Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. If I did I would be a much richer man. All credit goes to JK Rowling and the fine folks at Disney and Marvel. Thanks for letting me use the characters in my story.

*AUTHORS NOTE*: I know it says this is a crossover but the vast majority of it is taking place in the Potter universe with bits of Marvel sprinkled in.

Prologue

Thanos was so close. Just a few more steps and he would have it.

The energy barrier chafed and burned against his skin but he could not be denied in this moment. He was invincible and nothing would stop him from his quest. Not Stark, not the Avengers, not even the witch in front of him.

The stones on his wrist whispered urgently in his mind, anxious to be reunited with their final sibling.

Finally, after all these years he would have them all…

*Crack*

The explosion washed over Thanos like a dry desert wind. It wasn't painful, barely an tickle to the massive titan, but it still drove the air from his lungs.

The Mind Stone. Destroyed.

Everything stopped. In that moment, all his plans burned in front of his eyes.

With only 5 stones, he could not perform his destiny, his purpose, his great contribution to the universe.

Everything Gone.

He grimly watched as the broken shards of the Mind stone rained down around him like confetti, taunting him. His mind whirled. He looked at the woman sitting on the ground.

"I understand my child. More than anyone." Thanos said

"You could never" she whispered at him

"Today, I lost more than you can know"

He glanced briefly at his wrist, and then was struck by an idea.

He may be defeated.

But he wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot

"But now is no time to mourn. Now is no time at all"

He activated the time stone.

She stared vacantly at him as he reversed the flow of time around them. Thanos grabbed the newly repaired Vision by the neck. He barely even noticed the android's struggle as he pulled the stone from its forehead.

Finally.

With reverence, Thanos dropped the final stone into his gauntlet.

Power like nothing he had ever felt coursed through him.

Multi colored energy raced up his arm and into his chest. He felt it exploding through him like a supernova. It pulled at his soul, attempting to assert dominance over him. He knew that if his will faltered, even for a second, he would be destroyed, his body and soul turned to ash.

But he would not be denied. Not now. He was now a god.

He raised his fingers, about to snap his fingers and complete his mission…

A sickening thud echoed throughout the trees.

Thanos weakly looked down at the axe that extended out of his neck, and the enraged Norse god on the other end of it.

"I told you" Thor spat driving the axe further into Thanos's windpipe, "that you would die for that."

Thanos weakly attempted to raise his hand but failed.

Like all living creatures when they are mortally wounded and deprived of air, Thanos's thoughts became a haze of panic. All thoughts of his mission were driven from his mind as one thought consumed him: He needed to get away from here and find air.

Now most creatures have this exact thought on their death beds, and it usually makes no difference to their overall fates

But most creatures weren't wearing all six infinity stones on their wrist.

Thanos felt the stones activate as he began to fall backwards.

Thor looked around confused.

One second, his axe had been imbedded in the throat of the giant purple monster that had almost wiped out the universe. Now he was gone, leaving the axe lying on the jungle floor.

Thor looked up, half expecting Thanos to be hiding in the trees waiting to strike.

Nothing. All was quiet

Thor could see his allies emerging from the trees: A man in a panther suit, Banner, Steve, even Groot and the Rabbit were there. They all looked as confused as him.

"Thor" said Steve, "Where did he go?"

Thanos landed with a boom onto the hard unforgiving ground. His ruined throat let out a wet gurgle.

It was colder here. He found himself laying on the edge of a large forest.

In the distance, he could see a great castle extending towards the sky and four figures hurrying towards him. Two men and two women, each holding a short length of wood that they brandished at him as they approached.

"Explain yourself creature" the taller man in red roared "How did you get past Hogwarts's boundaries!"

"Godric be still" the woman in yellow snapped. "Look at its throat. Whatever it is, it's clearly dying."

"Dying or not, Helga, it could still be dangerous. Your kindness will be the death of us all one day." The man in green sneered.

"I'll just have to have enough for both of us then, won't I" Helga shot back. She knelt next to Thanos's head.

"Can we help you somehow?"

He attempted to slide the gauntlet towards her.

Thanos managed to utter a few words "Protect…infinity…stones. Balance…"

He did not speak again.

And so it was that the mad titan Thanos expired next to a magical castle in a universe that was very different from his own.

End of Prologue