History GhostsOfThePast / TropesQToZ

** Type I/II: Marie's parenting of Carol is presented as such, driven by AdultFear, her own issues with her mother. However, it's also a case of ParentsAsPeople and she gets much better once she comes to terms with Carol's heroics (and decides that enough is enough where her husband is concerned).

* SoulCuttingBlade: Apparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either of them is something you only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or whether it's a coincidence that both characters seen using it are certainly not short on either knowledge or skill. Messing around with someone's ''mind'', on the other hand, is quite common in the setting.
** In Unfinished Business, [[spoiler: Dr. [[TheDreaded Stephen]] [[TimeMaster Strange]]]] rips into an opponent with a barrage of (literally) cutting insults in a magical duel, which makes them [[NightmareFuel vomit up chunks of their soul]]. [[spoiler: This later comes back to bite him when said opponent uses some of the ready-made soul fragments for [[SoulJar their own]] magic.]]
** In Ghosts of the Past, [[spoiler: [[BadassPacifist Joshua]][[GodInHumanForm /Ye]][[DeityOfHumanOrigin ho]][[ItMakesSenseInContext shua]]]] uses soul cutting words ... as a [[MundaneUtility tool]] for mental trauma surgery. Since this is done by and helping along the words of rather more conventional counseling in a case of maybe mundane, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe mundane utility]] (almost bordering on loophole exploitation); it's completely unnoticeable at the time. It's only deduced later by [[InUniverse someone else]] [[FridgeLogic realising]] the patient is doing way better than they ought to be, and looking to find out why.

* SoulCuttingBlade: Apparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either of them is something you only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or whether it's a coincidence that both characters seen using it are certainly not short on either knowledge or skill.

** [[spoiler: The Dark Phoenix]] utterly curb-stomps the Red Army, who only appear for one scene and are defeated with such ease that they are literally a RedShirtArmy.

*** Similarly, Mab shows him a certain amount of respect, which is no small feat given that she's a Queen of Faerie and PhysicalGod.

* SoulCuttingBlade: Apparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either of them is something you only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or whether its a coincidence that both characters seen using it are certainly not short on either knowledge or skill.

* SoulCuttingBlade: Apparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either of them is something you only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or indeed how much power it takes. Both characters doing this are certainly no slouch on either knowledge or skill - so it's left in the air a bit.

* SourceMusic: Occasionally, and usually Doctor Strange is behind it, for reasons including but not limited to [[ItAmusedMe his own amusement]].

** In Ghosts of the Past, [[spoiler: [[BadassPacifist Joshua]][[GodInHumanForm /Ye]][[DeityOfHumanOrigin ho]][[ItMakesSenseInContext shua]]]] uses soul cutting words ... as a [[MundaneUtility tool]] for mental trauma surgery. Since this is done by and helping along the words of rather more conventional counseling in a case of maybe mundane, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe mundane utility]] (almost bordering on loophole exploitation); it's completely unnoticeable at the time. It's only [[RewatchBonus deduced later]] by someone else realising the patient is doing way better than they ought to be, and looking to find out why.

* SoulCuttingBlade: Apparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either is something you can only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or indeed how much power it takes. Both characters doing this are certainly no slouch on either knowledge or skill - so it's left in the air a bit.

** In Ghosts of the Past, [[spoiler: [[BadassPacifist Joshua]][[GodInHumanForm /Ye]][[DeityOfHumanOrigin ho]][[ItMakesSenseInContext shua]]]] uses soul cutting words ... as a [[MundaneUtility tool]] for mental trauma surgery. Since this is done by and helping along the words of rather more conventional counseling in a case of maybe mundane, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe mundane utility]] (almost bordering on loophole exploitation); it's completely unnoticeable at the time. It's only [[AwesomenessByAnalysis deduced]] later by someone else realising the patient is doing way better than they ought to be, and looking to find out why.

** In Ghosts of the Past, [[spoiler: [[BadassPacifist Joshua]][[GodInHumanForm /Ye]][[DeityOfHumanOrigin ho]][[ItMakesSenseInContext shua]]]] uses soul cutting words as a more peaceful [[MundaneUtility tool]] for mental trauma surgery. Since this is done by and helping along the words of rather more conventional counseling in a case of maybe mundane, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe mundane utility]] (almost bordering on loophole exploitation); it's completely unnoticeable at the time, and can only be [[AwesomenessByAnalysis deduced]] later.

** Nick Fury, if in a somewhat [[GoodIsNotNice blunt]] fashion - he manipulates the Avengers (the recently horribly traumatised Harry) in order to test just how 'worth it' they figure [[spoiler: Maddie]], a former TykeBomb, is, and then accedes to their judgement that she is worth saving.

** Captain Stacy of the NYPD serves as one in chapter 32, during the ''Bloody Hell'' arc, being patient with a grumpy and irritable Harry (who is grumpy and irritable because he's worried about his friends and he's just been on the wrong end of a vicious NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from Dracula).

** Harry gives one to Carol's father when he tries to convince Harry [[spoiler: to "put her on the right path". Telepathically]]. It includes comparisons to the Dursleys and the point that Tony Stark treats his (his amiably dim) robots with more respect than Mr Danvers does his daughter, and that he (Danvers) is pathetic because he doesn't see his daughter for the amazing young woman that she is.

** Strange gives one to the Senior Council (as proxy to the entire White Council) in Chapter 61, calling out how their HeadInTheSandManagement over the centuries has vastly diminished the Council's potential as an organization. WordOfGod notes that for Strange, ItsPersonal, as the Council is both a product of Merlin's work and parades their association with him - something Strange is ''deeply'' unimpressed by, given the Council's elitism and isolationist outlook, and [[spoiler: the fact that Merlin was the closest thing he had to a big brother]].

** [[spoiler: After Harry arranges for Diana to attend the Yule Ball as Draco's date as a cover story, she and Ginny give admit their feelings for each other publicly and get together.]]

** Harry deduces Hermione's true parentage (and later confirms it to Carol once she half-deduces it, half picks it up from his mind), but for now, at Wanda's request, he isn't telling her.

* SoulCuttingBlade: Aparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either is something you can only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or indeed how much power it takes. Both characters doing this are certainly no slouch on either knowledge or skill - so it's left in the air a bit.

** In Ghosts of the Past, [[spoiler: [[BadassPacifist Joshua]][[GodInHumanForm /Ye]][[DeityOfHumanOrigin ho]][[ItMakesSenseInContext shua]]]] uses soul cutting words as a more peaceful [[MundaneUtility tool]] for mental trauma surgery. Since this is borderline loophole abuse done by and helping along the words of rather more conventional counseling in a case of maybe mundane, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe mundane utility]]; it's completely unnoticeable at the time, and can only be [[AwesomenessByAnalysis deduced]] later.

** In Unfinished Business, [[spoiler: Dr. [[TheDreaded Stephen]] [[TimeMaster Strange]]]] rips into his opponent with a barrage of (literally) cutting insults in a magical duel, which makes them [[NightmareFuel vomit up chunks of their soul]]. [[spoiler: This later comes back to bite him when said opponent uses some of the ready-made soul fragments for [[SoulJar their own]] magic.]]

* SoulCuttingBlade:
** Aparently, words can be used as one - although it appears exactly twice in all the series, and either is something you can only see happening [[RewatchBonus after knowing]] the later effects. It's unclear whether the ability to do this is virtually unknown in-universe, whether it simply requires insane amounts of power control, or indeed how much power it takes. Both characters doing this are certainly no slouch on either knowledge or skill - so it's left in the air a bit.

** He has Tony hack the ''Valiant'' to play [[Music/ACDC "Thunderstruck"]] specifically to make an impression.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Due to Strange exposing [[spoiler: Peabody]] as the Black Council's mole on the White Council and killing him long before he could carry out the plot of ''Literature/TurnCoat'', he can never (directly and indirectly, respectively) cause the deaths of [=LaFortier=] and Morgan.

** Carol is a more conventional tactician than Harry, but more reliable and a better strategist - mostly because she's more practical and better at thinking ahead, including worst case scenarios. She plans, he improvises, and [[BattleCouple the two of them complement each other very neatly.]] She demonstrates her grand scale strategic skills at the Battle of New Orleans and, remarkably, her plan is good enough

* SealedEvilInACan: Yggdrasil was created as the Can to end all Cans, serving simultaneously as [[spoiler: a power-source to allow someone to fight Surtur on something approximating the same level (enough to stall him, at least), as a cosmic scale prison to keep Muspelheim locked away, and a complex locking mechanism to keep Surtur trapped in Musphelheim once he's lured there and siphon off his power.]] The Alliance of Realms were ''very'' thorough when they put it together.

* SkunkStripe: Harry's kept his. It serves both as a marker of how much he's changed, and a distinguishing feature when it's covering his scar. This becomes important in chapter 39 when Viktor Krum identifies him from [[spoiler: memories of the Red Son's attack on the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic]], despite a mask and goggles covering other distinguishing features.

* StopWorshippingMe: Harry's general mentality (and the Asgardian one, come to that). Doctor Strange also notes in passing (when discussing the flexible definition of godhood) that [[NoodleIncident he's been mistaken for a god and worshipped as such on several occasions,]] [[AGodIAmNot which he then went to some effort to discourage]] - for all his ego [[AGodIAmNot he is very firm about that]].

** Carol is a more conventional tactician than Harry, but more reliable and a better strategist - mostly because she's more practical and better at thinking ahead, including worst case scenarios. She plans, he improvises, and [[BattleCouple the two of them complement each other very neatly.]]

* ThisCannotBe: [[spoiler: Sinister, when Maddie reveals he doesn't control her anymore.]]

* UltimateJobSecurity: Fudge. The short version is that no one wants to deal with [[TheDreaded Peter Wisdom]], who considers mentally torturing Fudge to be one of his few pleasures in life and terrifies more or less the entire Wizarding establishment (which, considering [[TheUnfettered what the man is capable of]] and his semi-rational grudge is a pretty rational reaction). While the Avengers note that Crouch Sr might be willing to do so, they also note that Thor's grudge against him is well-known (what with Thor pulling a NeckLift on him back in Book 1 for throwing Sirius in Azkaban without a trial), and the Ministry doesn't need more enemies.

* UnreliableNarrator: Gambit's tendencies towards this make it hard, at first, to figure out what he's actually up to.

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Strange ([[spoiler: Taliesin]]), after he was too late at [[spoiler: Camlann]]. He notes that normally, this wouldn't have had any real effect, even considering how powerful he was. However, [[spoiler: the Time Stone]] (for want of a better way of putting it) heard him. [[spoiler: It]] appeared in front of him, and... changed him.

* RealityHasNoSoundtrack: The LemonyNarrator notes when [[spoiler: Maddie]] picks up Mjolnir that if the universe had a soundtrack it would have instantly cut to a rendition of "Thunderstruck" by {{Music/ACDC}}, before [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall lamenting that because of this trope, it doesn't.]] [[BrickJoke About thirty chapters later,]] [[spoiler: Harry re-enters the battle against the Earth-Wyrm to the tune of, you guessed it, "Thunderstruck", thanks to Tony hacking the ''Valiant'''s speakers.]]

* SealedInAPersonShapedCan: Harry's got a fragment of the Phoenix inside him, which is the source of his protection from Voldemort (which Lily bargained for with the Phoenix. Normally, it doesn't do anything except make him untouchable to the likes of Voldemort and burn/terrify evil things. That said, if he's critically wounded or killed, it can and does resurrect him and serve as a conduit for Lily to go full cosmic MamaBear. In ''Ghosts'', however, it stops being passive when it's revealed that [[spoiler: Harry can tap into it, leading to him going full Dark Phoenix at the end of ''Forever Red''.]]

** In chapter 16, another incident is mentioned between Harry and Carol, both fully clothed, Carol playing 'the protective big spoon' and giving freaking ''Frigga'' a major league DeathGlare when she thinks that she might disturb Harry. [[NeverMessWithGranny Frigga]] [[LadyOfWar being]] [[BenevolentMageRuler Frigga]], she is entirely unfazed by this and [[ShipperOnDeck simply adds it to the mental file entitled 'Reasons My Grandson Is Probably Going To Marry A Midgardian'.]]

* SuperBreedingProgram: The Askani are indicated to run a fairly harmless variant in maintaining their bloodlines. They're suggested to have tried to get Charles Xavier, who learned from them, to take part. He firmly disagreed, and states coldly in chapter 38 that their devotion to it was a key reason why he repudiated them.

** In Chapter 50, Harry (who lampshades how complicated his family tree already is) finds out that he's distantly related to the Hindu pantheon (his distant Asgardian ancestor Sunniva being the mother of the Hindu Trimurti), that he has a half-uncle named Vidar (who also happens to be ''Santa Claus'') from a relationship Odin had prior to marrying Frigga, and that he also has a half-sister named Torunn (now long dead and serving as a Valkyrie) from a relationship Thor had with a mortal worshipper a millennium ago. Carol's memorable response to the above revelations is, "I swear, your ''[[PrecisionFStrike fucking]]'' family..."

* ThreeAmigos: PlayedWith. The original example, the 'Golden Trio' of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, are slowly drifting apart: Harry's got a bad case of StrangerInAFamiliarLand (and a worse case of [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]]) following his [[TraumaCongaLine harrowing experience]] in ''Forever Red'', and has to deal with keeping secrets first from Ron (about Bucky being the Winter Soldier) and later, Hermione (about [[spoiler: Wanda being her mother]]); Ron is fixated on getting {{revenge}} on HYDRA since (he believes) the Winter Soldier is dead and also resenting being LockedOutOfTheLoop both intentionally and unintentionally by Harry who is growing increasingly secretive; and Hermione is both upset (if less so) about being LockedOutOfTheLoop and Harry's secretiveness, while struggling to deal with her developing [[EntropyAndChaosMagic Chaos Magic]]. However, they are still close and care for each other deeply, with their drifting apart being presented as more a matter of circumstances than something totally natural.

* TookALevelInKindness: Steve takes one after the events of the World Cup, where he nearly lost Carol, and came to his senses somewhat about how she was family.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Mainly expressed by Harry, following ''Forever Red'' (thanks to [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]], and [[spoiler: Maddie/Rachel]], though the other non-Hogwarts based younger characters show it as well - for example, being apparently indifferent to serious combat sufficient to mix CasualDangerDialogue with FlirtingUnderFire. It's perfectly normal for them, but the reactions of their peers demonstrate that no, this is definitely not the case.

* UltimateJobSecurity: Of a sort. According to Loki, the only reason Fudge is still Minister after everything that happened on his watch is because no one else wants to have to deal with cleaning up his mess or the encroaching power of [=MI13=] - specifically, with [[TheDreaded Wisdom]], who considers watching Fudge squirm to be one of his few pleasures in life and terrifies more or less the entire Wizarding establishment (which, considering [[TheUnfettered what the man is capable of]] is a pretty rational reaction). While the Avengers note that Crouch Sr might be willing to do so, they also note that Thor's grudge against him is well-known (what with Thor pulling a NeckLift on him back in Book 1 for throwing Sirius in Azkaban without a trial), and the Ministry doesn't need more enemies.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Wisdom. Thor notes that while he sympathises with Wisdom's goals, the sheer scale of his ambition and his frequently vicious methods unsettle him.

** Coulson is unfazed by Jean Grey's [[BigSisterInstinct threat to take down SHIELD if they ever harm her loved ones]], telling her (off the record) that should SHIELD become NotSoDifferent to HYDRA, he would help her. From chapter 34, he also becomes Clark Kent's FriendOnTheForce as SHIELD's Regional Commander for the Midwest, explicitly stating that he'll do whatever he can to protect him.

* SympatheticMagic: The speciality of both Harry Dresden and John Constantine. In the latter case, it's unexpected, as Constantine is Wanded and thaumaturgy is Wandless magic. It's also [[NotSoDifferent one of a number of similarities between the two]] that make Dresden very uneasy.

*** Doctor Strange reveals his DarkAndTroubledPast. His real name is [[spoiler: Taliesin,]] though he was born [[spoiler: Gwion ap Gwreang]] to a nomadic clan of wandering magic users referred to as druids (they kept up druidic traditions), to whom he was better known as [[spoiler: Gwion Bach]]. Yes, ''that'' [[spoiler: [[Characters/CelticMythology Taliesin]]]]. When he was a baby, his clan was raided by [[spoiler: [[Series/Merlin2008 Uther Pendragon's]]]] forces and his family was slaughtered, and his mother [[MosesInTheBullRushes put him in a hastily enchanted basket and set him downstream to save him]]. He was found by a fisherman who lived in [[spoiler: the city of Camelot]] and who took him in, naming him [[spoiler: Taliesin.]] When he started developing magic, he became errand boy/apprentice to [[spoiler: Gaius, Uther's]] Court Physician, mentored by him and his other student - [[spoiler: Merlin]] - helping them protect [[spoiler: the then Prince Arthur]], even learning swordsmanship from the Lady Knight and [[spoiler: Sir Lancelot]]. He rose to become Court Physician (and occasional Court Bard) under [[spoiler: King Arthur]] and thrived in [[spoiler: Camelot's Golden Age]], directly opposing his EvilCounterpart, [[spoiler: Mordred]]. When he was in his thirties, he had trained up successors, and decided to go travelling to learn more and bring back knowledge and glory to make [[spoiler: Camelot]] even greater. When he returned some years later, however, he found [[YouAreTooLate he was too late.]] His King had been killed at [[spoiler: Camlann]] by [[spoiler: Mordred]], who Strange/Taliesin considered to be ''his'' responsibility, along with the best of his knights, Strange's [[spoiler: (Taliesin's)]] friends, [[spoiler: Merlin]] had vanished in despair, and despite his Queen's best efforts, all that they had built was crumbling around them. He had a RageAgainstTheHeavens moment, at which point the Time Stone responded, altering him: a gift as a {{Seer}} became nigh-omniscience, a talent for time magic was made into fully fledged TimeMaster level abilities, and he became TheAgeless. Oh, and he's about [[spoiler: 500,000]] years old. He stopped counting after he hit [[spoiler: 100,000.]] No wonder he's [[BrokenAce so broken.]]

** Doctor Strange is generally agreed to be at least half mad, and that's on a good day. He's perfectly aware of it and revels in his weirdness, if only because [[SadClown it's all that stops him from completely breaking down.]] He's also [[spoiler: (until he abdicates the title, faking his death in the process)]] the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth's leading magical defender, and ''de facto'' leader of the heroes when he actually involves himself, because he's an extremely powerful {{seer}} and masterful manipulator who's got the road-map to victory in his head. Even once he [[spoiler: abdicates his position, he still has almost half a million years']] worth of experience. While several characters are stated to equal or even exceed his power level, none can match his skill levels.

** Dumbledore also pulls one off on Harry's group of friends, which, considering that two of them have excellent psi-senses, is rather an accomplishment.

* WorfEffect: The Red Army - an army of hundreds of clones of the Winter Soldier, Natasha, Steve, [[spoiler: Harry, and Maddie]], all of whom are in SuperSoldier bodies, and have the power sets of the originals, giving the reason for Lukin's apparently baseless confidence. However, they're more like a RedShirtArmy, as they're up against [[spoiler: the Dark Phoenix]], and their obliteration is just an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome - though it's also hinted that, like the Red Son, their lack of actual minds of their own crippled their psychic abilities (which is how Xavier was comfortably able to to subdue the Red Son, whereas [[spoiler: Harry was capable of keeping Maddie - who was far more skilled, experienced, and stronger than him - at arms' length for a significant length of time]].
** Proving just how very, ''very'' powerful he is, [[spoiler: Dracula]] survives taking a shot from Bucky, and after being attacked by a Cerebro-enhanced Xavier, is able to defeat the mortal psychic in a telepathic duel, before laying down a CurbStompBattle on Harry.

* WouldHurtAChild: The Red Room in general, Omega Red in particular. According to Natasha, he got off on it, and in chapter 12 he looks like he enjoyed draining [[spoiler: Harry]]. [[EvenEvilHasStandards The rest of the Red Room despise him as a result.]]

** Tony Stark, again, as per canon, qualifies both as this and as the BunnyEarsLawyer (in terms of his membership of the Avengers) - he's definitely a bit weird (frankly, more than a bit) but he's utterly brilliant, and a scarily adept pilot of his suits who can fly rings about any would-be rivals.
** Doctor Strange is generally agreed to be at least half mad, and that's on a good day. He's perfectly aware of it and revels in his weirdness, if only because [[SadClown it's all that stops him from completely breaking down.]] He's also [[spoiler: until he abdicates the title in chapter 29 of the second book, faking his death in the process]] the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth's leading magical defender, and ''de facto'' leader of the heroes when he actually involves himself, because he's an extremely powerful {{seer}} and masterful manipulator who's got the road-map to victory in his head. Even once he [[spoiler: abdicates his position, he still has almost half a million years']] worth of experience. While several characters are stated to equal or even exceed his power level, none can match his skill levels.

** Similarly, Mab shows him a certain amount of respect, which is no small feat given that she's a Queen of Faerie and PhysicalGod.

** The Avengers at first think that Strange, who's so far been TheOmniscient, allowed [[spoiler: Rachel Grey's kidnap by Sinister]], so that she could be trained by him before being redeemed by [[MagneticHero Harry]], which would result in a very grateful and very powerful asset with skills in the psychic dark arts that Xavier would never teach. While this fits his [[ManipulativeBastard mode of operations]], they realise that the fact they even saw it means that the much more likely and [[OhCrap much more frightening]] prospect is that [[NotSoOmniscientAfterAll he made a mistake.]]

* YouAreTooLate: Doctor Strange, disturbingly. For a man who makes a habit of being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, whose mystique is based on his arranging things down to the last second, it is ''extremely'' [[NotSoOmniscientAfterAll jarring to find out that he was this at a certain time]] in chapter 9 of ''Ghosts'', arriving too late to [[spoiler: prevent Sinister from stealing Rachel Grey/Maddie Pryor]]. The point is underlined by the fact that not only was he caught off-guard, he was seen being so. Partially ameliorated by the fact that he managed to prevent [[spoiler: Sinister from stealing Jean too]], but only partially.
** It turns out that he was too late once before, [[spoiler: to stop Mordred from killing Arthur.]] This failure has haunted him ever since.

** Wanda's reaction to finding out that [[spoiler: Lorna is her half-sister]].

* YourWorstNightmare: The entity haunting the Fallen Fortress in the Forbidden Forest torments people with visions of their worst fears and greatest traumas.

* RaisingTheSteaks: Dresden recreates ''that'' canon moment from his own series in chapter 32, the penultimate chapter of the ''Bloody Hell'' arc, exploiting a loophole in the Rule against necromancy in the most CrazyAwesome fashion possible: he unleashes [[spoiler: Sue, the zombie T-Rex, on the city]].

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Strange, or rather, as he was known back then, [[spoiler: Taliesin]], after he arrived too late to intervene at [[spoiler: Camlann]]. Cue this trope. He notes that normally, this wouldn't have had any real effect, even considering how powerful he was. However, he was in a particularly temporally sensitive area, had a natural gift for time magic (though nothing compared to what it became), and [[spoiler: the Time Stone (for want of a better way of putting it)]] heard him. [[spoiler: It appeared in front of him, and... changed him.]]

* RealMenHateAffection: As with the previous book, the story goes out of its way to discuss and reject this trope, Harry becoming notably more openly affectionate, welcoming hugs and gestures of affection under his father's influence, becoming considerably better adjusted as a result (or at least mitigating his less stable periods). However, as is noted in chapter 48, Harry is distinctly unusual among his peers in this respect, with Sean Cassidy noting that the kind of shoulder clasp or hug that Harry would appreciate would be firmly rejected by Ron, and most other teenage boys, precisely because of this mentality.

** On a darker note, [[spoiler: Maddie's]] real name is [[spoiler: Rachel Anne Grey]], or 'RAG', which fits her background, her mind and any potential independence having been torn to rags by [[spoiler: Sinister's]] control.

* SympatheticMagic: This is the speciality of both Harry Dresden and John Constantine. In the latter case, it's unexpected, as Constantine is a Wanded Wizard (a fairly average one), and thaumaturgy is Wandless magic, and few Wanded Wizards have any kind of talent for wandless magic. It's also [[NotSoDifferent one of a number of similarities between the two]] that make Dresden very uneasy.

** The difference in experiences between this group and Harry's Hogwarts friends, specifically Carol and Hermione, is a brief cause of friction as Carol explains fairly gently but quite pointedly that there's a darker side of Harry that Hermione doesn't know about, no matter how well she thinks she knows him. This gets Hermione's hackles up, but when Carol makes it clear that she's not trying to push Hermione away but make her aware of the matter and enlist her help in acting as Harry's occasionally needed MoralityChain[=/=]be ready to offer a WhatTheHellHero speech or emotional support as and when it is required, then gives supporting evidence for what Harry's scarier side is capable of, they understand each other just fine. Draco later expounds on this difference as well to Ron and Hermione.

** Type 0/II/III: Wanda's parenting is distinctly YMMV I

* SidekickGlassCeiling: Ron, like canon. However, in this case, he's more than willing to just accept sidekick status (after seeing Harry's [[ShellShockedVeteran rampant PTSD]]), but Harry is determined not to let him get involved at all for that very reason. Since he doesn't have so many qualms about his other friends (Carol, Jean-Paul, Uhtred, and Diana) facing such things, this rankles. However, as Harry points out, he didn't have much choice in including them -they were usually around and/or targeted anyway. Plus, Jean-Paul is terrifyingly powerful, Uhtred and Diana are both teenage gods, one of whom is turning into a serious FlyingBrick, while Carol is a combat-hardened SuperSoldier who, more to the point, wouldn't put up with any attempt by Harry to keep her out of trouble (and tends to be perfectly able to find it herself).