiced her displeasure at how Tony spoiled Harry on Halloween.
She saved that for Christmas, instead.
Back in the present, however, Harry his amusement behind the cool, forlorn look in his eyes as he explained, "My Father and adoptive Mother call it Samhain as do quite a lot of those who walk in both worlds outside Britain's magical community, so I do too, especially since the meaning of the night is more honourable than the No-Maj title."
Neville blinked in surprise while Harry stopped at the far end of the path, turning once before he walked towards a pair of grey headstones that had two names engraved on their stones.
Laying the roses at the base of the stones, Harry bowed his head once before he rose and, unseen by Neville, Harry's eyes flashed as he invoked the power of the Eyes. What Neville did see, however, was the thin, red beam that flew from Harry's eyes, the light and thickness of the beam so minute that it was more like the sight of a laser-scope aiming at its target.
While he was shocked by the power of his friend, Neville looked to the stones and, as he did so, his eyes widened as he saw Harry carving the same message into both headstones.
May Magic Bless and Keep You Safe on the Next Great Adventure
"Harry…" whispered Neville, watching as the beam vanished before the young sorcerer rose from the ground, his eyes filled with hurt, pain and a hint of dark emotion that reminded Neville of the day before – when Harry had gone off on his own for a few hours.
"I just want to say this…here and now…if you can hear me," said Harry, pausing as though even the act, if not effort of getting his words out was harder than he'd made it look.
Looking to the grave with James Potter's name written on the stone, Harry took a deep breath, wiping tears that he threatened to shed from his eyes as he explained in a soft, but one hundred percent-truthful voice.
"You might not have raised me, but you made me the sorcerer I am today with your love for Mum: even after Magic brought her and…and Dad together after the Stonehenge Incident…and even though you were about to marry her, by which time I was already a small bump in her womb, you still accepted and loved her…and it is there, James Potter. It's there, and for that reason that I honour and respect you, but like everyone else here, I want you to know that I am always who I am: the blood-born, Magic-blessed, Fate-undecided son of Doctor Stephen Strange."
Bowing his head, Harry went on in a softer voice.
"I thank you for your love, your sacrifice and your protections in the time you had with me, but I refuse to be someone I'm not…meaning that I refuse to be known as a Potter…not directly anyway. So, instead, I choose to honour you in a new way; one told to me by my mentor, which will allow me to be myself, but hold onto the shadows and the feelings you evoke in me, Lord Potter."
Pausing for a moment, clutching one hand to his chest as he did so, Harry cleared his throat, allowing himself to wrap his fingers around the ring pendant he wore – having decided to wear it, even if only because of what he was going to say, and not just to the graves of his family – feeling the crest of the Potter Family slide under his fingertips as he looked once more to James' gravestone.
"Even when I take the mantle of the Head of your Family, I will enact the Rite of Rechristening and, while I know it will mean your name dies with you, Lord Potter, I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to ensure the legacy of the Potter Family will forever be joined in heroism and honour with the name of my Father, Doctor Stephen Strange. I can do this through the Rite, just like many of your predecessors and other old families would do to protect their descendants."
SoS
Behind him, Neville gulped as he realised now why Harry had always been so insistent about who he was.
It was because this was his plan all along.
To bring the legacy of the Potters, the legacy that existed in his blood, into the family and magic of the Strange Family, who may be a Muggle family as far as the bigots and ignorant sheep-brained idiots in Magical Britain were concerned, but given the current patriarch was a powerful sorcerer, it made it a big risk to go after them in any case.
As for Harry, who would become heir and head of that family, he was clearly destined to become the most-powerful sorcerer in Magical Britain, not that he wasn't powerful enough already, mind. And, unless you had a death wish, you didn't want to find yourself in his way.
While Neville felt a little awed and even a bit guilty about how he'd been wondering what Harry was thinking for the better part of the week with his desire to forget the Potter name, the Longbottom heir saw his friend look to Lily Potter nee Evans grave before he sniffed sadly as he went on.
SoS
"Mum…I want you to know: your last wish for me happened," said Harry, his voice growing more-emotional, if not borderline-tearful, while his hands trembled with the emotional torment of the moment as he poured all his thoughts and feelings into what he was saying.
Meanwhile, from where he was starting to wonder whether or not he should have left his friend to vent in absolute privacy, Neville noticed the air grew thick with magical essence as Harry showed his emotions for the moment for the first time all week, if not the first time in his life.
"I'm safe," whispered Harry, clutching the band around his neck once more, his voice full of a wide range of emotions, from happiness to pain, loss and even hope as he addressed the non-sentient stone before him. "I'm strong and I am definitely loved…by you and J…Father in my heart, but out here, in the physical realm, I'm loved by so many close, honorary family members, but none moreso than Dad and M…I mean Christine!"
This time, Harry couldn't stop the tears from falling as he wept profusely, one hand now clutching the ground, if only out of a desire to stay as upright as he could, while he continued speaking to the graves of his parents.
"She…you ought to know that…that she's said time and time again that she's not there to replace you and…and I know she never will, but…but I still chose to ask if I could call her Mum and…and she was shocked; probably as much as you are right now, but…but she's never said no and…and I love her so much and…and I'm sorry if…wherever you are…whatever corner of Paradise you may be hearing these words, you…you hate me for it."
"Never going to happen."
Neville wanted to react to the whisper he heard behind him, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from his vulnerable, boyishly-emotional friend.
Here, he realised, was the real Harry Strange, not the magical prodigy or troublemaker.
No, here was the boy facing his past, and knowing he couldn't look back, if only because it hurt too much.
"I…I know; you…both of you were willing to give your life…sorry, lives in exchange for mine and…and I remember what happened next…and I just…I just want to say I…I will never forget that or what you did for me."
Putting two fingers to his lips, Harry placed them atop the headstone, which rippled with magic before Neville gasped as a crystal rose seemed to form on top of Lily's grave, its roots fixed to the stone, "You and Dad…Mum; you came together, setting…making things happen that…that have helped give life to the one who will make this world see the Light, even if it means being everything they hate."
He then looked to James' grave before his expression, and his voice, grew solemn and remorseful.
"But…and, again, I'm so sorry for this, James, but…but if I'm going to be able to…to do that, I can't be the Harry Potter everyone wants, which means that, if I am going to discover, face and fulfil my destiny, there are time that I may need to dishonour your memory…to become something that, maybe, you didn't want me to be…but that's another reason I…I've stopped thinking of you as…as my Dad, even in the adoptive sense."
Here, he touched a hand to the grave of his adoptive Father, where a small baby buck, as well as a proud white stag – both of which were made from the same crystal material as the rose he'd left on Lily's gravestone – rose up from the stone in homage to the one buried there.
Staring at the buck and the stag – the latter of which he'd intentionally made into white crystal, while the buck looked like clear glass, suggesting that they weren't related – Harry looked down at the name on the stone as he went on in a clear, pained voice.
"But…but at the same time, I want…I hope you understand that's why I'm going to do what I'm going to do with the Rite of Rechristening too, so the name of James Potter is respected, even if it means people think he gave his blood, his legacy and his family to someone who doesn't care, in the name of Strange, but, at the end of the day, Prongs, I do what I am going to do because I choose to; even if your spirits saw me, I know what this is and I know this much…"
Looking to Neville, who looked like he was going to faint from the magical essence that swarmed Harry with the release of his emotions, the junior Sorcerer Supreme smiled thinly, a stern, fierce look burning in his green eyes.
"Dead people don't want anything of anyone; it's one of the perks of being dead."
Giving a bow of respect, Harry whispered one last phrase to the graves, "Rest in peace…and know that you can yell at me when we reunite."
Even Neville smiled as Harry stepped back from the graves before, lifting his head as though staring off into the distance, he surprised Neville as he asked, "How long have you been skulking there in the shadows, Sirius?"
Turning to a nearby tree, Neville's eyes widened while Harry didn't move or react as a man with short-cut, but wild dark hair and grey eyes stepped out into the light, his eyes red from crying. At the same time, Neville saw Sirius wasn't alone: with him was a middle-aged man with copper-brown hair and eyes that were a pale shade of green with similar red marks that showed he too had been crying, most-likely from the emotional overload of having listened in – accidentally, Neville hoped – to what Harry was saying.
As the two men walked towards them, however, Neville's eyes widened as the other man, whom he recognised as Sirius' friend and his honorary godfather, Remus Lupin, stopped several paces from Harry before he dropped to one knee and bore his throat to the emerald-eyed boy.
Harry, however, looked back while Sirius seemed just as surprised as Neville before the young boy asked, "You know my scent, Lycanthrope?"
"I know it would be foolish of me to challenge it, Master Strange," answered Remus, his voice low and submissive, while the term he used also surprised Neville, as it didn't sound like he was a servant to Harry, but the Master title was one given to a higher power – kind of like how Harry had addressed Filius on occasion – as he added, "Your scent is ripe with power that would make the Great Alpha himself submit to you, but since he's not here, I suppose I'll have to do."
"Get up," Harry told him, earning another stunned look from Neville as Remus obeyed, "How much did you hear?"
"Enough," answered Sirius, swallowing hard before, raising his hands to show he was unarmed, he quickly continued, "For the record, I do know who your Father really is, Harry, we both do: Remus and I were told by Lily and James so we'd understand more about who and what you really are, even if they hadn't died. But anyway, when you vanished from this very village ten years ago, presumably because of your Father, I knew you'd be something more than that adorable little pup of a boy I first saw in your home on the day you were born."
Harry blinked again before Sirius cleared his throat, "I don't want to make you something you're not, Harry: for as long as I've known about your true legacy, I've respected the wishes of both Lily and James to let you be whatever and whoever you want to be. However, hearing what you plan on doing out of respect for James and what he gave you, I realise now that you're honouring them in your own way."
"I might not accept the Potter name, but I'm not as heartless about the fallen as some people may or may not choose to think I am," drawled Harry, looking to the graves, his expression calm and now without tears as he explained, "I just can't allow myself to be the face of a magical community because of something as stupid as a title they have no idea what it's cost. Being the son of the Sorcerer Supreme allows me to take control of that legacy in my own way: unfortunately, right now, you, Remus, Neville, my friend Su, Professor Flitwick and the Headmaster himself, or so I'm guessing given the neutral air I've felt around him. The point is that the five of you are the only ones who understand, Sirius."
Here, he looked to Sirius with a more-serious air about him as he smiled thinly, "And as for naming me your heir, since Neville told me about how he believes you're holding it in reserve for me, so let me lay that curiosity to rest by telling you that I flat-out refuse to accept it!"
Sirius blanched, before Harry indicated himself as he explained, "I'm not just talking about this in terms of just money or power when I say this, and I'm not boasting heedlessly either when I tell you this, Sirius, but, what with my goals, my legacy and an Uncle who spoils me rotten like the son he never had, I have more than enough power, wealth and influence under my belt already."
A flicker of a smirk crossed Sirius' face as Harry nodded to the awestruck Neville, "However, if you want me to nominate a worthy heir, then I think you will agree with me when I say Neville here is who I would nominate because, as a friend, he's easily my most-trusted one and, as my honorary brother, he's someone I'd be proud to have standing by my side as I do what I can for the sake of this world in the name of Magic."
Needless to say, Sirius was shocked by Harry's confession while, next to him, Neville's jaw dropped as Harry took a deep breath before he added in an amused voice, "Now, as much as I like the thought of a clandestine meeting in a graveyard, could we go somewhere a bit cheerier? Something tells me we've all got some catching up to do."
Sirius' eyes widened before he laughed as he asked, "There's my pup…how do you do that so well, Harry?"
"Thank the aforementioned Uncle I told you about, a Mister Tony Stark," replied Harry, earning a bemused look from Sirius and Remus, which had Neville laughing as he nodded with apparent understanding.
"Don't worry, Sirius," explained Neville, indicating Harry as he added, "You get used to him talking about weird things like that."
"Why?" asked Remus, while Sirius winked at Harry before he looked to his young ward, and the boy he would soon name his heir.
"I thought I'd told you about him, Neville, but if not, then I'll say it now…we both know who Tony Stark is."
"FINALLY! THANK AGAMOTTO! SOMEBODY GETS IT!"
Harry's crow of celebration seemed to lighten the mood, as well as the atmosphere around them, for a long time to come. (1B)
SoS
"So…tell me, Neville Longbottom-Black: you just became the heir to the joint-first-wealthiest family in Albion…what are you going to do now?"
"Not go to Disneyland, that's for sure," laughed Neville, earning a fake pout from Harry as he saw his friend run a finger over the new heir's ring that he wore on his finger, thanks to Sirius.
At the same time, Harry's good mood at having finally met someone in this ass-backwards community who got his references and knew his world and the heroes and differences that lived in it – though Sirius told him that, under threat of death from one whom was the scariest woman he'd met since Lily herself, he was going to have to wait until Harry was 18 before he learned why Sirius Black knew a rogue like Tony Stark – seemed to have carried on all the way to Gringotts, throughout Neville's Blood Adoption and Sirius revealing how, years ago, he'd bought Harry's old home in Godric's Hollow and offered it to Stephen – for Harry – to be used for a home in the UK once the coast was clear.
Now, back at Hogwarts, having transported him and Neville back in a flash, Harry walked through the gate of Hogwarts, still laughing at his friend's choice to cut off the joke, while Neville winked – oddly looking like Sirius when he did – as he added, "See? You're not the only one who can have a joke and know where it came from."
"Touché, brother…"
"STUPEFY!"
Suddenly, Neville launched himself out of the way, while Harry threw up his hands, conjuring a Mandala shield to dissipate the spell that came from just ahead of them. At the same time, he heard a cry of alarm from the direction of the school, the sound of which made Harry's heart turn cold.
Mana!
His familiar!
She was tied down by what looked like magical chains, her body crackling with lightning, which was being redirected and dissipated by many different cloaked, hooded figures. At the same time, Harry saw a white shield blocking the entrance to Hogwarts, undoubtedly to keep the group of students who'd gathered there safe from the lightning bolts.
However, when Harry deflected and dissipated the spell, more than a few of those students, as well as the staff, didn't know what to say.
Someone, however, did!
"Hem-hem!"
As soon as he heard the two sounds, Harry knew who this was.
He didn't need the pink disgusting excuse for clothes, the sickly-sweet smile or even the distant similarities to an overinflated amphibian.
All he needed was Master Rameses' list of people to be on the look out for, since his Father was, apparently, a wanted criminal of the highest, darkest, degree in Albion – aka Magical Britain – according to the authority that claimed to hold sovereignty over it.
As Harry stared in the direction of the voice, the sickly-sweet tone addressed him;
"Thank you for giving us the evidence we needed in you using your Dark Magic, Mr Potter: as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister…"
"Oh, no need for sugar-coating the shit you're already spewing, Dolly!" sneered Harry, keeping his shield up, while he also held up his hands as he smiled venomously at the enraged, overinflated toad that was glaring at him.
"I know exactly who you are…in fact, I've been waiting ten years to get a chance to meet you face-to-warty-face, Madam Toad-bitch!"
"And now you're resisting arrest…excellent…the kiss, it is!" exclaimed Umbridge, earning a soft titter from Harry as he shook his head.
"Oh, I don't think so, Dolly-bairn; in fact, I, Harrison Strange, declare my innocence under the Washington Accords, and demand the right to appeal before my accusers, on behalf of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Strange, regarding miscarriages of justice going back even further than the day I was born to a fantastically-beautiful, talented, awesome-all-round sorceress, as well as my Father, the Sorcerer Supreme!"
"STUPEFY!"
Harry just sighed as the spell again bounced off his shield, earning another enraged, inflating glare from Umbridge as Harry clicked his tongue.
"So, apparently, you failed school since you can't even pay attention to what's right in front of you? A pity; then let me make it even simpler, Old Mr Toad's illegitimate daughter; lower your wand, tell your obviously-bribed flunkies to get the fuck away from my familiar and I'll come with you, right into the lion's den, of my own free will!"
"You are a criminal and you will be executed!" screamed Umbridge, earning a shrug from Harry.
"Fine, but just so you know; the moment you execute me, you break the Washington Accords," said Harry, licking his lips slowly as his eyes flicked upwards before he smiled knowingly.
"And then, Madam Tree Frog, you won't just be inciting war with MACUSA; you'll also have to contend with the legion of gods and monsters who they call friend and ally, some of whom won't even give you the chance to fire off that forked, venomous, long tongue of yours before they make you an even bigger, uglier toad than you already are…and no, they won't even care how pure your blood is; they'll just use it to decorate the end of their hammers, daggers and other assorted weapons of war…so, your choice Kermit?"
Here, Harry spread his arms before he chuckled as he asked, "War-war, or Jaw-Jaw, as the man once said?"
Umbridge looked like she was trying to become a froggy version of the Hulk as she, reluctantly, lowered her wand and gestured to the other Wixen.
"Release that…thing!"
"Master Filius?"
Suddenly, Filius jumped as Harry addressed him, "Yes, Master Strange?"
"Can you ask my friend Su to come and watch over Mana for me? I think she's going to need someone who knows how easy this is going to be; then, if you'd all be so kind, can you find out who told the Creature from the Pink Lagoon that I had used, so-called, Dark Magic…oh, and maybe you can all use a refresher on the Accords too…maybe ask the Supreme Mugwump?"
"MOVE IT, POTTER!"
"Strange," said Harry, before he shrugged, noticing Mana was free from the bonds, and Su was, indeed, at her side.
"But whatever, a deal's a deal…come on, Freddina…time to hop on your lily pad; juicy flies, this-a-way."
SoS
"He's too confident!"
'You're surprised?' asked Mana, ruffling her feathers before she settled down on the ground, resting her head in Su's lap, while she also watched her little one being led away by the pink thing and her lackeys.
"Not really," said Su, chuckling softly as she looked down at the thunderbird. "He planned this, didn't he?"
Mana just closed her eyes and let out a sound that suggested she was falling asleep.
Given she was Harry's familiar, Su wasn't surprised she wouldn't betray his confidence, though she did find herself wondering what sort of chaos her honorary little brother was going to cause for the toad, not to mention the other bigots.
Whatever it was, Su silently wished she could see the looks on their faces when they realised they'd been played, but what could they expect?
Harry was a Slytherin.
Son of the Sorcerer Supreme.
Apprentice to the Archmage.
Honorary Nephew and dear little friend to the Avengers – specifically the richest – Tony Stark – strongest – Bruce Banner and his not-so-jolly green giant alter-ego – and most-powerful of them – Thor, Loki, the X-Men, a couple of master assassins and their cyclopean commander-in-chief.
And he had Mana, a familiar blessed by Magic itself, at his side, not to mention being the son of the brightest Witch of their age and the adoptive son of the guy who led the Marauders like Cyclops led the X-Men.
'As a certain Squib might say,' thought Su amusingly, stroking Mana's feathers as she laughed to herself.
'Oh dear, Toad-face; you are in trouble…and not just for threatening to break the Accords, either…I'd even bet everything I own and all my rights as Dad's daughter that your so-called noble Ministry doesn't even know what they are anymore.'
Chapter 11 and just as Harry lays ghosts to rest and deals with some unfinished business for a friend, the bitch is back and yet, Harry's not intimidated? Oh boy; if she's expecting Order, she's in for more than a few nasty surprises, but will there be Justice…or Chaos?
Also, what are the Washington Accords and how is Harry so confident that they will solve the problem for him?
Or could it be other problems he's looking to solve?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Objection, Your Dishonours: Harry shows them that Jack Nicholson was right: you want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH in the finale to this Phase, but as one adventure ends, another gets ready to begin and it looks like Harry has a visitor…
Please Read and Review
NUMBERED ANNOTATIONS: (1A/1B)
Between the spots where these are annotated, I recommend listening to a song or soundtrack to get the full effect.
Ironically, I chose to listen to an instrumental cover of 'Go The Distance' from Hercules – the 'lullaby' Lily sang to Harry back at the start of the story – and, even as I wrote and edited that scene, I found my emotions tugging hard all the way to the climax (no puns intended)
Obviously, you may have your own idea what to listen to, but this is my recommendation
AN2: House Strange
Also, Harry hasn't gone through the Rite of Rechristening yet; if anything, he was testing to see how they'd react.
The fact nobody said anything, even though he declared himself a Noble and Ancient House only showed how ignorant they are.