Heartwarming / Child of the Storm

Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You have been warned.

Book I: Child of the Storm

• Harry and Thor hugging after getting past a few issues (predominantly, the Disappeared Dad thing).
  • Then both going to sleep, Harry on Thor's lap.
• The numerous Sleep Cute scenes.
• Thor relates how, pre-Cynicism Catalyst, Nick Fury used to read bedtime stories to Harry, and was particularly good with the voices. Tony keels over in shock when he hears the news.
• It's revealed that here, Fury lost his eye avenging Lily and James. Oh, and after having beaten up Lucius and burned down his house with napalm, and nursing a wounded eye, he spotted a baby Draco Malfoy. So, with only one operative eye, he ran up the stairs and rescued the son of his arch-enemy.
• Darcy's methods of giving Harry a dose of normality - overlaps with Funny Moments.
• Darcy being sweet to Harry.
  “Everything you’ve said about Harry’s mom makes her sound fucking awesome,” she said. She ruffled Harry’s hair. “Hell, just look at her kid. He’s all the evidence you need.”
• After the fiasco of Voldemort killing James and Lily and Thor losing his memory, Loki relates how heartbroken he was, and how he held baby Harry throughout the night.
  "I will be watching out for you, little one. So swears Loki, on his broken heart and crooked soul."
• Thor and Loki bickering in Gringotts, while primarily a Funny Moment, is also this, as it really shows how the two of them have reconciled and are perhaps now closer than they ever were before.
  • They also take the opportunity to slip a 100,000 Galleon endowment to the Weasley family into the will as if it had been written prior to James dying (and then out-stubborning Mrs. Weasley when she protests). Essentially, it's Harry's blood family saying thank you to Harry's foster family for caring for him when they couldn't.
• The Avengers, Darcy, Jane, Sirius, and Pepper sitting with Thor and Harry to look at the latter's baby pictures. Sure, there's some teasing and bickering, but it really shows their family dynamic.
• Likewise, Harry, Thor, and Loki cuddling up together on the couch to watch Doctor Who, and then falling asleep together. Tony draws fake mustaches on them, Steve tucks a blanket over them and draws a sketch, and everyone else smiles at the adorable sight.
• When Loki thanks Clint for helping him against the veirdrdraugr, Clint's simple yet meaningful response (even more heartwarming when one remembers that he's still a bit touchy from Loki's Evil Overlord phase)?
  You're part of the team.
• The Pepper/Tony shipping.
• Professor Xavier helping Harry through a few of his unresolved issues, with a brief reappearance of his younger self.
  • And quoting Oogway in the process:
  We cannot change the past, and the future is often murky and unclear. But the present is ours to decide. That is why it is called the present.
• Loki's speech on Tony, which considering Avengers: Endgame, becomes Heartwarming in Hindsight (and a bit heartbreaking, too):
  "He cares for and trusts few because so many, including some very close to him, have betrayed him sorely. But for an innocent, he will fight an army. For someone he cares for, he will fight ten. And for the woman he loves, if all the warriors, gods and monsters who ever were, are and ever will be, were arrayed against him, he would fight them all. He would never give up. Never give in. And he would win. No matter what the cost to himself, he would pay it and call the price cheap."
  • And Remus says that that applies to Loki himself as well (as well as the rest of the Avengers, really), which the Aesir Prince is truly grateful for.
• Darcy tells the werewolf that she speaks on behalf of all of them when she says that they don't care about what he is, only who he is.
• Harry taking Diana, though she's a couple of years younger than him, seriously, treating her as an equal and simply being nice to her despite the fact he barely knows her. Sif points out how rare that is.
• Odin relates how he came to find Loki: Frigga, naturally, fell in love with him at first sight, while Odin, who for most of the story is The Stoic, a rough, gruff warrior king, describes his son as beautiful. It's really sweet to see the softer side of Odin's personality, and highlights just how much he loves both his sons.
  • And at the same time, it's sweet to see the way he plays the gruffly kind grandpa to his wide-eyed grandson.
  • In a flashback to Loki's repentance, Odin flat-out tells Loki that he loves him for who he is.
• Several times, when Thor makes comments about Lily, whether he thinks them or says them aloud, he gets a whispery half-heard answer that is clearly Lily, in some shape or form.
• When Thor takes Loki and the Warriors Three to visit with Fudge and Dumbledore and says he'll be back soon, Harry whispers, "Promise?"
  Thor: I will always come back for you, Harry. No matter what stands in my way.
• After Harry gets sick, Natasha stays and cuddles him throughout the night, then ruffles his hair and gives him a smile in the morning.
• Thor and Harry visiting Godric's Hollow and Lily's grave.
• Harry Dresden saved Thomas and Martha Wayne from the robber that would have killed them. In exchange, the two of them help to repair his house, restock his pantry and icebox, pay his rent for several years and give him money so that he is not always on the edge of starving.
  • Even more heartwarming is the way it's done, with their note making it clear that it's not a condescending charity case, but a gift of true, heartfelt thanks.
• While they receive almost no mention in the main story besides in chapter 41, and only get much attention in the side-story Chaos Reigns, it's revealed that thanks to the rising belief in the supernatural, Chicago's Special Investigations department, and its leader, Lieutenant Karin Murphy are slowly getting both more funding and personnel from the remainder of the police departments. In the original series, Special Investigations was originally meant by the police to be a dumping ground for officers who were politically inconvenient, with the intention of throwing them off the force when they inevitably screwed up, and Murphy had to lie through her teeth about the supernatural to avoid being discharged (and later on, the department had to pool their own funds to hire Harry for some of their cases). Here, they've got military equipment, enough influence to barricade off a large area when the forces of Cthton came through briefly to Earth, and a number of new recruits.
• Pretty much every face to face interaction between Harry and Wanda. Special note must go to this simple, yet incredibly powerful exchange from chapter 61:
  Wanda: I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry.
  Harry: I know. I forgive you.
• Tony bonding with Arthur, Fred, and George Weasley, and showing Arthur more respect in the course of about five minutes than almost the entire Ministry ever showed him.
• Professor Xavier gives Harry something to explain why he has not met his cousin Jean yet: a letter from future Harry, who proceeds to raise present Harry's spirits by telling him that things will get better, to stop fearing his powers and instead embrace them, and also gives him small messages for the Avengers, hinting at good things for (at least most of) them.
  • Another moment of Fridge Heartwarming is that the future Harry sounds quite cheerful and upbeat, gently teasing his past self, sympathizing with his problems, and encouraging him to accept his true nature as a Prince of Asgard. Considering the epic Trauma Conga Line that's right around the corner, and everything he'll go through in Ghosts of the Past, it's very good to know that in the future, Harry will regain at least a measure of his previous happiness.
• Betsy's teaching of Harry and counselling of Ginny, mixing kindness and compassion with a wicked (but not cruel) wit.
• Wanda cuddling Harry in chapter 72 and Thor comforting him.
  Daddy's here, Harry. Daddy's here.
• In the midst of his tirade, Wisdom calls Arthur Weasley "a good man," recognizes and implicitly regrets his Heroic Sacrifice. Seeing Wisdom show respect for someone else—someone whom, as Regulus, he probably would've hated—is incredibly touching because it's one of the things which shows that (very, very) deep down, he does have a Hidden Heart of Gold.
  • Wisdom is also shown to still respect Dumbledore, and gives him genuine condolences for the loss of Luna. In turn, Dumbledore recognizes him immediately, has no problem calling him by his preferred name, and insists that they go on a first-name basis.
  • Thor notes that no doubt Stark Industries will financially support the Weasleys. Even though Tony and Pepper aren't really obligated to—technically, Arthur hadn't even started his job with them yet—there's no doubt that they'll do what they can to help the family who did so much for Harry.
• Carol's 'not your fault' speech in chapter 72 and, immediately afterwards, hugging Harry.
• President Ellis' gentle handling of the Winter Soldier. That is a good man, as well as a great one.
• Before he sends them off on what is a quite dangerous mission, Doctor Strange has quite a few kind words for Harry, Carol, Diana, Jean-Paul and Uhtred, telling Jean-Paul not to be afraid of power and giving Harry several pointers on how to deal with his current anger and his growing powers.
• When Carol heard about what happened in Chapter 74, she immediately called up Jean-Paul and had him run them both over to Harry's side to support him.
• Tony makes Harry a kind of chest strap to keep him warm. As he remarks, he knows what it's like to get stabbed in the heart by pointy metal things. It's the little thoughtful things like that which really emphasize his Hidden Heart of Gold.
• In chapter 75, also a Moment of Awesome, she went nose to nose with Sif simply to ensure that he wouldn't be alone. Fandral remarks, impressed, that that's the longest he's seen anyone stare down Sif in centuries. Subverted somewhat in that Sif had actually been about to extend the offer of travelling to Asgard to Carol and any other of Harry's friends who wished to come on the grounds that they'd be under threat too, but still.
• Upon seeing Harry on TV, which breaks the telepathic block on her memories of him, Jean immediately rushes to try and find him, with Scott right away going along to help her.
• Even Doctor Strange, it seems, is a bit of a Shipper on Deck, judging by what he says to Scott as Jean prepares to perform Astral Projection to Asgard:
  "You will be needed... She will need an anchor to Earth. She will need a light to shine her way home. She will need you, Scott Summers, because you represent her strongest connection to the Earth. Because she loves you, just as you love her, even if neither of you is quite aware of how deep and strong that love is. Go to her. Let her know that you are there for her."
• Several examples in chapter 77:
  • Stephen Strange ridding the Winter Soldier of his brainwashing and giving Jason Todd (right hand to Baron Zemo, and now beset by doubts over what to do) the chance to redeem himself by allowing him to handle the Sword of Faith, which he takes.
  • Thor and Harry bonding after the former's almost death. Of course, in this case, it means tag-teaming to destroy demons and dragons by droves.
  • Diana jumping into her father's (Hercules) arms, who she has not seen in years, and the latter loudly praising her abilities.
  • Harry and Thor save a British Army detachment from being overrun by demons, and its captain thanks them, saying that Harry is a boy to be proud of, which Thor agrees with.
  • Thor teasing Harry over his attraction to Carol.
  • Tony, after asking JARVIS to send Pepper a message to tell her he intends to have Glad-to-Be-Alive Sex with her, he adds to tell her that he loves her. JARVIS gently points out that she already knows that, but Tony insists.
  • Tony praises JARVIS when he forces Zola to back off, and JARVIS says, basically, that he learned it from him.
  • Sif and Loki kissing in the middle of the battlefield, prompted by the Warriors Three, who protect them as they do so. And Volstagg encourages them not to do like they did after New Year and to continue their romantic relationship.
  • The Hogwarts staff (even Snape) risking their lives to save a number of innocents from HYDRA, protecting them from a quinjet attack, while Hagrid covers the innocents with his body.
    • Hagrid's faith that Dumbledore will see the group through, and Dumbledore's pride in Hagrid, thinking that there is no doubt Hagrid is one of the finest products of Gryffindor House.
  • Steve, Sanya, Michael Carpenter and Dane Whitman fighting to protect a group of people that were not able to escape in time, not letting a single demon past them.
  • Strange's 'faith can be something someone has in you' speech to Jason Todd while offering him the temporary use of Fidelacchius.
  • The interaction between Loki and the Voice of London.
  • Arthur Weasley's ghost forgiving the Winter Soldier for killing him, noting that it was a Mercy Kill and that the Winter Soldier did what he could to prevent HYDRA's victory, saving as many people as he killed (perhaps more), and finally pushing him to do something to begin the path to redemption.
  • Steve meeting once more with Colonel Philips, Howard Stark and the Howling Commandos, seventy years after he saw them last, and getting to lead them again into battle.
  • Young Bobby Drake fighting demons, because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt protecting him like Harry and his friends did in the Rocky Mountains.
  • Nick Fury being uncharacteristically polite to the Flamels, thanking them for their hard work. As he remarks, it is their due.
• In chapter 78, the event no one (save for Strange) expected: Lily Evans Potter, vessel for the Phoenix, fully manifests in reality. She soothes Wanda, reveals that she was the one whispering to Thor and Harry whenever they thought of her, tells Thor that, as much as she would love to be completely back, she does not hold his relationship with Jane against him, convinces Harry to kick Chthon out while telling him how much she loves him, gives Nick Fury a hug and stays for the post-battle party.
  • Earlier, Jane and Darcy accidentally teleport right into the middle of the battle, not to far from Thor. He and Jane immediately embrace.
• The party is full of heartwarming moments: Harry gets to cuddle up to his mum, Sirius has a conversation with Regulus, and Magneto explains to Natasha that he intervened because the world is everyone's, and everyone has the responsibility of protecting it; for the sake of the mutants; for the sake of his daughter; and because many decades before, Steve Rogers had liberated him from Auschwitz. After an entire book full of everyone treating him with wary respect, if not outright fear, it's nice to have Magneto get a Pet the Dog moment.

  • Given that Auschwitz was liberated well ahead of when it was in real life history, it also leads one to hope that most, if not all, of the other camps were also liberated early.

  • After this, Magneto gets another when he sincerely apologises to Wanda for having to give her up, and while bridges are certainly not mended, the two come to an understanding.
  • Harry Dresden shares a sweet moment with Wanda, where she assures him that she'll protect him (if her dad ever comes after him), and he listens to her problems with Constantine, offering his genuine support.
• Tony decides to devote a significant part of his resources to creating suits of armor that will be used not for fighting, but disaster prevention and relief.
• While meeting with T'Challa, Wisdom offers him genuine condolences over the loss of his father and the difficulty of T'Challa's political position. The two also share a moment where they remark on how both were seduced by their countries, "idiosyncrasies, contradictions, downright mad traditions and all."
• As the story winds down, Carol teases Harry about basically being Luke Skywalker.
  Harry: "You've got lots of these jokes, don't you?"
  Carol: "A million and one of 'em."
  Harry: "And you're going to use them for how long?"
  Carol: "Hmm... how does basically forever sound?"
  • It ends with Carol promising to sit him down in front of the TV with a box set of the films and some popcorn. Harry gives his first genuinely carefree smile for a very long time, and says that he can live with that.

Book II: Ghosts of the Past

• It's mentioned that Sif and Loki have been going on a few dates together offscreen, in between clearing up the mess from HYDRA's fall.
• Harry giving Carol some psychic counselling to help with her PTSD from the first book, and then the two having a Sleep Cute moment.
• When Harry reveals to his friends that he can't swim, he expects — due to lingering fears from all the time he was bullied when younger — that they'll make fun of him for it. They reassure him that they never will, and then teach him to swim.
• In chapter 2, after Harry telepathically crushes the Death Eaters and drives off Voldemort and saves his friends and family who had been banished across the camp after undergoing a "Freaky Friday" Flip - meaning that he separately saved Pepper's mind and her pregnant body, Tony silently gives him a tight hug. As the narration notes, by his standards, it's an especially momentous gesture.
• Thor giving Harry a gentle talk to help him deal with his guilt over being forced to Mind Rape five Death Eaters into oblivion to save his friends, explaining that he made the right choice - the hard choice - and while he will have to live it, he made the right call under the circumstances because the morally unimpeachable route of tracking each person down one by one and defeating the Death Eaters individually would risk something unspeakable happening to his loved ones.
• Chapter 3 is full of this, after everything that happened in Chapter 2:
  • Everyone's reactions to the birth of Ada Stark. Especially once Tony and Pepper name Steve, Harry, and Natasha as godparents.
  • Harry, Carol, Diana, and Uhtred all cuddle together in the same bed as comfort after the events of Chapter 2.
  • Diana meeting Happy, and comforting him on his feelings of low self-worth in light of being the only non-superhero in Tony's life.
  • Steve finally accepting Carol as his family, embracing her in relief after the events of the previous chapter.
  • Jean-Paul fulfils his promise to go visit Clark, who is elated to finally be able to talk with another superpowered teen.
• Chapter 4 opens with Harry having a Sleep Cute moment with Wanda as she comforts him over the events of Chapter 2, and later he receives further comfort from Jean.
• Chapter 6 has several of them:
  • Harry meets with Jean's parents, and they not only express their worry for him as if they were his parents, but also indicate their feelings of guilt over not getting him out of the Dursleys when he was younger, and Harry pointedly tells them it's not their fault.
  • Tony presents his daughter to "Aunt Ali", who turns out to be Alison Carter, Steve's daughter with Peggy. Alison also gets to hug her father after nearly 70 years.
  • When Harry meets Carol's family, the conversation turns to Stevie (Carol's brother) and his love of painting and drawing. Carol's other brother, Joe, states that art is for girls (obviously something he "learned" from his father), but Harry promptly disabuses him of the notion by pointing out that Captain America himself loves drawing and painting, that Tony Stark also draws, and that Harry himself is learning as well. He then suggests, when Joe declares that he wants to learn art (being nine and therefore as impressionable as butter), that he ask Stevie to teach him.
    • Carol's father asks Harry if he can use his powers to "make her take the right path", insulting Jean-Paul and Lex Luthor as an afterthought. Harry nearly explodes with rage, drops a brutal Calling the Old Man Out/"The Reason You Suck" Speech on the man, telling him exactly how stupid he is and threatening to make him regret it for the rest of his life.
    • Afterwards, Harry talks with Carol, explaining what happened, then makes her father fall asleep so he won't take his anger out on the rest of her family and offers for her to come stay at Avengers Mansion.
• It's pretty small, but the fact that Draco Malfoy has come far enough away from his canon counterpart that he can hold a civil, maybe even downright friendly, conversation with Hermione and a couple of Muggles really shows how much he's grown.
• Carol, after being kidnapped and taken to the Red Room chooses to trust Gambit, and tells him You Are Better Than You Think You Are. Afraid, alone, and unsure if she can trust him, she nevertheless offers him the hand of friendship. In return, he slips her a key card and subtly informs Harry of where the prisoners are being held, before taking a telekinetic blast from the latter so that he can rescue Carol and the others.
• Similarly, despite all she's done, one of the first things Harry does after his and Maddie's fight stops is to shake her hand and having a friendly, kindly and gently probing chat with her. It shows a lot about how he's grown up.
  • Naturally, he leaves his family's embrace and shoots after Maddie, so that she won't be alone wherever she ends up.
• Harry having been captured again, Carol feels guilty and heartbroken. Her mother, uncle, and grandmother all console her, with the latter giving her a hug after Carol's (sorta kinda) Anguished Declaration of Love.
• Carol's mother Marie also explains why she Refused the Call, but despite that, is very proud of and loves Carol unconditionally.
• Harry's sheer faith in Maddie, and the way she comes to realize that she is more than a living weapon, is incredibly sweet.
• When a curious Maddie asks Mjolnir what "being worthy" entails, the hammer doesn't rebuff her, but shows her its previous wielders to explain what it means. Then it makes her remember how she spoke against Sinister for the first time, making the point that she can be Worthy too.
• The budding friendship, and possible Ship Tease, between Maddie and Jono is very sweet indeed.
• Harry Dresden considers taking the Winter Knight mantle and exchanging favors with some of his darker contacts to get his namesake back. Dumbledore, who's been where he is, tells him some of his own life story and encourages Harry to stay strong.
• Wanda goes head-to-head with Mab when the latter has the audacity to refer to her boyfriend as "wizard mine."
  Wizard mine, I think you'll find, Queen Mab.
• Maddie almost cries when she realises that she's actually free of Sinister's control, and gives him a brief but effective "Reason You Suck" Speech, while quoting poetry (Robbie Burns, to be specific, also referencing Invictus).
  Maddie: "'If I'm design'd yon lordling's slave, By Nature's law design'd, Why was an independent wish, E'er planted in my mind?' I am no longer your experiment, your weapon, or your slave. I and I alone am the Mistress of my fate, the Captain of my soul. You have no power over me, Doctor Essex. Not any more."
• Naturally, Dresden engages his Sight, forever imprinting his namesake's tortured body and psyche into his memory, just to see if he can help.
• Duelling the Red Son, Magneto goes out of his way to minimise collateral damage. He's come a long way from the man who once would've used civilians as human shields himself.
• Strange explains to Wanda that he could've allowed events to happen a different way, but almost killed himself making things right for Maddie, in large part because he feels guilty for failing to save her from Sinister.
• The Avengers's reaction to Maddie when they see she wields Mjolnir: they trust her, no reserve, no hesitation. She says she came to help and so they will believe her.
  • Steve later rebuffs Fury when the Director insists that Maddie had to be monitored, firmly declaring Maddie is but a teenage girl whose life sucked to such an extent it beggars belief, who has every reason to hate and fear the Avengers... and she still came to them asking for help, and by God Captain America is going to deserve this trust. Furthermore, not a single one of the Avengers disagrees, and seeing them united, even Fury only puts up token resistance.
• During the interview scene, Coulson changes his interview style to suit each of the participants. For example, he's very sweet and gentle with Maddie, but matches Carol and Dresden snark for snark, and reassures Jean about her worries regarding SHIELD not being so different from HYDRA (in fact, he promises her off the record that should that happen, he would work with her to take it down). It's also nice to see him and Loki being cordial to each other, given what happened a few years back.
• When Harry temporarily becomes the Dark Phoenix, his friends and family remind him that he is loved, that he is better than this, and that they know how he feels, and are there for him. The Power of Love triumphs over pain and anger, and a galactic-scale disaster is averted.
• Wisdom is as blunt, ruthless, and pragmatic as ever, but says that he genuinely feels sorry for Harry, and offers to put Thor in contact with some good therapists.
  • Though he'd deny it to his dying day, it's shown that he and Sirius do care about each other, and it's mentioned that he allows Kreacher to call him Regulus because the shock of his old master going by a new name would probably kill the old house-elf.
• Gambit, Jono, and above all, Jean, reassuring Maddie before she meets her parents for the first time that she is a good person and that they aren't going to hate her.
  • In particular, Gambit's speech about how she will be loved as her own person and not just a clone of Jean is particularly heartwarming when the audience discovers that Gambit himself is a clone.
  • Jean's sisterly hug is also rather sweet.
• Along with Harry's friends and family, the Avengers and their associates, Dumbledore, Fury, McGonagall, Warren, Sean, and Betsy all take the time to visit and check in with him following his trauma. Frigga finds Harry and Carol curled up together at one point, and files it under "'Reasons That My Grandson Is Probably Going To Marry A Midgardian.'
  • It's mentioned that Harry isn't having any nightmares thanks to Dream, who sympathizes with his sort-of nephew and got in on the revenge against the Red Room, in some cases so effectively that Loki can't think of anything worse to do to them.
• Many of Odin's peers freak out after Harry temporarily becomes the Dark Phoenix, and call a meeting of the Council Elite. Odin's response? Protect his grandson at any cost. If it comes down to taking on all of them at once and be killed in the process, he will do that.
  • Bonus points for Huginn and Muninn going with him, even though they're perfectly aware that if worse comes to worse, they might well not make it out either. They also reassure Thor that Harry will be okay, and speak on his behalf to the Council (even if they're hard to understand, given their very thick Brooklyn accents).
  • Odin also gives Thor (and, it's implied, Loki offscreen) a kind of farewell speech, telling his sons that Thor and Loki are even better men, and gods, than he could have ever hoped, and that he is proud of them.
• It's very subtle, but Thor asks—rather than commands—a servant to run an errand for him. Even in the midst of this incredibly tense situation, he still maintains his humility.
• Jesus shows up to give Harry a long and patient talk in order to help him recover from his latest ordeal, as well as providing a long list of gods who, like him, believe in Harry, and a bit of mental healing on the sly. The fact that even before they'd had this talk, and while Harry was feeling betrayed by the revelation that Eb is really the Council's wetworks man, he still felt comfortable enough reaching out to his old mentor during Forever Red to ask for help fine-tuning his tracking spell to try and get hold of his younger namesake.
• When Maddie finally meets her parents, the emotional outpouring is so strong that it literally bowls her over.
• While quite funny at times, Maddie and Jean's discussion of Scott and Remy is also incredibly heartwarming because it's two sisters hanging out and talking about cute guys, just like any pair of heterosexual sisters would.
  Jean: You're my sister, Maddie. I'd take on the universe for you.
• Xavier, Magneto, Jean, and Maddie all go with Lorna to Australia to find her mother and remove Sinister's psychic meddling. Xavier also gives her the choice to refuse their own telepathy, even though it's to reunite her with her daughter.
  • By implication, Nezhno, Kurt, Noriko, and Jono's parents will probably also have their mental blocks removed.
• Odin recounts how Yggdrasil changed all the worlds of the Alliance and their inhabitants, and Loki asks how it changed him. Odin's response? "You were born a Frost Giant. You chose to be Asgardian. And I chose to claim you as my own. There is a power in choices, as you well know. You are my son, Loki, a Prince of Asgard, and our God of Magic."
• When Strange relates his Dark and Troubled Past, the first one to react is Diana. By hugging him. Because he really, really looks like he needs one. Wanda follows it up, and for once Strange wears a true smile, instead of a Grin of Audacity. Thor calls him "old friend," and Loki assures him that when his task is done, he will be welcome in Asgard. It's a rare, sweet, and touching glimpse of the man behind the myth.
• Ron and Hermione, though obviously Locked Out of the Loop and befuddled by the many changes that have taken place in Harry's life, still try to help and be there for him after he returns to Hogwarts.
• Harry also receives counseling from a long list of people, some of whom are close friends and family and some of whom he doesn't know too well, but all of whom are glad to try and help him through his latest crisis by listening and sharing their own experiences.
• Cedric Diggory takes the time to have a talk with Harry, gently reprimanding him for his behavior while emphasizing with him and encouraging him to open up as much as he's comfortable with.
• It turns out that part of the reason Uhtred and Diana came by Hogwarts was to give Harry his birthday present-a sword personally forged by Uhtred and enchanted by Loki for him, and a shield bracelet designed by Diana which will act as a shield against either magic or psychic powers.
  • In addition to Loki and Tony, they mention that Athena, Sif, Fandral, and Dresden all assisted them in designing the presents. It really shows how much Harry's support network has grown, and how many people care for him.
• After a bit of teasing by Hermione and Diana, Harry admits to them that he does have feelings for Carol, and that he would like to date her...but right now she needs a best friend, not a boyfriend, so they'll stay Just Friends for as long as she needs. Additionally, he is still broken after his experiences as the Red Son, and Carol's got her own problems. When they go down that road together, he wants it to be because they're both whole, and they both want to.
  • Hermione and Diana follow this up by both giving him a hug, and the chapter ends on an entirely positive note for the first time in quite a while.
• Harry slightly manipulating things so Diana will have ample reason for talking with Ginny, so they can both indulge their mutual crush. As he puts it to Hermione later, he wants Diana to be happy, and Diana could help Ginny heal from the mental scars she still has from dealing with Tom Riddle's diary.
• For the first time, Steve gets to spend family time with his daughter and great-granddaughter, hugging them both and planning to set up a training regimen for Carol, with Alison's help.
• Minerva and Bucky have a heart to heart about Harry, and even after all this time and everything they've been through, they still clearly care deeply about each other (and Minerva is probably the only character in the entire series who can pull a Full-Name Ultimatum on him!).
• Doctor Strange seems to have recovered from his mania during the Forever Red arc, and makes the effort to speak politely to Dumbledore and Magneto.
• Harry, meanwhile, strikes up a friendship with Magneto, bonding over their mutual Dark and Troubled Pasts and finding Hogwarts as a refuge, and their connection through Wanda - at which point it is lightly noted that since Wanda is Harry's maternal substitute, this makes Magneto a sort of additional grandfather, a concept he finds rather amusing. They also have a heartfelt conversation thanking each other for the other's help (Harry having saved Lorna from the Red Room and Magneto having stopped the Red Son). They decide to call it even.
  • Magneto also confirms that Lorna is together with her mother again, and she visits him occasionally.
  • He is also noted earlier as, even by a sceptical Wanda, to have been behaving as 'a model father' to Lorna. Related to that, after Forever Red, it's noted that every moment Wanda didn't spend with Harry, she was spending with her little sister, comforting her as best she could.
• During one of his cynical moments, Harry reprimands himself for not squaring the kind, grandfatherly Magneto with the one who, prior to his Heel–Face Turn, was The Dreaded for pretty much most of the supernatural/supernaturally informed world. Bucky, however, tells him gently but firmly that that believing the best in people is an advantage, that it can inspire them to want to be better, like Maddie - indeed, that in doing so, he brings out the better natures of those who didn't even know they had them.
• Speaking of the above, Xavier gives Essex a "The Reason You Suck" Speech, telling him that even if Lily hadn't removed the triggers from Maddie's mind, she still would have eventually broken free of him anyway, because her free will and The Power of Love would have always spurred her to do so.
  Xavier: "Sentiment. Compassion. The power of love, some call it, though often without realising the many forms that love can take. It is something much scorned, but by fools, of whom you are one, because they do not understand it. And that is why, no matter how many prisons you built for her, Maddie always broke free once she realised that she could. It is why she would always have broken free. It is not tangible or measurable or even obvious. But it is real. And, Essex... it beat you."
• Magneto gets yet another Pet the Dog moment in the following chapter, where it is revealed that one of the mutants he's sheltering in Avalon is a 12-year-old girl by the name of Ruth, who was driven mad by her powers when they manifested and ended up begging on the streets. Not only did he bring her to Avalon and ask Strange to help her, but he (or someone) took the effort to bring books, toys, and posters up to her room. And she calls him zayde^note  an Affectionate Nickname in Yiddish meaning "grandpa" , a sentiment which he returns.
• Needless to say, Ron and Hermione are rather freaked out by discovering that their best friend, in addition to being powerful enough to level mountains or telepathically reach halfway around the world, has memories of being a brainwashed Soviet assassin locked away in his mind, and became the Dark Phoenix to boot. But even so, they do adjust, showing just how much they care for Harry, even though they've had all of this dumped on them.
  • Harry and Hermione also move firmly back into Vitriolic Best Buds territory, which they haven't been (given Harry's disappearance and all) for quite a while.
• Zatanna gets to meet Wanda, and while she doesn't exactly Squee, it's certainly a very pleasant meeting for both, and they connect partially through their memories of the elder Zataras.
• Carol and Harry exchange more flirting/banter, but in between, she helps counsel Harry over his idiocy, and reminds him that yes, he was an idiot, but his friends still love him, and that she knows that while the Dark Phoenix came from his own anger, it's not a Superpowered Evil Side that's going to take him over. He can choose to stop it happening again.
• In an Establishing Character Moment for Lex, he helps Clark with some of his problems, reassures him, and even gives him a Declaration of Protection. It's a very sweet moment, and hopefully portends a greater friendship in the future (though, of course, time will tell).
• Averting the Forgotten Fallen Friend trope, Arthur Weasley's name is brought up, as it has been a few times, and it's shown that Harry and the Weasley children still miss and remember him.
• Maddie visits Harry telepathically, and Harry reassures her that even though meeting the rest of the family will be hard, they will treat her not as another Jean, but as her own person, and love her for it.
• When Warren returns to Hogwarts as part of MI13's security detail, he actually gets a cheer from the students. This for the Knight in Sour Armor with the near-Friendless Background. That had to feel pretty nice.
• After Harry storms upstairs following his selection by the Goblet of Fire, Bucky takes the time to talk to Ron and Hermione, explain what's happening, and acknowledge the points that they make in discussion.
• Carol being big-sisterly to Stevie, the older of her younger brothers, and bonding with him a little after the two have an honest talk (the gist? Despite being Locked Out of the Loop, Stevie is a very long way from stupid and has picked up far more than most expected), offering jokey advice about taking the subway home from school.
  • Crossing over with a Moment of Awesome, after they're cornered by Dracula's strike team, Carol makes it very clear, with a terrified Stevie clutched to her, that the first vampire to even breathe the wrong way at Stevie will be missing a head (a threat she later follows through on), and if they lay a finger on him, she'll spend the rest of her life making them regret sparing her life. When one of the vampires inquires as to an example, she flatly states 'Chinese Water Torture'. With holy water... for starters.
• Hearing that Carol is in trouble, Harry performs Astral Projection through her, and tells her that You Are Not Alone. When the leader of the strike team notes that there are a lot of risks in doing so, Harry's response?
  "She's my best friend. She's worth every one of them, and a million more."
• Knowing that Harry and Bucky are running into deadly danger, Ron and Hermione's immediate response is to tell him that they're coming, too.
• Alone and on the run from Grey Court vampires, not even sure whether he'll be a liability or just try to eat them, Carol still takes time to pick up the unconscious Peter Parker and take him with them.
• Though it's kind of dark, Magneto both plays straight and subverts the "overprotective dad" trope by not only coming immediately when Wanda called, but also snapping into Tranquil Fury when her boyfriend is harmed, and protecting him from Cassius - and by 'protecting', we mean coldly and efficiently murdering his attacker.
• Harry mentions that he offered to pay for a new X-Jet (seeing as the last one got destroyed during Magneto's brawl with the Red Son), but Xavier turned him down, presumably since he knows it wasn't Harry's fault (bear in mind that Harry, between his mortal and Asgardian inheritances, could probably buy several jets and still have pocket change left over).
• There's something very sweet about Sirius and Remus babysitting baby Ada, and mentioning that they've had practice with little Harry as well.
• Having been held by the NYPD while he recovers and Dracula prepares for the ritual with Carol, Harry naturally takes the first opportunity to get after her, right? Nope — he takes the time to check in on Gwen Stacy and her mother, and leave Captain Stacy a note telling him that they are alright out of respect for the man.
• As the Bloody Hell arc comes to an end, and Harry's recovering in bed, a recovered Carol drops by. They chat (and it's Harry's turn to almost kinda sorta give her an Anguished Declaration of Love), and then she kisses him on the cheek, largely in thanks for what he did for her and her brother in the arc. They spend most of the following chapter holding hands.
• The Reveal that Alison Carter has spent most of the last decade acting as a sort of godmother to Clark Kent, protecting him and holding certain artifacts for him on his father's behalf until he was ready.
• Coulson's indirect Declaration of Protection in response to Clark's indirect question about what SHIELD's attitude to young superhumans is. It truly epitomises his vision of what SHIELD is meant to be, and serves as a rebuttal to those who think that SHIELD and HYDRA are not so different.
  They’ll be treated like anyone else. Those who consciously use their powers to hurt others will be arrested and, hopefully, rehabilitated. Those who can’t control their powers will be assisted in managing them and returning to normal life. And those who can control their powers, who use them responsibly, will have every bit of help and assistance that they might need, should they want it. Above all, though, they will be treated fairly, and protected from those who would try and exploit them.
• Harry tells Jean-Paul that if he thought Jean-Paul were cheating on his boyfriend, there would be trouble, and that he'd be willing to break his legs if necessary (so the latter couldn't pull a disappearing act). Given how he seriously stated he would rather fight Dracula again than Jean-Paul, it speaks volumes of how much Harry cares about Uhtred.
• Wanda asks Jesus to pass on a Declaration of Protection from her to the Skyfathers and Earthmothers who might be interested in taking on Harry now that Strange is seemingly no longer around. Thor, Jean, Maddie, Carol, and Steve all add their own two cents, and though only Thor's and Wanda's are likely to be even registered by the entities in question, it's still significant.
• Jesus tells Harry that he's very impressed indeed with Harry's choices during Bloody Hell, the latter having chosen to do what's right instead of what's easy, and that even some of the other Skyfathers and Earthmothers are grudgingly impressed. Thor, naturally, is even prouder than usual.
• After The Reveal about Gambit's origins, Jean gently assures him that Scott is not going to hate him for being his clone, but would welcome a new brother. Remy immediately sees through the (well-intentioned) attempt to get him to come back, but his relief is quite obvious.
  • Everyone's reaction when they hear the news, actually. So, Gambit is a clone rather than a natural-born human, but he's still Gambit, and that will never change.
• When Alison meets the Kents, she treats Clark like another grandson, offering the family drinks and speaking kindly with him about how she understands what it feels like to have powers that need to be hidden. She also tells him about his father, that both his birth parents loved him dearly, and that if he takes away only one thing from their meeting, it should be that.
  • When Jor-El shows up in a flashback, Alison offers her sincere condolences, coos over baby Kal-El, and promises to do everything for him that she would for her own family.
  • At the end of all of this, Clark naturally has trouble putting into words everything he means - but Alison, being Alison, smiles and tells him that it was her pleasure and her honour.
• Harry and Carol snuggle after the latter has another round of bad dreams. She's also wearing nothing but a T-shirt and a pair of his boxers. Which Harry, ahem, notices.
  • They very nearly decide to kiss, though Harry at the last minute kisses her forehead instead. Then he provides another round of telepathic therapy, this one much more skillful, before they cuddle, platonically, but intimately.
  • When she asks him to stay with her during the night, Harry responds with a quote that anyone familiar with The Princess Bride will recognize:
    "As you wish."
  • After waking up in a compromising situation, Harry and Carol discuss their relationship, and come to the conclusion they would be okay with the step up. Not right now, but somewhere in the near future, definitely.
• Ron getting plaudits from Harry, by now an experienced and well-trained combatant, and no less than Doctor Strange for his levitation charm on the troll back in first year is both awesome and pretty heartwarming.
• Harry gives Ron and Hermione a list of all the casualties, wounds, and dangers that occurred during Bloody Hell, and might continue should they put themselves in the line of fire. Ron's instant response is to insist that even with all of that, he still wants to help. Harry tells them that while he appreciates it, what he really needs is for them to continue to be who they are: Two of his oldest friends, who have been with him through thick and thin, and remain his biggest link to "normal" life.
• Strange pushing Wanda to teach Hermione how to safely use her chaos magic. Wanda is a bit grumpy about being manipulated, but you can't deny that she's happy for an excuse to spend time with her daughter.
  • He also flat-out tells Wanda that he chose her as his successor because she is the best, not the other way around. No obfuscation, no implication, just a straight-out compliment.
• Harry's goodbyes to the Avengers: He and Carol give each other a long hug, and she kisses him on the cheek. Thor promises to be there for him, any time of the day or night. Jane tells Harry to "give 'em hell"... figuratively, that is. If literally is required, she'll handle it.
• After a talk with Neville, Harry promises to try and help out his parents, if he can, and will ask some people who are better than him, but explains fully and honestly why he may not be able to, showing that he genuinely respects his classmate. As the very next chapter shows, he lives up to his promise.
  • Harry also sees Neville's Hidden Depths, realising that he's much more than just the clumsy, shy kid, and gives him a genuine compliment. After Harry's quite understandable jerkishness after Forever Red, it's nice seeing him to be kind and respectful to someone on his own level again.
• Dumbledore proving himself a Reasonable Authority Figure, and giving Harry meaningful detentions that will actually help him, showing faith in him, and sharing some of his own experiences.
• It's revealed that Natasha has been giving Wisdom regular updates about Harry and his mental state, which Harry understands, even if he's not exactly pleased about it - as he points out, he's been pretty unstable recently. However, Betsy also tells him that when Wisdom asked about Carol in depth (simply to better assess her potential effect on his mental state), Natasha essentially said that it was none of his business, and to back off.
• When Clark has a breakdown as it truly hits home that he's the Last of His Kind, Jean-Paul comforts him, pointing out that despite that, he still has family and friends who love him, so he's never truly alone.
• Upon coming across Ginny, who's struggling with accepting her feelings for Diana, Dumbledore assures her that he's there to help if she ever needs a friendly ear, and reveals that he knows what she's going through and how she feels...not because he's an empath, just because he's been in the same place. This, bear in mind, is a secret that Dumbledore took to his grave, one that even his closest friends didn't know, that only Aberforth knew for certain (granted, that probably had more to do with the person he loved being Grindelwald, than his gender).
• Wanda and Sean understanding Ron's desire for revenge for his father, and instead of trying to talk him out of it, trying to steer him onto the path that will (hopefully) keep him safest and most sane.
• Despite the grim topic and their mutual worries about Surtur, there's something very touching about Xavier's talk with Odin, and the mutual respect they share.
• Strange drops by to have a word with Odin and talk to him about Surtur and Harry's progress and curriculum. Odin points out that, despite the fact that it's probably in part to further Strange's own plans (because everything always is), it's also an act of kindness and reassurance from a man with many, many things on his plate, and he appreciates it.
  • It's also clear, despite the seriousness of the scene, that Odin is very proud of his grandson and his achievements.
• Reflecting upon everything he's been through, Harry notes to himself that at this point, his psyche is pretty much held together by spit, string, and staples. Upon thinking this, he remembers his most recent Sleep Cute with Carol, "late nights and lazy mornings, and a warm presence beside him in body and in mind." He amends this to "spit, string, staples... and one or two other things."
• While reaching out with his magical senses, Harry brushes against Hogwarts, which gives him the equivalent of a friendly wave.
• Upon seeing an Alternate Universe (heavily implied to be the canon Harry Potter series - or at least, a very close facsimile thereof, with Harry's powers remaining dormant), Harry at first finds it attractive, but decides that even with everything he's been through, this life is better, because he has so many more loved ones. And it's more interesting.
• The way that 'Nathan' - an alternate counterpart who uses the name to avoid confusion, since "'Other Harry' is already taken" - tells Harry (inevitably in an indirect and snarky manner) that he's sure Harry won't become the Dark Phoenix: Self-confidence.
• Harry considering the other three Triwizard champions his Protectorates. They're older than him, and he barely knows two of them, but neither of those things matter to him: They need his help, and so he will go out of his way to protect them, because that's who he is, and what he does.
• Cedric laying out his opinion of Harry:
  "You have a warped sense of humour, a tendency towards melodramatics, and a truly staggering case of Curse-Shock. Also, if I'm honest, a very bad temper." [...] "More important than all those things is this: you're a good person, Harry. More than that, you're a hero." He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "All I need to know is this: how can I help?"
• Harry getting the chance to look out at the stars and Aurora Borealis, and just marvel at the universe. He's seen so many terrible things... but once in a while, he gets to see the beautiful ones, too.
• Wanda giving Harry a hug and telling him that she's more proud than she can say (and, thanks to his telepathy, doesn't have to).
  • She also tells Harry that Strange was capable of being just as overprotective as Madam Pomfrey if the situation demanded it. In light of his failures as a teacher/role model, especially highlighted in this chapter, it's nice to know that he did have his sweet and caring moments, and that Wanda is able to acknowledge them.
• Harry tells Ron that, yes, haring off to rescue the citizens of Hogsmeade was stupid, but even with everything that's come between them, and all the ways that they've both changed, Ron is still a hero in his book, and, with the possible exception of Hagrid, will always be his oldest and best friend.
• Strange mentions that he hasn't often been a teacher, and that most of the time, when he's tried, it hasn't turned out well. There have only been a couple of exceptions to that rule. He then turns to look at Wanda.
  "And of one exception in particular, whose triumph was more due to her own virtues and ability than my own, I could not be more proud."
• Doubling as a Moment of Awesome, Dumbledore staring down in-universe Memetic Badass Stephen Strange and telling him that if he so much as thinks that Strange is using any of his students, or even the other champions, to "make a point," then Strange will regret it. Even more remarkably, Strange visibly takes it onboard - rather than his usual response to threats, stated or implied, which is either to shrug them off or respond in a fashion that is both violent and creative.
• Strange himself reveals that when he turned the volcano created by the Elder Wyrm into a mountain of mithril and vibranium, he also turned it into a place of learning and experimentation for both wandless and wanded mages, with rooms such as offices, laboratories, forges, lecture halls, and a library, to which he's donated some of his own books. It will be funded by the mine that he also created under the mountain and some of his personal bank accounts, and he's also figured out how to provide transportation and accommodation for all of the potential students. While he's not much of a teacher, as a rule, he's definitely out to make up for the deficit.
• Chapter 46 has a series of heartwarming moments, building off of each other: JARVIS informs Steve that Carol came into the gym and is whaling on a punching bag (because she's working off her anger at what happened to Harry as the Red Son at Belova's hands), leading to him coming down and holding the bag for her, understanding that she doesn't want to talk just then. After she sprains her wrist, he patches it up and takes her upstairs for ice cream while gently talking to her about her issues, displaying an excellent understanding of what she's going through (and offering to have 'a talk' speech with Harry if he's the cause - which he is, but not in the way he's thinking). They go through a tub of ice cream together, and Steve even blows a loud raspberry at one point to tease her.
• Harry has a lot of dragon skin from the Elder Wyrm he killed, even after donating a lot of it to Hogwarts. His first thought is to use it to give all of his friends clothes made out of them - including dress robes for Ron and a coat, boots, and trousers for Carol - the latter of which turn out to fit very well.
• The Yule Ball comes up and naturally, Harry has to find himself a date. His first, last and only option is, of course, Carol. So, he asks her out to Hogsmeade, remarks almost absent-mindedly that she's 'beautiful' (not just physically, but spiritually, having seen her mind) and goes completely Adorkable by pulling out a (slightly squashed) Viscaria flower and stumbling in explaining that it means "will you dance with me?" in flower language, but that they can go as friends if that's what she wants. Carol takes it, says no one's ever given her flowers, and then they share their First Kiss.
  Bucky: About damn time.
• While there's some grumbling from more conservative members of the Wizarding World over Harry taking a Muggle to the Yule Ball (and it's hinted that the main reason there isn't more is that Harry frightens people - and if he doesn't, his uncle certainly does), overall it's shown that everyone, both Harry and Carol's friends and family, are thrilled with the Relationship Upgrade.
  • Well, except for Jack O'Neill, who grudgingly supposes that Harry will do. Probably.
• Harry and Carol themselves spend the following chapter flirting (even more blatantly than usual), enjoying a (not-too-sexual) Mating Dance, and generally having a wonderful time, even exchanging a few kisses. For once, Carol is almost as Adorkable as Harry usually is, while he's gone into full-on Prince Charming mode.
  • Hagrid being a Shipper on Deck for them, and bonding immediately with Carol. Harry mentions to Carol that he would trust the former with his, Carol's, or Ada's lives in an instant, and she notes that if not for her family potentially being at risk, she would absolutely be willing to trust him with the secret of her heritage.
• Sean sees Ron brooding and angry, due to a variety of factors (his jealousy regarding Hermione and Krum, lack of a date, and usual irritation with Harry's close-mouthed nature being prominent among them), gives him a firm but sympathetic talk, and encourages him to do something productive with his friends rather than either a) sulk, or b) storm over and have a row with his friends. The message is certainly both understood and appreciated, and he's later mentioned to be spending time with his House-mates and looking fairly happy.
• When Ginny has a brief Freak Out over her feelings for Diana, Harry reassures her that there's nothing wrong with her, and that anyone who tries to bully her for being what she is has to go through him, if she wants to play it that way (noting, as he does, that when he tried to do it with Luna, it didn't exactly work out, but he's still willing). This is quickly shown to be backed up by her brothers and Hermione as well. Even Cedric, who's a few years older and doesn't know Ginny at all, is willing to stand up for her.
  • Later, it's mentioned that Draco Malfoy, as well, is one of the people sticking up for her.
• Mixed with Tear Jerker; for the last dance, Doctor Strange dresses up in the formal bardic gear he wore back when he was known as Taliesin and was part-time Court Bard to Arthur Pendragon, and plays an ancient antique crwth (a Welsh semi-lyre/proto-violin), indicated to be his original instrument. What song is he playing? One that only one other living person has ever heard, because he's only ever played it once before, when he was a mortal young man: the First Dance for Arthur and Guinevere's wedding. Now, it's the Last Dance, part of his signal that he's on his way out. And who is he playing it for? Harry and Carol, of course, the last couple on the dance-floor. Shipper on Deck indeed.
• When he hears that Jean's boyfriend cheated on her and - this being the straw that breaks the camel's back - that she lashed out at Maddie (who unwittingly revealed it... in front of him... and in front of their parents) in anger, embarrassment, and humiliation, Harry storms over to the Xavier Institute and with a mixture of sympathy and threats to blow her door down (or just vanish it entirely), stops Jean from bottling up her anger and gets her and Maddie to talk.
  • Having been the target of Jean's anger, Maddie sends a psychic projection of herself to Avengers Mansion, and Pepper and Harry comfort her.
• Upon hearing the news (and talking Harry down from his first inclination, which was to turn Matthews into a frog), Thor, Sirius, and Loki start working on a list of more subtle spells of punishment, which they'll offer to Jean to choose from.
• Carol's friends give Harry an If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her... speech. Feeling mischievous and mildly irritated, Harry gives them the a taste of his powers and, in his Voice of the Legion, asks if they think they can really take him. The answer? Maybe not, but they'll damn well try.
  • Particularly heartwarming given that they're pretty much the only pure Muggles in the story. No powers, no combat training, no special abilities or connections (as far as they know, anyway)... they just care about their friend, and don't want to see her hurt.
• The Avengers' Christmas dinner (which by authorial admission, is largely taken from the chapter 73 Christmas special, but altered to suit), in which Jean-Paul, Uhtred, Diana, Coulson, Fury, Dresden, and Wanda join them, is just one long heartwarming moment.
• In the following chapter, Thor taking some time to just be, and enjoy being with his son. In fact, most of the chapter is Thor bonding with his father and Harry getting to spend quality time with Uhtred and his grandma.
• For Christmas, Strange had to pull some strings (and by pull some strings, we mean commit genocide against the Red Court, curing Susan Rodriguez in the process) in order to introduce Wanda and her apprentice to someone very important: she's named Margaret Angelica Rodriguez-Dresden, and she's the most beautiful thing Harry Dresden has ever seen.
  • The humongous butterfly unleashed by Strange completely destroying the Red Court means Maggie will get to grow up with her parents. And maybe it won't be the most conventional childhood, but she still gets one. With both her parents.
  • It's not dwelt on, but for a while, Strange got to simply sit and hold a baby while waiting for Harry and Wanda to return to the apartment. Given that he's usually busy manipulating everyone, murdering monsters, and battling evil, it's really nice that he got to spend some time doing something so pleasant.
• Gorakhnath has strong parental vibes towards his current disciple Nagraj, and it's apparently reciprocated since the young man calls him "baba".
  • He also turns out to be a kindly (if sometimes blunt) mentor towards Harry as well, encouraging him and helping him understand the universe in a different way.
• At the end of chapter 53, Ron and Harry begin a game of chess and engage in a little friendly bickering, in a way they haven't been shown doing in a long, long time.
• In the midst of Bucky's What the Hell, Hero? speech towards Hermione, Ron gently squeezes her hand in support.
• After Dresden unloads to Murphy how Strange manipulated his mother to ensure that he would be born, stating that he feels like a pawn and doesn't know who he is anymore, she comforts him. Specifically, she states that it doesn't matter what influence Strange had on his life or for what purpose, he gets to decides who he is, and that he is still one of the best people she's ever met.
• While Strange is quite blunt in a talk with Jean and Maddie about their potential power (Phoenix and non-Phoenix) and the threat Surtur could pose through their Phoenix connection/because of their relationship with and connections to Harry, he apologises for not being able to be more gentle. He also makes a point to reassure them that his fears are of what could be done to them, he sees no darkness in either of them. Focusing on Maddie, who naturally has great fears about becoming a monster, he promises that their hearts are gold.

  Strange: And gold does not tarnish. No matter what muck it is exposed to.

• Harry finally meets Clark and immediately takes a big-brotherly role, guiding him, seeking to protect him, and empathising with him based on shared experiences, hopes, and fears, and encourages him to find out where he came from in order to understand who he is and accept his identity - something he should not fear, because no matter what he discovers and how he changes, he will still always be Clark.
  • His general brotherly protectiveness of Clark, and the way the two banter like siblings when they meet again the next morning, is also pretty sweet. Not only do they look like siblings, to an extent, they even act like it too.
• Much of Chapter 56 is dedicated to one long, affectionate snark-match between Harry, Chloe, Lex, and Clark, with Harry supporting, encouraging, and mentoring Clark (sometimes in a blunt and snarky kind of way, but still).
• Clark finally accepts his Kryptonian heritage, and uses his powers to rescue a crashing plane, including saving Lois Lane (who'd fallen out of the plane through a hole ripped in the side) and her sister (who's still onboard). They almost instantly start up on the mutual snarking/flirting seemingly endemic to this fic, and Lois immediately agrees to keep Clark's involvement secret.
• Harry encourages and praises Clark for his willingness to give Reynolds a second chance, even when Reynolds had shown absolutely no evidence of deserving one and just minutes earlier declared his intention to drain Clark dry. In the process, he makes clear that in his opinion, Rousseau Was Right, and despite his own Cynicism Catalyst, he believes in the value of idealism (albeit moderated with a little pragmatism) and the Power of Trust despite his own fears that he's no longer capable of it. It shows that even despite everything Harry's gone through, he is still The Idealist at heart.
• During his visit to the Kents in the aftermath of the fight with Reynolds, Strange gives Jonathan and Martha two bottles. When asked, Stephen tells them it's an infertility cure, and that he is giving it (and the chance to have more children, siblings for Clark) to them as a gift for being such great, loving parents to Clark. When Jonathan points out that he could have used that to try and bribe them to take Clark in and that it would be entirely in character with what he knows of Strange, Strange simply replies, "if you had needed paying, you would not have been worth the price." The implication is clear.
• Strange apologizes to Clark for being unable to save Krypton, or at least his parents, tells him that there might be other surviving Kryptonians (although he does temper that by pointing out it is unlikely) and gives him a phone number, in case he ever needs to talk.
  • He then carefully asks Tony to take Harry to Avengers Mansion, because he can tell Harry is close to crashing again and needs to be with people that can help him get through a PTSD episode, bitterly telling Tony that he did everything in his power to help Harry but was unable to, because Harry needs to face the problem himself in order to get through. For all the cold, smooth Magnificent Bastard act he puts on, it clearly shows that he genuinely cares about Harry.
• Harry does his best to help Clark with his girl problems, despite admitting how his own experiences aren't anyone's definition of normal, and calls him cousin. Clark has a nice feeling at being related (however distantly and strangely) to someone from his biological family.
• It's mentioned that the White Council folks who took custody of Reynolds are going to try to get the demon out of him and see if he qualifies for diminished responsibility (albeit that it's very unlikely). The fact that they're willing to try, even and especially in a case like Reynold's, shows that they're not monsters who enjoy hacking people's heads off; they really do try to do the best they can.
• Maddie uses her psychic projection to ask Ron and Hermione to help her aid Harry during his PTSD episode. The two of them immediately say that of course they're going to help.
• They are not the only ones: Jean and Maddie contact with all the people Harry has helped and ask for their help to help Harry.
  "Harry is hurting. Please, please help."
  The reply was even simpler, instant, and unanimous.
  "Yes. Yes, of course we'll help."
  It is said that people show their true selves when they ask for help.
  This is apparently logical. Like many apparently logical things, it is also wrong.
  People do not show their true selves when asking for help. They show their true selves when they respond.
  • While of course one would expect people like Harry's close friends and family to be there, even people he doesn't know all that well—Dresden (who's never even exchanged dialogue with Thorson onscreen - though he did previously go up to bat for him with the White Council and was willing to become the Winter Knight to save him), T'Challa, Gorakhnath, Nathan (who is him, albeit from an alternate universe), the Genius Loci of Asgard herself, and many more—join in the group who care for him and want to be there to help.
• Steve, meanwhile, finally takes up the role of Carol's de facto dad at Pepper's instigation (not just acting the part, as he has been for a while, but accepting it). He does his best to help Carol, who is quite upset from the combination of what Harry suffered and her own reaction to Harry flinching from her passing resemblance to Belova. In the process, he points out that Harry's negative reaction is very minor - if, as Carol feared, he actually perceived her as being like Belova, he'd classify her as a threat on instinct. And his response to threats usually involves craters that can be seen from orbit. Yet he let her close and he didn't object to her presence, even when he kept flinching whenever he saw her hair and eyes, because on the most fundamental level, he knew that he could trust her. The only problem is convincing his body of this.
• After the previous night's incident, Pepper gets Harry to feed baby Ada.
• Upon returning to Hogwarts, Ron, Hermione, Betsy, Sean, Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonagall, Cedric, Ginny, and even Draco Malfoy all show in their own individual ways that they are there for Harry.
• In the aftermath of Ginny's kiss with Diana, there's a bit of a shake among the Weasleys. Molly is unsure of how to feel about it, but when Great-Aunt Muriel starts making unpleasant comments, Molly falls upon the elder woman with all the rage of a Mama Bear (the words "not my daughter, you bitch!" may have been involved).
• Clark visits Lois to check on her, and the two continue their flirting/snarking from the previous episode, even as they assure each other that they are fine (or as fine as one can be) in the aftermath of the fight with Reynolds.
• Sirius getting to show Harry around the Forbidden Forest is sweet both because it's a nice instance of them bonding—which, sadly, hasn't happened for most of the book—and because seeing Harry's wide-eyed wonder is a very pleasant change from his recent demeanour.
• Harry being determined to enter the Fortress and save Hermione and Ron, no matter how dangerous Hagrid tells him it is.
• After Ron's wand is broken, Harry assures him that Strange can fix it. And if he can but won't, he'll have to answer to Harry for it.
• When Hermione gets possessed and Ron is sent out of the way, he bursts onto the Durmstrang ship, wakes up Krum, and tells him that Hermione is in danger. Viktor's immediate response is to roll out of bed, grab his broom and wand, and hurry them both to her side.
• While inside Harry's mental landscape, Hermione gets several moments:
  • She meets Lily, who's happy to have the chance to speak with one of her son's friends (who's also her goddaughter), and gently nudges Hermione towards the truth about her heritage.
  • Harry's mindscape includes several doors. One is labelled 'Secrets', which Hermione steers well clear of despite her curiosity and how it 'weeps with regrets', because it's only right and she implicitly trusts Harry to share any secret that relates to her or Ron. Of course, this becomes Harsher in Hindsight, because Harry is keeping massive secrets from both of them.
  • One of the others isn't named, but it's blatantly obvious where it leads: it's made of silver-white wood, shows signs of being regularly opened, and the carvings are smoothed by careful and frequent attention. Those carvings? Viscaria, twining through white-flowering ivy, in an arch that's crowned by three roses, one golden-yellow, another ruby red, and another a warm blue. And since Harry read up on floriography at Betsy's suggestion to ask out Carol...
    • Viscaria means 'will you dance with me?' and is the flower that Harry used to ask Carol out.
    • Ivy means fidelity, eternity, affection and attachment, and it's associated with the legend of Tristan and Isolde, one version of which has a rose bush growing out of Isolde's grave and ivy from Tristan's, the two intertwining no matter how often they're separated.
    • A golden-yellow rose means friendship, joy, and caring, referring back to the idea/resolve that if everything fails, their friendship will remain.
    • A classic red rose means true love, passion, commitment, and respect.
    • A blue rose represents perfect and fulfilled love (in Asia), and mystery and impossibility (in the West) - it's a way of saying that someone is unique and extraordinary.
    • As one reviewer pointed out, each rose can also refer to all Jean, Carol, and Maddie, respectively - platonic caring love, true romantic love, and sought after mystery. Word of God has admitted that while he didn't intend it, it fits perfectly.
    • It's also worth noting that ivy also symbolises marriage, and arches - particularly those decorated with flowers - are also symbolically closely associated with marriage. Foreshadowing? Knowing the author, you can't rule it out...
• Ron becomes furious when he understands Harry knew about Hermione's true parentage and kept mum, feeling his best friend is becoming untrustworthy... but also feeling it's unfair to hide this from Hermione and that she deserves to learn her origins.
• Dumbledore stays by Hermione's bedside throughout the evening and the following day, patiently listens to her lash out, and tells her Wanda's story (and some of Magneto's, too). She still has a lot of justified anger, which he notes - as he makes clear, he's not advocating for Wanda or trying to manipulate Hermione into forgiveness of her or anyone else. Instead, he simply helps Hermione to begin to see why the secrets were necessary, and she comes to understand her mother a little better.
  • He is also welcoming and supportive to Krum, in a clear contrast from Karkaroff.
• Also regarding Krum, Harry is seen having a silent but intense conversation with him before Krum stands up to Karkaroff and says that he wants to stay with Hermione, implicitly encouraging him to do so. This is supported by the fact that immediately after, he's at Krum's side and giving Karkaroff the kind of calculating look that focuses on his jugular and warns him to back off.
• Sirius talks to Ron, relating to how he, too, had a best friend, practically a brother, who one day became something completely different, and knowing how hard it is. He compares it to regeneration— Thor and Harry may look different and act somewhat differently, but they are still the same person at heart.
• Natasha helps counsel Carol, having been in the same situation as both her (loving someone with a truckload of issues who refuses to share them out of fear of exclusion) and Harry (raised in a highly abusive situation, developing certain behaviours to compensate and avoid punishment, twisted and dehumanised into a Red Room weapon), and gives her some advice on how to help him.
• Chapter 2 of Unfinished Business:
  • Mentions Waylon Jones (Killer Croc of DC fame) has a fantastic relationship with Gambit, both of them bonding over their not-so-conventional appearances and the ensuing bullying (a young Remy was ostracized for his Technicolor Eyes by the other kids, Waylon for looking like a seven feet tall crocodile). Additionally, in spite of being Trapped in Villainy for a long time because of his looks, Waylon didn't let that deter him from involving himself in helping at a homeless shelter and Alcoholics Anonymous (the latter is actually canon - he was Roy Harper's AA sponsor pre-52). And he managed to earn a happy ending by opening an online bakery.
  • Crossing over with Awesome, it also reveals the sheer extent of the blood that Harry willingly donated to save Carol's life in Bloody Hell - 4 pints. An adult has about 10 pints of blood in their body. Harry had already donated about half a pint to cure Peter, and having been skewered through the shoulder by Dracula, according to Gwen the police found him already suffering from significant blood loss. Given that he'd been moved by Strange, he'd likely left some behind, and there's at least one large artery in the shoulder. All told, he probably gave up most of the blood left in his body to save her - something which probably should have killed him.
• Chapter 5 of Unfinished Business has Carol demonstrating significant amounts of big-sisterly protectiveness towards Peter Parker, during and after the Symbiote incident, reassuring him and then pulling him into a tight hug (and sneaks in a Mythology Gag).
  Peter: This is nice.
• In Chapter 6 of Unfinished Business, Peter has a Freak Out over the current situation — that after everything he went through in Bloody Hell, he's now transformed in a way he doesn't understand and is in another life-threatening situation — and in response, Holocron!Strange apologizes for overlooking Peter's mental scars from his previous experience, and gives his word that not only will he ensure everyone makes it out alive, but that he'll actually explain to Peter what's happened to him.
• Gambit's Big Brother Instinct towards Peter and Monica is subtle but evident—it's clear he won't let anything happen to the two kids while he has anything to say about it.
• Holocron!Strange briefly reminisces that magic isn't just about playing with dangerous and arcane forces: "There is wonder, too...Wonder and beauty like nothing you could ever imagine."
• Dumbledore offers Wanda a drink to cope with the aftereffects of Hermione lashing out at her, and promises that Hermione will be supported as much as possible.
  • Notably, when Dumbledore makes it clear to Strange that the latter will be verbally raked over the coals for not taking better care of Hermione, Strange takes this onboard with a grimace. Both of them know that not even Odin could pin down Strange if he didn't want to, so the level of respect shown here is very heartwarming.
• After informing her that she was prophesied to possibly destroy the world, Wanda asks Strange if he took her in and trained her out of arrogance, part of his plans, or compassion. He gently touches her cheek and tells her the real question isn't whether he was motivated by compassion. It's, "how could he not be?"
• Carol and Steve sharing a quiet heart-to-heart at the end of Unfinished Business, and her finally calling him "dad."
• Harry and Carol quietly supporting each other after the events of Unfinished Business and the Fallen Fortress, neither pushing the other to talk about what they experienced yet helping to process it healthily.
• Dumbledore and Betsy supporting Ron, telling him that what happened at the Fortress is not his fault, and even empathizing with his fears and worries.
• Magneto, of all people, tells Ron he's glad Ron is his granddaughter Hermione's friend and that he's much better than he believes himself to be, capping it with the hope that Ron won't make the same mistakes Magneto made when he was his age.
• Harry and Carol offering friendly advice to Clark about his burgeoning relationship with Lois and how to manage things with Chloe.
  • Lois complaining about Clark thoroughly ruining any hope to pass as an impressive, godlike being by being his dorky self is hilarious, but it also shows she's actually falling for Clark Kent, naive and awkward and sweet farm boy. Not Superman. Just Clark.
• Hermione getting to meet and have a nice conversation with her grandfather. Magneto sympathizes with her, encourages her to accept and master her chaos magic, and they form a strong connection.
• Crossing over with Awesome, Magneto and McGonagall square up to each other, both wanting very strongly to protect Hermione, even if they disagree on how to do it.
• Even if Scott is unhappy with the fact that he was cloned, he nonetheless bluntly acknowledges Remy is a person instead of a weapon and admits he misses having a brother.
• Strange reveals that he knows how to fix Scott's mutation, but he's been holding on to that knowledge for a while until he was absolutely sure, because he takes his medical ethics very, very seriously.
• Harry at last has a talk with Ron and Hermione, where he's (almost) entirely open and honest with them for what is probably the first time this book. He admits that he's terrified of not being able to protect them from the monsters and villains in his life or from the trauma that inevitably follows those confrontations, and begs Ron to avenge his father rather than take revenge on HYDRA, not because they don't deserve it, but because he deserves better.
• Despite his usual gruffness, Fury is surprisingly gentle with Daniel Jackson, even sympathizing with the shock of suddenly having your world turned upside down and realizing that the universe is so much bigger and stranger than you had ever imagined.
• Michael Carpenter remains the literal and metaphorical Knight in Shining Armor he's always been, serving as a confidante and mentor not just for his wife and daughter, but also both Thomas and Wanda. Notably, he is furious when he hears that Lord Raith didn't tell his children what they were until after the first time they'd killed a sexual partner by accident, in order to make them more efficient monsters.
• At Michael's encouragement, Wanda finally sits down and has a heart-to-heart with Hermione, promising that she's here for whatever her daughter needs (even if it's just someone to scream at). While Hermione is still not ready to forgive her, she at least agrees to hear her out by giving her mother the chance to answer her questions, which Wanda readily agrees to. It won't fix everything, but it's a start.
• Strange takes a few minutes to talk to Ron, answer at least some of his questions, and empathize with his issues, most notably the pain of losing a loved one without even being able to say goodbye.
  "One of the other questions that burns away at you is, 'what is my place in all of this.' It is written right through you. That place is what you choose to make of it. One day, all the realms may rest on your shoulders, Ronald Weasley. All I ask is this: remember who you are."
  • What's particularly heartwarming, in a way, is that Ron chased down Strange, and instead of dismissing him, Strange takes the time to talk to him and empathize with him.
  • Strange also mentions that when he was raising Wanda, he spent roughly sixty years looping back and forth through time in order to keep an eye on her. He then immediately adds, completely sincerely, that it was worth it.

Book III: The Phoenix and the Serpent

• It turns out that Strange really wasn't kidding about sending Harry on a relaxing trip; it turns out that he's been Walking the Earth in the deep past, and by all indications that Sunniva gets from people he's encountered, he's not simply working out his feelings by leaving a trail of destruction wherever he goes. Instead, he's genuinely much more relaxed and enthusiastically doing all sorts of ordinary things like learning how to make dugout canoes and pemmican, asking lots of questions about interesting magic, or simply playing the flute that Hagrid gave him (and that Strange had inlaid with mithril). It gives off the impression of Harry being far more carefree than he has been for a long time.
  • It's also nice to see that he's remembered fondly by the people he's met, who clearly didn't hesitate to gently tease him.
• Sunniva is shown to be a little snobbish, prideful, and with a few preconceptions regarding prehistoric humanity and Earth in general. However, she's also polite, respectful, abhors seeking out worship, and is very willing to very quickly and very thoroughly re-examine her personal biases, increasingly finding wonder and joy in humanity and Earth. Her empathising with and fascination towards Harry is rather sweet too. She mostly comes across as quite young (for all that at this point, she's older than Thor) and very sheltered, despite being a comparatively experienced Phoenix Host, but nonetheless Spoiled Sweet.
• Shou-Lao and Sunniva helping Harry to work through his issues, particularly his guilt over having killed the Red Army and many of his anger issues as well.
  Shou-Lao: "You have shown so much compassion to those in need of a second chance. Even when they did not believe they deserved it, you had no doubt. Be fair, young Phoenix. Show yourself that same compassion."
• Sunniva reflects on how Shou-Lao, looking out over K'un L'un, is truly proud of it and what is being done there. Not in a condescending way, but with clear respect and appreciation towards the people there. That by itself shows just how different he is from "Dave" and Surtur, that he places such value on mortal lives and accomplishments.
• In general, Harry and Sunniva's interactions overall tend to fall into this, with both of them gently teasing each other, but also in awe of each other's skills. She's gobsmacked by his combat prowess and resiliency, while he is equally astonished by her mastery of wielding the Phoenix.
• Harry striking up a friendship with Hal Jordan. Hal has been doing his best to keep the people in his sector as safe as possible, despite wielding a Ring with minimal power and being in an utterly bizarre and scary world. Both Harry and the Lady Knight comment on his courage, heroism, and determination. When he tiredly explains that it's really hard for him to believe in miracles, Harry restores his faith by supercharging the Ring's power.
• After two years/eight months/fifteen months/fifteen years (given the weirdness of Sakaar and the amount of time-traveling Harry's done, all are technically true), Harry gets to reunite with Sue Storm, who, despite everything she's been through since then, remains just as sweet and kind as ever. She and Reed have even had a baby!
• Harry promises that, if Johnny is being...taken advantage of...that he will do what he did at the Battle of London, and make an Elder God scream.
• Harry getting to bond with Buri, who's a pretty cool mentor as well as former Allfather, and having some nice conversations with him. While the emphasis is on the trauma they received from Bor, it's also clear to see where a lot of the best characteristics of the Asgardian Royal Family come from.
• Harry’s reunion with Carol in chapter fifteen. Before he even sees her, he's publicly playing his flute, and Carol doesn't want to interrupt him because she's a little entranced and thinks he might stop if she notices. Then, he shifts gears into another song, which as band girl Glory Grant points out, proves he has definitely noticed - a rendition of “Pretty Woman.” Then, they swiftly melt into a long-overdue kiss, which Glory, Ned (who's a little gobsmacked) and Peter agree is exceptionally cute.