Strange Potter

"Is this really necessary?" Wanda rolled her eyes at the idea of being around that incompetent man.

"Sometimes you have to play politics with others." Strange told her as they walked through the ministry.

"Politicians are the problem most of the time."

"I can't disagree there, but Fudge should be working with us rather than in our way."

"You could just have him removed." She suggested.

"I could, but I am already working with issues from other countries and ministries."

"I thought they were all too nervous to challenge you."

"They are, but it doesn't stop them from trying. Luckily, the werewolf serum has quieted most of them."

"And Karl?" 

Stephen stopped outside the minister's office. "There is no trace of him anywhere. Right now, he's being quiet."

"Smart, but he won't be able to hide forever. I will punish him for what he did. He nearly took the two most important people in my life away." Wanda had vowed to make that wizard pay.

"Remember the old saying about revenge and two graves, Wanda?"

"One for his head and the other for his body." She didn't miss a beat.

Stephen should be more wary of the anger she had, but a pregnant woman was not someone to argue with. "That is for another day. For now, though, a big smile." Stephen pushed the doors open.

Wanda put on a forced smile at the reporters that Fudge had brought.

"Dr. Strange! Mrs. Lupin!" Fudge greeted the pair. "I thank you for coming."

"Happy to be here, Minister."

No, you're not. Harry teased in her head.

You wouldn't be either!

Ha!

"Was Remus unable to attend?" Fudge drew her attention back to the office.

"He's working on his classes, but sends his regards."

"Ah yes. I'm happy to hear that we have such an able individual to fulfill the DADA position. I'm sure the children will learn much from him." Fudge smiled warmly, but she could tell it was a politician's grin. Never trust it.

"He is a very good teacher. Is it a shame that social rejection kept him from being able to show that until he was no longer  ill?"She couldn't stop the snark.

Stephen did have a slight grin at Fudge's reaction.

"Completely agree!" Fudge recovered. "Now there are many in our society who will benefit from that."

"In recognition of your harrowing work in the chamber and defeating Slazar Slytherins basalisk, I am honored to reward you with the Order of Merlin. First Class."

Wanda didn't care for the photo session. Too much smiling for a camera and pretending she cared what the ministry said about her. Still, it would make life for Harry a bit better when it was revealed what he could do, so then she would bear it.

"Mrs. Lupin." Her blonde hair was set in elaborate curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jewelled spectacles studded with rhinestones and had thick fingers ending in two-inch nails painted crimson. "Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet My readers would love to know more about you. I have heard you have a very close relationship with the Boy Who Lived."

"No comment."

"The people have a right to know." Rita pressed further.

"My personal life is no one's business. Nor does anyone have a right to know anything about Harry."

"The people..." Rita stopped when her voice disappeared, and then her quick quill turned to dust.

Wanda snapped her fingers, and the quill returned along with her voice. "Here you are."

Rita looked a little pale at how fast that happened. The woman didn't even move. Not even Dumbledore was that proficient at wandless magic.

"I think no comment is her response." Stephen stepped in.

Rita huffed slightly, but the look the minister gave her made her drop this issue. For now. She just got her biggest story. She had to get to the bottom of who this woman was. Who is Wanda Lupin? That would get some attention from the public.

"I hate photo opts." Wanda sighed as they were finally able to leave. "Fudge was over the top."

"He has his uses. Besides." Stephen motions to the metal. "That will give people a better image of you."

Wanda pulled at the Order of Merlin. "Any chance Dumbledore will be noticeably jealous?"

Strange chuckled. "Unlikely. He's not so vain as to not appreciate someone else's accomplishment."

It's a shame that women aren't here. I would love to see the look on her face. Wanda thought as they walked.

"It looks like Fudge wanted to come off pretty good here. Nothing is too over the top." Harry put down the article as he ate.

"Surprising since Skeeter is known to do just that." Hermione kept reading.

"Or Dr. Strange and Wanda made her think twice about what she wrote." Neville suggested.

"If Wanda is able to control Skeeter, then she truly is the most powerful person on earth." Blaise scuffed slightly. "Father tells me she is poisoned with her quill. Luckily, his percentage of the Prophet has him under the do not write about policy."

"Protected class," Hermione muttered. "Still, Mrs. Lupin has set a precedent here."

"Even so, she was not happy here." Harry chuckled. "Her tolerance for politicians is very low."

"What is she really like?" Susan asked. "I mean you said she is even more powerful than Dr. Strange. How can anyone handle that level of magic?"

"Wanda can be two things." Harry started. "A protector and ally to innocent people, but to her enemies? She can be an unstoppable force. Now she's being recognized by both worlds for her abilities. I wouldn't be surprised if Fudge tries to become her new best friend."

"Wanda or Dr. Strange?" Neville asked. "Who would you rather have on your..."

"Oh no. I am not answering that loaded question. It's a no-win for me." Harry held up his hands.

"Do you think Wanda will get a chocolate frog card?" Luna chimed in as she finished arranging and rearranging her food. 

"That would be wicked. I bet even she would enjoy it." Harry chuckled.

"I like the red glow she has." Luna ate her food. "She was really pretty fighting with the basilisk."

"She tore it head off." Neville looked at her with shock.

"But she was pretty doing it." Luna tilted her head at him smiling.

Suddenly, several owls flew in, carrying packages shaped like brooms. They stopped over every table and dropped them at the Quidditch players, minus the Slytherins; all the packages had Sirius's name all over them.

"Mr. Potter, what is this?" Sprout asked as she saw the packages being opened.

"New brooms for all the players," Harry answered. "Sirius thought since Slytherin had all new ones last year, he would even be the playing field for the rest. I convinced him to give the same models to everyone so nobody could claim unfair bias." He did a quick eye to Snape.

"Where's yours?" Wood asked while bouncing on his seat. All new brooms for everyone! Even if they were all together, he knew his team had the edge.

"I got mine in my room. You'll see it at practice." Harry grinned.

All the classes let out a cheer, except the Slytherins. Worse, it wasn't like they could complain because they were the same models that Lucius gave them.

"Well this was a kind jester," McGonagall spoke up. "I will write to Sirius a nice thank you letter. But for now everyone please get back to your meals. Classes begin soon."

Snape was fuming at the display. Especially as Potter gave him that bloody grin that was the same as his father had.

Draco was fuming as well. First Potter gets his father arrested and now Black was mocking the man! It wasn't fair!

"I can't wait to see what Remus has planned," Neville said.

"Professor Lupin." Hermione corrected as they stood.

"Bollucks, that's going to take some getting used to."  Neville groaned.

"Only in class. He said it's fine out of it." Harry told him.

Harry sat in the middle of the desk, with Hermione on his left and Neville on his right. Wanda hadn't told him what Remus was going to do for the classes, but he was excited all the same. Remus was a great teacher.

"Hello everyone." Remus came down the stairs from the back office. "I'm Professor Lupin." He moved to the front. "Let's get the big questions out of the way first. Yes, I was a werewolf and the first to benefit from the cure. Yes, I am good friends with Dr. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. No, I don't think I can get them to visit."

Some in the class groaned at that, while Harry chuckled.

"Did I miss anything?"

One of the Slytherin held up his hand. "Is it true you're married to the one they call the Scarlet Witch?"

Remus frowned slightly. "I just call her Wanda, and yes, not that it is anyone's business but ours." He looked at the rest of the class. "That's not how I planned to start my classes, but the previous years all led with them, so I wanted to get it out of the way. Now my job is to teach you how to protect yourself from magic."

"I thought it was against the dark arts?" Ron asked out loud.

"Any magic can be used to cause harm, Mr. Weasley, and two points from Gryiffdor for not raising your hand. I will always answer your questions, but I don't care for being interrupted."

"Sorry, Professor."

Remus nodded. "Now Wong left me the full details of where you were. Luckily for all of you, I may have helped him with that. So technically, we won't be starting all over."

Several students nodded happily. The classes were always disjointed before, but starting from where they left off would be a great help.

"Why don't we start with a breakdown of 'light' and 'dark' magic? Mr. Weasley. Give me an example of a dark spell."

Ron thought for a moment. "Cruciatus Curse."

"Ah. Straight for the worst one." Remus nodded. 

"The worst?"

"By my standards, I know the killing curse may seem worse, but it is at least instant. The Cruciatus Curse is pure torture. Feel free to use it if you wish to see the inside of Azkaban for the rest of your life."

Ron looked shocked.

"Can anyone tell me a dark curse that can be used for good?"

Harry raised his hand. "The Imperius Curse."

Everyone turned to him in shock.

"Interesting. Please explain, Mr. Potter." Remus knew what he was going to say.

"In theory. If someone was going to end their life, say by jumping off a building, you could use the spell to make them step back."

"Why not use a stunner?"

"They would still fall. I wouldn't use the spell, but in theory, it could be used that way."

"True. In theory, but what is the risk you just demonstrated?"

"I justified an unforgivable," Harry replied.

"Exactly! The dark arts are not like some hole you just fall into." Remus turned to the rest of the class. "Think of them as quicksand. You slip once, and it holds. Then you move more, and the deeper you go, the more you go over your head." He cast it on the board, which was filled with the names of wizards who used the dark arts. "Everyone one of these people found justification in using dark spells."

Most were recent Death Eaters from the war rotting in Azkaban.

"Then there's the worst one." Remus was cast again, and Voldermort's name was at the top. "He went as bad as someone can. What do I mean by that?"

Hermione raised her hand. "He enjoyed it. The killing curse was his favorite spell."

"That it was." Remus looked at Harry briefly. "We lost many great people to him and that curse. Evil will always find reasoning for its actions. Even if it is simply because of 'I can'." He grinned as everyone was nodding. "Now can someone give me an example of a light spell being used for darker intent?"

Hermione held up her hand. "The Leviosa spell."

Some of the purebloods in Slytherin laughed. What danger could a floating spell do?

"Stop," Remus told them then went to Hermione. "Miss. Granger. Please explain."

"Someone could use that spell to levitate a large rock or something heavy over a person and drop it. Most likely killing them. It would still be a spell used for murder." She may have enjoyed the look those who laughed at her were giving now.

"Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor." He turned back to the rest of the class. "Remember magic is all about intent. That's why the unforgivable are life sentences. You have to want to kill, torture, or control someone. The rest can be just as dangerous if you intend to. A cutting curse can remove limbs are other body parts." He ran his hand across his neck making the class pale a little. "A bone-breaking curse to the skull? Instant death. Here my job is to teach you how to defend and if need be, attack."

Remus cast and all the tables moved out of the way as the students stood.

"And the best way to do that? Practice. Everyone team up we will begin going over all the spells you learned last year with controlled duels."

Harry instinctively found himself with Hermione not that either of them took notice.

As each pair practiced shields and combinations of spells, a certain blonde was memorizing Potters movements and techniques. 

The next day was another new class.

"I hope Hagrid is as good as Remus." Neville spoke as they walked out to where Hagrid was going to have his class.

"He can't be worse than Diviations," Hermione muttered.

"I heard Ron is fated for death." Neville saw the redhead looking paler.

"Honestly, there is no way she could predict that. She said the same to almost everyone in the class." Hermione was thinking it was a mistake to take that class. 

Harry noticed the issue. Diviations is the same time we have Runes. I know she was there with me then, so how could she have it? Two places at the same time? Time...Bloody hell they didn't!

He would have to think on that to be sure.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "I got a real treat fer yeh today! great lesson comin'' up! ev'ryone here? righ', follow me!" He led the students off.

Harry saw they were heading to the forest but didn't think Hagrid would be taking them there. What adult, even Hagrid, would take children into the Forbidden Forest?

"Everyone gather around the fence here!" The half-giant called. "That's it—make sure you can see. Now, the first thing you'll want to do is open your books."

"How?" Malfoy said with his cold voice.

"Eh?" said Hagrid, looking confused.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters.

"Has'n't' anyone been able to open their books?" Hagrid said, looking crestfallen.

"I did." Harry spoke up. "You have to stroke the spine." He pulled himself out and did so. It calmed down, and he opened it without any issues.

"Good Arry!" Hagrid found his smile. "10 points to Gryffindor!" He boomed then realized he was missing something "Righ' then. So... so... yeh've got yer books, an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Right. So... I'll... I'll go an' get 'em."

Hagrid turned and disappears into the trees. 

Draco glared at Harry, who stared back with a bored look. That only infuriated him more.

"Ah!!" Neville pulled back as his book shot up.

Harry grabbed the book and punched it in the spine.

It let out a yelp and whimpered.

"It got loose from the binding, didn't it?"

"I know!" Neville finished. He felt like an idiot.

The laughter from around him didn't help.

Suddenly a loud noise comes for the the forest and then something emerges from the trees. It has the torso, hind legs, and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle. Several students step back in fear, then Hagrid appears, shooing the beast on.

 "Hagrid. Exactly what is that?" Ron asked.

 "Hippogriff, o' course. Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know is they're proud. Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it migh' be the las' thing yeh do. Right then who wants ter come an' say hello?"

 The entire class stepped back. Except for one boy who stepped forward without hesitation. 

 "Good man Arry!"Hagrid grinned "This here's Buckbeak, Harry. Yeh want ter let 'im make the firs' move.It's polite, see? Jus' take step forward, give 'im a bow, and if; Buckbeak bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. Ready?"

"Got it." Harry approached slowly. He always wanted to see the Hippogriffs up close. They were amazing creatures. 

Harry followed the instructions and bowed. Buckbeak snapped and he back up. Harry kept the bow and did his best to show that what Buckbeak sensed in him was not a threat. The proud creature was hesitant but bowed back. 

Harry grinned as he patted the animals side. "Hello Buckbeak."

"Would you look at that. I reckon he might let yeh ride em?" Hagrid grinned.

Harry again showed no fear. No he looked almost giddy! "Hell yeah!"

"We'll jus' set yeh behind the wing joint. Mind yeh don' pull any feathers out. He won' like that." Hagrid lifts Harry high, drops him onto Buckbeak's back, and before Harry's settled, slaps Buckbeak's hindquarters.                 

 "Off yeh go!"

 As Buckbeak gallops forward, Harry slides back a bit but holds on as giant wings unfold, huge and powerful, and -- WHOOSH! -- they soar into the air. Rising higher. And higher and higher.

Harry gathered himself and held on. Soon they were flying high, and Harry let that amazing feeling that always came from flying take over. He held his arms out as he shouted with glee.

Hermione watched as Harry flew through the sky, letting out a joyful scream as the Hippogriff took him around. She was still uneasy with heights, but she had to admit that didn't look to bad. But Harry's excitement was to much. That boy has no fear.

Harry and Buckbeak landed. The boy slid off as the others cheered at his performance.

"Good work Arry." Hagrid told him but whispered. "How am ey doin for me firs day?"

"You're brilliant. Professor." Harry reassured him.

But one student wasn't cheering or able to hold back his frustration. Draco shoved past them both.

"Give me a go at that thing. If Potter can do it, it must be easy. You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute..."

"Malfoy no!" Hagrid tried to stop the blonde but another was far faster.

Buckbeaks steel like talons rose up to Draco but Harry shoved him out of the way. Buckbeak was already in motion and was unable to stop. The talons tore down Harrys chest shredding his shirt to ribbons and knocking him to the ground.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled in fear.

Hagrid grabbed Buckbeak and calmed him down. Once he had him under control he went to the boy. "Arry? Ye okay?"

"I'm fine. Just the shirt." Harry stood holding the pieces of his shirt out. "It's alright, Buckbeak." He panted on his new friend's side. "No injuries. Didn't even scratch me."

Buckbeak nuzzled against him in an apology.

Hermione saw the rest of the students reaction first, when she stopped looking over at Harry for any injuries. What she saw was Harry's developed chest and abs being gawked at by the other girls in the class. Many seemed to be enjoying what they saw if not most of them appreciated the view. Glaring back at them, she pulled her wand. "Repairo!"

His shirt was mended in a quick wave of her wand.

"Thanks." He straightened his tie and shirt down.

The girls all glared at Hermione for that. She gave an innocent look back.

"Malfoy." Hagrid was a nice man, maybe the nicest but he was a professor now. "Detention tonight. Ye could have gotten someone hurt!"

Draco was going to explode. Who did this giant idiot think he was?! But without his father, he would have to endure it. His father was gone for only a few months now and everyone seemed to forget that Malfoys we're not to be mocked! It's up to me. I will make my name demand respect again!

Fudge let out a relieved sigh as he sat in his study. Hopefully, he had earned some goodwill from Dr. Strange and Mrs. Lupin. After Lucius, he had to show that he was unaware of his former friend's true allegiance.

A knocking from his front door alerted his attention. He was surprised when he saw who it was.

"Dolores? What brings you by?" 

"Cornelius, may I come in?" She smiled sweetly.

"Of course." He moved to let her in. "I hope the business you had today was resolved?"

"It was. I am sorry I was unable to attend the award." She was not. That woman did not deserve the medal. Only purebloods should be eligible in her mind.

"It was an event. Hopefully it made some headway with Strange. After Lucius...we have to show we had no idea."

"Of course." She was still upset about that. Lucius was an outstanding citizen and his crimes? Who cared about the muggles or mudbloods he ended?

"May I offer you a drink?" He moved to his cabinet with the finest options.

"No thank you." She declined. "Minister I have recently learned that your office is being monitored by Dr. Strange." She got to the point.

"What?! Do you have any proof of this?"

"After you left, I had an unspeakable exam your office. He did indeed find magic around your desk." And she knew this Unspeakable would keep his mouth shut. She had some very interesting things on him that ensured it.

"How dare he!"

"Minister, this is an example of Strange's hold on our world. We cannot work under him any longer!"

Fudge fumed at the news. Strangers are spying on him! He was the Minster! But he was also very cautious. "How do we know he only did my office? He could be listening right now!"

"As a precaution, I had an unspeakable check you home today while you were at work. He found nothing."

"You had someone in my house?!"

"No, only the outside. I would never violate your privacy like that."

Fudge calmed down a bit. "Okay. Dolores, what do we do? We can have him spying on us like this!"

"I say we leave it there." She offered. "Let him believe he is still listening, but for discussions concerning him, we have them in more private locations."

"If this is true, it does explain how he is always a step ahead." His good mood was gone. "We'll have to be very careful from now on, Dolores. The war with Strange is one we will not win."

"Agreed. I will let you know if any more developments are made." So that sorcerer didn't lie. Maybe we can use each other to further bring the way the world should be back to the forefront.

Hidden deep in a wooden area.

The fortress had been built into the cave centuries before he was born and has since been long abandoned. It took some time, but he had managed to repair it and reinforce the magical wards.

In the center of the room, the book floated in stasis. Every spell he knew held it locked and away from the world. His first instinct was to destroy it, but it had its uses. He knew it corrupted everyone who held it, but it never lied about the information it held.

Mordo's finger barely touched the edge of the dark tome when he saw the images tear into his head again.

Red everywhere. Decay all around. Destruction. The green eyes turned red.

He pulled back. Strange. No matter what universe you exist in, destruction follows. It appears I have to clean up your mistakes.