"Harry, dodge!"
Alex's voice cut through the chaos as he watched the curse streaking toward the young wizard.
"Stupid fool. You wasted the opportunity I gave you. You do not deserve to be my successor!"
Voldemort's cold eyes locked onto Alex with undisguised contempt. His wand rose high above his head.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Alex, no! Voldemort! Expelliarmus!"
Harry's panic seized him completely as he raised his own wand with trembling hands. He tried desperately to deflect the deadly curse but the words had barely left his mouth when the sickly green light of the Killing Curse shot forward aimed straight at Alex.
The air seemed to freeze for one impossible moment.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Everything went white. The light before his eyes flickered and danced. Sebastian's eyes flew open and his body jerked upright in bed as though pulled by invisible strings. His hand moved on pure instinct as he reached for his side where his wand should have been but his fingers found only emptiness. Confusion clouded his thoughts for a long moment. Then slowly the realization began to dawn on him. He was no longer in the world he knew.
He drew in a deep breath before exhaling slowly. The tension began to drain away as he sat on the edge of the bed with his feet touching the cool floor.
His mind was still racing as it began sorting through the fragmented memories that swirled inside his head. Alex. That was the name he had carried in his previous life. But now he was Sebastian Shaw. Six years had passed since his arrival in this strange new world. Six years since he had inherited this body from its original owner who had suffered a terrible high fever at the age of ten and never woken from it. In that absence the soul of Alex had taken over.
Of course Alex back in the Harry Potter world was never truly from there either. He had come from a place where both the Wizarding World and Marvel were nothing more than fiction. Just stories in books and comics. Now in this new life he was Sebastian Shaw. And the world he found himself in was the Marvel Universe made real. This was a time when Tony Stark was still just a reckless genius playboy. Not yet Iron Man.
Sebastian glanced at the clock on his nightstand. 4:40 AM. With practiced quiet he slipped out of bed and padded into the kitchen. He moved carefully because he did not want to wake his mom who had only come home after midnight. He made himself a glass of honey lemon water and drank it in the peaceful silence. Then he changed into his workout clothes and stepped outside into the cool morning air.
Jogging along the edge of the street had become a daily ritual for Sebastian. At this hour the roads were nearly empty. The world felt quiet and the air was crisp. It was the perfect time to clear his mind.
Of course that did not mean the streets were always safe. He had run into the occasional gang looking for trouble more than once. But his past life had prepared him well. The combat training he had undertaken to survive against Voldemort and the Death Eaters was not just for show. It was practical and brutal and efficient.
Back in the wizarding world Sebastian had come to understand that magical duels were not limited to wand waving and flashy spells. If you wanted to become an Auror then close quarters combat and wand coordination were essential skills.
He was not some unstoppable fighter. But against a couple of street thugs he could hold his own. If there were more he would run without hesitation. Simple survival instinct.
As for his magic everything had reset when he crossed into this world. He had started from scratch again.
Due to the fusion of souls from two different worlds Sebastian's soul had become exceptionally powerful. In magic both the growth rate and depth of magical power depend heavily on the strength of the soul. As a result Sebastian's magical growth was nearly double that of others his age. His current magical reserves had already reached the level of a young wizard just entering magic school despite being only six years into this new life.
Still six years of growth only got him so far. His capabilities remained limited to beginner level spells. Stronger magic was out of reach for now.
And then there was the biggest hurdle. This world had no wands.
Without a wand to channel his magic Sebastian was forced to rely solely on wandless casting. With lower amplification and control even the simplest spells lost much of their effectiveness. His magic was barely stronger than tricks performed by a third rate stage magician.
If he had not trained in wandless magic during his past life while fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters then he probably would not be able to perform any spells at all.
When Sebastian returned home after his morning run at six o'clock he spotted his mother in the kitchen. Her hair was messy and she was yawning as she busied herself with breakfast.
"Mom, if you are that tired you should rest. I can make breakfast myself."
"Baby, you are so sweet to worry about me. But I am already not able to make lunch or dinner for you because of work. If I cannot even prepare breakfast then I would feel like a failure as your mother."
She walked over with a plate of bacon and eggs. She leaned down to kiss Sebastian on the cheek before placing the plate on the table. She brought over toast and milk as well before sitting down across from him.
For Sebastian his mother's affection felt warm and comforting. Maybe it was the blood connection or perhaps the fusion of his soul with this body. Whatever the reason he did not reject her closeness. He welcomed it.
In both his past lives on Earth and in the Harry Potter world he had been an orphan. This was the first time he had a mother. And he cherished every second of that love.
Alisha Shaw was no ordinary woman. She was a three star Michelin chef. Female chefs were already rare but to be both beautiful and wildly successful in such a demanding field made her something of a celebrity. Naturally her job kept her extremely busy. She started work at ten every morning and often did not return home until after nine or ten at night. Getting off early was a luxury while working overtime was the norm.
Sebastian had asked about his father once or twice. But Alisha had always hesitated or changed the subject. Eventually he stopped asking. In his heart she was all the family he had and that was enough.
"Mom, if you are tired just take a break for a while. Not even other Michelin starred chefs work themselves this hard."
"Sweetheart, do not worry so much about me. Just wait until I have saved enough for your college. Now it is getting late. You should head to school."
College tuition in the United States especially for top universities was notoriously expensive. Books and fees and housing all added up fast. Most families relied on loans to get their kids through. But Alisha did not want that burden falling on Sebastian. Thankfully with her salary which now included shares in the restaurant she earned quite a bit. If it were not for the debts she had to repay from her earlier years then paying for Sebastian's education would not be a problem at all.
Still she bore it all with quiet strength driven by love. And Sebastian no matter how mature or self reliant he felt was deeply grateful for everything she did.
After rinsing his mouth and popping a piece of chewing gum Sebastian waved goodbye to Alisha and headed out the door. He unlocked his bicycle and began to pedal toward Midtown School of Science and Technology which was just a short ride from home.
Along the way he passed several classmates and greeted them with friendly nods and waves. After arriving at school he locked his bicycle in the parking area. He slung his backpack over one shoulder and made his way toward the main teaching building.
In the hallway a large electronic display was playing a loop of promotional videos featuring renowned scientists and scholars and entrepreneurs.
"Tony Stark. A famous contemporary scientist and entrepreneur and philanthropist. Graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the age of seventeen with doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering and physics."
The narrator's voice echoed through the corridor. Sebastian cast a brief glance at the screen where Tony Stark's face smiled out. Then he spotted a friend approaching from the other end of the hallway. They met in the middle and exchanged a quick handshake before bumping shoulders. Together they walked toward the lockers.
Sebastian opened his locker and tucked his backpack away. He pulled out the books and pens he needed for his first class. All around him other students trickled into the classrooms in small groups.
And just like that another peaceful school day began.