Guardian of the Soul: Infinity Saga

6th August 2004

Bleecker Street, New York

"Would you like some refreshments? Breakfast?" Harry asked as he led the Sorcerer Supreme into his new house.

"I am afraid that I just had dinner," she said, and Harry raised an incredulous eyebrow at her.

She smiled, amusement shining in her eyes. "I usually reside in Kathmandu, you see."

"That's—"

"In Nepal, yes. It's the capital of Nepal, in fact."

"You came all the way from Asia?" Harry blinked. "Did you apparate?"

She shook her head. "Not quite. We, Sorcerers, do not… apparate, as you put it. We use sling-ring portals to travel."

Harry frowned slightly at the term before nodding. 'Just a type of magic I have to learn.'

"Tea?" Harry asked.

"I am quite partial to my own brew, thank you. But you might break your fast as we talk." She said, "May I?"

"Yes, please make yourself comfortable, ma'am."

The Sorcerer Supreme smiled warmly, taking a seat at the dining table. "Please, do not feel shy to dine. I have had my final meal for the day."

"Alright," Harry nodded, levitating his plate of breakfast and teacup to the table.

The Sorcerer Supreme looked at the levitation with unbridled interest.

"How do you do that?" She asked. "Such an action for us Sorcerers would usually take complex incantations and hand mudras. And yet, you seem to just wield the power without as much as an iota of effort."

"Um—" Harry coughed. "It is one of the first and most basic spells we learn, ma'am. Wingardium Leviosa."

The tea coaster on the table gently rose in the air and the Sorcerer Supreme leaned forward with interest, her eyes fixed on the coaster. "Telekinesis. And you just do it by merely exerting your mere will to manipulate your magic to do your bidding. The words you spoke are more of a mere formality to you by now."

Harry hesitated before nodding.

'Knowing things like this might come with the job of being the most powerful Sorcerer. Like Dumbledore just knew things because he was Dumbledore.'

"It seems magic is much different from the Sorcery we do." The Sorcerer Supreme poked the coaster that was hovering in mid air. "I only saw glimpses of it, but this… you did one of the more complicated spells that masters learn, and here you claim that it is a first-year spell taught at Hogwarts."

Harry's head snapped towards her. "How do you know of Hogwarts?"

'She knows too much. Things she should've no way of knowing.' He shifted, raising his hand under the table.

"I gazed into your past," She replied, her voice as calm as ever. "The past of a person is clear, but the future is one with infinite possibilities. I saw glimpses of your past. The death of your parents. Your childhood with your aunt and uncle. Your admission into Hogwarts School. Your fights with your professor, the mammoth snake, the wraith-like monsters, the tournament… even the fights against your killer." She trailed off, staring at Harry. "I am sorry for what you went through."

"You used the Time Stone," Harry deduced, crumpling the memories that rose, and shoving them away.

The Sorcerer Supreme looked surprised for a moment before nodding guardedly. "Yes, I did. I assume that whoever sent you here told you this?"

"Yes," Harry affirmed, mulling over her words.

'She doesn't know about Death.' Harry looked deep into her eyes. 'Which means she might not know about the Soul Stone either. Or, she might.'

"Most curious. Did the one who sent you also instruct you to seek me?" She asked.

'Appear casual.' He instructed himself as the first question was thrown at him.

"I was told that you would seek me," Harry said before leisurely siping his tea. "And here you are."

The Sorcerer Supreme stared at Harry, her gaze analyzing him. Harry on the other hand, took his merry time cutting and chewing on his omelet.

"Indeed." The slightest touch of amusement littered her voice. "What else do you know?"

"Not much. I just know the basics of the formation of the universe. Of the Infinity Stones." Harry shrugged.

"And the one who sent you also gave you the amulet that sits around your neck."

Harry almost dropped his fork, startled. "How— well yes, she did."

"And what is it, if you would be kind enough to tell me? It is rather powerful. Similar to the Eye of Agamotto, both in design and power." She said as a necklace similar to Harry's own appeared around her neck.

Harry nearly choked on his spit, his hand coming to his chest to check his own necklace. It was still there, pulsing slightly with the power of the Soul Stone within.

His eyes flitted from the amulet around her neck to her curious face before he nodded. Grabbing his chain, he tugged the amulet out of his t-shirt, letting it drop against his chest, visible in plain sight.

"Is that an Infinity Stone?" The Sorcerer Supreme looked unsurprised, but her attention on the amulet was clear. "Also, I am rather curious as to why you were sent here."

"Curiosity is not a sin, but we must exercise caution with our curiosity," Harry said, echoing Dumbledore's words.

It was the most apt response he could think of without answering the question. But it seemed to be the wrong one as she tensed, golden sparks forming between her fingers before dissipating into small pinpricks of light.

"Those are not your words," Her voice was sharp, her eyes boring into Harry.

"No, my headmaster's. Albus Dumbledore's." Harry shifted.

"Why don't you answer my questions?" She countered.

"I do not have enough reason to trust you," Harry said bluntly. "And, you do know a lot. You have seen into my past and, if I am to guess, my future already."

"I never saw your future. Just the glimpses of its near infinite possibilities." She replied after a moment of silence. "The future's not set in stone. For every action you might change, thousands of new possible futures arise, and equal amounts die."

"And what did you gather from these… futures?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

The Sorcerer Supreme closed her eyes and relaxed marginally as if gathering herself.

"The concrete and unchanging? You have the Soul Stone in the amulet, and you were sent here to save this universe." The pronouncement hung in the air. ""But from what and why? That is glaringly unclear even to me. All I saw was that you were sent here to save lives. And you do. In every single possibility that I can see right now."

"Then you have your answer," Harry replied, his heart hammering in his chest.

'If she already knew, why was she asking me?'

"So, you do have the Soul Stone," she stated.

'No point in denying it if she already knows.'

"I am the new Guardian of the Soul Stone, yes," Harry admitted.

"And why exactly were you sent here?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "To save this universe as you said."

She leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table. "From what?"

"I don't know?"

She frowned again.

"I was just told that there is this mad person who seeks to unite the Infinity Stones and kill every life in this universe as a courting gift to Death." Harry added. "I do not know who he is. I do not know where he is. But, he is coming."

"Death as in… one of the gods and goddesses of Death or Death, the Cosmic Being and one of the creators of the Multiverse?" The Sorcerer Supreme asked.

Harry blinked. "I didn't know there were gods and goddesses of death."

"There are. And you might've heard of them. Hades, Yama, Hela, Anubis…"

"Bloody hell. Do you have other gods as well? Like Jesus?"

She looked taken aback by his sudden question. She frowned for a moment before replying. "I am aware of his existence as written in the Sanctum Santorum's sacred scrolls by the mystic arts father, Agamotto. I am afraid I have never encountered him myself."

Harry hummed as he forked the last of his omelet. "So, what now?"

"If you are indeed here to save this Universe as you say, I feel that you should be prepared."

"Yes," Harry agreed.

"Protecting the Universe comes with its infinite dangers, which you should be ready to face." She elaborated. "Are you willing to face these dangers, Mr. Potter?"

Harry paused. He had faced dangers every year at Hogwarts. This was just something he would probably have prior knowledge about… and probably be prepared to face as well.

'And it is who I am. My saving-people-thing, as Hermione says. That is why I agreed to Death's deal in the first place.'

"I am willing to do whatever it takes. Even if I save a single life, I will know that my efforts haven't gone to waste." Harry said solemnly.

The Sorcerer Supreme tilted her head before smiling. "Tell me, Mr. Potter. Do you wish to learn Sorcery?"

Harry smiled. "Thought you'd never ask."

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7th August 2004

Bleecker Street, New York

The moon peeked from behind the clouds, casting silver bars of light that crept over the floor of the living room, shining against the clock on the wall. Its soft ticks were punctuated by the roar of motor vehicles and occasional honking as Harry waited, occasionally glancing outside at the starless night.

His fingers drummed impatiently on the armrest as his leg bounced. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw golden sparks form out of nowhere in the middle of his living room before more appeared, forming a circular shape big enough for a grown man to pass through.

Harry sat up straighter as the middle of the circle distorted before the scenery within its circumference completely changed. Harry's view of his living room disappeared to reveal the Sorcerer Supreme, still garbed in her yellow-monk robes, on the other side.

She stood in what looked to be a sunny courtyard from Harry's view. The sound of people could be heard behind her, unmasked by the dull throbbing sound of the magic she had made or the New York traffic.

"Are you ready, Mr. Potter?"

"Of course," Harry breathed, rising from his couch, still eyeing the circular ring of magic that the Ancient One had made in the middle of his living room.

Golden sparks flew from the ring as if it was made of golden fire. The sparks, instead of doing something, dissipated into the tiny pinpricks of light and completely vanished into nothingness while the ring still stood.

Magic.

"Then please come through." Harry's legs moved on their own, deftly avoiding the edge of the table, walking toward the ring of magic where she stood.

"Just step through," She said, taking a few steps back.

Almost cautiously, Harry put his foot on the other side of the fiery golden circular ring before stepping through completely, avoiding touching the ring itself.

The Ancient One smiled warmly. "Welcome to Kamar Taj, Mr. Potter. Please follow me."

As Harry followed her, he looked over his shoulder, only to see pinpricks of golden light vanishing into nothingness.

'That was much better than Apparition or Portkey. But equally flashy.'

His eyes were drawn to his left as multiple grunts sounded at once.

"AGAIN!" Someone yelled.

A group of people were gathered in an open, sunny courtyard as they practiced what looked like to be karate moves thrown in with conjuration of golden sigils and symbols in the thin air. The sigils were formed of the same golden energy the fiery portal had been.

Sparks of golden energy still flew around as the sigils were formed with arm movements. No wands seemed to be involved.

'Wandless magic. I guess that's one difference between magic and Sorcery. Also, the only golden colored magic I've seen was when my wand acted on its own against Voldemort. Did I perhaps do Sorcery in my old world?'

From what Harry had learned of it so far, Sorcery was rather interesting. A completely new form of magic, one so diverse that anyone could learn it.

Even muggles.

'Hermione would've gone mad seeing all of this. Ron would just be gaping.' Harry felt the amulet pulse over his chest, a warmth seeping through his body at their memories

"These are my disciples," The Sorcerer Supreme said, as the instructor bowed to her. "Master Hamir, Master Daniel, please do not disturb us for the foreseeable hour."

"New disciple, Ancient One?" One of them asked.

"Yes, Master Daniel." She smiled before gesturing to Harry to follow her inside the building.

It was a rather… odd building, Harry had to admit. Harry had envisioned temples to look like the building he was walking into. But this was a school.

'Then again, Hogwarts was a castle. So why can't Kamar Taj be a Temple?'

"Ancient One?" Harry questioned as he was led into a huge, sunny room on the third floor. "Is that what your students call you?"

"Yes," She smiled. "Yes, they do. I suppose you have questions."

"Indeed. So, tell me more about Sorcery and what you do here." Harry questioned as the Sorcerer Supreme sat on the floor, gesturing to him to do the same.

"The language of the mystic arts or Sorcery is as old as civilization. The Sorcerers of Antiquity called the use of this language 'spells'. We harness energy—"

As she spoke, she drew her hands through the thin air, forming a straight golden line made of the same golden energy he had seen. Tiny sparks flew, making the faintest noise in the room.

"drawn from other dimensions of the Multiverse—"

She turned the line forming a circle between which crisscrossing golden lines appeared.

"—to cast spells."

She snapped her fingers, making a square appear outside the circle, alongside more crisscrossing lines within, sparking as they connected.

"To conjure shields—"

The square replicated itself and turned as more lines and circular sigils appeared.

"—and weapons. And make… magic."

The Ancient One pushed her hands forward, making the intricate construct vibrate with energy as more golden sparks flew from it.

Harry's breath hitched as he felt the magic she had cast itch on his skin. A moment later, she lowered her hands, and the vibration stopped before the construct slowly dissipated into tiny pinpricks of light before vanishing.

She smiled at the wide-eyed look Harry was giving.

"It is like seeing magic all over again," he breathed. "Never in my years at Hogwarts have I seen such magic."

"Magic, the one of your kind, and Sorcery are different if I do say so myself. I do not know the extent of your magical abilities, but I shall be happy if you show me something."

"Err— alright. First, conjuration." Harry took a deep breath. "Conjurus."

A chair slowly shaped itself from thin air before slowly lowering itself into the ground. He gestured to the Ancient One, who walked forward and began to examine it with wonder.

"It's real," she breathed. "And sustaining itself without you constantly having to feed power."

"Yes. It will disappear in a few hours, though. In around six to eight hours."

"Can you make it last longer?" The Ancient One questioned as she tested the chair.

"If I pour more magic while conjuring it, yes, I can."

"What else?"

With a gesture of his finger and a whispered spell, the chair was transfigured into a flock of birds that flew around the room before Harry snapped his fingers, vanishing them. A moment later, multi-colored sparks flew from his hand, exploding around the room in a show of miniature fireworks.

The Ancient One continued to stare at the display with almost childlike wonder before turning to him. "You do these things so easily with magic. It is baffling." She breathed. "To think there was a whole society of people who had this power at their fingertips is… wow."

Harry smiled. "Now, I wish to learn Sorcery as well. Will you teach me?"

"Who am I to say no to a willing student?" She returned his smile.

Excitement bloomed in Harry's chest. "Where do we start?"

"Why, Mr. Potter? As you started learning magic. With the theory, of course!"

Harry just groaned in response.

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24th August 2004

Bleecker Street, New York

"—the channeling of energies from other dimensions becomes second nature to a Sorcerer once they can detect energies flowing through dimensional planes. My foot." Harry grumbled aloud as he read from the book in front of him.

The Book of the Invisible Sun.

It was one of the few books that were written in English, having been translated from Sanskrit by a disciple about three decades ago, and was more of a beginner's guide than a book, in Harry's opinion.

A completely useless one at that.

The book told Sorcerers to widen their senses through meditation and feel the energies surrounding them. Harry flipped through the pages to re-read the content that instructed on feeling these energies, as the author called it.

The energies of different planes will be felt with time and practice as a disciple concentrates on feeling them. Meditation is also recommended. A calm mind can help a Sorcerer access the energies of the Multiverse sooner. The easiest one to access for a beginner is dimensional energy, characterized often by its golden color.

Dimensional energy is one of the most fundamental forces of the universe, being present throughout the multiverse as a part of its fundamental existence. The dimensional energy can be molded as per the user's will to conjure shields, weapons, and—

Harry shut the book with an angry huff.

'Bloody wanker, this author.'

Nowhere did the book instruct him on how to actually feel or mold the energy. All it said was to meditate and connect to the energies around oneself in order to feel them.

All Harry had felt so far was his own magic and the faint pulsing, endless energy of the Soul Stone till now.

Well, sometimes, he did feel something out of the ordinary. Twice so far, to be precise. But he was unsure if it was just his imagination fueled by his desperation to learn or if he actually had gotten results.

On the brighter side, he felt much more in tune with his magic than he had ever been. Feeling it had opened metaphorical doors for him, allowing him to manipulate his magic better.

Or, so he theorized.

Magic, especially the non-verbal kind, was coming easier to him than before as he practiced it. He had never truly gotten the hang of casting non-verbal spells. The only things he was capable of doing non-verbally before coming to this world were basic charms like levitation and summoning. The rest? It had been practically impossible for him.

Not that he had put any effort into learning non-verbal casting, but Hermione was far better at it than he was, being able to perform most spells, even complex transfiguration and curses, non-verbally.

In the past three weeks' worth of practice, he had gotten more and more spells down non-verbally with each passing week.

A part of him, a rather large one, felt that it had something to do with the Soul Stone around his neck or the amulet Death had gifted him rather than his own accomplishment. After all, the Soul Stone was one of the most powerful cosmic objects in the whole universe. And the amulet was a focus, as Death had said. The same Death, who had created the Elder wand, which was the most powerful wand in his old universe alongside the rest of the hallows.

So, it was not out of the realm of possibility that the amulet or the Stone were aiding him in channeling his magic rather than him getting better on his own.

Taking a deep breath, Harry pushed the books in front of him aside. Astronomia Nova dangled dangerously on the edge of his table.

'Bugger this. I am going to do what I do best. Time for some magic.'

He held his hands in front of him, hovering a few inches above the polished mahogany desk. Closing his eyes, Harry steadied his breathing, trying to feel the energies in the air. The sea of his wizarding magic whirled in an inferno of energy all around him, alongside the faint yet overwhelmingly powerful presence of the Soul Stone's unfathomable power.

He pushed further, trying to ignore the two and reach beyond.

He concentrated on them and pulled, exercising his will to mold the energy in a line as he had seen the Ancient One do. He opened his eyes and saw a bright golden line of light had formed between his palms.

His heart soared.

'I did it!'

A moment later, his elation was crushed brutally as he realized that his construct was nothing like the Ancient One's, except for its golden color.

A straight, golden light had formed between his palms, illuminating his desk. No sparks were forming from the construct and neither was there the dull throbbing sound that the Ancient One's construct had.

'This is my own magic. Not Sorcery. Damn it.'

Harry let the spell dissipate, his jaw twitching.

'But I created a new spell. Not really useful, but a new spell. A golden, vertical Lumos. Hermione would be proud. Probably asking a dozen questions too. Ron would probably be laughing his ass off.'

Taking a deep breath, Harry closed his eyes again.

'I need to feel the energies around me. Not my own magic. And god forbid, neither the Soul Stone's.'

Breathing steadily, Harry extended his senses, trying to feel the energies around him. Seeking something unfamiliar. Anything. His magic swirled around him, alongside the faint yet overwhelming power of the Soul Stone. Harry pushed further, trying to find something.

He could feel the charms he had cast around the house. Its magic holding firm, doing its job.

But he wasn't here for that.

He strained his senses to feel something out of the ordinary. The presence of his magic was making the job harder in a way by its own overwhelmingly familiar presence that sang to him, muting whatever was around him. Add the Soul Stone to the mix, and he was having a hard time finding other forms of energy that might be present.

The energy that he had no knowledge of feeling.

He only needed to detect an oddity. Anything that was not his magic or the Soul Stone's. He strained his senses, trying to find it.

Anything.

His search bore fruit as he found something in the air.

He pulled at it immediately, but the power slipped from his grasp, disappearing again.

Harry groaned out loud as he opened his eyes, his heart thumping. 'I felt it again. And almost had it.'

A part of Harry told him that he wasn't even close to almost, but he ignored it.

Closing his eyes, Harry tried again, relentless in his pursuit to get a head start on Sorcery. To learn it.

The power took finding, but he found it again. Instead of pulling at the energy he was feeling, he decided to feel it. To know it better.

The energy thrummed through his senses, far less familiar than his magic and holding a mere fraction of the Soul Stone's power.

It was different from the other two in a way that Harry was unable to put within words. Its texture, power, and feel were simply different.

'That's why the instructions in the books are so vague. Human senses, especially for sensing magic, are difficult to put into words. It is only meant to be felt and not described.'

Harry searched for more of the energy he was feeling, concentrating on the power. The inferno of his own magic tuned out, and the faint traces of the power of the Soul Stone faded into the background, allowing Harry to truly feel.

The energy was all around him, just like moisture was in the air.

'This is why it is so easy to manipulate. It is present all around them. This is why muggles can do Sorcery. They just need to know how to call it to them and mold it using their will. After they can feel all of this, of course.'

Steeling himself, Harry pushed his will onto the energy, gathering it.

It was easier to throw a glass full of water than a single drop of it.

The energy didn't budge.

Harry willed it to gather around his palm again, but the energy just thrummed, refusing to comply. Harry felt his hackles rise, and his concentration immediately broke, and the energy vanished, bringing him back to the real world.

He slammed his fist on the table, and a loud crash startled him. The Astronomia Nova had fallen on the floor, its hardbound cover separated off the bundles of bound pages. White threads struck out of the corners, giving it a pitiable look.

'Shit. Perez will murder me for tearing one of his books.'

"Reparo," Harry breathed, and the book repaired itself almost instantly,allowing him breathe a sigh of relief.

Harry picked up the book and stacked all the books on his table before carefully placing them to a side.

'I have to make sure Perez never knows of this. Or he will gut me before employing me to repair every one of the ancient tomes in the library to its pristine condition.'

Harry made sure that the books weren't in danger of falling again as he took a deep breath, calming himself. A moment later, he stood up from his desk and walked around his room before taking his seat again.

'Come on, Potter. You could resist the Imperius curse. You can do this.'

And with that, he tried once again.

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2nd September 2004

Kamar Taj, Nepal

Harry felt more excited than he had been in a long time as he walked through the corridors of Kamar Taj, following another disciple, a particularly sulking one, named Wong.

Over the past month, he had gone through a near torture of reading over half-a-dozen thick tomes that the Ancient One had instructed him to read. Every time he had come back, hoping to start learning practical Sorcery, the Ancient One had directed him to the librarian, Perez, telling him to read yet another book.

Now, he was finally going to learn Sorcery. Properly.

A huge part of him missed his friends, especially Hermione and Ron, in times like these. He knew Hermione would have gone mad with happiness seeing all the new knowledge he was learning. She would've probably gone through half the library in Kamar Taj in the time it had taken him to learn eight books worth of content. She also would've been a great help for Harry to understand the content faster.

A part of Harry was still immensely thankful to her for teaching him a translation charm. If she hadn't, he would've been stuck with trying to learn Sanskrit in order to read three of the books the Sorcerer Supreme had given him. Ancient, Vedic Sanskrit.

"Welcome, Mr. Potter. Thank you, Mr. Wong. You may leave." The Ancient One said as they entered the room.

Wong bowed before giving Harry a nod and leaving the room, leaving him with the Ancient One, who was standing with a dark, tall, broad-shouldered, muscular man. His hair was cut in a military style, giving him the look of a soldier.

A thin scar ran down his cheek, giving the man an intimidating look.

"Mr. Mordo, I hope you understand what I said. Reflect on it. We shall meet again tomorrow."

"Yes… yes, Ancient One," He replied in a deep rumbling voice, reminding Harry strongly of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Go down and seek Master Daniel. He shall assign you a room and help you settle in."

"Yes, Ancient One," He replied before giving Harry a look and walking out of the room.

"I see you have changed your dressing style, Mr. Potter. That cloak certainly looks impressive. Tell me, is that the invisibility cloak of your father?"

Harry raised an eyebrow before shaking his head in exasperation. "Nothing escapes you, does it?"

"I am not omnipotent or all-knowing. But after decades of practicing my craft and thanks to the Eye of Agamotto, I do know a few things." The Ancient One smiled. "Tell me more about this invisibility cloak of yours."

"It gives you complete invisibility when you need it, obviously. And it is magic resistant, highly so. Thirdly, a new addition to this is the ability to change into a proper cloak instead of being a blanket. It also gives me the option to remain visible even while wearing it, which was not present before I came to this world."

"Interesting. And how is your new job?" She asked conversationally.

"It is rather plain," Harry shrugged. "I do a part-time job as a cashier in a shop that sells sweets. The only time we are busy is for an hour just after the local school ends for the day. But it pays me enough to buy three proper meals and anything I might need for the time being. Also, free sample candies don't hurt. It also serves as a good pastime."

It was indeed what Harry said it was. A pastime. He didn't really need the job, but he was better off having one. The lady who owned the shop paid him well enough to get anything he needed to buy. Also, Harry didn't find it appropriate to just mooch off the wealth that his family had left him. He strongly believed that he needed to be independent enough financially to at least take care of himself and buy his own meals. Luxuries, which he didn't believe in, could wait. A small part of him felt that he would've preferred a better job than selling candy, but he didn't have the necessary qualifications for a better job. Or the time.

The Ancient One's soft chuckle brought him out of his musings as she walked to the center of the room to stand directly in front of Harry.

"Now, show me how much Sorcery you can do so far by yourself. What have you achieved?"

Harry sighed. He could hide nothing from her, it seemed. Not even his feeble attempts to start learning Sorcery himself.

"I can form a basic construct, but it doesn't hold. I can't even manipulate it further than a simple square."

"Show me." The Ancient One ordered.

Taking a deep breath, Harry drew the energy, dimensional energy, to him, tugging on it. Golden sparks flew haphazardly between his fingers, casting a glow against his face.

Taking a steady breath, Harry imposed his will on it, as he moved his hands, one up and another down. A thin golden line of energy formed in the air, sparking with golden power, before Harry moved his hands again, going sideways, morphing the line into a square.

A moment later, the construct began to fade, losing its power, despite Harry's will for it to do otherwise.

The Ancient One gave him an impressed look. "Most impressive. It is usually the first step most disciples take the longest to achieve. To conjure even a single, simple construct, the dimensional energies need to flow through your body. Which is a great achievement on your part, Mr. Potter."

"It is not different from channeling magic. Instead of channeling internal energies, you just channel the external ones." Harry shrugged. "But I am unable to progress further."

"It is a rather simple mistake. You are not holding the initial energy as you transition from one construct form to another." The Ancient One said. "Hold the original form, and it won't dissolve as soon as you form it. This is different from your kind of magic, after all. Also, dimensional energy, while being molded to form constructs, needs a continuous flow of energy, unlike spells. Don't break it."

Harry digested the words before nodding. Bringing his hands toward his chest, Harry closed his eyes, feeling the dimensional energy in the air before gathering it in his palms. Golden sparks flew again between his fingers before he molded the energy into the vertical line again.

"Now, don't leave that energy. Concentrate on it till the square is completely formed." The Ancient One instructed, her eyes struck firmly on the construct.

Harry concentrated on the line construct, holding it as he expanded it into a square, continuously feeding it energy.

He waited for it to dissolve but it didn't.

"Excellent. Now, will a circle to form within the square." She instructed, rapidly forming the construct herself.

She gestured to Harry, silently asking him to replicate the construct she had made. Harry pushed more energy from the air into the construct, willing the energy to shape into a circle with crisscrossing lines like the Ancient One's. The construct obeyed, and a circle formed within the square.

He looked at the Ancient One, who was smiling in encouragement.

"Excellent. Now make it into this." She said, snapping her fingers, making the whole construct multiply rapidly before it began to become more intricate in front of Harry's eyes.

Harry's eyes flitted between his and the Ancient One's construct as he willed the energy around him to form more lines to replicate the construct that the Ancient One had created.

Suddenly, the construct burst into golden sparks that flew around the room, making Harry jump. Harry felt a twinge of disappointment as he watched the sparks of his construct vanish into tiny pinpricks of light.

'I was so close.'

"Do not break your hold on the construct you have in order to form more of it, Mr. Potter." The Ancient One advised. "Also, do not force more energy into it. Maintain a continuous, steady flow. Do not feed it bursts of energy to extend it."

"Okay. I will try again." Harry breathed, bringing his hands together again.

Drawing the dimensional energy around him, Harry slowly reformed his previous construct. Slowly, he began to make the construct more complicated, trying to replicate what the Ancient One had created while she watched him patiently, instructing him as and when needed.

He wasn't as fast as her. Not even remotely. It took him several minutes to make what she had with a mere snap of her finger. Once it was formed, Harry compared his construct to hers.

He smiled. 'Not perfect, but similar. Who cares for a little geometry?'

The sound of clapping reached Harry's ears as the Ancient One applauded him. Harry gave her a smile and a short bow at that.

"This is phenomenal progress, Mr. Potter," she said, letting her construct vanish into soft golden sparks that dissipated within moments.

Harry, too, stopped pulling energy and channeling it, allowing his construct to disintegrate into sparks, a little more haphazardly than his teacher's.

"Now, I suggest that you work on making such constructs faster. Take the rest of today and the whole of tomorrow to practice. Day after tomorrow, you shall join the other disciples in training to further your knowledge in the mystic arts."

"Of course, Ancient One," Harry said.

"Now, tell me, how is your progress in understanding the workings of the Soul Stone?"

"Stagnant." Harry sighed. "Well, I discovered that it would heal me even without consciously using it. And the healing power is phenomenal. I cut myself with a knife while dicing the vegetables. The cut was almost healed before I could even lift my finger to see the cut."

"Intriguing. And have you tried to channel these powers consciously?"

Harry shook his head vehemently.

"You are afraid of it?" She questioned curiously.

"Rightfully so. You know that I have read the book you gave me on the Infinity Stones. From what I understood, it is extremely dangerous to wield one without a lot of training in intricate Sorcery, and, then too, extreme caution is advised. Also, the warnings come after the perks, which is stupid."

The Ancient One gave a slight chuckle. "You'd be surprised how many times I have heard that line, Mr. Potter. Anyhow, the warnings do hold true. The Infinity Stones are objects of great, if not infinite, power. Their housing objects, like the Eye of Agamotto, or the tesseract cube were made specifically to contain and limit their power while enabling one to channel it without harm. Or much harm."

"And still, they are dangerous." Harry said.

The Ancient One smiled as if remembering a humorous joke. "It is the job of Sorcerers to deal with dangers. If the Soul Stone, a power bound to you and limited greatly, scares you, you would probably run from here in terror if I told you of some other dangers of the multiverse."

"Your concept of the Multiverse is… actually untrue if what my benefactor said to me is true. You do not penetrate the boundaries of the real multiverse. You just stay within this universe and pocket dimensions within here." Harry corrected, making the Sorcerer Supreme raise her eyebrows.

"I did realize that after encountering you. After all, you are from another universe, one quite similar to our own yet very different. But it is the term Agomotto used eons ago, and I, too, have fallen into using the same term over time. It is just a matter of habit now. But you didn't answer my question. How will you deal with the dangers of the Universe if you are scared of an object which is under your power?"

"Give me a monster any day. I would deal with it. But an all-powerful Stone capable of destroying a solar system in a single shot lying on my chest? That is a heavy responsibility."

The Ancient One smiled at the statement. "Indeed. And I would say you are wise beyond your years to think so. Responsibility is always heavier than the prospect of battle. But keep in mind that there do exist beings with equivalent powers to a celestial, if not more, who can rival the power of the Infinity Stones to some extent. They may not be as powerful in terms of energy as the Infinity Stones, not even remotely, but the power of the Infinity Stone depends on its wielder as well."

"Galactus, Phoenix Force, Cyttorak, Chthon, and the likes." Harry grimaced.

"Indeed," she said after a moment.

Harry had a feeling that he had missed names. Many names.

"And you will have to face these threats one day if you deal with Sorcery. So, do not be scared of this power. Use it wisely, yet with caution. I will help you as much as I can. For now, keep on practicing, as I said. Meditate. Read. Learn more. In time, you shall be ready to channel the powers of an Infinity Stone without any danger."

Harry just nodded dumbly.

"You are a protector of Earth, Harry Potter. And you've been sent here to save this Universe. So, you must be ready. The Soul Stone is not only your responsibility but also your weapon. A warrior is never afraid of his own weapon, and neither is a Sorcerer afraid of his own magic. So—"

"I shouldn't fear the Soul Stone's power." Harry completed her statement with a soft sigh.

"Yet exercise caution while wielding it," She added with a meaningful look.

"Yes, Ancient One."

"Then I wish you a good day. Please tell Master Hamir to pay a visit to Stone-Hedge on your way out. Tell him that a minor convergence is to take place in an hour. I do not want any Shadowpedes coming into our dimension."

"Shadowpedes?"

"Minor monsters from the dimension of shadows. They look like lobsters with crab legs and dwell in the shadows, feeding on them. Not really harmful, unless one bites you. If they do, you are going to get violently ill for a few days."

"Oh."

"Nothing Master Hamir and a couple of senior disciples won't handle. Not unless you forget to tell them of this incursion on your way out." She said with mirth.

Harry laughed. "If that's the case, I assure you I won't forget to inform them."

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