GotSIS Ch.29: Looking up to the Future

2nd November 2008

Stark’s Malibu Mansion, California

Rhodey stormed into the vast living room, bustling past the artificial waterfall toward the sound of the television and the female whispers.

“—after what happened in Monaco?” The TV reporter’s voice echoed through the room. “But his continuing erratic behaviour may lead many people to ask themselves, can this man still protect us?”

On the couch, Pepper and Tony’s new assistant, Natalie, were on the phone, fending off all sorts of calls by themselves.

“Where is he?” Rhodey demanded.

“He doesn’t want to be disturbed,” Natalie said, instantly turning to him. 

“Downstairs.” Pepper gave him a look that conveyed more than the usual passing irritation toward the subject of their discussion before turning to the phone. “Iron Man never stopped protecting us! The events in Monaco proved that.”

With a last look at the TV, Rhodey turned, stomping down the steps and typing in the password to the lab, whose lock clicked open to admit him.

“However, he was accused of espionage and was deported in 1967.” Jarvis’ voice rang through the dark tech lab, and Rhodey spotted the screen that hovered at the corner of the large lab, right in front of Tony’s various cars. “His son, Ivan, who is also a physicist, was convicted of selling Soviet-era, Weapons-grade Plutonium to Pakistan, and served fifteen years in Kopisk prison. No further records exist.”

“Tony,” he called. “You gotta get upstairs and get on top of this situation, right now.” Tony barely reacted to it, not even turning his head from the screen to look at him. “Listen. I’ve been on the phone with the National Guard all day, trying to talk them out of rolling tanks up the PCH, knocking down your front door, and taking these.”

Rhodey thrust his finger at the few suits that lined a wall in the lab. Tony still didn’t react, his eyes fixed on the screen.

“They’re going to take your suits, Tony, okay? They’re sick of the games.” Rhodey tried again. 

Personally, as far as he knew Tony, he wasn’t going to let anyone, be it an army or God, take his things away without a fight. And when it came to a fight against the National Guard, even with the tanks, Rhodey was skeptical if they’d win against Tony in one of his suits, if he really got up close and personal.

But for that to happen, Tony needed to get back to being responsible— at least as responsible as he usually used to be, before and after he became Iron Man, barring the last few months. And as his best friend, he had to ensure that he did. Because, winnable or not, an outright fight between Tony Stark and the armed forces of America would not be pretty. 

Or good for any parties involved.

“Tony,” Rhodey continued, walking closer to Tony, who still sat in his car, not even looking at him. “You said nobody else would possess this technology for twenty years. Well, guess what? Somebody else had it yesterday. It is not theoretical anymore.”

Tony didn’t even glance up as he came close to him. Frowning, he put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, shaking him slightly. “Are you even listening to me?”

The man feebly glanced up, his eyes tired and defeated, and Rhodey felt concern well in his chest. “Are you okay?”

“Let’s go.” Tony clasped his arm before dragging himself to the door on the other side, pushing it open. With a shuddering gasp, he pushed himself to his feet, his body swaying.

Before Rhodey even thought of it, he was already making his way around the car toward Tony and rushed to catch him as Tony slipped.

“Hey, hey!” Rhodey pulled Tony back to his feet, supporting him as he stumbled forward toward his desk.

“See that cigar box?” Tony dropped himself into a chair with a pained grunt. “It’s palladium.”

Rhodey immediately opened the box, which had multiple small bars of metal in it, neatly arranged. As he picked one up and looked over his shoulder, he saw Tony remove his arc reactor, which opened, and a smoking chip popped out.

“Is that supposed to be smoking?”

“If you must know, it’s neutron damage. It’s from the reactor wall,” Tony said, handing the arc reactor to him.

With a disgusted noise, Rhodey pulled the smoking Palladium chip out and grimaced at the rusted, burnt, and smoking metal. “You had this in your body?” 

He inserted the new one in as Tony didn’t answer, handing the arc reactor back to him. Tony turned, putting the reactor back into his chest and tapping it before sighing in relief. As he did, Rhodey spotted the criss-crossing blue veins on his neck.

“And what about the high-tech crossword puzzle on your neck?” He asked with concern.

“Road rash,” Tony muttered, not meeting his eyes. With a slight effort, he pulled a bottle toward him, filled with greenish-brown liquid, which, to Rhodey, didn't surprisingly seem like alcohol.

Tony glanced up at him, no longer seeming lethargic. “What’re you looking at?”

“I’m looking at you,” he said as Tony drank the liquid. “You want to do this whole lone, gunslinger act, and it's unnecessary. You don’t have to do this alone.”

“You know? I wish I could believe that. I really do.” Tony turned to him. “But you’ve got to trust me. Contrary to popular belief, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“Do you, Tony? Do you really?”

“Yeah.” Tony got an afar look in his eyes. “Yeah, I do.”

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21st November 2008

New York Sanctum

Sunlight poured through the high windows of the Sanctum, glinting sharply against the edge of the metal shield in Harry’s hand. The dragon etched on the metal glowed a faint golden, the gleaming against the words etched on the shield. 

Harry looked up, his eyes darting between Daniel, whose mouth hung open, and the Ancient One, who peered at the shield in his hand, specks of green lining her brown eyes. 

“Explain to me, just how in the world do you accidentally invent not one, but two bona fide relics in the span of a single evening?” Daniel’s disbelieving voice cut through the stunned silence of the sanctum. “On one hand, the greatest of masters have only a relic or two to their name. On another, you invent two relics out of the blue, in addition to the one you already have. Just… how?”

“Well,” Harry coughed. “First, it wasn’t exactly an accident. It was an experiment— Or more of a trial run, where I wanted to see if my ideas for the Gauntlet I’ve been planning could actually pan out the way I was wishing them to.” Harry paused. “But, in all fairness, I hadn’t exactly planned on making these relics beforehand. This was more of a… spur of the moment thing. I didn’t expect either of them to work, but they did, and I’m not inclined to complain.”

Daniel opened his mouth and closed it soundlessly, glancing at the Ancient One who was examining the second relic, a pair of brass knuckles that glowed a faint crimson in her hand.

“I must say that this is exemplary work, Master Potter.” The green glow in the Ancient One’s eyes faded. “Would I be correct in assuming that these relics are not the usual, run-of-the-mill relics like most Sorcerers have created in the past?”

“Probably.” Harry shifted on his feet. “I kind of employed a wild idea that I had a few days ago while thinking of a way around the material roadblock I’ve hit for my gauntlets. The relic materials weren’t on my side of the calculations, so I figured that I should change my approach.” Harry sighed. “But what I thought of as a solution to it wasn’t even hinted upon in any of the scrolls or books, even in passing. It… well, I gathered that no one had thought of it before.”

“So, naturally, you decided to go ahead and invent it altogether.” Daniel snorted.

“I thought that the worst case scenario would have been the relic not working.” Harry shrugged. “But if it did, I would have something to go on for my gauntlets. So, I had to test the theory in some way first. And I did.” He waved his hand at the brass knuckles. “I had picked those up from a store a few months back, thinking I could do something with them for my first relic. Of course, plans changed then, but I still had them at home.”

“The knuckles are still okay,” Daniel said. “But where the hell did you find a knightly shield like that one, that too with a freaking dragon carved on it?” Daniel flicked the metal shield in Harry’s hand, causing a tinkling ding to ring out. “And it seems solid enough to be used in an actual battle. As far as I know, the last person to use such a thing was Captain freaking America.”

“Ah,” Harry drawled. “I created this using a bit of magic. Well, reshaped might be a more accurate term.” Harry glanced at the Ancient One, who nodded in understanding. “And as for the carving, well, I felt that the shield was far too plain. So I carved a dragon onto it.”

“And an inscription, too.” Daniel tilted the shield up and squinted at the Inscription Harry had written. “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus. Is that Latin?”

“Never tickle a sleeping dragon,” The Ancient One’s lips quirked into a smile. “Appropriate seeing the emblem. Have you tested these relics out, Mr. Potter? I’m assuming it worked in some aspects but failed in another, seeing you created a second relic too.”

Harry shook his head. “When the knuckles worked, I had another idea. You see? The knuckles— or the Crimson Knuckles, as I named them— have been enchanted with Cyttorak’s power. Specifically, the spell, the Fist of Cyttorak. But, I developed the relic in such a way that the spell’s effect isn’t just limited to the user’s physical reach.” 

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked.

“If you channel magic into these knuckles, it will shoot the spell like a phantom fist.” Harry grinned. “That means I can convert raw magic into a particular spell with this type of relic creation. That too, while the relic still holds its own function.”

The Ancient One’s eyebrows rose. “A relic which can both hold and shoot a spell is unprecedented. So is a relic both holding and converting raw magic from one form to another, let alone shaping it.” 

Daniel scoffed. “Let’s not forget that the spell that it is supposed to shoot doesn’t even exist in the way that he describes it. The fist of Cyttorak is limited to the fist of the user. It’s a spell for close-range fighting. It isn’t supposed to create a phantom fist.” He let out a snort. “Which means he didn’t only create a new type of relic. He modified a spell, too. On a whim.” He glared at Harry. “Man, you’re making the rest of us masters look bad at this point. And I have over twice your experience with the Mystic Arts.”

Harry coughed uncomfortably. “Well, you’ve your own duties and responsibilities, both as a Sanctum master and outside the Mystic arts. I, on the other hand, am mostly free all the time. All I have is Warden duty once a week, which is mostly sitting in one place, playing chess with Archie, or whiling my time away. Another is SHIELD, where I have to show up once a month and do nothing.”

“Soon you might find yourself missing these days of leisure, Mr. Potter,” The Ancient One said. “For it is often the things we take for most granted that we'll miss most terribly when they're taken away from us.” She smiled, giving Harry a meaningful look that often meant she had Seen something but wasn’t or couldn’t tell him about it. “But discussions aside, perhaps you would like to demonstrate the relics for us, Mr. Potter? I, for one, am curious to see the Crimson Knuckles in action.”

“Of course.” Harry nodded. 

She smiled and snapped her fingers sharply. Around them, the air cracked, shards of glass forming over the walls of the sanctum. Harry felt the magic shift beneath him as they were transported to the mirror dimension. With a wave of her hand, the Sanctum walls folded away, and they stood in the empty street, buildings stretching around them. 

Passing the Crimson Knuckles to Harry, she gave him an expectant look.

Harry cleared his throat. “First, the usual power of the relic is that it can land a pretty devastating punch in terms of raw, physical force, much like any spell associated with Cyttorak.” Harry slid the brass knuckles onto his fingers, feeling crimson energy well up around his fist. “To demonstrate…”

He stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and a car, slamming his fist onto the door, causing a sound like the clap of thunder, which sent the car flying through the air, and rolling across the street. Smoke billowed out of its engine, until Harry vanished it with a wave of his hand, flexing his fingers.

“As I said, devastating punches. It is very effective if you’re grappling with a monster or a being at close range. But the other thing that I worked on is pretty interesting too. Get ready.” He told Daniel and the Ancient One, pointing his fist at them.

He gathered the magic in the air, pouring it into the Crimson Knuckles, which glowed brighter. Giving them a brief nod, he thrust his fist forward, a crimson fist materializing in the air.

The spell swept forward like a bulldozer through a field of corn, tearing toward Daniel and the Ancient One, the latter of whom stepped forward, a great silver-wreathed purple shield forming in front of her. The fist burst into blood-like crimson sparks, as a deep gong reverberated through the street, shaking windows of the buildings around.

Cracks spread across the purple shield before the Ancient One let go of it, and it crumbled away into a shower of purple sparks.

“It certainly packs a punch.” Her lips twitched, mirth shining in her eyes. “Now, what about the Shield?” 

“The Dragon Shield,” Harry muttered, summoning the shield to his hand, feeling the handle thrum between his fingers. “Far as dramatic names go, it was the most dramatic one I could come up with.”

“It shall do. While names have power, not all names do. Not all names should.” She inclined her head. 

“Yeah, well, after I made the Crimson Knuckles, I realized that I could turn raw energy into a specific power and shape it as per the relic, while the relic itself held the spell.” Harry waved his hand, and the crimson knuckles disappeared into golden sparks, settling in his pocket. “But, I realized it was still the same energy that the relic worked on. The same spell, just channeled differently. New in a way, but not… really impactful. Or totally helpful as it so happens.”

Daniel rolled his eyes at him. “Not impactful, he says.”

“Not the way I wanted it. Sure, it can come in handy, but well, that technique has already been improved upon.” Harry grinned. “The Dragon shield is one of a kind relic, one which has the ability to simultaneously hold and cast a dozen different shield spells. It should, in theory, be capable of protecting you from any form of attack.”

The Ancient One raised an eyebrow. “The shield is made of metal and metals, as we know, while being excellent conduits of magic, lack the strength to hold more than an inkling of power. Which is why protective relics are far and few, most without any real effect.”

“Not this one.” Harry smirked. “I took inspiration from your fight against N’Gabthot. Specifically, the glass crystal shield you made— the one you taught me too, afterward. The energy blast was tanked by filling the crystals with energy.” Harry ran his thumb on the runes he had etched on the handle. “You see, I put the same spell, anchoring it to the Shield’s handle, by creating a pocket space. So, it can not only hold quite some amount of energy but also serve as a colossal energy drain, and replenish its own reserves from the spells it is hit with.”

“That is… brilliant,” Daniel whispered. “You should really document all of this. Make it an actual book for generations of Sorcerers to come.”

“Indeed, he should.” The Ancient One frowned. “Yet, as for the shield, I am afraid that the crystal spell has a certain limit, dependent on the caster’s will. By anchoring it to a physical object, you’ve fixed it, thus making it liable to explode. And such an explosion of energy—”

“Would usually wipe out the caster, if not a decent area too. But that won’t happen,” Harry completed. “I had already thought of something similar for my gauntlets, and I implemented it successfully here. To put it simply, I connected the pocket space to the Magenta dimension. A one-way connection at that. In theory, once it approaches the limit of being filled, the excess will be drained straight into the Magenta dimension. It is untested but I’m positive it’ll work.”

“That…” She shook her head. “That is simply ingenious, Mr. Potter. I hadn’t thought it would be possible but… You seem to have done it.”

Harry smiled, smothering the heat that crept up his cheeks. 

“Now, to demonstrate…” Harry held up the shield, channeling a trickle of power into it. The runic carvings at the edge of the shield flared a brilliant golden, and lines of magic curved and twisted all over Harry, forming an armor spell. “Try any spell.”

The Ancient One glanced at Daniel, who drew his hands together in a pattern that Harry instantly recognized and braced himself. A lance of flames shot from Daniel’s hands, slamming into the metal as magic flared, lines of green, purple, and gold trembling around the shield.

The next moment, the flames disappeared, and a humongous bolt of lightning slammed into the shield, sparks of magic flying around it in a vortex. Harry felt his feet skid a few inches back as the assault continued, lightning pouring like water from a hose, hammering against his new shield.

Thankfully, the shield held, without even a spark of electricity or fire making through, and Harry grinned at Daniel as the spell died.

“It works,” Daniel panted. “Did you even feel any of it?”

“Barely. I’ve put all sorts of enchantments on the shield. It is impervious to any and all attacks I could think of. Except, temporal ones. I found nothing that would stop one, surprisingly. Not even in Cagliostro’s books.”

The Ancient One nodded. “Attacks that manipulate time are incredibly hard to counter, Mr. Potter. Every technique is unique, and each needs its unique counter to be dealt with.” Her smile broadened. “Despite this, the shield is rather phenomenal. It is, personally, amongst the greatest feats of magic I’ve witnessed.”

Harry felt heat creep upon his cheeks, this time, didn’t even bother to hide the blush. “Thank you.”

“Write a book, man,” Daniel said. “Seriously. Document all of this. It is a new technique, and well, I am no expert in relic creation, but I am pretty sure what you’ve done has been thought to be impossible in the past. You made history, buddy. Far as I know, you’re right up there with Cagliostro and Merlin and all the other Sorcerers we read about.”

“I concur. These many enchantments on a non-magical metal should be impossible,” The Ancient One said. “The shield should’ve exploded, in fact. Before today, I would’ve said that short of using divine metals like Uru forged in the heart of Nidavellir, or celestial bronze tempered in the divine rivers of Olympus, this relic would’ve been impossible. Yet, it has been achieved on a simple metal as steel.”

“You didn’t see it coming? The shield?” Harry tilted his head, frowning slightly. Usually when she didn’t see things, it meant either some divine interference or plain trouble. “You usually know stuff like this. You were pretty sure about my Ring of Reach.”

“I have seen the shield before in certain visions. But I didn’t concentrate on it enough. And my attempt at mystic Psychometry didn’t yield much in the case of your shield. It responded well for the Crimson Knuckles, but the shield… I could only gain the spells it held. The working of it is obscured.”

Harry blinked. “Psychometry?”

“It is the ability to sense what an object is, through its powers and its history,” Daniel answered. “It is a combination of temporal magic and… a few other complicated techniques, depending from object to object. I know a few basics. All Sanctum Masters do, I suppose.” 

The Ancient One inclined her head. “It is an essential skill if you’re to deal with the duties that come with being a sanctum master. I was planning on teaching you a version of it this week.”

“Oh.” Harry frowned. “Which means I would need it someday?”

“You could do without it, of course, as you could’ve done without the rest of my recent lessons. Just like in theory, you could’ve found a way through this world without the mystic arts and still ended up in nearly the same places as you do now.” She shrugged. “It is who you are. You’ll find a way to be at the center of the world and save people and the world itself. The knowledge, the magic, the powers, the relics… they’re all mere additions that make your life easier.”

“...And you’ve gone cryptic. Which means you are not going to tell me any which way I ask.” Harry sighed and she gave him a smile. “I’ll be prepared.”

“To be frank, it is not very complicated. Just lengthy. And imprecise.” Daniel ran a hand over his head. “The Ancient One is a master of it, thanks to the time stone, but the rest of us find the practice to be tiresome just to know what a certain thing is. But it can come in useful if we unearth something or are faced with some unknown creature or monster.”

“A part of Psychometry can also help you gain a sense of the living creatures, divine or otherwise. It isn’t complete knowledge, or even close, but it provides one with the idea of what they’re facing— general powers, perhaps species, and origin, depending on the creature itself.” The Ancient One explained. “It isn’t fully helpful, but it is helpful enough.”

“It sounds more useful than you’re making it out to be.” Harry frowned.

Daniel snorted. “Man, it is more imprecise than you can imagine. Most of the time, the information it gives back is straight up impossible to understand. It is like decoding the plot of a foreign movie based on a few trailers… without any subtitles in any of them.”

“Oh,” Harry said. “Really?”

“Yes. While with the Time Stone, I gain something more, it is still a rather rough idea unless I have sufficient time.” The Ancient One agreed. “Yet you never know.”

“Whatever you gain might just be enough to know a weakness or at least, mount a defense,” Harry said. “Or a knowledge of what to avoid in case there is something that makes a creature stronger.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Perhaps we could even start now.” Her eyes flicked to Daniel. “The New York Sanctum is currently unguarded. Master Drumm, if you would.”

“Of course, Ancient One.” Daniel bowed before swirling his fingers and opening a portal. He gave Harry a brief smile before stepping through and disappearing.

“I never asked. Why do most of the other Sorcerers bow to you?”

The Ancient One’s lips curved into an amused smile. “It is an ancient custom to bow before the Sorcerer Supreme after conversing with them in private, Mr. Potter. Not all follow it, but all those who know do. And the rest who don’t, often mimic their actions.”

“I never knew.”

“You were never an ordinary disciple to begin with, Mr. Potter.” She laughed. “You never quite followed the traditional path of learning Sorcery that others do. We tried a few times at the beginning, but you accomplished most practices in the first few tries. What most take weeks to learn, you mastered within hours.” She patted Harry’s back. “In all my centuries, I am yet to see a student with as much of an intuitive grasp on Sorcery as you.”

Harry shrugged. “To be fair, I have seven years of magical education. Well, six. Though, thanks, I think.”

“It has never been a secret to anyone but you that you, even in this Universe, hold a special place.” She rolled her eyes. “You came here barely four years ago, and are now on par in knowledge and expertise as some of the greatest Sorcerers in history, ones with decades of experience.” Her lips twitched. “It is not merely that. You’ve an understanding of energies— of magic which I’ve never seen before. Not everyone can create a relic, let alone two on their whims, can they?”

“I mean—”

“Speaking of relics, I must ask.” The Ancient One cut in. “What did you not tell me about the shield in front of Master Drumm?” She asked pointedly. “Did you perchance use the Soul Stone to forge the metal?”

“No, not to forge.” Harry shook his head. “I conjured it with my magic, and made it permanent with a bit of Sorcery, before layering a few enchantments on it— my type of enchantments. I ensured the conjuration was stable and the shield couldn’t simply be vanished with magic. Which is also why the relic may be bearing the strain, now that I think of it.” Harry’s eyes widened. “This changes things even further—”

“Mr. Potter,” The Ancient One said sharply, and he winced. “Did you use the Soul Stone for the shield or not?”

“Oh, that. Yes, I did… in a way.” Harry concentrated, feeling a warmth blossom in his chest as tiny motes of orangish-golden power gathered into a ball, hovering upon his palm. “I’ve shown you this before, right? It is the energy of the Soul Stone, on a lesser scale. It is pure, astral energy.”

“I’m aware, yes.”

“Well, I layered it on the metal after I conjured it. The Shield offers astral protection and has an astral form too— or in other words, is astrally compatible, thanks to the enchantment I layered with the Stone’s power.” Harry waved his hand, and the orange-gold energy thrummed around the shield. “Which means, much like the eye of Agamotto, it can be used in the Astral plane if the shield is with you before you enter it.”

The Ancient One inclined her head. “I see. So, you did not open the amulet or use more than a trickle of the stone’s power, did you?”

“I didn’t. I haven’t opened the amulet since our fight on Halloween at the Tower of London. I haven’t needed to. Nor I will need to, I think. I can summon enough passive power now to heal someone or power banishing circles. Even elaborate ones.”

“Good. I must warn you that, unless absolutely necessary, do not open the amulet and use the stone’s full powers, especially in this day and age where Earth emerges from its cocoon. I am similarly avoiding the use of the Time Stone, lest it alert those who wish Earth ill to its presence.”

Harry frowned. “I thought you took enough precautions whenever you used it, as did every other Sorcerer Supreme in the past.”

“I do. The inner chamber where I see through the possible futures is as heavily warded as any of the sanctums are,” she said. “But when the eyes are on Earth— especially following our execution of N’Gabthot, many will be more than watchful.” The Ancient One looked up at the sky. “Even Asgard’s protection and our reputation of killing a lesser Elder One might fall short when the price is more than a single Infinity Stone. And once someone senses it, they will come.”

“Got it. I’ll be extra careful and avoid any use of the Soul Stone beyond its passive abilities if I can.” Harry grimaced. “I suppose doing so would avoid some possibly sordid futures?”

“It would certainly not invite intergalactic or extradimensional threats at our doorstep, looking for a prize, one which they can truly throw their all for.” She met his gaze with a piercing look. “An Infinity Stone is a rare prize. Two, so close to each other? It is something that happens once in a god’s lifetime. Three on the same planet? That’s a prize for which most would put everything on the line. And when someone plays in that manner… It ends up being a tough battle.

“I see. Let’s avoid that as long as possible, shall we?”

“My thoughts exactly.” She smiled. “Now, before we start, and before it slips my mind, I have something I must ask you to deliver to your friend, Nicholas Fury.” 

She snapped her fingers, and a sealed, white envelope appeared in her hand in a shower of golden sparks. Harry spotted the symbol of the Sanctum Sanctorum on the seal and raised an eyebrow as he took the envelope.

“You must pass this on to him whenever you are scheduled to visit SHIELD next. Not sooner, not later,” she instructed. “The timing is vital as to when you pass this letter. And I’ve ensured that none but Mr. Fury himself would be able to open it or read its contents.”

“That’s all understandable. But what’s the letter about?”

“A few hints and things that would have the immediate attention of a man like Nicholas Fury.” The Ancient One pulled her hand up, and a stone slab rose from the ground, large enough to sit on. “I intend to avoid a few futures, for which the good director would be a vital help.”

“And are you going to give me more details on it?”

“Those which you must hear and a few more, which I can freely give you. Or hint about closely enough, anyway.” She inclined her head. “For instance, you may want to look into the Sword of Might and the Amulet of Right in the distant future.”

“How’re they connected with SHIELD?” Harry narrowed his eyes.

A little smirk curved on her lips. “Let’s just say that you are not the first mystic being that SHIELD, or members of SHIELD, have encountered. First true Sorcerer, who freely cooperated with them, yes. But SHIELD has most definitely encountered magic in the past, most of all, your friend’s great-aunt.”

“Peggy Carter?” Harry tilted his head. “She has had experience with magic?”

“The Second World War was fought on more fronts than strictly mortal ones. HYDRA specialized in it, in fact,” She said. “Also, more than one extra dimensional being saw it as an opportunity to further their own aims while the mortal world was engaged in a devastating war.” She paused. “They were all rebuffed, of course. But when those who wished humanity harm came forth, so did those who would protect it.”

“Heroes? Like Captain America?”

“He was one of them. So were the howling commandos and Peggy Carter. There were others, most of whom have been largely erased from history.” She sat on the stone slab, folding her legs. “But enough discussions about the past. The day is waning, and you, Mr. Potter, have something to learn, and I have something I must teach. So, get your notebook out. Today, you shall need it.”

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12th December 2008

The Triskelion, Washington DC

Fury scowled at the huge screen in the office, his eye glaring at the fight playing on the screen, the veins on his bald head throbbed visibly.

“Sir, seeing the footage again and again doesn’t seem good for your blood pressure,” Hill said from her seat. “May I advise not seeing it to the point of memorization.”

“Stark.” Fury growled. “We were going to put that motherfucker as a key member of the Avengers.” He thrust his hand wildly at the screen. “Look at him. Partying recklessly, fighting his best friend with a super-powered suit on in the midst of a civilian crowd, letting said friend steal his million dollar tech and get away with it.” His eye twitched. “That is not the hero material that we were looking for. Hell, that isn’t even remotely responsible material!”

“We always knew that Stark was more than a bit of a wildcard, sir,” Hill said. “And in his defense, he is dying. That would throw anyone in for a loop.”

“Not helpful, Hill. True, but not helpful.” Fury ground out. “It is time we intervene personally and have Stark put right, before he does something even stupider, which, I must say, would take some doing.”

“Unless there is a way to cure both Palladium poisoning and Stark’s heart problem, I do not see how that would happen.”

“Oh, there is a way. More than a way, Hill. But I do not intend to cure Stark. I can have it done, but I do not intend to go down that route.” Fury turned back to the screen. “No, Stark will figure his own problem out. He built a fucking weapons-suit powered by a miniature nuclear reactor in a cave the last time he was desperate. And he did it in less than three months.” Fury pursed his lips as he watched Stark send Rhodes through the floor, crashing into a piano. “All we need to do right now is put his head right. And have him believe that he can actually do it.”

“Sir?”

Fury turned to the phone, pressing a button on it. “Send Coulson to meet me. Now.”

“Sir, are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Hill asked. “Because that might—”

The door burst open and Coulson barged in, an envelope in his hands. Fury raised an eyebrow as Coulson glanced at Hill and hesitated while she gave him a perturbed look. 

“Were you right outside when he called?” Hill asked. “Because I could swear that Director Fury gave the order to call you just five seconds back.”

Coulson shook his head. “I didn’t know he wanted to see me. I’m here to give Director Fury something that Harry asked me to pass on to him. A letter.”

“A letter?”

“It is from his teacher, the Sorceress Supreme.” Coulson pushed it across the desk. “He said only you can open and read it because of some magic on the seal— which, he said, meant that this was more important than you could imagine. He told me to advise you to actually listen to whatever is in there.” 

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Fury growled, picking the letter up. 

Removing a small knife at his hip, he tore the fancy seal open, removing a folded piece of paper from inside. Unfurling it, Fury read through it, his eyes widening briefly, before his gaze narrowed.

“How the buggering hell—” he shook his head, the vein on his forehead becoming more prominent as he continued to read. “How does she know all of this?”

Hill frowned and walked around the desk to look over Fury’s shoulder, her frown deepening as she did. “This paper has a child’s drawing, sir. What is so—”

“What drawing?” Fury barked. “It is a long, fucking handwritten letter.”

“Sir, all I can see is a drawing— one you’ve held upside down,” Hill said. “It is a scenery of a mountain, trees, and a river drawn and colored very badly. Really.”

Coulson cleared his throat and their eyes snapped to him.

“Maybe it is some sort of magic which is preventing Agent Hill from seeing the drawing?” Coulson suggested. “As for the Sorceress Supreme knowing something that she should not, Harry says that she is a few centuries old and can see through time. He said that she intends to stop a few terrible futures from happening with this letter.”

“Did you say that she can see through time? As in, see the future?” Hill questioned.

“Harry said that she can see the infinite possibilities of the future, but there’s nothing absolutely concrete in there— except something he called Absolute Points in Time. His explanation mostly went over my head, but it boiled down to the fact that only a few events are bound to happen and how everything happens in between is based on human choice.” Coulson took a breath. “And with each major choice, a new timeline could arise.”

“And she is calling me to meet her.” Fury folded the letter, pocketing it. “She has given a specific date and time— the day after Christmas, specifically. And she has included words in the letter which can’t possibly be a coincidence, given they’re written in red ink.” Fury sowled. “Which means she intends to get my attention and keep it.”

“Nick,” Coulson called, giving him a serious look. “This woman is quite literally the supreme protector of Earth. I’ve known Harry for a couple of years now, and I know that he holds her in high praise. I would strongly suggest that you listen to whatever she wants to say and do it. If it is as big a deal as Harry said it was, it means that whatever she says might be necessary. It is her job to do things like this.”

“I’m well fucking aware of that. Doesn’t mean that I like someone else dictating what we do.” Fury scowled. “Potter and his folks protect Earth, sure. And I suppose they’ve even done more than SHIELD ever has to protect the Earth. But they’re a complete unknown, and there is nothing we could do to stop them if they ever go rogue. Hell, I don't even know the actual name of the person I am being called to meet. The Ancient One is clearly not her real name, is it?”

“I am of a like mind.” Hill said. “A shadow organization protecting Earth from mystical threats was barely digestible. But we were told that they didn’t interfere with non-magical affairs. Yet they are now stepping into our side of things, it seems.”

“If they are, they would have a good reason to, sir. I would ask you to keep an open mind.”

“I will.” Fury sighed. “It is not like I have a damn choice.”

“Thank you.” Coulson smiled. “Now, you were going to call me here for something, Director?”

“Yeah, it was about Potter, again.” Fury glared at the screen, drawing Coulson’s attention to the video of the fight between Stark and Rhodes. “I say it is time that we put him on Stark’s case and have the two of them meet.”

Coulson’s forehead creased. “What reason would we give for that?”

“Stark has gone off his rocker and we need him back in the game. We need him to figure out a solution for his little palladium problem. And we’re going to give him some tools to do it. But in case he fails, it’d be best to have someone like Potter on scene to prevent Stark from dying.” Fury scoffed. “Plus, seeing a bit of magic might jerk Stark back to the fact that nothing is impossible.”

“I’ll talk with him.”

“Good. I am going to go and set Stark straight first along with Romanoff.” Fury said, walking toward the door. “Get Potter and have us meet at Stark’s Malibu mansion. Make sure he knows that this is not a choice, but a SHIELD mission. A mission to babysit Tony Stark and ensure he doesn’t die while he plays with his toys.”

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes, it is all coming due, and Tony and Harry have finally been put on the course together. Also, I love the two of them together. They just sort of fit together perfectly. A man of science and a man of magic. It is like Dr. Strange and Tony but even awesomer imo.

And yes, I cannot wait to get Tony in play, like actually dealing with the fact the magic is very much real and the sheer possibilities that Harry opens up to a Philanthropic genius like Tony. Oh, and we’ll see a bit of Natasha too.

Not to mention, a lot of other characters, all of whom I am going to have a hell of fun with.

And let’s not forget that Tony and Harry aren’t the only ones who’re about to meet. There’s one other pair, two grand chessmasters— the Sorcerer Supreme and the Director of SHIELD who are set to meet soon. Not soon enough though for Christmas is still a few events away. (Let’s just say that Harry is about to have a hell of a week ;))

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A huge thank you to Zaby and Tulayb for betaing this chapter

The next update will be for Black Dawn where we'll begin upon the Hogwarts arc and I do plan on writing a LOT of fun characters, for which, you all must stay tuned!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66