The Lightning Empress

A/N: So I've watched the Shazam movie at the cinema, and I absolutely loved it. And then it got me thinking about Harry Potter. One of the unanswered questions I had about the HP Universe is why he had a lightning bolt in the first place and what it meant. So I decided to see how this goes.

As always reviews are welcome id like to point out that I'm not finished with the Forces of Darkness story yet and I am currently continuing it. I want to see how far I can go with this.

Chapter 1: Strong Spirit and Pure of Heart

Nine-year-old Holly Potter wiped away the streak of blood oozing from her lip numbly getting back to her feet much to the annoyance of the five larger boys one including the much larger cousin Dudley Dursley.

Eight years ago Holly Potter had been left on the doorstep of the Dursleys as a baby with nothing but a blanket and a letter to which she was never given the right to read to explain her past life before arriving on Privet Drive. Petunia and Vernon Dursley had treated her like vermin from a young age at least from when she understood the concept of love and hate, in an odd way it never bothered her — even staying in the cupboard under the stairs on occasion for the"freakish behaviour" that would earn her locked inside it at least kept them from pestering him temporarily.

Aunt Petunia was thin, blonde haired women with pale glassy eyes and Holly swore that her neck was at least as twice as long helping her spy on the neighbours in her spare time and gossiping their exploits loudly to whoever would listen. She looked similar to a horse when she pursed her lips together. She would be the one to rap outside of his "room" and demand she makes breakfast.

Vernon Durley was big, beefy and sported a sizeable purple face. He had thick dark hair, a busy black moustache (though his hatred towards Holly made him nearly pull it out) with hardly any neck and tiny mean eyes. He would usually be the one to demand that she comb her hair at least once a week and demanding an excess amount of chores to be completed in a short amount of time. He saw his niece in law as nothing more than a worthless piece of existence keeping her demeanour trodden upon never once calling her by name instead addressing her as "girl", "freak" or "You".

And lastly Dudley Dursley. Large for his age blonde hair and small nasty watery blue eyes his body mass was at least twice as large as Hollys the clothing strained to contain his bulging baby fat from lack of exercise and a healthy diet which doctors had recommended for years to what Uncle Vernon had called "rabbit food" was dismissed as trash. Despite being older by five weeks, he was a grotesque and spoiled child pampered by his parents who gave him anything he wanted after performing a ground thumping tantrum (usually with fake tears though hed never really cried in years).

Holly Potter, however, was the complete opposite to all three something to which she thanked merrily in her time with them. She was rather petite her body structure rather small and weak to malnourishment and eating through scraps the Dursleys shoved her way. Stringy coal black hair was tied together in a makeshift ponytail by herself her outfit was a black shirt with disgusting orange bubbles and brown pair of slacks tied together by two belts at once her old shoes were soaked in dirt nearly falling apart.

Which brought up the current events with Holly as per usual beaten to a bloody pulp in the middle of ST. Gregory's Primary School the other children pretended nothing was going on so that they didn't become victims of "Big D" and his merry band of bullies. The teachers were usually vacant on the playground not being paid enough to bother with what happened till the last minute.

(A/N: For those of you that got bullied at school, and the teachers were magically nowhere to be found you all know what I mean by this. )

"Time for another round you little freak, don't worry though this time we decided to play a little more even." Dudley sneered motioning for the other boys to back away a little letting Holly numbly get to his feet wiping the dirt from her overly long trousers handy downs from Dudley that he had to keep wrapped with two worn out belts.

"We decided that we're gonna give you a ten second head start this time. Better start running orphan." spat Piers Polkiss the best friend of Dudly that resembled something like a rat. He would usually be the one to hold people down while Dudley would beat them up.

Holly scrambled back on his feet running away to anywhere any distant corner that would grant her sanctuary from the obnoxious laughter from the gang behind him still resonating in his eardrums luckily they didn't see the streak of tears running down her bruised face. She didn't understand why all this happened to her? Was she not a good person? Did she maybe do something truely awful in a past life to deserve something so vile as being beaten by her own "family"? After running for who knows how long Holly tripped on a loose piece of stone skinning her knee refusing to let her tears fall or squeak in pain to make her emotional wall breakdown and shakily returning to her feet to a limped shuffle. She wished deep in her heart not to be here to be somewhere...anywhere besides this wretched place of Little Winging.

It happened in a flash of light that the world around Holly felt as though it started to slow itself down. A girl playing near the school doors seemed to be frozen in mid-jump her ponytail caught her features, glancing behind her Holly was flabbergasted at Dudlys gang that were slowing down their faces contorted in either rage and nasty sneers only a few metres from her suspended in time. All at once the playground vanished in an explosion of darkness and an internal hard pull on her navel made her feel like she was being squeezed through a small drainpipe giving Harry the sense she was going blind. Or just going mad.

When the darkness around the eyes begun to subside Holly felt her fingers scratching something hard and gritty digging into his fingernails till she realised her face was down on the ground though no longer in the playground...or even remotely at the school. Holly managed to barely pull herself to her feet till her eyes tried adjusting to her surroundings (her glasses had shattered on her mysterious impact, making it even trickier to focus.) Holly couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt a strange flow surrounding her hile in this place like she was more stronger than she ever was a flood of dopamine-fueled her being making her feel rather kiddy instead of scared like any child would naturally be.

She appeared to be standing in a large dimly lit chamber the shadows tried hard to shroud the features but failed just barely. The ceiling was near limitless clouded in what looks like fog, markings carved along the walls in every possible edge cranny and corner in a strange dialect that Holly couldn't understand. On her left was a most curious sight seven statues were lined along in a row facing the opposite wall staring at something in a steely gaze. Tracing their field of vision, Holly noticed what looked like a floating ball of light caged inside of a wooden net.

Edging further inside, Holly noticed something written each of the statues front plates also scratched along though it seemed to be damaged with light cracks and missing stones:

Wraith

Envy

Pride

Lust

Greed

Gluttony

Sloth

Holly blinked looking at the statues again now having a closer inspection she could understand why they looked menacing each with its unique postures such as one with multiple arms, another with an enormous pot belly larger than Uncle Vernon and Dudley combined and another just a head taller than herself much scrawny than the others. A sliver of light flashed to her right catching Hollys attention making her gasp.

It looked like a alter or mini-conference room. Seven chairs were aligned, forming a semi-circle in direction to the sins and the weird floating ball of light. However, Holly's attention was directed to something even more peculiar something that she had might lead to what she had been seeking for all her life there drawn on the wall above in gold was what appeared to a be a lightning bolt glowing faintly.

Holly wondered what all this meant and how she got herself here. She knew that the statues were representations of the seven deadly sins; also known as the cardinal sins are often said to be the pieces of darkness lingering in everybody's hearts, and it is what corrupts a persons nature inflicting it to spread to others.

"Where on earth am I." muttered Holly aloud. Only to jump when her question was answered.

"You are in my home, child."

Shrouded in darkness a form begun to shift from one of the chairs and the sound of something like a cane trotting on the ground moving its sound bouncing off the hollow walls of the place. The figure was a man but very old and tired looking he was dressed in a most unusual attire consisting of a grey cloak reaching to the hem of his feet silvery long hair matching his waist-length beard his entire physical figure aided by what looked like a staff with a glowing blue core protected by contorted looking roots. An identical design of a glowing lightning bolt was printed on his chest.

After he reached closer to Holly, who stared back at him half scared half curious, he paused for a moment before continuing.

"Holly Potter" he spoke in an ethereal voice though it was laced with kindness

"H-How do you know my name," asked Holly

"It matters not how I know dear child but of what I must entail to you. Though I must admit it truly is nice to meet another one of my kind again." the man said cheerily. "You even managed to come here yourself".

Holly stared at him puzzled. "What do you mean by one of your kind. You must mean a human being."

To this, it was the old mans time to be shocked."You mean that you don't understand what you are. You are a witch child."

Holly frowned. "That's not very nice besides everybody knows that magic isn't real.

The man, instead of getting angry like other adults just chuckled. " Oh is it now," he spoke in a humoured tone

Taking his staff, Holly flinched back thinking he might strike her with it instead he raised it a few inches from the ground to jab it into the ground releasing a vast shower of golden spark making the alter gleam in its light. Holly gazed in awe at what she was seeing making the man stare at her in even deeper confusion.

"Is this the first time that you witnessed magic little one."

Holly nodded. "Yeah I mean its the first time for me seeing something that awesome. "

The old man paused for a few minutes before sighing. "Just as I thought. The corruption of the sins still lingers in the world of mortal men; it nearly makes my comrades efforts in vain. But there may still be some hope." he muttered.

"In any case Holly Potter I am the last of the council of wizards that were sworn to protect the world from the plague of the seven deadly sins" the man explained slowly shuffling down struggling a little until Holly with the last few steps to which he flashed her a grateful smile. "Over the centuries my magic has held them back but the cost has been heavy I have used nearly all of my strength and lifeforce. But my time left is not infinite."

Holly looked up at the man a few stains of tears leaking from her face. "Y-You mean that your dying." she sobbed

The elderly wizard smiled somberly at her. "Death is nothing to be ashamed of little one. It will allow me to reconcile with my fallen comrades on the other side to which I considered to be family. But there is still so much for you to understand." He took a weak bony hand weaving away a lock of midnight black hair from Hollys face shielding her lightning bolt scar making him gasp.

"You have seen and experienced many horrors in your short life child." he jabbed his staff into the ground again and the golden sparks formed into three-dimensional images and scenes playing out in Holly's life. Voldemort entering her crib attempting to end her life ending in a flash of emerald green light and a cackle of mad laughter, Dudley making fun of her for her ridiculous haircut which continued to grow overnight before school and once more of just an hour ago of her being picked on by Dudley's gang and other nasty schoolmates. "However no matter how many times darkness tried, it never dimmed your kind heart and spirit. That is why I believe that you are my worthy successor."

"You asked before where you are. You are no longer standing in the mortal world instead of in the source of all magic in this place...the Rock of Eternity. It cannot be located by reasonable means it can be found only between the dimensions away from the reach of mortals. "

Holly looked flabbergasted at that only just slowly coming to terms that magic was real or that she was capable of using that power herself. Finally, after pausing for a few more minutes, a new question crawled in her brain.

"So this council of wizards that protected people...what exactly are we to be protected from."

The wizard pointed his staff to the statues and Holly could make out a curl of a snarl hidden behind his humungous beard eyes bore darkly into them like daggers.

"Long ago in a distant time" the man begun though his voice cracked a little making Holly belie it was a sad story. "The seven when we were all alive selected a Champion to inherit our powers for good and protecting the mortal realm...he did not. Instead, he used his new gifts for revenge and thus releasing and submitting himself to the seven deadly sins of man that corrupted and killed the lives of millions. Nobody was safe."

It took a minute for him to continue while he perched himself on one of the small stairs his eyes a little glassy either from hidden tears or just age. "That is why I vowed to myself to never pass on my power until I found one truly good person. Strong in spirit...pure in heart. However, there is a small test."

Motioning her to follow him the wizard led her to the centre of the room gesturing to the state of the sins all of who changed their eyes bleeding ruby red seemingly following her wherever she went. After a second of silence, voices started to whisper:

Don't listen to him...

The wizard lies...

BE OUR CHAMPION...

We have power...

At the opposite side of the room, the wooden cage containing the glowing orb peeled away letting her take it. Holly never budged her eyes darting from the orb to the wizard and then to the statues. A swirl of thought was clouding her actions one side a tiny and sickly voice tried edging her towards the glowing ball and take it for herself it was grim always demanded more power. Another a more sensitive side told her to block the voices out. A light in her mind that contracted with a curling black mass.

The elderly wizard smiled. "Just as I thought you Holly Potter are the true heir of my power and worthy successor." He brought his staff in front of Holly it shook bluntly on the floor the blue glow slightly brighter. "Lay your hands on my staff and say my name so my powers may flow through you. I open my heart to you Holly Potter and in so doing choose you as champion.

Holly at first reached a hand outwards but stopped halfway her fingers just an inch from the staff before they pulled away again a pulse of disbelief and sadness reaching her heart. "I think that you might have made a mistake mister — I'm no champion I'm just a freak that has the worst luck ever. I don't believe I'm worthy.

The man stared. "And that Holly is why you are worthy of my legacy. You don't seek power or praise; instead, you seek the peace of mind, body and soul. To be accepted but you should know with or without this power you will be glorious in your endeavours to rid this world of the sins that plague it much like your current guardians that have drowned in their envy. This choice is yours.

Holly bit her lip for a few seconds before curling her tiny hands on the staff her emerald green eyes locked with his misty silver ones. "I only have two more questions, mister."

He nodded for her to ask.

"Will I be free from my aunt and uncle if I accept this power," Holly asked timidly.

At this, for the first time, the man laughed heartily. "Child what you see before you shall all be yours should you desire to take my power. But yes you shall have the freedom to do whatever you wish even if it is for...frowned upon purposes," he said cryptically.

Holly was a little confused by what he meant by that but either way beamed at that her smile for the first time in a very long time lit up the room. Finally, after so long begging to any god that might listen, she would be free from the Dursleys at last. No more beatings from her uncle and the leering looks he would give her when his wife wasn't looking, no more would she have to cook their meals for them and be screamed at by the banshee that was Aunt Petunia and no more would she be tormented by Dudley and his gang of goons.

Finally, freedom was hers...

Holly smiled a secret smile grasping the staff with vigour. "So it was rather rude for me to ask, but I didn't catch your name."

The old man looked twice as old, and Holly could swear that she saw a crack forming on his nearly covered neck. "In my lifetime I have been called by many names all of which that have been lost in the rivers of time. But my oldest would be...Shazam. Repeat this name, and you will be adorned with all my power."

Holly took a small breath staring back at Shazam that had closed his own eyes in either concentration for hidden happiness. "Now speak my speak my name."

Holly bellowed. "Shazam"

A massive flash of light enveloped Holly like a cacoon her whole body non-physical instead floated in the phantom-like masking the chamber in its glow, the misty cloud sky above them lit up like a Christmas tree lightning contorted itself inside madly in a flurry of dances. Shazam held the staff high in the air the bones in his arms creaked in protest, but he honestly couldn't care through the euphoria he felt.

"Yes, after so long, my champion has finally been realised and will be endowed by the power of the gods:

Wisdom of Solomon...

Strength of Hercules...

Stamina of Atlas...

Power of Zeus...

Courage of Achilles...

Speed of Mercury...

BANG

A final flood of light poured in the chamber devouring a black parasite looking mist the swarm of inky darkness easily mutilated by the intense light and thunder rendering it to ashes to mop the floor. Finally, the light began to fade convulsing itself until it began to form a shape roughly humanoid, creating a body in its divinity.

The figure was crafted female roughly in her mid-twenties dressed in a skin-tight spandex suit of obsidian black stretching from her well-developed chest between her thighs. The arms, legs, hands, feet were encaged in burgundy red armour lit to life by the burning lightning bolt emblazed on her chest skin was creamy white porcelain adorned by a red sash with white linen tied around her waist. Her hair was midnight black sleek though hidden underneath a matching burgundy red hood, crackles of lightning arching around her like an aura though failed in comparison of beauty to the shining emerald eyes.

The girl slowly began to descend to the ground after the dizziness left her Holly checked herself out sputtering in disbelief at her height and additional...assets. She could feel this power coursing through her chest to her arms and stretching to her fingertips until she gasped at the crackles of sparks shooting out her manicured nails.

"You have reached your-hack-full potential Holly Potter and have been bestowed my power." Shazam wheezed out the last light from his eyes ebbing away, and significant cracks like glass tightened around his facial features from the neck and stretching to the base of his cheeks, and a small trickle of blood spurted from his lips. "This from time onward will be yours to do with as you see fit. Bless you, child, I know you will do great things.

Shazam crumpled to the ground the staff nearly falling limp from his grip Holly cried while holding him close his head on her lap while she gingerly stroked the slivers of hair from his face. "B-But, I don't want you to die because of me..." Holly sobbed hugging the man harder careful that the armour didn't jab into his frail skin.

Shazam smiled numbly, raising his staff to Holly, who took it with her free hand. "My time would come anyway child it is the cycle of all nature to reach one's end. My story was grand and now has just to an end. Now is time to make your legacy and to defeat that who bears the same mark."

With that Shazams body crumpled into nothing his robes, the lightning emblem and his blissful smile were extinguished from existence she could feel waves of sadness radiating from the walls equal to the cheers of joy from the sins. Holly let a few tears fall before managing to piece herself together with the staff still clutched to herself it's blue light slowly pulsing soundlessly staggering slowly away dissolving into the darkness of the archway.

And I'm done. I've had an enjoyable time making this chapter along with completing my other works for your viewing pleasure. In case your wondering the design for the outfit for Hollys shazam form is similar to that of Raven from RWBY. I looked over the old designs of Mary Marvel and though that a little armour would be way cooler. Plus black and red is the best colour combo

Reviews are welcome though should warn you don't know very much about DC and only know this through the film and online research. In any case, its been a pleasure will hopefully have the next chapter finished in a few weeks.

Goodbye, my little minions.

Judge.