Grim: Last Hope (HP/DC/Marvel)

Harry arrived in a clearing deep within the forest, the silence of the night shattered by his sudden appearance. He fell to his knees, clutching his head as a searing pain tore through his skull.

"Argh!" he screamed, the sound echoing through the trees, scattering birds into the midnight sky. The pain was relentless, a reminder of the power he had unleashed back in Surrey.

He had felt nothing but cold detachment as he gazed upon the destruction he had wrought. The Dursleys' house, the entire neighborhood, reduced to rubble by his uncontrollable magic and the awakening of his mutant abilities. He knew there would be casualties, but the thought didn't stir any guilt within him. Years of abuse and neglect had numbed him to any sympathy for the people of Little Whinging. Killing didn't make him feel anything; he had let go of his hesitation after experiencing multiple loops. He had unleashed the beast within him many times, trying various ways to win. He had been a king, an emperor of a united Earth, a scientist, a thief, a common man, a monster, a dark lord, and even the Prime Minister of Muggle Britain. After playing so many roles in which the killing of even innocents was necessary, Harry had developed a cold heart towards it. So even the murder of countless neighbors didn't make him feel guilty.

Sitting back on his heels, Harry took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He had changed, and the world didn't need to know. He was no longer the scared, submissive boy who lived under the stairs. He was the Master of Death, awakened before his time, armed with knowledge and power that transcended anything he had once imagined. However, whatever advantages his advanced knowledge bestowed on him required him to move in the background for the foreseeable future. He needed time to establish his support base for achieving his goal: preparing for war and conquest.

The memory of Thanos's snap flashed in his mind, the sensation of being trapped in an endless loop, his powers frozen, his potential capped. But now, things were different. He had knowledge of the stones, even though the memories were fragmented and elusive, but enough to give him an edge. He could remember hints of the stones' locations, pieces of the puzzle he hadn't been able to grasp before.

He needed to find a safe place to regroup and plan his next move. He couldn't afford another outburst like the one in Surrey. Control was crucial. Power without control was a double-edged sword, and he had felt its cut too many times.

As he walked deeper into the forest, his mind began to clear, and his thoughts focused. He activated the Power of the Cloak that had been imprinted on his very soul. Harry had been feeling a mind observing his own for some time, with enough psychic power and skill to break through even his own skilled defenses of Occlumency he had learned and adapted over countless years. The moment he became aware enough, his magic had automatically created the base defense against any intrusion. The knowledge in his mind was too valuable to be allowed to be stolen by anyone.

Harry knew that the mind he felt was that of Professor Xavier, the creepy fuck who started his own cult of X-Men in the majority of the universes he had ventured through in his lives, and he hoped that this version was at least tolerable, or he might have to hunt him down. Harry felt the immense confusion Professor X experienced when he lost Harry's psychic signature after the Power of the Cloak was activated.

He apparated back toward the park in Surrey and watched as the fire force and first responders raced past the road to curtail the spreading fire. The psychic blast had ruptured all the gas connections, causing gas to leak, and many cars parked in garages to explode. He knew that Albus would be here shortly, and he had only a short window to ensure his name would not be spread in the muggle world in any manner for now. Even being known as a victim of this incident among the common public would cause major scrutiny of his movements later.

He sat down on one of the benches in the park, still under the invisibility of the cloak. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the psychic energy he could feel apart from his own magic. He had mastered his magic over countless years and could separate them without any problem. His magic, which had been healing him, had finished its work, and his mind palace already had a foundation.

He tried to access the psychic energy and enveloped his surroundings to analyze its power. An invisible glow emitted outwards from Harry, and the field grew from the park boundaries to London as a whole, then to the entire UK. Harry sighed in relief as he released his field.

"Thank you, Death," Harry whispered. He concluded that he was at least an Omega Level Telepath and Telekinetic, as he could only compare his power to the time he trained Jean Grey in various lives.

He started using the psychic power to accelerate his Occlumency and build his mind palace. After that, he could use his trusted and most used Occlumency skill: seven parallel thought streams. He used it to plan, predict attacks and defend himself, among various other things. The psychic energy pouring from him towards his own mind would have attracted every important player who knows about the Astral Realm, if not for the use of the Power of the Cloak.

After a couple of minutes, he finished the outside of his mind palace, Hogwarts Castle, and he decided to activate three additional thought streams. One to try to find the mind of Voldemort in the soul piece in his scar, another to continue building his defenses and detect any immediate threats in his surroundings, and the last one to process the new memories of this body and merge the older memories for easy access.

The main mind was where he poured the majority of his psychic energy. With years of experience as a masterful Legilimens, he enveloped the entire city of London in a telepathic field. The threads entered every mind one after another, looking for any mention of Harry Potter, the Dursleys' nephew, and any other reference to his name. After finding the memories, he modified each one, making everyone forget him. Any memories of him doing anything were transferred to Dudley. Later, most of the teachers wondered why they had such bad memories of a dead child named Dudley when they were sure he had been a good child.

Harry decided he would not touch any physical proof of his existence except for the immediate records in his school and the only hospital he had ever visited when he was four. Harry opened his eyes after completing the goal.

He decided to wait and see which of the important people knew enough about him to arrive and try to find him for their own purposes. During the wait, he watched the people fighting against the fire caused by his awakening and outburst. He could admire the fighting spirit of humanity, a spirit he still shared. In his various loops, Harry had tried many methods of fighting Thanos's invasion. The only time he had come close to success was when Earth was united in a single goal, or at least when the majority cooperated with him. Through his numerous attempts, he knew the only way forward was a method incorporating both fear and love/respect. He had tried the fear method to establish his goals, but humanity always fought back. No amount of tyranny and cruelty could smother it.

He knew that if they learned about this attack being his doing, he would face an uphill battle in earning their respect and loyalty. He could already hear the media, which had arrived on the scene, stating this as a terrorist attack, thanks to the supersensory charm he had cast on himself.

He suddenly felt less tense, and hope bloomed like a fire in his heart. He knew the arrival of Albus Dumbledore was imminent. He felt the song before he saw a bright orange flame inside the smoke for a moment, and immediately he sensed magic of preservation, observation, and secrecy being cast around the entire block of houses where the fire was spreading. The powerful magic of the Headmaster washed over even himself, and the Elder Wand, even without knowing he was there, made him feel the magic's effects.

Seconds later, the orange flame vanished from the smoke and appeared beside the bench where he was sitting. A red and orange phoenix looked around curiously, and he felt a minute connection, barely the size of an atom, between him and the phoenix. But the magic of Death was absolute, and even Fawkes couldn't find him. As no other important people appeared, he was about to apparate and leave for the forest to do some soul searching, but the song of the phoenix was too enchanting. After all the pain in this new life and the old one, Fawkes's song always helped him to calm down and relax. He decided that he would stay hidden here and do what was needed.

His thought stream had found the link in his mind from Lord Voldemort. Harry sat cross-legged and concentrated. The thought stream that found the link was added to his main stream, leaving the defense stream to protect his body and ensure the Power of the Cloak was activated. He used all his psychic methods to dive into his mind.

He saw a starless, empty void and a floating asteroid, with a bare-bones Hogwarts standing on it. He knew it was the Death's realm and Hogwarts. He dived inside the asteroid, passing through it, and reached the center where a black leech was embedded, sucking energy from him. His eyes widened as he realized the soul piece was leeching energy to the main part of the soul from his own. Harry immediately created a shield of energy, cutting off the transfer, and attacked the soul piece.

The black leech was extracted from the asteroid, and Harry observed its panicked expression. He decided to attempt something unprecedented. Despite the connection and his centuries of experience in Legilimency, he had never been able to learn everything Tom Riddle knew. Voldemort's power as an aged Dark Lord had always been formidable, and Harry could only barely match it when he was young, never overpower it. In numerous instances where he had united the Hallows before Riddle's death, Harry found a cathartic satisfaction in the torture and screams of the insane man and his Death Eaters. It was a balm to his pained heart.

Now, seeing the black leech trapped and recognizing that his psychic powers were greater than Voldemort's, Harry decided to use this opportunity. He inscribed a rune of connection into the black leech and then banished the soul using his power as the Avatar of Death. The leech screamed in agony and should have vanished into limbo, but Harry protected it from being destroyed without a vessel by feeding power through the connection. The soul leech flew at lightning speed to the forests of Albania, joining the main soul piece.

A horrific screech echoed from the snake occupied by Voldemort as he reveled in the sudden surge of power. Voldemort had been examining his scattered mind palace for the link that had been feeding him energy and inexplicably providing pain relief. Suddenly, a piece of his soul came flying and entered the body of the snake, merging with his own soul. The piece fused to a torn part of his soul, causing pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, even more intense than the creation of a Horcrux. The agony hit him so hard that he lost consciousness.

Harry grinned as he entered Voldemort's mind, using an advanced Legilimency skill to copy memories directly to his own mental storage. With his telepathic prowess, he replicated the entire mind of Lord Voldemort into a dedicated mental screen named "Voldemort." He activated a new thought stream to start processing these memories.

When Harry opened his eyes, he was panting hard. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he delved into his mind. Fawkes was still there, his song resonating around Privet Drive. Harry saw Albus examining the Muggles, and by his frown, it was clear he had realized someone had tampered with their minds.

Harry moved closer to Albus and suddenly felt psychic power enveloping the area, accompanied by a surge in Albus's magic. He was surprised by the sudden arrival of the X-Men and their interaction with Albus. Seeing Jean Grey was a pleasant surprise; in various lives, he had known her in many ways. The slight resemblance to his mother intrigued him. In no other lives had he seen such a resemblance, except for the red hair and green eyes. The revelation that they were cousins wasn't entirely shocking; Harry remembered Death mentioning that he would come from a prominent mutant line. His own psychic power was nearly as strong as Jean's, and their resemblance reinforced the belief that they were related.

Harry grinned, realizing it would be easy to recruit Jean to his side. He was more than happy with this relation on his mother's side compared to the Dursleys, whom he would have discarded regardless of their potential powers. He was disappointed that he couldn't intrude on the mental communication between Albus and Jean, as they would likely have detected his presence. Additionally, he couldn't gauge Albus's intentions and plans fully. However, the sheer magical power Albus emitted indicated that this was the most formidable version of the headmaster he had encountered across his countless lives.

Harry frowned, understanding that the merging of universes had more consequences than he initially thought. He realized he would need to closely observe the magical world and its changes to finalize his plans. This was a new landscape, with more powerful allies and enemies, requiring careful and strategic navigation.

Harry watched as the X-Men left, leaving Albus standing contemplatively. Suddenly, orange sparks heralded the opening of a sorcerer's portal. His eyes widened as the Ancient One stepped out. However, this wasn't the frail old lady he remembered. There was no aura of impending death, nor the stench of the Dark Dimension. She moved with a natural grace, an ease in her movements that only someone with a naturally enhanced body could exhibit. More strikingly, Harry sensed a burning spark within her, an aura reminiscent of Jean Grey's. He realized she had been touched by the Phoenix, and he cursed the entity for empowering one of the most formidable magic users further.

The Ancient One wore the yellow robes of her office, but her famous bald head was now adorned with hair. Around her neck hung a chain that made Harry's instincts scream danger. Despite his mind using seven thought streams to sift through his vast memories, he couldn't identify the chain or its significance, only that it was crucial. He dismissed the idea that it was an Infinity Stone; even for mortals, it would be foolish to use one so openly, let alone wear it as a necklace.

"Sorceress Supreme, it has been years," Albus nodded at the new arrival.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, it has indeed been too long. Are you now taking on the role of Gandalf for your students?" The Ancient One's gaze swept over Dumbledore's robes, lengthy white beard, and aged countenance.

"Well, I am an old man, not willing to sell my soul to an evil entity for the greater good, unlike some," Albus retorted sharply.

"Ah, so you were unaware at that time. I always wondered how far your magical sensitivity extended beyond Hogwarts. Your information is outdated, Albus. Dormammu is burned, and I am free," the Ancient One remarked.

Albus contemplated the implications of this outcome, considering how such a significant event could occur without setting off magical alarms.

"Why are you here? Harry is a wizard and possibly a mutant; neither of these things concern you. So why are you here?" Albus inquired.

"Ah, Albus, don't say I have nothing to do here. Even if I haven't exercised my authority as Sorceress Supreme and the ultimate magical authority on this planet in the wizarding world for centuries, it doesn't mean that wizards don't come under my purview. I have come to see whether I could meet with Harry Potter and have a discussion. He has caught my attention," the Ancient One explained.

Albus's face darkened at the mention of this long-debated topic in the wizarding world. The wizarding community had never recognized the Sorceress Supreme's authority over them, with many government officials and old families actively despising the idea of a Muggle claiming authority over magic stolen from other places. Centuries of war before the time of current Sorceress Supreme had only exacerbated this tension.

"You know that we have not recognized such authority. Do not overstep," Albus's voice grew stern.

The Sorceress Supreme smiled kindly in response, disregarding Albus's warning.

Albus sighed in frustration. "Harry is missing, and I have been unable to find any traces so far. Do you have any methods to locate him?"

The Ancient One nodded. "I do, and I have tried, but as of now, nothing is showing. All my results indicate that Harry Potter does not exist in this plane."

"Intriguing. What is your interest in him? The last wizard you met was Gellert Grindelwald, and that encounter still bears consequences," Albus remarked.

"Oh, the interest differs from that time, Albus. Let me warn you; there is more to him than anyone realizes. Harry is a person of interest for many entities, and his movements are blocked from my visions. Handle him with care, and do not turn him into another Tom Riddle, as you did before," the Ancient One cautioned.

Albus's face reddened with anger, but he managed to control his emotions, thanks to his Occlumency skills.

"Tom was not my doing. Your visions have led you astray in that matter. I am leaving now, and you should send a message if you find the boy before me," Albus retorted.

The Ancient One nodded, though there was a hint of sadness in their expression. "I don't think either of us will be successful in this venture, Albus. Anyway, I will inform you if something comes up."

Albus nodded in acknowledgment and began walking away.

"Well, well, well, that was very interesting," Harry remarked to himself as he watched both of them vanish using their respective methods of instant transportation. He glanced at the spot where Fawkes had disappeared seconds earlier. "Later, my friend," he whispered, before Apparating back to the earlier forest.

As the early morning light filtered through the trees, Harry felt the exhaustion weighing heavily on him. Despite his immense power as a Magical Lord, he had never felt his mind working so fast in any of his earlier lives. He knew he had many important tasks to accomplish, but he decided to take a nap for one hour to recharge himself. He closed his eyes, setting an additional thought stream to wake him after one hour and to protect him, even though he was under the Invisibility function of the power of the Cloak.

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