Chapter 79: The Arrival of the Ancient One
The rain outside fell steadily, a soft drumming against the high glass windows of the upper towers, but inside Hogwarts Island, the weather seemed distant. The systems George had built—both magical and managerial—were working smoothly, with his team running operations across continents. He only stepped in when necessary, mostly just checking in on key projects or responding to urgent developments. Everything else was delegated.
Today, like most days lately, George was experimenting.
He'd been refining his teleportation method, building on the concepts behind Apparition, Portkeys, and ancient magical arrays. His goal was to create something more efficient, smoother, maybe even safer. A magic circle shimmered on the stone floor, etched in silver thread and softly pulsing with light. George stood in its center, feeding in magic—measured, controlled, layering one sequence over the next.
And then it happened.
Just as the circle began to hum in a new frequency, George felt a sharp ripple in the space around him—different from his own magic. It was subtle, almost elegant, and then—
Golden sparks appeared mid-air across from him.
They danced outward in a circular motion, forming a bright ring of light, flickering like sunlight on water. A doorway opened in the air itself, and a figure stepped out—calm, bald, draped in yellow robes, smiling with an unreadable serenity.
"If I were you," she said, her voice light but firm, "I'd stop channeling energy into the circle beneath your feet."
George had already stopped the moment he saw the sparks. His instincts told him exactly what this was. Not just anyone could open a portal like that.
This was someone from Kamar-Taj.
And now, standing before him, was the Sorcerer Supreme herself—the Ancient One. A being of immense power, a guardian of Earth, a wielder of the Time Stone.
George stared at her, startled but not afraid.
"You…" he began.
"Hello," she replied pleasantly.
"You know who I am?" he asked, regaining his composure.
"I didn't. Not at first," she said, stepping toward him. "But time doesn't move in a straight line. Across certain timelines, across enough repetition… eventually, we always meet."
There was something both kind and cryptic in her words. George understood—at least in part. She hadn't come randomly. She'd been drawn here.
It must've been the circle.
Something about his experimentation must've brushed up against the magic wards set by Kamar-Taj to protect Earth from outside dimensions. That, or something in his presence.
George stayed calm, but alert. She hadn't come to fight—otherwise, she wouldn't have spoken at all.
Her eyes flicked toward the array on the ground.
"Yes, space magic is delicate here," she said, her voice still gentle but now laced with caution. "Best not to test the barriers too carelessly. One wrong sequence and you might crack open a door you don't know how to close."
George exhaled and gave a small bow of apology. "Understood. My mistake."
She smiled faintly. "No harm done. Not yet, anyway."
Then, without any change in expression, she stepped forward and reached out toward his chest.
George moved instantly, instinctively. He twisted back to dodge—but she was faster. Her other hand caught his wrist. There was a gentle tug, a flick of her palm—and George felt a strange pull, like something inside him had just been yanked loose.
His vision shimmered.
For a second, he was looking at his own body—from outside it.
But before he could even process the feeling, his soul snapped back into place.
It was jarring. Not painful, but strange.
The Ancient One blinked in surprise.
"You returned instantly," she said, lowering her hand.
George stepped back, preparing to use a Portkey if necessary.
"Sorry about that," she said calmly. "When your spell triggered our dimensional wards, I had to verify something. There's an aura around you—something dimensional. I thought your body might have been occupied by an outside entity. Soul separation is a reliable test."
George gave a cautious nod. "Makes sense. I would've done the same, I guess."
She studied him again. Not with suspicion now, but curiosity.
"You're unique," she said. "Clearly, you've obtained abilities, or knowledge, or even artifacts from other dimensions. But your soul… it's fully your own. That's all I needed to know."
"Then what now?" George asked, more out of respect than worry.
The Ancient One turned, glanced back toward the fading sparks of her portal.
"You've opened a path—accidentally or not—toward higher magic," she said. "And space, especially in this universe, is layered, dangerous. What you touched today was minor. But the next circle you draw could open something much worse. You need guidance."
"Kamar-Taj?" George asked.
She nodded. "Come when you can. We won't confine you. You're not our prisoner. But we do have knowledge—especially on spatial and dimensional frameworks—that you'll find useful. And more importantly, that you'll need if you want to avoid catastrophe."
George hesitated for only a moment.
"I still have many responsibilities," he admitted. "I can't stay there long."
"You don't have to," she replied. "Our library is open to you. Learn what you need. Leave when you wish."
That was the kind of deal George liked.
But there was one more thing.
"When you said I had the aura of another dimension… what exactly did you mean?" George asked. His tone was steady, but this part mattered. If he had unknowingly been infected or marked by some presence during his time using the "three thousand worlds," that could be a real threat.
The Ancient One tilted her head slightly.
"There's a trace," she said. "Not malicious. Not invasive. But real. Some part of you is not… entirely from here. Perhaps something you've acquired. Perhaps something still waiting inside you. But it's dormant. For now."
She didn't seem concerned. Which, strangely, comforted George.
"There are books at Kamar-Taj," she said. "If you're interested, you'll find what you're looking for."
George smiled. "Then I'd be honored to learn."
He meant it. The knowledge stored in that place—on the Mirror Dimension, on spatial teleportation, even on how to channel external entities like the Vishanti—was unlike anything else on Earth. He knew he wouldn't be granted access to the Time Stone or its secrets, but that didn't matter.
There was so much more to learn.
She didn't say it aloud, but both of them knew she couldn't see George's past or future clearly. Not in the same way she saw others. That had been clear from the moment she arrived. It didn't unsettle her.
She could still feel the shape of him through the people around him.
That was enough.
And when she had touched his soul, when she'd confirmed the unity between body and spirit, she was satisfied. There was no parasite, no puppetmaster.
Just George.
People like him weren't new to her. Others had walked with dimensional power before—some heroes, some monsters. Ghost Rider. Scarlet Witch. Strange, one day. But George… he hadn't done anything wrong.
Not yet.
And so, with no further questions, George nodded once more.
Together, they stepped through the portal into Kamar-Taj.