Chapter Text
Hadrian James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter and Peverell, and more importantly, The Master of Death, stepped out of a portal onto an empty beach. With him, he carried a backpack containing a shrunk trunk filled with clothes, personal possessions, and a photo album. Perched on his shoulder was a small snake with shimmering green scales—his familiar, Emerald—and a beautiful blue-and-white-colored phoenix, Hedwig, sat gracefully next to the snake.
The portal behind him swirled before closing, cutting off his view of the last thing he'd seen—Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw's portraits in the Chamber of Secrets. His time in that world had ended. "Goodbye," he whispered, letting go of his former life.
Harry, now looking about twenty-three, had messy raven-black hair, sharp emerald eyes, and a strong, aristocratic face. His 6'1" frame was athletic, and his white t-shirt, jacket, and jeans fit him snugly, emphasizing his toned muscles. His lightning-shaped scar remained, though fainter now, a reminder of a past he no longer feared.
Power radiated from him, the weight of the Deathly Hallows making him more powerful than Dumbledore or Voldemort ever were. Magic flowed easily through his veins—he could perform wandless spells with precision and had no qualms about using the Dark Arts when necessary. A Grey wizard, Harry was pragmatic, knowing that light and dark were merely tools. He wielded both with equal mastery, unconcerned by moral judgments.
Flicking his hand, Harry cast a spell to determine the time, date, and location. Glowing words floated before him:
7:27 a.m.
14 May 2008
Manhattan Beach,
Manhattan, New York,
United States of America.
Looking out at the beach, deserted in the early morning, he took a deep breath. He felt disoriented, not just by the time difference but by the world itself. Everything here seemed... off. Technology was far more advanced than in his time, and the very air felt charged with a different kind of energy. It was overwhelming at times, but Harry had been trained by some of the best minds in magical history. He would adapt.
"Go on, Hedwig. Enjoy the world," he softly told his phoenix. She trilled, a beautiful, haunting sound, and vanished in a flash of blue flames, leaving Harry and Emerald alone.
We are in a strange place, Master, Emerald hissed, her green eyes reflecting Harry's unease.
Yes, but we'll adapt, Harry replied through Parseltongue, giving her a comforting stroke. His bond with Emerald was deep, as was his connection to Hedwig. They were his only constant companions, especially after the years of intense training he'd undergone.
In the Chamber of Secrets, Harry had been mentored by the portraits of Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw. Salazar had taught him the depths of Dark Magic, the secrets of Parseltongue, and the strength of subtlety, while Rowena focused on the Mind Arts—Legilimency, Occlumency, and the intellectual pursuit of knowledge. Between the two, Harry had become a formidable practitioner of both light and dark magics. But that wasn't the end of his training.
During his journey, he had sought out Grindelwald, the infamous Dark Wizard, locked away in Nurmengard. What he found there wasn't just an old, broken man but a master of magic who had once rivaled Dumbledore himself. Grindelwald had taught Harry the art of strategy, manipulation, and control, particularly in the areas of magical warfare and the Mind Arts. Under Grindelwald's tutelage, Harry had honed his skills to the point where he could enter minds with ease or shield his own against the most skilled of Legilimens.
More importantly, Grindelwald had shared with Harry his deep knowledge of the Deathly Hallows. Grindelwald, once obsessed with them, had spent years studying their lore, far beyond anything Harry had previously known. He explained the true nature of the Hallows—not just as magical artifacts, but as interconnected elements that, when wielded together, formed a unique bond with the wielder. Grindelwald showed Harry how to better harness the power of the Elder Wand, use the Cloak of Invisibility to its fullest potential, and the true depth of the Resurrection Stone. Through his teachings, Harry came to understand that mastering the Hallows didn't simply grant him physical power but also dominion over life and death in ways even Dumbledore hadn't fully comprehended.
Despite all this power, Harry wasn't here to dominate. He had no desire to rule; his experiences had made him indifferent to such pursuits. He simply wanted knowledge and peace, but he wasn't naive. He knew the world would demand more from him.
Walking away from the beach, Harry made his way toward the city. He needed a place to stay, somewhere to gather his bearings and adjust to this new world.
After a short walk, he reached a hotel on the main street. Entering, he approached the front desk. "Hello, I'd like to rent a room for the next few days," he said politely.
"Do you have a reservation?" asked the receptionist, glancing up.
"No," Harry admitted with a small smile. "I just arrived."
After a brief exchange, Harry was handed the key to room 710. He paid in cash, a simple charm converting some of his gold into the appropriate currency, and took the elevator to his room. It was simple—just a bed, TV, bathroom, and balcony—but it would do. Exhaustion hit him like a wave. The magical strain of creating the portal across dimensions had taken its toll, and all he wanted was sleep.
Harry collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Hours later, he awoke feeling refreshed, though still somewhat disoriented by the strangeness of this world. As he lay there, staring at the ceiling, the faint sounds of cars and people moving about outside reached his ears. This world—this version of Earth—was so different from the one he had known. It felt like an entirely different reality. Magic thrummed through his veins as it always had, but there was something else here, an underlying hum of energy that was foreign to him. It wasn't magical, not in the way he was familiar with, but powerful nonetheless.
The technology he had seen so far fascinated him, but it also felt overwhelming. Even the hotel room's electronic gadgets—simple things like the television and the digital thermostat—were beyond what he had encountered growing up or even during his time in the magical world. At Hogwarts, Muggle technology had always seemed clunky and inferior compared to magic. But here, in this world, technology had advanced to a point where it seemed almost magical in itself.
Harry decided he needed to understand this world better. He couldn't rely on his magic alone, especially in a place where technology played such a central role in daily life. After grabbing his jacket, he headed out, wandering through the city streets until he found an internet café. The sight of sleek, modern computers lining the tables intrigued him, their thin designs a stark contrast to the bulky monitors he remembered from Dudley's old computer. Sitting down at one of the machines, he hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to operate it.
After a few attempts, he managed to get it working, and as he began to search for information, the weight of how much had changed hit him. Harry browsed through news articles, history pages, and videos, soaking in the information. He learned about the global political landscape, the advancements in science and medicine, and the rapid technological progress. There were no Dark Lords terrorizing the magical world here, no Death Eaters lurking in shadows—but that didn't mean the world was peaceful. Wars, conflicts, and emerging threats plagued nations, and power still shaped the future of this Earth in ways Harry hadn't expected.
The more he learned, the more he realized how vastly different this world was from his own. The magical world, with its ancient traditions and hidden ways, seemed almost primitive compared to the advancements of this Earth. There were no tales of grand wizards or mythical creatures here—at least not openly. But there were still mysteries to be uncovered, forces that the average person couldn't understand, and Harry knew that magic might not be the only form of power in this world.
This world was filled with unknowns, with challenges that would push him beyond the limits of anything he had ever experienced. But Harry knew he needed to carve out his own place here. He couldn't just rely on the skills he had gained in his old world. He needed to adapt, to evolve. After all, if there were forces in this world as powerful as magic, he had to be ready.
As he stood and left the café, his mind raced with possibilities. He needed a place to call his own, a sanctuary where he could train, learn, and prepare for whatever this world threw at him. He would find it, and when the time came, the Master of Death would be ready for whatever lay ahead.