
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2549801.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_Fandom, Avengers
  Relationship:
      Harry_Potter_-_Relationship, Avenger_-_Relationship
  Character:
      Harry_Potter, Tony_Stark
  Additional Tags:
      Slash, Mpreg, Abuse, Rape, Cutting, Language
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-11-01 Updated: 2018-02-24 Chapters: 22/? Words: 164188
****** The Stark Truth ******
by misteeirene
Summary
     Summer after 4th year Harry learns that James isn't exactly is father
     and Lily isn't his mother. Will his newly discovered family be able
     to help him recover from his violent, abusive childhood? Will he be
     able to trust again enough to find love?
***** Chapter 1 *****
I do not own a Harry Potter or the Avengers...
 
PLEASE READ::::: So, I was really on the fence with posting this. After I wrote
this I started reading some hp/avengers crossovers and I saw that another
amazing fic had Harry finding out that Tony was his father in a similar manor.
I debated on wether or not I should trash it and try something else, but since
this fic is nothing like the other one I figured if would be alright. If the
author has an issue I will gladly remove it.... The only thing similar to her's
is the journal and paternity test.
I also don't know much about the Avengers and Marvel so I'm not sure I will be
able to portray them good enough, so there is a chance that this fic won't be
completed.....but I will try :)
ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM YOU READERS OR HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED..
This will be slash though I'm not sure who Harry will be paired with.
Please review and let me know if I should continue.
***HP
Vernon grabbed the small teen by the throat and slammed him painfully against
the wall. He smirked when the boy's legs thrashed about trying to reach the
ground so he could relieve the pressure from around his skinny neck and get
some much needed oxygen into his lungs.
"With any luck, this will be the last night I will have to suffer seeing your
disgusting face," Vernon snarled, spit flying into the boy's bluing face.
Harry was frantically pulling at his uncle's beefy fingers and scratching at
his arm. He was desperate for oxygen and bright spots were bursting before his
eyes. If he didn't get oxygen in the next few seconds, then he was going to
pass out or possibly die. If he had to choose, then he would choose death. He
was tired of living the nightmare that his life was and he just wanted it all
to end.
With a grunt, Vernon easily tossed the boy across the room and into the
opposite wall, grinning when he heard a sickening crack.
Harry didn't make a sound when his head connected hard with the wall or when
his right arm snapped from him landing on it wrong. This wasn't the first time
his arm had been broken...hell, it wasn't even the fifth time. Pain was
something he had been intimately familiar with since he was fifteen months old.
Vernon stood over his trembling nephew who was clutching his limp right arm to
his chest while softly whimpering. "I bet you're wondering why we brought you
to America the second you returned from that freak school of yours?"
Harry was very curious as to why they had come to New York City, but he knew
better than to ask questions. He learned from a very young age that asking
questions only earned you a shit load of pain. The second he exited the barrier
from Platform 9 3/4's, his uncle had ordered him to release Hedwig from her
cage then tossed him into the car next to his obese cousin and growled at him
to not make a sound. Then instead of driving to Surrey, he drove to the airport
where they then boarded a plain for New York City. They were currently in a
three bedroom room in a very upscale hotel in Manhattan.
"Freak, you answer me when I ask you a question," Vernon snarled kicking the
boy in his already broken arm as hard as he could.
Harry tried not to cry out, but the pain was too great. "Yes uncle Vernon,"
Harry whimpered voice barely above a whisper. He never looked up at his uncle,
knowing better than to make eye contact with the large man. He may be a
fourteen, almost fifteen year old wizard, but he was terrified of his uncle. He
was more scared of his uncle than he was of Voldemort. Voldemort just wanted
him dead, his uncle wanted to torture him, maim him, break him and rape him. He
welcomed death over what his uncle liked to do to him.
Vernon grinned evilly down at his nephew. "We are here in New York so I can
make a shit load of money off your worthless hide."
Harry paled, feeling like he was going to pass out. His uncle was finally going
to do what he had been threatening since he was six years old; Vernon was
selling him into child prostitution.
Vernon threw his head back laughing at the fear in his young nephew's eyes. "As
tempting as that sounds and as much as I would love knowing that you would
spend the rest of your life bent over being fucked by countless men, I have
found a way to make even more money off of you, and if you're lucky, you will
be living in the lap of luxury."
Vernon walked to the bed dropping his pants as he went. Sitting down naked from
the waste down, he spread his legs and took his limp penis into his hand. "Get
over here and start sucking, and if you're good maybe I will tell you a story."
Trying to hide the disgust from his face, Harry crawled on his knees and
settled himself between his uncles spread thighs. With his trembling left hand,
he grasped his uncle's penis and slowly lowered his head.
Impatient, Vernon grabbed a fistful of raven hair and forced his nephews head
down and onto his cock. "If I feel one tooth on my cock, I will rip it out of
your gum and shove it down your throat. You would think after eight years of
cock sucking you would be a pro at it. You're better than you aunt at least,
I'll give you that much. I can't get rough with her and she bitches for a month
if I cum down her throat."
Harry started licking and sucking at his uncles hardening cock mindful of his
teeth and going nice and slow, just how his uncle liked it. Vernon loved to be
sucked and he wanted it to last as long as possible, sometimes even an hour or
longer. As much as Harry hated sucking his uncle, he would prefer that over his
uncle fucking him. He always tried to do a good job so his uncle would come in
his mouth instead of his ass. Very rarely could his uncle go two rounds, so if
he came in his mouth, than he was safe from his uncle raping him that night.
Vernon closed his eyes moaning, he may bitch to his nephew that he was bad at
this, but Harry was an amazing little cock sucker. "I'm going to miss this
freak," he said reaching out and caressing his nephews pale cheek. He knew how
much his nephew hated it when he touched him, especially in a loving manner.
"I'm going miss shoving my cock down your throat and deep inside your tight
little ass. This is our last night together freak, and I'm going to use you
until you can't talk or walk."
Vernon's chuckled when he felt his nephews tears land on his groin. "Don't
worry, my little freak, I took some blue pills that are going to keep me going
all night long." Vernon grabbed a few pillows and laid back, resting his head
on them so he could watch as his nephew's head bobbed up and down over his
large belly.
"Three months back," Vernon started, "I got the promotion of a lifetime, but it
meant having to move to the USA, California to be exact. As your aunt was
packing, she came across a key to a forgotten storage shed that we had opened
after your worthless parents were killed and we got stuck with you and a
shitload of their useless, freakish stuff. As we were sorting through and
trashing everything, I came across a very interesting journal of your mothers."
Vernon growled and forcefully thrust his cock up into his nephews mouth and
down his throat. "I didn't give you permission to stop sucking. If you want, I
can fuck you now instead of telling you what was so interesting about your
mother's journal."
Harry quickly resumed sucking not wanting his uncle to fuck him, but also very
interested in his mothers journal. He didn't know much about his mom and he had
nothing that belonged to her. Remus and Sirius had told him a lot about his dad
and he had his dad's cloak, but he had nothing that once belonged to his mom.
Vernon smirked down at his nephews bobbing head. "Very good, my little freak,"
he chuckled. "Now, where was I? Right, your mom's journal was very interesting
because it documented her troubles in conceiving a child. At first they thought
there was something wrong with your father, but after extensive testing, they
found that your perfect mother was unable to get pregnant and bring another
freak into the world. Your aunt was thrilled when she learned that her perfect
sister had failed at something that she could do. Your mother was nothing but a
worthless hole for your father to fuck."
Vernon grabbed a fistful of Harry's hair and yanked him off his cock. "What did
I say about teeth, boy?" he bellowed, then punched him hard on the side of the
face. "That's your last warning, freak."
Harry shook his head trying to clear it, that punch had disoriented him and
made his vision go dark.
"Now as I was saying," Vernon continued when his nephew resumed sucking him.
"Your good for nothing mother couldn't get pregnant, but with the war going on
your father was afraid that he was going to die before producing an heir. Now
he's the really disgusting part," Vernon chuckled darkly. "It seems your lot
are even bigger, disgusting freaks than what I originally thought. Did you know
that men in your world can get pregnant? "
Harry almost chocked on his uncle's cock. He had never been told that wizards
could get pregnant. Did that mean that James's was his mom and not his dad?
"Keep sucking," Vernon growled. "Your father, or should I say mother," Vernon
made a gagging noise. "Went to a muggle bar one night and hooked up with a
stranger. Your father took it up the ass all night long with this random bloke
so he could get pregnant with you."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. His dad was actually his mom, but
how was that even possible? He had a million questions, but he knew better than
to ask his uncle. He desperately wanted to get his hands on his mom's journal,
there was no way that this absurd story could be true. Then again, uncle Vernon
wasn't the type to come up with such a far fetched story.
"Lucky for us," Vernon groaned now thrusting up into his nephews warm mouth. He
had wanted this to last longer, but he hadn't had his nephew's wonderful mouth
since last July and the freak was practically sucking the cum out of his dick.
"Your father got the name of the muggle he tricked into getting him up the duff
and your so called mother wrote it down in her journal. Tomorrow we will go to
where your real father lives and sell you back to him for a hefty price. It
seems this man is very rich and famous and I'm sure he will do anything to keep
his dirty little secret from being broadcast on every tv station and in every
newspaper. Of course we can't let him know that it was a guy he got pregnant,
but luckily it seems your real father will screw anything with a hole, so we
will just tell him it was your mother that he knocked up; he will never know
the difference."
Vernon grabbed the sides of Harry's head and roughly pulled his head down while
he shoved his cock down his throat and came with a roar. After he recovered
from his orgasm, he stood up and kicked his nephew in the side. "You fucking
used your teeth, you know the punishment for that."
Keeping his broken arm in tight, Harry stripped out of his clothes and turned
to the wall placing only his non broken hand on it.
Vernon had removed the belt from his pants and stood patiently waiting for his
nephew to assume the position. For a boy, his little freak of a nephew had a
beautiful, almost feminine figure, and just seeing him standing there naked and
trembling had him getting hard all over again. He was going to miss using the
boy's body, but the money was too good to pass up. With the money he was going
to demand, he could buy a little boy prostitute every night if he wanted to.
His wife knew of his dark side, but she didn't care as long as he didn't demand
her to do such degrading and filthy things. He liked to dominate and hurt his
young male toys, and Harry was his first and most favorite.
The first time he had shoved his meat down Harry's throat the boy was only six
years old. He had begged Petunia to suck him, and when she flat out refused and
stormed out of the house, he pulled his nephew out from his cupboard and
ordered him to lick at the tip of his penis. It only took a few minutes before
he was shoving himself down the small tight throat and experiencing the best
orgasm of his life. After that things progressed quickly and it wasn't long
before he had his nephew bent over the arm of the couch screaming as he tore
through his small ass.
"Thirty lashes I think will do for your disobedience and five more for each
time you scream, so you better keep your damn mouth shut."
Harry sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down on it hard, nodding
his head. Five or ten lashes he could easily keep quiet for, but thirty was
going to be impossible. He was going to be a ripped up, bloody mess when his
uncle was finished with him.
 
Vernon ran his fingers over his nephews bloodied back, pressing his nails into
the long gashes. "Forty lashes," he smirked. "I warned you not to make a
sound." Vernon let his bloodied finger slip down and between his nephew's tight
ass cheeks. Without warning, he jammed two of his fingers into his nephew's
perfectly tight hole, chuckling when the force sent his nephews's face slamming
into the wall.
Harry swallowed his scream knowing that it would only earn him more lashes. He
was in so much pain from the beating that he was literally blinded from it. His
uncle was being extremely rough with him, normally he was only this bad when he
was mad and taking it out on him.
"Hands and knees," Vernon ordered in a gruff voice. "Brace yourself, there will
be no perpetration."
Harry painfully dropped to his knees, but he could only place his left hand on
the ground. His uncle very rarely prepared him so he wasn't expecting it this
time. Personally, he preferred it that way. Perpetration felt too personal,
caring; he just wanted his uncle to get it over with even if it hurt worse.
Harry hung his head and bit into his left arm, if he made a sound when his
uncle entered him then he was going to be five times rougher on him.
Vernon lined his dry cock up with his nephew's hole and thrust in to the hilt
as hard as he could. He was a bit disappointed when the freak didn't make a
sound, but then he saw the blood running down his arm from where he had bit
into it. "Into biting now are we? I can help with that." Vernon leaned forward
and bit his nephew hard enough on the shoulder that his teeth broke through the
delicate skin and blood flooded his mouth. He continued to bite him as he
fucked him hard and fast and didn't stop until he was emptying himself deep in
his nephews bowels.
 
***HP
Harry was laying in a fetal position in the bathtub crying as scolding hot
water rained down on his sore and broken body. All night his uncle tortured
him, raping him countless times and forcing him to suck his cock. It was now
early morning and after his family finished pigging out at the hotel's
breakfast buffet, they were going to go to the mans house that was supposedly
his biological father. He was never given time to process what his uncle had
told him, but he found everything hard to believe. Why had he never heard that
a wizard could get pregnant? The thought of his uncle getting him pregnant had
him scrambling out of the tub and vomiting into the toilet.
Harry shakily got to his feet and started drying off using only one hand. His
broken arm was in a bad way and even the smallest movement sent pain shooting
throughout it. His uncle really worked him over last night and he had countless
bruises on his face as proof. He didn't know how his uncle was going to explain
his condition, but he was sure that the man had a plan. He didn't want to get
his hopes up that this mystery man was his father, but he was positive that if
his uncle didn't get his money that he was either going to sell him to some
pimp or just kill him. Even if this man was his father, what made his uncle
think that he would even want him?
"Boy!" his aunt shrieked from the other side of the bathroom door. "I have some
clothes for you, can't have you meeting your sperm donor wearing those
disgusting rags."
Harry opened the door never looking up at his aunt, not even when he heard her
gasp.
"Dammit," Petunia cursed, "he knew we were taking you to meet your father. Get
dressed and I will get you some pain pills." Petunia walked away shaking her
head, her husband left their nephew looking like he had been hit by a truck.
She told him not to leave a mark on the boy last night.
Harry was surprised to find a pair of jeans, long sleeved black shirt, red
hoody and cheap sneakers that were all in his size. Other than his school
uniform, he had only ever worn his cousin's large handy down clothes and worn
out sneakers. As quickly as he could, he dressed and brushed his long hair. He
had been growing his hair out for the past year and it now came to the bottom
of his shoulder blades. With the added weight, his hair no longer stuck out in
every direction, but fell softly down his back with a slight curl at the ends.
He had also gotten his eyes corrected last year while in Hogsmeade. Hermione
had suggested after the first task that it might be smarter to get his eyes
fixed so the glasses wouldn't get in the way or them getting broken and leaving
him blind and defenseless.
Looking in the mirror Harry cringed at the image looking back at him. He was
too pale, his emerald eyes looked dead with big dark circles under them, and a
large bruise took up most of the right side of his face. Tilting his head back,
he could see a handprint bruise wrapping around his neck the size of his
uncle's hand. Under his shirt his back was ripped to shreds and his right arm
was broken, probably in more than one place. He looked like hell and he was
going to meet the man that could possibly be his father. There was no way some
rich man would want him, even if it turned out that he was his biological son.
"Here," Petunia snarled thrusting two pills under her nephew's nose. "We leave
in five minutes so hurry it the hell up. You keep your head down and don't say
a word, understand?"
Harry nodded his head, not looking his aunt in the eye.
"I don't like you and I never did, but you don't deserve what your uncle puts
you through. If your father doesn't take you in then Vernon is only going to
get a whole lot worse. You better pray that he will take you in and pay the
money that your uncle will be demanding. If not, I suggest you run...run and
hide on the streets of New York and don't ever allow your lot to return you to
us. I won't stop your uncle...even if he looses it and beats you to death. I
just want to be rid of you and I don't care how your uncle goes about doing it.
Harry didn't say anything, he just popped the pills into his mouth and
swallowed them down. His aunt didn't normally give him anything for the pain
and he was grateful that she did this time. Unfortunately, he was taking them
on an empty stomach and that always caused him to feel sick and nauseous. His
aunt's little speech didn't bother him either, she had been spewing her hate to
him for as far back as he could remember.
"Let's go, the taxi is here and Vernon has already loaded your trunk." Petunia
snapped.
*** HP
"May I help you?" the lady behind the desk at Stark Tower asked, eyeing the
very large man in front of her
"Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Stark," Vernon announced loudly, puffing out his
chest and trying to look important.
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark is away on business, did you have an appointment?"
"I don't need an appointment, and I demand to see Mr. Stark...now!" Vernon
yelled, spit flying from his mouth.
Harry backed away from his uncle, recognizing the signs of him losing his
temper. When his uncle lost his temper, he normally ended up being beat to
unconsciousness. After last night, he was feeling incredibly jumpy around the
man. If his uncle didn't get to see Mr. Stark, then he was going to take it out
on him and he honestly felt like he wouldn't survive the next encounter.
The secretary subtly pressed a button under her desk calling for security back
up. "I'm really sorry, sir, but Mr. Stark is out of the country on business and
isn't expected back until next week. If you leave your name, number and
business with Mr. Stark, I will have his personal assistant contact you to set
up the first available appointment.
Harry jumped when his uncle raised his beefy fist and slammed it down on the
desk.
"I have come all the way from England to bring Tony Stark his bastard son and I
will not leave until I have spoken to somebody." Vernon roared.
The secretary looked between the two boys that were accompanying the man. The
larger boy was obviously the rude man's son, he was just as fat and just as
piggy looking as the man. The other boy was small at only about 5'3 and looked
to be in desperate need of some food; he was too skinny. She couldn't see his
face because he was wearing a hoody with the hood up, which she found strange
since it was June and at least eighty degrees outside.
"Is there a problem here?"
Vernon turned his glare to the security guard that had just approached and
asked the question. Grabbing his nephew by his broken arm, he yanked him
roughly to his chest. "This here is my nephew and the biological son of Tony
Stark, if I don't get to talk to somebody in the next five minutes, I will go
to the press and tell them how Mr. Stark is a dead beat dad that abandoned a
pregnant woman and his unborn child. I suggest you get Stark on the phone and
explain the situation to him.
Harry cried out and tears filled his eyes when his uncle grabbed him by his
badly broken arm.
"Look Mr., we get someone here at least once a week claiming to be Tony Stark's
long lost son or daughter all so they can get their hands on his money. Just
leave your name and number and we will pass your information to Mrs. Potts when
she returns." The security guard placed his hand on his gun, not so subtly
threatening the irate man.
Harry started to tremble under the weight of his uncle's hands on his
shoulders. If they walked out of here without seeing someone or talking to Tony
Stark, then uncle Vernon was going to make last night look like child's play.
Petunia's suggestion of running was starting to look like an excellent idea,
except the pain pills had him feeling sick and he was weak from lack of food.
He tried to eat in the Great Hall before leaving for the Hogwarts Express, but
he was too scared about coming home to be able to eat. He was also still
feeling the effects from the last task and Voldemort's resurrection. Voldemort
had held him under three crucio's and his limbs still had an occasional twitch
to them.
"I will not leave my name and number so that rich bastard can just blow me off.
Get that Potts lady here or Stark on the phone, but I'm not leaving until I
have talked to somebody. I have raised this little shit since he was fifteen
months old, I clothed him, fed him, put a roof over his head and I refuse to
look after the ungrateful freak for one more day." Vernon roared now drawing a
crowd of people to him. Vernon wrapped his large hand around Harry's broken arm
giving it a hard squeeze. "Petunia, dial the local news station for me, I'm
sure they will be very interested in hearing our story, maybe that will get the
mighty Tony Stark's attention."
The force of his uncle's grip was causing the broken bones in Harry's arm to
grind together, and the pain was so excruciating that it dropped Harry to his
knees. Dropping his head, he bit into the side of his cheek to keep from crying
in front of the people that were now gathered around.
The security guard went to grab the man that was obviously hurting the small
boy, when a hand reached out and grabbed his, stopping him.
"I will handle this, Willis," Bruce said glaring at the loud disgusting man
that was manhandling the small boy. He had been in the lobby when the group
first entered demanding to speak with Tony. Paternity claims were common with
Tony, especially given his past exploits and immense fortune. They even kept a
copy of his DNA on record for such occasions. So far out of the hundreds of
claims, not a single one had proved to be positive. Tony may be hot headed and
wreckless, but he was very good at not getting himself caught in a situation
where he was going to have to pay child support to some money hungry woman.
"If you would kindly remove your hand from the boy, I will escort you to my lab
where I will run a paternity test on the child. If he turns out to be Mr.
Stark's son then I will contact his personal assistant and she will get in
contact with Stark." Bruce snarled, the other guy pushing to get out and teach
this man how to properly treat a child. He couldn't see the boy's face, but
there was something about him...something that made him want to protect the
boy.
Vernon snorted, "I will let you run your tests, but I'm telling you, this boy
is Stark 's son."
"Then you shouldn't have a problem with the tests," Bruce snapped. "Willis,
please escort them to my lab while I help the boy up and with his trunk."
Vernon grinned, roughly thrusting the boy's broken arm away from him. Smirking
at the security guard, Vernon and his family followed the guard to the waiting
elevator.
Harry swallowed his scream and pulled his arm tight to his chest. On top of the
broken arm, it now felt like his uncle ripped his shoulder out of the socket.
"Hey kid, you alright? " Bruce asked kneeling down to the boy. He thought he
heard something pop in the boy's shoulder, but he never made a sound indicating
that he was in pain.
Harry nodded his head, unable to verbally answer the kind man. He didn't know
how much more he could take before passing out.
"Yeah, why don't I believe you," Bruce chuckled. "The names Dr. Bruce Banner,
but you can call me Bruce. What's your name?"
"H-Harry," Harry answered struggling to his feet. "Harry Potter."
"Well, Harry Potter, after we see to this DNA test, I'm going to have a look at
that arm. By the way you're holding it, I would guess that it is broken and
dislocated."
"It's fine, sir, honestly," Harry quickly said, knowing that it would piss his
uncle off if anyone made a fuss over him. "I just tripped, that's all."
"Sure kid, but I'm still going to look at it." Bruce tried to get a good look
at the boy, but he kept his head turned away from him and his hood up. "Let's
get to my lab before that whale of an uncle of yours destroys it." Bruce took
the boy's trunk and easily lifted it with one hand signaling the boy to follow
him towards the elevator.
"Jarvis," Bruce called once the elevator doors were closed. "Have Clint meet me
in my lab, I have a feeling I will be needing assistance with this group."
"Contacting him now, Dr. Banner," Jarvis answered, making Harry jump and look
around.
Bruce chuckled, "Jarvis scared the hell out of me too the first time I heard
him. He is an invention of Tony Stark's, the man may be a pain in the ass, but
he's a damn genius. Jarvis stands for, JUST A RATHER VERY INTELLIGENT SYSTEM,
Tony invented the AI to be a hyped out butler that can basically do anything.
Do you know anything about Tony Stark?," Bruce asked curiously.
Harry shook his head, "no, sir," he answered softly.
"Please, just call me Bruce," Bruce chuckled, a bit surprised that the boy had
never heard of Tony. Tony was famous all over the world, not just America, and
now because of Ironman, Tony was considered a superhero.
"Tony Stark is many things, a billionaire, a genius, an engineer, a
businessman, an industrialist, a playboy extraordinaire, a hero, a cocky little
shit, the biggest pain in the ass with a mouth that won't quit," Bruce smiled
when he got a soft giggle from the boy. "All things considered, Tony is a good
guy, and if you are his son, he will look after you." Bruce was hoping that
this boy was Tony's, he would hate to send him off with that awful man. He was
almost positive that the uncle was the cause of the boy's broken arm.
"Tell me, do you think that Tony is your father?" Bruce asked, trying but still
failing at getting a look at the boy.
Harry shrugged his shoulders, but cried out when pain lanced through his right
shoulder and down his arm.
"Hey, don't move that arm," Bruce warned reaching out to help steady the boy.
"Maybe we should check this out before running the DNA test."
"No please," Harry begged. "Let's get the DNA test out of the way first. My
uncle would..."
"Blow a gasket if we didn't run the DNA test first? Yeah, I got that the man is
a bully, but I'm pretty sure that I could handle myself against him." Bruce
smirked, knowing that the other guy was just waiting to put the fat man in his
place. "But if it makes you feel better, we will run the DNA and while we are
waiting on the results, I will X-ray that arm and see about patching it up. I'm
not a medical doctor, but I had enough training in that field to be able help
you."
"Thank you," Harry said, hoping to at least get his arm set before the results
came back negative and his uncle took it out on him. Bruce seemed like a really
nice guy, maybe he would know somewhere where he could hide from his uncle.
"So, do you think Tony is your father?" Bruce asked again.
"Uncle Vernon only told me about finding my mother's journal last night. He
said that she named him as my biological father. He said that she was having
trouble getting pregnant by my dad and she hooked up with Mr. Stark one night
at a pub."
Bruce snorted, "that sounds like Tony, never able to turn a pretty lady away."
"I'm sorry for all of this," Harry said shyly. "My uncle is a bit of..."
"An ass," Bruce interrupted with a bit of a growl to his voice. "Don't worry
about it, Harry, your uncle isn't the first to bring a kid by claiming to be
Tony's."
"Where they...Tony's?"
Bruce shook his head no. "Tony is not married and as far as we know, he has no
kids. This is our stop," Bruce said when the elevator came to a stop. When the
doors opened, Bruce wasn't surprised to find Clint casually leaning against the
wall waiting for him.
"Harry, this is Clint Barton, he lives here at Stark Tower along with myself
and a few others. Clint, this is Harry Potter, his uncle brought him by
claiming that Tony is his father. We are headed to my lab to run the DNA, but I
would like for you to keep an eye on his uncle, the man has some serious anger
issues."
Clint sighed, "another one huh, what does this make, number three hundred and
two?"
Harry cringed, stepping slightly behind Bruce.
"Sorry, kid," Clint said when he saw that he scared the boy. "I didn't mean
anything bad by it, just making an observation. Everyone wants a piece of
Stark, and god knows he makes it too easy for them."
"Come on, let's not keep your uncle waiting," Bruce said leading the way to his
lab. His lab was the reason Tony was able to convince him to move into Stark
Tower. All the equipment was state of the art and it must of cost Tony a
fortune to build.
"About damn time you got here," Vernon barked, glaring at his nephew. "I don't
have all day, run the damn test so I can rid myself of the freak."
"Charming," Clint sneered eyeing up the fattest man that he had ever had the
displeasure of meeting. "Now I can see why you called for me."
Bruce childishly rolled his eyes. "Ok, Harry, because I don't think your uncle
will be happy unless there is indisputable proof, we are going to run this test
two ways. First I'm going to wipe the inside of your mouth with a swab, and
then second, I'm going to draw some blood."
"Blood never lies," Vernon boomed loudly, making Harry jump.
Clint didn't miss how skittish the boy was around his uncle, he also didn't
miss how the boy never made eye contact or lifted his head. Because of the
hood, he had yet to see what the boy looked like. He found it strange that he
was wearing something so heavy when it was so hot out today.
"Dad, I'm hungry," Dudley whined. "How long is this going to take?"
Clint raised his eyebrows shaking his head. "Kid, you're so big..."
"Clint that's enough," Bruce said not wanting to set the man off, or bust out
laughing in front of him. Honestly, the boy was massive, he didn't think he had
ever seen a kid that big before. "It will take a while before we get the
results back, so after I finish with this I will order some pizza and you can
eat it in the conference room."
"Leave so you can tamper with the results, I don't think so," Vernon growled.
"I'm not leaving this room until the tests are done and the results are read."
"Fine," Bruce snarled, feeling his blood pressure spike. "I was just trying to
be nice. It's going to be at least two hours before the results are back and I
didn't want to listen to your son whine the entire time."
"Daaaad," Dudley whined in a voice that had even the other guy cringing. "I
want pizza with extra cheese and extra bacon. I don't want to wait two hours...
I want it now! ... I want it now!"
"Oh for the love of... Feed the pig before I put an arrow through his head.
There is no way I can listed to that shit for two hours." Clint snapped.
Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose trying to remain calm. "How about I order
the pizza and your wife and the boys can go to the conference room to eat. You
can remain here in my lab staring at my equipment and acting like you know what
the hell you're doing."
"Fine," Vernon snarled, face turning purple. "But the freak remains here. He
had a huge breakfast not even an hour ago and I don't want him causing any
trouble."
"The only ones that are causing trouble are you and your fat ass son," Clint
sneered advancing on Vernon. He was excellent at reading people and he could
tell that the man was lying. Harry looked like he hadn't had a decent meal in
years.
"Vernon," Petunia spoke up for the first time. "While we are waiting on the
results, I will take Dudley across the street for something to eat. I saw the
cutest little cafe there and I'm sure they will have something that our Dudders
would love."
"But mooom, I want pizza," Dudley cried, eyes filling up with fake tears.
"Dudders dear," Petunia said trying to calm her perfectly perfect son down.
"Cafe's like that normally have the best deserts and you can pick out whatever
you like, then for tonight, I will order you pizza for dinner."
Dudley's piggy little eyes lit up. "Can I have two or three deserts?"
"Of course you can, my son," Vernon said proudly. "You"re a growing young man
after all, you can have as many deserts you can eat."
"If he grows any more, we are going to have to rub him down in butter to get
his fat ass through the door," Clint mumbled under his breath.
Harry wanted to laugh, never before had anyone talked to his uncle Vernon and
Dudley the way that these two were. He really liked them, and for the first
time he was really wishing that this Tony Stark guy was his father. He still
hadn't had time to process everything so he wasn't sure how he felt. He didn't
like the idea of losing Lily as his mother, but the thought of finding a father
that was still alive...well, he was scared to get his hopes up. The man
probably wouldn't want someone as pathetic and dirty as him as his son anyway.
"Now that the temper tantrum has been averted," Bruce said glaring at Vernon
and Dudley. "Harry, I know it's going to hurt your arm, but I'm going to need
you to remove your hoody."
Harry nodded his head, he figured he would have to when Bruce mentioned blood
test. Taking a deep breath, he quickly pulled the hoody over his head and
gently worked it off his dislocated shoulder and down his broken arm. The pain
was horrific, but at least he was able to keep from crying out. His uncle loved
knowing that he left his nephew hurting and he wasn't going to give the man the
satisfaction of seeing him in pain. Biting the inside of his cheek, he dropped
the hoody on the chair then raised his head, not making eye contact with
anyone.
Clint gasped, shocked and disgusted at what he was seeing. "Shit, kid, what the
hell happened to you?" He had suffered enough broken and dislocated arms to be
able to recognize the signs of one, but it was his face that he couldn't stop
looking at. It looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to the side of it.
"Ran his mouth, he did." Vernon growled. "Couldn't keep his damn mouth shut
last night so a couple of thugs put him in his place."
Clint whirled around facing the boy's uncle. "You didn't even take him to the
hospital," he raged. "The boy is in pain and that arm is badly broken, and you
didn't even take him to get patched up." He didn't believe for one minute that
the kid ran his mouth. The kid had hardly said a word, there was no way he was
running his mouth to some thugs.
"The freak got what he had coming to him. I wasn't going to waste my hard
earned money on him. If he wants to start trouble, then he has to suffer the
consequences." Vernon sneered.
Bruce was staring at the boy too, but it wasn't because of the horrific
bruises. No, Bruce was staring because he was seeing an identical version of a
young Tony Stark. There was no way that this kid wasn't Tony's. There was some
differences like his higher cheek bones, eye color and feminine features, but
this kid was a mini Tony Stark.
"Jarvis," Bruce called out. "Call Pepper and tell her I need her down here now.
I don't care if she is in the middle of a meeting, she needs to get here as
soon as possible."
"Mrs. Potts will be here in fifteen minutes," Jarvis said.
"Thank you, Jarvis," Bruce smiled at Harry. "Harry, please take a seat here,"
he said pointing to a small chair next to his lab table. "This will only take a
minute or two and then I will see to your arm."
"You will do no such thing!," Vernon bellowed advancing on the doctor. "The boy
got what he deserved and I won't allow you to go pampering him like some mamby
pamby fairy boy."
"I have had enough of you!" Bruce growled in a voice that didn't sound
completely human and his eyes bleeding green.
Vernon stumbled backwards almost falling on his overly large ass.
"Whoa, easy there, big guy," Clint said grabbing Bruce by the shoulder and
trying to keep the other guy from making an appearance. Clint spun on Vernon
who was getting ready to open his mouth. "Back up and keep your damn mouth
shut. Believe me, you don't want to piss the good doctor off and get introduced
to the other guy."
Vernon wisely took his advise and drug his wife and son to the opposite side of
the room.
Bruce closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths. "Sorry about that, Harry," he
said, giving the boy a reassuring smile. He was surprised to find that the kid
wasn't looking at him in fear, just curiosity and understanding.
"Straighten your arm and make a fist, I promise this won't hurt." Bruce said
kindly.
"Could... Could you please help me roll up my sleeve?" Harry asked shyly.
"I got it," Clint offered seeing that Bruce was readying the syringe. Keeping
his eye on the uncle, Clint rolled up the boy's sleeve, growling at the bruises
and large bite mark that littered the thin arm. "I take it that these came from
your encounter with the thugs?"
Harry didn't say anything, just jerkily nodded his head. He knew better than to
say anything, his uncle would flay him alive the second they got back to the
hotel room.
"That handprint bruise around your neck that is suspiciously the same size as
your uncle's hand, also came from your thug run in?" Clint asked, knowing the
kid was going to say yes even though it was obvious to him that his uncle was
responsible for the injuries.
Again Harry just nodded his head keeping his eyes averted from the man.
"You're going to need a tetanus shot for that bite," Bruce warned. "The human
mouth is full of bacteria."
Harry cringed not liking the idea of getting more needles.
Bruce knotted the tourniquet and started looking for a good vein. "Harry, when
was the last time you had something to drink?"
"Uhm, this morning." Harry answered, but it came out sounding more like a
question. He hadn't had anything to drink since the leaving feast. "Is there
something wrong?"
Bruce shook his head no. "When you're dehydrated, it's just harder to get a
vein. You may say that you had something to drink this morning, but your body
is telling me different."
"Sorry," Harry muttered,
"It's alright, I found a decent vein, but I will get you something to eat and
drink when I'm done. I don't want you to pass out on me, and I'm afraid it's
going to hurt considerably when I pop that shoulder back in place." Bruce said,
looking at the boy in sympathy.
Bruce quickly drew the blood and swabbed the inside of the boy's mouth. He
didn't need for the results to come back to know that this kid was a Stark.
Tony was in for a big surprise when he came back from his conference in France.
Daddy Tony was a truly terrifying thought.
Pepper walked into the room and took one look at the boy and cursed. "Shit,
it's finally happened, hasn't it?"
Bruce shook his head chuckling. "I'm running the tests now, but..."
"This kid is obviously Tony's," Pepper finished eyeing the boy and cataloging
his numerous injuries. "I will contact Tony and give him a heads up. I want
pictures of all his injuries and the name of the person responsible for them."
Pepper turned to the Dursley's looking them over, especially Petunia. There was
no way in hell that Tony would sleep with her, not even if he was dead drunk.
"How are you related to the child?"
Vernon puffed out his chest. "The freak is my wife's nephew, he was left on our
doorstep when he was fifteen months old after his parents were killed in a car
accident."
"Drunk driving," Petunia added, sneering at Harry and just daring him to say
something.
Harry had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything. He hated when people
talked bad about his parents, but there was nothing he could say without
breaking the statue of secrecy.
"You call him a freak one more time, and you're going to be leaving here in
more than one piece," Clint threatened, advancing on Vernon hand resting on the
handle of his knife.
"Enough," Pepper sighed. "You three," she said pointing to the boy's relatives.
"Come with me so we can discuss custody of the child." She could tell by the
greedy look in their eyes that this was going to cost Tony a pretty penny; not
that it would make a dent in his bank account.
"Finally, someone who knows how to treat a person of importance." Vernon said,
holding his hand out to the beautiful red haired lady. "Vernon Dursley, I have
been looking after the fre... the boy for the past thirteen years."
Pepper looked at the large sweaty hand failing at her effort at not showing how
disgusted she was. There was something about this man that made her skin crawl.
She didn't have to be a genius to tell that there was something not right
between the boy and his uncle. There were all kinds of warning bells going off
in her head and they were all directed at this Vernon Dursley character.
Pepper quickly shook the offered hand and released it as fast as she could,
subtly wiping her hand on the back of her skirt. "Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark
Industries and basically Tony's keeper. Please follow me, we have a lot to
discuss."
"The results aren't back yet," Petunia pointed out.
Pepper looked at the boy that looked so much like Tony at that age that it was
scary. "There's no need to wait for the results, I can tell just by looking at
him that Tony fathered him. We will wait for the results though before signing
any papers. This way we will have everything hashed out and papers drawn by the
time the results are ready, that way you and your family can be on your way and
get to enjoy a nice night in the city." Pepper just wanted these people gone,
being in their presence was making her feel dirty.
"Should I go with her?" Clint asked watching as Pepper led those vile people
from the lab.
"Pepper can handle herself," Bruce chuckled. "I'm going to need your help
putting Harry's shoulder back in place."
 
***HP
Bruce looked at the young boy who was fiddling with the other half of his
sandwich. He wished that he would eat more, but he could tell that if Harry
took another bite then there was a good chance he was going to get sick. "You
don't have to force yourself to eat anymore,"
"Sorry," Harry grimaced. His eyes wanted to finish the sandwich, but his
stomach wouldn't allow him. "I'm just not a very big eater."
"Can't imagine there is much food in the house with those two scarfing
everything down." Clint joked, trying to get a smile out the boy.
Harry laughed softly. "Luckily I go to a boarding school in Scotland from
September till June. I only have to put up with them for a few months in the
summer."
"Boarding school, huh, how do you like that?" Bruce asked, getting the supplies
ready that he would need to set Harry's arm after the X-ray.
"It's alright," Harry answered. "It's not what I thought it would be when I
first heard about it, but I have a couple of good friends. Besides, it gets me
away from my relatives." Even though Hogwarts originally felt like home to him,
there were times that he wished that he had never received his acceptance
letter. The castle herself may be magnificent, but no so much the people
residing inside. He was tired of trying to be someone that he wasn't. He wasn't
the brave hero that everyone expected and he tried to live up to. He didn't
want the attention and fame, he just wanted to make a few good friends, have
some fun then graduate and find a job. He was tired of always being in danger
and if he had his way he would never return.
"Can't beat that perk," Clint chuckled. "Honestly, I don't think I have ever
met anyone like your uncle, the man is vile."
"You have no idea," Harry whispered, not expecting the archer to hear him, but
Clint had excellent hearing.
Clint and Bruce exchanged looks, both suspecting that the boy had been severely
abused by his uncle.
Bruce sighed, he didn't want to hurt the boy, but they couldn't put off setting
that shoulder any longer. He wanted to set it right away, but Harry wouldn't
allow it until after the tests. "Harry, I need you to remove your shirt so I
can see what's going on with your shoulder."
Harry paled, he couldn't let them see his back. "Why, why do I have to take off
my shirt?" he asked, getting to his feet and backing away.
"Hey, relax, Harry." Bruce said holding up his hands. " I need to see your
shoulder in order to pop it back in place. I will also need your shirt off in
order to cast your arm."
Harry frantically shook his head no. "It's fine...I'm fine...honest, I don't
need to take off my shirt."
"Harry, why don't you want to take off your shirt?" Bruce asked, suspicious of
the boy's odd behavior.
"Please, please don't make me take off my shirt. Can't you just cut the sleeve
off or something?"
Bruce sighed, he really didn't want to upset the boy farther and ruin what
little trust he had built with him. Harry was close to a full blown panic
attack and that was the last thing he wanted. "Alright, we will do it your way.
I will cut off the sleeve at the shoulder and then go from there."
Harry visibly relaxed, not realizing that he had been breathing hard. If they
saw the belt marks and the bites on his back, it wouldn't take much for them to
figure out that he had been raped. "Thank you." he said softly.
 
"Damn," Bruce cursed when he saw the boy's arm. Without doing an X-ray he could
tell that it was broken in two different spots. There was also a huge purple
bruise around the upper arm from where his uncle had been gripping it in the
lobby.
"Am I the only one who finds it odd that the bruise on your arm matches the one
around your neck?" Clint asked, staring hard at the boy. He didn't see the
incident in the lobby, but Bruce had told him all about it.
Harry lowered his head not answering the question.
"Alright Clint, I need you to get behind Harry and help brace him. I'm going to
pop this shoulder back in, but it's going to hurt." Bruce lifted the boy's chin
so he was looking him in eye for the first time. Harry had the greenest eyes
that he had even seen, they almost glowed. "On the count of three, ok?"
Harry shook his head no. "No, just do it and get it over with." Harry took a
deep breath and closed his eyes.
Bruce looked at Clint and nodded his head. Without a warning, he popped the
shoulder back in place and helped catch the boy when his legs gave out on him.
He knew that Harry had to be in a considerable amount of pain, and yet he
didn't make a sound.
"You're one tough kid," Clint said voice laced with admiration. "Last time my
shoulder was popped back in place, I screamed like a little girl."
Harry lifted his head off of Bruce's shoulder and stepped away from from Clint.
He could feel a couple of his lashes bleeding from where Clint had rubbed
against them reopening the wounds.
"Let's X-ray that arm and then get it set. The results will be ready soon and
we don't want to keep your family waiting." Bruce said.
 
***HP
Pepper led the group back to Bruce's lab, fists clenched in anger. She had
never met anyone as greedy as Vernon Dursley, and in her line of business, that
was saying something. A half a million dollars... A half a million dollars is
what he wanted in compensation for caring for the boy the last thirteen years.
It was obvious by the way he talked that he despised the boy and was doing
nothing more than selling the kid to Tony. If the results were positive, which
she had no doubt that they would be, then she would hand over the money after
he signed the custody papers and then happily show them the door. She wasn't
worried about the money, Stark Industries would make that back in a day, she
just didn't like the slime getting away with that kind of money since there was
no way that he spent even a quarter of that on Harry. The only thing that made
her feel better, was knowing that Tony would go after them, especially after he
saw the condition that his son was in.
Pepper walked into the lab and smiled softly to herself. Harry was sound asleep
in Bruce's plush leather work chair, right arm in a green cast from fingers to
shoulder. "Green," she said rolling her eyes and looking to Bruce.
Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, he picked the color, it had nothing to do
with the other guy."
Clint smacked Bruce on the back. "Maybe that's because green was the only color
you had."
"Surprised the poof didn't pick pink," Dudley muttered.
"What did you call him?" Clint snarled, glaring at the boy.
Dudley quickly scurried behind his mother, trying to hide his morbidly obese
body behind her bony one. He knew all about these guys and what they were
capable of, he saw them on the news after the alien invasion in New York.
Pepper rubbed her head feeling a migraine coming on. She needed some Advil and
soon, preferably before she called Tony and informed him that he had a teenage
son. She should just wait and let him be shocked when he returned home.
"The results are ready," Bruce announced standing there with a piece of paper
in his hand. He had already decided, and Clint agreed with him, if it turned
out Harry wasn't Tony's then they were going to lie and say that he was. Harry
needed help and they were prepared to do anything to get him away from his
abusive uncle. Looking down at the paper, he grinned. Looked like he wouldn't
have to lie after all. "It's 99.9 percent positive that Tony is the father."
"Told you," Vernon exclaimed loudly, startling Harry and making him fall from
the chair. Disoriented, Harry scurried backwards until his back hit the wall
then brought his arms up to protect his head.
Bruce rushed to Harry talking softly to him. "Harry, everything is alright. The
results just came back and their positive. You are Tony Stark's son."
"What... What does that mean?" Harry asked, lowering his arms and blinking away
the sleep.
Pepper approached the boy and knelt down in front of him. "Harry, that means
that you have a home here, if you want it. The paper work is ready and as soon
as they're signed, Tony will have legal custody of you."
"Really, I don't have live with the Dursley's anymore?" It just dawned on
Harry, the Dursley's were no longer blood related to him.
"No, Harry, you are Tony's son and you belong here," Pepper said kindly.
"What if he doesn't like me? What if he doesn't want me?" Harry could feel
himself starting to panic. What if Tony found out about what he had been
allowing his uncle to do since he was a small kid?
"Harry, would you like to stay here or go with your aunt and uncle?" Pepper
asked.
"Here," Harry quickly answered. "Please, I promise to be good. Please let me
stay here."
Pepper reached out and gently ran her thumb down the boy's bruised cheek. Her
heart broke when a few of Harry's tears fell on her hand. "You have a home here
with us, Harry, you will never have to go back with them."
Pepper stood up and turned to Bruce. "Can you please take him upstairs and let
him watch tv or something? I will be up when I finish here to help get a room
set up for him."
"I demand a few minutes with my nephew...alone." Vernon smirked, not missing
how his nephew paled or how he started to tremble.
"Like hell," Clint snapped, stepping in front of Harry and blocking his view of
his uncle. "The test is positive and you're getting your damn money. I'm not
leaving you alone with him, hell, I don't even like you in the same room with
him with all of us here."
"He's still my nephew, if I want..."
Pepper thrust the custody papers at Vernon. "As soon as you sign the papers,
the money is yours, unless you changed your mind and you prefer to go to court.
Tony has enough money to see you in court everyday for the rest of your life,
do you?"
"Now see here, little lady." Vernon snarled, face turning a bright red. "I'm
sure Mr. Stark doesn't want this mess drug through the media."
"I assure you, Mr. Dursley, Tony doesn't give a shit about the media." Pepper
snarled getting right up in Vernon's face. "How about you though? Do you have
any skeletons in the closet that you don't want anyone to know about?" Pepper
looked at Harry then back to Vernon. "Tony Stark is a genius and there isn't
anything he can't find out about somebody. Give him ten minutes and he will
know your life story, from your kindergarten class picture to your deepest,
darkest secrets. Sign the damn papers or be prepared for your life to be bared
for all the world to see."
Vernon looked to Harry, fists clenched in fury. He wanted some time alone with
him so he could remind him of his place. He wanted the little freak to know
what would happen to him if he told his new daddy what he did to him.
"Vernon, just sign the papers," Petunia pleaded, not wanting to lose all that
money.
"Fine," Vernon snarled. Slamming the papers down on the table, he quickly
signed them, glaring at Harry the entire time.
"You were right," Clint chuckled. "Pepper can take care of herself."
Bruce helped Harry to his feet and steered him away from his uncle. "She has
had years of handling Tony, there isn't anything she can't handle."
***HP
Bruce watched as Pepper escorted the trio out of his office, eyes bleeding
green. He didn't know what that man wanted with Harry, but he was positive that
it wasn't going to be good. He didn't like the way Vernon looked at the boy,
the other guy especially didn't like it.
"Hey kid, are you alright?" Clint asked concerned with how pale and shaky
looking Harry was.
Harry collapsed back in Bruce's chair, legs too shaky to keep him on his feet.
"I-I can't believe that it's true. I thought unc...Vernon was making it up. I
was afraid to get my hopes up. Every year I begged the headmaster at my school
to not make me return there, and every year he brushed me off saying that they
were my family and that they loved me." Harry snorted. "Love, like that sick
bastard would know anything about love."
Bruce grabbed the arms of his chair and knelt in front of Harry. He was growing
concerned, it looked like the boy was close to going into shock. "Harry, look
at me," he softly demanded.
It took a minute for Harry to focus his eyes, but when he did he was surprised
to find Bruce in front of him looking worried. "It's honestly true, you're not
playing games are you?" Harry tried to stop the tears, but he he couldn't. For
as far back as he could remember he wished that he had a dad that would take
him away and protect him from his uncle. Every birthday and every Christmas he
wished for a family, someone to love him.
Bruce grabbed Harry's left hand not liking how cold it was. "Clint, in my
closet is a blanket, can you please get it for me?" It only took a second for
Clint to get the blanket and drape it across the trembling boy's shoulders.
"I know it's a lot to take in, Harry, but it's true. Tony Stark is your father
and you never have to see those horrible relatives of yours again." Bruce
explained softly, scared that if he talked too loud or moved to fast that he
would startle the boy. "Tony has never had to be responsible for anyone so it's
going to take the both of you time to get use to each other. Tony has never
been a dad and you have never had a dad. I don't doubt for one second though
that Tony won't want or love you."
Harry numbly nodded his head. His life had just changed drastically and it made
him feel sick to his stomach. Everything now was going to be new and unknown,
with the Dursley's he knew what he had to do and what to expect. He was
thrilled to have to never return them, but the unknown terrified him.
"Harry, before I take you upstairs to the family floor, I need to know if
you're hurt anywhere else." Bruce asked paying close attention to Harry's
actions. He knew that Harry wouldn't tell the truth and he didn't want to
frighten him by demanding to allow him to do a physical.
Harry shook his head no. "M'fine, was just my arm," he said hating that he was
lying. His back may be ripped to shreds, but it wasn't anything that he
couldn't handle. His uncle had been belting him since he was four. He was just
relieved that it was a belt this time and not one of Vernon's speciality whips.
"And your face and neck, " Clint added frowning at the small boy. "Harry, if
you're hurt we need to know. We just want to help you."
Again Harry shook his head no. "Really, I'm fine." Technically he wasn't lying,
he was fine, he could handle the pain just fine.
Bruce sighed, he wasn't expecting to get the truth from Harry. He was just
going to have to keep a close eye on him. "Alright, Harry, if you follow us we
will take you upstairs to where the family floors are."
"Floors?" Harry asked curiously. Unsteadily he got to his feet, grinning when
Clint gave him a hand.
Bruce chuckled. "As you can tell, Stark Tower is pretty huge. Tony has set
aside a few floors for those that live here and we all share a kitchen, dining
and living room."
"How many people live here?" Harry asked trying to hide the fear in his voice.
He was always nervous meeting new people, never knowing what they wanted from
him.
"Well, there's Tony obviously, Pepper, myself and Clint, Natasha is working in
the field for a few days so it will be a while before you meet her, Steve is
training some new recruits but he will be here later tonight, and Thor, but he
lives pretty far away and only stops in from time to time." Bruce explained.
"Are you all related?"
"No, but we all kinda work together. Tony opened Stark Tower after the invasion
to all of us, it's kind of like our headquarters." Clint said.
"Headquarters, for what?" Harry asked. They were once again entering the
elevator headed to the main family floor.
Bruce looked at Harry strangely. "You really don't know anything about Tony, do
you?" When Harry shook his head no, he asked, "Have you ever heard the the
Avengers?"
"No, sorry," Harry answered.
"Damn kid, have you been living in a cave somewhere?" Clint gasped. "What about
the alien attack on New York, you had to have heard about that?"
"Sorry, my boarding school really isn't big on technology. We have no tv's or
radios, actually we have nothing that uses electricity."
"What the fu..."
Bruce slapped Clint on the back of the head before he could finish his
sentence. "Don't tell Tony about that, he would have an aneurism. Technology,
engineering, it's his passion...his life." Bruce shook his head, what the hell
kind of school would not allow electricity?
"Tell you what kid, after you get settled in I will show you news footage of
Tony, the Avengers and the alien invasion, it will be a lot easier then trying
to explain it." Clint offered.
Harry wanted to hear more about the aliens, but he didn't know these men well
enough to ask questions.
 
***HP
Harry tried not to stand there gaping like an idiot, but the place was amazing.
He was surround by floor to ceiling windows that showed a breathtaking view of
the city. He wasn't sure how high up he was, but he felt like he was on top of
the world. Spinning around in circles taking in the view he noticed that he was
up higher than any other building that he could see.
"Hope you're not afraid of heights, kid," Clint joked.
"This is incredible," Harry said in awe. Finally focusing on the inside instead
of the outside he noticed that the room was lavishly furnished. There was
numerous couches and chairs all made from fine expensive leather, and an eighty
inch tv that took up most of one wall. On the other side of the room was a
large fully stocked bar, pool table and the older style video games and pinball
machines.
Bruce smiled at the boy, he felt the same way the first time he saw the room.
He had spent so much time hiding out in foreign countries living in tents and
such that he forgot what it was like to be surrounded by riches. "This is kind
of our main hang out room. I think Tony has every movie ever produced here and
you can get every tv channel, even those in foreign languages. The remote is a
bit complicated to use so we just ask Jarvis to put on whatever we want to
watch. Other than cook, there isn't anything that Jarvis can't do."
"That's not true, sir," a voice announced out of nowhere. "While I can't
physically cook for you, I can order anything that you may like from take out
restaurants. Just ask and I can have it here in thirty minutes."
"That's insane," Harry gasped. "So Jarvis can hear you anywhere at anytime? How
is that even possible? He's a machine yet he sounds human."
"Like I said, Tony is a genius." Bruce chuckled. "I take it since your school
is electronically challenged that you do share your father's love for
engineering?"
It took a second for Harry to process Bruce calling Tony his father. The DNA
test may have proved that it was true, but he still had a hard time truly
believing it. "Honestly, I don't know the first thing about electronics, I
wasn't even allowed to touch the tv at home."
Bruce and Clint exchanged looks over Harry's head. "Harry, we need to talk
about your home life." Bruce said carefully reading Harry's actions.
"No we don't," Harry quickly said panic in his voice. He never wanted to think
about his life there again. The Dursley's were now gone and he would never have
to see them again. Even Dumbledore couldn't send him back there, he was no
longer related to Petunia so the bloods wards would no longer work. He chuckled
to himself when it dawned him that there was never blood wards and the high and
mighty Albus Dumbledore never noticed. Since forcing him to compete in the Tri
Wizard Tournament, he had lost his faith and respect for the old man. He had
researched after the first task and he had found more than one way that he
could have been excused from participating in the tournament. He knew that
Dumbledore had to have known about it, and yet he still forced him to compete.
"Harry, we just want to help you," Bruce said calmly. Harry looked like a
skittish rabbit that was about to bolt any second.
"Look, they didn't like me and I accepted that when I was little. There isn't
much to say about my life there and I just want to move on." Harry winced when
pain shot up his arm. Just because it was now set properly didn't mean that it
didn't hurt like a bitch.
"Damn, let me get you something for the pain." Bruce took off for Tony's
bathroom knowing that he would have some kind of pain killers in his medicine
cabinet. He desperately wanted to get the truth from Harry, but not at the cost
of losing the boy's trust. He also wanted Harry to feel comfortable in his new
home and if he was constantly hounding him then that would never happen.
Clint motioned to the couch in front of the tv. "Why don't you take a seat,
you're looking a little pale. Even though it's still early, you have been
through a lot and you look like you're close to passing out."
Harry looked nervously at the couch. He had it beat into him that he was not
worthy enough to sit on furniture, and the furniture here was much, much nicer
than at the Dursley's. Even when visiting the Burrow he preferred to stand or
sit on the floor. He didn't know what to do, Bruce and Clint were already
suspicious of his home life, and it was true he was close to passing out.
Clint watched as the boy looked at the furniture like it was going to attack
him. It was just a leather couch, why was he scared of a simple couch?
"Go ahead and take a seat, I will have Jarvis start up the clips on Tony."
Clint tried again.
Harry slowly shuffled toward the couch, but at the last second he slid to the
floor instead of the couch. Carefully, he rested his throbbing back against the
cool leather praying that he was no longer bleeding. The coolness from the
leather felt great on his back, his uncle had whipped him a few different times
last night and his back felt like it was fire.
Clint frowned at Harry, confused by his actions. "Kid, you can sit on the couch
you know."
"This is more comfortable," Harry said hiding his face behind his long hair.
"Really, I like sitting on the floor."
Clint stared at the kid for a few more minutes then sighed. "As long as your
comfortable then it's ok I guess. I myself feel more comfortable in high
places," he pointed to a small hammock that was strung high up in the corner of
the room. "Guess we all have our own weird quirks."
Bruce came walking into the room, but froze in his steps. Raising his eyebrow
in Harry's direction, he looked over at Clint silently questioning him. Clint
just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head no. Sighing, Bruce walked up to
Harry and placed a can of coke and a pill on the coffee table in front of him.
"This pill is pretty strong and it will probably knock you on your ass, but it
will also kill the pain for a few hours."
Harry smiled gratefully and swallowed the pill without even asking what it was.
He was in so much pain that he would probably take a potion from Voldemort
himself if the snake face bastard told him it would take away the pain he was
suffering.
"Jarvis, run the documentary that was done on Tony please," Clint asked, taking
a seat on the same couch that Harry was leaning against. He didn't miss how the
boy tensed and subtly scooted away from him.
Bruce also didn't miss how Harry shied away from human contact. The boy tried
to hide it, but since he was already suspicious about his abusive past, he
didn't miss anything.
Harry tried to stay awake as he learned about his father, but his body was
finally giving in. He had just learned that his father was a child prodigy that
was the youngest to graduate from MIT, when he finally lost the battle. As he
was drifting off to sleep he couldn't help but worry that his father was going
to hate him because he was stupid. He wasn't a child genius like Tony and he
always had below average grades. When he first started school he loved it and
brought home high grades, until his uncle Vernon showed him why it wasn't wise
to place above Dudley. Since Dudley was the dumbest in the class, he actually
had to work hard at being dumber than him.
Clint clicked off the tv and turned to Bruce. They hadn't even been watching
for fifteen minutes when the kid crashed. "What do we do with him?"
"Pepper should be up here any minute to get a room ready for him, but for now I
will settle him on the couch. Why was he on the floor anyway?"
"The kid looked like the couch was going to attack him when I told him he could
sit on it. I don't know, Bruce, but I think this kid has been badly abused."
Bruce tried to hide the growl in his voice, but he failed. "I agree and he's
hiding something. Did you see how he panicked when I asked him to take off his
shirt? He's in pain Clint and it's not from his broken arm."
"Never in my life have I ever dealt with such horrible people," Pepper moaned
walking into the room. When she saw that Harry was sleeping she lowered her
voice. "A half a million dollars and not a penny less is what they demanded for
custody of the boy. That man said that if I didn't pay then there was others
out there that would gladly buy a pretty young boy."
Clint lunged to his feet and started pacing the room. "You don't think he
meant..."
"That's exactly what he meant," Bruce growled between clenched teeth. He wished
now that he would have let the other guy teach him a lesson. "You could see how
much they hated him, I bet it was killing them knowing that Harry was going to
place where he was going to be treated right and get a family. If wasn't for
the money, they would have sold him to some pimp and never thought about him
again."
Pepper was looking at Harry thoughtfully. "He looks so much like Tony, it's
kind of scary. The second I walked into the lab and saw him sitting there I
knew immediately that he was Tony's son. How bad do you think the abuse was?"
Bruce closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Harry is very skittish, he
doesn't make eye contact, he flinched each time his uncle moved, he's skinnier
than an anorexic supermodel, and after hearing that comment about selling him
for prostitution...I think we are dealing with a severe case of starvation,
physical and verbal abuse and a pray to god not sexual abuse."
Pepper fell into a chair looking pale and sick. "Tony is going to flip when he
finds out. He may not have known Harry before this, but he's his son, Tony is
going to kill them."
"I'll help him," Clint snapped. "That man was such an arrogant pig, and then to
demand alone time with Harry before he left, I'm positive that Harry would have
walked away with a few new bruises."
"He is very pretty for a boy," Bruce commented studying the sleeping boy. "With
his hair that long, his soft features and small size, he could easily pass as a
girl."
"Did you see his eyes?" Pepper asked. "I have never seen eyes that color. If
that man would have sold him to a pimp... I just can't think about what would
have happened to Harry." Pepper wiped at her eyes, she was never one to show
weakness, but the thought of Tony's son being used as a sex toy greatly upset
her.
Bruce stood up and quietly approached the sleeping boy. He had a feeling that
Harry was a light sleeper, but he was hoping that the pain meds he gave him
would keep him out for a few hours. As gently as he could he lifted the boy and
settled him on the couch. Taking the blanket, he tucked him in and brushed the
loose raven hair from his face. The boy really was extremely pretty.
"Did you call Tony?" Bruce asked turning around and retaking his seat across
from Harry. For some reason he felt like he needed to watch over the boy as he
slept.
"No," pepper chuckled. "I don't think finding out that you are all of a sudden
a father of a teenage boy is news you should get over the phone. I will catch
Tony as soon as he gets home and tell him in person."
Bruce nodded his head, Tony didn't need a shock like that while at the
conference. "I think we need to have a meeting with everyone to discuss how to
handle Harry. Harry is very insecure and scared, we need to do everything we
can to make him feel at home. I also suspect that he is hurt and hiding it, so
we all need to keep an eye on him."
"That's a good idea, I will send a text to Steve and let him know we have to
talk. There isn't much we can do about Natasha and Thor until they show up."
Pepper got to her feet. "I will place Harry in the room across from Tony's. Let
him sleep here for now and when he wakes we will show him his new room."
"If you don't need me, I'm going up to the training room. I need to do
something to keep me from tracking that bastard down and putting an arrow
between his eyes," Clint snarled heading for the the elevator.
"Jarvis, lower the lights please," Bruce asked. "I'm going to stay here and
keep watch over Harry. He is going to wake scared and disoriented and I don't
won't him to be alone."
***HP
***** Chapter 2 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Avengers.
OMG, I am totally blown away at the amount of reviews I got on the first
chaper. I'm so glad that everyone is interested in this fic and want me to
continue. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH.
OK, so I plan to pair Harry up with one of the Avengers later in the fic, but I
keep changing my mind on who. Right now I'm leaning towards Bruce because I
think he has the compassion to deal with someone as traumatized as Harry. At
first I was thinking Loki because of the magic, but I think he is more than
what Harry can handle. I was thinking Steve, but there is already a good Harry/
Steve fic going on, but he is another that would be able to help Harry. I'm
confused, so please review and Let me know who you think I should pair Harry
with.
***HP
Steve stood in the room staring between Bruce sitting up asleep in the chair,
and an unknown child sleeping on the couch. He didn't hear anything about kids
visiting so the situation had him slightly confused. The child looked familiar,
but he was certain that he had never met him before. Deciding to get a closer
look at the kid, he silently approached the couch.
Sensing someone approaching Harry, Bruce lunged to his feet and got between
Harry and the unknown person. He was still mostly asleep so he hadn't had a
chance to register who it was.
"Easy Bruce, I mean no harm to the child," Steve reassured, sensing that the
other guy was close to the surface. "He looked familiar so I was just getting a
closer look."
Bruce blinked the sleep from his eyes feeling slightly disoriented. He wasn't
sure how he got from the chair to between Harry and Steve, it was like an alarm
triggered and he was consumed with the need to protect the small boy.
"Sorry, Steve, I don't know what came over me," Bruce yawned. Turning his
attention to Harry, he critically looked him over. Harry was still sleeping,
but by the way his eyes were moving under his eyelids he could tell that he was
dreaming.
"Believe it or not, this is Tony Stark's son." Bruce grinned as total shock
washed over the Captain's face.
"Since when did Stark get a son?" Steve asked incredulously. Looking at the boy
closer, he could see now why he looked so familiar. The boy did look incredibly
like Stark, except where Stark had a rugged handsomeness to him, the boy was
delicate and feminine looking...pretty even.
"Since his abusive uncle brought him by earlier today and sold him for a half a
million dollars." Bruce growled. The more he thought about it, the angrier he
got. He didn't mean to fall asleep while watching Harry, but he enjoyed his
dreams immensely. He dreamt about torturing the fat bastard until he found out
what he did to the boy to cause him to be so skittish and fearful of human
touch. After he got the information, he allowed the Hulk to come out and smash
the bastard until he was nothing more than a slimy puddle on the floor.
Steve's eyes zeroed in on the cast and the bruise coving most of the boy's
face. "Does Tony know he has a son, and do we have bail money for when he kills
the man?" If it was his son, he would make the man pay for laying a hand on his
child.
"No, and yes," Bruce chuckled. "Pepper didn't want to drop the bomb on him over
the phone so she will tell him when he returns. As for bail, I will help Tony
hide the body so no bail will be needed."
Steve raised his eyebrows, surprised at the fierceness in Bruce's voice.
"You didn't meet them, Steve, they were truly horrific. That bastard of an
uncle even threatened Pepper with selling the boy into child prostitution."
You could see the bulge in Steve's jaws as he clenched his teeth in anger. "How
old is the boy?" If he had to guess, which was hard because the boy was so
small, he would say he was ten, twelve at the most.
Bruce stuttered for a moment, then turned to look at Harry. "You know, I never
asked him his age. I know that he had been living with his aunt and uncle since
he was fifteen months old, but I don't know how long ago that was."
"He doesn't look much older than ten," Steve said thoughtfully.
Bruce thought back to how Harry acted earlier. "No, he's older than ten, I'm
almost certain."
Bruce and Steve looked to Harry when they heard him start to softly whimper.
Every few minutes his body would jerk and a fine sheen of sweat was appearing
on his forehead.
"Looks like the boy is having a nightmare," Steve whispered.
"Harry, his name is Harry Potter," Bruce watched as Harry's twitching became
stronger and his whimpering louder. He didn't know if he should wake him or
wait to see if he came out of the nightmare himself.
"No... uncle...please!"
Bruce slowly approached Harry and knelt down on the floor.
"M'sorry, uncle...please don't make me."
"Should we wake him?" Steve asked, he didn't like seeing the fear and pain on
the boy's face.
"Hurts, please stop."
"Harry," Bruce softly whispered not wanting to scare the boy.
"No, please." Harry started to thrash about on the couch crying out as if he
was in pain.
"Wake him, Bruce," Steve urged, trying not to panic.
"Harry, Harry wake up," Bruce tried again. When that didn't work, he reached
out and gently shook him. Harry's reaction was so sudden that it sent Bruce
tumbling backwards and into the coffee table. The second that his hand made
contact with Harry's side, the boy let out a blood curdling scream and flew off
the couch and ran to the far side of the room and hid in the corner crying.
Steve helped Bruce up then they slowly approached the trembling child. He had
never seen anyone go from a dead sleep to up and in flight in less then a
second. He could tell by the eyes that Harry wasn't fully awake and aware of
his surroundings.
"Please, no more." Harry pleaded as his uncle advanced on him. He was in so
much pain and there was no way that he could take another beating from the man.
Bruce grabbed Steve by the arm stopping him. "Don't touch him, he doesn't know
where he's at."
Bruce slowly approached Harry. "You're safe, Harry, no one will hurt you here.
It's me Bruce, I ran the paternity test that proved that you are Tony Stark's
son.
Harry rested his head in the wall now recognizing Bruce. "S-Sorry, I guess I
just had a bad nightmare."
"Harry, that wasn't just a bad nightmare." Bruce said softly. "You were begging
to your uncle, you said it hurt."
Harry pushed away from the wall and shoved his trembling left hand into his
pocket to hide it. "You... You must have misunderstood me." Harry went to walk
around Bruce, but froze when he saw that there was another man in the room.
Feeling safe with Bruce, he took a step closer to him.
Steve gave the kid a soft smile, noticing how he was looking at him in fear. He
had been training new recruits for the past eight hours so his hair was a mess,
his clothes were wrinkly and he was sweaty. Combine that with his size, and he
was sure he looked intimidating to the small boy.
" Harry," Bruce frowned when the boy jumped. "I would like you to meet Captain
Steve Rogers, he's the leader of our band of misfits." Bruce turned to Steve.
"Steve, this is Harry Potter, Tony's son."
"Hello, Harry, it's a pleasure to meet you," Steve held out his hand giving
Harry a warm smile.
Harry took two steps back looking fearfully at the large hand. Steve was a very
big man and his hand matched the size of the rest of him. A blow from that hand
would surely knock him out cold for hours. Hagrid by far had the largest hands
he had ever seen, and while they frightened him, at school he had a part to
play and a mask to wear. He couldn't let the wizarding world see how weak and
scared he was, they would eat him alive if he did. He had been wearing his
golden boy mask for them since he was 11, and he couldn't continue to wear it
any longer. He was tired physically, mentally and magically. He was what his
uncle made him, weak, scared and broken.
Steve slowly pulled his hand back looking at the small boy in concern. "Well, I
guess you can't really shake my hand with that cast on, can you?
Harry took a shaky breath. "Sorry, guess I'm just not fully awake yet. The last
twenty four hours have been a bit crazy."
"That's understandable, Harry, you are in a strange place with strange people,
you're bound to feel insecure and scared." Steve could feel for the boy, he
himself had woken seventy years in the future, he could easily imagine how the
boy was feeling.
"Are you hungry Harry?" Steve asked. "It's my night to make dinner and I plan
to whip something up after I get cleaned up."
"Don't answer him, kid," Clint yelled swinging from his perch. He had come in
right before Harry had violently came out of his nightmare. He didn't want to
frighten the boy so he decided to watch from his perch. "Cap is a horrible
cook, and since we are supposed to be super hero's, I thought I should warn
you."
"Hey!" Steve yelled to the archer, not missing how Harry jumped. "I'll have you
know, my food hasn't killed or made anyone sick."
"Yet," Bruce mumbled.
"What was that?" Steve asked, playfully glaring at Bruce.
Bruce held up his hands. "Nothing, I was just thinking that maybe we could do
away with your weekly baked beans and hot dogs tonight. It's Harry's first
night in the tower after all and..."
"We don't want him to think that we're trying to poison him," Clint called down
laughing.
Steve looked at Harry sheepishly. "They're right, beans and hot dogs is all I
know how to cook, and their awful."
Harry gave Steve a small smile. "No, it's alright, I'm not hungry anyway."
"You may not be hungry, Harry, but you need to eat something. I don't need a
scale to tell me that you're dangerously underweight, and you can't take
anymore pain pills on an empty stomach."
Harry looked at Bruce, confused that he seemed to care. The man had just met
him, why did he care if he ate or not. "I don't want to put anyone out, I can
fix myself something up." If he was allowed, he thought to himself.
"I'll be the first to admit that our cooking sucks. Pepper is the only decent
cook out of all of us and she is in a meeting tonight." Bruce said
thoughtfully. "Since it's just the four of us, how about I order us some
pizza?"
Breathing started to become hard for Harry, he didn't realize that he was alone
with three strange men. Three very large and strong men.
"Movies and pizza sounds like the perfect guys night," Clint said swinging down
from his perch. Harry looked like he was going to bolt, he obviously wasn't
comfortable around the three of them.
"How about it Harry, pizza and movies sound good to you?" Bruce asked.
The last thing that Harry wanted was pizza and movies, but he didn't want to
piss these men off. Bruce may have made him feel safe, but that didn't mean
that he wouldn't hurt him if he didn't get what he wanted. He also didn't miss
the knife that Clint kept on him or the bulging muscles under Steve's tight
shirt. No, he did not want to get on their bad side.
"Yeah, sure." Harry answered, voice barely above a whisper.
Bruce sighed, he knew that Harry was just saying yes because he was scared.
"Excellent, what do you like on your pizza?" For now they were just going to
have to do their best to prove that they were the good guys and wouldn't harm
him.
"I-I don't really know, I-I have never had pizza before?"
"Do you mean to tell me that your family never allowed you to eat the pizza
they ordered for your fat ass cousin?" Clint snarled.
Harry shook his head. "No, I-I was just never home when they ordered pizza.
They would have given me some," Harry lied. The truth was, the Dursley's
ordered pizza at least once a week, but he was never allowed any. He looked
forward to and dreaded pizza night all at the same time. He looked forward to
it because it meant that he got a break from cooking that night. He dreaded it
because the pizza looked and smelled amazing. He was forced to get the pizza
then dish it out to his family, but he was never allowed to try any. He would
have to watch as his uncle and cousin pigged out as his stomach grumbled loudly
and ached painfully. Even if there was pizza left over, which very seldom
happened, he was not allowed any.
The three men didn't believe Harry for a second. Steve didn't know all the
details, but he could plainly see that the boy had been starved.
"Jarvis, could you order us two large extra cheese pizza's, 3 large meat lovers
pizza's, one Hawaiian pizza, three orders of mozzarella sticks and the house
salad from Tony's favorite place?" Bruce ordered the salad figuring Harry could
use some vegetables. Pizza wasn't all that good for you but right now he just
wanted to make Harry comfortable and get some food into him. It was true, they
all totally sucked at cooking and Harry didn't look up to going out to a nice
restaurant.
"The order has been placed, sir, I will inform you when it arrives," Jarvis
announced.
Bruce smiled at Harry. "Why don't I show you to your room why we wait for the
pizza?"
"Why you do that, I'm going to get a shower." Steve turned for the elevator.
***HP
Harry stood there in shock. The room that Bruce took him to was bigger then the
entire bottom floor of the Dursley's home. One wall was nothing but glass
showcasing an amazing view of the city. There was a king sized bed in the
middle of the room, small table and chair against one wall, a large flat screen
tv, black leather couch, dresser, walk in closet that was bigger than Dudley's
room and a private bathroom.
"I c-can't stay here, it's too much." Harry stuttered. He was use to small
spaces, and this was so big that it was scary.
Bruce placed Harry's trunk at the foot of his bed. It was sad that everything
the boy owned fit into a small school trunk. "Sorry, all the rooms are this
big. Tony has a lot of money and he likes to show off. I will leave you so you
can get settled. Is there anything you need before I go?" At seeing Harry shake
his head, he walked to the door. "This is your room now, Harry, and you can
decorate it however you want. If there is anything you need to buy, just let
myself or Pepper know and we can take you shopping." Bruce held up his hand
before Harry could say anything. "Harry, you're Tony Stark's son, money will
never be an issue. If I know Pepper, she already has a credit card with you
name on it."
"I don't need a credit card, Tony doesn't have to waste his money on me." Harry
could feel himself start to panic again. He had never been given anything for
free, there was always a price to pay. He remembered the time when he was eight
and his uncle had bought him a nice new outfit and told him he was going to
take him out to dinner. He was so excited and he thought for sure that he had
finally earned his uncle's love. His uncle had said that it was because he had
been good boy and it was his birthday, but the dinner was at his bosses house
and it wasn't his birthday they were celebrating. Vernon had found out about
his bosses sick fantasy of being with a young boy. The next day his uncle came
home bragging because he had gotten the promotion that he had wanted. Harry was
positive that it wasn't his uncle's job performance that had gotten him the
promotion, but his performance in his bosses bed. That was the first time that
his uncle had given him to another man, but it wasn't the last.
"Hey, easy there, Harry," Bruce said, walking back towards the distressed boy.
Harry had gone alarmingly pale and his entire body was trembling. He wasn't
sure, but it looked like he was having a flashback.
Harry rapidly blinked his eyes and focused back on Bruce. "I-I really don't
need anything and I especially don't need a room this big."
Bruce wanted to take the scared boy into his arms and comfort him, but he knew
that his touch wouldn't be welcome. "Harry, I know that you have been hurt bad.
Please believe me when I say that no one here will ever hurt you or make you do
something that you don't want to do. Tony will also never expect for you to pay
him back for whatever you buy. You are his son and it's his responsibility to
look after you and supply you with the necessities."
"I haven't been hurt," Harry said, voice barely above a whisper.
Bruce sighed. "Harry, I won't force you to spill your secrets, but I'm here if
you ever need to talk. Now, this is your room so get use to it," he chuckled.
"Oh and if you decide to take a bath or shower, try not to get your cast wet. A
bath may be a lot easier with that." Bruce turned and left, closing Harry's
bedroom door behind him. They had their work cut out for them, it was going to
take a while to earn Harry's trust. As much as he didn't want to think about
it, he had a feeling that Harry's abuse went beyond name calling and beatings.
For now though he was going to keep his suspicions to himself, unless his
opinion was asked on the matter.
Harry walked to his trunk and took a seat on it. Looking around at the large
room, he felt so alone. He had always been alone, but being in this large space
made it more so. He never liked his small cupboard or bedroom, but he felt more
claustrophobic in this large room. Getting up, he dug through his trunk and
pulled out a pair of Dudley's oversized sweat pants and a t-shirt that that was
so big that it came down to his knees. He was embarrassed to be seen in such
rags, but it was all he had.
The bathroom was like the rest of everything he has seen at Stark Tower,
expensive and over the top. The jetted bathtub could almost rival the prefects
bathroom in size. Next to the bathtub was a shower stall that had multiple
shower heads and a built in seat. The mirror took up one entire wall and the
sink was so big that he could sit in it. Opening up a closet door, he found a
pile of fluffy white towels and washcloths. He was also relieved to find soap,
shampoo and conditioner and toothbrush and tooth paste. Grabbing what he
needed, he turned to the tub and started filling it with cool water. He would
have preferred a hot bath, but he knew that the heat would only irritate his
lash marks.
Pulling on the hem of his shirt, he cried out in pain from where the shirt had
stuck to the lacerations and pulled off the scarabs. He tried three more times
to remove the shirt that was stuck to his back before he finally gave up. He
would just have to get in the tub with it on and hope that he could work it off
with the help of the soap and water.
It took some work, gently tugging and pulling, but Harry was finally able to
remove his shirt. He cringed when he noticed that his bath water had turned
pink from the blood. He didn't spend long in the tub, afraid that one of the
guys would come looking for him. Getting out, he drained the pink water and
wrapped one of the large towels around himself. While in the tub, he had washed
his bloody shirt then hung it off the side of the tub. It wasn't easy bathing
with one hand, but after all the times his uncle had broken one of his arms, he
was use to it.
When Harry removed the towel, he almost died when he saw all the blood standing
out brightly on the white Egyptian cotton. He could scrub that towel for hours
and there was no way all that blood was going to come out. As quick as he
could, he sprinted into his bedroom and shoved the towel into the bottom of his
trunk. Why couldn't his towels have been red?
With his back throbbing, Harry made his way back to the bathroom to get
dressed. He cringed when he caught a glimpse of his back in the mirror. His
welts were flaming red and angry looking, a few even looked like they were
getting infected. There wasn't an inch of skin on his back that wasn't welted,
torn or red, and under all that damage was years worth of old scars.
"Young sir, DR. Banner asked me to tell you that the pizza is here and they are
waiting for you."
Harry jumped, slamming his hand over his pounding heart. He didn't think he
would ever get use to a voice coming out of nowhere. He wondered if Jarvis
could actually see what he was doing. "Tell him I'm coming, please." Harry
looked around the room nervously, looking to see if he could find any hidden
cameras or something.
Harry quickly dressed, praying that his back had stopped bleeding. Trying not
to fret over his outfit, he left his room and headed for the living room.
***HP
Bruce looked up from where he was setting the food out on the coffee table and
froze. The other guy started clawing to get out when he saw the atrocious
clothes that Harry was wearing. It was obvious that Harry was wearing his fat
cousin's discarded clothes, and he could tell by Harry's posture that he was
mortified. Checking his anger, he motioned for the boy to join him.
Harry shyly approached Bruce, eyes lowered to his feet. He knew he looked
ridiculous in his cousins clothes, but there was nothing he could do about it.
At the Burrow he didn't care about his clothes, all the boys had passed down
their clothes to one another so receiving handy downs was never a big deal. At
school he had his school uniform and long robes, but here he was surrounded by
riches and everything was top of the line.
"Help yourself, Harry." Bruce said handing him a plate. "But I would grab
everything you want now," he warned. "We have big appetites around here,
especially Cap."
Nodding his head, Harry took the plate and placed a small slice of cheese pizza
on it and a little bit of salad. Looking around, he retook his previous seat on
the floor.
Bruce frowned at the boy's plate, Harry had hardly taken anything. Grabbing
another plate, he added a slice of the meat lovers, a slice of Hawaiian and
five mozzarella sticks. Placing the plate in front of Harry, he gave him a look
that clearly said...don't argue.
"So, Harry, I never asked how old you were." Bruce took a seat on the floor
too, opposite of Harry.
Harry was looking at the piece of cheesy hot gooyness on his plate, not
believing that he was actually going to get to eat a slice. "Fourteen, but I
have a birthday coming up," he answered, then before Bruce could ask him
another question, he bit into his pizza.
Harry couldn't have stopped the moan even if he wanted to...which he didn't.
Pizza was everything and more than what he thought it would be. He could see
now why his cousin always cried for pizza, it was bloody fantastic.
Despite Bruce chuckling at Harry's antics, on the inside he was seething. Harry
was a fourteen year old boy that had never tried pizza before despite his
family buying it frequently. If something as simple as pizza had been denied to
him, what else had Harry missed out on? He was also having a hard time
believing that Harry was fourteen, he was too small for a fourteen year old.
Obviously Harry had been denied food and it resulted in his stunted growth. He
didn't know how tall Harry's mother was, but Tony was 6'1, at fourteen, Harry
should be taller then his current 5'3.
"I see the newest member of our family likes pizza," Steve observed as he
entered the room. He was freshly showered and was wearing sleep pants with a
comfy t-shirt. He wouldn't have normally walked around in sleep wear, but he
was tired and surrounded by people that he considered something like family.
Clint joined their group and between the three adults the pizza's was almost
gone in an instant. Harry was thankful that Bruce gave him those extra slices
even though he didn't think he would be able to eat them right now. Hopefully
he could sneak them in his room without anyone noticing.
"So kid, what would you like to watch?" Clint asked, almost stuffing an entire
slice of meat lovers pizza into his mouth.
Harry looked down, picking at the crust of his first slice of pizza. He was
almost finished with it, but he was already feeling full. Being starved since
he was fifteen months old left him with a small stomach and inability to eat a
lot. There were times that he was so hungry that he stuffed himself past the
point he should have stopped, but it always ended with him in the bathroom on
his knees puking everything back into the toilet. He had spent the first two
weeks of his first year at Hogwarts getting sick after every meal because he
couldn't stop eating. He had never seen so much food before and he felt like he
had to stuff himself before someone told him that everything was a joke and he
was getting sent back to the Dursley's. Over the years he learned to eat just a
little and stop before he felt full and his stomach bloated.
"It doesn't really matter to me what we watch," Harry answered softly, never
looking up from his pizza.
"Well, what was the last movie that you saw?" Clint tried again. He was trying
to get Harry to talk more and not just when one of them asked him a question.
He didn't have much experience with kids, but he thought teenagers talked a lot
and ate their parents out of house. He himself was on his fifth slice of pizza
while Harry was still on his first.
Harry just shrugged his shoulders and nibbled on the end of his pizza. The
pizza was delicious and he was tempted to keep eating, but his stomach was
already getting that bloated feel.
Clint frowned at the small boy. "Harry, have you ever seen a movie?"
Harry had never been allowed to watch tv and the Dursley's either left him
locked in his cupboard at home when they went to the movies, or left him out in
the car. Uncle Vernon thought it was funny knowing that his freak nephew was
trapped in the car for hours in the elements while they were enjoying a movie
and snacks.
Not wanting these men to know that he had never watched a movie before, he
asked. "Can I please just finish what I was watching earlier?"
"That's a good idea," Bruce said. "Maybe learning more about us will help you
feel more comfortable here. Jarvis, please resume the documentary about Tony."
To say that Harry was stunned after watching everything would have been an
understatement. He not only watched the documentary about his father, but also
one on Captain America then various news clips about the Avengers and the alien
invasion.
Bruce chuckled at the shocked look on Harry's face. "Do you have any
questions?" he asked. He was concerned that after Harry found out that he could
turn into a large green monster that he would run off screaming.
Harry numbly nodded his head. "Only about a million." Harry looked up at Bruce.
"Was all that true? Does Tony really have that flying suite, and do you really
turn into that green guy?" Before Bruce could answer, Harry said. "That's why
your eyes turned green earlier when you were mad at my uncle. It's just like
when Remus..." Harry quickly stopped talking, he almost mentioned Remus and
werewolf.
Steve noticed how Bruce shifted uncomfortably on the floor. He didn't know why
him and Harry were sitting on the floor when there was comfortable chairs to be
sitting in, but he wasn't going to question it. "Everything was true, Harry, so
now you see, you are safe here with us."
Bruce got up, stretching. "Harry, if you're not comfortable with me living
here, I can move out."
Harry looked at Bruce, confused. "Why, I don't understand?"
"Harry, you see what I am, what I turn into when I'm angry."
Bruce tried to hide the pain in his eyes, but Harry didn't miss it. Bruce
reminded him of Remus and how he was ashamed of Moony. "I'm not scared of you."
Ok, so that wasn't completely true, he was scared of Bruce, but not because he
turned into the green monster. He was scared of Bruce because he was a man, and
he learned young that men liked to hurt those weaker than them. "You can't help
what you are and you shouldn't fight it. The way I see it, the Hulk saved
hundreds of people, he didn't go on a mindless killing spree."
"But I can't control..." Bruce started, but Harry interrupted him.
"Maybe if you didn't fight the Hulk all the time, you would have more control
when you turn. The way I see it, the Hulk is only trying to protect you.
Bruce couldn't believe what he was hearing, even Fury was scared of the other
guy. Fury had even built a containment unit to hold him when he turned. "Harry,
you don't understand, I'm a monster."
Harry snorted. "I know monsters, and so far you are nothing like them." Harry
gingerly got to his feet, he was stiff from sitting on the floor for so long
and his back was aching worse then ever. He was scared that his lashes were
getting infected and he didn't know how he was going to get any antibiotic
cream to put on them. "If it's all right with you, I would like to go to bed?"
Bruce nodded his head, he was still processing everything that Harry had just
said. By the looks on Clint and Steve's face, they were doing the same thing.
Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a little packet with a pill in it. "Here,
for your pain," he said handing if to Harry.
Harry thanked him and swallowed the pill. He wished that muggle pain pills
worked as fast as pain relieving potions, but at least he knew he had some
relief coming.
Bruce saw how Harry was looking longingly at his left over pizza. He was upset
that Harry only ate one slice of pizza and his salad, but he wasn't going to
say anything. "Harry, I will put your pizza in the fridge. If you get hungry
tonight, just ask Jarvis and he will direct you to the kitchen. He can also
help you with using the appliances if you don't know how."
Harry nodded his head trying not to laugh. He had been cooking for the
Dursley's since before he could even properly reach the stove. "Thank you," he
said, giving Bruce a small smile.
"We normally eat breakfast around seven, and like dinner, we take turns
cooking." Bruce grimaced. "Tomorrow is my morning to cook."
Harry looked around when he heard Steve and Clint groan. Steve actually looked
like he was turning a bit green.
"I don't think my stomach could take another batch of your homemade oatmeal,"
Steve moaned, placing a hand on his stomach and rubbing it.
Bruce nodded his head. "I don't think my stomach could handle it either. I
promise that I will make something good tomorrow."
Harry didn't miss how Steve and Clint exchanged fearful looks.
***HP
Harry tossed and turned all night unable to sleep. His back felt like someone
was taking a flame to it, and there wasn't a position he could find that was
comfortable. He was also scared in such a big room, and there was no way he
could sleep in such a massive plush bed. His thoughts also kept wandering back
to the third task and the death of Cedric. Him and Cedric had built up a
friendship last year and he even started to get a crush on the older
Hufflepuff. It terrified him at first, the feelings he felt for Cedric. He had
been getting raped by men since he was a small boy, how could he actually have
feelings for a guy? A relationship with anyone, especially sex, was the last
thing that he ever wanted, but he couldn't deny that he liked being in Cedric's
presence.
Finally giving up on his attempts at sleeping, Harry got up from his makeshift
bed on the floor and grabbed the clothes that he had worn yesterday. He didn't
like wearing the same clothes two days in a row, but it was the only decent
outfit that he had.
Walking into the dark living room, Harry stopped and looked around. It was only
six in the morning so everyone else must have been still sleeping. Deciding to
pay them back for their kindness, he was going to make them a good
breakfast...if he could find the kitchen that is. Deep down he was also hoping
that if he made himself useful by cooking, that they wouldn't kick him out of
the Tower when they found out that he was a freak.
"Uhm, Jarvis, are you there?" Harry called out uncertainly. Did computers
sleep, he wondered?
"Yes, young sir, how may I assist you?"
"Uhm, Harry, you can call me Harry, not young sir." Harry said sheepishly, he
couldn't believe that he was talking to a computer.
"As you wish, Harry. Did you need something?"
"Yeah, could you please direct me to the kitchen?" Harry couldn't stop the
small chuckle from escaping. It was totally weird asking a disembodied voice
for help.
Harry followed the AI's instructions and soon found himself in the largest,
most extravagant kitchen that he had ever seen. "Should have known," he
muttered shaking his head. Looking around he noticed that all the appliances
looked extremely complicated, and hardly ever used.
It was bit of a learning experience and he did have to ask a Jarvis for help in
using the high tech stove, but he soon had a pile of pancakes set out, along
with hash browns, blueberry muffins, fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice and
coffee. He wasn't sure what everyone liked, but by the way they packed the food
away last night, he didn't think they were too picky.
Steve was the first to walk in the kitchen, nose up and sniffing the air. He
hadn't smelled such good food since he had left home. "Harry!" he exclaimed
shocked. He knew there was no way that Bruce could cook up something that
smelled that good, but he never expected to see the small boy standing at the
stove flipping pancakes.
Harry spun around, trying to hide the fact that he had been startled. He had
been lost in thought, so he never heard the Captain enter the kitchen. "Sir,
please sit. I made breakfast."
Steve almost drooled at the sight before him. The large table was covered in
food and everything looked to be cooked to perfection. "Oh my god, everything
looks and smells amazing," he commented as he took a seat and started piling
his plate full of food?
The first forkful of pancakes had Steve moaning in pure bliss. "Harry, I don't
know where you learned to cook like this, but never have I tasted anything as
delicious as this." Steve wasn't sure if a kid as young as Harry should using
something as dangerous as the stove, but the second forkful had him forgetting
everything but the food in front of him.
Harry blushed and allowed a small smile to escape. He had never been
complimented on for his cooking, and since he was never allowed to taste it for
himself, he didn't know if his food was any good.
By the time that Bruce and Clint had entered the kitchen, Steve had already
gone through an impressive stack on pancakes. "If I don't stop eating, I'm not
going to be able to move for the rest of the day," Steve moaned, leaning back
in his chair and rubbing his overly full stuffed stomach. With a groan, he
leaned forward and grabbed to more fresh pancakes from the stack.
Harry couldn't help but giggle at the large soldier. For the past thirty
minutes he had been saying that, then he would grab two more pancakes and
continue eating. He had to admit, Steve had already eaten more then Vernon and
Dudley put together.
"What is that delicious smell, and can I have some it?" Clint moaned, walking
towards the table like a zombie.
"No," Steve growled, pulling the stack of pancakes closer to his plate.
Harry giggled some more. He didn't see it, but his giggling caused Steve to
grin around the fork that was in his mouth. He loved hearing the small boy's
laughter and he hoped that he could get a lot more giggles out of him.
Harry grabbed a plate and placed four, right out of the pan pancakes on it and
handed it to Clint. "Don't let Steve scare you off, I have plenty." Harry said
shyly. For the first time ever he was enjoying cooking.
Clint brought the plate to his nose and took a big sniff. "Oh, that smells like
heaven," he groaned. Without even adding butter or syrup, he took a forkful,
closing his eyes and moaning. "Please tell me that we can keep the kid?"
With a shy smile Harry handed Bruce a plate piled high with pancakes. Bruce
retuned Harry's smile and took the plate. "Clint, Harry is not a dog, we can't
just keep him." Tasting the pancakes himself, he moaned in pleasure like the
other two. "I take that back, we are so keeping him."
Harry laughed so hard that he had tears in his eyes. The three men smiled at
each other, happy that Harry was getting comfortable around them.
"Ok, I mean it this time," groaned Steve. "If I eat another bite, I'm going to
explode." Wiping his hand across his forehead, Steve cried out. "Look, I'm
sweating! I have eaten so much that I have worked up a sweat."
"Kid, where on earth did you learn to cook like that?," Clint asked, rubbing
his own bloated stomach. He was supposed to report to Fury in an hour, but he
didn't think he would be able to waddle out the door.
Harry had started cleaning up his cooking mess. He had a pile of dishes to
tackle, but he wasn't sure how he was going to do that with the bulky cast on
his arm. Without turning around, he answered in a small voice. "My aunt didn't
like cooking."
Bruce swallowed his last bite, it felt like lead going down his throat. Did his
family force him to cook for them then not allow him to eat? Looking at Steve
and Clint, he could tell they were coming to the same conclusion. After Harry
went to bed last night, they stayed up discussing with each other about Harry's
abuse and how they could help him. He didn't mention his fears that Harry had
been sexually abused. He hadn't been able to get his uncle's comment out of his
head. He had a hard time believing that the man was just throwing out a random
threat...no, the man had obviously given it some thought.
Bruce stood up and approached Harry from behind. He didn't miss how the boy
tensed and looked ready to bolt. "You did the cooking, so it's only right that
we do dishes." he said, voice soft and non threatening.
"No, I-I can do it." Harry didn't want them to think that he was lazy. If he
didn't pull his weight then they would surely send him back to uncle, or find
something else for him to do. These men were huge, there was no way he could
work off his room and board that way, they would kill him.
Bruce reached out and placed his hand on Harry's good shoulder, he wasn't
surprised when Harry dropped the pan he had been trying wash and bolted away
from him. Looking at the trembling teen that was looking back at him with large
fearful emerald eyes, he sighed. "Harry, have you eaten this morning?"
Harry shook his head no, ignoring the rumbling in his stomach.
Loading up a plate, he placed it on the table and pulled out a chair. "Sit and
eat," he said looking to Harry. "While you eat, we will clean up. Harry, you
don't have to do everything, we work as a team here."
Harry looked longingly at the pancakes. He desperately wanted to try one, but
he wasn't allowed to sit at the table. He had planned to nick a pancake after
everyone left and eat it in his room.
"Harry, I'm not asking you," Bruce said sternly. He didn't want to scare the
teen, but he was hoping if he was a bit firmer that Harry would listen to him.
"Please sit and eat."
Harry new the dangers of ignoring a direct command so he hurried to the seat
that Bruce was indicating.
Bruce scowled at Harry when he just sat there. Grabbing a knife, he buttered up
the pancakes and poured a generous amount of syrup over them. "Eat, Harry!"
Harry took the fork from Bruce and tentatively took a bite of his cooking for
the very first time. "Oh, this is really good," he moaned. He never imagined
that his cooking was that good.
Steve frowned, "Harry, haven't you tasted your cooking before?"
Harry swallowed his food, looking at Steve like a deer caught in the
headlights. "Yeah... Yeah of course I have." Harry lowered his eyes and
continued eating. All three knew that he was lying. Harry may be an amazing
cook, but he sucked at lying.
Pepper managed to get to the kitchen just in time to grab a pancake and a
muffin. After scolding Harry for using the stove, she praised him for his
excellent cooking and said that since he obviously knew what he was doing, that
he was allowed to use the stove whenever he wanted to. She wasn't worried about
Harry burning the tower down, no, she was worried about him getting burned.
"Oh, Harry, before I forget," Pepper handed him an envelope. "Don't be shy
using it," she said with a wink. "All I ask is that you don't wander off alone.
This city can be dangerous if you don't know it, and once people find out that
you're Tony's son...well, let's just say that you will get more attention then
what you will want." She didn't mention that he could be in danger. If Tony's
enemies found out that he had a son, Harry would have a target on his back. If
Harry was kidnapped, there would be nothing that Tony wouldn't do to get him
back.
Harry reached in the envelope and pulled out a shiny black credit card. "I-
I can't take this," he said in a panicked voice.
Pepper shoved the card back at Harry when he tried to hand it to her. "I don't
want to hear it, Harry. You are Tony's son and he has more money than what he
could spend in twelve lifetimes. There is no limit on that card, so maybe you
can talk one of these guys into taking you shopping. I noticed that you're
wearing the same outfit as yesterday, so you're obviously in need of clothes."
Harry flushed in embarrassment.
"I mean it, Harry. If you don't go out and spoil yourself, then I will do it
for you. I never had to clothes shop for a teenage boy before, and I'm sure you
won't like the styles I pick out." Pepper gave Harry a stern look.
"Tell you what, kid, as a thank you for that amazing breakfast, after my
meeting I will take you out." Clint offered. "I'm not as young as you, but I
think I'm still pretty hip."
"The fact that you just used the word hip, proves that you're not," Pepper
chuckled. "It's a shame that Natasha isn't here, she would know what stores to
go to."
Bruce had a moment of unexplained panic. The thought of Harry wandering the
city without him made his heart rate pick up and his palms sweat. "If you can
wait until noon, I will come with you two and we can grab some lunch." Bruce
knew that he was being ridiculous, Clint was more then capable protecting
Harry, but Harry leaving without him felt wrong.
"Alright," Clint said, giving Bruce a questioning look. Bruce normally didn't
wander out too much in public, he was always afraid of losing control of the
other guy.
Bruce ignored Clint and headed for the elevator. "Harry, I will be in my lab if
you need me or if you just don't want to be alone, you're more than welcome to
come visit."
Harry gave Bruce a small smile. He would probably just go back to his room and
rest for a bit. He was tired from lack of sleep, and the pain pill that Bruce
gave him was hitting him hard.
Pepper turned before leaving. "Harry, are you sure you will be alright alone?"
She hated leaving the teen alone in a strange place." When Harry nodded, she
added. "If you need anything, just ask Jarvis. He can also get in contact with
any of us if there is a problem."
Harry watched as everyone left already feeling lonely. He had fun cooking for
everyone this morning and watching their reactions to his food. Steve was
particularly funny and the man must have eaten three dozen pancakes. He didn't
understand how the man stayed so incredibly fit if he always ate so much.
***HP
Tony grinned as he saw Stark Tower come into view. If he was lucky, Pepper
would already be at the office and the rest of the group would be off doing
whatever it is that they do. He figured he had at least eight hours before
Pepper found out that he ditched the conference and decided to fly home in his
suite instead of his jet. If he would have used the jet, then Pepper would have
been alerted immediately and she would have called screaming at him and he
wouldn't have been able to escape the mind numbing conference. He just wanted
to get home, order a pizza, pop in a movie and not move until Pepper came
hunting him down. Maybe he should play it safe and keep his Iron Man suite on,
Pepper could pack one hell of a punch when she was mad.
"Welcome home, sir," Jarvis said the moment that Tony landed on the roof. "I
hope you had a good flight."
"Good morning, Jarvis, and yes I had a pleasant flight." As Tony walked across
the roof, his Iron Man suite came off in pieces.
"Sir, Mrs. Potts asked me to inform her the second you returned home, of course
she wasn't expecting you until next week."
Tony froze mid step, looking around like was expecting Pepper to jump out and
attack him. "Please, Jarvis, don't tell Pepper that I have returned."
"Sir, she said it was important that I notify her immediately."
Tony cursed, "Please, Jarvis, as your maker I'm begging you to not tell Pepper.
Please, just give me until five and then you can be a good little AI and inform
her that I am home."
"Very well, sir," Jarvis answered.
Softly whistling, Tony entered his tower and made his way to the kitchen. For
once he didn't feel like alcohol, he was going to grab a coke then order
himself some pizza. He was looking forward to having some quiet alone time in
his tower. Don't get him wrong, he loved having his fellow Avengers here, but
it was still nice to get a break from everybody.
Walking into the kitchen, Tony froze when he was assaulted with the most
intoxicating scent. Deeply inhaling, he followed his nose until it led him to a
plate of blueberry muffins. "Oh hello beautiful," he purred. Scooping up the
plate, he placed them at the table and took a seat. "Where did you lovelies
come from?" he asked huskily. Gingerly he picked up a muffin and brought it to
his nose. "Oh beautiful, do you have any idea what your scent does to me?"
Taking a bite, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Oh shit, I think I
just had an orgasm."
***HP
Harry splashed some cold water on his face. He managed to get two hours of
sleep before his nightmares woke him. He also wasn't feeling too well, he felt
hot and shaky and the pain in his back had bypassed bearable. Moving now was
getting impossible, he didn't know how he was going to go clothes shopping with
Bruce and Clint. He figured that his sick feeling was coming from the lashes
that last night looked like they were getting infected. He was tempted to lift
his shirt to see, but there was nothing he could do for them anyway.
Slowly Harry made his way to the kitchen to get a drink, and maybe if he was
lucky he could find something for his back and fever. Walking into the kitchen,
he almost passed out when he saw who was sitting there.
Tony was happily working his way through his fifth muffin when the kitchen door
opened up. Mouth wide open and muffin halfway in, he froze. "Did my future self
discover the fountain of youth, invent a time machine and travel back to bring
me these delicious blueberry muffins?" he asked, never lowering the muffin.
Harry was too shocked to talk so he just stupidly shook his head no.
Tony brought the muffin to his eyes and started inspecting it. "Did someone
slip some LSD into these muffins causing me to hallucinate?"
Again, Harry just shook his head no.
"Oh thank god," Tony moaned. "These are the best blueberry muffins in the
world, and I should know, I'm an expert on blueberry muffins. See, blueberries
are my favorite and I have tried blueberry muffins in every state in the USA
and in every country in the world, and these are by far the the best I have
ever eaten."
Harry gave a shy smile. Not only was he happy that his father loved his
muffins, but blueberries was also his favorite fruit. It was cool finding out
that he shared something in common with the father he had never met.
Tony reluctantly put the muffin back on the plate, never taking his eyes off
the boy. He didn't have to be the genius that he was to know what was going on.
Under the ugly bruise on the boy's face was almost an identical replica of
himself at that age. Granted he had never been that skinny or scared looking,
but the resemblance was too great to ignore.
"Right then, uhm..." For the first time he could remember, Tony was at a loss
for words. "Jarvis, I think now might be a good time to tell Pepper that I'm
home," he called out.
"Mrs. Potts is on her way home, sir," Jarvis announced.
"Thanks, Jarvis" Tony said absently, still staring at his little clone. "I
would offer you a blueberry muffin, but their too damn good to share."
"That's alright," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not very hungry
anyway. Besides, I can always make some more when they run out."
"Are you telling me that you're the creator...the master mind behind these
beauties?" Tony asked, picking up another muffin and taking a bite. "Oh god, do
you think it's against the law to marry food?"
"I think it may be frowned upon," Harry giggled. "And yes, I'm the one who made
the muffins."
Tony nodded his head, still stuffing his face. "Well, you're a genius. Not only
are you good looking, but you're talented as well, must be in your blood."
Harry didn't know how to answer that so he just remained silently standing.
Tony kicked out the chair across from him. "Why don't you take a seat, you look
close to passing out?" Someone had really done a number on the boy, and by the
size of the hand mark around his neck, it wasn't another kid responsible.
Harry carefully sat down, mindful of his back. The pain was so bad that he was
on the verge of tears.
Tony didn't miss how stiff the boy was, he was obviously in a great deal of
pain. "Well, I know who I am, but I don't know who you are." he said, grabbing
yet another muffin and taking a bite.
"Harry, sir, Harry Potter."
"Did you just call me, sir?" Tony gasped. "Oh shit, you did, didn't you?"
Harry looked at Tony fearfully. He had just met the man and he had already done
something wrong.
Tony bent his head down frantically running his fingers through his hair. "Do
you see any, please tell me that you don't see any?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Harry whispered, shaking and eyes
filling up with tear. "What is it that I'm looking for?" he asked confused.
"The dreaded grey hairs." Tony said ominously. "You see, it starts off with
everyone calling you sir, then you start to get grey hairs, and then before you
know it, your walking around with your nose stuck up in the air, and a stick
shoved up your ass. All of a sudden people expect you to act all grown up and
be all bossy like. I just narrowly escaped the conference with my beautiful
hair still black and greyless. I'm telling you kid, it's a plague and I'm
begging you to never call me that cursed word again."
Just then the kitchen door banged open and a pissed of Pepper Potts came
stalking in. "Anthony Stark, you better have a damn good reason for leaving the
conference on only it's second day."
Tony slowly got to his feet and held his hand out to Harry. "Harry, very slowly
get up and walk towards me. Pepper may seem alright, but she's one of them.
Just look at her, Harry, she's all uptight and bossy, and I bet if her hair
wasn't in a bun, we would find some grey hairs."
Harry couldn't stop giggling at his father's antics. For a second there, he
thought that he was really in trouble.
Pepper's face softened at hearing Harry's laughter. She was pissed that Tony
bailed on the conference, but he might have been exactly what Harry needed. For
the first time since meeting him, Harry had a spark of life in his beautiful
emerald eyes.
***** Chapter 3 *****
I do not own Harry Potter it The Avengers.
I am shocked at how many people are enjoying this fic. I thought about this
plot for months, but I was scared to post since I didn't know much about the
Avengers.
I am still on the fence of who to pair Harry with when he gets a bit older.
There was a lot of people wanting Spider Man, but I'm really not a fan of his.
Maybe I need to watch the newer movies, I just hated the kid that played him in
the older movies... Toby Maguire. Really, he just ruined Spider Man food me :(
Please review and let me know how I'm doing.
***HP
Pepper shook her head at Tony. "Tony, this is Harry, he's... "
Tony picked up another blueberry muffin. "The evil genius behind these
muffins." Tony winked at Harry. "I'm going to have to get busy upgrading the
Ironman suite because if I keep eating these, I'm going to need a bigger one."
"Tony," Pepper sighed.
"Honestly, Pepper, have you tried these muffins?" Tony asked, taking a big bite
of the muffin.
"Yes, Tony, and while they were delicious, his pancakes were out of this
world."
Tony placed the plate back on the table and collapsed in the chair. "Wait a
minute, are you telling me that there was homemade pancakes made in here...in
my kitchen?"
Pepper rolled her eyes. "Yes, Tony, Harry made everyone pancakes this morning.
You should have seen Steve, Bruce had to physically help him up and out of the
kitchen."
Harry giggled. "I didn't know a person could eat that much without getting
sick."
"Pancakes, in my kitchen," Tony gasped. "Complete with butter and maple syrup?"
Harry nodded his head.
"I like pancakes," Tony said pouting. "The only thing better than blueberries
and pancakes, is blueberries in pancakes."
"I-I can make you blueberry pancakes now," Harry said getting to his feet. Pain
exploded from his back, forcing him to grip the table hard while biting his
tongue to keep from crying out.
"Whoa, kid, are you alright? " Tony asked. Quickly he jumped up and went around
the table, reaching out to help.
Harry flinched when he saw the hand reach out for him. Allowing his instincts
to take over, he ducked and scurried around the table and to the other side of
the kitchen. Not watching where he was going because he was keeping an eye on
Tony, he painfully slammed his back against the counter. He had just managed to
stop himself from falling to his knees, but he didn't succeed in holding his
tears back. The pain was a hundred times worse than the original whipping,
hell, it was worse than the Cruciatus Curse.
Tony didn't know what to do, he had never seen such fear and pain on a child's
face. "Harry, are you hurt?" he asked softly, trying not to frighten the boy
more.
Wiping at his eyes, Harry shook his head no. "Sorry, you just startled me and
then I hit my back, but I'll be fine." Harry closed his eyes, trying to get a
handle on the pain.
Tony looked to Pepper for advice, but was floored when he saw her looking a
little green with tears in her eyes. He may be a genius, but he was missing a
big piece of the puzzle. It wasn't hard to tell that this boy...his boy, had
been hurt bad.
"Harry, please take a seat." Tony offered. "You're not looking so hot."
Harry shook his head no. "I'm fine, honestly." Turning around, he started
pulling out ingredients to make blueberry pancakes.
Pepper slapped her hand over her mouth trying not to cry out. Looking to Tony,
she saw how his eyes were glued to his son's back...he very much bloody back.
"Jarvis, tell Bruce that he is needed up here immediately." Tony ordered
breathlessly.
Harry was leaning against the counter, head spinning madly. He wanted to turn
and run, but he knew if he tried he would fall flat on his face. He could feel
darkness creeping over him and he fought it with everything he had. He couldn't
pass out in front of Tony and Pepper...they couldn't see his shame.
"Harry. "
Harry jumped when he heard his name. It didn't sound close, it sounded like it
was coming from the end of a very long tunnel.
"Harry," Tony called, slowly advancing on the small trembling boy. He could
tell by the way he was swaying that he was close to passing out. He was kind of
hoping that he would pass out, it would be much easier seeing to his back if he
wasn't awake to fight.
"M'okay," Harry mumbled, shaking his head. "Gonna make p-p-pancakes."
Tony turned towards the door when he heard it open. Motioning for Bruce to
stop, he held his finger to his lips signaling for him to be quiet.
Bruce froze at what he saw. When Jarvis ordered him to the kitchen, he wasn't
expecting to find Harry's back a bloody mess and him close to passing out.
"Harry, can I help you make the pancakes?" Tony asked, steadily creeping closer
to Harry.
Harry shook his head, stumbling some as he did. Cursing softly, he gripped the
counter tighter and righted himself. "S'ok, I can get it." Harry tried to reach
up for a bowel, but the pain in his back prevented him from lifting his arm up.
Whimpering, he turned towards Tony, tears streaming down his face.
Tony's heart clenched at the look of total defeat on the boy's face. "Harry,
please let us help you."
Harry shook his head. "No, m'fine," he slurred.
Despite Harry being pale, Bruce could tell by the flushed cheeks that he was
running a fever and a very high one at that. He knew that there was something
more than the bruises, broken arm and dislocated shoulder with Harry.
Tony took another step closer to his son, but froze when Harry cried out.
"Please, m'sorry. Don't hurt me."
"Never! I will never hurt you Harry, and may god help those that do. I may have
just met you, but you are my son and I will protect you until my last breath."
Tony said seriously.
Harry blinked at Tony, trying to focus his vision. Everything was spinning and
blurry, he could just make out the feint outline of three people. "You... You
know that I'm your...?"
"Son?" Tony finished, chuckling softly. "Harry, you look just like me. How
could you not be my son?"
"I- I don't think that I will make a very good s-son." Harry cried softly,
tears steadily falling now.
Tony snorted. "And I'm sure I'm going to fuck up plenty of times at being a
father, but we won't know until we try, right?"
Harry nodded his head, reaching out for the counter when his knees started to
give out.
Tony stepped closer, he was now only inches from Harry. "Let me help you," he
said softly, holding his hand out to his son.
Harry stared longingly at the hand. He desperately wanted to reach out and take
the offered hand and accept help, but no one had ever wanted to help him
before. The few times he asked for help in the past it blew up in his face and
he ended up being beat to within an inch of his life.
"Trust me, Harry," Tony whispered. "I only want to help you...my son."
Harry's body shook with silent sobs. He always wanted someone to call him son
like Mr. Weasley called his boys. Looking Tony in the eye for the first time,
he saw only honesty and concern shining out of them. Very slowly he raised his
trembling hand and reached out to Tony. Right before their hands touched, Harry
collapsed, body finally giving in to the blackness.
Tony caught his son before he could hit the ground. Lifting him up, he cursed
when he felt how light he was. He had boots that weighed more than Harry. "My
room," he barked, rushing past Bruce and Pepper.
"Lay him on his belly and get me a pair of scissors," Bruce ordered.
Pepper started rooting around Tony's desk drawers looking for a pair of
scissors.
"Bottom left," Tony said as he carefully laid Harry onto his bed. "Jarvis, can
you get a read on his fever?" The small boy was burning in his arms.
"Sir, his temperature is hundred and four and climbing." Jarvis informed them.
"Tony, we need to get him to a hospital," Bruce said, taking the scissors from
Pepper.
"No," Tony snapped. "I may have just met him, but I can tell that he will be
very unhappy waking up in a hospital."
"Son of a bitch," Bruce gasped when he saw the damage to Harry's back.
"I'm going to be sick," Pepper choked rushing to the bathroom.
Tony stared horrified at the body on his bed. "He's been flogged." he gasped.
His son's back was a shredded mess. Large sections of skin was missing and
blood and puss was oozing from the lacerations.
Bruce lightly traced a nasty bite mark on Harry's back right above his pants.
Looking to Tony, his eyes started to bleed green. "He's needs a doctor," he
growled. "These whip marks are severely infected."
Tony shook his head. "You can treat him. He won't..."
"Dammit, Tony," Bruce snarled. "It's not just his back. I think Harry's been
raped."
Tony paled even farther, bile working it's way up his throat. "Jarvis, get a
hold of my personal physician and tell him to get his ass here...NOW!"
"Sir, he is currently out of town. Is there someone else you would like me to
call?"
"Shit," Tony cursed. He remembered now that he paid for the man to take his
wife to Hawaii for their twentieth anniversary.
"Jarvis, call for an ambulance," Peppered ordered, unable to look at the boy on
the bed.
"No," Tony snarled. "Jarvis cancel that order."
"Tony, I don't have the antibiotics he needs to treat the infection. I am not a
medical doctor." Bruce snapped.
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "Pepper, call Agent and tell him we need a
doctor, but don't tell him why."
"You want me to call Agent Coulson and involve S.H.I.E.L.D?" Pepper asked,
shocked that Tony was even suggesting it. Tony didn't like S.H.I.E.L.D knowing
his business and he did his best to drive Fury crazy.
"No, I don't want to involve S.H.I.E.L.D, but I don't have a choice. Harry
won't want to be at a hospital, and just think what will happen when the media
gets wind that Tony Stark's mysterious son has been admitted to the hospital
because he was beat half to death and raped." Tony snapped. "Harry is in no
condition to deal with the attention he will get from being my son."
"He's right," Bruce agreed. "Harry is scared of his own shadow, the media will
eat him alive."
Nodding her head, Pepper pulled out her phone and dialed Coulson.
Tony knelt beside the bed and brushed the hair from Harry's flushed cheek.
"He's burning up."
Bruce stood up headed for the door. "I'm going to get the IV started and bring
up some supplies that the doctor will need." Tony had an almost fully stocked
medical ward because he himself hated going to public hospitals."
"Pepper, I want details." Tony said as he worked on cutting the rest of the
shirt from his son's body. The boy was skinny, almost emaciated. He could
clearly see every rib, hell, he could damn near see every bone in his body.
"Harry has been living with his aunt and uncle since his parents death when he
was fifteen months old. Tony, they were vilest people that I have ever dealt
with. It was plain to see that they despised Harry, and Harry was terrified of
them. Despite knowing that Harry had a badly broken arm, his uncle grabbed him
by it in the lobby, dislocating his shoulder."
"Jarvis, bring up all security camera footage dealing with Harry's relatives."
Tony ordered briskly.
As Tony watched the footage, Bruce returned and started Harry's IV, sedating
him so he could start cleaning the wounds. Harry may be passed out, but the
second they started cleaning that mess, the boy was sure to wake. He would have
preferred to put Harry completely under, but they would need to be in a
hospital for that.
"I can't believe that he had been walking around the past twenty four hours
with his back like that." Bruce muttered. "He must have been in excruciating
pain, yet it never showed."
"He was use to it." Clint added, standing in the doorway. He had been getting
ready to leave S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters when his handler got a call requesting
a doctor to be immediately sent over to Stark Tower. He rushed over already
suspecting that it had something to do with Harry. He may have only met the
kid, but he already felt overly protective of him.
"What do you mean, Clint?" Pepper asked.
Clint sighed, walking into the room. "This isn't the first time Harry has been
whipped, look at the old scars under the infected ones. No, this has been going
on for years, and I guarandamntee you that Harry wasn't allowed to heal before
he was forced to do something for those pigs. He already admitted this morning
that he did the cooking, I bet that horse faced bitch of an aunt of his didn't
lift a damn finger in the house. Harry is use to having to work while in pain,
it's what he has always known."
"Jarvis, bring up all information you can find on Harry James Potter," Tony
asked when he was done viewing all the security footage. Thugs his ass, there
was no way that thugs were responsible for his son's condition. He had no
doubts that Harry's uncle had been abusing him, probably since the first day he
was left with them. If he found proof, there would be no stopping him.
"Sir, there isn't much in the system about Harry James Potter." Jarvis said.
Tony scrolled through the information. "How can that be?"
"What did you find?" Bruce asked from where he was carefully cleaning Harry's
wounds. Where the hell was that S.H.I.E.L.D doctor?
"All I can find is a birth certificate and some early school records, and even
those stop at ten."
"What about medical records?" Bruce asked. Even if Harry had never been sick or
hurt, he would still have had records for his inoculations.
"No medical history at all, not even for his childhood shots. There isn't even
school pictures with him in them. It says here that three months into his first
grade the teacher recommended that he be moved up a few grades. His grades were
the highest in the class and the work was too easy for him. Then not two month
later, Harry had the lowest grades in the class and refused to do the work most
days. From then until his school records end at ten years of age, Harry always
had the lowest grades and only just passed each year."
"How does he go from being the smartest to the dumbest kid in just a few
weeks?" Pepper asked.
"Look up his cousin, that boy was was as dumb as he was fat." Bruce muttered.
"Jarvis, get me everything on Dudley Dursley." Tony ordered. His mind was
frantically trying to make sense of everything he had read...well, actually not
read. Why was there nothing in the system about Harry? Why did his school
records end at ten?
Tony whistled when Dudley's records popped up on the screen. "This kid is on
the right path to spending his life in prison. He has multi juvenile arrests
for bullying, stealing, sexual assault, attacking teachers...the list just goes
on. Dudley had the second lowest grades in the class, scoring just above Harry
in all subjects."
Clint snorted. "Well, that answers your question Pepper. Harry wasn't allowed
to do better than their precious son. You saw how they catered and babied that
pig yesterday. No, there was no that they would allow the nephew they despised
to do better in school than their own son."
"Sir, I went ahead and copied everything I could find on Vernon and Petunia
Dursley. There are a few photos of them, and after running a facial analysis,
they came up as a ninety percent match for young Harry."
"You're amazing, Jarvis." Tony said to his AI. "What would I do without you?
Bring up the pictures, please."
Everyone but Bruce looked up at the large screen. He was still carefully
cleaning Harry's back, wincing each time the small boy would whimper. The
sedation was keeping Harry out of it, but it wasn't stopping him from feeling
some pain.
"Best garden for four years in a row, Petunia Dursley of Number 4 Privet Drive,
Little Whinging, Surrey." Tony read. The picture showed a blond woman with an
extremely long neck and large front teeth proudly holding up a trophy and a
long blue ribbon. In the background you could see a beautifully kept yard with
lots of flowers and a small pond. Tony ignored all that though, what got his
attention was the small boy leaning against the shed holding a small shovel and
wearing muddy gloves. The messy haired boy was wearing a large dingy shirt that
fell off one bony shoulder exposing a large bruise on his collar bone. The
child looked tired and sad, yet there was a hint of pride in his eyes.
"I bet a months worth of cooking duties that Harry was responsible for
maintaining that award winning lawn." Tony grumbled.
"He was only six," Pepper gasped after reading the date.
"He may have been six, but he looks no older than four," Bruce commented,
looking over his shoulder at the screen. The other guy was roaring in fury at
the picture of the beat down little boy. How did everyone ignore a child that
was obviously in need of help?
Tony scrolled to the next picture. "Vernon Dursley promoted to director of
Grunnings Drills," he read. The picture was from the company's monthly
publication and it showed Vernon with his chest puffed out, smirking at the
camera wearing a brand new, very expensive suite. Next to him was an older man
with a handlebar mustache, dressed just a smartly as Vernon with his hand
resting on a small boy's shoulder, fingers wrapped possessively around his
skinny neck. Despite the boy's head being down and the new form fitting clothes
he was wearing, Tony could tell by the hair and posture that it was his son.
The boy had his arms wrapped around his stomach and his clothes were all
wrinkled and askew. Looking closer at the picture, Tony could tell that it was
taken in a home, not at the company. He could just make out from the reflection
in a mirror the corner of a rumpled bed.
A loud growling had all heads whipping in Bruce's direction. "Shit," Tony
yelled. Bruce's skin was turning green and his muscles were rippling and
enlarging. He was staring at the screen, eyes green and full of fury. "We need
to get him to the containment room before he destroys everything," he yelled.
Bruce was fighting hard to hold the Hulk back, but that picture had him
enraged. He didn't like how that man was touching Harry. The way his fingers
curled around his neck and the cocky look on his face. There was something
deeply wrong and disgusting with that picture.
"Easy there, big guy." Clint said softly as he approached the Hulking out
Bruce. "Think of Harry, he needs you to help him. The S.H.I.E.L.D doctor isn't
here yet, he needs you, Bruce."
Panting and shaking, Bruce fought Hulk for control. He couldn't do this now,
not while Harry needed him. There would be time later to let the Hulk out and
destroy the containment room that Tony had built for him.
Tony let out a sigh of relief when Bruce's eyes returned to normal. "Shew, that
was a close one." He didn't ask what set the Hulk off, he knew exactly what
happened. Bruce was thinking the same thing he was about the picture.
"You good, Banner?"
Everyone was so focused on Bruce that they didn't see when Agent Coulson and
the doctor arrived.
Tony groaned. "I asked for a doctor, not a doctor and a nosy agent."
Coulson smirked. "It's a pleasure to see you too, Stark. Now, what's this all
about? First we get a call requesting a doctor to Stark Tower, then the Hulk is
almost let loose. Care to explain?"
"Not really," Tony answered shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
Immediately the doctor was at the boy's side assessing his injuries. "Jesus
Christ, who the hell is responsible for this boy? He needs to be in a hospital
where these wounds can be properly treated. The boy has blood poisoning, and if
he doesn't get started on a treatment immediately, then he is going to die."
"Then shut the hell up and treat him," Tony growled. "I have an entire wing
full of medical supplies, tell Bruce what you need and he will get it."
"What he needs is to be in the Intensive care unit," the doctor said, standing
up and confronting Tony.
"Well, this is what you got, so get saving." Tony snarled, not backing down
from the doctor.
The doctor looked like he wanted to say more, but after receiving a nod from
Agent Coulson, he started barking out orders to Bruce and Clint.
"Stark, it's time you explain everything," Coulson said seriously.
***HP
Agent Coulson stared down at the small boy on the bed...the boy that happened
to be none other than Tony Stark's son. It took a while to get the boy cleaned
up and stable, but now he was resting peacefully hooked up to oxygen, IV fluids
and antibiotics. At first he didn't believe Tony's claim of Harry being his
son, but after seeing the child's face, there was no doubt in his mind that
Tony fathered him. He could understand now why Tony was so adamant about Harry
not going to the hospital, if the media and Tony's enemies found out about him,
Harry could be in serious danger.
Tony was sitting in a chair next to Harry's bed, head resting in his hands. Not
only had his son been beaten and raped, according to the doctor, it had been
going on for years. The back wasn't the only place where Harry was scarred, the
doctor found layers of scars in Harry's anal canal. The doctor figured that
Harry had been getting raped since he was a small boy. The picture of his son
being touched by his uncle's boss with the rumpled bed in the background kept
playing through his head.
"Stark...Tony, are you alright?" Coulson asked, this was a side of Tony that he
had never seen before.
Tony snorted, not lifting his head. "It's Clint you should be worried about,
he's the one that had to wrestle the Hulk to the containment room." Bruce had
totally lost it when his suspicions of Harry being raped were confirmed, but
when he found out that it started when he was small, Hulk had completely taken
over.
"Tony, it's your son that is laying there critically ill," Coulson pointed out.
Tony lifted his head, looking sadly over at Harry. "A son up until a few hours
ago I didn't even know existed."
"Does that matter? Does the fact that you just met your son change how you feel
about everything?"
Tony shook his head no. "No, but if I had known about him earlier on, I could
have saved him. I don't even remember a Lily Potter or Evans; hell, I don't
even recognize her from the picture that Jarvis found."
Coulson looked sharply at Tony. "Did you say Potter, Lily Potter?"
Tony grunted. "I know that I have been with a lot of woman, but I would have
remembered a red head like her. The strange thing is, I do remember her husband
James." Tony blushed and turned away from Coulson's gaze.
Coulson's eyes grew big, his eyebrows disappearing in his hairline. "Are you
saying that you slept with her husband? I didn't know that you batted for the
other team."
Tony blushed even redder. "I was young and curious and James was hot. Keep in
mind I only batted, I didn't catch. He was my first time with another male
that's why I remember the night so vividly. I may have been a bit drunk, but I
remember that there was just the two of us, no hot redhead making a threesome."
Coulson stared down at the boy, eyes automatically going to his forehead.
"That's a unique scar he has on his forehead."
Tony reached over and brushed the hair from his son's lightning bolt scar. "His
aunt," he spat out. "said he got it from the car accident that killed his
parents."
Coulson continued to stare at the scar. "Right, well I must be getting back to
headquarters. Tony, please don't hunt these people down now. Right now Harry
needs you, you can deal with them later.
Tony glared at Coulson. "I'm going to kill them, and I'm going to make sure it
hurts. They aren't going to get away with what they did to my son."
"I understand and I don't blame you. All I ask is that you wait until Harry is
out of the woods, right now he needs you more than you need revenge."
Tony smirked. "Don't worry your pretty little agent head over me, I'm not
leaving my son right now, but you better damn well believe that I'm not going
to sit on my ass and do nothing."
Coulson groaned, he knew that there was going to be no talking Tony out of
going after them."Just keep it legal Tony, ok?"
Tony didn't say anything, just glared at Coulson.
***HP
"So what was Stark's big emergency?" Nick Fury asked never lifting his eye up
from the paperwork he was doing.
Coulson remained standing, arms clasped behind his back. "It seems Tony has a
kid. His relatives dropped him off yesterday and sold him for a measly half a
million dollars."
Fury's heard snapped up, that got his attention. "Are you saying that Stark has
a baby?"
"Baby, no," Coulson chuckled. "Tony has a fourteen year old son. It seems his
relatives physically and sexually abused him. The kid was in bad shape when we
got there, his uncle had flayed his back with a belt and the lacerations were
infected. The doctor also said that he had extensive rectal damage."
Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. It was hard enough to control Stark on a
normal day, there was no way he would be able to keep him from killing his
son's relatives. To be honest, he didn't want to.
"From what I witnessed, Bruce and Clint are already attached to the boy and I
heard that Steve feels just as strongly. When Bruce heard about the rapes he
lost it and the Hulk came out. It's not just Tony that we have to worry about
going after the boy's relatives, it's the Avengers as well."
Fury cursed, feeling a migraine coming on.
"That's not all, sir," Coulson said reluctantly. "The boy is from England, and
his name is Harry James Potter."
Fury cursed. "Please tell me that he doesn't have a lightening bolt scar on his
forehead?"
"Sorry, sir, can't do that."
"Shit, are you telling me that the Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, is Tony
Stark's son?" Fury asked, rubbing at his throbbing temples.
"Well, I never saw the boy in person before, but he sure as hell fits the
description of Harry Potter from the wizarding world."
"Lily Potter had an affair with Tony Stark, how the hell did that happen? I met
the woman once when my brother and her husband were graduating from the Auror
Academy and she didn't seem like someone that would cheat on her husband."
Coulson scratched the back of his neck, he still couldn't believe that Tony
played for both teams. "Tony as no recollection of sleeping with Lily Potter,
but he does fondly remember James Potter."
Groaning, Fury dropped his head onto the table. "Are you telling me that Harry
Potter is actually the son of James Potter and Tony Stark." At seeing Coulson
nod, Fury waved him away. "I can't deal with this right now. I will call my
brother and ask what he knows about the Potter boy, but I'm not going to tell
him that he is here in America. Keep a lid on this for now, don't even tell
Tony. We will wait and see how things play out."
"Yes, sir," Coulson said, turning and leaving the directors office.
***HP
"Did he give the name of the boarding school he attended?" Tony asked the now
greenless Bruce.
"No, he just said that it was in Scotland and it had no electric. He had never
even heard of Tony Stark, The Avengers or the alien attack on New York." Bruce
was sitting at Harry's bedside feeling surprisingly better after letting the
other guy out for a while.
"Jarvis, bring up every boarding school in Scotland." Tony ordered.
Tony scrolled through all the boarding schools in Scotland, but none of them
fit the description of his son's. How could a school not have electricity,
especially in Scotland where the winters were bad. "Something isn't right about
all of this," he grumbled.
"Maybe when Harry gets comfortable around us, he will tell us everything."
Bruce suggested. "Are you sure you don't recognize his mother, she was very
pretty?"
Tony nervously took a sip of his drink. "Lily I have never seen before, her
husband on the other hand." Tony winked at Bruce.
"Are you saying that you and he..."
Tony raised his glass to Bruce. "All night long."
Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He never
imagined that Tony was bisexual.
"What's the matter, doc, never experimented with the same sex before?" Tony
smirked.
"I...well...I... I, well, it was a long time ago." Bruce stuttered.
"You dirty dog, you," Tony chuckled. "It's always the quiet ones." Tony winked
again at Bruce handing him a drink.
Bruce took a sip, cringing at the amount of alcohol that was in it. "Tony, why
in the hell do you have a bar in your bedroom."
"Easy, so I don't have to parade naked through the house to get a drink. I have
a fine ass, doc, and I don't want you getting ideas. I may enjoy a man warming
my bed, but I strictly top."
Bruce closed his eyes, groaning. "Don't worry, your ass is safe from me."
"What about your ass, doc, is it safe from me?" Tony chuckled when Bruce choked
on his drink.
Their conversation came to a halt when Pepper entered the room carrying a few
bags.
"Send a woman out to retrieve a pair of pajamas from a teenager's room and she
comes back an hour later with an arm full of bags, and I'm sure that my bank
account is considerably lighter," Tony joked.
"Well, I went to said teenager's room but I couldn't open his trunk. I don't
know what kind of locks he has, but they're pretty impressive. I figured since
whatever he has is going to be rags anyway, I would just run out and buy him
some nice new stuff."
"Impressive locks you say?" Tony asked perking up.
Pepper sighed. "Tony, leave Harry's stuff alone."
"What? I'm not going to snoop his stuff, I just want to see these locks." Tony
brushed past Pepper.
Bruce reluctantly got up to follow Tony, he wanted to make sure that Tony
didn't root through Harry's personal possessions. "Jarvis, let me know if Harry
starts waking."
"I am monitoring his vitals and will know as soon as he starts waking."
"I will stay with him, Bruce," Pepper said as she opened the bags and started
sorting through the clothes. She didn't get him much, just a few things to hold
him over until he was up to shopping for himself.
When Bruce entered Harry's room, Tony was walking around Harry's old beat up
school trunk. "I don't know what she was talking about," Tony muttered. "I
don't see any locks on this trunk." Kneeling down, he tugged on the lid fully
expecting it to pop open.
"Well, that's interesting," Tony said when the lid didn't budge. Tilting the
trunk back, he started looking for a key. "I don't see a key hole anywhere on
this trunk, how the hell is it locked?" Running his hands all over it, he grew
even more excited when he didn't find a secret button or a control panel. He
loved a mystery to solve, and this was very mysterious.
Despite being curious, Bruce didn't feel that it was right messing with Harry's
stuff. Teenagers were very funny with people touching what was theirs, and
right now it was very important that they gain Harry's trust. "Tony, come on
let's leave Harry's room. You wouldn't want someone messing with your stuff."
Tony stepped away from the truck pouting. "Fine, I'll leave it...for now." Tony
turned towards the door then stopped. "Jarvis, scan the trunk and see if you
pick up anything."
"Sir, there is a disturbance around the trunk, but I can't identify what it
is."
Tony excitedly stepped towards the trunk, but was forced to stop when Bruce
grabbed his arm. "Oh, come on," he whined.
"No," Bruce said tugging on Tony's arm. "Come on, Harry should be waking any
minute."
***** Chapter 4 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers..
*** PLEASE READ....... I have created a FB page and I invite everyone to shoot
me a friends request. I would loving talking and getting to know you all
better. I would love to hear your ideas and bounce some off you. You will find
me under Potter Obsessed.....
***HP
Bruce was hooking Harry up to another bag of fluids when he saw his fingers
start twitching. "He's waking," he said softly, alerting everyone who was in
the room. Tony was in a chair next to Harry's bed, Pepper was working on some
papers at Tony's desk, Steve was looking out the window, and Clint was leaning
against the door. Everyone had been extremely concerned for the boy that had
stolen their hearts in such a short amount of time.
Harry had been asleep longer than what anyone had expected. It was now early
evening the following day, which meant that Harry had been asleep for over
twenty four hours. In that time, Tony and Bruce had hardly left Harry's
bedside. The others checked in regularly, but went about their daily routine
despite worrying about the small, sick boy back at Stark Tower.
"Should we go?" Steve asked, not wanting to, but also not wanting to overwhelm
the boy.
Before anyone could answer, Harry started whimpering.
Tony jumped to his feet hovering nervously over his son. He didn't know how to
do this comforting thing, but he would do whatever he had to do to help his
son. It wasn't like his dad was the ideal role model, the man was never around
and he was obsessed with finding Captain America. As soon as he could, his
father had shipped him off to boarding school and only had minimal contact with
him after that.
Harry was feeling confused and disoriented. He knew that he wasn't in his bed
in the Gryffindor tower, the hospital wing, or his hard lumpy bed at the
Dursley's. The bed he was in was so comfortable that it felt like he was
sleeping on a cloud. The comforter was so warm and plush that he wanted to
burrow down into it and never come out again. He wasn't sure where he was or
who was with him, his head felt heavy and fuzzy.
"Harry, can you hear me?" Bruce asked softly not wanting to startle the small
teen.
Harry tensed and his heart started pounding hard in his chest. Who was that? He
didn't recognize the voice and it was a males voice. It never boded well for
him when he woke with a strange man in his room. It wouldn't be the first time
that Uncle Vernon sent someone up to have their way with him while he was
sleeping and for him to wake with a stranger on top of him.
The increased beeping of the heart monitor caught everyone's attention. "Harry,
calm down, there's no reason to be scared. You are at Stark Tower with me,
Bruce Banner, and your father, Tony Stark. Clint Barton is also here along with
Steve Rogers and Pepper Potts. You passed out on us yesterday and you have had
us all very concerned."
Harry groaned as everything started coming back to him. He remembered now
finding out that Lily wasn't his mom, that James was his mom and Tony was his
dad. He remembered being in horrible pain from the whipping his uncle gave him
and feeling very sick and tired.
"No, no, no," Harry cried weakly, when it dawned on him that he passed out in
front of Tony and Pepper. They must know...they must all know what happened to
him.
"Hey, little chef, are you going to open your eyes for us?" Tony asked, taking
a seat on the side of Harry's bed.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he quickly scooted away from Tony's touch. It's
not that he didn't was his father to touch him, he just didn't want anyone to
touch him. "What the hell!" he cried out when he felt a painful tug on his arm.
"No, Harry, don't pull it out," Bruce warned, gently grabbing Harry's hand to
prevent him from pulling out the IV. "You are very sick and need this to get
the meds into your system."
Harry yanked his arm out of Bruce's grip and let it fall onto the bed. He was
still feeling extremely dizzy and sick to his stomach. Not wanting to see the
pity on their faces, he closed his eyes and turned his head away.
Tony looked sadly down at his son. "Harry, can I get you something to eat or
drink? You have been out of it for twenty four hours."
Keeping his head turned away, Harry shook his head no.
"Unfortunately for you, you are going to eat something anyway," Bruce said
firmly. "You are not going to get better if you don't eat something. Now I may
suck at cooking, but I think I can handle opening a can of vegetable soup and a
box of crackers. Now if you will excuse me, I will be back in ten minutes."
Harry watched Bruce leave, a small smile tugging at his lips. "He reminds me of
my best friend's mother."
Clint chuckled. "That's great, you comparing Bruce to a mother. I can just
picture the big green guy wearing an apron and fuzzy pink bunny slippers."
Harry smiled shyly at Clint. He had thought for sure that they would be
demanding answers, but they weren't treating him any different then before. He
could feel the bandages on his back so they knew that he had been whipped, and
if they saw his back, then they saw the bite marks.
"You're one stubborn, tough little shit, I'll give you that much." Tony said,
smirking at his son. "Not only are those wounds infected, but you also have
blood poisoning. I go from finding out that I'm a dad, to finding out that you
were close to dying... all in less than an hour." Tony tapped the arc reactor
on his chest. "Your old man has a bad ticker and this is what's keeping him
alive. My heart can't handle this kind of stress. I haven't left your side
since you passed out. I think I'm going to design a bubble for you to live in
so nothing or no one can ever hurt you again."
Harry nervously looked at his father, giving him an uncertain smile. He didn't
think that the man was mad at him, but he wasn't positive. It felt weird, a
good kind of weird though, to know that the father he had just met had gotten
scared because he was sick. He couldn't believe that Tony had stayed with him
the entire time. Even Sirius after third task had left him when Dumbledore sent
him to do something, and he had begged Sirius to stay with him. He had just
seen a boy get murdered, the resurrection of Voldemort, had battled the evil
bastard and been crucio'd...the last thing he wanted was to be alone. He wanted
Sirius to stay with him, make him feel safe, even if it was only as Padfoot.
Despite his pleading, Sirius had left him to do Dumbledore's bidding. For some
reason, he had never been important enough to be put first.
"You... You really stayed?" Harry asked in a small and trembling voice.
"Are you kidding me?" Steve chuckled, taking Tony's seat by the bed. "Both Tony
and Bruce refused to leave. Wait until you see this," Steve turned and smirked
at Tony. "Jarvis, bring up the picture that I had you take last night."
"What picture, what are you talking about?" Tony asked looking a little
concerned.
Harry couldn't stop the snort like laughter that burst from his lips when the
picture popped up on the very large screen. Both Tony and Bruce were sleeping
on the couch that was in the back of the room, practically on top of each
other. Bruce had his head on Tony's shoulder and arm thrown across his chest,
and Tony had his arms wrapped around Bruce with one leg across his lap.
"Oh, that's priceless," Clint howled. "I think we should make that the Avengers
Christmas card."
Tony put his face into his hands, moaning. "You better get that picture down
before mother sees it, you know what happens when he gets angry."
Harry giggled hard, wiping the tears from his eyes. He couldn't believe how
comfortable he was around a group of guys that he had just met. It's was weird,
but they honestly seemed to care about him.
Steve reached out and lightly brushed his hand across Harry's. "Honestly
though, we have all been very worried about you. When not working, myself,
Clint and Pepper have been here, and when we were working, we were constantly
calling to check in on you. We may be a bit dysfunctional, but we are a family
and we are here for each other. Please remember that you can come to us with
anything."
Harry swallowed the lump that was in his throat. The Weasley's and Sirius cared
for him, but they never called him family. Family was something that he
desperately yearned for, and he couldn't believe that these people were so
quick to make him part of theirs. Turning his head, he wiped at his eyes before
the tears could fall.
Steve got up from the chair, nodding to Tony. He meant what he said, they were
a family and he would be there to help Harry. The boy had known nothing but
pain and hate, it was time that he learned what a loving family could be like.
They may bicker, tease and beat the shit out of each other, but they were still
a family.
After getting control of his emotions, Harry turned back to Tony. "How long do
I have to leave this in?" he asked, picking at the itchy tape that was stuck to
his arm and firmly holding the IV in place.
"Until mother says so," Tony chuckled. "But I'm going to guess at least a few
more days. Harry, I wasn't joking when I said you were dying," Tony said
seriously.
Harry lowered his head. "M'sorry," he mumbled.
Tony sighed. "Harry, we're not mad at you, you just scared the shit out of us.
Now, you know that we have a million questions, but until you are feeling
better, we promise to not nag you too much."
Harry flinched at the mention of questions. He knew what they were going to ask
him, but there was no way that he could tell them the truth.
***HP
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, counting to ten. It was close to the full
moon and Sirius was getting on his last nerve. "Would you please stop tapping
your mug on the table," he growled, sounding more like Moony than his human
self.
Sirius put his mug on the table and looked sheepishly at Remus. "Sorry, I'm
just worried about Harry. We shouldn't have left him all alone after the third
task, he was really shook up."
"Harry understands that we had work to do." Remus sighed, he had already had
this conversation with his best friend.
"Would you at fourteen?" Sirius snapped. "Harry was scared and in pain, he
pleaded with me to stay with him, but I just patted him on the head and trotted
out the door. Do you think that's how James wanted us to treat his little boy?
No, James would have wanted us to remain at his bedside comforting him and
being there incase he woke with nightmares. Remus, I can still see the pain in
his eyes as I walked out the door."
Remus took a seat at the table, he had been feeling guilty as well. It was the
reason why he was more edgy than normal this close to the full moon. Moony had
wanted to remain at his pup's side. He could smell the fear and pain on their
pup and he didn't miss how his body trembled from the crucio's he had been put
under. Moony had been pissed that they had once again abandoned their pup when
he needed them, and he was sure that the wolf was going to punish him this
month for it.
"I asked Harry to send me an owl the second he returned home, and he promised
he would. It's been three days, Remy, and we haven't heard anything."
"Sirius, Harry is probably just catching up with his muggle friends." Remus
wrapped his hands tight around his mug, trying to hide his trembling. Moony was
really angry with him and was trying to take over.
"Harry doesn't have..."
"muggle friends, " Fred and George said, taking a seat at the dingy old table.
They were surprised when after leaving the train, their parents brought them
all here instead of the Burrow. It seemed that now that scary and ugly was
back, Dumbledore wanted them at this dark, dreary dump where they would be
safer and could help clean up the place. The headmaster planned on using
Sirius' old family home as the new headquarters for The Order of the Phoenix.
"What I don't understand..."
"if this place is the safest place other than Hogwatrs..."
"Why can't Harry stay here?" Both twins finished at the same time.
Remus rubbed his aching temples, the twin talk was a little too much this close
to the full moon. Normally Moony found the pair amusing, but today he was
clawing at his skull, howling.
"Professor Dumbledore has special wards at Harry's aunt and uncle's house that
not only protects him, but also them." Remus reassured the pair. "Harry will be
joining us after his birthday."
Fred snorted. "Like Harry would care if something happened to those monsters."
George smacked Fred, giving him a look that said 'shut the hell up.' Harry had
never came out and told them about the abuse, but they accidentally stumbled
upon him one evening showering in the Quidditch locker room. It was the first
practice of the season and Fred had left his tie on the bench so they had to
return for it. They had never questioned why Harry always waited until after
everyone left the locker room before showering, they just assumed that he was
shy.
It was George that spotted Harry's bruised and heavily scarred back first. When
they confronted the shaking twelve year old he tried to say that he got in a
fight with his cousin and that it was no big deal. When they pointed out that
there were scars years old, he promised them not to say anything, then told
them how his uncle would take a belt to his back if he didn't get his chores
done. They knew that there was more to the story just from seeing the large
handprint bruises on his thin body, but by that time Harry was crying
hysterically and they didn't want to upset him more. They made Harry promise to
owl him every few days during summer break so that they knew that he was ok,
and they always helped patch him up when they first saw him again after break.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius growled, eyes flashing dangerously.
Since meeting Harry last year, he alway had a funny feeling that something
wasn't right with Harry's home life. What thirteen year old boy immediately
agrees to move in with a stranger they just meant...especially one looking as
scary as he did at the time?
George flashed Fred a warning look. "Nothing, it's just that Harry doesn't
always get along with his aunt and uncle." George tugged Fred to his feet.
"Come on, brother of mine, mom wants us to tackle the backyard today. If we're
lucky, we can find some useful ingredients for our new prank line." Both boys
took off before Sirius could question them more.
"That's it, I'm going to check on Harry." Sirius jumped to his feet and headed
for the door.
"Sirius, sit back down," Remus yelled. "You are an escaped prisoner with orders
to be kissed on sight. How do you think Harry will feel when he hears that his
godfather got his soul sucked out all because he wanted to check on him?"
Paling, Sirius collapsed back into his chair trembling slightly.
"Now, Dumbledore will be here this evening for an Order meeting, we will
discuss bringing Harry here early then."
Sirius wasn't happy, but he reluctantly agreed with Remus.
***HP
"I can make it to the living room myself, you know." Harry grumbled.
Steve grinned down at the tiny teen. He thought he was tiny at that age, but
Harry wasn't anywhere near the size that he was. "I'm sure you can, but you
have been in bed for five days. Besides, why force yourself to do more than
what you're ready when you have a tower full of people just waiting to help
you." Steve had his arm looped around Harry's and was helping him to the couch.
Despite his protests, Harry was still very weak and sick from the blood
poisoning. He had originally wrapped his arm around Harry's waist so he could
better support him, but as soon as he touched him, Harry had locked up and
stopped breathing until he removed his arm. He had never dealt with anyone as
badly abused as Harry, but he started reading books on the subject so he could
better educate himself.
"Hey, just be thankful that Bruce isn't here. He would go Hulk on us if he knew
that we let you out of bed," Clint was walking next to them pushing Harry's IV
pole. Know matter how hard Harry begged, Bruce wouldn't take out the IV. Harry
was still very sick and he refused to remove it until he was one hundred
precent better.
"I just needed to get out of that bed for a while, I was about to go crazy."
Harry said a little breathlessly. Just that short trip from the bedroom to the
living room was winding him.
Despite Harry protesting that he was fine sitting on the floor, Steve helped
him get settled on the couch. He had already made a nice little bed out of the
couch with a sheet, pillow and blanket. "What movie would you like to watch?"
Harry rested against the pillow willing away the spinning in his head. "How
about Lord of The Rings? My friend told me that it was pretty good." Seamus did
say that it was good and the wizard in it reminded him of a cooler Dumbledore.
The last five days Tony had him watch every Star Wars movie and cartoon ever
created, he was more than ready for a change.
Steve couldn't help but glance at Harry during the movie. How could anyone hurt
another human being so badly, especially their own flesh and blood? Despite
what the teen had been through, Harry was a very sweet and caring, beautiful
boy. He tried not to think about the abuse Harry suffered, but he couldn't help
replay in his mind Clint telling him that Harry had been sexually abused since
he was a small child. How the hell could a grown man force themselves on a
small child? Harry must have been terrified, and at that age he wouldn't have
understood what was happening. He himself was still a virgin with no plans of
losing his virginity until he found the person he could spend the rest of his
life with. His ideals may be old fashioned for this day of age, but it was how
he was raised.
Steve must have spaced out while staring at Harry because the next thing he
knew, Clint was waving his hand in front of his face. "You alright there, Cap?"
Steve nodded his head. "How long has he been asleep?" he whispered, feeling a
little confused. He must have been really out if it because he didn't remember
Harry falling asleep.
"For a little over forty five minutes now," Clint chuckled. "What's going on
with you? You have been staring at him since before he crashed and you didn't
even realize that he was sleeping."
Steve rubbed his eyes, groaning. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around
everything he has been through."
"I don't think we will ever understand how somebody could be so cruel...and we
have seen a lot." Clint said sadly. "That uncle of his is one sick bastard
that's going to get what he has coming to him."
Steve jumped to his feet and started pacing. "We were so worried about Harry
that we didn't even think about any other innocents that the man could be out
there hurting right now. We have to stop him before he rapes another child."
"Relax, Cap," Clint said resting his hand on the soldier's shoulders. "Fury has
had an agent on his tail since he heard about Harry. Right now the pig is too
busy getting settled into his new house, but he has been accessing child
pornagrphy websites, so it's only a matter of time. This is good though, Tony
has been able to track the locations of the sites he's been viewing and so far
they busted fifty people involved in child sex trafficking and child
pornagrphy. They have also rescued thirty five children, all under the age of
fifteen."
"Wow, I-I didn't know that Tony was doing that. Is that why he hasn't gone
after them yet for what they did to Harry?"
Clint nodded his head. "It was actually Tony's idea. See, a lot of these sites
you can only access if you were invited by the scums who run them, you just
can't find them in a google search. After you become a member and pay a hefty
fee, you have unlimited access to all the video's and pictures. Tony was able
to bug Dursley's home and work computers so when he logs onto these sites, he's
getting all the information he needs to track down their locations. Tony is
anxious to go after Dursley himself, but he wants to save as many kids as he
can first and put the child raping fuckers behind bars."
"That is amazing," Steve said in awe, he had no clue that Tony had organized
that and was saving all those kids. Tony had hardly left Harry's side this past
week, he must have been working through the night tracking those bastards down.
"That's not all though. Tony is also helping cover medical fees and counseling
for all the children that they have rescued so far. Some kids were kidnapped
and shipped over from other countries, and others were kidnapped from right
here in the United States. For those that don't have families, he's helping
them find foster homes and buying them the essentials like clothes, toys and
whatever else they need. He has become passionate in not only saving these
kids, capturing those responsible, but also helping them recover from their
horrific ordeal.
Steve shook his head, completely blown away by Stark's generosity. "Why hasn't
there been anything on the news about it?"
"Right now they're keeping it out of the media because they're afraid that
those involved will shut down their organizations, murder the kids that they
currently have and then wait for everything to blow over before starting it up
again. Tony wants to get as many of those bastards as he can now and save as
many kids as he can."
"I want to help," Steve said adamantly. "I'm this big American hero and I'm
ashamed that I never thought to help these kids before."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Cap, you haven't been thawed out all that long."
Clint joked. "We are the ones that should be ashamed. We have all this power,
brains and technology behind us and yet we never bothered to help these
children. It's sad that it took one of our own being hurt to give us the kick
in the ass we needed to save these children and prevent it from happening to
more innocents."
Harry quietly pulled the blanket up over his head so Steve and Clint wouldn't
know that he was awake...and crying. He couldn't believe what his father was
doing. He knew that he wasn't the only kid that his uncle hurt, his uncle took
great pride in bragging about the other boys that he raped while forcing him to
suck his dick. It always made him hate himself because despite wishing that he
could help these other boys, he was also glad that his uncle or one of his
acquaintances were leaving him alone for the night. Never in a million years
would he wish what he went through on another human being...not even his worst
enemy, but there were times when he was in so much pain, that he was relieved
that they found some other boy to beat and fuck for a while. The times that he
thought that, he was so disgusted and ashamed with himself, that he took a
razor to his arms as punishment.
 
'One of our own.' Harry kept repeating that over and over in his head while he
silently cried himself back to sleep. Clint had called him one of theirs, he
finally belonged to somebody and they actually cared about him. His father was
working to end the suffering of kids at the hands of men like Uncle Vernon, Mr.
Grunning and Mr. Mason. There were other men that Uncle Vernon shared him with,
but those three were the most frequent and the worst. He had never told anyone
what his uncle did to him, and he never wanted to, but maybe, just maybe, he
could trust his father.
***HP
"Will it hurt?"
Bruce gave the scared boy a reassuring smile. "The worst part is going to be
peeling the tape off, you won't even feel the IV coming out."
Harry jerkily nodded his head staring between Bruce and the IV that was finally
going to be removed. He had been at Stark Tower for a little over a week now
and his life had never been better. He was still confined to his bed or the
couch, but he hoped that would end now that Bruce had finally agreed that he
was healthy enough to have the IV removed. As much as he loved not having
endless chores to do, he was starting to feel a bit stir crazy just sitting
around doing nothing. He also didn't want his new family to think that he was
lazy and couldn't pull his own weight. Deep down, he was afraid that if he
didn't help out, that they would send him back to uncle Vernon. For the first
time in his life he wasn't somebody's punching bag, fuck toy, or wizarding
hero...he was just Harry. He wasn't sure of who 'just Harry' was, but hoped to
discover him with the help of his new family.
So far no questions have been asked about his past home life, but he knew as
soon as Bruce cleared him, his father was going to have a million questions. He
didn't want to tell him what he used to do...what those men used to do to him,
but he was starting to feel that he could trust his father. From what he heard
when people thought he was sleeping, his father had now saved a couple hundred
kids from perverts like uncle Vernon. The amount of sex offenders caught was so
high that they could no longer keep it from the media. No one yet know that it
was Tony Stark responsible for all the arrests, and his father was hoping to
keep it that way. His father was afraid that when the media found out that he
had a son, the sex offenders would retaliate by going after him.
"Damn," Harry cursed, when Bruce quickly peeled to tape back.
Burst chuckled, "it's better to be fast and get it over with, then slow and
painful."
"I hate to tell you this, but it was still painful," Harry moaned.
"Sorry," Bruce grimaced. He really did hate causing Harry more pain.
Harry shook his head. "It's alright, nothing I can't handle."
Bruise quickly pulled out the IV and placed a band-Aid over the wound. "Leave
this on for a few hours, you can remove it before bed."
"Thanks," Harry said, giving Bruce a shy smile.
"I have work to do in the lab for a few hours, will you be alright up here on
your own until everyone returns?" Tony, Steve and Clint where in a meeting with
Fury, but Bruce stayed behind to keep Harry company. Since Harry moved in, one
of the Avengers had remained in the Tower somewhere incase Harry needed
someone. When Harry nodded, Bruce continued. "You are no longer restricted, but
you still must take it easy. No strenuous work for at least a couple more
weeks."
Grinning, Harry nodded his head. He was so happy that he could finally get up
and move around.
"Alright, well you know how to contact me if you need me. Remember take it
easy, just watch TV or something." Bruce said, giving Harry a stern look. "As
soon as you're up to it, we will show you around New York City, and take you
shopping."
Harry started to nervously fiddle with his shirt. He didn't know if he really
wanted to leave the tower, but the city looked really interesting from the
window. "Will you go with me when I go out?" he asked softly.
"If you want me to, I will. We will never leave you alone somewhere where you
were not comfortable." Bruce said sincerely.
Harry released the breath that he had been holding. He felt safe around the
Avengers, especially Bruce. "Thank you," he whispered.
 
***HP
"I don't think that this is what mother had in mind when he said to take it
easy," Tony chuckled.
Harry jumped, the glass slipping from his startled hands, and since his arm was
still in a cast, he wasn't able to catch it before it hit the kitchen floor,
shattering. "I-I I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drop it." Harry quickly
fell to his knees and started picking up the broken pieces. He was trembling so
bad that he wasn't careful and the glass cut into his hand.
Steve was the first to react by picking up Harry and placing him on the
countertop. Harry was so upset that he kept mumbling, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry,'
over and over again. It didn't even seem like he noticed the glass sticking out
of his palm.
"Hey, accidents happen, it's no big deal," Steve said trying to reassure the
distressed boy. Steve gently took Harry's hand in his so he could examine the
damage.
"I-I didn't hear you come in, I'm sorry," Harry cried trying to hold back his
tears. The last time he broke a glass his aunt poured hot grease on his back as
he was cleaning the glass up. He was only six at the time, but he remembered it
like it was only yesterday.
Tony place a medical kit on the counter next to Harry. "Hey, I didn't like
those glasses anyway. After we get you cleaned up, I say we break the rest of
them." As Steve held out Harry's hand, Tony gently removed the glass shard and
put some anabiotic ointment on it and a band-Aid. The cut was bleeding, but it
wasn't that deep.
"I really am sorry, I didn't mean to drop the glass. I-I just didn't hear you
come in. I'll pay you back, I promise. I got some money in my trunk, I'll buy
you a whole new set." Harry couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"Harry, I'm more worried about you than some stupid glass. Are you hurt
anywhere else?" Tony asked trying to check the rest of his body for injuries.
"I swear kid, I'm going to immediately get started on that bubble suit for
you."
Harry quickly jumped off the counter, stumbling when he hit the ground harder
than what he was expecting. "I'll clean it up, I was the one stupid enough to
drop it," he cried, rushing to Clint and grabbing the broom from his hand.
Before Harry could start sweeping, Steve yanked the broom out of Harry's hand.
Tony approached his son like he was approaching a wild animal. Harry was
trembling, panting and crying, he looked like he was on the verge of a panic
attack. "Harry, it smells delicious in here, we could smell the food from the
lobby." Gently he steered Harry away from the shattered glass and towards the
back of the kitchen. He was hoping to distract him long enough for Tony and
Steve to clean up the mess. "What did you cook?"
Harry tried to look over to Steve and Clint, but his father lightly cupped his
face and turned him back towards him.
"Where you making us all dinner?" Tony just noticed the beautifully set table
that was already weighted down with the most delectable smelling foods that had
ever hit his nose.
Harry's eyes were still drifting back to Steve and Clint. "I can clean up the
mess," he whispered softly. "It's my mess, I did it, I broke it."
"There is no more mess, see," Tony said, pointing to the now glass free floor.
"Things get broken around here on a daily basis. If it isn't me breaking
something with a new invention, than it's Bruce taking out an entire floor as
the Hulk. Hell, not even a month ago Legolas took out the eighty inch tv we had
in the living room when he accidentally threw the Nintendo WII remote through
it when playing tennis."
Harry looked over at Clint who was nodding his head and chuckling.
Steven scratched the back of his head blushing. "A few days before you got
here, I accidentally tossed a weight threw the gym window."
Clint smirked at Tony. "Let's not forget New Years, Stark, when you wanted to
out do Times Square's fireworks and you blew half the roof off.
"Yes well, I had planned on redesigning that section of the roof anyway." Tony
snickered. "You have to admit, it was one hell of a way to ring in the New
Year. See, little chef, you fit in perfect with the rest of us."
Harry gave everyone a shy smile. "You really blew half the roof off?" he asked,
clearly not believing that he could actually blow half the roof off and laugh
about it.
Tony grinned at his son. "Wait until you see the footage of it, especially in
slow motion. Remind me after dinner, I got video from four different angles."
Steve slowly walked towards the table. "Harry," he moaned. "Is that a turkey
dinner with all the trimmings?" Everyone could clearly hear his stomach
rumbling.
Harry shrugged his shoulders, blushing. "I overheard you telling Pepper that it
was your favorite meal and you hadn't had it since before you became Captain
America."
Steve grasped the chair with his large hand, steadying himself. "Harry, you
don't know what this means to me. My parents were very poor Irish immigrants,
but my father made sure that every Thanksgiving we had the complete turkey
dinner with all the trimmings. My father saved for months so we could afford
it, and it was the only day of the year that we ate like royalty. My father
died when I was very young and my mother did her very best to withhold the
Thanksgiving tradition. She died from pneumonia when I was a teen, that was the
last time I ever had a full turkey dinner."
Harry paled when it looked like Steve was going to cry. Swallowing back his own
tears, he laid a trembling hand over Steve's. "I'm sorry if I brought up
painful memories. When I heard you telling Pepper that it was your favorite, I
thought I would make it as a way of saying thank you for being nice to me,"
Harry looked around the room at Tony, Clint, and now Bruce. Bruce must have
came in during Steve's story because he didn't remember seeing him before. "I
want to make you all something special, you have all been so kind to me."
Steve squeezed Harry's hand. "They're not painful memories, Harry, they're
wonderful memories. Thank you so much for doing this for me."
Tony cleared his throat. "Harry, you don't have to thank us for being kind.
We..."
"But, I do," Harry cried, interrupting Tony. "Besides, I love to cook."
Bruce walked up to the table. "Harry, this looks and smells amazing, but why
are there only four chairs?"
"Pepper was by earlier, she felt bad about missing dinner, but she said she had
a hot date."
Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. It may have only been a little over a
week since Harry had moved in with them, but he had hoped that the boy had
realized that he was part of the family. "Harry, there are four chairs, but
five of us." he pointed out.
Harry dropped his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I made the dinner for you
guys," he said softly.
"Wait!," Steve cried, looking around the table and counting the chairs for the
first time. "You weren't going to join us for dinner even though you worked all
day cooking it?"
"I-I...well,"
Tony held up his hand before anyone could say anything more. His son had been
horribly abused and neglected since he was a baby, he wouldn't be making a
miraculous recovery overnight. "Capsicle, get another chair for Harry. We all
eat together or no one eats it all."
Warmth filled Harry's heart as he watched everyone devour his dinner. Steve had
been continuously moaning throughout the entire dinner. Of course his father
couldn't pass up hitting him with a few perverted jokes. It was nice to be able
to sit down at a family dinner, and not have to wait in the dark corner for
them to finish so he could clean up their mess.
 
***HP
Harry was sitting at the table nervously bouncing his leg as everyone else
cleaned up the dinner mess and did the dishes. It didn't feel right just
sitting there as everyone else did the work, but they insisted that he remain
sitting on his bottom. Not that there was much leftovers to clean up, he was
still in awe with the amount of food these men could pack away...especially
Steve and Bruce.
"Sir, there is a wild white owl flapping at the window in young Harry's room
trying to get in, would you like me to give it a small electrical shock?"
Jarvis asked.
"No!" Harry screamed, jumping up and racing to his room. "Please don't hurt
her."
The four startled men looked at each other, then took off after the teen. By
the time they got to the room, Harry was standing in the middle of his room
with the balcony door wide open, and a large white snowy owl perched on his
shoulder grooming his hair.
"Whoa, bird whisperer, where'd the come owl from?" Tony asked taking tentative
step closer to his son."
Harry took a step back, afraid that they might think that Hedwig was a wild owl
and hurt her. "She's mine," he said, bringing his hand up and allowing her to
affectionately nip his fingers. "She's been with me for four years."
"And here I thought a dog was a boy's best friend?" Tony took another step
closer, he could tell that Harry was afraid that he was going to hurt his pet.
"She's beautiful," he said in awe. "Did she fly all the way over here from
England?"
Harry nodded his head. "Hedwig is the smartest, she always knows where to find
me."
Clint also took a step closer so he could get a better look. Birds had always
fascinated him when growing up. "I have never seen one like her before. How did
you train her?"
Hedwig ruffled her feathers and turned her head away from Clint. "Hedwig isn't
trained," Harry said chuckling. "She comes and goes as she pleases. She's here
because she loves me."
Tony started scratching his chin, looking from Hedwig to the balcony door, then
back again. "I'll have to make some kind of owl doggie door so you won't have
to leave your door open all the time." he said thoughtfully.
Harry's eyes got wide as he stared at Tony. "You mean, you don't mind her
staying?"
Tony smirked. "Harry, if you care about that bird, then she can stay. But I
warn you now, she's is a pretty little thing and bird brain over there," Tony
pointed to Clint. "has a thing for avians. He may whisk her away to his love
nest."
Giggling, Harry looked to Clint who was wagging his eyebrows up and down.
"Thank you, Tony," Harry still wasn't comfortable with calling Tony father or
dad. "I promise that she will always be on her best behavior."
***HP
After getting Hedwig settled in, Harry made his way back to the kitchen so he
could get dessert ready. He had never had a Thanksgiving dinner before so he
had to ask Jarvis what foods they typically had for dinner and dessert. He
wasn't sure what everybody liked so he made an apple pie, pumpkin pie, and
blueberry cheesecake for Tony. He hoped with three choices there would be
something on the table for everyone.
"Jarvis, can you please ask Tony, Clint, Bruce and Steve to come to the
kitchen?" He didn't have the desserts on display earlier so none of them knew
that he had made any.
When Jarvis' voice came out of nowhere, Harry could have sworn that it was
chuckling. "All four are sprinting towards the kitchen, young Harry."
Harry had all the desserts, plates, silverware, and a gallon of vanilla ice
cream to go with the warm apple pie on the table by the time the guys burst
through the door.
"Please tell me that's apple pie that I'm smelling," Steve moaned.
Harry nodded his head. "I also have pumpkin pie and blueberry cheesecake."
Tony's eyes about popped out of his head. "Blue... Blueberry cheesecake," he
stuttered.
"Well, I don't know about you guys," Bruce said looking eagerly at the table.
"but I'm having one of everything."
As Tony was making his way through his third slice of blueberry cheesecake...
The best blueberry cheesecake he had ever eaten. He was trying to work up the
courage to start asking Harry about his past. He knew that Harry would get
upset, but he needed to know what happened to him. Wanting to start off slow,
he asked him about his school first.
"So, Harry, tell me about your boarding school." Tony didn't miss how Harry
immediately tensed up.
Harry didn't know what to say, he didn't want his new family finding out about
his magic. Magic was the reason why the Dursley's despised him, and he didn't
want to lose Tony and everybody else. They too would think that he was nothing
but a freak, and probably ship him back to his aunt and uncle.
"There's really not much to say," Harry answered lowering his eyes. "It was
just a small boarding school that my aunt and uncle shipped me off to."
"Did you like it there?" Steve asked curiously.
Harry was quiet for a minute. "Maybe at first, but it's very old-fashioned. It
did get me away from my relatives for most of the year, so I guess it wasn't
that bad."
"Are you planning to return in the fall?" Tony asked hoping that the answer was
no. He was just getting to know his son, and he didn't like the thought of him
being so far away.
"No!" Harry said not even needing to think about it. He had never truly been
happy there, he could never be himself. Nobody had ever cared for him there the
way everyone here did, he had never felt as safe as he did here. No, he did not
want to return the Hogwarts in the fall.
"Excellent," Tony said happily, shoving another fork full of blueberry
cheesecake into his mouth. "We will find a school here to enroll you in, or you
can be homeschooled with private tutors. The choice is yours."
Harry gave Tony a blinding smile feeling like the weight of the world had just
been lifted off his small shoulders. Yes, he felt bad leaving the wizarding
world to deal with Voldemort, but why should he be the one who has to defeat
him? He was just a kid, and the wizarding world was constantly turning their
backs on him. Almost every day he was on the front page of the Daily Profit,
and most of the time they were making fun of him or accusing him of something
that he didn't do. Last year was especially bad with the Tri-Wizard tournament.
Rita Skeeter was constantly writing lies about him, one minute he was the
tragic little hero, and the next he was an attention seeking liar. If he wasn't
getting fan mail in the morning, he was getting hate mail laced with curses and
hexes. He just wanted to forget about the past four years, he wanted a new
start with a new family.
"What was the name of your boarding school?" Tony asked, watching his sons
facial expressions. The one thing he did learn about Harry in the past week,
was that he could not tell a lie. When Harry lied, he didn't make eye contact
and he started to nervously fiddle with something. It wasn't that Harry lied a
lot, just when asked a question that he didn't want to answer. His son had a
lot of secrets, and he hoped that eventually he would trust him with them. He
wouldn't push though, Harry had been hurt enough. He would be patient, even if
it took years.
Harry dropped his eye to his plate of unfinished pumpkin pie and started
dragging his fork through the orange goo'y mess. "H- Ho... Hope Well Academy,"
Lie, Tony thought smirking to himself. Looking to Bruce, Clint and Steve, he
could tell that they also knew that Harry was lying.
"What did you learn there?" Tony asked. "Bruce was telling me that there was no
electric"
Harry nodded his head, shrugging his shoulders. "They didn't want us to be
distracted, and we just learned the normal stuff. Everything was normal."
Tony raised an eyebrow at Harry's use of the word normal twice. For some reason
it seemed that it was important to Harry for everyone to think that his school
was normal. "Sounds boring," he chuckled.
Nodding his head, Harry gave his father a shy smile. "It was totally
boring...and normal."
Tony looked to his teammates when Harry said normal for a third time. He had a
feeling that Harry's school was anything but normal.
"Tell us about your friends, Harry. Aren't you going to miss them if you don't
return in the fall?" Steve asked as he helped himself to more apple pie.
"I do have a couple good friends," Harry answered softly. "but they will be
better off without me." Harry got up and started cleaning up the desert mess.
He didn't want to talk anymore about as friends. He would miss Ron and
Hermione, and Fred and George, but this was what he wanted. He didn't want to
return to Hogwarts in the fall, he didn't want to become The-Boy-Who-Lived
again, he just wanted to be a normal teenage boy.
Steve got up and took the plates from Harry. "We will do the clean up, you sit
and relax."
"That's the captain giving a direct order," Bruce said getting up to help. "You
were supposed to take it easy today. I don't call making an amazing
Thanksgiving dinner and three delicious pies, taking it easy."
Harry reluctantly sat back down. It made him very uncomfortable watching others
clean up his mess. He had been doing the cooking and cleaning for as far back
as he could remember, and it wasn't right watching others do his job.
"I think I'm going to hit the pool after this." Steve chuckled. "If I want to
keep enjoying Harry's cooking, I'm going to have to increase my exercising.
Can't have Captain America getting fat lazy.
"You have a pool?," Harry gasped.
Clint snorted. "What doesn't Tony have? The workout floor not only has a gym,
but a pool, hot tub and sauna."
"Do you like to swim, Harry?" Bruce asked. "You can't swim now with the cast on
your arm, but it would help you build the strength back up in that arm after
the cast comes off."
Harry frantically shook his head no. He was terrified of the water, even taking
a bath made him uncomfortable. If if wasn't for Moody pushing him into the lake
during the second task, he never would have been able to force himself to jump
in.
Tony looked thoughtfully at his son. "Do you know how to swim?"
Harry jumped to his feet and walked to the refrigerator. Opening it up, he
grabbed a hunk of turkey for Hedwig. "I think I will turn in early tonight. I'm
feeling a little tired and I want to spend some time with Hedwig." Without
waiting for response, Harry left the kitchen without looking at anyone. He
didn't want to talk about swimming, or his fear of the water. He didn't want to
have nightmares of his uncle Vernon holding his head under the water.
Client whistled. "That boy has some serious fear of water."
"But why?" Bruce asked thoughtfully.
***HP
"Why the hell is your brother standing smugly in my office, Thor?" Fury roared,
making his glass windows rattle. He had hoped to never lay his one good eye on
Loki ever again.
Thor grinned, affectionately smacking his brother on the shoulder. "My father,
Odin, has banished my brother to Midgard as punishment for his crimes. He has
limited use of his magic, placed a tracking band on him, and he must help the
warrior Nick Fury on whatever missions he is needed on.
"He can help me by removing his psychotic ass from my planet," Fury growled.
Thor frowned at Fury. "But my brother wants to help, he wasn't in his right
mind last he was here. He is sorry for what he did."
"Sorry doesn't bring back all the lives he took."
"That is true," Thor said sadly. "But my brother didn't mean to take the lives
of innocence. He is here to help save lives now, besides the Allfather will not
allow him to return to Asgard or leave Midgard until he feels he has paid his
debt."
Fury glared at Loki who was smirking smugly next to Thor. He knew no matter how
much he screamed and yelled, there would be no changing Odin's mind. "Fine, but
if he stays, so do you. Thor, you will be responsible for your brother."
"Understood," Thor grinned.
Fury snarled at Loki. "You will also be living at Stark Tower where the
Avengers can babysit you...that is if they don't kill you first. You will do
what they say, go where they say, and you better not put one toe out of line."
Loki rolled his eyes. "The Avengers, my old friends. I dearly can't wait to get
reacquainted with them."
"See, Furious Nick," Thor said, tossing a heavily muscled arm around Loki's
shoulder. "Everything is going to be just fine."
"Get out of my office," Fury snarled, lips curled back like an animal.
Coulson was standing beside the directors desk watching as Thor and Loki left
the office. "Was it wise to send Loki to Stark's with a heavily abused and
powerful Harry Potter there?"
Fury shook his head. "No, but what other choice did I have?"
"Are you going to tell Stark about his son?"
Fury sighed, when he called his brother to find out about Harry Potter,
Kingsley had told him everything that he knew. It seemed that the boy's
relatives weren't the only one who abused the poor kid. Kingsley had went into
great detail about Harry's life at Hogwarts and all the life threatening
situations he had faced there. He explained how one minute they were hailing
him the hero, and the next they wanted him thrown in Azkaban for being the next
Dark Wizard. He was greatly distressed when Kingsley informed him that Lord
Voldemort was back and how Harry was his main target. The boy was safer here
with his father and the Avengers, then back in England.
"No, if the boy wants them to know that he is a wizard, then it's up to him to
tell them. We will keep monitoring the situation, and only interfere if
needed." Fury knew that it wasn't safe sending someone as manipulative as Loki
to the same home as someone as vulnerable and powerful as Harry, but he didn't
have any other choice. He couldn't let Loki wander his streets unsupervised.
***** Chapter 5 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Avengers..
Here's the next update,,,,shew :) PLEASE LEAVE ME A REVIEW..
visit me on Facebook at Potter Obsessed, I will post updates, teasers, and ask
for opinions..
***HP
Harry yawned into his cast as he absentmindedly flipped the bacon with his
other hand. Despite going to bed early last night, he had maybe only gotten
three hours of sleep. Every time he drifted off to sleep he would wake thirty
minutes later from a nightmare. After a while he just gave up and started
reading a book that Hermione had given him last Christmas. He didn't want to
risk Tony hearing him screaming then asking him a million questions about his
nightmares.
"Good morning, Harry," Steve said strolling into the kitchen and stopping
behind him. "Harry, it was my morning to cook breakfast. You are by far the
best cook, but you don't have to cook every meal for us."
Harry closed his eyes and gripped the spatula tight in his hand. He really,
really hated when someone stood behind him. Steve was so close that he could
feel his body heat on his back and his breath on his neck. He wanted to push
Steve away, but the man was as big as a mountain. He felt so small and helpless
next to the incredibly muscled soldier and he found his size greatly
intimidating.
"I like cooking," Harry whispered, dropping his head and looking at his feet.
He couldn't help but make himself submissive with the much larger man towering
over him. He had learned early on if you did as you were told and submitted
easily then the beatings and rapes might not be as severe.
When Steve noticed how scared Harry was and how his small body trembled, he
quickly moved away so that the table was between the two of them. "Harry, I
will never hurt you," he said sincerely. "I know you have no reason to trust
me, but I swear on my shield that I will never physically, emotionally or
sexually hurt you."
Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and without turning around, he nodded
his head. He knew from watching the documentary on Captain America that his
shield was very important to him. He desperately wanted to trust Steve...to
trust everyone in the tower, but it was going to take time. He may have had
friends at Hogwarts and a semi family with Sirius and a Remus, but he never
truly trusted them. Ron had already proven on more than one occasion that he
was jealous of him and could easily abandon him, and Sirius and Remus walked
out on him when he needed them the most. The only two he had ever come close to
trusting was Fred and George. They had known a part of his secret for a few
years now and had never told anyone. They had even helped heal his injuries and
owl some potions and food to him when he needed them over the summer.
"Is there anything I can do to help you with breakfast?"
Harry shook his head no. "I'm almost done, but thank you for asking," he said
softly.
Steve took a seat at the table, his stomach grumbling in anticipation. Harry
really was an amazing cook and breakfast was smelling delicious. "Just to warn
you, there will be two more for meals." Steve really hated the idea of Loki
being in the same house as Harry. Hell, he hated the idea of Loki even being on
earth. He was floored when Thor came waltzing in last night with his psychotic
brother in toe. As upset as he was, it was nothing compared to Clint. Clint
yelled, cursed, and threatened Loki, and when the man just stood there
smirking, Clint punched him in the face knocking the god on his ass. He then
stormed to his room to pack refusing to stay in the same house as Loki, but
changed his mind when he remembered about Harry. He couldn't leave a child as
broken and vulnerable as Harry in the hands of someone like Loki.
"Alright, thanks for the warning." Harry went to the refrigerator and started
gathering food. "I'm making omelettes, how would you like yours?" He really
wanted to know more about the two new people that must have showed up some time
during the night, but it really wasn't any of his business. He didn't want
anyone to think that he was nosey as well as a freak. He would just have to
wait and meet them for himself. He really wasn't happy that there would now be
two more people that he would have to be cautious of, but there was nothing
that he could do about it.
"Hmm, omelette," Steve groaned. "Can I please have mine with loads of cheese,
some left over turkey, onions, peppers and salt?"
Harry smiled at Steve. "Sure, coming right up. I also have some bacon, sausage,
blueberry muffins and toast."
"Harry, it's seven am, what time did you get up to get so much cooking done?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'm an early riser."
Steve took a good look at the teen in front of him. He didn't notice it at
first, but the boy looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his puffy
eyes and his emerald eyes were blood shot. Harry was also shuffling as he
expertly moved around the kitchen. "Did you sleep at all, Harry?"
Harry's hand froze as he was cracking the fourth egg in the bowl. He couldn't
imagine eating four eggs for breakfast, but Steve was huge and had an
incredible appetite on him. "Yeah, I slept," he answered weakly.
"That doesn't sound very convincing, Harry."
Harry added some milk to the eggs and started to briskly whisk them. "Some
nights I sleep better than others, last night wasn't one of my better nights."
Steve didn't want to upset Harry so he dropped the subject. He did plan to talk
to Tony about it though. Harry was still recovering from being seriously ill,
and if he wasn't sleeping well, then he could get sick again.
Harry placed a plate in front of Steve that was piled high with bacon, sausage,
toast, and an omelette that looked like it belonged in a food magazine. He then
placed a bowl of fruit next to him and a plate of muffins.
"So, what do you plan on doing today?" Steve asked as he dug into his
breakfast. Like everything else Harry had cooked for them so far, it was
perfect.
Before Harry could answer, Clint came storming into the kitchen looking like he
was ready to murder someone. Harry immediately backed away from the table and
as far away from Clint as he could. Whenever his uncle was in one of his moods
like Clint's, he always took it out on him. All these men were trained fighters
with skills that were unmatched, and they spent hours everyday working out
their bodies, the last thing he wanted was for them to turn on him. Uncle
Vernon was morbidly obese and normally tired after fifteen minutes, these men
though could probably go at him for hours before becoming winded.
Steve kicked Clint hard under the table then jerked his fork in Harry's
direction. The poor kid was looking at Clint like he was a monster that was
about to devour him.
At seeing the fear in Harry's eyes, Clint instantly relaxed his face and gave
him a small smile. He didn't mean to frighten the boy, he was just pissed that
Loki was going to be living with them for the foreseeable future. He would
never admit it, but Loki scared him. Guns, knives, bows and hand to hand combat
he could handle, magic on the other hand was a different story. How the hell
was he supposed to fight magic with his bow? The man was able to take control
of his mind once before, and the thought of him doing it again terrified him.
"Good morning, Harry," Clint said giving the boy a reassuring smile. Despite
being furious over Loki being at the tower, he would never take his anger out
on a child. The last thing he wanted was Harry being scared of him.
Harry lowered his eyes to the table and refused to look up at Clint. "Good
morning, sir. Would you like an omelette?"
Clint inwardly cursed, Harry hadn't called him sir since he first got there. He
must have really frightened the boy to cause him to revert to calling him that.
"Harry, I'm not upset with you. Please, call me Clint, not sir. I'm just being
a grump this morning but it's not your fault and I won't take it out on you."
Clint looked to Steve's plate to see what he was eating. "I will take whatever
the captain is eating. Anything that has him moaning like that must be
delicious."
Harry nodded his head, quickly getting to work on Clint's breakfast. Something
had the archer beyond pissed and he didn't want to make it worse. Right now he
was so scared that he just wanted to curl in on himself and hide. He saw the
video of the alien invasion and he saw first hand how skilled Clint was. He
didn't want to feel those hands on him in anger.
Clint sadly watched how Harry's hands were shaking as he whipped him up an
omelette. He felt like an ass for scaring the boy so much. He should have known
better than to storm into the kitchen like that with Harry in it. He knew that
Harry watched every movement that they made and read their every emotion. He
watched how his eyes would linger on their hands, especially Steve's much large
ones. It made him sick to know that his presence was scaring him so much.
Harry placed the plate in front of Clint, never lifting his eyes from it. As
fast as he could, he retreated back to the stove and out of reach of Clint's
lethal hands.
Clint looked at his breakfast no longer having much of an appetite. He had come
to care a great deal for Harry over the past week, and now thanks to Loki, he
was going to have to start at the beginning with gaining the boy's trust.
"Thank you, Harry, this looks amazing."
"You're welcome," Harry answered softly.
Bruce and Tony were next to arrive immediately picking up on the quiet and
tension in the room.
Harry gave Tony and Bruce a relieved smile. He felt much safer with his father
and Bruce in the kitchen. He wanted to believe that Clint would never hurt him,
but right now he was running on instinct. He had lived for too many years with
having to be scared and wary of people, especially men when angered. He just
wanted to get this morning over with so he could hide back in his room and
relax. His stomach was already cramping from his fear and anxiety and he didn't
want to get sick in front of everyone.
"My little beauties," Tony coo'd, sitting down and pulling the entire plate of
blueberry muffins to his chest. "Oh you naughty little things, how dare you
stay away from me for so long. Every night I have dreamt of your beauty and
smell, I can't wait to taste your deliciousness." Tony picked up a muffin and
took a big bite of it, grinning when he heard his son giggle. He didn't know
why Harry looked terrified when he walked into the kitchen, but he was happy
that he was able to put a smile back on his face.
"Harry, why are you cooking again?" Bruce gently scolded. "You are not
responsible for cooking every meal."
The smile slowly slipped from Harry's face. He couldn't tell them that he had
to cook, that he had to feel useful. He was terrified if they thought he was
lazy that they would ship him back. Here wasn't like living at the Dursley's
where he always had something to do and a yard to slave in. The only useful
thing he could find to do was cook, and he had to do it.
"I...I'm making omelettes, what would you like on yours?"
Bruce sighed, he knew that it wasn't Harry's fault that he was so obsessed with
cooking for them. "Do we have any ham?"
Harry went to the fridge and pulled out a package of pre-sliced ham. "Is this
alright?"
"That's perfect, Harry." Bruce answered giving Harry a smile. "I will just have
a ham and cheese omelette."
Tony looked from the the blueberry muffins to the omelettes his teammates were
eating, then back to the muffins again. "Can I have a blueberry muffin inside
my omelette?"
Harry scrunched his face up in disgust. "I don't think that combination would
taste very good."
Tony sighed dramatically. "Fine, just make mine a cheese then." Tony looked
down at the plate of blueberry muffins. "Don't worry my sweeties, daddy won't
forget about you."
Harry turned back to the stove giggling. His father really loved blueberries
and blueberry muffins. He couldn't get over how free and fun loving his father
was, he wished that he could be more like him.
Harry had just handed Tony and Bruce their plates when the door burst open and
two more men walked in.
"My friends, what is that delicious smell?" Thor boomed.
Despite the blond man being incredibly loud, huge and intimidating, it was the
dark haired man that Harry couldn't take his eyes off of. The magic rolling off
of him was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He thought Hogwarts magic
was overwhelming the first time he stepped foot through her doors, but it was
nothing compared to the magic swirling around this man.
Immediately Loki's eyes fell on the small raven haired child, the source of the
magic that he had been picking up on since he arrived at the tower last
evening. He knew that Midgard held some magic users, but never had he come
across one as powerful as the boy in front of him. If trained properly, this
small timid child could be as powerful as him someday.
"Boy, I do not know thee." Thor said, walking towards the boy, only to stop
when Bruce stood up and blocked his path.
Harry backed himself into the corner now looking fearfully at the blond giant.
Being called boy brought forth a lot of painful memories. Boy is what his uncle
called him, and good boy or my sweet boy is what the men called him that raped
him. He hated the word boy with a passion and the way it made him feel dirty
and used.
Loki's eyes widened when the child's magic spiked. How could such a small
Midgardian child have so much magic? "Brother, I believe that you are scaring
the bo...child." He didn't miss how the child had flinched at the word boy.
Tony got up and placed himself in front of his son, blocking Loki's view of
him. He didn't like the way the God of Mischief was looking at him. "Thor, this
is my son Harry."
"Son!" Thor exclaimed. "I did not know that you had a son."
"Neither did I up until a week ago," Tony answered, glaring at Loki. Why was
the god so interested in his son?
"I didn't know you had it in you, Man of Iron," Loki smirked. "How could a mere
mortal father a child as..."
Harry quickly knocked the frying pan onto the floor making it clatter loudly
and turn all heads towards him. "Sorry about that," he murmured, looking
frantically to the man that he now knew was the god Loki. He didn't understand
what the man was doing here after trying to destroy earth, but he had no doubts
that the god knew exactly what he was. If he could feel Loki's magic, then he
was positive that the god could feel his. He didn't want anyone to know that he
was a wizard, he had planned to leave that life behind him. He could see the
hate that the Avengers held for Loki, and it would kill him if they looked at
him the same way.
"C-Can I make you two some breakfast?" Harry asked the two gods.
"A child should not be working in the kitchen," Thor scowled. "A boy such as
yourself should be on the field learning how to wield a sword and ride a
stallion."
Once again Loki didn't miss how the child flinched at the word boy or how his
magic spiked from it. There was something wrong with the boy, he could sense
it. He also didn't miss how the child drew the attention to himself and away
from him. The boy was keeping many secrets, and for now he would play his game.
"This is Midgard, brother," Loki smirked, taking a seat next the scowling
archer. He knew how much the man despised him and wanted to kill him. "Their
ways are far different from ours." Loki grinned at Clint. "I will have whatever
my good friend here had to break his fast."
"I am not your friend, you bastard," Clint snarled.
Bruce placed his hand on Clint's tense shoulder. "Maybe you should leave early
today." Bruce pointed to where Harry stood trembling by the stove.
Clint stood up, never taking his eyes off of Loki. His fingers were itching to
grab his bow and plant an arrow between the arrogant god's eyes. "Thank you for
breakfast, Harry. As always, it was wonderful."
"I bet it was truly...magical." Loki said, giving the boy a mischievous smile.
Paling, Harry turned away from the god's knowing gaze and got to work making
two more omelettes.
Thor looked between his brother and the boy, he could sense a strange tension
between the two. "Stark, tell me about your boy."
Harry tensed, dropping the egg that he had been holding. "I'm sorry," he cried,
quickly dropping to his knees so he could clean up the mess.
Before Harry could reach out with the towel, Loki had cleaned the mess with a
simple wave of his hand and a wink to the boy. "Accidents happen," he grinned.
"Nothing a little magic couldn't handle. Don't you agree, young Harry?"
Ignoring the god's goading, Harry turned back to the stove and continued
cooking.
Tony glared at the god. "I don't know what you're planning, but you leave my
son the hell alone. You thought we were hard on you last time, think of it as a
walk in the park compared to what we will do you to you if you so much as even
think about doing anything to him."
Loki held up his hands grinning. "I'm a good god now, remember? I came to help
you lowly Midgardians with your problems."
"The only problem I have," Tony snarled. "Is you. I don't want you in my tower
or near my son. You stay the hell away from him, understood?"
"My brother would never harm a child...not now that he is in complete control
of himself," Thor quickly added when he saw all the skeptical looks sent his
way. "Loki adores children."
"Then he can have his own," Tony snapped. "He stays away from mine or else he
is out of here, I don't give a fuck what Fury says. This is my tower and if he
can't behave, then he's out."
Harry shyly approached the table with two plates in his hand. He placed the
first one in front of Thor, and after a quick glance at the trickster god, he
placed a plate in front of him. He only made eye contact with the god for a
split second before lowering his eyes submissively. Harry quickly returned to
the stove and started cleaning up the mess.
"Harry, how many times do we have to remind you that we will clean up the
mess?" Steve said, getting to his feet and approaching the shy boy.
"No, it's alright, you have things to do today."
"Yes I do," Steve agreed, "and one of them is cleaning up the breakfast mess.
Now, have you eaten this morning?"
"I'm not very hungry this morning," Harry answered, shrugging his shoulders. It
was true, he had completely lost his appetite when Loki walked into the
kitchen. He just knew that the God of Mischief was going to cause trouble for
him. He had to find a way to convince the god to not tell everyone what he was.
Tony couldn't find out that he was a wizard, he just couldn't.
"Harry, take a seat," Bruce ordered. "You know I can't let you go without
eating, not after almost dying a week ago from blood poisoning. You are
dangerously underweight and if you don't start eating better, then you are
going to force me to use medical means of filling you with nutrients."
Harry reluctantly took a seat which unfortunately was across from Loki. He kept
his head down and nervously fiddled with his fingers. The last thing he wanted
to do was look up and see eyes which so much resembled his own staring back at
him.
Bruce walked to the refrigerator and pulled out some mayonnaise. After toasting
two pieces of bread, he lathered the mayonnaise on and piled it with bacon.
"Since you're not that hungry, I made you a bacon sandwich, please try to eat
it all."
"Listen to mother," Tony chuckled. "It's not good for any of us if we make him
mad."
"Ah, so you are his mother?" Thor asked Bruce. "I was wondering where the boy's
mother was."
"Stop calling me that!" Harry snapped at the God of Thunder.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Harry, shocked that he had
raised his voice to someone.
"Oh god, I'm sorry," Harry paled. He didn't mean to say that out loud. He was
just tired of hearing that word and he wanted it to stop. "Please don't punish
me." Harry finally looked up and took a good look at Thor. Thor was even bigger
than Steve and his hands were twice the size of Steve's. Thor also kept a
hammer at his side at all times and the hammer was bigger than his head. There
was no way that he could survive a single blow from this man...this god.
"No one will be punishing you, child," Loki said gently. He could tell that
someone had hurt this boy greatly, he could see it in his eyes and feel it in
his magic. The thought that some mortal had hurt someone as powerful as this
child greatly pissed him off. "You will have to forgive my brother, he did not
realize that the use of that word was upsetting you so much. Thor may be a good
guy, but he is a bit thick headed."
"Yes, I apologize," Thor said sincerely. "Had I known that I was offending you,
I would have stopped immediately."
Harry relaxed at the sincerity in the God of Thunder's eyes. He knew that Thor
wasn't doing it on purpose and he honestly didn't mean to snap at him. "I'm
sorry, I shouldn't have been so rude."
Tony cleared his throat, he was a bit surprised at how Loki had handled his son
and the situation. "Point Break, you do realize that men can't get pregnant
right?"
Thor cocked his head to the side. "They can't?" he asked curiously. Thor turned
to Loki. "Men from Midgard can't get pregnant?"
Loki winked at Harry who was choking on his sandwich. "There are a rare few men
here on Midgard who can carry a child, but the majority can not."
"Men can not get pregnant," Tony snorted. "Reindeer Games, you're even crazier
than I thought."
Loki shrugged his shoulders. "Don't believe me then, but I know for a fact that
such men do exist." Loki looked to Harry. "Someday, Man of Iron, you are going
to be in for a big surprise." Loki could tell that Harry's mother was a man, he
could read it in his magic. He could also tell that Harry himself was a
carrier. Not all male Midgardian magic users were carriers, only about twenty
percent born carried the ability.
Harry quickly got to his feet pushing his half eaten sandwich away. "Is it
alright if I go to my room?" he asked Tony.
"I don't blame you for wanting to escape," Tony said, giving Loki an
exasperated look. "I will be around today if you need me. Just ask Jarvis and
he will direct you to my shop."
"Thank you," Harry said, making his way to the door as fast as he could.
"Harry," Loki called. "This food was truly magical. I thank you for it."
Harry stumbled in his retreat but didn't turn back to Loki. He was desperate to
get to his room where he could release some of his tension.
***HP
Fred and George were secretly plotting in their room at Grimmauld Place. It had
now been over a week since school had let out and they had yet to hear from
Harry. They knew that Sirius and Remus were also worried about Harry, but they
wouldn't go against Dumbledore. Dumbledore said that Harry was fine and would
owl them when he was fully recovered from the third task. They knew better
though, they knew that something was wrong with their friend and honorary
little brother.
"I say we floo to the Leaky Cauldron then take the Knight Bus to Harry's
relatives house." George suggested.
Fred nodded his head in agreement. "There is something not right going on,
Harry has never went this long without contacting us. Errol also returned with
our letters unopened. I'm worried about him. "
"Me too, brother. We just needed a diversion so we can get to the floo without
being seen." George added.
"It's a bloody shame that we don't have a trunk full of pranks," Fred said,
smirking at his twin.
"Damn bloody shame it is," George said shaking his head.
Laughing, both boys jumped off the bed and fell on the floor next to a beat up
old trunk.
***HP
"Something is wrong, I can feel it," Sirius said as he paced the length of the
kitchen. "Harry promised to send me an owl the second he made it safely to his
aunt's house."
"Sirius, like I told you before, Harry is fine. Arabella has been watching over
him since I first dropped him off and she never reported a problem." He wasn't
being completely honest with Sirius. Arabella had reported on countless
occasions that she thought that Harry was being abused, but he still felt that
Harry was safer there protected behind the blood wards. He couldn't imagine
that Lily's sister would truly hurt her nephew, it was probably nothing more
than a few smacks and being sent to bed with no dinner.
"Albus, he promised me that he would send an owl and Harry would never break a
promise." Sirius raged.
"Sirius, that's enough," Dumbledore snapped, raising his voice for the first
time. "Harry is fine, and right now we have more important matters to discuss.
Harry is safe at his aunt and uncle's and I don't want to hear another word
about it."
Sirius took a deep breath to retaliate but was distracted when a loud bang came
from upstairs, then screaming. Racing out of the kitchen and up the steps,
Sirius and Dumbledore never noticed the twins standing near the fireplace.
"Do you think dear Ronniekins will ever forgive us for filling his trunk up
with spiders?" Fred asked, grinning from ear to ear.
George shook his head smirking. "Doubt it, he still hasn't forgiven us for
turning his bear into a spider when he was five."
Fred chuckled, fondly remembering that day. "Do you think mother will forgive
us for blowing up the bathtub?"
"Never, but I'm sure Sirius with thank us, he hates this place." George grabbed
his twins hand and stepped into the fireplace.
***HP
"Did this neighborhood look this boring last time we were here?" George asked
his twin.
Fred looked up and down the street, grimacing because every house was
identicle. He guessed after living in a house as unique as the Burrow, most
everything else would look boring. "It was dark last time we were here and we
were flying in dad's car. This neighborhood is pretty pathetic. I don't
understand why anyone would want to live in the same house as their neighbor."
George pointed at one particular house. "That's it, Number 4, Privet Drive."
"Are you positive?" Fred asked skeptically. "The little sign above the door
says The Anderson's."
George shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there's one way to find out my most
handsome brother." Fixing his shirt, he briskly walked up the drive and rang
the doorbell."
Fred and George were a bit taken aback when a little red headed girl around the
age of six answered the door. They knew for a fact that Harry only had one
cousin and he was a fat, lard ass of a boy.
"Good afternoon fellow ginger child." George said sweeping into a deep bow.
"Would a Harry Potter happen to live here?"
"He's about yeah high," Fred added holding his hand up to his belly. "Has
horribly messy black hair, god awful glasses and stunning emerald eyes."
The little girl giggled at the two boys. "You two have the same fwaces."
The twins looked at each other and snorted. "I'm way more handsomer than he
is," they both said at the same time, pointing at each other.
The little girl giggled harder. "You two are funny."
"Annabel, who's at the door?" A woman called from farther in the house.
"I dunno," the little girl hollered back. "They funny and have the same
fwaces."
A blond woman in her early thirties took the little girls hand and pulled her
behind her. "Hello, may I help you?"
Both Fred and George bowed to the lady. "Hello mother to the fellow little
ginger child. We were wondering if a Harry Potter resided here?" George asked.
"He has messy haiw and gwasses, mummy," the little girl said, peeking around
her mother's legs.
"No, I'm sorry, you must have the wrong address," the woman answered.
"What about the Dursley's, do they live here?" Fred asked, a sinking feeling
settling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that this was the correct house.
"Oh, that name I do recognize," the lady said grimacing. "We bought this house
from those horrible people a month ago. I don't remember a Harry though. The
only child I saw was a rotund, whiny boy by the name of Dudley."
George paled. "Would you happen to know where they moved to?" he asked, no
trace of a smile on his face.
The lady thought for a minute. "I'm not sure, but I heard them saying something
about America."
Fred reached out and grabbed George for support. "America, are you sure?"
The lady nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard the man boasting to my
husband that he got a promotion and was transferring to America."
Fred and George bowed again. "Thank you very much for your time lovely lady,
and pretty little ginger princess." They both said at the same time.
The little girl squealed. "Mummy, the funny fwaces called me a pwincess."
The lady smiled down at her daughter. "No problem, I hope you can find your
friend."
"Us too," George said sadly.
Slowly the twins walked down the road both thinking over what they just found
out. "Brother, we have to tell the Order. Merlin only knows where those people
took Harry." Fred whispered.
"Or what they have done to him," George said, sadly nodding his head. "That
explains why Errol couldn't deliver our letters, he couldn't find Harry."
***HP
Harry blindly stumbled into the bathroom. Falling to his knees, he vomited into
the toilet. Why did this have to happen now? Everything was going so well, and
then he had to show up. Loki knew what he was, Loki knew that he was a wizard.
He heard all about Loki and he knew that the man wouldn't keep his secret. He
knew that Loki was a trickster and he would use this knowledge against him to
his advantage.
Flushing the toilet, Harry got up and walked to the sink. Digging through his
bag that he had sitting there, he pulled out a very small, very sharp knife.
Taking the knife in his hand with the cast, he drug the blade down his opposite
arm. Steadily taking deep breaths, he sunk to the floor and drug the knife down
his arm for a second time. He watched transfixed as his blood bubbled and
spilled down his arm and onto the expensive marble floor.
Smiling, Harry cut his arm for a third time. It wasn't often that he cut
himself, at least he didn't think so, but when things became overwhelming, he
just had to do it. He couldn't understand it, but the cutting made him feel
better. He could think better and clearer when watching his scarlet blood flow
from his wounds.
Harry couldn't remember how old he was when he first started cutting, but if he
had to guess, he would say he was around around eight. He did vividly remember
the first time he did it though, it was the first time he was ever given to Mr.
Mason. Uncle Vernon was trying to seal a deal with Mr. Mason and he had invited
him to the house for drinks while aunt Petunia and Dudley went out to the
movies.
Uncle Vernon wasn't positive that Mr. Mason liked young boys, but Mr.
Grunning's had said that he did. His uncle Vernon had dressed him in a pair of
tight underwear and a long t-shirt and had him lay on the couch to watch
cartoons. He was never allowed on the couch or permitted to watch tv, but uncle
Vernon had did it to get Mr. Mason's attention. The second Mr. Mason walked
through the door, his eyes hungrily fell on him. With a knowing grin, uncle
Vernon said a few words to Mr. Mason, then left the two of them alone in the
house for a few hours.
Harry didn't want to think about what happened after uncle Vernon left, but he
could still remember the pain and the blood. When his uncle had returned home
and found him broken and naked on the floor, he had carelessly picked him up
and carried him to the bathroom. Filling the tub full with nothing but cold
water, his uncle literally dropped him in the tub and ordered him to clean up
his mess. Without looking back, his uncle stormed from the bathroom, slamming
the door behind him.
Crying and in pain, Harry had spotted a razor on the tub. Wanting to end his
pain, he picked it up and sliced his arm. The wound wasn't deep enough to kill
him unfortunately, but it did strangely make him feel better. With him causing
the pain, it helped him deal with the pain that Mr. Mason had inflicted on him
easier. After that, cutting became somewhat routine for him.
After that Harry had always worn long sleeved shirts to cover his scars, even
in the heat of the summer. Then, when searching the library for information on
Nicolas Flamel, he stumbled across a book that talked about glamours. It took
him a while to get the wand movements correct, but by second year he was
finally able to hide his scars magically and wear t-shirts once again. He could
now drop and reapply the glamours on his arms with just a thought. He had been
working on building his glamours to cover his back, but never got the chance to
practice after his name came out of the a Goblet of Fire. It didn't matter now,
everyone here had seen his scars and put two and two together. He was relieved
that his father had yet to start interrogating him, but he knew that it was
coming.
Harry remained on the bathroom floor until his arms stopped bleeding and the
blood dried. Sighing, he got up and cleaned up his mess. Before leaving his
bathroom, he reapplied the glamours to his arm, sad to see his scars disappear.
***HP
Harry followed Jarvis' directions, stopping right outside his father's glass
workshop doors. Tony was bent over his work bench with some kind of weird
contraception on his head, working hard at something. Not wanting to interrupt
him, he turned to go back up the steps. He had only made it up three steps when
he heard something bang on the glass doors. Turning around, he grinned when he
saw his father waving him in.
"Hey, Little Chef, I'm glad you came to visit," Tony said, opening the door and
escorting his son in.
"Whoa," Harry gasped, looking around the room and spotting multiple Iron Man
suits lining the back wall. "Do you honestly fly in those?"
"Sure do," Tony said proudly. "Go ahead and check them out, you can touch
them."
Harry walked up to the red and gold suite, it's colors reminding him of
Gryffindor colors. Reaching out, he ran his hand over the cool metal. "I can't
believe these heavy things actually fly."
Tony snickered. "They do fly, but when they crash, they come down hard."
Harry spun around to face Tony. "You have crashed one before?"
"Multiple times, kiddo, multiple times."
"Didn't it hurt?" Harry asked in awe.
Tony chuckled. "The metal protects my body very well, but yes, sometimes it
does hurt like a bitch. Luckily, I have yet to break any bones," he added,
tapping on his son's cast. "Have you ever built anything before, Harry."
"Does a picket fence and a porch swing count?" Harry asked, not looking at
Tony.
"If you built it with your hands, then yes it counts."
Harry looked up at Tony smirking. "The porch swing only lasted a day before it
collapsed under the weight of my cousin." Harry tried not to laugh, but he
couldn't stop it. It had been well worth the beating he got for laughing at
Dudley when he fell on his fat ass and couldn't get back up. His aunt had to
come out and roll Dudley to the porch step in order for him to get to his feet.
"Yes well, I don't think even I could build something that could hold that
boy's weight." Tony chuckled. "Would you like to help me?" Tony pointed at what
he had been working on for the past two hours.
Harry took two steps away from the table. "I better not, I will only ruin
whatever you have been working on." Harry wasn't sure what Tony was working on,
but it looked like some kind of arm piece to the Iron Man suit and very
important.
Tony waved his hand towards his work bench. "There's nothing to ruin yet. I'm
trying to make some upgrades to the suit, you can never have too much
firepower."
"Can I just watch?" Harry hoped that his father wouldn't be upset that he
didn't know what he was talking about or how to do the things that he could do.
"Sure, kiddo," Tony said, affectionately ruffling Harry's hair.
Harry tensed at the action, but at the same time warmth spread throughout his
body. He had seen fathers do similar things to their children when he was
younger and he had always wanted that. He had always wanted to be pat on the
back and told that he did a good job, or read a bedtime story before falling
asleep. Instead he got whipped, starved and raped.
"Tell me, Little Chef, why don't you want to return to your school?" Tony
asked, turning back to his table and picking up a screwdriver. "Not that I want
you to return that is. I just got you, I'm not ready to lose you so soon."
Harry sat down in the seat next to his father's work table and drew his knees
up to his chin. "It's hard to explain, but it wasn't what I thought it would
be. When I first heard about it I was excited to go, it was a new place away
from the Dursley's, and my parents had also gone there. I didn't know much
about them, my aunt wouldn't allow me to ask questions. Heck, I didn't even
know their names until the man who showed up from the school told me about
them. When I got there though, everyone expected me to be something that I
wasn't, and my every move was scrutinized. I wasn't allowed to just be myself
there."
"What do they expect from you at your school?" Tony asked curiously.
Harry wrapped his arms around his knees. "My parents were like these famous war
heroes and everyone expects me to be like them. I don't want to be like them
though, I don't want to be responsible for everyone else...I just want to be
Harry."
"That's a lot of pressure to put on someone so young. I know what it's like to
have to live up to everyones expectations." Tony handed Harry a wrench. "I
could use an extra pair of hands, if you don't mind?"
Harry took the wrench and stood next to his father. He honestly didn't know
anything about building and tools. He did all the cooking and cleaning, but
after the bench incident, his uncle never asked him to build anything again.
Giving his son a reassuring smile, Tony directed Harry to what he needed him to
do. "My father was a very cold and calculating man who never had time to spare
for his son. I did everything I could to gain his attention and respect, but he
was too busy searching for Captain America to ever notice my achievements."
"Did he e-ever h-hit you?" Harry asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"No, Harry," Tony said looking his son in the eye. "He would have had to be
around me in order to hit me, and he was never around. Then my parents died
when I was fourteen, so I have been alone for a while now." Tony reached out
and took his son's hand. "When did the abuse start, son?"
Harry gave a slight gasp at being called son. Looking down at their joined
hands, he noticed how much larger and stronger his father's hands were. These
hands could either hurt him like uncle Vernon's, or protect him. Could he trust
his father with the truth about his childhood? Tony had been working hard the
past week to save kids just like himself, could he save him too?
Harry closed his eyes trying to get the courage to speak...to speak about
things that had been forbidden for over thirteen years.
Tony patiently waited for his son to speak, he could see the battle that was
raging inside of him. He knew that Harry had been conditioned and threatened to
never speak about what happened in that house of horrors, but he would never
heal if he kept it bottled inside.
"I can never remember a time where they weren't hurting or starving me," Harry
finally said, voice weak and broken. "They hated me and they made sure everyday
that I knew it. I have a pretty good memory, and I remember screaming and
crying, scared of the dark cupboard and wanting my parents."
"Cupboard?" Tony asked with dread.
Harry jerkily nodded his head, wiping an escaped tear from his cheek. "Until I
was eleven, my bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs. I didn't have a bed
or anything because the space was too small, just some old dirty blankets."
Harry took a big shaky breath. "Until I started school, they kept me locked in
my cupboard unless I was doing chores."
"They locked you in?" Tony asked, heart feeling like it had been pierced with a
knife. As his son was talking about his childhood, he could vividly imagine
every detail.
Harry nodded his head, still staring at their joined hands. He did notice that
he was now squeezing his father's hand rather tightly. "Sometimes for days with
only a bucket to relieve myself in," he explained, shame clear on his face. "If
I was lucky, uncle Vernon would leave the vent open so I could get some fresh
air."
"Where you lucky often?" Tony asked, trying his damnedest to hide the anger in
his voice.
Harry shook his head no. "Eventually he just boarded up the vent. He said my
stench was starting to stink up the house."
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, and for the first time that he could ever
remember, he felt like crying. He didn't even cry when his parents died or when
he himself was dying from palladium poisoning. Hearing how is son...his flesh
and blood had been treated, broke something inside of him that he didn't even
realize that he had.
Harry couldn't believe that he was actually telling his father about his
childhood. Uncle Vernon would kill him if he ever found out that he told. In a
way it felt good though, for the first time ever he was able to tell someone
about it. He would hopefully finally have someone that could help him...be
there for him.
Harry took a deep breath, ready to continue. "For as far back as I can remember
I was forced to do all the chores. First it was cleaning up after Dudley and
putting his toys away, then it was doing all the cooking, cleaning and
gardening."
"You had to clean up after your cousin? Did he ever have to do any chores of
his own?"
Harry shook his head no. "I actually didn't mind putting his toys away, it was
the only time that I got to touch and play with toys?"
"Are you telling me that you never had any toys? Didn't you get any for your
birthday or Christmas?"
Harry chuckled darkly. "No, freaks like me aren't allowed toys or clothes.
Freak should be thankful that his relatives were kind enough to take his
ungrateful little ass in and give him a roof over his head and food in his
belly. Freak needs to learn his place, and his place isn't with a normal
family. Freak is not to be seen or heard, and he is never to sit on any of the
chairs or couches and contaminate them. Freak is ugly and even his own parents
killed themselves to get away from him. Freak will never find anyone to love
him, he's..."
Tony had to give a Harry a hard shake to break him out of whatever trance he
was in. Harry's eyes had gone dead as he started reciting what obviously had
been drilled into him since he was a baby.
Harry blinked rapidly as his father's workshop started to come back into focus.
Pulling his hand out of his father's, Harry wrapped his arms around himself and
sank to the floor.
Tony followed him down to the floor, reaching out to grab his shoulders.
"Harry, you are not a freak or any of those horrible things that your relatives
called you."
Tears finally started to fall unchecked down Harry's face. "No, they were
right, I am a freak. Even at my school I was a freak compared to everyone else.
My parents were killed because of me, I deserved everything my relatives did to
me."
"No, Harry," Tony said sternly. "You did not deserve any of that. You were just
a baby when your parents died, none of it was your fault."
"But it was. The man who killed my parents was after me, but they stood up to
him to protect me. If I hadn't been born, then they would still be alive today.
Everything is my fault, even Cedric's death was my fault. I told Cedric to take
the cup with me, I didn't know that it was a trap. If I would have just taken
the cup myself, then Cedric would still be alive. His parents wouldn't be
grieving the death of their only child. Don't you see, I'm a curse. If you were
smart, you would send me back to my aunt and uncle's now before I caused your
death too."
Tony didn't know what his son was rambling on about, but he grabbed him and
pulled him tight to his chest. He was confused, the reports that his relatives
had left behind had said that Harry's parents had died in a car crash. They had
stated that both parents were unemployed and that his father had been driving
drunk when he lost control of the car. Also, nothing in the reports had
mentioned that James and Lily were war heroes. He now had so many more
questions, like who the hell was Cedric?
Harry at first fought Tony's embrace, but now he was clinging to him, crying
harder than what he had cried in a long time. He had never been held like this,
never felt this safe before.
"Harry, I want you to listen to me, and listen to me good," Tony said
seriously. "I will never send you back to those horrid people, or anywhere else
for that matter. Pretty soon, they will be rotting in prison for the rest of
their lives. As for bringing me bad luck and death, Harry, have you seen the
life that I live? If anything, I should be worried about what trouble being my
son will bring you. Incase you missed the memo, kid, the worlds most powerful
hero's live here, not to mention the God of Thunder. This tower is also heavily
secured, you're safe here, kiddo."
"Promise me that you won't let them force me back. They will come for me, I
know they will. They will make me fight him and I don't want to. I'm not strong
enough to fight him."
Tony had no clue what his son was talking about. Who was coming? Who did his
son have to fight? Hardly anything he had said so far had made sense. He was
more confused now than before this conversation started.
Tony took Harry's face into his hands and made him look at him. "No one, and I
mean no one, is going to take you away from here. Harry, I don't know what's
going on, but everyone in this tower is behind you one hundred percent. I would
love to see someone try to take you away from me."
Harry knew that Tony meant every word he said, but there was no way he could
defend himself against the wizarding world. He knew that it was just a matter
of time before Dumbledore tracked him down and made him return to Hogwarts.
They needed him to fight Voldemort, and now that he was back, they weren't
going to let him play house with his father and the rest of the Avengers.
Harry scrubbed at his eyes trying to compose himself. He couldn't believe how
much he let slip in front of Tony. Tony wasn't supposed to know about how his
parents truly died or anything else that led back to the wizarding world.
Hopefully his father would forget everything that he said, he absolutely could
not find out that he was a wizard.
"I'm sorry about that," Harry unsteadily got to his feet.
Tony grabbed Harry's hand and tuned him back towards him. "Don't you dare
apologize for that. I am your father and I want to help you. This isn't done,
there is still a lot to work through." Tony knew that Harry was done talking
for now, but he was surprised how much he had gotten out of him already. He
would take this at Harry's pace, even if he went weeks without talking.
Harry gave Tony a small smile. "Thank you for that," he said pointing between
the two of them. "I never had..." Harry closed his eyes, sighing. He didn't
know how to say that he never had anyone hold and comfort him the way that his
father just did.
Tony playfully shoved his son. "I'm here for you, Little Chef," he grinned.
"You want to help me finish this up?" he asked, pointing to his work table.
Harry chuckled. "How about I go make us some lunch? Do you like turkey
sandwiches?"
"Is mother's favorite color green?" Tony smirked. "Of course I like turkey
sandwiches. Give me thirty minutes and I will meet you in the kitchen."
Harry shook his head, chuckling. "Thanks again."
 
***HP
"A show of hands of who in this tower has magic?"
Harry spun around and came face to face with a smirking Loki who was raising
his hand high in the air. He didn't know how Loki managed to creep up on him
like that, but he about gave him a heart attack.
"Come now, we mustn't be shy." Loki purred. "Raise your hand proudly if you
have magic running through your veins."
Harry stepped away from Loki, not liking the god in his personal space. He
hated how everyone in the tower absolutely towered hover him. "I don't know
what you're talking about." he said, looking nervously at the door. Tony would
be coming up for lunch any minute and he didn't want him to overhear what Loki
was saying.
"Is that so, Little Mage? I can feel and taste the magic pouring of you in
waves. You are exceptionally powerful for a Midgardian magic user. If I didn't
know any better, I would swear that you were related to me. Not only does our
magic feel the same, but you also resemble a younger me."
Harry stepped away from Loki, putting the table between the two of them.
"Please," he whispered. "You can't tell anyone here about me being a wizard. If
my father knew that I was a freak, he would send me back to my uncle."
"What did you just call yourself?" Loki growled, green eyes sparkling
dangerously.
Harry's heart was pounding in his chest. He could feel Loki's magic swirling
angrily in the air and it was starting to scare him. "Please, you don't
understand. For the first time ever, I have a chance at having a real family.
If they find out that I have magic, they will kick me out and I will be all
alone again. I can't go back to what it was like before, I would rather die
then get hurt like that again."
"You're scared of your magic," Loki said in disbelief.
"Yes I'm scared of my magic, and I hate it," Harry hissed. "It has brought me
nothing but pain and suffering."
"But you could be great," Loki said, slowly advancing on Harry. "You could rule
this pathetic planet and have them all bowing at your feet."
Harry shook his head, eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to be great or
rule the world. I just want to be a normal boy and have a family, someone who
will care about me and protect me."
Loki looked at Harry like he was some strange creature that needed studying.
"You would sacrifice all that power for a family?"
"Yes," Harry said without having to think about it. "All I have ever wanted was
a family. I have never had anyone to love or care for me, just an abusive uncle
who used me for his own sick pleasure and gain." Harry slapped his hand over
his mouth, he couldn't believe that he had just said that.
Loki's eyes darkened, anger like he hadn't felt in a long time burned through
his veins. "Are you telling me that your uncle beat and raped you because of
your magic?"
Harry felt like his chest was being squeezed in a vice. Loki's magic was
furious, and it was quickly seeping out into the kitchen making it difficult
for him to breath. Unable to say anything, Harry dropped his head in shame.
Seeing that he was hurting the child, Loki pulled his magic back, wrapping it
around himself. "How old were you when the mortal took your innocence?"
Harry couldn't stop the tears from falling. Despite Loki gaining control of his
magic, it still felt like someone was sitting on his chest. Against his will he
thought back to the day when his uncle took him for the first time. He had been
folding clothes in the living room when he heard his aunt screaming at his
uncle from upstairs. A minute later she had come storming down the stairs with
her purse and went straight out the door, slamming it behind her. Not thinking
anything of it, he returned to his folding until he felt two large hands pick
him up and slam him down hard onto the arm of the couch. By the time he caught
his breath, his uncle had already stripped him down and had slammed brutally
inside of him.
Loki stumbled forward grabbing the table for support. He was positive that the
child didn't realize what he was doing when he opened his magic up and thrust
the memory at him. The image was so powerful that he felt like he himself was
the child that was getting violated. The boy couldn't have been more than five
or six years old when the incident occurred. He had tried to bring up a shield
to block himself from the horrific image, but because some of his magic was
bound and the child was so powerful, he was helpless against the assault. He
had to watch as that fat mortal relentlessly tore into the tiny child.
Harry stumbled backwards, falling painfully onto his ass. Feeling something wet
on his face, he brought his hand up to his nose to wipe it away. He cried out
in alarm when he found blood covering his hand. "What happened?" he croaked
out, voice feeling raw and sore.
Panting, Loki collapsed onto the chair and dropped his head into his hands. It
felt like Thor had tried to crack his skull open with Mjolnir. At hearing the
boy cry out in distress, he lifted his head up, shocked to find a puddle of
blood on the table dripping from his nose.
"You forced me to watch your memory," Loki answered, his voice not sounding
much better than the child's.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Harry cried. "I didn't know I..."
Loki held up his hand. "It's alright, child, I know that you didn't know what
you were doing, that's why it was so painful for us."
"Now you see why my father can't find out about my magic? He will surely send
me back there."
"You insult your father by thinking that he would ever send you back to that,"
Loki said sadly. "I may not like him, but your father is a good man."
"But I see how they look at you. How they hate and fear you because of your
magic."
Loki snorted. "Child, it's not my magic they hate, it's me. I did some truly
horribly things last time I was here, and I deserve their scorn. Your father
would not think any different of you if he found out that you were almost as
magically powerful as myself."
"Please don't tell him," Harry begged, crawling to the god and kneeling at his
feet. "Please, I beg you not tell him. I will do anything if you promise not to
tell him." Harry reached out and laid a trembling hand on the god's thigh.
Loki jumped up and flew across the room like someone had burned him. He
couldn't believe that the child was offering himself for his silence. "I am not
a disgusting child rapist," Loki snarled in disgust. "If my silence means that
much to you, then you have it...on two conditions."
Harry quickly got to his feet. "Anything, I will do anything you say." A little
voice in the back of his head was screaming that he had to be careful around
Loki, but he was too desperate to care. No one could find out about what he
was. In the short time that he had been here, he had come to care a great deal
for everyone in the tower, maybe even love them, and it would kill him to lose
them.
"First, you will stop maiming your own body!" Loki said, glaring at Harry's
arms.
Gasping, Harry looked down at his arms fully expecting to see his scars, but
was shocked when he saw nothing but flawless skin. "How?"
Loki snickered. "I am a god, I can see through your foolish glamours."
Harry bit his lip. "I will try, but I have been doing it for so long. I don't
know if I can just up and stop."
Loki nodded his head in understanding. This child had been hurt worse than any
child he had ever encountered. Children were cherished on Asgard, and those
caught harming them were banished or imprisoned.
"If you ever feel the urge to hurt yourself, then come to me. We can either
talk or I can conjure up a dummy for you to take your frustrations out on."
Harry thought for a moment. "I guess I can try that, but please understand if I
have some slip-ups."
Loki nodded his head, fully expecting the child to have many slip-ups. "Second,
you will allow me to train you. You are very powerful, and if you don't learn
how to control your magic, you could seriously hurt someone or yourself. You
also need to learn that your magic is nothing to fear."
"Isn't there a way that you could just bind my magic, take it away forever?"
Harry asked in a small, hopeful voice.
Loki looked at the child like he had just sprouted an extra head. "Even if I
could take away your magic, I wouldn't. Your magic is a part of you, every bit
as much as your arms, legs or head. To take away your magic, it like cutting
off your head. There is a reason that magic gifted you, and I won't take that
gift away. Let me teach you how to embrace your magic, make it one with you."
Harry lowered his head in defeat, he had been really hoping that Loki could
make him normal. "I will allow you to teach me if you promise not to tell
anyone that I am a wizard."
Loki held out his hand. "Deal."
Loki's hand reminded him of a snake...ready to strike at any minute. Taking a
big reassuring breath, Harry reached out and shook the god's hand.
Loki smiled at the child. "Excellent, we start tomorrow."
***** Chapter 6 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Avengers.
Wah, finally an update. Not as long as my other chapters, but at least it's not
painfully short.
Please review :)
*** HP
"Hey, kiddo, do you want to help me out in my workshop today?" Tony asked,
reaching out to pluck another blueberry pancake off the plate. He had already
eaten eight of them, but who the hell was keeping count?
Harry gave a quick and subtle glance at Loki, then looked back at his father.
"Yeah, that would be great, but first I want to write a letter to my friends."
Tony grinned happily at his son. "Sweet, maybe we can make you a mini Iron Man
suit."
"Tony," Bruce groaned. "I don't think that's a very good idea."
"I agree with Bruce on this one," Pepper said, scowling at her employer. "Harry
is only fourteen, he could get seriously hurt."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Honestly, like I would make him a real Iron Man suit,
lasers and all. Besides, he will be fifteen next month."
"Isn't that what you had planned?" Pepper snapped.
Tony looked at his son and gave him a wink. "Maybe," he said with a smirk.
"Come on Pep, I was ten when I made my first laser, Harry needs to catch up."
Pepper picked up her knife and pointed it at Tony. "Tony, so help me...if you
even think..."
Tony held up his hands, laughing. "Easy, Pepper, I get it...no lasers."
Throwing down her napkin, Pepper stood up. "Thank you. Now, some of us actually
have to work." Turning to Harry, she gave him a soft smile. "Breakfast was
incredible, thank you. I will see you this evening, Harry."
"Bye, Pepper," Harry said shyly.
Pepper looked sternly back at Tony. "No lasers, Tony, I mean it."
Tony took his finger and crossed it over his heart. "Cross my heart, Pepper. No
lasers."
Tony watched as Pepper left then waited a minute or two. Smirking, he looked
back at his son. "She didn't say anything about missiles."
"Tony," Bruce groaned in exasperation.
"Fine," Tony cried dramatically. "We will just make a plain old boring Iron Man
suit with no cool lasers or wicked missiles. Are you happy, mother?"
Dropping his head so his hair was hiding his face, Harry started laughing. He
loved this...he loved the banter, the joking, the friendship, the family...he
never wanted to lose this.
"Laugh now, Little Chef, but you're going to be the only kid on the playground
wearing a laserless, missileless, Iron Man suit," Tony teased.
Harry looked up at his dad, eyes sparkling with happiness and love. "That's
alright, I don't need lasers or missiles. I think it will be great just
spending the day with you building something."
Tony's heart squeezed almost painfully in his chest. How could he come to love
someone so fast? If he would have been asked a few weeks ago if he could handle
being a father, he would have said 'hell no.' Kids were something that he never
wanted and he had always been careful with his affairs. Almost weekly there was
someone claiming to be his love child, but he had never been worried. He knew
that there was no way that their claims would prove true, he had always been
too careful. He still didn't know how Harry came to be, but he was damn glad
that he did. Even though it had only been a short time, he couldn't imagine his
life without Harry in it. He knew that Harry had a mountain of issues to work
through, but he planned to be by his side every step of the way.
"Alright then, get those letters written than meet me in my workshop." Tony
said shoveling the last of his delicious pancakes into his mouth.
"Go ahead, Harry," Bruce encouraged. "We got clean up duty."
Nodding his head and glancing again in Loki's direction, Harry got up and left
the table. He hated lying to his father, but he had promised Loki that he would
work with him this morning. He knew that even if he could, Loki wouldn't take
his magic away from him. He was desperate that his father and the rest of the
Avengers would never find out about his magic, and he would do anything and
everything that Loki asked of him to keep him quiet.
***HP
 
"Are you sure Jarvis can't hear us?"
"Don't worry, little Mage, I made it so he can't see or hear anything that's
going on in here." Loki reassured for the third time.
Harry released the breath that he had been holding. He didn't want his father
to know what was going on between him and Loki. If Tony knew that he was alone
in his room with Loki, then he was sure to automatically jump to the wrong
conclusion.
 
Picking up Harry's wand, Loki twirled it around his finger then threw the
useless piece of wood onto the bed and turned to face the nervous boy. "You
don't need that foolish stick to control your magic. Your magic comes from
here," he said, poking him in the chest.
"Everyone in the wizarding world has a wand though, even Dumbledore, and he's
the most powerful wizard since Merlin."
Shaking his head, Loki snorted. "Those mere mortals may need a wand, but you do
not. You, child, are more powerful than your great Dumbledore and Merlin."
"I'm mortal though, so I need a wand," Harry stubbornly protested.
Loki bent down and started rooting through the boy's trunk, pulling out his
books on magic. "You're scared to be different," he said, leafing through
useless book then chucking it onto the bed with the wand. "You would be happy
being average."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Not average, just normal," he answered softly.
"Why would you want to be normal?" Loki sneered in disgust.
"People fear those that are different and they lash out and hurt them."
"Tell me, child, do you think that your relatives would have treated you
better, would have loved even if you weren't magical?" Loki asked giving all
his attention to Harry.
"Yes," Harry answered brokenly. "They hated me because I wasn't normal, because
I had magic."
Loki looked at the boy in pity. "Your uncle is a sick bastard, and what he did
to you had nothing to do with your magic. Yes, that may be why he originally
hated you, but that is not what drove him to do the sick and perverted things
that he did. Has not your uncle hurt other boys, boys that you consider normal
and have no magic?"
Harry didn't say anything, just turned and looked out the window. For some
reason he needed to believe that his relatives would have loved him if he
wasn't a wizard. He needed to believe that it was the fear of his magic that
caused his relatives to hurt him. Uncle Vernon had always said that he was
going to beat the freakishness out of him.
Loki knew that Harry wasn't ready to hear the truth. He blamed his magic for
every horrible thing that had ever happened to him. "Why do your hands
sometimes tremble?" he asked, changing the subject. He had noticed on a couple
of occasions that the boy lost control of his hands and they started shaking
almost violently.
Harry shoved the hand that wasn't in the cast into his pocket so Loki couldn't
see how it shook. "It's nothing," he mumbled.
Loki had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping at the boy. It wasn't his
fault that he didn't know how to trust. "I will be the judge of that, child.
Now, I can see the remnants of dark magic on you. What happened?"
Harry didn't like to think about the third task, he still had horrible
nightmares about it. It didn't help that he didn't have anyone to help him
through it, to tell him that it wasn't his fault. "A few weeks ago a powerful
dark lord was resurrected using my blood and he cast the Cruciatus curse on me
multiple times. The Cruciatus curse is a pain curse, there is no pain worse
than it, and if you are held under it long enough, you will go insane. I still
get occasional tremors from the damage done to my nerves."
Loki approached Harry. "You said he used your blood?" Slowly, so he didn't
startle him, Loki raised his hand and a feint white glow appeared. "Relax," he
said when Harry tensed and looked ready to bolt. "It's just a medical scan."
Harry stared at Loki's hand in fear, but despite his instincts screaming at him
to flee, he remained standing and facing the god. "The ritual called for bone
of the father, flesh of the servant and blood of the enemy forcibly taken." he
explained.
Loki didn't like the results that he was getting from the scan. According to
it, Harry should have died when he was fifteen months old. The only reason why
he had lived despite everything he had suffered was because his magic had kept
him alive. If Harry would have been born with average magic, he wouldn't have
lived to see sixteen months old.
"You're fourteen years old, how can you already be an enemy to a powerful dark
magic user?"
"It's a long story?" Harry shivered uncontrollably when Loki's magic wrapped
around his body and sank into him.
"Don't fight it," Loki said gently, concentrating on repairing as much damage
as he could. The damage to the nerves was extensive, he was surprised that
Harry wasn't shaking more than what he was.
"Wh-What are you doing?" Harry asked shakily. He didn't know how he felt about
Loki's magic, on one hand it was warm and comforting, but on the other hand it
was wild and dangerous feeling.
"I'm going to heal the nerve damage then correct the damage from the abuse and
neglect."
"No," Harry cried out in panic trying to break away from Loki and his magic.
Reaching out, Loki grabbed Harry by the arm. "I won't hurt you, you foolish
child." Loki was about at the end of his patience.
"No, it's not that," Harry cried, struggling to break Loki's grip. "If you heal
me then they will know that something isn't right. You can heal the nerve
damage from the curse, but not the rest."
Loki released the bony arm and pinched the bridge of nose in frustration. "You
want me to leave you with wrongly healed and weak bones, scars over the
majority of your body, including your anal passage, internal organ damage and a
long list of other ailments from the hell you suffered at the hands of your
relatives?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I want," Harry whispered, finally losing the battle
against his tears. "Please, they can't know."
Loki didn't know what to say or do, he had never met anyone so afraid of their
magic. "Child, some of the damage done to your internal organs will cause you
serious health issues in the near future and will probably greatly shorten your
life span. The wrongly healed bones are going to start causing you considerable
pain. Is that what you want?"
"Yes," Harry answered softly. "I-I can't lose Tony...I can't lose my dad."
"You would willingly live a sick and painful life just to have a father?"
Harry nodded his head. "You don't understand, you had a caring father and
loving family."
"I was adopted," Loki snapped angrily. "They lied to me."
Harry looked at Loki and laughed, but it was a laugh that bordered on insanity.
"Did your father starve you? Did he beat and rape you? Did he whore you out to
his boss just so he could get a promotion? Did he lock you in a small cupboard
under the stairs for days at a time with no food or water, not even access to a
bathroom? How about your mother, did she pour hot cooking grease down your
back? Did she ignore your father when he made you suck his cock under the
dining room table while they were eating dinner?"
Harry walked to the door, tears falling down his face. "If the worse thing your
father did was take you in and give you a loving family, treat you like one of
his own, then you don't have a right to judge me. I'm done for today." Harry
turned and left his bedroom, slamming the door hard behind him.
Loki stood in the middle of the room feeling like Thor had just hit him with a
lightning bolt. Odin may have treated him a bit differently than Thor, but it
was only subtle things. Odin and Frigga loved him and gave him everything as a
child. Even now Frigga doted on him despite all the evil things he has done. He
didn't know what it was like to grow up without the love of a father and a
mother. Would he be as desperate as Harry for a family if Odin would have left
him behind on Jotunheim?
Looking around the bare room, Loki picked up and returned the wand and books to
the trunk and magically sealed it. He knew that Harry would be devastated if
anyone accidentally stumbled upon them and figured out his secret. He would
give the boy the rest of the day, then try again tomorrow.
***HP
Harry was shaking uncontrollably and it didn't have anything to do with his
nerve damage. He couldn't believe what he had just said to Loki. Loki had a way
of getting under his skin and making him lose his temper.
Storming into the kitchen, he went directly to the knife drawer and started
rooting around. He needed to cut himself, to watch himself bleed. He needed to
release everything that he was feeling, and he could only do that by cutting.
"Stupid god of michief," Harry muttered under his breath. He couldn't use his
regular knife and his bathroom because Loki was still in his room. Grabbing a
sharp boning knife, he took a seat at the table and rolled up his sleeve. He
wasn't worried about getting caught, Tony was in his workshop, Clint and Steve
were at SHIELD headquarters, Thor was in the training room, Bruce was in his
lab, Pepper at her office and he didn't give a shit where Loki was. He was
desperate to feel the cold blade at his skin and he couldn't wait a minute
longer. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he pressed the tip of the
blade into his skin.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?"
Harry's eyes flew open and the knife clattered to the floor. Standing in the
doorway was a very pretty red headed female with blue-green eyes and dressed
entirely in black leather. She had an athletic build and gave off a vibe of
being someone dangerous and not to be messed with.
Wide eyed, Harry shook his head. "Nothing, I wasn't doing anything."
Natasha narrowed her eyes and glared at the unknown boy. "Bull shit, kid." she
snarled. "I'm not fucking stupid, you were getting ready to cut yourself."
Harry vigorously shook his head no. "No I wasn't, honest. I was just goofing
around."
Natasha bent down and picked up the knife. Expertly flipping it around in her
hand, she held if out to the boy, hilt first. "Go ahead then, let's see you do
it."
Harry stared at the knife in equal parts desperation and fear. He was craving
the bite of the knife and the sight of his beautiful red blood pouring down his
arm, but he knew that there was no way that the red head would let him go
through with it. Even if she did, he didn't think that it would calm him the
same way it did when he was alone.
Angrily Natasha slammed the knife down on the table making the boy jump. She
could see how badly the boy wanted to take the knife and use it. "Why?" she
demanded.
Harry just sat there blankly staring at the knife. "It wasn't what it looked
like," he answered softly. "I saw a news segment on cutting and I..."
"Got curious," Natasha snapped. "Kid, I wasn't born yesterday. I saw how you
were looking at the knife when I was holding it out to you. Someone who has
never cut themselves would look at a knife with such desperate longing."
Rolling up her sleeve, Natasha thrust her scarred arm under the boy's nose. "I
should know, I have been there."
Heart pounding in his chest, Harry slowly took his eyes off the woman's arm and
looked up into her eyes. He knew who she was, recognized her from the news
footage about the alien invasion. The pissed off woman was Natasha Romanoff,
the Black Widow. "Please don't tell," he begged.
Sighing, Natasha picked up the knife and put it in the sink. Returning to the
boy, she took a seat at the table across from him. "What's your name, kid?"
Rolling down his sleeve and nervously fiddling with it, Harry answered in a
small voice. "Harry Potter, mam."
"Oh please, kid," Natasha snorted, "don't call me mam. You can call me Natasha,
or Tasha for short."
Harry gave Tasha a small smile. "Please don't tell anyone about what you walked
in on," he pleaded.
"First, and I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you? When I left, there was
no teenage boy's living in the tower."
"Well, you see," Harry answered, blushing a bit, "it seems that I'm Tony
Stark's son."
Eyes popping out of her head, Natasha leaned back in her chair and started
chuckling. "Oh that's priceless, Stark's a daddy. How's he doing so far?" she
asked curiously. Never in a million years did she picture Stark being a father.
The man was load, obnoxious, self centered, stuck up and would screw anything
that battered their eyes at him.
"He... He's great," Harry answered honestly. "He's done more for me than anyone
else and he seems to truly care about me."
"Wow," Natasha said, unable to hide her shock. "Well, I'm glad that he's
stepping up. Now onto the serious stuff." Natasha leaned forward and looked the
boy directly in the eyes. "How long have you been cutting? I will warn you only
once not to lie to me. I have been trained well and I can easily detect a lie.
I am also very good at getting information, it's kind of my job."
Harry swallowed the lump that was in his throat. He had never told anyone about
his cutting and he didn't want to start now. It was bad enough that Loki knew
about it. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked down at his hands. "I started when
I was eight, so about six years, almost seven."
Natasha whistled. "Damn kid, you started at eight? What the hell could have
been so bad in an eight year old's life to cause him to turn to cutting?"
Natasha also couldn't believe that the small, waif like boy sitting in front of
her was fourteen years old.
"Everything," Harry answered softly, biting hard on his bottom lip.
Natasha could see the pain in the boy's eyes and she didn't want to push him.
Obviously something already had him upset enough today that he was resorting to
cutting. "Let me see your arm," she demanded, holding out her hands.
"What?" Harry gasped, yanking his arms off the table and hiding them under it.
"I want to see your arm, I need to assess the damage." When Harry didn't move,
Natasha continued. "If you want me to be quiet, then I need to see what I'm
dealing with. I'm not just going to walk away like I never saw you gouging a
knife into your arm. I'm going to help you work through this, help you find
another outlet."
"Why... Why would you want to help me? You don't even know me."
"Because," Natasha answered sadly. "I wish someone would have helped me."
Looking across the table, Harry could see that Natasha meant what she said.
Despite her honesty, he still didn't want to show her his arm. Unfortunately,
he was scared that she would go running to Tony if he didn't, and that was the
last thing that he wanted. Closing his eyes, he canceled the glamours then
rolled up his sleeve and held his unbroken arm out to her.
Natasha took the too thin arm and silently inspected it. She was horrified at
the amount of scarring, and she didn't miss the fresh, not even twenty four
hours old, cuts. Clearing her throat, she looked back into those mesmerizing
green eyes. "I take it your other arm looks the same?"
Harry nodded his head, averting his eyes from her intense ones.
Nodding her head, she released his arm then got up and went to the fridge.
"Where the hell did all this food come from?" she gasped, grabbing the plate of
turkey and some mayo. She had never seen the refrigerator stocked with so much
food, and all of it homemade.
Harry shyly scratched the back of his neck. "Uhm, I kind of like to cook."
Natasha moaned when she took a bite of the cold turkey. "This is really good. I
think I'm gonna love having you around, kid." Grabbing some bread, she went
about making a large turkey sandwich.
"Well now I see what's keeping you from joining me in my workshop, a hot red
head!"
Natasha rolled her eyes at Tony. "Stuff it, Stark. You could stand to take some
lessons in manners from your son."
Chuckling, Tony plopped in the seat next to Harry, affectionately rubbing his
hair. "He really is sweet, isn't he? So, Tash, what do you think of my mini
me?"
Natasha couldn't get over the resemblance of the pair. She had thought that
Harry looked a lot like Tony, but it was scary seeing them sitting side by
side. Harry was definitely more on the pretty and feminine side than Tony
though. "I don't know, the two of you may look a lot alike, but he doesn't have
your obnoxious streak. I think I need to see a DNA before I'll believe it."
Tony threw his head back and laughed. "You got me there. So what have you two
been discussing, did I miss anything?"
Harry looked fearfully at Natasha, begging her with his eyes to not tell Tony
about the cutting. It was bad enough that Tony knew about the abuse and the
rapes, he didn't want his dad to know that he was even more fucked up.
Natasha knew that she should tell Tony about the cutting, but Harry seemed like
he needed someone to trust. The last she needed when she had issues with
cutting, was a parent hovering over her. Granted, she only cut for a few
months, but she figured she could be more of a help to Harry if she kept his
secret and helped him kick the habit. She still planned to strongly encourage
Harry to go to Tony and let him help him.
"Self defense," Natasha said, giving Harry a wink. "I figured with him living
at Stark Tower and being Tony Stark's only son, it might be a good idea for him
to learn how to defend himself. It will also give him a good outlet for things
that may be bothering him." Natasha raised one eyebrow at Harry waiting to see
what he thought.
Tony turned to Harry and gave him a questioning look. "Is that what you want,
Little Chef? Personally, I think it's an excellent idea. You have all these
highly trained hero's at your disposal, you should learn what you can from
them. I admit, it would make me feel better knowing that you could defend
yourself."
Harry couldn't believe that Natasha was going to keep his secret, he also
couldn't believe that she suggested him learning how to fight. He was all for
learning how to defend himself, but he was terrified at the thought of being in
close contact with the guys. Yes, he was learning to trust them, but that
didn't mean that he wanted to get all hot and sweaty with them. He definitely
didn't want them touching him.
"Only you," Harry said softly, looking up at Natasha. "For now anyway." He
could handle being with Natasha, she was a woman and a woman had never sexually
assaulted him.
"Yeah... Yeah," Tony said, sadly understanding why Harry only wanted Natasha to
teach him. Harry was scared of men and there was no way he could handle being
in close contact with them, at least not yet. "What do you say, Tash, up to
teaching the next generation of Stark's?"
Natasha looked questioningly at Tony. Why would Harry want her to teach him
when Steve and Clint were available?
Tony gave a subtle shake of his head and mouthed 'later'. They were going to
have to fill Natasha in on Harry's past.
"Well, I would be honored," Natasha said, turning her attention back to Harry.
"And don't think I'm going to take it easy on you just because your arm is in a
cast."
***HP
"It's true," Dumbledore said gravely. "The Dursely's moved the same day that
they picked Harry up from Kings Cross."
"I told you something wasn't right," Sirius raged. "It's now been weeks, we'll
never find Harry in America."
Dumbledore held up his hand to delay all the questions that started to get
fired at him. "We will find Harry, have faith. I found out that his relatives
moved to California. Harry is still safe and protected by the the blood wards.
We will find him and make sure that he is safe and returning to Hogwarts in
September, then we will leave him with his family until his birthday."
Sirius slammed his hand down on the table. "Harry does not like living with his
family and he isn't safe living so far away. We will find Harry and bring him
back here to Grimmauld Place."
"Sirius," Dumbledore sighed. "Harry is..."
"My godson, Albus, and he belongs with me."
"Maybe you should have thought of that before abandoning him and running off
after that rat," Severus sneered.
"Enough," Dumbledore said sternly. "Sirius, you are in no condition to look
after a teenage boy, especially one that is number one on Voldemort's want
list."
"I was the best damn Auror that Moody ever trained," Sirius protested. "I can
keep my godson safe."
"Like you did when the two of you were swarmed by Dementors?" Dumbledore
reminded him. "Sirius, I'm not doubting your love for Harry, but he is safer
with his aunt and uncle."
"He's not," Fred mumbled.
"Fred," George scolded.
"No, George, we can no longer keep quiet. They are hurting Harry, and what kind
of friends would we be if we kept our mouths shut and let them continue.
Georgie, with Harry in America, we can no longer owl healing potions to him."
"What are the two of you talking about?" Sirius growled, sounding much like his
animagus form.
"Boys," Dumbledore warned. "I understand that you care for young Harry, but
sneaking out and going to his home was not only dangerous for the two of you,
but also for Harry. Now, I thank you for informing us about Harry's move, but I
must insist that you go to your room while us adults work this out.
"Sit down," Molly snapped when her twin boy's stood up to leave. "Albus
Dumbledore, Fred and George are my boys and I would appreciate it if you would
remember that." Molly turned to her boys. "Fred, please finish what you were
going to say."
"Molly, I really must insist..."
"Albus, I suggest that you don't finish that sentence," Molly warned, glaring
at the headmaster. "Must I remind you that you are the headmaster at their
school, not their father. Now, they feel that they have a reason to be
concerned about a child that I think of like a son, and I would like to hear
what they have to say."
Fred and George high fived each other under the table. Their mother may be one
hundred percent loyal to Dumbledore, but she didn't take any shit from him.
"When Harry was twelve," Fred started. "We caught him showering in the locker
room."
"Harry never showered in front of us," George added.
"He also never showered in front of any of us," Ron said thoughtfully. "He
always took his showers late at night, or early in the morning before any of us
woke."
"That's because of the scars," Fred said, looking to his twin for support. It
killed him spilling Harry's secret, but they were scared for him. They knew
that what Harry suffered at the hands of his uncle was more than just a few
slaps about the head.
"And the bones," George added. "Harry is so skinny. I have never seen anyone
who's every bone sticks out the way Harry's does."
Fred snorted. "That's what happens when you have been starved your entire
life."
Sirius looked to the twins, all color draining from his face. He knew that
Harry wasn't happy with his relatives, but he never suspected that it was that
bad. "Scars?" he asked, needing to know exactly what they were talking about.
"His back," Fred said softly. "His uncle whips him with his belt or a whip. His
back is covered in years worth of scars."
"Then there are the bruises and the broken bones he always has after leaving
his relatives house," George added. "They beat him and starve him. Harry begged
us not to tell anyone, so we have been secretly owling him potions, bandages
and food."
Gasping, Molly covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, that poor dear. He was
always so shy and polite at the house, but I always found it strange that he
would never sit on our furniture."
"That's because he wasn't allowed at his aunt's house," George admitted.
"Did you know?" Sirius growled, lunging to his feet and facing Dumbledore. "Did
you know that my pup has been getting abused all these years?"
"Sirius you must understand..."
"Yes or no, old man," Sirius yelled.
Dumbledore knew that there was no way that he was going to get out of answering
truthfully. "I had my suspicions," he answered gravely. "but you have to
understand, Harry was far safer with his relatives protected behind the blood
wards than he was anywhere else in the wizarding world. I couldn't risk a Death
Eater getting their hands on him and raising him up to be one of them, or even
possibly the next Dark Lord."
"Safer," Molly screeched, shaking in anger. "Broken bones, whip marks,
malnourishment, how is that safer?"
"I told you they were the worst sort," Minerva reminded him bitterly. "What
about Arabella? You said they she always reported back that Harry was happy and
healthy."
Dumbledore winced, the last thing he wanted was both Molly and Minerva having a
go at him. "Harry is very powerful, more so than what any of you know. I
couldn't risk that kind of power falling into the hands of the dark. Yes,
Arabella reported back to me that she suspected that Harry was being abused,
but I had to leave him there for the greater good. They are Harry's relatives,
they would never really hurt him. All children get spankings and sent to bed
without dinner."
"For a week?" Fred yelled, tears falling from his eyes and visibly shaking.
George wrapped his arm around his brother and pulled him in to a comforting
embrace. Not many knew it, but Fred was very sensitive. He had his suspicions
that his twin had empathic abilities. "Harry once told us that his uncle locked
him in the cupboard under the stairs for a week with no food or water. They
didn't even let him out to use the bathroom, just gave him a bucket."
Sirius felt like he could throw up. He knew that Harry wasn't happy, hell, what
kid agrees to move in with their escaped convict godfather minutes after
meeting him? Glaring at Dumbledore, he pointed his finger at him and snarled.
"We will find Harry, then you will stay the hell away from him. You purposely
left him in an abusive home all for your fucking greater good. Well, no more.
What makes the greater good more important than Harry's good? How have you have
lived with yourself all this time knowing that you left a baby...an innocent
boy, in a home where he was being hurt?"
"It wasn't easy," Dumbledore said sadly, "but it had to be done."
Kingsley sat back in his chair listening to everything in horror. He never had
the chance to meet teen Harry Potter, but he had known him when he was a small
babe. He had been good friends with James, they had went through the Auror
academy together. He had visited the Potters after Harry had been born and
Harry had been the first baby that he had ever held. He was such a sweet and
beautiful little boy, James had even been worried because he never cried. He
had his suspicions where Harry was at, or at least had an idea who knew where
he was at, but he was going to keep his mouth shut, at least for now. He had
thought it strange when Nick had contacted him a few days ago and started
asking questions about Harry Potter, but he had assumed that SHIELD was just
checking in on the wizarding world. No, he was going to pay a visit to his
brother and find out what he knew about Harry before telling Sirius or
Dumbledore. An hour ago he would have went running to Dumbledore without
hesitation, but not after hearing what the old man had did to him.
***HP
"Are you sure that you don't want lasers? We don't have to tell Pepper, you
know. What she don't know won't hurt her."
Harry held his arm out straight in front of him. He was wearing a gauntlet
identical to the one on his father's suit. "I admit that it would be cool, but
I don't need one."
Tony gasped. "Take that back, everyone needs a laser. Just think how much
better the world be if everyone was walking around with a laser attached to
their arm."
"Yeah, I don't think everyone having lasers at their disposal would make the
world better," Harry giggled.
"Huh, well it made my life better," Tony pouted.
"This really is wicked," Harry said, flexing his fingers,
"You think that's awesome, wait until we get the rest finished and get you
flying."
Harry dropped his arm in shock and stared at his dad with his mouth hanging
open.
"That is if you're not afraid of heights," Tony quickly added, taking his shock
for fear.
"No," Harry said, grinning from ear to ear. "I love being up high. I just
didn't think my suit would actually fly. I had assumed that it was just for
fun."
"Harry, Harry, Harry," Tony chanted, shaking his head back and forth. "Haven't
you figured it out yet? I do everything big and over the top. Why the hell
would I make you an a Iron Man suit and not have it fly? I'm still pouting over
the lack of lasers and missiles."
"Wow," Harry said, raising his hand back out in front of him. "I can't wait to
fly. This has really been fun. Thank you," he said sincerely.
"You're a natural at this, Little Chef. Before you know it, you will be
building your own robots and AI systems."
"I don't know about that," Harry mumbled. "I've never been all that smart."
Tony put down the wrench then picked up a cloth and wiped the grease from his
hands. "It's kind of hard to do good in school when you're not allowed to do
better than your dumb as shit cousin."
"H-How did you know that?" Harry gasped.
"Harry, you went from teachers wanting to move you up a few grades, to lowest
grades in the class in just a few short weeks. Your grades, no matter the
subject, were always right below your cousin's. It wasn't hard to figure out."
Tony explained.
Harry took off the gauntlet and placed it on the table. "How did you find out
about my grades?" he asked, taking a few steps back away from his father.
Tony didn't want to upset his son, but there was no way that he was going to
lie to him. "After you passed out, I had Jarvis dig up whatever he could on you
and your horrid relatives."
"Why?" Harry asked, feeling sick to his stomach. He knew there wouldn't be much
on him, especially after the age of eleven. Tony was the type that needed to
know everything, and he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. He hated
that they knew about the abuse and the rapes, but Tony couldn't find out about
his magic.
"Hey, relax, kiddo," Tony said softly when he noticed that Harry was about to
have a meltdown. "I didn't know anything about you, and you were close to
dying. I had Jarvis find out what he could so we could help you. I didn't know
if you were allergic to any medications or food, then when we saw the
scars...well, you can imagine how we panicked."
"I-I'm sorry that I got upset," Harry said, lowering his head submissively.
"It's just that..."
Tony placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, trying to ignore how he flinched at
the contact. "Harry, I know that we haven't fully talked about your past, and I
promise that I won't pressure you. I know that you lived a nightmare, but there
is nothing that that bastard did, or made you do, that would change how I feel
about you. You are the son that I never knew that I wanted, and now could never
live without."
Harry wiped a tear from his face with a trembling hand. "I-I was s-six," his
said, voice barely above a whisper.
Tony closed his eyes, swallowing the bile that had worked it's way up. He
didn't have to ask Harry what he was talking about, unfortunately he knew.
Harry couldn't believe that he admitted that to his father, it just tumbled out
before he could stop it. "Oh god, I'm gone be sick," he groaned, falling to his
knees.
Tony quickly grabbed a trash can and thrust it in front of his son just in time
for him to get sick in it. He desperately wanted to lose his stomach too, but
for his son, he had to be strong. He knew that Harry had been young when the
sexual abuse started, and despite the pictures showing a young Harry, he had
hoped that he had been closer to nine or ten. Not that nine or ten was any
better, but six was still a baby. At ten, he knew what sex was and he had lost
his virginity at thirteen, but at six, he knew nothing about sex or the human
body. A six year old should have been playing make-believe and watching
cartoons, not suffering at the hands of sick, vile men. His son must have been
terrified, confused and in immense amount of pain.
"Take deep breaths, now," Tony said soothingly, kneeling down next to Harry. He
would have loved to have reached out and comforted him, but he knew that his
touch was the last thing that Harry wanted.
Sobbing, Harry put his head between his legs and tried taking deep breaths. He
knew that his father knew about the sexual abuse, but that didn't make it any
easier to talk about it. It had been beat into him since as far back as he
could remember that if he talked about it, he would be killed.
"Harry, there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that would ever make me change
the way that I feel about you. I know that we have only been together for a
short time, but there is nothing that I wouldn't do for you. Hell, I'm willing
to go against Pepper and outfit your suit with lasers and missiles...and I'm
terrified of that crazy read head."
Harry lifted his head up and gave his dad a watery smile. "Thank you," he
whispered. "I-I'm not ready to talk about everything, but I promise that I will
try. I'm so glad that I have you for a dad. Is... Is it alright if I call you
dad?" he asked shyly.
Tony couldn't prevent the smile that lit up his entire face. "I would be
honored if you called me dad...son."
***** Chapter 7 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers...
 
Finally an update :) Man, I really had a hard time writing this chapter, my
muse was not cooperating,,lol. I hope you enjoy and leave me a review...
***HP
Tony winced when he heard something shatter, praying that the specially made
windows were holding up. Kicking off the wall he had been leaning against, he
made his way to Steve who was just stepping out from the elevator.
"How long has he been in there?" Steve asked, cringing when it sounded like
something was trying to beat it's way through the wall.
"Three hours," Tony said in disbelief. "I'm glad we thought to tell him in the
containment room, we never would have gotten the hulk in there if he found out
anywhere else."
Steve looked at Tony sadly. "How are you holding up?"
Tony looked blankly at the wall across from him. "The only thing keeping me
from killing the fucker, is my son. I feel like Bruce, like there is a monster
inside of me trying to break loose."
Steve looked down at his feet, fists tightly clenched at his sides. "I know how
you feel," he admitted quietly. "I have been mad before, but never have I felt
like I could commit cold blooded murder."
Tony closed his eyes, seeing his son broken and crying on his workshop floor.
The horrors his son had to have suffered flashed through his mind. How could
someone do such despicable, vile things to small kids?
With a cry of rage, Tony stormed to the door of the Hulk's containment room.
"Jarvis, let me in." he demanded, "and seal the door, and don't you dare open
it for anyone but Bruce or myself."
"Tony, what are you doing?" Steve demanded, making his way towards Tony.
Tony smirked. "I can't go after those fuckers just yet, but I can blow off some
steam with the help of our giant green friend."
"Tony," Steve yelled, lunging for the millionaire's arm, but he was a half a
second too late. Tony was through the door and it sealed behind him before he
could grab him. "You stupid, reckless son of a bitch," Steve grumbled. "Jarvis,
open the door!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I have been ordered to not open the door."
Cursing, Steve put his ear to the door and held his breath so his could hear
better. Tony didn't do anything cheap so the door was high quality and
virtually impossible to hear through. He could make out some muffled noises
that could possibly be voices, but that was about it. Pressing his ear tighter
to the door, and scrunching one eye up in hopes of hearing better, he gave an
unmanly yelp and lunged backwards when something slammed into the door.
"I got a hundred saying that was Tony's head."
"Clint," Steve groaned, realizing that the archer witnessed his childish
display of eavesdropping and girlish yelping. "When did you get here?"
"Right when the rich idiot locked himself in the room with one very pissed off
Hulk." Clint smirked. "And just for the record, I am not cleaning up the pieces
of Stark when that door finally opens."
"This isn't good," Steve said, looking back towards the door when he heard
something slam against it again. "Harry needs Tony, how could he be so
reckless?"
"Tony is hurting." Clint said sadly. "He feels helpless because he can't take
Harry's pain and fear away, and he can't kill that fat bastard because we need
him to lead us to more perverts like him. Tony needs to hit and take his pain
and frustration out on someone, and who better than..."
"The Hulk," Steve finished. "He going to get killed."
Clint nodded his head. "Without a doubt."
***HP
Groaning, Tony grabbed his head and carefully struggled to sit up. "What the
hell did I drink last night? I haven't felt this bad after a night of partying
since I was eighteen." Cracking his eyes open, he quickly squeezed them tightly
shut when the light tried to pierce his brain.
With another load groan, he laid back down and tried to remember what the hell
happened. Everything hurt on his body, even his hair. The surface under him was
hard and he could tell by the coolness against his skin that he was naked. Why
the hell wasn't he in a nice warm bed spooning against a beautiful, hot, blond?
Waking with a hangover and slight memory loss wasn't new to him, but he always
woke with a naked beauty warm in his arms.
"Good, you're not dead, now I can kill you."
Forcing his eyes open, Tony looked to his left and slowly opened his eyes.
"You're not a naked, hot blond," he whined at seeing Bruce sitting against the
wall. "Though, you are naked."
Bruce glared at Tony. "What the hell where you thinking locking yourself in
here with the other guy? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"
Sitting up and painfully scooting back until he could lean against the wall,
Tony looked down and grimaced at the bruises covering the majority of his body.
"You did this?" he asked, looking back to Bruce who was completely bruise free.
Bruce stared unblinkingly at Tony. "The other guy could have killed you last
night. What the hell, Tony?"
Moaning, Tony closed his eyes and let his head fall against the wall. "I
wasn't," he answered softly. "I just needed...I..." Unable to get the words
out, Tony dropped his chin to his chest.
"I get it," Bruce sighed. "but you could have picked a fight with Clint or
Steve, you didn't have to piss off the other guy."
"The other guy was already pissed off," Tony snickered. "I just gave him some
entertainment and kept him company."
"Still, what would have happened to Harry if you would have gotten yourself
killed? Did you forget who his only living relatives are?"
Paling, Tony looked to Bruce. "I'm going to get Pepper to immediately change my
will. If anything ever happens to me, will you take Harry?"
Bruce stared disbelievingly at Tony, eyes wide with shock. "You want me to be
Harry's guardian if you die?"
"Yes," Tony answered without hesitating. "You care deeply for Harry, and he
cares for you. I trust that you would do right by my son."
"I...I..." Bruce stuttered. "What about the other guy though?"
Tony snorted. "He won't hurt Harry. Hell, he left me alive...mostly," he winced
when he tried stretching.
Bruce didn't need to think about it, he knew that there was no way that he
could walk away from Harry. He didn't understand it, but he loved Harry like he
was his own. "I'll take Harry, and I promise that I won't let anything happen
to him."
Tony nodded his head gratefully. He couldn't believe that it never crossed his
mind what would happen to Harry if he got killed. There was a lot of people out
there that would love to see him six feet under or swimming with the fishes. If
he died today, before changing his will, his son would end up back with his
aunt and uncle.
"Tony, you may want to add a few more names to the will as backup...just in
case. I'm not exactly a banker with a safe, cushy day job."
"Right," Tony chuckled. "Like the Hulk would ever let something happen to you."
"Still, it wouldn't hurt to put Pepper down too, maybe even Steve or Clint.
Everyone in the tower adores Harry and would look after him if something
happened. We live a dangerous life, it can't hurt to have a safety net for
Harry."
"I'm going to take your advise and do that," Tony said, already mentally
compiling a list of possible guardians for his son. At seeing Bruce shift
uncomfortably against the wall, Tony smirked. "I didn't see any bruises on you
so I had assumed that I didn't get any good hits in. Come on, tell me, did I
break a rib or something? I know that I have one hell of a punch?"
Bruce rolled his eyes at Tony. "Only when in your Iron Man suit, Stark. You hit
like a girl."
Tony grinned cockily. "Have you ever been hit by Natasha or Pepper? I will
totally take that as a compliment. Fess up, what's the damage."
Trying to get comfortable while keeping his privates hidden, Bruce glared at
Tony. "You honestly don't remember, do you?"
Tony shook his head no. "Nope, I think I took too many hits to the head last
night." Tony gently prodded his sore head, yelping when he pressed too hard on
a particularly large knot. "Hey, doc, I think I'm going to need an X-ray."
Bruce pinched the bridge of his, he couldn't believe that Tony had no memory of
what happened last night. "Tony, don't you find it odd that you're naked?"
Tony laughed. "Hell no, I'm use to waking up naked with no recollection of the
night before."
"Don't you find it odd though in this situation?"
Noting how Bruce was sitting leaning to the side to keep his weight of his ass,
Tony's jaw dropped open and his eyes about popped out of his head. "No fucking
way!" he cried. "Are you saying that you and I... That I... That you let me..."
"Yes, Tony, that's exactly what I'm saying." Bruce growled forcefully.
"How?" Tony gasped.
Bruce shook his head. "I don't know, everything is kind of fuzzy."
Tony threw his head back and started laughing. "Good one, Banner, you had me
going there for a minute. There is no way that I would forget tapping that fine
ass of yours."
Bruce clenched his teeth together so hard that he was sure Tony could hear his
teeth cracking. "Would you like for me to get you DNA proof that we..." Bruce's
waved his hand between the two of them. "From the feel of it, I got plenty."
Bruce grimaced as he switched sides that he was leaning on.
Tony sat there staring at Bruce while gaping like a fish. He knew Bruce, and he
knew that there was no way in hell that he would joke around about something
like this. Honestly, the man had no sense of humor whatsoever. "You're serious,
aren't you?"
Blushing, Bruce nodded his head yes.
Tony ran his hand over his mouth a couple of times while he tried to form the
right words to say. "Was I the best you ever had?"
Bruce desperately wanted to punch the jerk in the nose, but he really was too
sore to move. It had been many, many years since he bottomed, and now he
remembered why. He didn't remember how he ended up under Tony, and never would
he admit it, but Tony really was the best he ever had. Of course, the man had
loads of experience.
"Just get dressed and get the hell out," Bruce snapped, wanting nothing more
than a shower and a nap.
Tony pouted. "Come on, I need details. You just can't tell me that we fucked
then kick me out."
"I can, and I did," Bruce snarled. "Now get the hell out. And, Tony, if you
tell anyone about what happened here, I will be taking guardianship of Harry
sooner than later. I swear, Tony, I'll kill you if this gets out."
Tony didn't doubt Bruce for a second. "Fine, don't tell me,"he whined as he
gathered up his clothes and started dressing. "I'll just have to watch the
security camera footage."
Bruce paled. "Dammit, Tony!" he roared. "I want that footage." But it was too
late, Tony was already out the door and gone.
***HP
"So, you survived?"
Tony stopped just inside the kitchen and looked around. "Where's Harry?" he
asked Steve who was standing at the stove attempting to cook something that
smelled burnt.
"Still sleeping according to Jarvis. I got concerned when he wasn't in here
cooking like mad when I came in." Steve took a good look at Tony and whistled
when he saw all the bruises. "Damn, Hulk really worked you over, didn't he?"
"It was worth it, I got to work Bruce over after?" Smirking, Tony winked at
Steve.
"You and Bruce got into it?" Steve asked in concern. It was never good for the
team if two of them were at each other's throats.
Tony groaned, shaking his head at the Captain's innocence. He had a great
comeback for Steve's question, but he knew if he said anything, Bruce would
kill him. "Something like that," he mumbled. As soon as he got a chance, he was
watching the footage from last night. Damn if he wasn't going to force himself
to remember getting it on with Bruce. He was also curious to see how it
happened, was the Hulk involved at all? He couldn't see the big green guy
bending over and taking it from him.
Grimacing, Steve placed a platter in the middle of the table and took a seat
across from Tony. Leaning back in his chair, he stared at the platter then up
at Tony. "Uh, you can go first."
Scrunching up his nose, Tony grabbed the spoon and dished himself a helping.
Grabbing a fork, he started poking at the runny, orange slop. "What the hell is
this?"
Steve frowned. "I watched Harry a couple of times as he made scrambled eggs, I
thought I could do it." Steve leaned forward to grab himself some eggs, but
changed his mind when he got a whiff of them. "Harry makes it look so easy," he
whined.
Chuckling, Tony stood up and backed away from the table. "Maybe I should go and
check on Harry, it's not like him to sleep in like this." Tony was just about
to turn and leave when the door slammed open and a very sleep disheveled Harry
came rushing in still in his pajamas.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Harry panted, eyes wide and teary. "I didn't mean to
sleep in. I can have breakfast ready in fifteen minutes."
Tony and Steve watched as Harry rushed to the refrigerator and started to
frantically pull ingredients out. "Hey, kiddo, is everything alright?" Tony
asked gently.
"I'm sorry, I promise to never sleep in again," Harry mumbled brokenly. "I
don't know what came over me, I know better than to sleep in. Please don't be
mad, I'm sorry."
 
Steve and Tony exchanged looks of concern. Slowly, Tony approached his son and
gently placed his hand over Harry's, stopping the manic whisking of the egg
batter. "Hey, we're not mad at you, kiddo. You're a teenager, you're supposed
to sleep in till noon and stay up until three in the morning. It's not your job
to cook for us." Tony didn't miss how Harry's hand was trembling under his. His
son was terrified of him.
Harry refused to lift his head up to look at his father. He didn't want to see
the disappointment and anger in his eyes. He was good at one thing, and now he
couldn't even do that right. They would see that he was nothing more than a
freeloader, a waste of space and send him back to his uncle.
"I'm good at cooking," Harry mumbled softly. Stepping away from Tony, he
grabbed a pan and placed it on the stove.
Tony looked to the door and his eyes landed on Bruce's concerned ones. He
wasn't sure how to handle Harry, the boy was about to lose it.
"Oh, excellent, a late breakfast," Bruce said as he made his way to the table,
never taking his eyes off Harry. He was hoping to relax the boy before he had a
total melt down. "I was afraid that I was late and going to miss it."
"I just got here myself, seems we all needed a little extra sleep this morning.
It's a good thing too, Capcicle was going to poison us with his cooking," Tony
joked, giving his son a gentle nudge with his elbow.
Harry flinched, stumbling away from his father. "I'm so sorry dad, I won't
sleep in again." Tuning, he went back to cooking, trying to hide his trembling
and tears. He was praying that they wouldn't send him away or beat him. He had
been up most the night with nightmares and didn't fall into a good sleep until
five this morning. He honestly didn't mean to be late with getting breakfast on
the table.
"Son, you're not in trouble, no one is mad at you. Cooking is not your job and
you will not be punished for not doing it." Tony said firmly. "Yes, we love
your cooking, but if you decided to never cook for us again, we wouldn't be mad
at you."
Harry dropped his chin to his chest willing his tears away. He just didn't know
what to do or say anymore. Tony and everyone else was giving him everything
that he had ever dreamed of...and it was scaring him. He knew that he was going
to mess up and ruin everything, he was going to give them a reason to hate him.
"Harry, why don't you go and get a shower and I will order up some breakfast?"
Bruce suggested kindly. "Take the day off and relax."
Without looking up, Harry ran from the kitchen. "Don't," Bruce ordered when
Tony went to follow him. "Give him time. Let him shower and calm down, then try
talking to him. Tony, I know you have given it some thought, but Harry really
needs professional help."
"I know," Tony said, staring at the kitchen door longing to follow his son, but
Bruce was right, Harry needed time. "Who can I trust though to not run to the
media?"
"SHIELD," Steve suggested. "They have an army of doctors working for them and
they are all under contract to keep their mouths shut. Phil got me an excellent
psychiatrist after I woke."
Tony opened his mouth to say something insulting, but Bruce shut him up with a
warning look. "He's right, Tony, SHIELD doctors would be able to help Harry.
Their psychiatrists are trained to deal with PTSD and other disorders, they
will know how to help Harry."
Tony knew that they were right, but he also knew that there was no way in hell
that Harry would willingly go. His boy had been hurt so bad, and he was still
hurting. He didn't know what he could do to help Harry, but he would do
whatever it took to see him through this horrible nightmare.
***HP
Sitting on the shower floor as scolding hot water beat down on him, Harry ran
the sharp blade down his arm for a fifth time. He couldn't have stopped himself
from cutting even if he wanted to, which right at this moment he didn't. He
needed to feel something other than fear and rejection. He couldn't deal with
everything he was feeling on the inside, so he cut himself so all he could feel
was the pain on the outside. He knew that Loki and Natasha would be mad, but he
had no control over it.
He couldn't believe how he acted in the kitchen, like begging and pleading had
ever helped him before. His father must think that he was not only worthless,
but also weak and pathetic. Why couldn't he just be a normal fourteen, almost
fifteen, year old boy? With tears streaming down his face, he brought the blade
down on his arm again.
"Sir, Mr Banner has asked me to inform you that breakfast has arrived." Jarvis
announced.
Getting to his feet, Harry quickly washed himself up then wrapped one of his
old shirts around his arm. His arm was bleeding pretty bad so he was going to
have to keep it wrapped tight and wear hoodie. Hopefully no one would question
him wearing a hoodie in the summer. His glamours would hide the scars and fresh
cuts, but would do nothing for the blood.
The thought of eating right now turned his stomach, but he didn't want to upset
Bruce and his father anymore today. They may have said that he wasn't in
trouble for not having the breakfast on the table, but he knew better.
Harry was brutally wrenched out of his thoughts when he walked out of the
bathroom and spotted Loki leaning against his bed.
"I would ask if you would like me to heal those disgusting, self inflicted
wounds, but you seem to enjoy being in pain," Loki sneered.
"You wouldn't understand," Harry muttered, grabbing the hoodie his aunt had
given him on the day he met his father and slipping it on. "Can we not do this
right now? I have had enough already for today."
"No I don't understand." Loki admitted. "How does mutilating yourself make you
feel better?"
Harry looked at Loki, then shaking his head, he turned and left the room. He
knew that there was no way he would ever get the god to understand.
"Ah, son of Stark, how fairs you today?"
Biting his lip, Harry stared at the large figure blocking his path. He had
never seen anyone the size of Thor before, and the man bloody terrified him.
How did one even grow to be the size of Thor?
"I-I'm fine, sir," Harry answered shakily, hunching his shoulders and making
himself small.
Thor threw his head back laughing out loud, missing how he made the small boy
jump and stumble backwards. "Come now, child, don't call me sir, we are
practically family. You can call me Thor."
Nervously tugging on his hoodie, Harry nodded his head. He just wanted to get
past Thor and get to the kitchen. Thor seemed nice enough, but his nerves
couldn't handle much more today.
"Brother, I do believe that food is awaiting us in the kitchen," Loki said
silkily from behind Harry.
Harry curled in on himself even more, he had totally forgotten about Loki. Now
he was trapped between two very powerful gods and he could feel another panic
attack threatening to come on.
Feeling a spike in the boy's magic, Loki gently wrapped his own magic around
Harry trying to comfort him. He didn't have to be an empath to feel that the
boy was beyond terrified of Thor. He knew that he also wasn't helping matters
by standing so close behind him. He had explained to Thor the night before that
Harry had been severely physically and sexually abused since his was a small
child, but Thor was a bit thick and he didn't realize that he was scaring the
child.
Harry didn't want Loki's magic touching him, but it was warm and comforting and
he couldn't stop from embracing it, pulling it deeper inside of himself. He
didn't like being consumed by fear, and Loki was taking some of that fear away,
calming him.
Finally seeing the fear in the boy's eyes, Thor backed away out of the hallway.
It hurt that the boy was afraid of him, he would never raise a hand to a child,
no matter how angry he got. He understood his fear though, his brother had
explained what the child had suffered at the hands of his family, and his size
and loud voice must be greatly intimidating to him.
Loki was shocked when Harry not only didn't fight off his magic, but welcomed
it, clinging to it in desperation. The fear he could feel coming off of the
child was almost blinding. He could almost understand why he cut himself to
deal with all his issues. He had never been around a child as damaged as
Stark's son.
"Hey, mini chef, everything alright?"
Harry looked past Thor's large shoulder and saw his dad looking at him in
concern. "E-everything's fine, dad, Thor was just asking how I was doing."
"Yes, I was just getting to know your fine son," Thor said, slapping Tony on
the shoulder. "He's a fine b... lad," Thor quickly corrected himself when he
saw Harry tense. For some reason being called boy really upset him.
Tony groaned under Thor's heavy hand. He hoped that sometime soon the god would
remember that mortals were breakable. "Breakfast is here," he reminded,
throwing at glare at Loki. He didn't like how close the prick was standing next
to his son, or how Harry was leaning slightly towards him, shoulders almost
touching.
Harry nodded his head, giving Thor another weary look. He wanted to get to the
kitchen, but there was no way he was going to pass close to the god of thunder
in such a tight area like the hallway. As if sensing the problem, Thor tuned
around a headed to the kitchen.
"Don't let his size scare you, child. Thor is nothing more than a teddy bear
with too many muscles. He would never lay a hand on you." Loki said softly.
"Yeah, he's not the god you need to be worried about," Tony snarled. "Get the
hell away from my son, Reindeer Games."
Smirking, Loki held up his hands and backed away from Harry. "I may not be a
nice guy, Stark, but I would never harm a child."
"Unless there was something in it for you," Tony growled. "What, do you think
there were no kids injured when you let the Chitauri attack?"
Loki frowned. "I wasn't in complete control of myself. I never would have done
what I did if I was."
"But you would happily try to rule earth," Tony snapped back.
Shrugging his shoulders, Loki stepped around Harry. "Midgard doesn't hold much
interest for me. It is a planet full of weak, whiny mortals, why would I want
to be ruler of that?"
"Because you will never be ruler of Asgard," Tony smirked, enjoying how Loki's
face darkened and his fists clenched at his sides. He knew that being the king
of Asgard was a touchy subject for the god of lies.
Harry grit his teeth when he felt Loki's magic go from warm and comforting, to
dangerous and volatile. The god would like nothing more right now than to hurt
his father. "C-can we please go to the kitchen?" he asked, voice barely above a
whisper. He didn't want to eat, he just wanted to get the two of them apart
before all hell broke lose. He really didn't want to be caught in the middle
when they decided to tear each other apart.
Reluctantly breaking eye contact with Loki, Tony nodded his head and turned for
the kitchen. Something wasn't right between his son and Loki, and he planned to
keep a closer eye on the two of them for now on.
***HP
"What brings you to my neck of the woods, Kings?" Nick asked, already knowing
why his brother was standing in his office.
"Just tell me what you know, Nick," Kingsley sighed, taking a seat across from
his brother. He knew that Nick could be tough to talk to when he wanted to play
games, at times it reminded him of trying to get information out of Dumbledore.
Nick leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. "I'm afraid that
you're going to have to be more specific, Kings, I know a lot of stuff."
Kingsley rolled his eyes. "I don't think it's a mere coincidence that Harry
Potter shows up missing just days after you contacted me asking questions about
him."
Nick shrugged his shoulders. "From what you told me of how the wizarding world
treats him, I wouldn't blame him if he ran away."
"I wouldn't either," Kingsley agreed, "but his relatives moved to America
taking Harry with them and we just found out that they possibly could be
abusing him."
Nicks good eye started to tick and his top lip curled back in a snarl.
"Possibly, Kingsley, there is no possibly about it. That boy was hours from
death when one of my doctors and one of my agents saved him, and it was all
thanks to his loving relatives. Tell me, how is it that the all powerful
wizards and witches of Hogwarts missed the signs of severe abuse in a child in
their care. My agents had only met the boy for mere minutes and they could tell
that he was being abused."
Kingsley paled at hearing conformation that Harry had been abused and had
almost died. "Child abuse is virtually unheard of in our world, and punishable
with life in Azkaban if found guilty. From what I understand from his friends,
Harry was very good at hiding it. The only ones who knew about the abuse where
a set of twins who walked in on him while he was showering. They sent him
healing potions over the summer holidays and helped patch him up when he
returned to school."
Nick shook his head. "Kings, it's much, much worse than that. Tell me, what
would happen if the boy decided that he didn't want to return to the wizarding
world?"
Kingsley's eyes widened at the question. "He has to return, especially now that
You-Know-Who has returned."
"Oh for the love of... Just say the damn man's name," Nick growled. He could
never understand why the witches and wizards of the wizarding world were afraid
to say a man's name.
"Look, Nick, Harry has to return, he must be trained." Kingsley stressed,
ignoring his brother's remark about the name. Nick was practically a squib, he
would never fully understand. Nick had magic, but not enough to consciously use
it or get him accepted into Hogwarts. In times of high stress, especially when
they were younger, Nick was known to have bouts of accidental magic, but it was
only small stuff like an object falling off the table or doors slamming.
"You still haven't answered my question. What would happen if Potter decided
that he wanted to remain in America?" Nick asked again. Tony had told him that
Harry didn't want to return to his boarding school and that he chose to be
homeschooled while he worked through his issues. Tony may not be his favorite
person, and he had yet to officially meet his son, but he considered Harry part
of the SHIELD family and he would stand behind him and Tony. Tony changed so
much for the better since Harry came into his life, and he really didn't want
the old Tony Stark back.
Kingsley shook his head. "I honestly don't know, Harry Potter is a very
important figure in our world. He is also prophesied to be the only one able to
destroy the most powerful dark wizard in history."
Nick snorted. "Prophecies are a load of shit. I can tell you this, Kingsley,
that boy does not want to return to your world. His abuse goes much deeper than
a slap in the face or even a belt to the back."
Kingsley may be an Order member and loyal to Dumbledore, but he was an Auror
first. If there was a crime committed, he wanted details and those responsible.
"Tell me what you know, Nick," he demanded, smile gone.
Nick shook his head. "That's Potter's business, not mine. He obviously didn't
think your world would help him since he didn't go to you for help."
"Nick, this is serious. The Potters were good friends of mine and I knew that
boy when he was just a baby. Never doubt that I wouldn't do right by him. I'm
not the one responsible for putting him in that home and ignoring his abuse.
The one that is responsible though is also Harry's magical guardian and he can
force him back to our world, his wishes be damned."
Nick sat up and leaned across his desk glaring at his brother. "Explain magical
guardian."
Kingsley knew that look all to well, Nick was done playing around. Even though
he was a very powerful Auror, his older brother could still intimidate him with
just that look. "All orphaned heirs are assigned a magical guardian, someone to
look after their magical welfare and their estate if they have no magical
relatives to do so...like Harry. Harry is not only the Potter heir, but also
the Black and Peverell. There are rumors that Harry is also the heir to the
four Hogwarts founders, but I have no proof of that."
"So, what you are saying, this magical guardian can waltz right in and force
the boy back to England against his and his relatives wishes?"
"Yes," Kingsley answered, "though I don't understand why Harry would want to
remain with his abusive relatives."
"And why would he want to return to a world that loves him one minute and
curses him the next? Why would he want to return to a world where they expect a
child to do a grown hit wizards job? Why would he want to return to a world
where they ignore his pain and suffering? And why would he want to return to a
world that left him in a home where he was verbally, physically and sexually
abused?" Nick snarled.
"What!" Kingsley roared, horrified at what he just heard. "Dammit, Nick, I need
to know what you know."
"So you can tell his magical guardian and have him hauled back to your world?"
Nick snapped.
"So I can protect him and get him justice. Is Harry still with his relatives?"
Kingsley asked, panic in his voice.
Nick stared at his brother, he knew that Kingsley was serious and that he would
never hurt Harry. "What do you know of the boy's conception?"
Kingsley raised one eyebrow. "Well, I wasn't there for the act so I don't know
the exact details, but I vividly remember when our father taught us the birds
and the bees."
Nick cringed, remembering that talk himself. "Tell me, was there ever a time
before Harry was born that James missed a few weeks of work?
Kingsley thought back for a minute. "Well, he took leave the month before Harry
was born and didn't return until Harry was a month old. He had an injury that
put him on desk duty two months before that and he had to have surgery, that's
why he got so much time off."
"Was Harry born at St. Mungo's?"
"Nick, what does this have to do with Harry now?" Kingsley growled. He just
wanted to check on Harry and make sure he was safe.
"Ok, how about this." Nick smirked. "If Harry had another, living biological
parent, would his magical guardian still have say over him?"
"Nick, what are you getting at?" Kingsley growled in frustration. "James and
Lily are both dead, I saw their bodies. The only one who can contest Harry's
magical guardian is Sirius Black his godfather, and since he's a wrongly
accused escaped convict, there's nothing he can do."
"Kingsley, Lily Potter was never pregnant and she did not give birth to Harry
Potter. Harry Potter was birthed by James Potter and sired by a very powerful
and rich muggle by the name of Tony Stark. Harry's relatives sold him to his
father a few weeks back for a half a million dollars. A couple of my agents
immediately noticed the signs of abusive and got him help...which was good
because he was dying from blood poisoning that he got from his uncle whipping
his back to shreds."
Kingsley opened and closed his mouth a few times before he was finally able to
make a sound. "You're joking? " At seeing the serious expression on his
brother's face, Kingsley paled. "Son of a bitch."
"Look, Kings, that boy is in bad shape and he doesn't want to return to your
world. Tony, his father, is one of my men, and while he is the biggest pain in
my ass, he's a damn good man. I will stand behind Tony and his son if anyone
from your world tries to take him. Tony himself is very powerful with very
powerful friends, your lot wouldn't want to go against them."
"If Harry's father is a muggle, then his magical guardian can still take him.
If Harry would have been just a normal underage wizard it wouldn't have
mattered, but he will be a Lord one day, and as such, his magical guardian has
rights over his muggle father." Kingsley said softly, having a hard time
believing everything. He couldn't believe that Lily wasn't Harry's mother. He
saw James up until a month before he gave birth, he never once suspected.
"Well, your lot better be ready for one hell of a fight. Tony adores his son
and so does his team mates. As of right now, none of them know that Harry is a
wizard and it seems that Harry doesn't want them to know. Makes sense after the
way his relatives treated him because of his magic."
Kingsley sighed, not knowing how to handle the situation. "Is Harry safe and
happy?"
Nick nodded. "There have been bumps, but Harry is happy and probably safer than
what he has ever been in your world."
Kingsley rubbed his bald head. "Tell me, Nick, what am I supposed to do? This
is Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived we are talking about. Half the wizarding
world is looking for him, including the newly resurrected dark lord."
"Who is Potter's magical guardian," Nick asked.
"Albus Dumbledore," Kingsley growled, still mad at the man for ignoring reports
of Harry being abused.
"Shit," Nick cursed. He knew that there would be no reasoning with that old
fool. Things were about to get very ugly. "Tony won't give Harry up and he will
have no issues with tearing your world apart to get to his son. If his
godfather was found innocent, would he allow Harry to stay with his father?"
"Yes, I believe so. Sirius cares a great deal for Harry, and despite being
extremely immature, he would only want what's best for his godson. I do know
that he would want to remain in Harry's life, but if he wants to live with his
father, Sirius would allow it."
"Good," Nick said gruffly. "You need to get him declared innocent so he can
become Harry's magical Guardian."
"I will get started on that right away, though it may take time. I brought up
going to the head of the department in Sirius' defense a few months ago, but
Dumbledore shot me down."
"Of course," Nick snorted. "If Sirius is declared innocent then Dumbledore
loses control of Harry, and that's the last thing the old man wants."
Kingsley closed his eyes with a groan. "You're right, I never saw it that way."
"Of source not, you all think the sun rises and sets out of that man's ass."
Nick growled. "Kings, I wasn't exaggerating when I said that Harry has been
abused. His uncle raped him for the first time when he was only six years old
and then whored him out for various reasons, such as getting a raise at work.
The kid is seriously messed up."
Kingsley wiped a tear from his eye. "Is his uncle still wandering around free?"
If he was, then he was going to kill he sick bastard.
Nick held up his hand, stopping his brother from fleeing his office to track
the man down. "For now, but only because we are using him to track down others
like him. We have saved over a hundred kids that had been kidnapped or sold to
child sex trafficking. Harry's uncle will get his, but only after we have no
more use for him."
"Don't forget, Nick, he abused a wizarding child, we get to prosecute him
also." Kingsley reminded with a smirk. That man would be getting a one way
ticket to Azkaban, that is if he didn't meet with an unfortunate accident first
while in the ministry cells. James was a favorite amongst the Auror's, when
they found out what that man did to his son...well, it wouldn't be pretty.
"I understand, and I will hand him over to you first since Harry was the first
child that he hurt, but he also has to stand for all the crimes he committed in
my world. Harry was not the only child that he molested, but he was the one
that he hurt the most."
Kingsley felt like he was going to be sick, stuff like this just did not happen
in the wizarding world. Never, in all his years as an Auror, did he see a case
of child abuse or rape. This was going to rock the wizarding world when it got
out. "Dumbledore has leads so it will only be a matter of time before he finds
Harry. Everyone is looking for him, but they all care for Harry and only want
to see him happy. Dumbledore is the one that will drag him back kicking and
screaming...all for the greater good."
"Well, he better be prepared to have his arm ripped off. Harry is under the
protection of my best team, including two Asgardian gods."
Kingsley whistled, eyes going wide. They learned about Asgard in school, some
even thought that their magic originated from there. "What do I tell his
godfathers and friends?"
"Tell them what you like, but for Harry's sake, don't let the extent of his
abuse leak out to the press. Also, I ask that you don't give them Tony Stark's
name. Harry needs more time bonding with his father before being bombarded by a
hoard of witches and wizards. Remember, Harry hasn't told him anything of your
world and he should be the one to do so. I think the kid was hoping to slip
away and live life as a muggle."
"Unfortunately, he will never be allowed to do that. Harry is too powerful and
our world needs him. Even if you don't believe in prophecies, Nick, the Dark
Lord does. He won't quit until Harry is dead, even if he has to bring the war
to your world." Kingsley said seriously.
"I thank you for your warning, but I think my men can handle your Dark Lord."
Nick smirked.
***HP
Natasha opened up the first aid kit, glaring at the guilty looking boy across
from her. "I'm not going to tell your father...this time," she said sharply.
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. The second everyone left to do whatever it was
that they did during the day, Natasha had drug him into the kitchen with a look
that could kill and none too gently shoved him into a chair.
"No you're not," Natasha said, grabbing a wet washcloth and motioning for Harry
to remove his hoodie.
"How did you know?" Harry asked, carefully struggling out of his hoodie. He was
glad everyone left when they did, the blood had soaked through the old shirt he
used to wrap his arm and was starting so soak through the hoodie.
Natasha shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Harry, it's eighty five degrees
outside and you're wearing a hoodie. You're going to have to try a lot harder
than that to get one over on me. I have been trained to notice stuff that
others don't, so it would benefit you in the future if you just came clean with
me. I understand that this problem isn't going to go away instantly, but I
can't help you if you won't come to me."
Harry bit his lip as Natasha started to clean the deep wounds on his arm. He
had to admit, this was worse that he had ever cut himself.
"Harry, this needs to be stitched," Natasha hissed, pointing to one very deep
cut. This was bad, and she knew she should tell Tony or Bruce. She wasn't
qualified for this, Harry needed professional help.
"Please don't tell," Harry pleaded in desperation. "I heal fast, I'll be
alright."
"Harry this isn't about your cuts and healing fast. You need help, this isn't
healthy and it's dangerous." Natasha said seriously. "Do you want to bleed to
death?"
Harry dropped his eyes, unable to look at Natasha. Natasha gasped. "You do,
don't you? You want to kill yourself."
Harry quickly shook his head no. "No... Well, at first maybe, but not now. The
first time I picked up a razor it was with the intention of ending everything,
but I was young and didn't know how deep I needed to go...I got scared."
Natasha finished bandaging up Harry, then rested her face in her hands. "Harry,
I don't know how to help you," she mumbled into her hands. "You almost sound
upset that you didn't succeed in killing yourself at only eight years old."
Harry looked away, eyes filling with tears. "I really wanted to do it," he
answered softly. "So many times I tried, but I was too weak."
"You're not weak," Natasha yelled, slamming her hands down on the table. "You
couldn't do it because you were too strong. Despite everything those vile
bastards put you through, you wanted to live. You are one of the most bravest
and strongest kids that I have ever met. Most adults would have offed
themselves if they had to live through what you did."
Pale, trembling and crying, Harry reached out and shyly touched Natasha's hand.
"Thank you," he whispered, choking on his words. It wasn't the first time
someone had called him brave and strong, but it was the first time that he
could possibly believe it. Deep down he knew that she was right, he never truly
wanted to die when he took the blade to his arm, he just wanted all the
suffering to end.
Wiping her own tears away, Natasha smiled at Harry. "Good, now that the mushy
shit is out of the way, I heard that you got a credit card from your dear old
dad."
Harry nodded his head, pulling out his wallet and flashing his card at Natasha.
Natasha smirked, eyes lighting up. "Excellent, I think it's time I showed you
what it's like to be a rich teenager and warp that pristine card of yours."
"I-I don't know, Tasha, I don't want to make my dad mad."
Rolling her eyes, Natasha grabbed Harry by his upper arm and pulled him to his
feet. "He wouldn't have given you that card if he didn't want you to use it.
Tony firmly believes in spending his money, and there's hot leather skirt that
I have had my eye on and you're going to buy it for me," she said, winking at
the stunned boy. "I'm also going to redo your wardrobe, I love Pepper, but she
doesn't know how to dress a cute teenage boy."
"Are you sure it's alright?" Harry asked, hesitating by the door.
Natasha sighed over dramatically. "Jarvis, get me Tony." She knew that Harry
wouldn't be able to enjoy himself unless he knew for a fact that Tony wouldn't
be mad.
"Everything alright?" Tony asked over the intercom, a bit of panic in his
voice. He knew that Natasha was going to be staying home today with Harry while
he made a rare appearance at work. He had told her to call him immediately if
there was a problem.
"Of course everything is alright, Stark, Harry is with me. I just need you to
tell your adorable son that it's alright if we go out and set his credit card
on fire."
Tony chuckled. "He better not return until my bank account is considerably
lighter. Not only does he need clothes, but that room of his needs decorating.
Kiddo, don't you dare worry about spending my money, I have more than what you
can spend in a lifetime."
"You heard your old man," Natasha grinned, tugging on Harry's arm. "Let's get
going, we have a busy day."
***HP
Vernon sealed the letter and placed a stamp on it. Ever since selling his
little slut of a nephew, his life had been falling down around him. It was like
Harry had been his good luck charm, and now that he was gone, bad luck was
following him around everywhere. His house had been robbed three times, all his
expensive toys that he had bought with Stark's money was gone, all his favorite
pornagraphic websites had been taken down, his go to guy for little boy's had
been caught and arrested, his boss had sold the company and there was a rumor
going around that pink slips were soon going to be handed out, and he hadn't
gotten any since his last night with his nephew. He was pissed, horny and it
was all his nephews fault.
"Vernon, what are you planning?" Petunia asked from across the table.
"I'm planning on paying our nephew a little visit. This letter is giving him a
heads up so he can get the money I'm demanding and slip away from his daddy for
a few hours." Vernon smirked, already getting hard just thinking about what he
planned on doing to his nephew in those hours that they were alone together.
"Vernon, you need to leave the boy alone," Petunia snapped. "Stark is a very
powerful man with connections, he will kill you if you hurt Harry."
Vernon grunted. "Doubt it, no one cares for that little shit. There is only one
thing he is good for and I'm going to make sure he remembers it."
"Vernon, just forget about the boy. What makes you think he will even meet you
anyway?"
Vernon's grin was so big that it got lost in the fat on his face. "He'll meet
me," he answered, grabbing a folder and tossing it to his wife. "If not, these
go to the press."
With dread, Petunia opened the folder gagging at what she saw. Inside was
numerous photographs of Harry engaged in sexual acts with several different
men. The pictures must have been taken last summer because Harry was older in
them. The pictures were taken to make it look like Harry was enjoying what was
happening and willingly participating. She knew it wasn't true though, she knew
how much Harry hated what Vernon forced him to do.
"Let's see Stark proudly stand behind his son when the world finds out what a
cock hungry little slut he is. There is no way that Harry would want his dear
daddy and the world to see these pictures. He will get me the money and he will
meet with me and keep his damn mouth shut. I have a few...associates that are
willing to pay top dollar for a few hours with that boy."
Disgusted, Petunia thrust the folder back at Vernon. She had a bad feeling
about this, but she knew that there was no way that he would listen to her.
Vernon was messing with the wrong man and he was going to pay dearly for it. As
soon as she could, she was packing Dudley and herself up and leaving...after
emptying what was left in their bank account.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
.
***** Chapter 8 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers...
Sorry for the long wait but I got totally carried away with this chapter. I
just kept writing and writing and before I knew it, I had over 20,000 words
written. I decided that it was too long with too much mashed into it so I
decided to cut it in half. I will post the second part in a few days..
For all those asking for a Spider-Man pairing, I just can't do it. I'm not a
fan and I don't know much about him..
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED:)
***HP
George nudged his brother with his knee under the table then tilted his head in
Kingsley's direction. Narrowing his eyes at the large Auror, Fred nodded his
head, eyes twinkling with mischief. They were sitting in on another Order
meeting listening to Dumbledore drone on and on about finding Harry. Their
headmaster was assigning groups to go to California to search, but they had a
feeling that Kingsley already knew something. The Auror wasn't making eye
contact with Dumbledore and he kept glancing at Sirius.
"Alright, I will call a meeting after I have more information," Dumbledore
said, standing up and straightening out his lavender robes.
"I want to go," Sirius demanded.
"Sirius, if you go out you risk getting caught and kissed. Let those designated
handle the search."
Sirius slouched in his seat, he knew he wouldn't be able to change Dumbledore's
mind and there was no way he would be able to get his hands on an international
portkey. He just wanted to find his godson and make sure he was safe. He had
been suffering nightmares since hearing Fred and George's confession about
Harry's abuse.
Fred and George were the first to leave the kitchen, hiding in a dark corner in
the living room, they waited for Kingsley. They were determined to find out
what the man knew about Harry. Silently they watched as everyone floo'd home,
surprised to see that Kingsley was the last.
Kingsley sighed as soon as stepped into the room, he knew that the twins were
there waiting for him. He had been an Auror for over seventeen years, you
couldn't get the drop on him that easily. "You minus well come out, I know
you're there."
"You know where he's at, don't you?" George asked, stepping out with his wand
in his hand. He knew he couldn't win against a highly trained Auror, but that
didn't mean that he wouldn't try. He would do anything to find Harry.
Kingsley quickly cast a silencing spell on the room. He wasn't planning on
saying anything to Sirius until he got him cleared. If Sirius knew that he knew
where Harry was, the man would be unbearable. "I do, and he's safe."
"Where is he?" Fred asked, relief washing over him. They had feared that
something horrible had happened to Harry. They didn't like to think about it,
but they knew that Harry's abuse was more than just physical.
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"Don't give us that, Kingsley," George snarled. "You have no idea what Harry
means to us and what we have done in the past to help him."
"We won't tell anyone." Fred added. "Harry would want us to know."
Kingsley scratched at his head, unsure on how to proceed. He knew that Harry
was close to the twins and he could see that they weren't just going to let him
floo out without giving them his location. "I haven't personally spoken with
Harry, but my brother knows where he is and has assured me that he is in good
hands. He's also away from his aunt and uncle."
Fred and George exchanged sad looks. "He doesn't want to return, does he?" Fred
asked, already knowing the answer. Harry had told them on numerous occasions
that if he ever got the chance, he would slip off into the muggle world and
never return.
Kingsley shook his head. "No, but unfortunately that isn't going to be an
option for him. Dumbledore is his magical guardian and he will have him back
here regardless of his wishes."
"We need to see him, Kingsley. Please, Harry is...you see we..." George
stuttered.
Kingsley grinned at the flushed matching faces. "I see," he chuckled. "I don't
know his exact location, but I will get you a portkey and you can hunt him down
off of what I know. Just, don't tell your mother that I was the one that
supplied you with a portkey when you get busted." He may be the best damn Auror
since Moody, but Molly scared the shit out of him.
The twins bowed dramatically. "We swear on our magic," they chorused together.
Kingsley shook his head at their antics. 'Fine, meet me right here tomorrow at
six. You might want to come up with a good excuse on why you will be gone for a
few days."
Grinning, the twins watched as Kingsley floo'd away. Turning to each other,
they both said, "Lee," at the same time.
***HP
Harry slumped in the plush chair watching as Natasha grabbed more clothes off
the rack. They had been shopping for over two hours and he was already
exhausted. He had lost track an hour ago of what they had bought, but there was
a huge stack of bags on the floor surrounding his chair and almost everything
was for him.
"I was thinking, Harry," Natasha said, holding up a red shirt then wrinkling
her nose and returning it to the rack. "You will need a weapon, something to
specialize in."
"Excuse me?" Harry said, not really having a clue what she was talking about.
"A weapon," Natasha said, rolling her eyes. "You know, like how Clint has his
bow, Steve his shield, Thor his hammer...a weapon." Natasha tossed three shirts
at Harry and pointed to the changing room.
With a heavy sigh, Harry struggled to get up. "I don't think I will be good at
anything."
Natasha snorted. "You're pretty good with a knife!"
Harry glared at Natasha. "I'm sorry, that wasn't nice of me," Natasha quickly
said when she saw how pale the boy got. "I'm sure that we can find something
you will be good at."
Harry shivered when he remembered his uncle grunting in his ear telling what
the only thing was that he would ever be good at. He was only good for two
things, sucking cock and taking it up the ass. "I'm not good," Harry whispered
before slipping into the changing room.
Natasha silently cursed, everything had been going so good until she had to go
and fuck it up. She honestly didn't mean the remark about the knife, it just
slipped her filter. She could tell that Harry had suffered a small flashback
and she felt horrible for being the cause of it. She was supposed to be
helping, not making it worse.
Standing in front of the floor length, three sided mirror topless, Harry
dropped his glamours. He hated seeing his true self, but he needed to be
reminded what he really was...a worthless, good for nothing freak. It would be
so easy to let his guard down around these people, but that would only get him
hurt. He wanted to trust him, but trust had never gotten him anywhere in the
past.
"Harry, are you alright?" Natasha called in concern. Harry had been in the
changing room for fifteen minuets and he had only been trying on a couple of
shirts.
Wiping his tears, Harry reapplied the glamours then quickly got dressed. "Yeah,
I'm coming," he called, grabbing the shirts that he never tried on.
"Did they fit?" Natasha asked when Harry handed her the shirts back.
"Yeah," Harry lied. "They're great."
Natasha bit her tongue, not wanting to upset the young Stark even more. It was
her job to get information and detect lies...and he was lying. "Let's get
something to eat then get started on shopping for your room."
"I-I'm fine, I don't need to eat, I'm not hungry."
Natasha shook her head at the once again obvious lie. "Well, I'm starving so
we're eating."
Harry was nervous, he had never eaten in a real restaurant before, not even a
Mcdonalds or any other fast food restaurant. He didn't want to do anything to
embarrass Natasha or piss her off. He would have been happy just staying at the
tower while she picked out his clothes and junk to decorate his room.
Natasha watched as Harry picked up his fork with a trembling hand. What had the
kid so damn scared? "Relax, Harry, it's just food."
Harry looked up at Natasha wide eyed then frantically scanned the restaurant.
The place wasn't super fancy, but it was nice enough and packed with diners. He
had ordered a pasta dish hoping it wouldn't be too heavy on his stomach, but he
didn't think that he would be able to eat it now.
"Harry, you have eaten out before, haven't you?"
"I-I..." Harry shamefully shook his head no. The closest he had ever come to
eating out was the Great Hall and even then he seldom actually ate there. He
normally hid the food in his bag then ate it later when he was alone. When the
twins found out that he hated eating in front of people, they showed him how to
get into the kitchen, and then when they discovered that he didn't like asking
the elves for food, they started sneaking him food after every meal.
Just thinking about Fred and George felt like a red hot knife to the heart. He
would miss Ron and Hermione, but he would mourn the loss of Fred and George.
The twins meant more to him than anyone else in the wizarding world...even more
than Sirius. He honestly didn't know Sirius that well, but the twins...well,
the twins were everything. They patched him up, fed him, comforted him,
supported him, protected him...cared for him. He honestly didn't know if he
could move on with his life without them. Hell, they will probably be relieved
to no longer have to help the poor orphaned Boy-Who-Lived.
"Harry, just ignore everyone and enjoy your meal. Now, why don't you tell me
about your friends?" Natasha asked, hoping to distract him. His eyes were
constantly scanning the room, looking for danger and mapping out all the
exists.
Harry nervously turned back to Natasha, he didn't like having his back to a
room full of strangers. "I-I had a couple good friends, especially Fred and
George, they were twins." Harry started telling Natasha about the twins,
obviously leaving out the parts about magic. He told her about some of their
pranks and how they always treated him better than what they treated their own
brother.
Natasha smiled as she listened to Harry, this was the most the broken boy had
ever spoken at once. She was thrilled to see that he had started to eat while
he talked and his eyes sparkled and no longer scanned the room in fear. "I
think I would like to meet these twins of yours someday, they sound like they
could put your father to shame."
"They're not my twins," Harry blushed vividly.
Natasha almost choked on her steak, she hadn't been expecting such a reaction
out of the shy boy. It seemed like someone had a crush on the twins, even if he
himself didn't realize it yet. "I'm sure that your father wouldn't mind
bringing them over on his private jet."
Harry looked sadly down at his half eaten plate of pasta. "No, they are better
off without me. I-I-I don't want to go back there and I don't want..."
Natasha waited for him to finish, but he didn't. "You don't want anyone from
your past life finding you here?"
Harry nodded his head. "They would force me to go back, and I don't want to
leave dad or you guys."
Natasha couldn't stop her laughter. "Kid, I would like to see them try and take
you. There is no force on this earth or any other that can beat the Avengers.
Hell, psycho Loki couldn't even beat us."
Harry wished that he could believe her, but he knew that they couldn't beat
magic. With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore could erase their memory and they
would forget all about him. He knew if that ever happened, he would succeed in
cutting himself deep enough to bleed to death. He couldn't go back to that
life...he couldn't lose Tony.
"If you're ready, there's a hell of a lot more shopping to be had?"
Harry groaned loudly. "Do you honestly enjoy this?"
"Shopping, or torturing you?" Natasha smirked.
***HP
Harry was sitting on a bench outside some high end woman's store waiting while
Natasha tried on the skirt she had been talking about ever since they first
left the house hours ago. She had wanted him to go in with her, but he really
wasn't comfortable in a girls only store, and his feet were killing him. He was
going to take this time to rest before getting drug to ten more store.
Hearing a beeping, Harry pulled his phone out of his pocket and fiddled with it
until he figured out how to bring up the text message. He chuckled when he saw
that it was a picture of Natasha in a dark green leather skirt asking if she
looked hot. Rolling his eyes, he texted back 'yes' then told her that he was
going to look for the nearest bathroom. Groaning, he got up and started his
search.
 
Harry was washing his hands at the sink when he felt a body press against his
back. "I'll give you a twenty if you suck me."
Tensing, Harry's head snapped up and he looked in the mirror. Standing behind
him leering down at him was a man in his mid forties, dressed in nice business
clothes, over six feet tall with a pretty decent build. He didn't look like the
type that would proposition a teen in the bathroom, but he had learned the hard
way that you couldn't judge a person by their looks. Mr. Grunnings, after all,
had been a doting father and grandfather the first time he had raped him.
Harry tried to push away, but he was stuck between the man and the sink. "I'm
not interested," he said, jabbing his elbow in the creeps side.
The man just chuckled. "Come on, kid, it's an easy twenty. All you have to do
is get on your knees and suck me until I blow."
"Leave me alone," Harry cried, struggling to get out of the man's arms.
Grabbing a fistful of hair, the man roughly bent Harry over and shoved his face
into the sink, bashing his forehead hard on the metal faucet. "Look you little
shit, you either suck me or I fuck you over the sink. I tried to do this the
nice way."
Harry felt hands working on his jeans, fumbling with his button and zipper.
"Stop," he cried, thrashing around. "I'll suck you!"
Grinning, the man released Harry and stepped back. "I knew you were a little
cock slut the second I saw you sitting on that bench. You're such a pretty
little thing that I just couldn't help following you in here for some fun."
Standing up, Harry grabbed his throbbing forehead, not at all surprised to find
that it was bleeding. "Now see," the man sighed, reaching out to lovingly cup
Harry's face. "If you just what have behaved, I never would have had to hurt
you. You're to pretty to mark up."
Harry flinched from the touch, but he didn't step away. He knew that he
wouldn't be able to fight this man. He had been trained well and he recognized
the signs of someone that would have no problems slitting his throat if he
didn't obey. Beneath the good looks and rich clothes, this man was truly evil.
He didn't want to do this, but he also didn't want to die in this disgusting
bathroom.
"Don't look so scared, my beauty, if you do a good job there will still be a
twenty in it for you."
"You're going to need it to pay for your medical bills!"
Reluctantly dropping his hand, the man turned to see who had the nerve to
interrupt his fun. He wasn't lying, this boy was beautiful and he couldn't wait
to feel those luscious lips wrapped around his cock.
"Well if this isn't my lucky day," the man said, eyeing the hot redhead that
was dressed in skin tight clothes. "I have another twenty for you, but the kid
goes first."
Raising a single eyebrow, Natasha looked past the man to see Harry standing
there trembling with blood pouring down his face. "Big man to have to beat up
on a fourteen year just to get your small dick sucked," she sneered.
"Why don't you come closer and I'll show you how small my dick is," the man
snarled grabbing at his crotch.
Chuckling, Natasha stepped forward until she was right in the man's face. "Go
ahead, show me your pathetic tool."
The man nervously licked his lips. "Look, bitch, I was just helping the kid
earn a twenty. Why don't you take your tight little ass out of here and forget
that you saw anything."
Natasha shook her head. "I can't do that, dickhead, that boy is with me. I
don't appreciate people hurting those that I love."
Harry couldn't believe it when Natasha came walking into the bathroom like she
owned the place. He had never been so relieved to see someone before. There was
no way that she would let the creep hurt him. Feeling dizzy from the bump to
his head and blood loss, he backed up until his back hit the wall then he slid
to the floor.
Natasha's eyes flicked briefly to Harry in concern. She could tell that he
would be lucky if he didn't need stitches and have a concussion. The man used
Natasha's loss of focus to his advantage by grabbing her by the throat and
tossing her into the wall.
Natasha landed gracefully on her feet, smirking at the man. "I see the
foreplays over." With a quick spin, she kicked the man in the head dropping him
to his knees, unconscious. "Pathetic," she sneered. Pulling out her phone, she
quickly dialed Clint.
Harry dropped his head onto his knees, careful of his bloody wound. He had
hoped that now he was away from his uncle, shit like this would stop happening
to him. Was there a damn sign blinking over his head or something?
"There was an incident," Natasha said into the phone. Walking to Harry, she
knelt down in front of him. "No, send SHIELD, we don't need the cops involved."
Harry could hear Natasha talking, but his head was spinning and he was feeling
too nauseous to make out what she was saying. He just wanted to go home and go
to sleep.
"Clint, he's going to need Bruce, but don't tell him or Stark until after this
piece of shit gets hauled off. We don't need the green guy here, and Tony will
kill him."
Pocketing her phone, Natasha stood up and grabbed a handful of paper towels.
"Stay with me, Harry," she said, as she ran water over them then knelt back
down. "Let me see your head."
"M'fine," Harry mumbled into his knees. "I just bumped my head."
"Let me see your head, sweetie." Natasha said a little bit sterner.
Whimpering, Harry slowly lifted his head but kept his eyes shut. His head was
spinning something horrible and he really didn't want to see that man again.
"Thank you for helping," he said softly.
Natasha winced when she saw how bad the head wound was. Head wounds tended to
bleed a lot, but there was a decent size gash that would need stitching and a
golf ball sized lump forming. Carefully she started mopping up the blood from
his face and around the wound. "I'm sorry, Harry, I should have never have left
you."
Harry opened his eyes just enough to see Natasha hovering over him looking
concerned. "Tasha, I'm almost fifteen, I should be old enough to wait outside a
store and take a piss by myself."
"What the hell is wrong with people?" Natasha growled. "Sexually attacking a
teenager in a public bathroom."
"I don't want to talk about it," Harry mumbled, dropping his head back to his
knees. "Please don't tell my dad."
"Harry we have to tell him. SHIELD is on their way to clean up the trash and
your dad hacks into their system daily to see what they're up to. He will find
out on his own and be pissed that we didn't tell him. Besides, love, it will be
impossible to hide that mountain forming on you forehead."
"He's never going to let me out of the tower again!"
"Probably not, Rapunzel," Natasha chuckled. "Though, I think Bruce will be the
one chaining you to his side for now on."
"That won't be so bad," Harry mumbled sleepily. "Feel safe with Bruce."
Natasha started rubbing his back. "Harry, I know that you're tired, but I need
you stay awake. There's a good chance you have a concussion."
"Wouldn't be the first time," Harry snorted.
Despite the pain, Harry's head snapped up when he heard the man start to groan.
"Wad da fuck did you do to me, bitch?"
"I gave you head. Isn't that what you asked for? Oh, you can keep the twenty,"
Natasha chuckled.
"I'm gonna kill you, bitch," the man growled, getting to his feet.
Natasha pushed Harry back down when he went to stand up. "Relax, Harry, I got
him."
Harry didn't want to be in a vulnerable position in front of the man, but there
was no way he would be able to stand on his own. Knowing that Natasha was more
than capable of handling the scum bag, he sat back down and buried his head
between his knees.
Harry must have blacked out because the next thing he knew he was being shaken
awake by a frantic looking Steve. "Come on, buddy, wake up for me," Steve said
gently, his large body bent down so he was at the same height as Harry. He
didn't want Harry to wake up and panic because there was a large male hovering
over him.
Harry went to say something, but all he managed was a feeble moan. His head
felt like someone cracked it open with a baseball bat. "Let's get you back to
the tower so Banner can look you over and stitch that up."
"I think it would be better, Steve, if he gets seen back at Headquarters,"
Coulson suggested.
"No!" Harry cried, struggling to get to his feet. He violently flinched when
Steve wrapped a large arm around his waist.
"It's alright, I'm just supporting you. You shouldn't even be walking with a
head wound like that, but Clint didn't think you would want to be carried out
on a stretcher."
"I-I'm fine, honest. I just want to go back home."
"Agent Coulson, if Banner can't treat him I'll call for a SHIELD doctor." Steve
said, accepting more of Harry's weight now that he was relaxed against him. "He
will feel better back at the tower."
For the first time Harry looked around the bathroom and was relieved to find
that the man was gone. The only ones in the room with him were Agent Coulson,
and Steve. "Where's Natasha?"
"She's back at headquarters filing a report,"
Harry looked fearfully up at Steve. "Is she mad at me?"
"Harry," Steve sighed. "You did nothing wrong, why would she be mad at you?"
"Because of me she had to fight someone."
Agent Coulson chuckled. "No worries there, she looks for any excuse to beat
someone up."
"Does... Does my dad know."
Steve winced. "Not yet, but Clint just left to inform him and Bruce."
"We wanted your attacker safe at headquarters before informing those two of the
incident." Coulson explained. He knew that he was going to get an enraged Stark
beating down his office door in a few hours demanding some alone time with his
son's attacker. He couldn't blame him, if he had a child he would be doing the
same thing.
"How's your head?" Steve asked as they slowly left the bathroom. Agents had
secured the area so no one could see what happened and who was involved. They
had to protect Harry from the press and Tony's enemies.
"It's fine."
Steve shook his head. "Harry, please don't lie to me."
"M'sorry. It bloody hurts. It feels like Thor took his hammer to it."
"I know how that feels," Steve chuckled. "I have had Thor take his hammer to my
head on a couple occasions."
***HP
The car hadn't even come to complete stop in the basement of Stark Tower and
Tony was damn near ripping the door off the car to get to his son. Clint had
only informed him minutes ago about the incident, he had been waiting until
Harry was close to the Tower before breaking it to him.
Never before had he felt the kind of fear that he had felt when Clint said that
Harry had been attacked. The boy had become his entire wold in just the short
time that he had been in his life. He would give away the Stark fortune if he
had to just to keep his son safe and happy.
Steve was afraid to move. As soon as they got in the car, Harry had rested his
head on his arm and hadn't moved. Harry shied away from all physical contact so
it was a pretty big deal that he was now trusting him. It also meant that he
was more shook up and hurt than what he was letting on.
"Get ready, Harry, your dad looks like he's about to rip the roof off," Steve
warned as they pulled into the parking garage.
Harry tried to lift his head, but it felt too heavy and he was comfortable
tucked in beside the large super soldier. Steve was big and warm and he felt
incredibly safe right now with him.
"Slow, Tony!" Steve warned, holding his hand out to keep Tony from snatching
Harry out of the car. He was no doctor, but he was pretty sure that Harry was
going into shock.
Tony took a deep calming breath. He didn't want to scare his son, but he was
desperate to check on him. All Clint had said was that some fucker had attacked
Harry in the bathroom and bashed his head in pretty good. Thank god Natasha got
there in time to stop anything worse from happening to his son.
"Hey, kiddo, can you sit up and look at me?" Tony asked softly and calmly. He
was feeling anything but calm, but he had to be strong for his son.
"M'tired," Harry mumbled, head still buried in Steve's arm.
Steve looked at Tony and gave him a subtle nod. "Harry, I'm going to help you
sit up and then your dad's going to help you out of the car. Are you ready?"
"M'kay," Harry whimpered, really not wanting to be moved.
As Steve pushed Harry up, Tony grabbed his wrist and gave an easy tug. He could
tell by the look in Harry's eyes that he was in pain so he wanted to get him
quickly out and up to Bruce who was waiting for him.
"Damn," Tony hissed when he got a good look at his son's forehead. "Harry, how
many fingers am I holding up?" he asked, holding up two fingers.
Harry tried to focus but everything was blurry. "Uhm, four."
Tony looked to Steve. "Close enough, little chef, let's get you up to mother
before she Hulks out on us."
"I'm really sorry, dad, I didn't mean to cause a problem."
Tony effortlessly lifted his son up bridal style. "You have nothing to
apologize for." Turning, he stopped as Agent Coulson stepped out of the car.
"Do you have the fucker in custody?"
"We have everything under control, Stark."
"I'll be at headquarters after I see to my son."
"Tony!" Coulson groaned. "Let us handle it."
Tony glared at Coulsen then continued on to the elevator. Hell if he was going
to let that pervert get away with hurting his son. He wasn't going to rest
until the man's face matched his son's. Of course, there was a better than good
chance that it already did since Natasha got to him first.
Harry let his head fall on his dad's shoulder and closed his eyes. He was too
tired to care about being held so close by a man, he just wanted to sleep.
"Stay with me, son," Tony said giving Harry a little shake. "You can sleep
after Bruce fixes you up. "
"M'fine, just tired," Harry slurred.
 
"Place him on the bed," Bruce instructed the second Tony came in with Harry in
his arms. He had been fighting the other guy for control ever since Clint had
told him about Harry.
Harry squinted his eyes when a bright light was flashed in them. "Harry, is
your vision blurry?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah," Harry whimpered.
"He's seeing double too," Tony informed, anxiously hovering over his son. He
knew that head wounds usually looked a lot worse than what they really were,
but Harry's head looked horrible.
"Let's get his head cleaned up then do a CT scan. He has a concussion for sure
and is going to require stitches, but other than that I think he'll be
alright,"
"I could fix him up in an instant," said a silky voice from behind.
"Fuck off, reindeer games!" Tony snarled, glaring at Loki.
"You're not messing around with his head," Clint growled, getting into Loki's
face, itching to put an arrow between his eyes.
"I'm just offering," Loki smirked, holding his hands up. "I can heal that wound
so the child won't have to be stitched up like a pair of old socks."
Tony looked between Harry and Bruce, uncertain on what to do. He didn't want
his son to suffer anymore, but he really didn't want the god messing with his
head. "Bruce? " Tony asked.
"I don't trust him," Bruce said after giving it a minutes thought.
"Neither do I," Steve added.
Loki grit his teeth in anger. He honestly just wanted to help Harry, the boy
was special. "What say you, child? Do you want me to heal your head and
instantly take the pain away, or would you prefer needles and stitches?"
Harry looked at the god, then rolled to his side and vomited onto the floor.
"Do you swear not to mess with his brain?" Tony asked, rubbing his son's back.
He couldn't stand to see Harry like this, it was killing him.
"I swear on my magic and on my life to only heal the child's head," Loki said
seriously.
"I-I trust him," Harry croaked out. "Please, I just want to go to sleep and
forget about this."
"My brother won't harm him," Thor defended.
"If you mess with his brain or hurt him..."
Loki smirked at Tony. "Relax metal man, I mean no harm." Loki walked up to
Harry and let his hand hover over his forehead. "This wont hurt."
"Just the head," Harry whispered, head throbbing painfully.
Loki narrowed his eyes at the bloody boy. "Fine, just the head." He wished the
boy would let him heal all his other injuries, he had to be suffering everyday
from joint pain, nerve damage and other medical issues from a lifetime of
severe abuse and starvation.
A feint pale blue light shot from Loki's hand and connected with Harry's
forehead. Harry closed his eyes, shivering when he felt Loki's magic sink into
his wound. He hated that the god's magic felt so good and safe. He was afraid
that it could become like a drug to him and he would start craving it.
Tony tensed when the light touched his son. "I hate this magic shit," he
grumbled. Looking to Bruce, he was shocked to see green around his pupils.
Hopefully Bruce could keep the Hulk from coming out, at least until his son was
healed. Neither of them wanted that bastard around Harry, but they couldn't
stand to see him suffering.
Harry eyes snapped open when he heard his dad's words. No, there was no way
that he could ever tell his dad about his magic. If his dad hated magic, then
he would hate him too when he found out.
"Relax," Loki said soothingly, feeling the little Mage's fear. Tony may be a
bastard in his opinion, but he would never abandon his son just because he was
magical. Sadly, the boy's fear were real and all consuming, he honestly
believed that his dad would hate him and he desperately loved Tony. He was
afraid that Harry would do something stupid if Tony found out, like commit
suicide.
Tony, Bruce, Steve and Clint watched in amazement as Harry's wound knitted back
together and the swelling went down. It only took a few minutes for his
forehead to look like nothing had ever happened.
"Harry!" Tony called, failing at hiding the panic in his voice. He was
terrified that the god took over his son's mind like he had done to Clint.
"M'fine, dad," Harry mumbled sleepily. "C-Can I please just rest on the couch?"
He didn't want to be alone in his room, not after what just happened. It was
the first time he could ever remember feeling safer around men.
"Anything, kiddo. Would you like me to carry you?" Tony asked.
"I-I think I'll be alright." Harry slowly sat up and swung his legs over the
bed. "Thank you," he said to Loki who was still standing next to him.
Loki gave a slight bow. "I was able to heal your head injuries, but there is
nothing I can do for the emotional ones. You are going into shock, young one."
Harry chuckled. "I'll be fine. It's not like this hasn't happened a thousand
times before. I just need to rest."
Harry slid off the bed, but Bruce had to quickly grab him when his legs gave
out on him. "I'm going to carry you. Trust me."
Harry reluctantly nodded his head. "Alright, but not my room. I-I don't want to
be alone."
"You'll never be alone again," Bruce said, slowly scooping him up into his
arms. Harry was tense and he could feel that his pulse was raising, but he was
thrilled to see that he was trusting him enough to carry him.
***HP
"No!"
"I haven't even asked you anything, Patch."
"Stark, don't ever call me Patch again, and the answer is still no." Fury stood
up and walked around his desk. "The man has a criminal record as long as my
arm, he's not getting out."
"He's done this to other kids?"
Pursing his lips, Fury nodded. "It seems your son's attacker has a taste for
young boys. He will soon learn what it's like to be on the receiving end. He
will never step foot out of jail."
"I want five minutes alone."
"Dammit, Tony, I can't do that and you know it. How is your son? "
"In shock...terrified. How the hell is he supposed to heal if he keeps getting
prayed on by perverts?" Tony hollered. "What the fuck is wrong with these
people?"
This was a side of Stark that Nick had never seen before. Even in serious
situations, Tony was cracking jokes and being...well, being obnoxious Tony
Stark. The Tony Stark in front of him was an enraged father that was prepared
to protect his son and prepared to do whatever it took to heal him. For the
first time ever, he had respect for Tony Stark.
"Tony, your son needs you. Go home and and take care of him." Nick sighed.
"Fine," Tony said, teeth clenched in anger and frustration. "I will give you
this, but I want Dursley."
Nick smirked, it was the smirk that always freaked his brother out. "Dursley
you can have. Actually, I think the fat bastard's usefulness is at an end. I'm
sending an agent in in a few days to bring him, his wife, and son in."
Tony grinned for the first time in hours. "Oh, I look forward to this."
***HP
"Holy shit!" George gasped, looking up at the tallest building he had ever
seen. "Harry's in there?"
"Well, it's got the guys name on it that Kingsley said that our little Harry is
living with."
"What do you think happened? Why is Harry living with this Tony Stark character
and not his vile family?"
Fred grabbed his brother's hand and gave it a squeeze. "As long as he isn't
hurting Harry, I don't care what happened. Now, how the hell are we supposed to
cross the street without getting flattened by one of these cars? They just keep
coming."
 
"Excuse me pretty lady," George grinned, bowing deeply to the lady behind the
desk. "but can you please direct us to where we can find Harry Potter?"
Rolling her eyes, the woman behind the desk took off her reading glasses and
subtly pushed a button under her desk. She was told to contact Mr. Stark if
anyone ever came asking about his son. She was here that day those awful people
brought that poor boy here claiming to be Mr. Stark's son. She had to sign a
confidentiality agreement stating that she would never talk about what happened
or tell anyone that Tony Stark had a son, but she also got a huge raise out of
it so she would happily keep her mouth shut.
"I'm sorry, but there is no one that works here by the name of Harry Potter,"
the woman said smartly.
The matching grins slipped off of Fred and George's faces. "He doesn't work
here, he's only fourteen. We were told that he lives here."
"And who told you that?" Tony asked sharply from behind, causing the identical
redheaded twins to jump and spin around.
Fred and George looked nervously at each other. This man may only be a muggle,
but they could tell that he was very powerful. "I'm Fred,"
"and I'm George Weasley,"
"We go to school with Harry," they both finished together.
Tony chuckled at their antics. These twins had a mischievous twinkle to their
eyes and they looked like they would be a lot of fun. "I'm sorry. I don't know
who told you that, but there is no one living here by the name of Harry
Potter."
Tony watched in awe as the twins seemed to communicate silently to each other.
"What about Tony Stark?" Fred asked anxiously.
"Does he live here?" George finished, narrowing his eyes at the man. He had a
feeling that this man knew who and where their Harry was.
Tony raised one elegant eyebrow, he couldn't believe that these boys didn't
know that he was Tony Stark. "Well, it is called Stark Tower, not Bob's Tower"
"If it was Bob's Tower, do you think you could direct us to him?" George
smirked.
"We have come a long way to find our best friend," Fred added
"England?"
"No, China," the twins chorused together.
Tony shook his head, chuckling. "Funny, you don't have a Chinese accent."
"So we,"
"have been told."
Tony rubbed his head, he didn't know what to do. These boys had indeed come a
long way to find his son, but he knew that Harry didn't want anything to do
with his past life. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark is away on business." He hated
brushing them off, but he was anxious to check on his son. When he left him an
hour ago, Harry had been asleep on the couch with Bruce standing guard, but he
wanted to be there for him when he woke.
"How about you leave your name and a contact number and I will give it to Mr.
Stark when he returns." Tony said, grabbing a pen and paper from the desk and
handing it to the boys.
Fred and George just looked at the outstretched hand. "Sorry, we don't take
things handed to us," they said together.
Tony's mouth dropped open and he stared dumbfoundedly at the twins...that was
his thing!
Fred and George quickly spun around when they heard heard laughter coming from
behind. "Holy hot redhead!" George gasped. The sexiest redhead he had ever
seen, wearing skin tight leather, was smirking at them with her hands on her
hips.
"If only we swung that way," Fred said wistfully, eyeing how the tight leather
hugged her breasts. He may not be into woman, but he could appreciate
perfection when saw it.
Natasha circled the boys, already having an idea on who they were. They looked
exactly how Harry described them at lunch. What she did notice, behind their
sparkling and mischievous brown eyes, was a look of fierce determination and
loyalty. Tony wasn't going to be able to send these boys off with a few
roundabout words and his award winning smile.
"Who might you two handsome boys be?" Natasha asked with a wink.
Tony smirked at the stuttering boys. "This is Fred and George Weasley,' he
said, pointing to the twin he thought matched each name.
"Hey, I'm not Fred, he is!" One twin cried, pointing to the other.
"No, I am Fred!" Cried the other.
"Oh hell," Tony moaned.
"You can call us,"
"Gred and Forge!"
Catching Tony's eye, Natasha motioned for him to follow her. "Just one minute,
I'll be right back," Tony said, looking wearily again the demonic duo.
Natasha noticed how the twins eyes tracked their every movement. Leaning in,
she whispered in Tony's ear.
Tony's eyes got larger as he listened to what Natasha had to say about the
twins. When she got to her suspicions about his son having a crush on them, his
eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you suggest I do?"
"Bring them up. They came all this way to find their friend, it wouldn't be
right to send them away. Harry cares a great deal for them, I'm positive that
he will want to see them."
Tony pouted, "Do I have to? Did you hear the way they talk? Besides, my baby
boy doesn't need a boyfriend."
"Boyfriends," Natasha corrected with a smirk.
"Oh hell no!" Tony snarled.
Natasha threw her arm over Tony. "Come on daddy bear, let's interrogate those
twins on the way up."
"Fine," Tony grumbled. "But they're sleeping on a different floor."
 
Fred and George stopped right before the small room that looked like a box.
There were no windows or anything, just four walls, a roof, and a floor. "Where
are you,"
"taking us?" Fred finished.
"Are you going to talk like that the entire time?" Tony groaned.
"Talk,"
"like,"
"what?" the twins finished together.
"Oh, this is great," Natasha chuckled. "Not many people can get to the great
Tony Stark, and the two of you have managed that in less than an hour of
meeting him. I think we may have to keep you guys around."
Fred and George glared at Tony. "So you're,"
"him?" George snarled. "You lied to us."
"Well, if that's a problem, you boys can just head on home." Tony said
hopefully. He was happy to see that Harry had loyal friends willing to come all
this way to find him, but he didn't like that his son could possibly have a
crush on not one, but both of the twins. A part of him was also terrified that
they would talk Harry into returning to school in the fall. He couldn't imagine
his life now without his son. "I will even have my driver Happy take you to the
airport."
"Take us to Harry!" Fred snarled. He could feel his magic rippling under his
skin.
"Calm down, brother," George said, placing a hand on Fred's shoulder and
allowing his magic to sink in and calm him. He was worried that Fred's empathic
abilities were getting stronger, and since he didn't know how to control them,
he was prone to mood swings from one extreme to the other.
Fred turned to his brother. "He lied to us about Harry? We haven't been able to
eat or sleep for days because we have been terrified for him, and he was just
going to send us on our way."
Groaning, Tony approached the pair. "Look, I'm sorry, but I was only trying to
protect my son. Harry has been through hell and he just wants to start a new
life here. He doesn't want to go back."
"We don't want Harry to come back, but we need to see for ourselves that he is
safe and happy," Fred cried.
"Harry isn't safe in our world," George added sadly. "Wait, did you say,"
"son?" Fred gasped.
"What do you mean by...your world?" Natasha asked suspiciously.
Tony held up his hands. "Look, we can get into this later. Right now I want to
check on my
son, he had a really bad day."
"What happened to Harry?" Fred cried, grabbing his brother's hand.
"I will explain it on the way up," Tony said, stepping into the elevator.
George took a tentative step forward and looked in the strange room. "What is
this room?"
"Excuse me?" Tony questioned. "Haven't you ever seen an elevator?"
Fred and George exchanged confused looks. "What does,"
"an elevator do?"
Tony stared at the boys in disbelief. "It takes you from floor to floor so you
don't have to walk up and down thousands of steps."
"Oh, like a lift," George said, looking to his brother. "Like the lifts at the
ministry only bigger and fancier."
"Why didn't you just say so?" Fred smirked, stepping into the small room. This
looked nothing like the ministry lifts. This was the first time they had really
ventured out in the muggle world so really they didn't know much.
"You boys are strange," Natasha said, scowling at the pair.
"Thank you!" Fred and George said proudly with big goofy grins on their faces.
***HP
 
All ready having warned the boys to be quiet incase Harry was still sleeping,
Tony ushered them out of the elevator and into their communal living area. At
seeing his son peacefully sleeping on the couch with Bruce standing behind it,
he signaled for the boys to follow him into the kitchen.
"Are the two of you hungry?" Tony asked, placing a plate of muffins and
brownies in front of them. He didn't know how to cook so that was the best he
could do unless he ordered something.
The twins scowled at the offered food. "Harry made these?" Fred asked
dangerously.
"My boy is an amazing cook," Tony said proudly, plucking two blueberry muffins
from the plate. "It's a good thing too, the rest of us can't cook to save our
lives."
The twins glared at Tony. "Are you forcing him to cook too?" Fred growled.
Tony almost dropped his muffins in shock. "Hell no, I would never force him to
do something he didn't want to. I have told him on countless occasions that he
didn't have to cook, but it damn near sends him into a panic attack."
Leaning across the table, Tony got in the boys' faces. "I am nothing like those
monsters that raised him. Harry will never again live in fear and pain, he will
be cared for loved."
Exhaling in relief, the twins each grabbed a muffin. "We're glad to hear that,
would have had to kill you if you hurt him." Taking a bit of their muffins, the
twins moaned in pleasure. "No one can cook like Harry," Fred moaned.
Tony took a seat across from them. "How did you find Harry here?" This question
had been concerning him ever since he heard them say that someone told them
that Harry was here. The only ones that knew about Harry was his team, Agent,
and Fury. There was his relatives of course, but he didn't see them doing
anything nice for Harry.
"We have our ways," Fred answered cryptically.
Tony narrowed his eyes. "Look, my son can be in danger if the wrong people find
out about him. There are a lot of not so nice guys out there that would love to
use Harry in order to force me to see things their way."
Swallowing his food, which all of a sudden felt dry and heavy, George answered.
"Someone we know told us your name, said that his brother told him."
Fred nodded his head. "Everyone back home is going crazy looking for Harry, and
his godfather is losing his mind with worry."
"Well, what's left of it anyway," George chuckled.
"Kingsley's brother told him not to tell anyone Harry's location," George said.
"but we have ways of getting what we want," Fred smirked.
"Does anyone else know where my son is?" Tony asked, already formulating a plan
on how to protect his son.
"Not yet, but the headmaster at our school is determined to find him and bring
him back," Fred said gravely. "It will only be a matter of time before he shows
up."
Tony snorted. "I'm not afraid of some old teacher. Harry is my son and there is
nothing that he can say or do to make him return if he doesn't want to."
Fred and George looked at each other, silently communicating. Since the age of
five they could telepathically communicate with each other. Not all identical
magical twins had this ability, but they were extremely close and magically
powerful.
Tony waved his hand between the boys. "Stop that!" he cried. "I know you're
talking to each other in your heads, I can see it in your eyes." The twins
slowly turned to look at him with matching grins. "You know, you guys kind of
creep me out."
"Excellent!" the twins cheered. "You're not the first person who has said that.
"
Groaning, Tony rubbed at his temples. "I don't know how my son puts up with you
guys."
"Oh, Harry loves us," the twins said together with matching smirks.
Tony dropped his head onto the table. He was just figuring this father thing
out, he wasn't ready to deal with teenage hormones and his son dating.
"So, care to explain how you're our Harry's dad when we know that James Potter
is."
Tony ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Honestly, I'm still trying to
figure that one out myself. His disgusting family brought him here claiming
that he was my son. A paternity test and a half a million dollars later, and
I'm the proud daddy to a fourteen year old boy."
"You don't remember sleeping with Lily Potter?" Fred asked.
"She was hot! How could you forget being with her?" George chuckled.
"Never laid eyes on her before, but back then getting drunk and sleeping with
nameless hotties was a nightly thing for me. I do remember her husband James
though."
Wide eyed, the twins turned to each other. Could James actually be Harry's mom?
"Not again!" Tony moaned. "I'm going to have to forbid you from doing that
silent talking twin thing that you do," he joked.
"Wait, what you are saying is, you remember having sex with James, but not
Lily?" George asked.
"Yup!" Tony answered, popping the P loudly. "He was my first experience with
the same sex."
"Well, that's interesting," Fred said, winking at his brother. If James had
been a carrier, then there was a very good chance that Harry was one too.
"You two look a lot older than Harry, and don't think that I didn't miss how
you called him 'our Harry'," Tony scowled.
"We just turned seventeen, sir," Fred answered.
"and have been totally smitten with your son since we were thirteen, when we
first laid eyes on the bespeckled, lost, little first year," George said
fondly.
"So you have known him for about four years then. Why the hell didn't you see
that he was being abused?" Tony jumped to his feet and started pacing the
kitchen in anger. This had been bugging him from day one. How could everyone
miss, or ignore, the obvious signs of abuse in his son? Hell, everyone in the
tower noticed it immediately and none of them had any experience with kids.
"We did notice," Fred cried. "We saw the scars, bruises and bones while he was
showering in the locker room, but he made us swear not to tell anyone."
"Harry is very good at hiding his abuse at school," George said quietly. He
knew that Harry knew how to use glamours and was very good at them. "We did
help him though, whenever we could."
"We would sneak him food and medical supplies throughout the summer and patch
him up when we returned to school." Fred added softly.
George smiled sadly at his brother. "We even took care of him at school. Harry
doesn't like eating around other people, so we would either sneak him to the
kitchens, or sneak him food out of the Great Hall."
"You should have told someone about the abuse," Tony hollered.
Fred shook his head. "It wouldn't have helped. The headmaster knew that his
relatives weren't treating him right, but he wanted him with his aunt and
uncle. There wasn't a damn thing anyone could have done."
Tony collapsed back in his chair. "Why does your headmaster have so much
control over my son?"
Fred looked to his brother and raised a single eyebrow. It was obvious that
Harry hadn't told his new dad about being a wizard and they didn't want to risk
letting something slip. Luckily for them, they were saved when another man came
into the kitchen.
Bruce briefly glanced at the twins. Natasha had given him a brief explanation
of who they were. "Tony, Harry is waking," he quickly said before walking back
out.
Tony quickly held up his hand, stopping the twins from getting up. "Harry was
attacked today. Give me some time to see to him and explain that he has
visitors. I don't think he needs anymore surprises."
"Is he alright?" Fred and George asked in concern.
"He'll be fine, just please wait here."
***HP
"How are you feeling, sleepy head?" Tony asked, voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't want to startle Harry, but he also wanted him to know that he was
there?
Harry's eyes softy fluttered open. "M'fine, dad," he answered sleepily.
Slowly Harry sat up, blushing when he saw that his dad and Bruce were intently
staring at him. "Honestly, I'm fine. It's not like this was the first time that
I have been attacked. I just needed to sleep it off, it's what I always do."
Tony took a seat next to his son. "I'm sorry about what happened today."
Dropping his chin to his chest, Harry shrugged his shoulders. "S'not your
fault. I think I'm a magnet for perverts. At least Natasha was there, huh? She
can really kick ass."
"Yeah, and I'm going to teach you everything I know," Natasha said, just
entering the room.
"Thank you," Harry said, eyes watering. "For what you did."
"It was my pleasure," Natasha smirked evilly.
"She means it, too," Tony chuckled. "Natasha loves handing the bad guys their
asses."
Bruce approached Harry and knelt down in front of him. "How's your head? Loki
didn't do anything funny did he?"
Harry smiled at Bruce. "My head is fine, no more pain or dizziness."
"Well, I still don't trust Loki," Bruce grumbled. He had been against the god
using magic on Harry, but he was glad that he didn't have to stitch up that
gash and cause the boy more pain.
"So, little chef," Tony said awkwardly, not really sure how to tell his son
about the twins. He didn't want to cause Harry anymore stress today, especially
after the attack, but Natasha seemed pretty certain that Harry would be happy
to see them. "You had visitors stop by while you were sleeping."
Paling, Harry lunged to his feet. "Who...who was it?" he asked fearfully.
"The most irritating twins that I have ever had the displeasure of meeting,"
Tony pouted.
"Fred and George!" Harry cried in both excitement and fear. He desperately
wanted to see them again, but if they found him then that meant that Dumbledore
knew where he was too.
"Fred and George, Gred and Forge, whatever it is that they were calling
themselves. Honestly, my dear sweet son, you must be a saint to be able to out
up with them."
Harry's eyes quickly scanned the room. "Where are they?" he asked excitedly.
Getting to his feet, Tony pointed towards the kitchen. "They are in the
kitchen."
"You left them alone?" Harry cried. "and in the kitchen? Shit, don't eat
anything unless I tell you it's alright." Turning, Harry sprinted towards the
kitchen.
"What did he mean by that?" Bruce asked, heading towards the kitchen.
"From what Harry told me earlier," Natasha chuckled. "The twins are pranksters
and have created a line a prank food."
Tony perked up at hearing that. "Really! That sounds interesting."
Harry burst through the kitchen doors and into the waiting arms of the twins.
Clinging desperately to them, Harry started crying into their necks. "I thought
that I would never see you guys again."
"Did you honestly think we would let you just up and disappear on us like
that?" Fred asked, nose buried in Harry's raven hair.
"Merlin, Harry, we have been so worried about you," George mumbled, clinging to
the smaller boy.
Pulling back, Harry smiled up at the identical faces. "I'm sorry, everything
happened so fast. I went directly from the train, to the airport, then here. I
was afraid if I tried contacting you guys that Dumbledore would find me. I'm
sorry."
Fred lovingly cupped Harry's face. "Don't you dare apologize, we're just happy
that you are safe."
George turned Harry's face towards his. "You are safe, aren't you? "
Grinning, Harry nodded. "I have a dad," he said, choking up a bit. "He's great
too."
George's eyes flicked up towards the door where Harry's dad, the hot redhead
and another man were standing and watching them. "Is he treating you good?"
"I love it here. Everyone is so nice and they actually care about me."
Fred looked down at Harry's arm. Gently lifting the heavy contraception, he
asked with tears in his eyes. "What happened?"
Harry lowered his eyes in shame. "My uncle broke it," he mumbled.
"What is..."
Harry quickly slapped his hand over Fred's mouth. "We'll talk about it later."
He knew that Fred was going to ask about the cast. The Weasley's were
purebloods and had only ever been treated magically.
Tony watched the interaction with a small smile on his face. He honestly wasn't
ready to think about his son in a relationship, and he was positive that Harry
himself wasn't ready for a relationship, but he could easily see how much the
twins cared for him. He could tell by the look in their eyes that they would
never harm his son or pressure him into doing something that he wasn't ready
for. It warmed his heart to see that Harry had friends that cared so much for
him...even if they were creepy and weird.
"I-Is Dumbledore coming for me?" Harry asked fearfully.
George shook his head. "He doesn't know where you're at yet, but he will soon."
Harry dropped his head. "I don't want to leave here."
"And you won't be," Tony declared hotly. "Kiddo, I'm not going to let anyone
take you away from me."
"I wish it were that easy," Harry said sadly, collapsing into a chair.
Feeling Harry's pain, Fred kneeled down and pulled him into a hug. It had taken
a long time to get Harry comfortable with their touches, and even then it would
take a month or two after every summer break, and two months of abuse, to get
him to where he wasn't flinching from their touches.
"There is a lot that I don't understand," Tony said, feeling very frustrated.
He knew that Harry was keeping secrets, and while he respected his privacy, he
needed to fully understand what the hell was going on. Why did these boys
almost seem to fear their headmaster? Why was the man controlling Harry's life?
And why the hell did he leave his son in an abusive home? He needed answers in
order to be able to protect his son.
Wiping his eyes, Harry jumped to his feet. "You all must be hungry, it's almost
dinner time." Before Harry had a chance to take a step, Tony grabbed Harry's
shoulder and pushed him back down.
"Not tonight, little chef. You had a rough day and you have company. I will
have Jarvis order us some pizza while you entertain the demonic duo."
"Awesome name!" The twins cheered together.
Tony shook his head in exasperation. "What do you boys' like on your pizza?"
"Err," Fred and George stared blankly at the man. They had never heard of pizza
before and had no clue what it was.
"Come on!" Tony cried. "Don't tell me that you have never had pizza before
either." At seeing the boys turn to Harry with a questionable look, Tony held
up his hand. "You know what, never mind. I will just order one of everything."
"Why don't you give your friends a tour and show them to the room next to
yours...if they plan on staying the night." Bruce said, giving Harry's shoulder
a reassuring squeeze.
Fred grinned. "You can't get..."
"rid of us," George said giving a matching grin.
"that easily," they finished together.
"How long are you staying?" Harry asked excitedly. It may seem childish, but he
had never had a sleep over before. Yes, he had slept at the Burrow, but he
never had anyone stay at his house. Dudley had plenty of friends sleep at the
house, but he wasn't allowed out of his cupboard to play with them...not that
they would have wanted to play with him anyway.
"As long as you need us," Fred said, laughing when he heard Harry's dad groan.
Jumping up, Harry threw his arms around Fred's neck. "This is going to be so
great," he cried. "Wait until you see the Iron Man suit dad and I are making.
He's even going to make it so I can fly."
Tony felt his eyes water at Harry's excitement. This was the first time that he
had seen his son act like a kid. Looking to Bruce and Natasha, he saw that they
felt the same way.
Harry headed for the door, dragging the twins behind him. "Wait until you see
my room, it's huge! My bed can easily fit four people."
"No it can't!" Tony yelled, as the door shut behind his son and his friends.
***HP
***HP
***HP
OK, nothing with Vernon in this chapter, but he is coming.... I'm on the fence
on how to write that scene. I had it worked out, then I got review saying that
they would never read any of my fics ever again if I let Vernon get Harry.....
Originally I was sending Loki as Harry, but now I have to send Harry! See, I'm
one of those people that have to push the button that says DO NOT PUSH!
***** Chapter 9 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers.
Not completely happy with this chapter :/ I think it's because it was mostly
written after 2am.
Looks like next chapter Vernon will finally get his day. I'm taking suggestions
on how I should handle it. I have a few ideas in my head, but not overly happy
with them. I think that's why this chapter was so hard to write. I don't know
how to proceed.
Than you for all the awesome reviews so far...please keep up the encouragement.
***HP
 
Despite it being three in the morning, Tony was pacing the living room
completely lost in thought. The boys had only went to bed an hour ago, after
polishing off five large pizzas and watching the first two Twilight movies,
which had the boys laughing as if it was a comedy. When Edward started to
sparkle in the sun, the twins damn near choked on their pizza with laughter.
Despite the weirdness of the twins, he was glad that they had showed
up...especially when they did. It seemed their arrival helped Harry completely
forget about the attack in the bathroom, and it was amazing to see his son so
relaxed and carefree for once. Watching as his son laughed so hard that he had
soda coming out his nose, gave him hope that he would be able to live a normal
and happy life someday. The twins really were good for him.
He could see it in the twins' eyes, and the way they moved around Harry, how
much they cared for his son. They knew exactly the right things to do and say
to calm him when he was starting to get upset over something. Harry was so
relaxed and comfortable around them, he finally got to catch a glimpse of what
his son would have been like if he had been raised in a loving home. There was
a sparkle in Harry's eyes that he had yet to have seen since his son had come
to live with him and it was all thanks to the demonic duo.
Walking to his bar, Tony poured himself a generous drink and slowly sipped at
it while staring blankly at the wall in front of him. There was something
definitely off about the twins, and it wasn't just the weird talking in their
heads thing that they did. No, it was almost like they had stepped out of
another time, another era. Not only had they never had pizza before, but they
had never seen a tv or even watched a movie before. After hearing Jarvis for
the first time, he had spent an hour explaining computers to them and how the
AI worked. The boys didn't even know what computers were. What seventeen your
old boy didn't have a cell phone or laptop? Weren't teens supposed to spend
three quarters of their life texting their friends and surfing the internet?
Sighing, Tony turned around, coming face to face with Bruce. "Jesus Christ,
Banner, give me a heart attack why don't you. How long have you been standing
there?"
"Since your first drink and hundredth sigh," Bruce smirked. "I take it you're
trying to unravel the mystery of Harry's puppies?"
Tony chuckled. "They do follow him around like puppies, but I have a feeling
that they could be viscous attack dogs if anyone messed with my son." Grabbing
another glass, he pourded Bruce a drink and refilled his own. "I don't know,
but there is something not right with them?"
"I agree," Bruce admitted, accepting the drink. He wasn't big on drinking
because he didn't want to risk losing control, but every once in a while he
would indulge in a few sips.
"That's a first...agreeing with me," Tony smirked.
"Don't get use to it," Bruce grumbled. "Tony, I have lived in some of the most
remote and poorest villages in the world, and even they knew more about modern
technology than those boys do. Did you notice that they didn't even know how to
talk into Harry's cell phone?"
Tony nodded his head thoughtfully. "I did. It's as if those boys just stepped
out of the dark ages."
"Harry had said that their school lacked technology. Maybe their parents raised
them the same way." Bruce suggested.
Tony continued his pacing. "Jarvis, bring up everything that you can find on
Fred and George Weasley."
"Tony," Bruce sighed.
Tony vehemently shook his head. "No, Bruce, something big is going to happen, I
can feel it. Harry and the twins seem to think that their headmaster is going
to force Harry back and we won't be able to stop him. I need to know what we
are up against. The twins also made some kind of odd statement about not
wanting Harry back in 'their world'. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but most everything that came out
of their mouth was odd."
"Sir, I have searched everything and there are no records on twins by the name
of Fred and George Weasley." Jarvis informed.
"Not even birth records?" Tony asked.
"No, sir, I could find nothing."
"How is that possible?" Bruce questioned, starting to get a little more
worried.
"It's not," Tony said absentmindedly. "There is always a record of something,
especially of birth."
"How did they even find Harry?"
Falling into a plush chair, Tony scrubbed at his face with his hands. How the
hell could there be no records on those boys? "They said that someone they know
has a brother that knows that Harry is here."
"I don't know if it was a good or bad thing those boys showing up, but Harry
was a completely different boy tonight. He was so carefree and happy. It was
also the most relaxed that I have seen him so far."
Tony gave a heavy sigh. "He's keeping things from us, and it has nothing to do
with his abuse and his vile family."
***HP
Rising extra early, Harry quickly bathed and dressed. Slipping his invisibility
cloak over his head, he slipped out of his room and padded quietly to the twins
room. Someone had always been with them last night so he never got the chance
to explain everything to them. He figured that Fred and George knew not to say
anything about being a wizard and magic, but he wanted to make sure.
He still couldn't believe that the twins had come all the way to New York City
just to find him. Mrs. Weasley was going to skin them alive when she found out.
He was ecstatic that they did though, it meant so much to him that they cared
about him enough to risk their mother's wrath. Spending the evening eating
pizza, goofing around and watching movies with them and his dad had been one of
the best nights of his life.
Creeping silently into the darkened room, Harry crawled onto the bed and
squeezed himself between the identical redheads. Fred and George were the only
people he was comfortable enough with to get this close to. For some reason,
the twins made him forget about his past and he could just be himself with
them.
"Freddie," George muffled sleepily. "I don't remember getting a kitten.
"Neither do I, Georgie," Fred mumbled, reaching out and wrapping his arms
around Harry. "He's a cutie though, can we keep him?"
Rolling to his side so he was facing a grinning Harry, George nodded his head
giving the small boy a wink. "Of course we can, brother of mine. Harry kitty
can be all ours."
Giving a small whoop of joy, Fred started to tickle Harry causing him to squeal
with laughter and thrash on the bed.
"S-Stop it," Harry giggled trying to get away from Fred's fingers.
"What time is it?" George yawned.
"Almost five," Harry answered sheepishly.
"In the morning?" Fred groaned.
Biting his bottom lip, Harry nodded his head looking nervously at the twins.
"Are you mad?"
George pulled Harry into a comforting hug. "Of course not, we're thrilled that
you couldn't wait to see us."
"You know you can always come to us, Harry, day or night," Fred added.
"I'm guessing you snuck in here to tell us everything that has happened?"
George asked, sitting up and stretching his back until it popped loudly.
Harry blushed when he saw that George was topless and wearing only a pair of
boxers. Years of being a beater on the Gryffindor team had left George's body
perfectly toned and muscled. There was no fat on the seventeen year olds
stomach, just the starting of a well defined six pack.
"Like what you see?" George asked, wagging his eyebrows up and down. "We come
as a matching set."
Harry blushed a deeper red at getting caught ogling one of his best friends. He
couldn't believe that he had been checking George out like that.
"I think you broke him, George," Fred chuckled, affectionately rubbing Harry's
head.
"Stop teasing," Harry pouted. "I have a lot to tell you before I get caught in
here." At seeing that he had their attention, he launched into the story,
telling them everything that had happened since leaving the Hogwarts Express.
"That's an incredible story," Fred said, giving his head a little shake. The
three were still sitting on the bed, Fred and George propped up against the
head of the bed and Harry sitting cross legged in front of them.
"Are you honestly happy here, Harry? Are they treating you right?" George asked
softly.
Harry nodded his head without even having to think about it. "I have never been
happier in my life. Dad is so amazing. Hell, everyone here is amazing. For the
first time ever, someone wants me."
Simultaneously, Fred and George each took one of Harry's hands, George being
mindful of his broken arm. "Harry, we have always wanted you," they said
together.
Blushing, Harry dropped his head letting his hair fall forward to hide his
face. "You don't want me, I'm broken."
Fred and George looked sadly to each other, then turned back to Harry and
gently tugged him forward until he was snuggled against them. "Harry, you are
not broken." Fred cried vehemently.
"And we are not the only ones who love you. Mom and dad think of you as another
son, and Sirius and Remus are out of their minds with worry."
Harry looked up at George with wide eyes. "They're worried about me?"
George elbowed Harry gently in the side. "Of course they are, they love you."
Harry started to chew on his top lip. "If they care so much, then why hasn't
Remus written me or anything? I haven't seen or heard from him since he stopped
teaching. Sirius writes, but it isn't much. He was always going on about the
tournament, keeping my guard up and going to Dumbledore if I had a problem.
There was nothing personal or loving in those letters. Sirius and Remus only
care for me because I am James' son."
Fred and George didn't know what to say because Harry was right. Sirius and
Remus had let Dumbledore dictate everything about Harry's life with no real
fight. They may grumble and groan, but in the end they step back and let the
old man have his way. Neither man knew who Harry was, they just knew the name
and the story and parentage behind it.
Rubbing at his eyes, Harry sat up and slid off the bed. "I'm going to get
breakfast started before everyone gets up. If you hurry, you may be able to
meet everyone before they leave."
"We'll be there after we shower." Fred said, getting up and ruffling Harry's
hair.
Harry was almost to the door when he stopped and turned back around. "Uhm, can
all wizards get pregnant?" He asked in a small voice.
"No, most wizards can't, but the carrier gene is normally heredity." George
answered.
"So.. So that means that I could be a..."
Fred nodded his head. "You more than likely are a carrier, but there are tests
that can be run to tell for sure. Mom had all us boys tested when we were
eleven and none of us were carriers."
Harry took a deep and steadying breath. "That's a lot to take in. I feel like
even a bigger freak now."
"Do you think your dad James was a freak?" George asked sadly. He hated when
Harry put himself down like that.
Harry shook his head no. His dad was a great man that was an Auror who had died
while trying to protect him.
"Then neither are you." Fred said tossing Harry's invisibility cloak at him.
"You might need this."
Harry caught the cloak with his excellent seeker reflexes. "I'm so glad you
guys are here. I really missed you."
"We'll always be here for you, Harry." The twins said together.
***HP
Fred and George had taken immediately to Clint and the three of them had their
heads together whispering while putting away one waffle after another.
"So, what are you boys going to do today?" Tony asked, throughly enjoying his
blueberry waffle.
Harry shrugged his shoulders as he placed more waffles on the table. It took a
lot of food to feed his dad, Bruce, Steve, Clint and the twins. He was going to
have to see about buying a few more waffle makers so he could keep up with the
demand. Thor and Loki had yet to show up, but that would be another dozen or so
waffles to make when they did.
"You can always take them to the pool," Steve suggested, pushing away from the
table. He really needed to stop eating so much of Harry's amazing food.
"Did you say pool?" George asked, eyes shining with excitement.
"I'm all for swimming. It would be nice being able to swim for once without
having to worry about the giant squid wrapping his tentacles around your leg,"
Fred snickered.
"He slipped one of his tentacles up my shorts one time...never again." George
shivered. "Damn perverted squid."
Tony froze mid chew. "Giant squid?"
Harry purposely bumped into Fred when he bent down to place more waffles on the
table. "Fred and George are just joking," he said, giving the twins a desperate
look.
"Yeah," Fred said, quickly trying to cover up his mistake. "There's a lake at
our school and it's just a game we play."
George nodded his head, wisely keeping his mouth shut.
Tony looked suspiciously at the three boys. It seemed like none of them were
particularly good at lying. "There are extra bathing suits in the pool's locker
room."
"Try to keep your cast dry, Harry," Bruce warned. "If it does get wet though,
don't worry. I plan to take it off tonight or tomorrow and X-ray it again.
Hopefully it has healed up enough that you can do away with it."
"No worries there. I'm not swimming!" Harry said adamantly.
"I can teach you how to swim," Tony offered.
"Harry can swim," Fred said.
"You swam in the Black Lake during the second task," George pointed out.
Harry glared at the twins. "I didn't have a choice," he snapped. "Besides,
Professor Moody pushed me in. I would have happily remained on the platform
until the time was up."
"What are the three of you talking about?" Clint asked, easily picking up on
the tension.
"Nothing!" Harry snapped angrily, startling the archer. "I'm sorry," he quickly
apologized, dropping his head in submission.
"You did nothing wrong," Clint reassured. "You're allowed to yell at me if I
butt my nose into something that's none of my business."
"It's just..." Harry took a deep breath. "I don't exactly have fond memories of
the water. I much prefer to keep my legs on dry land where I can breath." Harry
quickly turned back to the stove so he didn't have to see their faces.
The men at the table all looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "So, what
are these tasks that you were talking about?" Tony asked the twins.
Harry felt like someone had just poured ice water down his back. All of a
sudden he was both hot and cold all at the same time. He didn't want to talk
about the Triwizard tournament or even think about it for that matter.
Everything was too fresh and painful, especially the death of Cedric.
George looked apologetically at Harry. He honestly didn't mean to let anything
about their world slip. "There was a tri-school tournament at our school this
past year."
"George," Harry pleaded softly.
"That sounds very interesting. Did your school win?" Tony asked.
Harry slammed another plate of waffles down on the table. "It wasn't
interesting, it was dangerous!" he cried with tears in his eyes. "It was a
stupid and senseless competition." Backing away, Harry looked around the room
fearfully then fled out the door.
Fred and George dropped their heads in shame. They never meant to upset Harry.
"What happened during the tournament?" Steve asked curiously.
George scratched at the back of his neck. "Harry got chosen as one of the
champions even though he didn't enter and he was too young to compete."
"Only those seventeen and older were allowed to compete," Fred added rubbing at
his chest. Harry's pain felt like a knife to his heart.
"Why did he have to compete if he was too young?" Tony asked angrily. He wanted
to go and check on his son, but he also wanted to hear about the tournament.
Whatever happened during the tournament had greatly upset his son.
"There was a contract stating that if your name was picked then you had to
compete," Fred explained. "Harry tried to get out of it but the officials
wouldn't let him."
George looked briefly to Tony. "Maybe, if he would have had a parent stand up
for him and protest he could have gotten out of it, but he was on his own."
"I don't want to get into details of the three tasks," Fred said, knowing that
there was no way he could without letting it slip that they were wizards. "But
Harry saw our other school champion die. He tried to save him, but it happened
too fast."
"Harry had a crush on him too," George grumbled looking darkly at the table. He
wanted to punch pretty boy Diggory all last year because he had caught Harry
blushing at him a few times.
Tony's heart went out to his son. It wasn't easy seeing someone die, especially
someone you had feelings for. "When did this happen?"
"Not even a month ago."
"Damn!" Tony cursed. "Why is it always Harry?"
"We have been asking ourselves that for four years," Fred and George said,
getting to their feet so they could go check on Harry.
"Hey!" Clint called before the boys could leave. "Who won the tournament?"
George turned around with a sad but proud look on his face. "Our little
Harrikins of course."
Tony didn't know what to say so he just sat there digesting everything that he
had just learned. He knew that there was a lot more to the story, but he was
going to have be patient. He didn't want to risk pushing his son away and
losing his trust by demanding answers. Hopefully soon everything would come out
so he could properly protect his boy.
***HP
Harry stormed back to his room slamming his door behind him in both anger and
fear. He was angry because he hated that the tournament had been brought up. He
wasn't angry with Fred and George for bringing it up, he was angry because he
hated thinking about it. Every time he thought about that stupid tournament he
saw Cedric's handsome and happy face staring up at him out of dead eyes. He
could still hear the pain filled cries of Amos Diggory as he cried over his
boy's lifeless body.
He should be mad at Fred and George for brining it up, but they hadn't done it
on purpose. At least they hadn't said anything about magic or anything that
would make his father suspicious. The twins weren't use to being around muggles
and having to watch what they say or do. For purebloods who have only ever
known the wizarding world, they were doing pretty good at not letting anything
slip so far.
He was also feeling scared and ashamed with himself for how he had snapped at
Clint and blown up about the tournament in the kitchen. Clint hadn't done
anything wrong for him to have snapped at him like that. The archer had been so
kind and protective of him since day one, how could he have been mean to him
like that?
Harry was so lost in thought that he never heard someone enter his room, but he
did about jump out of his skin when his hand was grabbed roughly in a much
larger and stronger hand.
"You're shaking," Loki said cooly, not letting the mage pull his hand back. "At
least let me heal the nerve damage."
Looking down, Harry was surprised to see that his hands were violently
trembling. "It'll let up in a few minutes," he answered, trying to reclaim his
hand.
"It's only going to get worse," Loki growled, getting fed up with the boy's
stubbornness. "The damage will not correct itself on it's own and the trembling
will become more frequent and violent. Do you want it to where you can't even
hold a drink without sloshing the contents all over yourself?"
Closing his eyes, Harry took a deep and shaky breath. "Alright, but just the
damage from the curse." He hated to admit it, but Loki was right, the shaking
was getting worse.
"You are a foolish and stubborn child." Loki sighed in exasperation. "Why
suffer needlessly when I can heal all your past damage?"
Harry finally managed to free his hand from the god's strong grip. "If you
can't heal just the damage from the curse, then forget about it. I can handle
it," he said tiredly.
Reaching out with the speed of a striking snake, Loki grabbed Harry's hand
again and allowed his magic to flow into the boy, healing all of the nerve
damage that the curse had caused. He wanted to heal all of Harry's other
numerous issues, but he reluctantly pulled back and stepped away from the pale
and panting child. He could have been a little bit more gentler with his magic,
but the boy had a way of frustrating the hell out of him.
"We had a deal," Loki reminded. "You allow me to train you in exchange for my
silence. Do we still have a deal, or do I go and have a heart to heart with
daddy dearest?" He didn't want to be mean to the child, but he was too powerful
to not be trained properly. He could seriously hurt someone, or even himself,
if he wasn't taught how to control his magic.
Harry dropped his head in defeat. "We still have a deal," he answered in a
small voice. Holding his unbroken hand out in front of him, he was relieved to
see that it was no longer shaking. It had been getting increasingly harder to
hide his trembling from his father and everyone else.
"I respected your wishes and only healed the damage from the curse," Loki
sneered. "With all the other damage to your body and internal organs, you will
be lucky to see the age of thirty."
Harry's curled in on himself and refused to look up at the god. He had known
for a while that the years of abuse he had suffered at his relatives hands was
affecting his health, but he didn't know that it was that bad. He may have
considered on more than one occasion killing himself, but he knew that he could
never actually go through with it.
"There is no expiration on my offer to heal you," Loki said in a much gentler
voice. "But despite being the most powerful being in the universe, my magic can
only heal so much."
Harry snorted. "Are you truly the most powerful being in the universe?"
Smirking, Loki puffed out his chest. "I am Loki Odinson, brother to Thor
Odinson. I am known by many names throughout the nine realms, though my
favorites are Silver Tongue and God of Mischief. My power is unmatched and I
can't be defeated. I am the most powerful being in the universe."
Harry rolled his eyes at the pompous god. "You're also extremely full of
yourself, and according to all the news footage that I have seen, my dad and
the other Avengers kicked your godly butt."
Loki nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Like I have said before, I was not
in my right mind at the time. Had I been though, I would have wiped the floor
with your dad and the Avengers."
Grinning, Harry shook his head. Despite Loki getting on his last nerve, he
found himself starting to like the arrogant god. He would never tell him that
of course, but he found him funny and he reminded him a lot of Fred and George.
For some reason Loki seemed to care about him, but he figured that the God of
Mischief just wanted to use him for something.
"You wound me, my little Mage," Loki pouted. "I may be arrogant and boastful,
but I am also a powerful god."
"I meant no disrespect," Harry quickly said, not wanting to anger the man.
Loki inclined his head. "None taken. Now, are you ready to start training?"
Harry looked to the closed door behind the god. "I have to go back to the
kitchen and apologize for my rude behavior."
"Please!" Loki scoffed. "You are a very powerful mage, you do not need to be
begging forgiveness from those mere mortals."
"I love those mere mortals," Harry spat. "and it's wrong to hurt the ones that
you love. Isn't there anyone that you truly love?"
Loki's eyes darkened. "Very well, go apologize to those beneath you, but I
expect to see you back here in an hour."
Harry stormed past Loki, but with a loud groan and a slump to his shoulders, he
turned back to the god. "If you're hungry, I'm making waffles."
"Waffles!" Loki grinned, eyes lighting up with childish excitement. "I do love
waffles."
Harry slapped a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. How could the god go
from anger, to excited in a blink of an eye? Loki seriously wasn't right in the
head.
"I do hope you have syrup." Loki declared, following Harry to the kitchen.
"Real maple syrup," Harry giggled. A loud rumbling from Loki's stomach told him
exactly how the god felt about that.
***HP
Harry bumped into Fred and George right outside the kitchen. Fred grabbed Harry
and pulled him into a fierce hug. "We're sorry, Harry, we never meant to upset
you."
Harry hugged Fred back. "I know, and I'm sorry for losing my temper."
"Am I seeing double?" Loki asked, looking between Fred and George.
"Oh shit!" Harry gasped, eyes going wide. It just now dawned on him that the
Weasley twins were under the same roof as Loki, the God of Mischief. It would
be a miracle if Stark Tower remained standing with the three of them running
wild.
George stepped partially in front of Harry, wand dropping into his hand.
"Harry, who's this?" he asked somewhat wearily. He could feel the magic rolling
off the other person and it wasn't all that welcoming. This person was
exceptionally powerful, more so than Harry, and there was darkness in his magic
and something else that he had never encountered before.
Harry rubbed at his forehead, giving the twins a somewhat pained smile. "Yeah,
Fred and George, I would like to introduce you Loki Odinson...the god Loki
Odinson from Asgard."
Both boys paled, mouths dropping open and eyes staring unblinking at the god.
After a couple of minutes of no sound or movement from the twins, Harry waved
his hand in front of them. "Hey, are guys alright?"
"Are all mortal magic users this..." Loki waved his hand back and forth at the
twins.
Harry giggled nervously. "I think they are in shock, it may take a few minutes
for them to snap out of it."
"Can I have my waffles while we wait?" Loki asked with a wink.
Harry gave Fred a shake, shrugging his shoulders when nothing happened. "I
guess, no reason for you to starve while they come to grips with meeting their
hero."
Loki broke into a wide grin. "Hero, huh? Finally, mortals who give me the
respect that I deserve."
Without blinking, George reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to
be a wrapped cookie or pastry of some sort. "C-Canary Cream?" he stuttered,
holding out a trembling hand.
Harry opened his mouth to warn the god, but with a smirk, he snapped it shut
and bit his tongue to keep from laughing. Playing it safe, he subtly maneuvered
himself behind Fred and George...just in case the god lost it.
"To... To hold you over until Harry makes up some more waffles," Fred said,
surprising Harry with his straight face. Not even a twitch to the lips was
visible from the teen that was about to prank a very powerful god.
Loki took the treat without even hesitating. "I think I could come to like the
two of you, young magic users. You know how to treat your betters, someone of
importance and above your mere mortal status."
Harry watched with equal parts fear and excitement as Loki opened the wrapper
and popped the Canary Cream into his mouth. "This is delicious, what did you
call it again?"
"C-Canary Cream," George howled when the god turned into a giant yellow canary.
Both Harry and Fred clung to each other, tears of laughter falling from their
eyes. The charm didn't last long, and in less then a minute later, the god was
back and thousands of yellow feathers were floating at his feet.
Harry's laughter died in his throat as Loki just stared at the pile of soft,
yellow feathers at his feet. He didn't know what was worse, the god screaming
at them, or just standing there with an unreadable expression on his face. He
could tell by how tense Fred and George were that they too were starting to get
scared too.
"Harrykins, is he going to kill us now?" George whispered.
"I believe so," Harry whispered back, grabbing onto George's hand. "It's been
nice knowing you."
Slowly Loki raised his head, glaring at the redheaded twins. Narrowing his
eyes, he held out his hand.
Looking fearfully at each other, George quickly pulled out another Canary Cream
and handed it to the god. Snatching the pastry, Loki smirked at the teens.
"Follow me," he ordered.
Fred and George looked at Harry who shrugged his shoulders and followed the god
back towards the living room. He didn't know what the god had planned, but he
was trying not to run in the other direction. He had seen the news footage of
Loki when he tried to take over earth, the man was scary powerful.
"Brother!" Loki greeted enthusiastically, spotting Thor walking towards them.
"You must try this treat that my talented new young friends have made." Loki
draped a heavy muscled arm over George and ruffled his hair.
Groaning, Harry dropped his head between Fred's shoulder blades. He was
relieved that Loki wasn't going to punish them for pranking him, but now he had
to worry about someone even bigger and stronger taking their anger out on them.
"Midgard boys," Thor boomed, shaking his head and his long blonde hair. "Men
should be training, not cooking. Though, this does look rather good," he said,
taking the treat and popping it into his mouth.
Loki wrapped his other arm around Fred and squeezed the two boys as he laughed
at his canary brother. "I must have more of these. Did you boys create them
yourselves?"
George nodded his head. "We have..."
"our very own prank line," Fred said proudly.
"You must tell me all about it," Loki said excitedly, still laughing at his
brother who had just molted and turned back.
Harry tried to hide the fact that he was laughing, but the look on the god of
thunders face was too funny. He felt a little safer now knowing that Loki
wasn't mad and was actually excited over the prank.
"Was I just a giant bird?" Thor asked, head cocked to the side with a
bewildered look on his face.
Harry, the twins, and Loki howled with laughter. "Come brother, young Stark is
making us waffles." Loki said between fits of laughter.
Thor looked to Harry and raised a single eyebrow. "What will I turn into if I
eat them?" He asked slowly.
Harry shook his head, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "I promise
that my cooking won't turn you into anything. It's Fred and George's food that
you have to fear."
Grinning, Thor looked back to the twins. "That was a very good trick, you
remind me of my brother. He was always tricking me when we were children."
"You were too easy to trick," Loki said fondly. "You would fall for them every
single time."
Thor shrugged his shoulders. "You are my brother, I will always trust you."
Harry didn't miss how Loki tensed or how his eyes darkened. "What about those
waffles?" Loki asked," voice sounding a little strained.
Nodding his head, Harry held Fred and George back while the gods went to the
kitchen. "I can't believe you," he cried, smacking them both on the back of the
head. "You pranked the God of Mischief, were you trying to get killed?"
Fred and George smiled sheepishly. "I panicked," George admitted. "Come on, it
was Loki for Merlin's sake."
"We have worshipped him since we were five years old." Fred admitted, blushing
as red as his hair.
"Please," Harry moaned. "Loki already has an overinflated head, don't make it
any bigger."
"But it's Loki, the God of Mischief," the twins whined together.
Harry shook his head. "Fine, just don't let my dad suspect anything...and
please don't destroy the tower."
Fred and George leaned in and each kissed one of Harry's cheeks. "We solemnly
swear that we will mostly behave ourselves," they chanted together.
Harry didn't miss the word mostly in their oath.
***HP
"You're alone? I was hoping that you would have brought those clever twins of
yours?"
"Their not my twins," Harry said, glaring at the irritating god.
"Right," Loki snickered. "Those boys are in love with you."
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Fred and George
were just good friends, there was no way that they had feelings like that for
him. Even if they did, he could never be with them like that. He was dirty,
tainted and broken, they deserved much better.
"Are they joining us?"
Harry shook his head no. "I didn't tell them that I was meeting you. They are
off trying to drown each other in the pool."
"And you do not wish to join them?"
Harry jerkily shook his head. "I prefer to keep my feet dry."
"You don't know how to swim?" Loki asked, picking up on Harry's fear of the
water.
"I thought I was here for you to teach me magic, not ask about swimming."
Loki inclined his head. "Very well, let's get started."
Harry really didn't want to be here, listing as Loki droned on and on about all
the wonders of magic. He didn't want to be special and different, and he hated
that magic had caused him to be. If it hadn't been for magic, then his parents
would still be alive and he would have never been orphaned and sent to live
with his sick, sadistic relatives.
"Are you paying attention?" Loki snapped. "Do you know how many people would
die to have me teach them magic?"
"M'sorry," Harry mumbled. "It's just...I don't want this. I don't want to have
all this great magical power inside of me."
"Well, suck it up, buttercup," Loki snickered. He had heard one of the twins
say that to Barton earlier and he had thought it was rather funny.
"Really," Harry groaned. "Do I have to separate you and the twins?"
"I like them," Loki grinned cheekily. "They make me laugh."
"You like them because they worship the ground you walk on."
"That too," Loki said pompously. "Look, if you don't want me to teach you then
you are free to leave, but I will be having a heart to heart with daddy
dearest."
Harry pulled at his hair in frustration. "What do you want me to do?" he asked,
teeth clenched in anger.
Loki grinned triumphantly at Harry. "Hold out you hand and produce a flame."
"I can't without a wand and I'm not an elemental."
"You don't need to be an elemental to control the elements. Can you produce a
flame with your silly stick and mumble jumble words?"
Harry nodded his head. "Excellent, then you can produce one without." Loki
smirked. "Your magic comes from within yourself, not from a piece of dead
tree."
Sighing, Harry held out his hand. This was ridiculous, he couldn't make a flame
without his wand.
"Now close your eyes and concentrate," Loki instructed. "Visualize a flame
resting in the palm of your hand. Don't be afraid that it will hurt you. The
flame will be born from your magic so it will only feel warm and comforting."
Closing his eyes, Harry took relaxing breaths as he followed Loki's orders. He
didn't want to do this and he knew that it wasn't going to work, but he was
still going to try his hardest. He didn't want to piss the god off, but
hopefully he would soon see that he couldn't do magic without his wand and
leave him alone.
"Open your eyes, little Mage," Loki said softly.
Opening his eyes, Harry let out an unmanly scream when he saw the small flame
flickering away in the palm of his hand. "How?" he asked breathlessly.
"Liked I have said countless times before, young one, you are very powerful.
You don't need a wand, it will only limit you and your power. Normal wizards
need a wand to pull their magic from their core, and then they need
incantations to direct that magic to do what they ask. There are some powerful
enough that they don't need silly incantations to direct their magic to do easy
things like levitating or summoning small things, but it takes a lot of magic
out of them and it tires them out easier."
"What about kids and accidental magic?" Harry asked, still staring in awe at
his flickering flame.
"When you are born, you are born with your magical core already fully
developed. When you have that much magic and are that small, it is easier to
use your magic, especially when angry, sad or happy. As you get older and
bigger, your core remains the same and you need a wand to control your magic."
Harry nodded his head actually paying attention to the god. What Loki was
saying was very interesting and made a lot of sense.
"See if you can change the color of the flame." Holding out his hand, Loki
opened his fist to show a black flame dancing on his palm.
Feeling a bit excited, Harry concentrated on his flame, laughing with
excitement when the flame turned from orange to purple. "I did it," had cried
happily.
"I never doubted for a second," Loki smiled fondly. "I think that will be all
for today. Your father is looking for you."
Harry's flame instantly disappeared, and so did Loki. Hearing knocking on his
door, Harry hurried over and opened it. "Hey, dad," he fidgeted nervously. He
absolutely hated keeping secrets and lying to his dad, but he had no other
choice.
"Hey, kiddo, why are you hiding away in your room on a nice day like today?"
Tony subtly looked around his son's room like he was looking for something or
someone.
Harry stepped aside so his dad could come in. "I didn't feel like swimming so
thought I would spend some time with Hedwig." Harry smiled when his owl hooted
softly, almost like she was verifying his lie.
Tony took a seat on Harry's bed and patted the space beside him. "Got a few
minutes to spare for your old man."
Harry nervously shuffled to the bed and tensely sat down. "Am I in trouble?"
Tony snorted. "For what? For being the most perfect son in the world?"
"I'm far from perfect," Harry said, dropping his head and looking to his feet.
"You're not in trouble," Tony reassured. "I just wanted to talk to you about
Fred and George and...feelings." Tony closed his eyes giving himself a mental
shake. He couldn't believe that he was going to have the birds and the bees
talk with his fourteen year old, soon to be a fifteen year old son.
"What!" Harry squeaked, jumping off the bed.
"Sometimes when two...or three people..." Tony pinched the bridge of his nose
and took a deep breath. "You get these fuzzy, bubbly feelings in your stomach,
sometimes you even feel light headed. You want to get closer and touch..."
Harry slapped his hands over his ears. "Please stop!" he cried in horror. Harry
wanted to curl up in a hole and die. He couldn't believe that he was getting
the sex talk.
"I'm just saying, these feeling are normal. Fred and George are fine looking
young man and..."
Harry vigorously shook is head and squeezed his eyes shut, wishing that he
could silence his dad. When the room got quiet, Harry peeked one I open. All
the blood drained from his face when he saw that his dad's lips were moving but
no sound was coming out. Tony's eyes were getting larger and he started rubbing
at his throat.
"Dad!" Harry cried, rushing to his side. He didn't mean to take his dad's voice
away, he just wanted him to stop the sex talk. "Dad, are you alright? Can you
breathe?"
Tony tried to say yes, but nothing came out. Grabbing his son's hand, he nodded
his head. He didn't want to show it, but he was starting to freak out. One
minute he was talking about boys, and the next minute...nothing.
Harry's eyes started swimming with tears. He couldn't believe that he did magic
on his dad. He didn't consciously do it, he just wanted his dad to stop
talking. Closing his eyes, he desperately started chanting, 'let my dad talk,
let my dad talk', over and over in his head.
"What the hell!" Tony hollered, jumping to his feet and backing away. "Jarvis,
what the hell just happened? Why the hell couldn't I talk?"
"Sir, I'm not sure, but there was an energy spike seconds before your voice
stopped working."
"Dad, I-I..." Tears were now streaming down Harry's face. His dad was looking
at him like the Dursley's looked at him when he performed accidental magic.
"Really, Man of Iron, your voice was grating on my nerves so I thought that I
would give us all a little break. You were failing miserably at the sex talk by
the way." Loki was leaning casually against the door frame studying his
fingernails.
Harry stared at Loki in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the god was going
to lie for him and take the blame.
"Not in my tower!" Tony raged. "And not around my son."
"I didn't hear you complaining when I fixed your baby boy up," Loki sneered.
"Actually, I didn't hear you thanking me either. When someone does something
nice for you, you really should thank them."
"Thank you," Harry quickly said. He was thanking the god for taking the blame
for his magic more than for healing him. He had already thanked Loki for that.
Loki's eyes softened and he nodded to Harry. "Magic isn't bad or evil," Loki
said, pushing off the door and turning to leave.
"How would I know," Tony called out. "The only magic I have ever witnessed was
by an evil, psychotic bastard."
"Don't judge magic by the person," Loki said without turning around. "Magic is
truly a wonderful gift and can do amazing things in the hands of an amazing
person. Someday you will be surprised."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean, reindeer games?" Tony yelled.
"Dad," Harry called softly when Loki disappeared. "I'm really sorry."
Seeing Harry standing there looking so lost and scared, Tony wished that he
could grab him and pull him into a hug. Sadly Harry wasn't ready for that.
"Hey, it's not your fault, kiddo. Let's go get something to eat."
Fearing that his dad would restart the sex talk, Harry nodded his head and
followed his dad to the kitchen. He was still reeling from Loki taking the fall
for him, he would have never suspected that the god would do something like
that. Maybe Loki wasn't that bad after all.
"Is there a party going on in there?" Tony asked, standing outside the kitchen
door where laughter and cheers were coming from.
"Sounds like it," Harry grinned.
"How could they not invite me? I'm the life of the party." Tony pouted.
At hearing the sound of gagging coming from behind the door, Tony pushed open
the door to see what the hell was going on. Sitting around the table was Fred,
George, Natasha, Bruce and Thor, all were howling with laughter while Clint was
bent over with his head in the kitchen sink gagging while washing his mouth out
under the spigot.
"Fuck, that tasted like ass," Clint gagged, rubbing his tongue with the back of
his hand.
"Really?" Thor asked. "You have tasted ass before?" he asked seriously.
Fresh waves of laughter erupted around the table at the god's question. Natasha
was laughing so hard that she had tears falling from her eyes.
Clint stalked back to his chair looking a little green. "Alright, another
round," he said, glaring at the small object in the middle of the table.
"What's going on?" Tony asked, feeling a little left out. He had never seen his
team laugh that hard before.
"Beans!" Harry cried in exasperation, spotting the small jelly bean in the
middle of the table.
Fred grinned at Harry, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ah, it's the..."
"lovely Harrikens..." George said with a wink.
"care to join us for a friendly game of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans poker?"
The twins asked together.
"The loser has to eat the bean," Clint grimaced.
Tony took a seat, squinting at the innocent looking brown bean in the middle of
the table. "It's a jelly bean, what's so bad about that?"
"Didn't you hear the name?" Natasha chuckled. "There is every flavor
imaginable."
"I got vomit and ass so far," Clint cried, picking up his soda and taking a big
gulp.
"I got a lovely strawberry," Steve bragged. Luckily he had only lost one hand
so far.
"I believe that my bean was fungus," Bruce said, scrunching up his nose in
disgust.
Harry wanted to be mad at the twins for them giving wizard candy to everyone,
but the sight and sounds of everyone laughing warmed his heart. Grinning, he
took a seat between Fred and George.
Fred shuffled the cards, smirking at everyone around the table. "Just so you
know, the last brown bean I ate was turd flavored."
Groaning, Clint grabbed his stomach. "I don't think I can take another
disgusting bean."
"Then stop losing," Natasha chuckled.
"Hey, kiddo, how come you know how to play poker?" Tony asked, raising a single
eyebrow at his son.
Grinning, Harry pointed to Fred and George. "I live with these two blockheads
from September to June, they corrupted me."
"Oi!" George cried. "We're not the ones who hold the current record for most
detentions in a single school year."
Fred eagerly nodded his head. "Or the one who has their own bed in the hospital
wing."
Laughing, Harry kicked both boys under the table. "You guys are just better at
not getting caught," he grumbled. "Besides, most of my detentions are with
Professor Snape, and he hates my guts."
"How can anyone hate our little Harrikins?" Fred coo'd, pinching Harry's cheek
and wiggling it.
"Let just play," Harry blushed.
"Please don't lose, please don't lose," Clint started chanting as he laid his
cards down for everyone to see.
George looked at everyone's cards, then smirked up at the God of Thunder. "Eat
the bean, sexy god."
Thor hesitated for a second, then picked up the bean and tossed it into his
mouth. After carefully chewing it, Thor smirked at everyone. "Worm, and a juicy
one at that."
"And you liked it?" Clint asked, feeling vomit working it's way up his throat.
"Very much," Thor grinned. "Worms are delicious."
"That's just gross," Bruce mumbled, scooting his chair away from the god.
Shaking his head, Fred placed another bean in the middle of the table and
collected everyone's cards.
Five more rounds later saw Tony holding his first bean up to his face. "Why is
it all speckled like that?"
"It heightens the flavor," Harry giggled. He had a feeling he knew what flavor
the bean was and he couldn't wait to see his dad's face.
"I don't smell anything off," Tony said, sniffing the yellow speckled bean.
"My ass bean didn't smell off either," Clint said, rubbing his hands together
in anticipation. He was thrilled that it was finally Tony's turn to eat a bean,
the man had incredible luck when if came to playing poker. The only other
person who seemed to have good luck was Steve who seemed to get all the good
beans. So far he had eaten a strawberry, pineapple, and pizza bean.
"Eat the bean... Eat the bean... Eat the bean." Everyone started chanting, led
surprisingly by Harry who was giggling his ass off.
Taking a deep breath and loudly blowing it out, Tony tossed the bean high in
the air and caught it in his mouth on it's way down. Quickly chewing it, he
jumped to his feet and rushed to the trashcan where he tried his damnedest to
spit what was left in his mouth out.
"Who the hell would make an innocent looking jelly bean taste like rotten
eggs?" Tony gagged, assuming Clint's position with his mouth under the spigot.
Everyone was laughing hard, especially Harry, who had slipped from his chair
and was laying on the floor crying with laughter.
"I thought it was going be buttered popcorn," Tony cried. Whirling around, he
glared at his son who was laughing like a drunk hyena. "You knew," he accused,
pointing his finger at his son. "You knew that it was rotten eggs, didn't you?"
Face red and tears in his eyes, Harry nodded his head. "I-I got the same bean
last time I played this game."
"Thanks for the warning, my darling son," Tony fake pouted. He loved that Harry
was having so much fun and being a kid, and as much as he hated to admit it, it
was all thanks to the demonic duo.
***HP
"Sir, you wanted to see me?" Coulson asked, taking a seat opposite of Director
Fury's desk. He could tell that the man was upset with something, the vein next
to his good eye was throbbing, which normally meant that the man was pissed.
"Yes, I just got a call from Agent Thompson."
"The agent that you have trailing Vernon Dursley?" Coulson asked.
Fury nodded his head. "He is currently in the hospital with food poisoning, and
now Dursley is missing. I have agents scouring for him, but it's been over five
hours since he's last been seen."
"Why didn't Thompson contact you immediately instead of waiting five hours?"
"It seems he had passed out," Fury growled. "He contacted me as soon as he came
to."
"Shit," Coulson cursed. "What about the wife and son?"
"Half way to England, but I have agents waiting to apprehend them as soon as
they land. It doesn't look like she planned on returning, she cleaned out their
bank account." Fury got up and started pacing. "Dursley must be using a fake
ID. I hate to say it, but we are going to need Stark to help track him down."
"Do you think he's coming for Harry?"
Fury inclined his head. "I think it's more than likely that he is. He is now
broke and desperate and Tony is rich. He is either going to blackmail Harry or
kidnap him and sell him."
"Tony is going to lose it," Coulson grumbled. "I'm going to personally go to
the tower, there's a good chance that Bruce will lose it too, he cares very
deeply for that boy."
"Keep me informed," Fury demanded, dismissing Coulson with a wave of his hand.
***HP
Harry stared at the pictures in horror. His hands were trembling so bad that
the people in the pictures looked like they were moving. Feeling vomit flood
his mouth, Harry lurched off his bed and ran for the bathroom. Crashing
painfully to his knees, he made it to the toilet just in time. The entire time
he was getting sick, the disgusting pictures flashed before his eyes.
How... How could his uncle photograph him getting raped? What made it worse,
the pictures made it look like he was enjoying it. Not once in all the years
that he had been getting used had he ever enjoyed it. He had never even
experienced an orgasm or gotten hard before. Some of the sick bastards had
tried to get him hard, but despite their threats and beatings, he could never
achieve an erection.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Vernon had sold him to his dad, he was never
supposed to see the fat, vile bastard again. He was finally given a chance to
have the life and family that he had always dreamt of. It wasn't fair that
Vernon was back and demanding that he meet him and bring money.
Vernon wasn't stopping at just the money that he was demanding. No, Vernon
wanted to hurt him again...to rape and sell him. His ex uncle demanded that he
slip away with fifty thousand dollars and entertain some friends of his for a
few days. He didn't want to do it. He would rather jump from the roof of the
tower then be subjected to that torture all over again.
What was he supposed to do though? Vernon had threatened to sell the photos to
the press and tell the world that Tony Stark's son was a cock hungry whore. He
couldn't let his dad's name get trashed like that, but he also couldn't just
turn himself over to Vernon. He knew for a fact that if he went, he would never
see his dad or the rest of his crazy family again.
"J-Jarvis, where's my dad?" Harry asked, voice hardly above a whisper.
"He is in his workshop, young sir. Would you like me to tell him that you are
in need of him?"
"No," Harry said, tears streaming down his face.
"Very well."
Folding up the pictures, Harry stuffed them in his jeans pocket and grabbed the
letter from his uncle. Slowly he walked to his dad's workshop, chin to his
chest. Could he tell his dad about the letter and pictures? If he went to
Vernon, he knew that he would either be killed or used as a prostitute until
eventually some guy killed him or he killed himself.
Why was this happening? Yesterday had been so much fun. For hours they played
card games with the twins, everyone laughing and having a good time. Why
couldn't Vernon just leave him the hell alone? What did he ever do to deserve
this?
Pepper had excitedly handed him the envelope this morning thinking he had
gotten a letter from one of his friends. If she had only knew what was inside
of it..."
Stopping outside his dad's workshop, Harry slid to the floor and curled up into
a fetal position. Would it be easier to just end his life now? If he went in
and told his dad, then he would have to show him those horrible pictures. He
was grinning in some of the pictures, but not because he was enjoying himself.
He was only grinning because they had threatened him. He didn't think anything
of if at the time, but if a smile was going to prevent a beating or another
round with the bastard, then he wasn't going to fight it.
Did his uncle watch and photograph him being raped every time? Are there videos
out there of him that sick fuckers were getting off on while watching. Feeling
more vomit work its way up, he quickly swallowed it down, not wanting to sick
up on the floor.
"Whoa, hey now, what's going on?" Tony asked, panicking at the sight of his son
practically catatonic on the floor. He had already called his name five times
and Harry didn't even twitch.
Hearing his dad's voice, Harry launched himself at him and clung to him with
everything that he had. He had to tell his dad or else Vernon was going to take
him away from the first person that ever truly loved him.
Not understanding what was going on, Tony wrapped his arms tightly around his
trembling son and slowly escorted him to the living room. "What's going on,
Harry? You're scaring the shit out of your old man."
Without saying a word and keeping his head buried in his dad's muscular chest,
Harry held up his hand with the letter in it. For so long he had to be strong
and handle everything on his own...it was terrifying trusting someone else.
Tony took the letter and started reading it, anger like he had never felt
bubbling inside of him. He was going to kill the fat fuck, slowly and very
painfully.
"You did good coming to me," Tony said, kissing his son on top of his head. "Do
you have those pictures?" he asked, gripping the back of the sofa so hard the
the leather tore under his nails.
A loud sob was all Tony got as an answer, but he took that as a yes. "I have
you, my son, I'm not going to let that bastard anywhere near you." Tony closed
his eyes as he felt tears start to burn them. His son has already suffered so
much, why did this have to happen? He should have never waited so long to have
the fucker arrested.
"Jarvis, contact the team and tell them I need them. Also, inform Bruce that I
need a mild sedative."
"I'm on it, sir,"
Tony could feel his son's tears soaking his shirt and it was killing him. Oh,
he was going to make that man pay. He was going to rip off his child raping
cock and stuff it down his throat. Did the bastard really think that he would
get away with forcing his son to him again? The arrogant bastard thought that
he had Harry conditioned to do whatever he said and not utter a word.
"Thank you...thank you for coming to me," Tony said, tears finally starting to
fall. He couldn't bare to think what may have happened if his son would have
done what Vernon had instructed. He knew that it couldn't have been easy for
Harry to come to him, but he was going to thank god every day for the rest of
his life that he did.
"What happened?" Bruce called, rushing into the room with just a towel wrapped
around his waist. He had accidentally spilled some chemicals on himself in the
lab and was showering when Jarvis contacted him. He figured that it had to be
about Harry since Tony had asked for a mild sedative.
It showed how much Tony was worried about his son and angry at the situation
that he didn't even comment on Bruce's naked state. "Do you have the sedative?"
Harry was still clinging to him, verging on hyperventilating.
"Pill of shot?" Bruce asked, showing both in his hand.
Tony looked down at his son. "Harry, can you take a pill for me? All it's going
to do is help you relax for a while." Tony sighed when Harry clung even tighter
to him. "The shot," he said, lifting up the sleeve of Harry's t-shirt.
Bruce administered the shot fast, before Harry could start fighting. He didn't
know what was going on, but whatever it was, it was big. "He'll be asleep in a
few minutes. What happened?" he demanded.
"Can you control your anger if I tell you?" Tony asked, still staring down at
his son. Harry's whimpering and tears had stopped and he now felt heavy and
limp in his arms. "The sedative worked fast."
"Thats because there isn't anything to him. As for your first question, if it's
something bad about Harry, probably not."
"Maybe we should wait until the others get here?" Tony suggested, not in the
mood to deal with the big green guy.
Bruce nodded his head. "I'm just going go and get some clothes on."
"Jarvis, where are the two demons?" Tony asked, asking about Fred and George.
Those two boys were growing on him fast.
"They are following Loki around sir, pestering him."
Tony wondered for a minute if he should be worried about their safety, but the
twins seemed that they could take care of themselves...even against a god. With
a snicker, he thought that Loki was the one that probably needed to be saved
from them.
Seeing something poking out of his son's pocket, Tony adjusted him so he could
reach it. He had a sick feeling that these were the pictures that was mentioned
in the letter. Holding the photos in his trembling hand, he couldn't bring
himself to unfold them and look at them. He didn't want to see his baby boy
being hurt in such a manner.
"Stark?"
Tony closed his eyes and growled. "Dammit, Jarvis, what did I say about letting
Agent in?"
"Never to do it, sir," Jarvis replied.
"And yet here he stands in his Agent suit," Tony grumbled.
Coulson's eyes drifted to the young boy sleeping against Tony. Harry looked so
small and innocent, it was hard to believe that he was probably the most
powerful wizard on the earth. "We need to talk about Dursley?"
Tony's eyes turned cold as ice. "Does it have something to do with this?" he
asked, handing Coulson the letter and photos. "Don't worry about waking my son,
Bruce had to give him a sedative."
Coulson quickly scanned the letter, each word making his stomach turn. "Have
you looked at these?" he asked, holding up the folded photographs.
"I can't!" Tony growled, pulling his son tighter to his chest. "Can you...?
Just to see if..."
Coulson looked at Tony for a full three minutes before nodding his head a
taking a deep breath. He didn't want to look, but they needed confirmation. The
first picture was enough to make him want to lose his lunch so he quickly
shuffled through the rest and folded them back up.
"You don't want to see them," Coulson said, clearing his throat.
"No... I don't," Tony admitted, eyes bloodshot. "How the hell did this happen?
Where is Dursley? The letter said that he wanted Harry to meet him tomorrow
evening."
"The agent following him got sick with food poisoning and passed out. He woke
five hours later in the hospital, but by that time we lost Dursley."
"Do you think he poisoned the agent?" Tony asked.
Coulson snorted. "That bastard is as dumb as a sack of shit. He had no clue
that he was being followed. No, this was just a horrible coincidence."
"What is going on?" Bruce asked, rushing into the room still buttoning up his
shirt. Bruce's timing was perfect because seconds later everyone else flooded
into the room, including Loki and the twins.
"Harry!" Fred called, rushing to the couch and kneeling down in front of his
friend.
"What happened?" George demanded.
"Boys, can you please take my son back to his room?" Tony asked, shifting Harry
so that Fred could take him. "We had to give him a sedative so he will stay
asleep for a few hours."
What's wrong with him?" George demanded again.
Loki laid a firm hand on George's shoulder. "Do as Stark asks. If Harry wants
you to know all his secrets, he will tell you himself."
"Maybe Banner should go with them," Coulson suggest. Bruce had a hard time
containing the Hulk when it involved the kid.
"Bruce, it's bad," Tony explained. "I think Coulson is right."
"No," Bruce said, adamantly shaking his head. "I can keep my anger in check,
especially if Harry needs me.
Tony nodded his head. "Alright, but if you a Hulk out, I'm locking you up for a
week." Tony turned to address Coulson. "Maybe you should go agent. I'm not
going to play this by the books and you're better off not know our plans."
Coulson looked around at the assembled group, each of them had a serious and
determined look on their face. None of them were going to show Vernon Dursley
mercy...not that he deserved any.
"Well, all Fury wanted me to do was brief you on the Dursley situation and
enlist your help finding him. I believe that I accomplished that, so I will
leave you to it." Coulson handed the letter and the pictures back to Tony and
left.
Tony waited until Agent was in the elevator before addressing his team.
"Jarvis, scan the letter and bring it up so everyone can read it." Tony
painfully pinched the bridge of his nose. "Harry got a letter today from his
loving uncle. This will end tomorrow."
Tony watched as Bruce read the letter, his eyes bleeding green. "Keep if
together, Banner," he snapped. "We need to come up with a plan. Just waltzing
in and arresting him is too good for the sick fucker. I want him to hurt...to
bleed."
"Keeping talking like that, man of iron, and you'll turn me on," Loki winked.
"Shut up!" Bruce roared, sounding more like the Hulk
"Brother, this is serious," Thor chastised.
"Do you have a plan?" Clint asked, keeping an eye on Bruce as he struggled with
his anger and the green guy.
"Dismemberment...castration, anything painful and gory," Tony growled.
"I want to smash him into the pavement," Bruce proclaimed, eyes almost
completely green.
"Boys!" Loki sneered, "always so violent. Why not use your brains and some
cunning?"
"What do you have in mind?" Steve questioned, horrified at the contents of the
letter. He was thankful that Tony didn't show them the photographs.
"Give him Harry." Loki said with a shrug. "Let him think that he has won, then
let Harry have his revenge."
Tony lunged off the couch aiming for Loki. "Like hell will I send my son!" he
raged. He was almost on top of the god when suddenly the trickster shifted into
Harry.
"I would never let that monster near the child...ever!" Loki said hotly, in a
voice that sounded exactly like Harry's. "but imagine the surprise on that
bastards face when Harry starts to fight back. See how he likes it when Harry
whips his back to shreds or breaks every one of his bones."
Tony relaxed in Bruce's arms, surprised that he hadn't even realized that Bruce
had grabbed him around the waist to prevent him from killing Loki. "I'm
listening, but I want a piece of Dursley too."
Loki threw his head back laughing. "Luckily, there is more than enough of him
to go around."
Tony slowly nodded his head. "I'm listening," he said, liking where this was
going. He liked the idea of Harry hurting Dursley without actually having to be
there. The man deserved to get a dose of his own medicine.
Before they could start planning, Tony stood up and handed Thor the pictures.
"Can you destroy these with your lightning? I never want to see them or have
them end up in the hands of the wrong person."
Thor took the pictures, but didn't look down at them. "Not even ash will be
left of them when I am done."
"Appreciate it," Tony mumbled.
***** Chapter 10 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Avengers.
FINALLY AN UPDATE! I'm sorry everyone that has been impatiently waiting, but my
muse got up and left me on this fic. It was a major struggle to get this
chapter written so I hope you like it.
This chapter may have some triggers for some people,,,self harm, suicide and
torture. Read carefully.
I'm really excited as this fic now has 975 reviews...so close to 1000. If
everyone is nice and reviews, I will have my first 1000 review fic.... COME ON
EVERYONE!
PLEASE REVIEW
***HP
 
Tony wasn't surprised when he entered his son's room and found the demonic duo
resting on either side of his drug induced sleeping son. "How is he?" he
sighed, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.
"Out cold," George answered.
"What the hell happened?" Fred asked, pale and trembling. He had felt Harry's
fear from two floors down and it had scared the hell out of him. He had never
felt anything like that before and he prayed that he never would again.
Tony didn't know how much to tell the boys, but he had to tell them something.
They cared very deeply for his son and didn't deserve to be left hanging.
"Harry got a letter from his uncle demanding money and a...meeting."
"The bastard," George growled viciously. "I'm going kill him."
Tony gave the boy an evil smirk. "You are more than welcome to kill him after I
have killed him first."
Fred lovingly ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "I-I can't believe that he
told you. Harry normally handles everything on his own."
Tony scrubbed at his face, he desperately needed a drink. "You have no idea how
thankful I am that he did. When I think about what could have happened..."
The twins were surprised when a few tears fell from Tony's eyes. "You really
love him," Fred said in wonder.
"More than anything," Tony said fiercely. "I just... I never imagined I could
love something or someone as much as I love Harry."
"I use to watch Harry as he watched our family interact," George said sadly.
"You could see the longing in his eyes. It damn near killed me seeing him in so
much pain and not be able to help him. Family, that's all he has ever wanted."
"Our pesky baby brother Ron has always been jealous of Harry's fame and
fortune." Fred explained. "But Harry would give it all away in an instant just
to have a few hours with a loving family of his own."
"Promise us that you will never turn your back on him," George pleaded.
"Promise to never toss him away for being who he is," Fred added. "For being
something that he has no control over."
"I don't know what the hell you boys are on about," Tony growled defensively,
"but I would never turn my back on my son or toss him away. Even if he came to
me tomorrow and told me that he was in love with the devil and planned on
marrying him would I turn my back on him."
Fred and George stared unblinkingly at Harry's father weighing his words.
Finally after a full minute they gave him a nod. "Harry has been hurt enough
and we're just looking out for him," George explained.
"We love him too," Fred said, a slight blush to his cheeks.
"Really?" Tony deadpanned. "I hadn't noticed." With a heavy sigh, he looked
from his son to the twins. "Look, I have no problems with same sex
relationships, I would be a hypocrite if I did. I have even enjoyed a few
ménages à trois myself and twins on more then a couple occasions so I don't
have a problem with my son being in a relationship with the two of you. Harry
isn't me though. Harry...Harry has been hurt bad."
Fred closed his eyes and took in a big calming breath. "His uncle raped him,
didn't he?" They had always been suspicious but never had the heart to ask
Harry about it.
Tony tilted his head back in attempt to keep more tears from falling. "His
uncle and many more," he choked out. "His uncle sold him to others and he was
very, very young when it started."
George reached out and took his brother's hand to help keep him grounded. It
was far worse than what they had suspected. How...how could anyone hurt a small
child like that? How could anyone hurt Harry?
Fred dropped his head onto the pillow and started crying. He couldn't stop
picturing Harry as a small child confused, scared and in pain. He kept seeing
large hands bruising his tiny body as a full grown man violated him in the most
horrific way possible.
"Please tell me that you're going to kill him," George spat.
"Unfortunately not, but I'm sure as hell going to make him wish that he was
dead," Tony growled. "Believe me, I would love nothing more than to kill the
fat bastard, but there is the pesky issue with murder being illegal and all."
Fred lifted his tear stained face. "Only if caught," he hiccuped.
Tony smirked at the boy. "I'm starting to like the two of you more and more
everyday."
"There's nothing we wouldn't do for Harry, including killing anyone that ever
touched him." George said, face dead serious.
Tony leaned back in his chair looking thoughtfully at the twins. He knew that
his son had a crush on them and he had a feeling that they were going to be
around for a very long time. "I haven't known my son for that long, but I can
already tell that he has a knack for getting into trouble."
"That's an understatement," George snorted as Fred nodded his head in
agreement.
"How would the two of you like to be trained how to fight, hand to hand and
with weapons? If you want my approval to date my son, then you better know how
the hell to protect him."
George and Fred looked to each other, mentally communicating. They had already
discussed not returning to Hogwarts for their last year and remaining in
America with Harry. They were way smarter than what anyone, including their
parents, ever gave them credit for. They got straight O's on their OWLS and
could easily pass their NEWTS with flying colors. They didn't need to finish
their last year, they could take their NEWTS now. Their mother was bound to go
mental, but they didn't care. They knew from the second that they met Harry
that they were destined to be together.
George held his hand out for Harry's dad to shake. "That would..."
"be wicked," Fred finished, also holding his hand out for a shake.
"We will protect Harry with our life," they then said together.
Tony grimaced, he didn't think he would ever get use to the twin talk.
"Alright, I will get with the rest of the team and draw you up a schedule. We
will also be discussing what behavior is appropriate with my son, and what is
not. If you push him before he's ready...I will hurt you...a lot. I won't just
hurt you, I will break you. When I am through with you, not even your mother
will be able to recognize you. Do I make myself clear?"
Wide eyed, Fred and George swallowed the lumps in their throats. "Crystal,"
they said together. Harry's dad could be damn scary when he wanted to be.
***HP
Harry went from dead asleep to wide awake in a blink of an eye. The memory of
the letter from his uncle and the pictures threatened to swallow him back down
and drown him. Gasping, he flung off his covers and raced to his bathroom. He
made it to the toilet with only a second to spare before he was on his knees
vomiting everything up that was in his stomach.
Tony had been sleeping in the chair next to his son's bed when he heard a small
whimper and then felt the bed shift. Opening his eyes, he saw a blur race by
him before it disappeared into the bathroom. His mind had barely had time to
catch up with his eyes before he heard the sound of retching. "Harry!" he
called, jumping to his face and racing after his son.
Harry let out a scream and lunged forward, bashing his head on the toilet when
someone touched his shoulder.
"Easy, son," Tony said softly, not wanting to startle him again. "It's just me,
your insanely good looking dad."
Holding his throbbing head, Harry scooted away from his dad and wedged himself
between the wall and the tub. "I..I..." He didn't know what to say. What do you
say to your father when he just found out how truly dirty and disgusting you
were? After seeing those pictures, his dad was sure to send him away. Who would
want him as a son?
Trembling, Harry dropped his chin to his chest in defeat. "I'll pack my stuff,"
he said brokenly. "I understand and I'm not mad."
"Harry, love, what are you talking about?" Tony rasped out. He hated seeing his
son like this, scared and broken. He was just starting to catch glimpses of the
boy that Harry could have been had he been raised right, and now this had to
happen. He was going to make Dursley pay.
Harry refused to lift his head to look at his dad. He couldn't bare to see the
look of hate and disgust in his eyes. He knew that this had been too good to be
true, and yet he had still allowed himself to get close. He loved his dad with
all his heart, and now that he had a taste of what having a family felt like,
there was no way he could continue on without it. He couldn't go back to how
his life was before Tony and the Avengers.
"Harry, look at me," Tony pleaded.
Still refusing, Harry shook his head no. "Please, I would like to get cleaned
up and brush my teeth," he said softly.
Tony reluctantly got to his feet. "Harry, we need to talk."
Harry pressed his hand over his aching heart, it felt like it was shattering
into a million pieces. He couldn't...he couldn't bare to hear his father ask
him to leave. "Please, dad, let me shower first." It hurt even worse calling
Tony dad because he knew that it would be the last time that he would get to
use that magical word.
"Ok," Tony said, nodding his head. "I'll be in the kitchen waiting for you. I'm
going to have breakfast delivered today. Is that alright with you?"
Harry closed his eyes as they flooded either tears. At least his father was
going to give him a last meal before kicking him out. He was stupid to have
gone to Tony with the letter and pictures, he should have just met up with his
uncle and hoped that he survived the encounter. He could have done what his
uncle asked of him and then returned to his father. Tony never would have
known.
Tony didn't want to leave but he also didn't want to stress Harry out even
more. "Alright, kiddo, I'll be waiting for you. Everything will be alright."
Harry waited until he heard his bedroom door close too before bursting out into
tears. He had wanted this so bad. He had wanted a real home with a real family
more than anything else in the world. He couldn't believe how close he had come
to getting that dream, it wasn't fair. For the short period time that he had
been here in the tower, he had been truly happy.
Gasping for air, Harry struggled to his feet and stumbled to the sink. Blindly
groping around in his medicine cabinet, he pulled out his favorite sharp knife.
Caressing it in his palm, he numbly walked back to the tub and sat down on the
edge of it. He couldn't do this any longer. He couldn't go back to Hogwarts and
being the Boy-Who-Lived. He didn't want that life, he wanted the life he caught
a glimpse of here with Tony and everyone else. He was tired of it all and it
was too hard to keep fighting. He just wanted to sleep.
Taking off his shirt, he canceled his glamours and stared at all the beautiful
scars he had created on his arm over the years. He wished that he could take
his stupid cast off so he could admire the scars on that arm too. He wondered
if cutting his wrists to end his suffering would work with only one wrist?
Would he bleed out enough that way?
Closing his eyes, he placed his hand over his green cast and started wishing it
away. He was trying to use the same technique that Loki had taught him when
conjuring the flame. Feeling warmth travel through his arm, he opened his eyes
and was surprised to find that the cast was completely gone.
Despite his heart pounding painfully in his chest, he was feeling remarkably
calm...numb even. The first time he tried to slit his wrists he was little and
scared, now he was older and resigned. At least he got a taste of what being
part of a loving family felt like. He would have that to take with him when he
passed on. At least he would be dying having those warm memories to comfort him
as he slipped away.
Really, dying wasn't going to be all that bad. He would finally be able to meet
his mom James and Lily. He was sure that Lily had loved him like a real son, it
was her voice he heard pleading with Voldemort when the Dementors were close.
At least in death he would be with them.
He remembered one time overhearing Uncle Vernon ranting how people who
committed suicide wouldn't be allowed in heaven. He hoped to god that he was
wrong. It didn't seem fair that his life on earth would be hell only to end up
in the real hell after he died. He was willing to take that risk though, it
beat his father kicking him out and him having to return to his uncle and the
wizarding world. He knew that it would more than just kill him to listen as his
father explained that he didn't want him anymore...it would absolutely destroy
him.
Resting his head on the cool tiles, he smiled as he started replaying his time
here at Stark Tower. There had been a few hiccups along the way, but his time
here had been incredible. He had never laughed as hard as he did here. His dad
was so funny and he knew exactly which buttons to push to get everyone else
going.
Lovingly caressing the blade across his skin, he remembered how proud his dad
looked when he finished his first gauntlet. It wasn't equipped with firearms
and lasers like his dad's, but it had still been totally awesome.
Harry gasped when he felt the blade sink into his arm. He knew that he had went
deeper than ever before because there was a piercing hot pain that he had never
felt all the other times. Eyes fluttering open, his heart stopped beating for a
second when he saw all the blood flowing out of his body and onto his father's
very expensive marble flooring.
It was the oddest sensation watching as your blood pumped out of your body.
There was pain of course, but there was also a numbness that went past the pain
and into your soul. It felt almost like he was on the outside watching instead
of living it. With a small chuckle, he grabbed the blade with the hand covered
in blood and quickly and easily sliced his other wrist. As interesting as it
was watching his blood spill, he needed to cut his other wrist while he still
had the energy.
With both wrists cut open, he dropped the blade onto the floor and in the
growing puddle of blood and held his arms out in front of him so he could get a
good look at his work. He knew that he had done it this time, there was just
too much blood to have not nicked his arteries. He didn't know if it was true,
but he had once read that cutting vertically down was more effective than
horizontally. Then again in another article he read it said that it didn't
matter as long as you cut deep enough, almost to the bone. He chose to cut
vertically and very deep, and judging by the amount of blood, he must have done
it right.
Feeling tired and a bit light headed, he slipped down the tub and onto the
floor. He had expected the marble to be cool under him, but then he noticed
that he was sitting in his own warm blood. Sighing, he fell to the side and
curled up into a fetal position. He prayed that this didn't take long. If he
wasn't going to die quickly he hoped that he would at least pass out from blood
loss. It would get pretty damn boring laying here for hours if not.
***HP
After leaving his son's room, Tony took a quick detour to his own rooms to
shower and change. He was worried about his son, he seemed so distant and
broken. It hurt that Harry thought that he would ask him to leave and he was
going to make damn sure that he got that foolish notion out of his head. There
was nothing he could do that would cause him to kick him out.
Feeling clean and somewhat refreshed, Tony entered the kitchen. He was a bit
taken aback to see that everyone was already sitting around the table looking
tired and with dark circled under their eyes.
"I ordered up some breakfast," Bruce informed, sipping on a cup of really
strong coffee.
"How is the child?" Thor asked stiffly. He was still reeling from the previous
evening and the horrible letter the boy's uncle had sent him. He had read the
letter, but refused to look at the pictures before destroying them.
Tony took a seat across from the large plate of blueberry muffins Harry had
made for him the previous day. Normally he would grab the entire plate and
start stuffing his mouth, but he just didn't have an appetite this morning. He
was too worried about his son and the thought of eating turned his stomach.
"Not good," Tony said, finally answering Thor. He could see that the rest of
his team were also impatiently waiting for him to answer. "He thinks that I'm
going to kick him out."
"What?" Clint shouted. "That's ridiculous."
"That's Harry," Fred admitted sadly.
"He doesn't think that he's good enough...that he's deserving of love," George
added, sticking close to his twin. Fred had been having issues with his empathy
all morning, everyones strong emotions were overwhelming him.
"I know that I have said it before," Bruce sighed, "but Harry really need
professional help."
Tony leaned back in his chair scrubbing at his face. "I'll talk to Agent about
it later today." He hadn't been procrastinating on purpose, he had just been
trying to get his son comfortable with him before sending him to talk a shrink.
He saw now that it had been a bad idea, Harry needed way more help than what he
could offer.
Natasha fidgeted in her seat refusing to look at Tony. She should have told him
about Harry's cutting and his attempted suicide when he was younger. What the
hell had she thinking keeping something that major to herself? She had just
wanted to gain the boy's trust so she could help him.
"I need orange juice," Fred mumbled getting up and heading to the fridge. He
had never had juice from oranges before coming here and it had quickly become
his favorite. His mom had only ever bought pumpkin juice so orange juice was a
welcomed change.
"Hey, handsome brother of mine," George winked, "do you mind hooking your
equally handsome brother up with some orange juice?"
"Of course you're both equally handsome," Thor said, looking confused between
the brothers, "you're identical."
Loki took a seat next to George. "He got all the looks," he said, nodding to
Thor.
"Don't forget blond," Tony snickered.
Chuckling, Fred opened the fridge and grabbed the orange juice. He turned to
head to the cabinet were the glasses were when he was hit with a feeling of
intense pain, fear, heartache and loneliness. It was ten time worse than what
he felt from Harry yesterday. Crying out in pain, the glass pitcher slipped
from his fingers and shattered on the floor.
George lunged to his feet and rushed to his brother who was sitting on the
floor surrounded by broken glass. He had his head in his hands and he was
crying while blood dripped from his nose. "Fred, what is it?" he cried,
kneeling on the glass. He was too scared for his twin to worry about the glass
cutting him.
"H-Harry," Fred choked out with a loud sob. "Please, someone save him." He
could feel the boy that he loved life force slipping away.
Tony was on his feet and out the door but Loki had already disappeared and
reappeared in the boy's room. He could feel the child's magic weakening and the
only thing that would cause that is if he was dying. Not seeing him in the
room, he quickly made his way into the bathroom.
Tony raced down the hall like the hounds of hell were hot on his heels. Dread
like he had never felt before was sitting heavy in his stomach. He didn't know
what he was going to find in his son's room, but he had a horrible feeling that
it was going to be bad.
Even with Loki's magic, Tony managed to get to his son's bathroom at almost
exactly the same time as the god. What he saw had him crashing to the ground,
slipping in his son blood as he raced to his side.
"Oh god!" Clint cried out, slipping into the back corner of the bathroom with
tears in his eyes. He had seen a lot of blood and death in his line of work,
but this was by far worse than anything he had ever seen before. The boy he had
come to see of as a nephew was laying on the floor in a puddle of his own
blood, white as a ghost. There was so much blood that he was shocked to see
that more was still sluggishly pumping out through the self inflicted wounds on
his wrists.
"No!" Natasha screamed, hand over her mouth and eyes wide with shock. "Jarvis,
call an ambulance."
Bruce knelt down next to Tony who was sobbing uncontrollably. Looking up to the
rest of the team, he gave a sad shake of his head. With the way Harry had cut
and with how deep he went, there was no way they would be able to save him.
There was also the fact that more than half of his blood was on the floor.
Steve slumped to the floor, back against the wall. He couldn't believe that
this was happening. Just the day before yesterday Harry had been sitting at the
table laughing so hard that he was crying while they played poker with those
god awful beans. He knew that Harry's past had been bad, but why would he go
and kill himself now when he had a family that loved him?
"Brother, save him!" Thor boomed. He didn't know Stark's son as well as the
others, but he had come to care a great deal for him.
"Harry, no!" George screamed, stumbling into the bathroom with Fred leaning on
him. Fred was so out of it that he had to damn near carry him to the room.
"Dammit, Harry, don't you fucking leave us."
Tony very carefully picked up his son's head and placed it in his lap. Blood
was all matted in his beautiful raven locks, but that didn't stop him from
cradling his fingers through his hair. He didn't need to be the genius that he
was to know that his only son, the light in his life, was going to die. Harry
had cut so deep that he could see bone. "Why, kiddo, why? How could you do
this? Why? Please, you can't leave me, Harry? I love you."
Bruce was crying harder than what he ever remembered crying before. Harry
wasn't just some kid that wandered in off the streets. He didn't know how it
happened because he didn't let people get close to him, but Harry had become a
son to him. A bond had formed almost instantly between them from the second he
helped him out in the lobby of Stark Tower. Life would be never the same here
without him.
"You're a god, save him!" Fred cried out to Loki. "Why are you just standing
there?"
"I can't save him if he doesn't wish to be saved," Loki explained softly. "I
can heal the cuts, but I can't give him his blood back or the will to live. I'm
sorry."
"Just try," Tony begged. "I can't... Please, he can't die."
Loki could feel that Harry's magic had already accepted and welcomed death. The
boy had been through so much and he just couldn't take anymore. "Talk to him.
Plead and beg with him. You have to give him a reason to live. He's already
content on the brink of death, it will take a miracle to convince him to come
back." Looking to the twins, he signaled them forward. "You too, talk to him.
The two of you are his soul mates. Call him back."
"Hey, kiddo," Tony sobbed. "Please don't do this, don't leave me. You can't
just walk into my life and force me to fall in love with you and then just
leave. That's really a mean thing to do. How can I continue living if you're
gone?"
Nodding his head to give Tony and the twins encouragement, Loki knelt down in
the bloodied floor and placed his hands over the boy's slit wrists. "Keep
talking, I can feel him wavering. Even if you have to yell and demand that he
return...do it."
Fred felt like he too was dying. He could feel Harry slipping away and he could
feel that Harry was happy over it. He would no longer be in any pain or living
in fear, his tortured life would be over. "Dammit, Harry, you can't leave us,"
he choked out. "Georgie and I love you. How can you do this to us? If you die,
you take our smiles and laughter with you."
"He means it," George cried hysterically. "If you die then we die too. We don't
want to live in a world where there's no Harry Potter."
"He's going to need blood," Loki said, looking to where Banner was crumpled up
on the floor with his hands buried painfully in his hair. "He will need a lot!"
Nodding his head, Bruce jumped up and took off for the medical wing.
"I love you, Harry," Tony whispered in his son's ear. "I love you. I love you.
I love you. Please give me the chance to be your father. I promise to protect
you and slaughter anyone who so much as even thinks about hurting you. Please,
if you ever cared about me you wouldn't do this."
Loki gasped when he felt a strong surge of the boy's magic. He wasn't ready to
come back from the brink of death yet, but Tony's words were having an effect
on him. "That's it, play on his guilt. The boy cares about others more than
himself."
Rushing back into the room with red swollen eyes and a slightly trembling hand,
Bruce started hooking Harry up to an IV. It was almost impossible to get a vein
since there was hardly any blood left in his body, but he managed "Tony, I'm
going to need to hook you up too. Your blood is a match for his."
"Take it all," Tony croaked, never taking his eyes off his son's face.
George was getting ready to protest because he wasn't sure what would happen if
Tony's nonmagical blood entered Harry's bloodstream, but Loki gave him a subtle
shake of the head.
Loki knew what the boy was going to say, but right now wasn't the time for
everyone to learn that little Stark junior was a wizard. Normally a blood
transfusion like this could be very dangerous, even deadly to the wizard, but
he was going to use his own blood and magic to stabilize the transfusion. A god
giving blood to a mortal was also extremely dangerous, but Harry's magic was so
much like his that he confident that it would be alright. At this point he
didn't have anything to lose, a mortal doctor couldn't save the boy, this was
their only option. With the boy's wrists still only half healed, he magically
slit his palms and forced his blood into the wounds.
"I can't believe you, Harry," Bruce growled, a hint of the Hulk bleeding
through his voice. "Why kill yourself now after finally getting a family? Do
you have any idea what the hell you are putting us all through? Do you even
care? Your father looks like hell bent over your dying body crying, Fred and
George have to support each other because they are too weak to stand on their
own, Clint is hiding in the corner in tears, Natasha is in shock, Steve's legs
gave out on him the second he saw your broken body, and Thor's hammer is
trembling in his hand. I can't even tell you how I feel right now, but it's a
mix of shock, sadness and anger. How dare you come into our lives, make us love
you, then put us through this. That was very mean and selfish of you."
Tony cried out when Harry's head gave a shake. "That's it, kiddo, fight your
way back. Please, I know life seems too hard right now, but you can lean on me.
Let me shoulder everything, I'm pretty damn strong and insanely stubborn. You
have to believe that I love you and nothing can ever change that. I shouldn't
have left you alone this morning, not while you thought that I was going to
kick you out. Don't you see, this is your home, Harry, and we are your family."
"The wounds are healed," Loki said, sitting back on his ass in exhaustion.
Since the boy didn't want to be healed, it had taken a lot out of him to force
the healing. "The rest is up to you guys. He's still wavering."
Standing up, Steve approached the group around Harry. "Let me carry him to his
bed where he will be more comfortable."
Nodding his head, Tony got go feet on trembling legs. He felt numb and dead
inside. Looking down at his arm, he followed the tube that connected him to his
son. His blood, his life force, was flowing into his son trying to save him.
"Watch the tubes," Bruce warned when Steve scooped Harry up. "We need to get
him out of those bloody clothes and wiped down."
"Harry, everything is going to be alright," Fred said, rubbing the smaller
boy's head. "Just get better then come back to us. George and I aren't going to
leave your side."
Steve carefully carried Harry out to his room where Natasha and Clint helped
undress and wash him. "Why have I never noticed these scars on his arms
before?" Steve asked, running a finger down Harry's arm. "It...it almost looks
like he has been cutting himself on purpose. Why would he do something like
that?"
"That's not right," Tony said, taking an arm and inspecting it. "I have seen
his forearm before and these scars weren't there."
"And where the hell did his cast go?" Bruce asked, looking around the room and
the bathroom.
"He had it on when I left him," Tony said thoughtfully. "What the hell is going
on? Jarvis, why didn't you warn me that my son was committing suicide?"
"Sir, I could not see young Harry at the time. I was blocked from the
bathroom," Jarvis answered.
"What the hell..."
"Just stop!" George cried. "Look, right now we need to concentrate on Harry. He
could still die and you all are worried about scars, casts and electronics. We
need to keep talking to him. We need to convince him to fight."
"He's right," Loki said, feeling a bit better now that his magic had time to
give him a boost. "I only healed the damage on the outside, that's not enough
to save him. Harry is going to have to want to live, you all need to forget
about everything else and concentrate on him."
Harry was dressed in loose pajamas then placed on the bed. "Tony, lay down next
to him. You're giving a lot of blood, you have to be feeling it." Bruce
ordered.
"I'll get you a drink and some muffins," Natasha offered, she was feeling
incredibly guilty. If she had just told Tony about the cutting he would have
known to keep his eyes open and not leave his son alone when his was so upset.
Laying on the bed, Tony pulled his son to his side and wrapped his arms around
him. "I've got you, son, and I'm not going to let you go until you wake up. If
you can hear me, please come back."
Bruce wiped at his eyes. Harry looked so small and pale laying in Tony's arms
sharing the same pillow as him. "Jarvis, I need a read on Harry's temperature,
heart rate and blood pressure please."
"Sir, his temperate is slowly coming back up, it's now at 97.2, but his heart
rate and blood pressure are both dangerously low."
Cursing, Bruce grabbed the heavy quilt from the bottom of the bed and draped it
over Harry. "Jarvis, keep monitoring it for me and inform me immediately if
there is a problem."
"Yes, sir," Jarvis responded.
"Keep talking to him," Loki encouraged before leaving the room. He needed some
time alone to get a grip on his emotions. It terrified him more than he would
ever admit seeing the little Mage dying on the bloodied bathroom floor.
***HP
Three hours later saw everyone still sitting around Harry's bed waiting for
some sign that he was going to be alright. Tony had given so much blood that he
couldn't even lift his head up from the pillow. Bruce had tried to pull the
tube out of his arm explaining that he had already given too much, but Tony
refused and threatened to show everyone the footage of them having sex if even
so much as twitched to disconnect the tube.
"Sir, young sirs temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure have returned to
normal. Mr. Stark's though is dropping." Jarvis informed.
"Dammit, Tony," Bruce snarled. "You are going to kill yourself. Do you want
Harry to wake next to your cold dead body?"
"Fine," Tony mumbled weakly. Now that Harry was doing better he was alright
with being unhooked. He would have given every last drop of his blood had his
son needed it.
"I can't believe that he tried to kill himself," Steve exclaimed. For three
hours he had sat quietly watching as everyone took turns trying to talk Harry
back into the land of the living, but he needed to know why the hell this
happened. He thought that the small boy had been making tremendous progress, he
thought that he was happy here at the tower with everyone.
"Let's not try to sugarcoat this," Clint sighed. "I think we can honestly say
that Harry did kill himself. He would be dead right now had it not been for
Loki. There wasn't a damn thing any of us could have don't to save him. What I
would like to know, how the hell did he hide his cutting scars. I saw his arms,
both of them since I was there when one was cast, there were not a scar on
either of them."
Tony ran his fingers over the inside of his son's arms. "There are so many of
them, he must have been cutting for years."
"Since he was eight," Natasha finally admitted in a small voice.
"Tasha, what the hell?" Clint snarled.
Natasha looked apologetically at Tony. "The first time I laid eyes on Harry, he
was sitting at the table with a knife to his arm. He wasn't going to kill
himself, just cut."
"And you fucking didn't tell me, why?" Tony almost hollered. If he would have
had the strength he would have been on his feet and in her face. As it was he
had to keep his voice down because he didn't want to disturb his son.
"Because he needed someone he could trust. He begged me not to tell you, and I
wanted him to trust me enough to come to me if he ever felt like cutting again.
I was only trying to help, Tony. I have been there, I have been him."
"You cut yourself?" Steve asked, eyes automatically dropping to Natasha's arms.
"A few times, yes," Natasha admitted. "If I would have thought for one second
that he would attempt suicide, Tony, I would have come straight to you. I
thought he was happy."
"He was happy," Fred said from the foot of Harry's bed where he was curled up
on his side. "I have never felt Harry so happy."
"Felt?" Bruce questioned. "Something has been bothering me but I have kept my
mouth shut. How did you know Harry was in trouble?"
"He's an empath," George answered after a few minutes of Fred refusing to talk.
"He's especially sensitive to Harry's feelings." They weren't breaking Harry's
trust. Being an empath had nothing to do with them having magic. Even muggles
could be empaths.
"Developing empath," Fred added softly. "It's getting stronger everyday."
"So you felt..."
Fred lifted his head so he could see Tony. "Yes, but I also felt how happy he
was here and how much he loved you all."
Tony blinked his eyes rapidly in an attempt will his tears away. "Then why did
he do this? If he was so happy, why did he take a knife to his veins."
"Fear, self loathing," Fred offered. "You said that he thought you were going
to kick him out over the pictures. Can't you see, he did this because he didn't
want to leave. I know it doesn't make sense..."
"No it does," Tony said, voice breaking. "He loved it here so much that he
would rather be dead than leave. Why couldn't he trust me though?"
"He's only known you for a little over a month," Fred said sadly. "Everyone
that has ever come into his life has used him or hurt him. Even at school where
he thought he would finally be safe and accepted he was on outside. One minute
their hailing him a hero and the next their damn near stoning him to death.
Even his godfather walked out on him after he saw his crush murdered and after
he was tortured by a psychotic serial killer. Harry was crying, pleading with
him not to go, but the man just walked out of the medical wing doors on the
Headmaster's orders. Other than George and I, no one has ever been solely on
Harry's side."
"Harry doesn't see how anyone could love him," George spoke up, tears falling
unchecked from his eyes. "His whole life he has been told that he was unwanted,
unloved, ugly, stupid and a freak, so of course he believes it to be true. We
have been telling him different since we met him, but he's as stubborn as he is
adorable."
"As touching as this is," Loki drawled from the doorway. "We have a fat bastard
to take care of in less than two hours."
Tony looked to his son and sighed. "Not me, I can't leave him, I promised." He
desperately wanted to take care of the man that broke his son into a million
pieces, but he couldn't leave him. Harry needed him more than he needed
revenge.
"I don't think me going is such a good idea either," Bruce growled. "The second
I lay eyes on Vernon the other guy will take over."
"Yeah, that's not such a good idea," Clint readily agreed. "Anyone else staying
behind...anyone else who isn't a minor?" He quickly corrected when he saw the
bloodthirsty looks in the twins eyes.
"We're going," George protested loudly.
"You're staying!" Steve stressed.
"But..."
"Enough," Loki snapped, stopping Fred before he could get started. "Harry is
far from being out of the woods. The two of you need to stay here and give him
a reason to come back."
Both boys bowed their heads in defeat. They may have no problems arguing with
everyone else in the tower, but they weren't going to argue with Loki. Besides,
the god had a point, Harry needed them.
"Same plan as we discussed last night?" Clint asked excitedly. He had been
waiting for this moment since finding out about Harry's abuse.
Smirking, Loki shifted into Harry. "I'll signal you when I'm ready, but I want
some time alone with him, at least an hour. I want him to get a taste of his
own medicine."
***
Loki in his Harry skin shuffled his feet as he approached the hotel door. It
was a pretty nice hotel and he got some odd looks when he first entered. He
just smiled and told the security guard that he was here visiting his uncle for
a few hours. Harry may be almost fifteen, but he looked years younger.
Staring at door number 23D, Loki wiped the excited smirk off his face then
reached out and softly knocked on the door. He had to remember to be timid and
shy like Harry, he didn't want his fun to end too soon. The team was only
giving him as hour before storming the room.
Loki faked a violent flinch when the door was wrenched open and he was grabbed
by the shirt and pulled into the room before even getting a look at the person.
The air was punched out of his lungs when he was then pushed hard, his gut
slamming painfully into the arm of a small sofa.
"Well if you don't look the shit," Vernon snarled, staring down at his nephew
in disgust and lust. "All decked out in nice, new expensive clothes that your
rich daddy bought you. You're nothing but a dirty little slut and that's all
you'll ever be good for."
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Loki Harry mumbled, his head hung down in submission.
"Do you have my money, boy?" Vernon spat.
Loki folded in on himself more. "I-I'm sorry, sir, I-I don't have access to any
money." Quickly he dug in his pocket and pulled out a credit card. "Th-this is
all I have."
Vernon backhanded the boy, chuckling when the force sent him tumbling over the
couch and onto the floor. "What the fuck good will daddy's credit card do me,
you worthless piece of shit? Do you know what this means? This means that I'm
now going to have to sell you to twice the amount men. You'll be lucky to leave
this room in one piece when everyone is through with you.
Loki didn't try getting to his feet, but he did take a second to glance around
the room. What he saw disgusted him. On a small table next to the bed were
various sex toys, such as viberators, plugs, anal beads and nipple clamps. On a
second table were more ominous looking tools, such as knives, whips, paddles,
canes, a gag, handcuffs, ropes, hypodermic needles, matches, and a taser. Then
at the foot of the bed on a tri-pod was a video camera.
Vernon rubbed at his crotch, he was already painfully hard. The last time he
had anything other than his hand around his dick was the night before he sold
the little shit to his daddy. He knew that this would be his last time with the
boy so he was going to make it good, there was no way he could allow him to
return and tell on him. The boy was also going to be a mess when they finished
with him, it was going to safer to just kill him.
Murder. That had always been a dream of his. To look into your victims eyes as
their life slowly left their body at your hands had to be the ultimate high. He
had been offered the chance to kill other boys in the past, but not only did he
not have the money, but he wanted his first victim to be his nephew. Harry had
been his first with everything else so it was only right that he was first with
this. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it yet, but he wanted it to be
personal, like strangling him with his bare hands.
Loki was having a hard time staying in character. He was reading the pig's
thoughts and his temper was getting the better of him. It was going to be damn
near impossible to hand him over to his team still breathing, it was a good
thing that he hadn't promised.
"Get up!" Vernon snarled, advancing on the cowering boy. "I only get an hour
with you before the others start trickling in."
Whimpering, Loki struggled to his feet and backed away from the disgusting fat
cow. "P-Please, Uncle, don't hurt me."
Vernon reached out with his big beefy hand and wrapped his fingers around the
freaks delicate neck. "Did living in the lap of luxury make you forget your
place, freak?" he spat in his face. "No speaking!"
Grimacing, Loki took two steps back wiping the spittle from his face. "Now
that's truly disgusting. Are you so fat that you can't properly close your
mouth to keep your saliva in. I mean, I was going to drag this out longer, but
that shits just gross." Loki watched in fascination as the man's face turned a
dark purple.
"Why you little fucker!" Vernon roared, raising his fist and bringing it down
on the boy's face.
Right before the fist made contact with his face again, Loki reached out and
grabbed the man's wrist. "Tsk, tsk, no more of that brutish behavior, my loving
uncle. I thought we were going to play some games?"
"Don't you fucking dare use any of that voodoo shit on me, freak," Vernon
raged. There was no way he could have stopped his blow unless he was using
magic. "You're dead!"
Loki stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "Aww, don't be mean, unceepoo. I just
wanna play."
Vernon blindly reached out and grabbed the whip. "I'll show you."
Loki waited until the man raised the whip over his head before using his magic
to snake the long leather around his disgustingly pudgy neck. "Now that's not
nice, uncle," he coo'd.
Vernon grabbed at the whip trying to pry if off. He could still breath, but it
was uncomfortably tight.
Loki, still as Harry, wandered over to the sex toy table and picked up an
insanely large anal plug. "Is this for me? Really, you shouldn't have." He
could tell from the magical residue on it that it had been used on Harry
before. Actually, everything laid out on both tables had been used on his
favorite little mage.
Walking back to the whale with legs, Loki slowly circled him just out of reach
of his flinging arms. "It seems that you and I have different ideas for games
to play. If I didn't know any better, I would swear that you planned on hurting
me. I thought you loved me, uncle?"
Growling like an enraged bear, Vernon lunged at the boy. He fell flat on his
face when Harry stepped aside at the last minute.
"Oops, are you alright, uncle?" Loki asked in a sugary sweet voice. "Here, let
me help you up."
"What the..." Vernon snarled when he all of a sudden found himself floating in
the air. "You can't do magic out of school, boy. They'll send you to that
wizards prison."
Loki dropped the lard none to gently on the bed. "I'm touched that you care,
uncle, but I'll be fine. America has different laws. Who knew?"
Despite the whip choking him, Vernon paled. If the boy was allowed to use magic
then he was in a lot of trouble.
"Excellent, I see you have caught on," Loki snickered. "Now, I'm sorry to say
that we aren't going to play your games. It's a shame really, you went through
a lot of trouble setting everything up. Truly, it looked we were going to have
hoot." Smirking, he sent a smaller knife from the table flying towards the man,
just grazing his cheek.
Crying out in pain, Vernon slapped his hand over his bleeding cheek. "Boy! I
demand that you stop this right now. Your punishment is only going to be worse
if you keep this up. Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried
to fight me?"
Scrunching up his face, Loki scratched at his head. "No, I think I need you to
refresh my memory. Wait, better yet, let's take a little trip down memory lane
and play a fun game called, do you remember when." Waving his hand, he stuck
the man to the bed.
Vernon thrashed around on the bed like a whale out of water for five minutes
before finally exhausting himself. "I am going to kill you for this," he
huffed.
Loki waved his hand in front of his face. "You always say the nicest things.
Stop, you're making me blush." Walking up to the camera, he flicked it on
record. "This will make an excellent family home movie, don't you agree,
uncle?”
All Vernon could do was snarl and bare his teeth at his nephew. He wasn't too
scared, Harry would never really hurt him. He was just trying to scare him.
When he got free, he was going to put the little shit's head through the wall
then slowly dismember him.
"I know you're not the smartest man, uncle, but I think you will catch onto
this game fairly quickly. It's simple really. I'm going to name a time in my
life when something major happened, then I'm going to let you experience what I
did. Doesn't that sound fun?"
"You shit, release me!" Vernon bellowed.
"It won't be very fun if I did that." Loki pouted. "Besides, it may be more
comfortable for you if we play this game on the bed. Since you're incredibly
thick, let's start off easy. Do you remember when I first got dropped off at
your house and you tossed me into that dark cupboard under the stairs? I was
just a baby, do you have any idea how scary that was?" Loki had been able to
tap into both Harry's and Vernon's memories to get all this information.
Vernon's head started swinging back and forth as he whimpered. Everything was
pitch black, he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. "W-What the
hell did you do?"
"Sorry, no questions," Loki sang. "I only have forty five more minutes to play
and we have years of memories to relive."
Vernon started trembling, he had an idea where this was going. "Just...just
go!," he barked, sounding way more confident than what he felt.
"That hurts, uncee. Don't you want to play with me? Now, do you remember when
you refused to feed me while I was in the cupboard? Or when you use to make me
watch as you fed Dudders or gave him a bottle. I was so hungry and confused.
Why wasn't I allowed to eat too?"
Vernon groaned as his stomach cramped up with sever hunger pains. He was so
hungry that even the pillow looked tasty.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Loki snarled. With a wave of his hand he canceled the
blind and hungry spell. He didn't want to overwhelm him too much in the
beginning, he wanted him to experience the full extent of everything he ever
put Harry through.
Blinking and panting, Vernon was relieved to have his sight back. "If you go
now, I promise to never come looking for you again."
"Not feeling the love here," Loki snapped angrily. "Do you have any idea how
dangerous the streets of New York City are for a pretty boy like me? I had to
come a long way to meet you and I'm not going to leave until our little game is
finished. Now, do you remember when you and auntie refused to change my soiled
diapers? I remember going over a week before being changed."
Vernon cried in panic when he all of a sudden lost control of his bladder and
bowels. Shit and piss was filling his underwear and running down his pants and
up his back.
Loki slapped his hand over his mouth and nose. "Ugh, it smells like something
crawled up and died inside of you." Grimacing, he cleared the air around him.
"Do you have any idea how badly shit and the ammonia from urine burns sensitive
little skin?"
"Stop!" Vernon cried, pulling on his pants in desperation. He could feel his
skin burning, blistering and peeling.
"Not a nice feeling, is it? Now picture yourself as an innocent fifteen month
old baby. I must give you credit though, you did eventually wash me down. So
moving on, do you remember when you would take me outback and hose me off with
cold water? Remember it was because you didn't want to touch the filth from my
diaper?"
Vernon spluttered and choked when a strong spray of ice cold water hit him in
the face then continued down the rest of his body. He was mortified when his
clothes vanished and the water started hitting him in the privates. The
pressure was so hard that it peeled skin off from his most sensitive parts.
"Squeaky clean," Loki professed, canceling the water and spelling clothes back
on the vile man. No way did he want to look at all that blubber while he
carried out his revenge. "Do you remember when you hit me for the first time? I
had been starving, and since Dudley had two bottles, I thought it would be ok
if I took one. You backhanded me sending my tiny body crashing into the wall."
Vernon bellowed in pain when it felt like someone punched him in the face,
right under his left eye.
"Moving on," Loki snickered. "Do you remember when you broke one of my bones
for the first time? I believe that I was three at the time. You threw me into
my cupboard at three in the afternoon and refused to let me out until noon the
following day. I tried, I really did, but I was little and just couldn't hold
it in. I peed my bed three times that night...well, if you can consider that
mound of rags I had a bed. You grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the cupboard
then shook me while you screamed at me until my arm snapped."
"No, no!" Vernon begged, but Loki only smirked. A loud crack echoed throughout
the room then screams of pain.
Loki closed his eyes, savoring the beautiful screams coming from Dursley.
"Uncle Vernon," he asked innocently. "I thought we weren't allowed to scream
and beg while we played, that's what you always told me. Do you remember when I
screamed when you hit me for taking a piece of burnt toast out of the trash?
You told me then that I was never allowed to scream incase the neighbors heard.
Do you remember how you punished me for that scream?"
Sweat was pouring down Vernon's face and he was crying. "Please, " he begged,
shaking his head no. "Please, I can't take anymore."
"Did begging and crying ever work for me, uncle? If a remember correctly, it
was the opposite. Since you don't seem to remember that punishment, I'll just
have to refresh your memory. It was the first time you ever took a belt to my
back."
Vernon's back arched off the bed as he howled in pain. Blood could be seen
spreading across the back of his shirt and onto the crisp white hotel sheets.
Loki rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Ah, the belt. One of your
favorite forms of punishment. I do wish I could share with you every time you
took the belt to me, but alas we are running out of time. Do you remember when
you shoved me onto my knees and forced me to suck your rancid cock? I was only
six at the time."
Vernon struggled to get up, limbs flailing wildly. No, this couldn't be
happening.
"Aww, uncle, are you afraid that I'm going to shove a cock down your throat?
Well, hell yeah I am, but I was thinking that there was a considerable size
difference between us at the time. I was only six and had a tiny mouth and you
were a full grown man with...well, not so big prick. Still, it's only fair that
I make a few adjustments."
Vernon's mouth was forced open impossibly wide as something that felt like a
phantom cock was forced in and started thrusting. With each thrust it went
deeper and deeper into his throat until he was gagging and choking on it. This
continued for a few minutes until something salty gushed down his throat. As
soon as the object was removed, he rolled onto his side and started vomiting.
"Bad form, uncle," Loki scalded. "Biting and vomiting are no nos when
performing fellatio. Did you enjoy it though? I didn't. I was still a baby and
had no clue what you were doing, I just knew that it hurt, was gross, and I
never wanted to do it again."
Vernon was on his side violently trembling, drool and bile dribbling out of his
mouth. "I'm sorry, no more," he pleaded, voice hoarse and raspy.
"But the fun hasn't even started yet, uncle. Why would I want to stop now?
Sadly though our time will be coming to an end soon and the authorities will be
coming to take you away. Did you know that pedophiles are worshipped in prison?
Ok, well I may be exaggerating some, but they do get a lot of attention. I
would like to share one last memory with you though and I'm sure you're just
going to love it."
Knowing what was coming, Vernon started crying and blubbering like a giant
baby. Snot was now mixing with his tears and vomit. When he felt his pants
disappear, he started screaming at the top of his lungs.
Loki was loving this. He wished he could have had more time, an hour only just
barely quenched his thirst for revenge. He also wished that Stark could have
been here, the man would have loved this. If anyone deserved to torture this
hideous bastard, it was Stark. Luckily he had a lovely video to take to the man
of iron.
"I-I can't...no more. Please, I'll give you a-anything." Vernon pleaded
desperately.
"It's almost over, dear uncle. Do you remember when you raped me for the first?
You didn't even use lube, prepare me or take it easy. You just slammed in and
started fucking, violently tearing at my insides. Now, once again we have the
issue with size difference, so adjustments are going to have to be made."
Vernon started scratching at the sheets in an effort to get away. His eyes got
wide and he screamed in fear when he felt his cheeks being wrenched apart.
Then, with no warning, something about the width and length of his arm slammed
into his ass and started brutally pounding away.
Loki had to cover his ears, he had never heard anyone scream and squeal so loud
before. It was so loud that he was afraid it would shatter the silencing charms
he had placed around the room. He had the phantom cock fucking him so hard that
he was curious if it would punch a hole into his stomach. There sure as hell
was enough blood flying everywhere. He kept up the brutal pace for five minutes
before having what felt like acid shoot into his severely damaged bowels.
"Having fun?"
Loki turned to Clint who had just walked into the room followed by Steve, Thor
and Natasha. "I feel that my fun was cut short, but yes I enjoyed myself. I'm
sad to say that it doesn't appear that my uncle had fun."
"T-that's..." Clint stuttered, horrified.
"I'm not cleaning that mess up," Natasha declared hotly.
"I'll call SHIELD," Steve offered, grimacing at the sight on the bed. He didn't
feel bad, the bastard had deserved that and more. It was great that Dursley was
always going to think that it was Harry that had tortured him.
With a spring to his step, Loki grabbed the camera. "I'm just going to deliver
this to Stark, I'm sure that he'll find it interesting."
Sighing, Clint gave his foot a little stomp.
"What's your problem, Barton?" Thor asked.
"I didn't get to do anything," Clint pouted. "Loki got to have all the fun."
Shaking her head, Natasha picked up the phone book and handed it to Clint.
"Here, give it a toss, you know you want to."
Grinning, Clint snatched the book from Natasha and hurled it at Dursley's head.
He gave a fist pump when it hit him directly between the eyes causing the
bastard to start crying again.
***HP
Loki appeared directly in his room and started shedding off his clothes. Just
being in that man's presence made him feel dirty and disgusting. He needed to
visit the little mage and Stark, but he didn't want to contaminate the boy by
wearing the same clothes. The things he had seen in that man's mind was going
to haunt him for eternity.
Walking into the bathroom, he turned the shower water on as hot as he could
stand it. He felt like he had to scrub himself raw just to feel clean again. It
had been worth it though, hopefully now Harry could heal.
Tony's eyes snapped open when Loki came strutting into the room. He had been
trying to stay awake, but he was weak from blood loss and mentally exhausted.
"Is he still breathing?"
"Unfortunately," Loki grumbled, "but I did bring you back a souvenir."
Tony's eyes lit up when he saw the camera. "Oh, I'm so going to enjoy watching
that."
Loki scanned the mage, sighing when he found no difference. At least he was
still breathing.
"I never got the chance to thank you for healing my son," Tony said, holding
his hand out to Loki. "Thank you."
Loki bowed his head and accepted the hand. "I care about him too, hopefully he
will wake up soon." The boy still wasn't out of the woods, but he was confident
that he would wake when he was ready.
As much as he wished that all the drama was over for Harry, there was still the
fact that he was an extremely powerful wizard afraid of his own magic. The boy
couldn't keep his secret hidden from Tony much longer, the man was getting
suspicious and he was too smart for his own good. He also needed to get more
information on the dark wizard that was hunting the boy and trying to kill him.
It looked like with the mage around, there would never a dull moment.
***** Chapter 11 *****
Guess what? Yup, I finally updated. Warning, I only gave this a quick read
through before posting because I wanted it up as an Easter gift.
HAPPY EASTER
PLEASE REVIEW.
***HP
 
Bruce was sitting at the end of Harry's bed trying to stay awake. Harry was
still in critical condition and Tony wasn't doing much better. He had given his
son way too much blood and now he was very weak and unstable. He had hoped by
now, six hours after Vernon Dursley's arrest, that Harry would have shown some
signs of improvement, but he was still just barely clinging to life. It sent a
painful chill down his spine when he thought that the boy he loved like a son
would be dead right now if Loki hadn't been here.
"Where are the twin terrors?" Clint whispered, shuffling into the room. He had
tried to sleep, but each time he closed his eyes he saw Harry bleeding to death
on the cold bathroom floor. You would think after all his years of doing what
he did that seeing someone dying wouldn't affect him so much, but he just
couldn't get the vision of Harry dying out of his head. He loved that boy!
"Loki forced them to bed," Bruce answered, never taking his eyes off of Harry
or Tony.
"And they listened?" Clint asked in shock. He didn't think there was anything
or anyone out there that would be able to tear those boys away from Harry's
bedside. They had it bad for Stark's son.
"No," Bruce snorted. "That's why he spelled them asleep. We won't have to worry
about them getting into mischief until the morning.
Clint took a seat on one of the multiple chairs that had been brought into
Harry's room. "If you want to sleep, I'll sit with them," he offered.
Bruce was dead on his feet, but there was no way he could leave Harry or Tony.
Not in a million years would he admit it, but he cared a lot for Tony. He cared
too much for the man. "I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I tried. I can't
leave them."
Rubbing at his face, Clint nodded his head. "Yeah, I know the feeling. I still
can't believe that Harry committed suicide."
"He's not dead," Tony growled.
"He was as good as." Clint shot back. "If it hadn't been for Loki and his
magic, we would be planning a funeral right now. Harry would have died. There
was no saving him."
"I know," Bruce murmured with tears in his voice. "I just...I just can't even
think like that right now. He's alive, that's all I want to focus on."
"He's alive and that fat bastard will never be able to threaten him again,"
Clint added darkly. He still wished that he could have had a go at the vile
monster, but at least he was gone and he would spend the rest of his life in
prison. He would never be able to hurt Harry again.
"Prison is too good for him," Bruce growled, a hint of the Hulk bleeding
through. He was tempted to let the green giant loose on the man, let him see
how he liked having someone ten times his size beating on him.
"So what do you think it is?"
Finally taking his eyes of off Harry and Tony, Bruce turned to look at Clint.
"What do I think what is?" he asked in confusion.
"Harry's big secret." Clint said thoughtfully. "There is something going on.
Something freaky."
"Don't use that word," Bruce scolded shortly. "Harry's relatives called him a
freak all the time. He despises that word. Still, I agree with you. There is
something very weird going on. Like his cast mysteriously disappearing."
"Jarvis not being able to see that Harry was slitting his wrists." Clint
scowled.
"Fred knowing that something was happening with Harry. I believe the empathy
story, but there is a hell of a lot more to it."
"How about Loki calling Fred and George Harry's soul mates," Clint added.
"How about just Fred and George," Bruce said seriously. "Not to be mean, but
those boys are odd."
"That's putting it lightly," Clint chuckled. "And what's with Loki's interest
in Harry? He seems to actually care for him."
Bruce narrowed his eyes, he too had noticed that. "I think we could sit here
till morning compiling a list. I agree with you, Harry is hiding something, and
whatever it it is, it's big."
"Whatever it is, Harry's terrified of us finding out," Tony said weakly from
the bed.
Bruce jumped up and rushed around the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked
anxiously.
"Like I went ten rounds with the big guy," Tony groaned. "I don't think I have
ever been this weak in my life. Even blinking is a struggle."
"Drink this," Bruce ordered, holding out a glass with a straw in it. "It's
juice."
Tony eagerly drank the juice, thankful for the straw. There was no way in hell
he could lift his head from the pillow. "How's Harry?"
Bruce's eyes wandered over to the deathly pale boy sleeping with his head next
to his father's. "The same. Maybe if you talk to him again he will fight a
little harder."
Tony slowly turned his head so he could see his son. Stilling, he held his
breath and watched, waiting to see his son's chest rise and fall and feel his
breath on his face. He could of cried when he felt a small puff of air come
from him. He came so damn close to losing his boy.
"You're not going to let him out of your site for the rest of his life, are
you?" Clint asked seriously.
"Not for a second," Tony said without hesitating. "I came too close to losing
him." Tearing up, he reached out and caressed his son's face. "I love you," he
said brokenly.
Bruce rubbed at his watering eyes. "Normally I would disagree with smothering a
teenager, but he's not even allowed to take a piss by himself anymore."
Stretching his long legs out in front of him, Clint relaxed back in his chair.
He wanted sleep, but he didn't see it happening until Harry was awake and
talking. "Agent Coulson will be by in the morning. He has a list of
psychiatrist for you to look at that he feels will be able to help Harry."
Agent was the last person that Tony wanted to deal with right now, but Harry
really did need help. He shouldn't have waited so long getting it for him, he
was just trying to get him comfortable with him before forcing him to talk
about his past with a stranger. Harry was severely damaged though, and as much
as he wanted to help him, he needed professional help.
***HP
"He'll never forgive us," George shot back hotly, glaring at his brother.
"Do you honestly think that Tony will hate Harry if he finds out the truth?"
Fred argued back. "He was willing to give every last drop of his blood to save
him. The pressure of everyone finding out the truth is suffocating Harry."
George ran his fingers through his ginger hair, eyes pleading with his brother.
"Do I think Tony will hate Harry because of what he is? No, I don't. Do I think
that he will look at him differently, maybe even treat him differently? Yes,
I'm afraid he will."
Fred's stomach felt like there was a Niffler digging around in it. He didn't
want to break Harry's trust by telling Tony about him being a wizard, but the
secret was killing Harry. "Fine, then let's tell him about us. Let's show him."
"Right, because the genius wouldn't be able to put two and two together and
figure out that his son was like us too. Look, Fred, I understand why you want
to tell him, but is it worth losing the person we love over?"
"You mean the person that committed suicide yesterday? The person who slit
their wrists and would have bled to death had it not been for Loki? Harry is
being crushed under his past and his secrets. If we told Tony and he was
alright with it, than that would be one less thing for Harry to worry about.
George, Dumbledore will be knocking on the door any day now for Harry. He's
going to find out anyway."
"And what if Tony isn't alright with it?" George asked weakly. "If he abandons
Harry, the next time he tried to kill himself he will make it so we won't be
able to save him. You said it yourself, Harry was happy to be dying. I think
the only person who can decide if Tony learns the truth about Harry is..."
"Me," Tony interrupted, stumbling into the kitchen being held up by Clint.
Both twins jumped to their feet and backed away from the man. "How did you know
what we were talking about?" They both asked at the same time.
Clint helped Tony to a chair then stood behind him glaring at the twins and
doing his best to look intimidating. Tony shouldn't be out of bed, Bruce was
having a fit, but he was a stubborn jackass who was determined to learn Harry's
secret. It wasn't that he was being a nosy father, he was being a father that
was desperate to save his son.
"I'm tired of living in the dark in my own home. I had Jarvis inform me of when
someone was talking about my son. I have been listening to your conversation
and now you're going to tell me everything." Tony growled, eyes glittering
dangerously.
Wide eyed, Fred and George looked at each other, silently communicating.
"Enough!" Tony roared, picking up a glass and hurdling it across the room where
it smashed into the wall and shattered into a hundred pieces. "My fourteen year
old son took a knife to his wrists and slit them yesterday. I held him in my
arms covered in his blood while he struggled with taking his last breaths. I
want to know what he is hiding and I want to know NOW!"
Fred and George's eyes shifted to the door where Loki had just walked in. At
seeing the powerful God nod, Fred pulled out his wand and pointed it at the
shattered glass. "Reparo," he said in a dead voice.
"What the fuck!" Tony hissed, struggling to his feet when the glass he broke
magically repaired itself.
"Wingardium Leviosa," George said, pointing his wand at the repaired glass and
floating it back to the table and setting it down in front of Tony.
Clint spun on Loki, his eyes hard. "What the fuck are you playing at?"
Loki held up his hands, his face serious for a change. "I'm not playing at
anything. There are people here on Midgard who have been gifted with magic.
They are a small community who keep to themselves, but they do exist."
Tony shook his head no. "I don't believe you. I would have heard something
about them. This is your doing, you did something to those boys. You did
something to my son!"
"He didn't," Coulson walked in, he had been listening outside the door. "We do
have people here on earth who have real magic. Director Fury's family is
magical. His mom's a witch, his dad's a wizard and his brother is a wizard."
"Are you trying to tell me that Patch is a wizard?" Tony scoffed. "Have you
been sniffing around the experimental lab again, Agent?"
"No," Coulson chuckled. "Fury's family is magical, not him."
"He's a squib," George gasped.
"A squid!" Tony cried. "What the hell? I just want the damn truth about my son.
How can I save him if I don't know what's going on with him? I don't want to
hear anymore about this hocus pocus shit."
"Squib, not a squid," Coulson corrected. "A squib is someone born into a
magical family who have no magic of their own. Your son, like these two young
men," he said, pointing to the twins, "are wizards."
Paling, and not because of blood loss, Tony collapsed back in his chair. He
didn't want to believe it, but Agent wasn't one to joke around. "You're not
joking, are you?" he asked weakly.
"Your son, Man of Iron, isn't just a wizard, but he's one of the most powerful
wizards that this pathetic world has seen in centuries," Loki smirked. He loved
seeing the cocky bastard so shook up, but he hoped for the little mage's sake
that his father didn't think any less of him after the truth sunk in. Harry
would never be able to survive without his father.
"No!" Clint growled, glaring at everyone in the room. "Harry's not evil. He's
not like him!" He snapped, pointing to Loki. After what Loki did to him, he
didn't like nor trust magic.
"Clint, sit!" Coulson ordered sternly. He knew what his agent was thinking.
Gritting his teeth, Clint reluctantly did as his handler ordered. He didn't
want to hear it though, Harry was a good boy. He wasn't a psychopathic, evil
maniac like Loki.
Coulson looked to Tony to make sure that he had the man's attention, but the
genius was staring unblinkingly down at his hands. "Witches and wizards have
existed in our world since the beginning of time. Thousands of them live
amongst us but they keep their existence a secret. I'm sure you remember
hearing about the witch hunts and burnings?"
Leaning back in his chair, Clint glared at his handler. "Those were real?" He
asked moodily.
Coulson inclined his head. "People fear what they don't understand and what is
different. The Wizarding World keeps themselves hidden, protected by magic so
only one of their own know of their existence. They have their own government,
schools, shopping districts and even sports. Hell, there is a Wizarding
shopping district not five blocks from here, but it is hidden by magic so those
without magic can't see it."
"You knew my son was a wizard from the moment you laid eyes on him," Tony said
softly. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"What, can you tell a witch or wizard just by looking at them?" Clint asked
curiously. "Do they have like a tattoo or something?"
"No, nothing like that," Coulson explained patiently. "But there isn't a person
who knows of the Wizarding World who doesn't know who Harry Potter is."
At hearing that, Tony finally looked up. "Are you saying that my son is
famous?"
"Understatement," George snorted. "Harry is more than just famous, he's the
Boy-Who-Lived."
With a sad shake of his head, Fred added, "He's the hero of the Wizrding
World."
"How the hell can he be a hero?" Tony gasped. "He's only fourteen years old. I-
I think you need to start at the very beginning," he said, pinching the bridge
of his nose. He couldn't believe this. This couldn't be happening. His son
wasn't like Loki.
***HP
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Tony cried, damn near falling out of his chair
in shock. "Back up. Repeat that last part and repeat it slow because I sure as
hell know that I heard you wrong."
Loki threw his head back laughing. "It's simple, Man of Iron. The night that
you decided to hop the fence and see what it was like to bat for the other
team, you impregnated James Potter."
Tony was doing a rather incredible impersonation of a fish out of water. "But
he was a man, I remember. He had a perfectly normal, fully function dick. I
should know, I made him cum three times. There was no vagina in sight."
"Like I told you a while back," Loki smirked. "Some men here on Midgard can get
pregnant."
"They're called carriers," George offered. "James Potter was a carrier who
purposely got pregnant to continue the Potter line. We were in the middle of a
war and he didn't want to die without having an heir. Unfortunately his wife
couldn't get pregnant."
"This is...is," Clint got up and started pacing. "So what you a saying, Harry
has two fathers, both Tony and James? Can all wizards get pregnant?"
"No, it's actually really rare," Coulson explained.
"Is...is my son a carrier?" Tony asked faintly. How the hell was he supposed to
wrap his head around this? He fathered his son with another man for crying out
loud. He was a man of science, and science clearly dictated that a man could
not get pregnant.
"Harry is a carrier, I scanned him myself," Loki said with a grin. He loved
seeing Stark so shook up.
"Hey! None of that!" Tony cried, picking up a blueberry muffin and chucking it
at the grinning twins heads. "Don't you dare look at each other like that.
You're not going to knock up my baby boy. Forget about our deal, you two need
to go the hell home. My son is off limits. It was bad enough when I just had to
worry about you demons having sex with him. Im not grandfather material."
"Are you carriers?" Clint asked the twins, chuckling at Tony. He had to admit,
the knowledge that some men could get pregnant was pretty hard to swallow.
"Nope, little Harriekins is the only carrier that we know of. Mum had all us
boys tested, but all six of us came up as negative."
"Six!" Tony cried. "Doesn't the Wizarding Wold believe in birth control."
***HP
Tony was sitting at the table with his head in his hands wanting to cry for his
son. How could one person...one young person who was still just a child himself
handle so much. His poor child had the weight of the world on his shoulders and
no one at his side who was willing to help him support that weight. Even his
own godfather left him when he needed comforting.
"So this Headmaster of yours, this man who is supposedly the most powerful
wizard currently walking the earth not only left Harry in a home knowing that
he would be abused, but he also expects him to kill this crazy dark lord?"
Clint spat in disgust. "What the hell is wrong with that man?"
"Ah, the little Mage is currently the most powerful magic user walking the
other. With the exception of myself, of course," Loki clarified. "This
Professor Dumbledork and Dark Lord Vaginosis are nothing compaired to us."
"He's a threat," Steve said, having walked into the room halfway through the
twins tale. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He only got the quick,
short version of what he had missed, but it was enough for him. "The man
purposely set Harry up the last few years to test him. It sounds like he is a
master manipulator."
Tony looked to Coulson. "And you say that he can legally walk in and take my
son?"
"He is Harry's magical guardian and unfortunately in the magical wold that
trumps muggle father."
"Yeah, well we're not in the magical world right now and my son wants nothing
to do with those two faced bastards. No offense," Tony added, looking to the
twins.
"We feel..."
"the same way."
"So you would be willing to leave your family and your wold for my son?" Tony
asked skeptically.
"Of course they would?" Loki answered for the twins. "They're soul mates."
Clint perked up at hearing that. "That's the second time that I have heard you
say that. What exactly do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, bird man," Loki smirked. "Their three souls are a
perfect match and they were destined to be together."
Both Fred and George gave Tony shit eating grins. "Daddy!" They cried, rushing
to Tony and giving him a hug.
"I have lasers and a Hulk!" Tony cried, trying to wiggle his way out of a
demonic duo sandwich. "If you don't unhand me now I won't hesitate to use
them."
Yelping, both boys jumped back grinning mischievously. "To answer your
question, we would leave it all behind to be with Harry. We have been in love
with him since we were thirteen." Fred snickered.
"You're stuck with us, pops," George crowed excitedly.
Feeling overwhelmed, Tony got up from the table. "I need time to process
everything that I have just learned. I was expecting something big, but not
this big."
Frowning at each other, Fred and George watched as the man left the room. Fred
could feel his conflicting emotions, but luckily he could still feel the
overwhelming love that he felt for his son. Hopefully Tony wouldn't turn Harry
away because of his magic.
***HP
Tony stared down at his unconscious son thinking back on everything he had
learned in the past two hours. Finally he knew the truth about his son...all of
it. He knew that he was a wizard, that he defeated the most powerful dark
wizard that their world has ever known, that said dark wizard was now back and
had horribly tortured his son just a month ago and wanted to kill him, that his
magical guardian was going to force him to return to his school, hell, he even
knew that James was his son's mother, not Lily. That had been a shocker.
"You need to lay down before you pass out," Bruce growled. "I know you're in
shock after learning to truth about Harry, but he is still your son and he
needs you." Tony had Jarvis broadcast the conversation to him as it was
happening since he had been unwilling to leave Harry's side. He had been
shocked, but it explained a lot.
Not answering, Tony continued to stare at his son. He did feel like he was
seconds from passing out, but there was just too much on his mind to be able to
relax.
Frustrated, Bruce forcefully pushed Tony into a chair then got up in his face.
"Don't you fucking dare turn your back on your son just because he has magic."
Finally focusing on Bruce, Tony's bottom jaw dropped in shock. "I would never
do that to my son...never. I don't seem him differently just because he is
magical."
"Then what the hell is your problem?" Bruce hissed.
With a pained look in his eyes, Tony looked back to his son. "I don't know how
to save him. I'm a genius and I have fuck load of technology at my fingertips,
but that isn't going to do me a damn bit of good against magic. They're coming
for him, Bruce. How the hell am I supposed to fight magic?"
Bruce let loose a huge sigh of relief. After dealing with Loki, he had been
afraid that Tony wouldn't be able to deal with his son being magical too. He
knew what it was like to lose everyone because of being different. Harry had
suffered enough, he couldn't take losing anyone else. "So just to clarify, you
don't have a problem with your son having magical powers?"
"Do I have a problem with you turning into the not-so-friendly-giant-green-
giant every time someone looks at you wrong?" Tony snapped back. He couldn't
believe that everyone had assumed that he would shun his son for being
something that he had no control over. He loved his son unconditionally. He
wasn't like his bastard of a father. "I just wish he would have trusted me."
Loki walked into the room and magically scanned Harry. With a heavy sigh, he
looked to the two other men in the room. "You need to put yourself in his
shoes. He believes that it was his magic that caused his relatives to hate and
abuse him. Of course he was going to be terrified of you finding out. For the
first time in his life he had a family and he felt safe and loved. He wasn't
going to let anyone take that away from him, even if it killed him."
"What do you mean by that?" Tony asked going pale.
Loki looked back to the boy. "He's not just damaged and scarred on the outside.
He has a long list of internal complications from his years of abuse and
malnourishment. I offered to heal them, but despite me explaining to him that
he would be lucky to see thirty if he wasn't healed, he still refused me. He
was so afraid that he would lose you if you found out that he had magic that he
was willing to suffer severe pain, sickness and early death just to be with
you. You are a very lucky man to have him, Man of Iron."
"Heal him!" Tony cried in panic, lunging to his feet but collapsing on the foot
of the bed due to exhaustion. He couldn't believe that his son would sacrifice
his life just to be with him.
Rushing to Tony, Bruce helped him to lie down next to his son then covered him
with a blanket. He never should have been up and about after giving his son a
dangerous amount of blood. "What kind of complications?" he asked Loki.
"Pain and arthritis from wrongly set bones, nerve damage, kidney and liver
damage, his heart is very weak. I could list a lot more but I think you get the
idea. He will be lucky to see thirty if he continues to refuse my offer to heal
him."
"You can completely heal him?" Tony asked weakly and on the verge of passing
out.
"So now you trust me?" Loki sneered.
Tony glared at the cocky God. "I need my head examined for this, but I trust
you with my son. You like him."
"I can't deny it, the little pest has grown on me. Believe it or not, I have
been trying to help your son from the beginning, but he is as stubborn as you."
Bruce was still hovering anxiously over Tony. The man was so pale that his
completion almost matched Harry's. "How have you been helping him?"
"Not only is he terrified of his magic, but he also hates it. He blames if for
everything that has ever gone wrong in his life. That's very dangerous. Harry
is very powerful and if he doesn't learn how to control that power then he
could seriously hurt himself or someone else. His magic could even turn in on
him and kill him. I have been teaching him, but he fights me and his magic."
Tony was quickly losing his battle with staying conscious. Between the blood
loss, the fear for his son and the bomb that had been dropped on him today, he
was both physically and emotionally exhausted. He still needed to process and
come to terms with everything, but right now he couldn't rest knowing that his
son could die early if not healed. "Please, will you heal him now?"
"Rest, Man of Iron. I will heal your son." Loki reassured.
"Thank you," Tony said, voice barely above a whisper. Turning his face to his
son, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
"Stubborn jack ass," Bruce mumbled fondly. "You magically scanned Harry when
you first came in, how is he?" he asked of the God while still looking at Tony.
Was he falling for the arranging prick?
"The same," Loki sighed. He had been hoping that the little Mage would have
woken by now. He healed his physical wounds, but there was nothing he could do
for the emotional ones. If he was going to wake up, he was going to have to
want to. He was going to have to fight.
Bruce rapidly blinked his eyes trying to focus them. He hadn't slept since
finding out about that horrible letter and pictures close to forty eight hours
ago. "So what now?"
"All we can do is wait," Loki answered, "but in the mean time I can heal all
his past injuries. It's amazing that the boy could function. His magic is very
strong."
Bruce had to internally wrestle the Hulk when the god walked up to Harry and
placed one hand on his head and the other on his chest. Despite him saving
Harry's life, he still didn't fully trust him. When a feint glow came from the
man's hands, he stepped forward and watched. It was incredible that he could
heal someone from years worth of severe abuse and neglect just by touching
them. Maybe magic wasn't so bad after all?
Loki was surprised when Harry's magic reached out and caressed his own,
welcoming him into the little Mage. The boy's magic was different now, his own
magic and blood had reshaped it. The boy wasn't going to be happy, but he was
even more powerful now. His magic had always reminded him of his own, but now
the similarities were startling. If he had to label it, he would say that the
Stark boy was now his magical son. He knew that there had been a risk feeding
the boy his magic and his blood like that, but he had been thinking more along
the lines of the boy's magic rejecting his and killing the boy. He hadn't
expected the boy to soak up his magic and blood, happily welcoming it.
Bruce watched for some outward sign that Harry was healing, but other than the
glowing coming from Loki he looked the same. He just wanted the boy to wake so
he could hug the hell out of him and yell at him all the same time.
Stepping back, Loki wiped the sweat from his brow. "It is done," he said
shakily. He couldn't wait until Odin released all of his magic. Simply healing
the boy shouldn't have taken so much out of him. Granted, there was extensive
damage done to the boy, but he brought people back from the brink of death
without so much as breaking a sweat.
"Thank you," Bruce said, gritting his teeth. That was twice now that the god
had saved Harry's life.
***HP
Afraid to fully open his eyes, Harry cracked one eye open just a bit to see
where he was at. His heart dropped to his stomach when he saw his father's face
next to his own sound asleep. He had failed to kill himself once again. Why the
hell couldn't he do anything right? He just wanted all his pain and suffering
to end. There was so much blood and the cut was so deep that he had thought for
sure he had done it right this time.
Looking closer at his dad, he was shocked to see that the man was extremely
pale, had dark circles under his eyes and looked as though he hadn't showered
in a month. That wasn't like his dad. While he may like to lay around in jeans
and an AC/DC t-shirt, he alway made sure that he looked good and was clean. Was
he sick?
Opening both eyes and looking around, the first thing he noticed was that it
was dark outside. He slit his wrists in the morning so he must have been out
all day. The second thing that he noticed was Bruce curled up in a chair next
to the bed asleep. Like his dad, he too looked like he hadn't slept or showered
in a month. Could they have been worried about him? They couldn't have, his dad
was going to ask him to leave anyway. Why would they care if he killed himself?
Biting his lips to keep from making any sound, he carefully sat up. Stunned, he
sat there waiting for the normal pain that he lived with everyday to erupt
throughout his body, but nothing came. Some part of his body always hurt, there
was never a time that he was pain free. Where was the pain?
Holding his arms out in front of him, he gasped softly when he encountered
smooth, scar free, pale skin. Where the hell was all his cutting scars? He may
not like all the other scars on his body, but he liked those scars. He was the
one who put them there. Those were the only times where he had been in control
of his own life.
Scurrying off the bed, he sprinted to the bathroom to see the rest of himself.
Stopping in front of the mirror, he yanked his shirt over his head and stared
dumbfounded into the mirror. Gone! The scars that years of whipping had left
behind both on his front and back were gone. Everything was gone! No scars, no
burn marks, no cuts...no nothing! Feeling feint, he gripping the edge of the
sink and dropped his head between his arms.
How? How did everything disappear? Was he still alive or was this some type of
afterlife? Was he dreaming? With his legs trembling, he dropped to the ground a
curled into a fetal position.
What the hell was going on? Why was his sick looking dad sleeping in bed with
him? Why was he pain free? Why was all his scars gone, even the ones he created
himself? Why did he feel as weak as a newborn kitten?
"Come, my little Mage," Loki said soothingly, kneeling next to the fallen boy.
He smiled when the boy's magic licked at his own in greeting. He had felt when
the child woke and he felt when he started having a panic attack.
Normally Harry hated being touched, but these hands were warm and comforting.
Crying, he leaned into the man's embrace.
Loki cringed when he heard something break then footsteps racing towards the
bathroom. He had hoped to get Harry settled back in bed before Stark woke, but
that hope was now shot to hell.
"Harry!" Tony cried in a blind panic, racing into the bathroom. Images of his
son bleeding out on the bathroom floor swam before his eyes. He couldn't
believe that he hadn't felt him wake or get out of bed.
"He's alright," Loki said, still talking softly. "He's confused and having a
panic attack."
Trembling horribly, Tony sat on the floor next to Harry and reached out and
touched his shoulder. "Kiddo, I think you just knocked twenty years off my
life. When you get feeling better, I want you to search my head for those
dreaded grey hairs. My old ticker can't take much more of this."
At hearing his dad's voice, Harry started crying harder. He had thought for
sure that he would never hear it again. "Please don't turn me away. Please
don't kick me out," he begged and pleaded, reaching out and grabbing a fistful
of his dad's shirt. "I'll be good, I promise."
Unable to stop himself, Tony lifted his son and placed him in his lap, holding
him tight. "Never! Never! Never will I kick you out. Dammit, Harry, you are my
son and I love you. You need to believe me...you need to believe in me."
Still sobbing, Harry sat up and looked at his dad. How, in such a short amount
of time, had he come to love the man so much? "Did I die, is
that why I'm here? Is this my heaven? My scars are gone...all of them. This
can't be real."
Tony looked to Loki but the God shook his head no. Right now would not be a
good time to admit to his son that he knew that he was a wizard and that Loki
had healed him. His poor son didn't even think that he was alive.
"I'm going to put him back to sleep again, he is physically and emotionally
drained. He needs more time to process everything." Loki explained.
Pulling his sobbing son back to his chest, Tony nodded his head. He didn't want
his son to go back to sleep again, but he understood why he had to. The
important thing was that he had woke on his own. Everything else they could
deal with. His son was alive!
***** Chapter 12 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Marvel.
Update! Finally an update! Good god talk about writers block. I felt horrible
leaving this fic for so long but it couldn't be helped.
I hope you enjoy and leave reviews!
***HP
Tony's middle finger on his right hand was twitching in agitation and it was
taking everything in him to not call his Iron Man suit and incinerate the cocky
bastard sitting in front of him. Looking to Bruce and his slightly green eyes,
he could see that he too was having a hard time controlling his anger. If the
man didn't shut his fucking trap soon, then the Hulk was going to happily do it
for him.
"He did attempt to kill himself after all."
Feeling his left eye start to twitch now, Tony looked to Agent. "You have
thirty seconds to get this man out of my sight and out of my Tower before I let
the Hulk personally escort him out."
"Tony, you don't have to agree with everything the doctor is saying, but at
least listen to him," Coulson said patiently.
"He wants to have my son committed!" Tony raged. "How is that helping him?"
"Hospitalizing someone after they attempted suicide is common procedure," the
doctor defended.
"My son tried to kill himself because he was afraid that I was going to kick
him out. How do you think he will feel if I have him committed?" Tony hissed
angrily.
"Mr. Stark..."
"Is right," Coulson interrupted the doctor. "Hospitalizing Harry is out of the
question. Taking him away from Tony and the others will only damage him more."
"The boy needs to be under constant surveillance."
"Don't call him that," Thor growled, gripping the handle to his hammer tightly.
"He doesn't like to be called boy."
Sighing, the doctor pinched the bridge of his nose. "What then, Mr. stark, do
you suggest I do for your son?"
"I suggest that you take a flying leap off the top of my Tower," Tony said
petulantly. He couldn't believe that the bastard wanted to take his son away
from him.
"Why don't you start off by seeing him here a couple times a week," Bruce
suggested, wanting to get back to Harry. The twins and Loki were sitting with
him while they were having this meeting with one of SHIELD'S best psychiatrist,
but it didn't feel right being away from him when he was still in a bad way.
Loki's sleep spell had worn off hours ago and he could wake any minute.
"He needs to be seen more than a couple times a week," the doctor explained.
"With cases as extreme as his, he needs to have daily session at the least.
Multiple sessions would be even better."
"Then you can bring your ass to the tower daily for sessions," Tony snapped.
"I'm not allowing anyone to remove my child from my care."
"But..."
"Twice in a single day is a rarity and a little scary," Coulson chuckled, "but
once again I agree with Tony. You will be excused to treat Harry here daily
until you feel that he is improving."
The doctor reluctantly inclined his head. "He will still need watching around
the clock and all knives and sharp objects locked away. This isn't just because
of the suicide attempt, he has also been cutting for years."
Tony could understand that, but at the same time he didn't want Harry to think
that he didn't trust him...even if he currently didn't. Harry also had an
obsessive need to cook for them so he would need to have access to the knives
in order to do that. He didn't want to treat Harry like a toddler by putting a
lock on the knife drawer, but it was the only solution he could think of. He
would just have to make it so Jarvis could unlock it when Harry was cooking. He
was also going to have to talk to Loki and see if he had any suggestions on how
to keep his son from blocking Jarvis from monitoring him. If he couldn't find a
way, then he was going to have to glue his son to his side until he felt that
he could once again trust him.
"I will see to that right away," Tony said tiredly. He was still weak and shaky
from his extreme blood loss and from not being able to sleep. Every Time he
shut his eyes he saw his son's bleeding and dying body on the bathroom floor.
It would be a long time before he could get that imagine out of his head...if
ever.
Coulson waited until the doctor left before breaking more bad news to Stark.
"We have had reports that several foreign wizards and witches have been
portkeying to the US the past two days. Right now they have been keeping
themselves to the west coast, but it's only a matter of time before they start
searching here."
Groaning, Tony rubbed at his swollen and bloodshot eyes. "You think it's that
Dumbledoo fellow?"
"Dumbledore," Coulson corrected. "Albus Dumbledore. Don't take this lightly,
Tony, Albus Dumbledore is a very powerful wizard."
"Not as powerful as Loki," Clint pointed out awkwardly. He still didn't like
the god, but he would forever be in debt to him for saving his honorary nephew.
"There is that," Coulson conceded, "but please don't underestimate the man. Not
only is he powerful, but he is very manipulative."
"Is he evil?" Steve asked thoughtfully.
"Not evil, no, but he's all about the 'Greater Good', even if that means
sacrificing innocents. Fury's brother told him that Dumbledore knew of Harry's
abuse, not how bad it was, but he knew that he wasn't being treated right."
"And he just left him there?" Tony growled.
Coulson sadly nodded his head. "Harry is very powerful and he didn't want one
of the dark families getting their hands on him and raising him up to be the
next Dark Lord. He felt that it was in the 'Greater Good's' best interest to
leave Harry with his relatives despite the abuse. What's one little boy being
beat and starved when it came to the safety of the rest of the Wizarding
World?"
"I'm going to kill him!" Tony roared, jumping to his feet, only to collapse
weakly back onto the couch.
"Take it easy, Tony," Bruce reprimanded. "You're not going to be able to
protect Harry if you keep going the way you're going. All of us here in the
tower love that boy and we will die fighting to protect him. You don't have to
kill yourself before the fight even starts."
"Well said!" Thor cheered.
***HP
Tony was sitting anxiously at his son's bedside, Loki had been monitoring him
and he just informed him that he was waking. He had no clue what he was going
to say to him or how to handle him, but he figured that a bone crushing hug was
a good place to start.
Looking around, he was relieved to see that just the twins, Bruce and Loki were
left in the room. Everyone else had understood when he asked them to leave.
They were all family, but he didn't want to overwhelm his son. Even though he
still didn't trust the trickster god a hundred percent, he trusted that he
cared for Harry and only wanted to help him. He planned on being by his son's
side to help him during his recovery, but if he started losing it again, he was
going to need Loki's help. With just a thought he could put his son asleep,
that was much easier than pills and shots to help calm him.
Seeing his son's finger twitching, Tony reached out with a trembling hand and
squeezed his son's hand. Glancing to Loki and giving a slight nod of his head,
he closed his eyes and took a deep and calming breath. "Harry, it's time to
wake up," he said gently, not wanting to startle his son. He figured warning
him that he was there was better than him opening his eyes and finding him
hovering over him.
Whimpering, Harry tried to fight his way out of the blackness when he heard his
dad's voice. Why did he feel so weak? Feeling a warm hand on his, he gave a
tentative squeeze back.
"That's it, little chef," Tony encouraged. "It's time to wake up."
Fred gripped his brother's hand tightly when he felt the first waves of self-
loathing and fear roll off of Harry. "He's remembering," he warned, his voice
cracking. These past few days had been the worst in his entire life. To think,
if it hadn't been for Loki, his Harry would be dead and gone right now.
Breathing was getting harder for Harry. Everything was coming back to
him...everything! He was supposed to be with his dad James right now and Lily.
He knew that he had cut deep enough to succeed, why then was his dad waking him
up? He didn't want to wake up, he never wanted to wake up again. Why the hell
couldn't he do anything right? He was supposed to be dead.
Rolling his eyes, Loki stepped forward. "Did you honestly think that I would
allow you to die?" he said with a false air of arrogance. The last thing he was
feeling right now was arrogant. He was too worried about the little Mage that
he had grown exceptionally fond of. He had been monitoring the child's thoughts
so he knew what he had been thinking.
Unwilling to open his eyes and see the disappoint and disgust on his father's
face, Harry started crying. What was going to happen to him now? Why save him
to only send him away? It would have been far kinder to let him crossover and
be with his dad James.
Sliding onto the bed, Tony gathered his son up and placed him on his lap. With
tears of his own falling, he tightly wrapped his arms around his son and hugged
him for dear life. "Now listen here, Harry. I am never, ever, ever going to
kick you out...ever. You are my son and I'm never going ask or demand you to
leave my tower. There is nothing in this world that would make me feel
differently."
Despite his fear of rejection, Harry clung tightly to his dad. He had thought
for sure that he would never feel this again. The feel of love and safety that
he had only ever felt in his dad's arms. "Y-You don't know!" he wailed. "You d-
don't know what a freak I a-am. You should have l-let me d-die."
Tony raised his hand stopping the twins from saying anything. He knew they felt
guilty as all hell for betraying their friend and spilling his secret, but they
had done the right thing. His son had been cracking under the weight and guilt
of his secrets, at least this way everything was out in the open and they could
start the healing process.
"Son, I know everything," Tony said, breaking the news as gently to him as he
could. "I know that you're a powerful little wizard and I know that James was
your mother, not Lily. I was shocked when Agent Coulson told me about the
Wizarding World and The-Boy-Who-Lived, but I wasn't angry or disgusted. I don't
think you're a freak, Harry, I think you're amazing. I'm proud to be your old
man."
Harry felt his heart stop beating and white hot fear flood his body. His fear
was so strong that it was physically painful for him. This couldn't be
happening. His dad couldn't know the truth. This was worse then him finding out
what his uncle had forced him to do and seeing those horrible pictures.
Tony gripped his son even tighter when he felt him shaking uncontrollably.
"Hey, mini me, this is where you tell me that I'm not an old man but your
devastatingly handsome, too you to be a father, father. I'll have you know,
despite what you have put me through the past few days, my beautiful hair is
still just as luscious and as dark as it's always been. Not a single white hair
anywhere."
Tony deflated some and looked to Bruce for help when Harry just continued to
shake and cry and refused to talk or look at him. This was going worse than
what he had expected. Harry screaming and cursing at him would have been easier
to handle than this.
Bruce approached the bed with a determined look on his face. "Don't fight me on
this," he whispered to Tony, right before he took Harry from his arms and sat
him up on the bed. Gently taking his face in his hands, he forced the boy he
had come to love like a son to look at him. "Harry, that is enough," he ordered
sternly. "We know the truth, we know everything and we're not kicking you out.
If you want to see yourself as a freak, fine, but then you have to admit that
the rest of us our freaks, too. Your father has a flashlight stuck in his
chest, Steve is like a hundred years old but looks like he's twenty, Thor plays
with lightning bolts and carries a hammer that only he can pick up, Clint
thinks he's a bird, Natasha is just scary, Loki is magical like you, I turn
into a giant green monster and Fred and George are...well, they're Fred and
George. There is something different and odd about everyone in this tower and
that's what makes us a unique family."
Harry didn't want to look at Bruce but the man wouldn't let go of his face.
Chest heaving from panic, his mouth dropped open in shock when Bruce said that
they weren't going to kick him out. He had been expecting harsh and hateful
words, he didn't know how to respond to what he was hearing from Bruce.
Bruce sighed when he saw that his words were finally sinking in. Harry may be
more adorable than his father, but he was just as stubborn. "I love you,
Harry," he said slowly, stressing the word love. "Your father loves you, Steve
loves you, Clint and Natasha love you, Pepper loves you, Thor and Loki love you
and even the Demonic Duo loves you. Everyone here loves you. Just because you
have magic isn't going to change that. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are
stuck with us."
With a loud sob, Harry threw himself at Bruce. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he cried
loudly, clawing desperately at Bruce's back and shoulders. "I was so scared."
"Shhh, I know you were," Bruce coo'd. "But you have to understand that what you
did was very, very wrong. You have put everyone through hell and back these
past few days. Harry, you killed yourself. If it hadn't been for Loki, you
would be dead right now."
"I'm so sorry," Harry continued to sob, clinging desperately to Bruce.
It was killing Tony seeing his son this way, but at least Bruce was getting
through to him. Harry had to see how serious the situation was. "Do you have
any idea what it did to me, to us, when we found you covered in blood and dying
on the bathroom floor? Dammit, Harry, you don't get to walk into to our lives,
force us to fall in love with you then kill yourself."
Harry reluctantly pulled away from Bruce so he could look at his dad. When he
saw that he was crying too and extremely sickly looking, he threw himself at
him at started crying harder. "I'm sorry, please don't hate me. I love you so
much."
"I don't hate you," Tony reassured, rubbing his son's back. "I could never hate
you. I'm upset and hurt that you tried to kill yourself and it's going to be a
hell of a long time before I can trust you again, but I still love you."
Tony continued to quietly hold and rub his son's back until he tired himself
out crying. He didn't want to keep scolding and lecturing him, but at the same
time he wanted him to see how serious the situation was. Picking up his
delicate and too thin wrist, he looked down at it and marveled at how smooth
and flawless it was. Magic could do some incredible things. "Harry, I hope you
understand, that until we can trust you again, someone is going to be stuck to
your side like white on rice. You will also being seeing a doctor everyday to
talk about your past and anything else that you need to talk about."
With his face still buried in his dad's neck, Harry shook his head no. "I don't
wanna see a doctor or talk. I promise that I won't ever try to kill myself
again."
"This is not up for debate," Tony said firmly but gently. "You will be seeing a
doctor and getting help. You need help, Harry, help that I can't give you."
"P-Please," Harry whined. "Please don't make me."
Once again Bruce grabbed Harry's face and forced him to look at him. "Harry,
your father almost died trying to save you. He was fully prepared to die for
you."
"What?" Harry cried, turning to look at his dad with wide, fearful eyes.
"Bruce, don't," Tony growled.
"No, the green man is right," Loki said flatly. "Harry has to hear this."
Chest heaving, Harry looked between the three men. "Please, what happened?" He
could see that his dad looked bad, but he figured that it was just because he
had been worried.
"I healed your wounds, but there was nothing that I could do about the blood
loss," Loki explained. "More than half of your blood was on the bathroom floor.
Even with the wounds healed, you still would have died if your father hadn't
given you his blood."
"Your dad refused to stop the transfusion until you were stable," Bruce said
gravely. "He gave too much. You almost lost your dad because he was prepared to
give you every drop of blood that he had in his body. He is feeling better now,
but he is still very weak."
Harry grabbed at his chest, it felt like his heart was being ripped out. He
couldn't believe that his dad had done that, that he was willing to die to save
him. On the verge of hyperventilating, he threw himself back into his dad's
arms. "I'm sorry. Please, I'll do anything, even see the doctor, just don't
ever leave me."
Tony had been upset at first when Bruce brought up him almost dying, but now he
was glad that he did. It seemed that this was the kick in the butt that his son
had needed. "I'm going to be fine, Harry, don't worry about me. I want you to
focus on getting better. Can you do that for me."
Harry nodded his head. "Anything. I'll do anything for you."
***HP
"Your quiet contemplating is freaking me the hell out," Tony grumbled, sitting
across the table from Loki. He had reluctantly allowed Bruce to sit in the
bathroom with Harry while he showered and now here he was, stuck in the kitchen
with Loki. "What is on your mind?"
"Your son," Loki answered with a thoughtful frown.
"What about my son?" Tony asked, sitting up straighter.
"From the moment I stepped foot in your tower his magic has felt familiar to
me."
"What the hell does that mean?" Tony asked wearily.
Crossing his arms, Loki leaned back in his hard chair and regarded the man in
front of him. "His magic just doesn't feel familiar, but it feels like mine.
Your child is very powerful, more so than any wizards or witches here on this
pitiful planet."
Tony narrowed his eyes at the god. "What are you trying to say?"
Smirking, Loki shrugged his shoulders. "Man of Iron, I have been visiting
Midgard for centuries. I may not particularly like you humans, but that does
not mean that I have not found sexual pleasure at your hands."
Tony started gagging. "Please, spare me the details. I feel sick enough as it
is."
"As you wish," Loki smirked. "What I was trying to say, is that it is possible
that young Harry is a descendent of mine."
Tony started choking on the mouthful of soda he had just taken. "Shut the fuck
up, Reindeer Games, there is no way my son is related to you."
Loki started to drum his fingers on the kitchen table as he thought. "Deny it
all you want, the child resembles me...he even has my eyes."
Tony opened his mouth the deny it, but he found himself choking on his words.
It was true, Harry had the exact same color green eyes that Loki had. He had
never seen such eye color before, especially not in anyone in his family. His
eyes were brown and he remembered James having hazel eyes.
"I did not think that Asgardians could reproduce with Midgard humans, but
perhaps it is possible with the magic users," Loki wondered. It would explain
why he was able to give Harry some of his blood while he was healing him. The
two different magics should have clashed during the transfusion, but Harry's
magic had welcomed his magic like a long lost family member. Harry's magic had
also always been receptive to his magic, welcoming him in whenever he used it
on the child.
Tony didn't like this, he didn't like the idea that his his son could possibly
be related to a monster like Loki. The God may have changed some since he
attacked earth, but he still didn't trust him. "Is there a way you can find
out?"
"There is a ritual I can perform, but it will require Harry's blood. Not a
lot," Loki quickly added when he saw that Stark was getting ready to protest,
"just a few drops at the most."
"Fine," Tony growled, "but not today. Harry has lost enough blood. Give him
time to heal."
Loki bowed his head in acceptance. He was getting excited at the prospect of
the little Mage being related to him. Hell, he could be the child's great-
grandfather or something. The more he thought about it, the more positive he
started to feel that Harry was his. Not only was their magic alike, but the boy
looked a hell of a like like him too. He couldn't wait to unravel the truth.
***HP
Harry had only managed two steps out of his bathroom before he was wrapped in
two identical sets of strong arms. "Merlin, Harry, if you ever put us through
that again I'm going to..." Clinging desperately to the boy he loved, Fred
started crying.
"Dammit, Harry, what the hell were you thinking?" George scolded, clinging just
as desperately to Harry as his twin was.
Feeling his legs go weak, Harry sank to the floor, the twins following him
down. He felt like the worst friend ever, he had never seen the twins this
upset before. He had never seen or heard Fred cry this hard and it was killing
him. It was all his fault. All their pain and suffering was all his fault.
Face red from crying, Fred pulled back so he could look Harry in the eyes.
"Promise me, Harry. Promise me that you will never try to kill yourself again?
If you do, I swear on my magic that I will follow you. I can't live in this
world without you."
"I promise, Fred," Harry sobbed. "Please, please stay my friend. I'm sorry for
being so scared and selfish."
"You can't get rid of us that easily," George joked weakly. "Don't you
understand, Harry, Freddie and I love you."
"I love you, too," Harry said with a watery smile.
Bruce shook his head at poor, clueless, little Harry. He felt bad for the
twins, it wasn't going to be easy convincing Harry that he was worthy enough to
be loved by them. Then there was his past, he had a hard time seeing Harry
being able to handle a sexual relationship. It was going to be a very long,
hard road for the three of them.
"We're never leaving your side. Ever!" Fred proclaimed hotly. "I swear, if I
didn't love you so much I'd beat some sense into you."
Even though Harry knew that Fred was joking, he still flinched at being
threatened. Deep down he knew that Fred would never hurt him, but his past was
impossible to forget.
Glaring at his brother, George started rubbing Harry's back. "Fred didn't mean
it like that. You just scared the living shit out of us. We had to watch as you
bled to death. Put yourself in our shoes."
At seeing how upset Harry was getting, Bruce loudly cleared his throat.
"Alright, what's done is done. We need to move on from this, but we also need
to learn from it. Harry," he said, turning to the teen, "until we can trust you
again, someone will be with you around the clock."
Lowering his head in shame, Harry nodded his head. He didn't like it, but he
understood why they were doing it. He would do the same thing if someone he
loved tried to kill themselves.
"Enough with the heavy," Bruce sighed. "Let's get to the kitchen and get
something to eat. I think your father wants to discuss training the three of
you."
"Training?" Harry asked warily.
"He wants you three prepared for when your kind come looking for you, Harry,"
Bruce explained, his eyes flashing green. Just the thought of someone taking
Harry pissed off the other guy.
Scowling, Harry followed Bruce out into the hall. "Guns, bows, and giant green
monsters won't be able to stop Headmaster Dumbledore or Voldemort. With just a
wave of his wand, Dumbledore can make it so you forget that I ever existed."
Bruce growled softly at hearing that. How were they supposed to fight magic?
Loki was powerful, but Odin had bound most of his magic. He probably wouldn't
be powerful enough to fight off a group of determined wizards. "Still, it can't
hurt to learn how to defend yourselves without magic."
"I'm all for it," Fred said excitedly.
"Especially if training gives me a rocking body like Thor's or Steve's," George
joked, poking Harry in the side and giving him a wink.
Blushing, Harry looked down at the floor. He remembered how sexy George looked
the other morning when he saw him in bed shirtless. He liked him as is, he
didn't need all those extra bulky muscles. George was perfect.
Raising his eyebrows, Fred peeked at Harry when he started to feel desire
coming from him. Seeing that he was subtly checking out George, he grinned and
nudged his brother to get his attention. Tilting his head in Harry's direction,
he telepathically told him what he was feeling from him.
Smirking, George threw his arm around Harry's shoulder. "How about it, Harry,
do you think my sexy body needs improving?"
"S-Stop," Harry stuttered bashfully.
"Leave him alone, boys," Bruce chuckled, coming to Harry's rescue and shoving
George's arm off of him. Harry had enough to deal with, he didn't need the
demonic duo teasing him and flirting with him. He wasn't even fifteen yet, way
too young to be dating in his opinion.
Heart pounding in his chest, Harry stopped right outside the kitchen doors. "Is
everyone else in there?" he asked nervously. He wasn't sure if he was ready to
see everyone yet, not after his attempted suicide. He was ashamed for putting
them through all that fear and pain.
"Jarvis, who's in the kitchen?" Bruce asked the AI.
"Just Mr. Stark and Loki," Jarvis answered.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Bruce asked, carefully watching the boy.
Taking a deep breath and holing it, Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm good. I
just don't think I'm ready for everyone at once."
"Understandable," Bruce agreed, "but Harry, everyone here loves you. You may
have scared twenty five years of everyone's life, even the gods, but they don't
think any less of you for it. All they want to do now is help you."
Letting Bruce's words sink in, Harry thoughtfully followed the man into the
kitchen. Immediately his father was there wrapping his arms around him and
clinging to him.
"What took you so long?" Tony complained, checking his son over from head to
toe. He knew that Bruce would never allow him to cut himself, but he was going
to be a neurotic mess for a while. One does not simply recover from having
their son bleed to death in their arms in only a day. He figured that he had
months of stalking Harry until he could start letting up his guard.
"Relax, Tony," Bruce sighed. "Everything is fine."
Tony wanted to rant that everything was not fine, but he wisely kept his mouth
shut. "Food!" he cried, throwing his arms up in the air. "How does Chinese
sound? I had Jarvis order a little of everything off of the menu. It should be
here in about ten minutes."
"Sounds interesting," Fred said, rubbing his hands together. "Georgia and I
have never had Chinese before?"
"Astounding," Tony said, studying the boys closely. "It's like you guys have
stepped out of the Dark Ages or something. I only have like a million questions
for you."
Harry fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't like talking about magic
with his dad, just because him and the other Avengers knew the truth, didn't
mean that he now all of a sudden liked his magic.
Eyes darkening, Loki released his magic, watching as the young Mage shivered
when it caressed his body. "No more fearing your magic," he hissed. "It's a
gift and you will learn to respect and love it. It is every bit a part of you
as your heart and soul. Now that you are healed of all your physical ailments,
I will start to seriously train you. Your red haired demons, too," he added
when he saw them raise their hands out of the corner of his eye. "You are too
powerful to go untrained."
"I agree with Reindeer Games," Tony said, taking a seat next to his son and
grabbing his cold and trembling hands. "You're magic is nothing to be ashamed
of."
"But you said you hated magic!," Harry cried. "That day when I was attacked in
the bathroom. You said you hated magic right before Loki healed me."
Sighing, Tony gave his son's hand a squeeze. "I didn't mean that I hated magic,
I meant that I hated that crazed, psychotic, egotistical, god sitting across
from us."
Grinning cheekily, Loki waved at the Mage. "Told you it was just me he hated."
"What about Clint?" Harry asked desperately. "After what Loki did, he's
terrified of magic."
"It's not magic that I'm scared of," Clint said, taking a seat on the opposite
side of Harry. He had entered the kitchen just a few seconds ago, long enough
to hear Harry bring his name up. "I'm scared of losing control. Loki took over
my mind completely and made me do horrible things. I also don't like when I
can't defend myself and magic I'm pretty powerless against."
"So you don't hate me because I'm like Loki?" Harry asked in a small and
vulnerable voice.
Looking at the God in question, Clint rolled his eyes and scrunched his face
up. "You could never be like him. You don't have a mean bone in your body."
Relieved, Harry threw himself at the archer. After his dad, Clint had been the
person he was most scared of hating him because of his magic. Everyone here
meant the world to him, he couldn't handle it if they hated him.
Clint was shocked to find himself with a lap full of Stark Junior. Harry didn't
like to be touched, so it was big that he was willingly hugging him. "Kid,
you're as good as my nephew or little brother. I could never hate you."
Rubbing at his moist eyes, Tony mouthed 'thank you' to both Clint and Loki.
What Harry needed now was a shit load of support and love from everyone in the
tower. They had their work cut out for them with Harry, and that wasn't even
counting the wizards that were hunting his son down, but he knew that the
Avengers had both his son's and his back. The wizards would have to tear his
tower down brick by brick and take out his team before getting to a his son,
and if Loki couldn't beat the Avengers, then no common earth wizards could.
They were an unstoppable force.
***** Chapter 13 *****
PLEASE, PLEASE, REVIEW
***HP
Panting, Harry collapsed onto the dark blue mat and held his hands up in
surrender. "I-I need five minutes," he huffed, his chest feeling like it was on
fire.
Smirking, Natasha circled the exhausted boy. "Are you kidding me?" she
snickered. "You are half my age and laying down panting like an old seventy
year old man after only forty five minutes of sparring."
Rolling onto his back, Harry laid there with his eyes shut as he tried to catch
his breath. "You better not let the Captain here you say that," he huffed
breathlessly. "He looks damn good for an over seventy year old man."
"That he does," Natasha agreed with a smirk. She would never see her boys in a
sexual way, but she could surely admire their damn hot bodies.
"Our dear Harrikens..."
"beaten by a girl," Fred and George teased.
"Would you like to come in here and have a go against this girl?" Natasha
taunted. "Come on, you two big, brawny men, against one little ole me."
At once both Fred and George vigorously shook their heads no. "Our momma raised
us to never hit girls," Fred quickly said, knowing that the sexy red head would
have both his twin and himself pinned to the mat in seconds.
"That, and we can't let our precious little love see us get our asses handed to
us by a girl," George added, giving Harry a wink.
"It would be too embarrassing," Fred said dramatically.
Giggling, Harry pushed himself up onto his elbows. "If I were you, I would stop
making it sound as though girls were weak and inferior to men."
Reclining against the corner of the boxing ring, Natasha smirked down at the
identical red headed demons. "And if I were you, I would listen to Harry."
Gulping, both boys nodded their heads. "We always thought that sweet Harry was
a genius," Fred and George professed at the same time.
Chuckling, Natasha held her hand out to Harry. "Come on, mini Stark, we'll call
it a day. You have been working hard this past week, you deserve a reward."
Smiling gratefully, Harry accepted Natasha's hand and allowed her to help him
up. "Reward? What type of reward? It's not shopping is it?" he asked with
dread.
Dropping down from the rafters, Clint landed next to Harry. "The boy has you
pegged, Nat."
Rolling her eyes, Natasha quickly swept her leg out, catching Clint and sending
him crashing to the mat onto his pert little ass. "I wasn't suggesting
shopping, just some sight seeing here in beautiful New York City. Harry, you
have only ventured out of this tower once since you have been here."
"And look how well that went," Harry said sarcastically.
"Are you scared to leave the tower?" Natasha asked with a hint of concern in
her voice.
Chewing on his bottom lip, Harry thought for a minute. Was he scared to leave
the safety of his father's tower? "No, I'm not really scared, but I don't
exactly have the best luck when it comes to...anything. I would like to explore
New York City, but trouble always has a way of finding me."
"Not when double trouble are with you," Fred said with a wink, throwing his arm
over his identical twin's shoulder.
Scowling, Clint got back to his feet, sticking his tongue out at Natasha. "Nat
and I are also going to go. We figured a few hours out on the town will do us
all some good."
Natasha nodded her head. "Harry, you have been working so hard this past week
with your physical training, your magical training, and your sessions with your
psychiatrist, you deserve a little fun. Let us properly introduce you to the
City That Never Sleeps."
Harry anxiously looked to the twins, grinning when he saw the look of
excitement on their faces. "Is dad alright with this?" He did want to go out,
it sounded fun, but Tony had been extremely protective of him ever since his
suicide. Extremely protective of him was an understatement, he hadn't been
allowed a second alone and his dad had even asked Loki to place a monitoring
charm on him. If that wasn't bad enough, his dad had literally moved his bed
into his room with him and slept with him every night. He was being watched
twenty four hours a day.
"Your father knows and approves," Natasha grinned. "Mind you, you're not
allowed out of our sight for a second, not even to take a piss."
Harry blushed at that. "I get it. I don't need examples."
"Awe," Fred gushed. "Brother of mine, look how adorable our Harry looks when
he's all red and flushed."
George wagged his eyebrows at the younger wizard. "He looks good enough to
eat."
"You keep flirting with him in front of me and the two of you will be eating
from a straw for the next eight weeks," Clint warned, narrowing his eyes
dangerously at the older teens.
"Straw! Got it!" The twins saluted, slowly backing away from the man. They too
had been training with the Avengers for the past week and they knew how
incredibly dangerous they all were. They didn't think that Clint would actually
hurt them, but the man was very protective of Harry.
Laughing, Natasha turned to look at Harry who was now a bright red, and it
wasn't from working out with her for the past couple of hours. The kid had it
hard for the twins, but he honestly didn't see that the twins felt the same way
about him. The poor boy was absolutely clueless. "Why don't you three get a
shower and meet us in the common room in forty five minutes."
"Separate showers," Clint growled, once again glaring warningly at the twins.
He liked the teens and thought they were brilliant, but Harry was only fourteen
years old and the last thing he needed right now were the twins making moves on
him. He knew that they would never pressure him, but with Harry's horrible
past, there was a good chance that he wouldn't tell them no even if he didn't
want to do anything.
***HP
Leaning back in his chair, Tony counted to fifty, his fists clenched in anger.
"No!" he growled out.
"It will help Harry," the doctor stressed.
"My son doesn't need drugs." Tony said through clenched teeth. "He's not
depressed, he's not being uncooperative..."
"He's not talking to me," the doctor interrupted.
"Maybe it's because you're a dick!" Tony snapped. "You have only been seeing
him for a week, he needs more time. He's not going to bare his soul to a
complete stranger on the first day."
"I understand that," the doctor said patiently. "but Harry is a severely
depressed young man who is suicidal, suffers from severe anxiety, PTSD,
insomnia, night terrors, paranoia..."
Growling, Tony quickly stood up, kicking his chair into the wall behind him.
"My son has a damn good reason for being that way."
"Please don't interrupt me," the doctor said tightly.
Pursing his lips, Tony turned to Coulson. "Is this hack the best doctor SHIELD
has to offer?"
"Doctor Hess is a very good doctor, Tony, why don't you just hear him out?"
Agent Coulson sighed.
"I don't want my son on drugs," Tony stressed. "I understand that he has a shit
load of problems, but drugs aren't the answer."
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Coulson took a deep calming breath then turned
to the doctor. "I need to speak with Mr. Stark in private."
Bowing his head, the doctor gathered up his papers then stuffed them into his
file. "Mr. Stark, I'm only trying to help your son. He's a good kid, a damn
good kid considering his horrific past, but he needs serious help. Originally I
had wanted him hospitalized, but I see now that I was wrong. That boy needs
you, you're the only thing keeping him going, but it's not enough. I'm not
suggesting putting him on illegal drugs, but sometimes, in situations like
these, prescriptions drugs can help. You don't want him to break again and take
a razor to his wrists. Please read my file and just consider what I'm
suggesting...for Harry."
Tony refused to take the file from the doctor, but he did motion for him to
place it on the table in front of him. After the doctor left the room, he
collapsed back onto his chair and rested his head on his arms.
"How are you holding up?" Agent Coulson asked in concern.
Groaning, Tony lifted his head and looked tiredly at the agent. "I'm feeling
like I need those feel good drugs that the doc wants to give Harry," he
admitted in a rare show of weakness. "Alcohol is no longer helping."
Agent Coulson felt bad for Tony, this situation was a nightmare. Tony went from
living a virtually carefree life who had lived in the lap of luxury his entire
life with no real responsibilities, to a father of an extremely traumatized boy
overnight. It was no wonder the man was breaking.
"I haven't slept since I found my son bleeding to death on the bathroom floor,"
Tony admitted. "I moved into his bedroom because I'm terrified of letting him
out of my sight and all I do all night long is listen to him breathing and
watch as his chest rises and falls. And if all my son's mental issues weren't
bad enough, I have crazed wizards to worry about kidnapping him and dragging
him back to their world and forcing him to be the hero that he doesn't want to
be. They put the weight of the world on his fragile shoulders, I don't know how
he has managed to live up to their expectations this long."
"He's a Stark, and Stark men are tough."
"Stark men are geniuses," Tony corrected, "but a shiny red flying suit of armor
isn't going to fix my son or save him from wand waving wizards."
"You could always invent a time machine and go back fourteen years and claim
your son before he gets left on his relatives doorstep," Coulson said jokingly.
Coulson paled when he saw Stark get a far away look in his eyes, he could
almost hear the gears working in the genius' brain.
"I was joking, Tony." Coulson stressed, waving his hand in front of Stark's
face. "You can't go back in time."
"Yet," Tony said thoughtfully, "but I bet between myself, the mad doctor and
the psychotic God of Mischief, we can discover a way."
"No, Tony!" Coulson snapped. "Harry needs you now, you can't be wasting all
your time and energy on trying to invent a time machine."
Deflating, Tony nodded his head. "I just want to take all his pain away and
make everything sunshine and puppy dogs for him."
"And that's what make you an incredible father." Snickering, Coulson shook his
head. "I never thought I would say that about Tony Stark. You are the last
person I saw as father material. You worked too much, partied too much, drank
way too much, joked around too much and slept with anything that batted their
eyes at you. Now look at you...you're an amazing dad who was prepared to give
every last drop of his blood to the dying son he had only met a few weeks
before."
"I love that boy," Tony admitted unashamedly. Running a trembling hand through
his shaggy hair, Tony picked up his son's file and opened it up. "What's your
opinion on these damn drugs?" he asked with a heavy sigh.
"I think we need to consult with a medi-wizard."
"A medi-wizard?" Tony asked, taking his eyes off of file and looking up at
Coulson.
"A wizarding doctor," Coulson explained. "I don't know if any of the suggested
drugs will interfere with his magic, especially since he is underage and his
magical core is still developing."
"Well that's a problem," Tony grimaced, "Harry doesn't want anyone from that
world to know where he is. He wants nothing to do with them."
"That is a problem," Coulson admitted. "Unfortunately he is going to be found,
and soon with how determined Albus Dumbledore is to find him."
Tony's veins felt like there was ice running through them. He knew the
confrontation was coming, but he didn't know how he was going to save his son.
He was powerful, along with the rest of his team, but the only who stood a
chance against the wizards was Loki, and unfortunately he didn't have full use
of his magic. Would he be powerful enough to win against multiple wizards hell
bent on throwing his son in front of a madman determined to kill him?
"Go home and get some sleep," Coulson suggested at seeing how truly exhausted
Stark was. "You're not going to be helping your son any if you pass out during
the confrontation."
Tony reluctantly agreed. "I'll talk to Loki about these drugs, maybe he will be
able to help." Groaning, Tony shook his head. "I can't believe I'm going to
Loki for advice. What the hell is the world coming to?"
***HP
"Molly, are your boys still visiting Mr. Jordan's?"
"Fred and George will be there for another week," Molly informed a bit coldly.
Ever since learning that the great Albus Dumbledore had left Harry at his
relatives home knowing that he would be unwanted and unloved she hadn't been
able to look at the man the same way. He had always acted like the good of the
children came before all else, but apparently that didn't include poor Harry.
"I think perhaps you should send an owl requesting that they return home
immediately. They are now adult wizards, and as such, we could greatly use
their help in the search for young Harry." Dumbledore ordered. He was starting
to get frustrated in the search for Harry, he hadn't expected it to take this
long. He had easily found where the Dursleys had moved to, but Petunia, Vernon
and their son hadn't been seen in over a week and no one even knew of the
existence of another teen. It was very concerning when everyone he had talked
to had only met one teenager, and that teenager had been Dudley Dursley.
"Fred and George may be considered adults now, Albus, but they are still school
children and on their summer vacation. The oncoming war is going to force them
to grow up too fast and put their lives in danger, they deserve this time to
enjoy life before all hell breaks loose."
"Well said, Molly," Sirius grumbled, holding up his glass of whisky to the
plump red head. "Let them go wild and raise hell before the real world comes
crashing down around them."
"Do you not want Harry found?" Dumbledore snapped in frustration. "We need all
eyes out there searching for the boy. Fred and George are needed here."
"Maybe if you would have left poor Harry with a nice and loving wizarding
family this wouldn't be happening right now," Molly hissed angrily. "This is
your fault, Albus Dumbledore. You knew that those horrible people would
mistreat Harry and yet you still left him there anyway."
"For the greater good," Dumbledore raged, his eyes no longer twinkling. Why
couldn't they understand that?
"I swear to Merlin," Sirius growled between painfully clenched teeth. "If you
say that phrase one more time I'm going to AK you."
"Sirius!" Remus hissed, kicking his mate under the table. He knew that his
friend was furious at the Headmaster, but couldn't believe that he was
threatening him.
"Come on," Sirius cried. "Everyone here is fucking sick and tired of hearing
his greater good shit. Is not my godson included in his greater good? Why he is
the one suffering? Why is he the one having to sacrifice his happiness and
life? This is bullshit."
"We all have made sacrifices," Severus spat with an ugly sneer on his face.
"Not everything is about Potter."
"Tell that to the high and mighty Dumbledore," Sirius spat back. "He is the one
who has forced Harry to be the Chosen One. Harry doesn't want that or all the
attention that comes with it. All he wants is a loving family and to be just
Harry."
"Defeating Voldemort is Harry's destiny," Dumbledore said gravely. "I know you
don't want to hear that, but it is the truth. I did what I had to do to not
only keep Harry safe and out of the hands of the Death Eaters, but to also keep
him humble. Growing up famous with the entire wizarding world fawning all over
him would have turned him into the spoiled brat that Severus always claimed
that he was."
Hiding his hands under the table, Kingsley gripped furiously at his robes.
Dumbledore had as good as admitted to knowing that the boy would be abused and
agreeing with it to keep him malleable. He wanted Harry to enter the wizarding
world and be thrust into a world where he would be famous, loved, have friends
and a loving grandfather in himself. He wanted to groom Potter to be the
perfect weapon willing to sacrifice everything for Dumbledore's greater good.
He hoped to hell that the man didn't know about and condone the sexual abuse.
"Look, everyone is tired and short tempered," Dumbledore sighed. "I know that I
was wrong in not checking up on Harry, but I did what I thought was right and I
still believe that it had been the right way to go. Harry is too powerful, he
would have made an unstoppable weapon for the dark side."
"Tomorrow is a new day," Dumbledore continued. "I believe that we need to head
to the east coast since the Dursleys stayed in New York City for a few nights
when they first arrived in America."
Kingsley tensed at hearing that. He had hoped that Harry would have had a few
more weeks with his new father before being found and drug back kicking and
screaming. Looking to Sirius, he knew that he was going to have to step up his
plan on getting him freed. He wasn't positive that Black would even get
guardianship after all this time and after spending years in Azkaban, but it
was worth a shot. He was just worried that Black would be declared unfit due to
years of Dementors feeding off of him. If he was being honest with himself, the
man was more than a bit unstable.
Standing up, Dumbledore brushed a few crumbs off of his pale pink and blue
robes. "We'll meet back here in the morning then portkey to New York," he
announced before sweeping out of the room."
"Bastard," Sirius mumbled as the door shut behind the Headmaster's back. He was
tempted to throw an obscene gesture at the door with his finger, but he didn't
want to hear Molly screech at him.
"For once I agree with you, Black," Molly said darkly. "I just can't believe
that he allowed poor Harry to be treated that way."
Kingsley was having a hard time keeping his mouth shut. He wanted the Order to
know just what a bastard Dumbledore was. The man was too smart not to know just
what kind of life Harry had suffered at the hands of his supposed relatives.
***HP
As Remus started straightening the kitchen while Sirius was escorting the rest
of the Order to the floo, he was curious as to why Kingsley was still sitting
at the table nursing a cup of very strong coffee. Normally the Auror was one of
the first to leave, right behind Severus that was. "Everything alright, Kings?"
Sighing, Kingsley placed his mug back on the table. "Not really. I need to talk
to you and Black in private."
"Does this have to do with my cub?" Remus asked anxiously. He had noticed that
Kingsley had been suspiciously quiet for the past week or so.
Kingsley inclined his head. "We'll discuss is when Black returns."
"Discuss what?" Sirius asked from the door.
Taking a deep breath, Kingsley waved his wand, erecting Auror level privacy
wards. "I know where Potter is," he announced.
***HP
Humming softly, Harry pulled the roast out of the oven. Without skipping a
beat, he turned off the stove, carefully grabbed the pot, then went to the sink
and drained the boiling water from the potatoes.
"Had a good day?" Tony asked from where he was sitting at the table nibbling on
a blueberry tart while watching his son like a hawk while he handled the
kitchen knives. "You're awfully chipper."
Turning around, Harry gave his dad a blinding smile. "I had a great day. After
training, Nat and Clint showed us around the city, it was pretty awesome. I
especially loved the American Museum of Natural History."
"History huh, I didn't know you were into that."
"Neither did I," Harry giggled. "Clint was telling me that there were a lot of
cool museums in Washington. DC."
"Sounds like we need to plan a road trip," Tony said with a wink.
"You...you don't have to do that," Harry said shyly. "I don't want to put you
out."
Getting up, Tony walked over to his son and affectionately ruffled his hair.
"That's not putting me out, kiddo, that's called going on a family trip. I'm
actually looking forward to it, I have never really been on a family trip."
"You have never been on a family trip before?" Harry asked with wide eyes.
"A family trip," Tony snorted. "No, more like, going to the same place my
father was going while he was working and too busy to spend time with his only
son. Don't forget, kiddo, they shipped me off to school as soon as I could wipe
my butt on my own."
"I always got left behind with a grumpy old sitter whose house smelled like
rotten cabbages," Harry said sadly. "She was nice enough and always fed me
good, but she also made me sleep on a couch covered in cat hair and made look
through dozens of photo albums featuring her precious felines."
Tony scrunched his face up in disgust. "Well that does it, we are definitely
going to go on vacation. Other than museums, what else would you like to do?"
"I would love to see the ocean," Harry answered sheepishly. "I know that I'm
terrified of the water, but I always wanted to see the ocean and look for
shells. I use to look at the Dursleys ocean vacation pictures and imagined
myself being there."
Taking a deep breath to help cool his temper, Tony grinned at his son. "Well
lucky for you we have a home in Malibu right on the ocean."
"Really!"
"Really, kiddo. As soon as your doctor gives the green light we'll take the jet
and spend a few weeks there."
Groaning, Harry turned around to mash the potatoes. He hated talking to his
doctor, he didn't want to talk to anyone about his past or about his cutting.
The man was nice and patient, but he had spent the past almost fourteen years
keeping everything that was happening to him a secret. It was hard for him to
talk about what had happened to him, especially the sexual abuse, he had been
trained since he was a toddler to keep his mouth shut.
"I know you don't like it, Harry, but you have to give this therapy thing a
chance. I can't lose you, you mean too much to me and I love you."
Harry stopped his mashing to wipe at his eyes. He would never get tired of
hearing that, at hearing that he was loved. "I love you too, dad, and I promise
to never put you through that again."
Tony couldn't stop himself from grabbing his son and giving him a fierce hug.
"I know you haven't had a second alone, but have you felt like cutting yourself
at all?"
Harry shifted nervously on his feet. "Just...just once, but I was able to
overcome my urge."
With his chin resting on his son's head, Tony closed his eyes against the
stinging of his tears. "Can I ask why?"
"It was nothing really."
"Harry," Tony scolded gently.
Harry's shoulders sagged in defeat. "It was last night when Loki and Thor left
for Asgard. I hated Loki when he first came here, but now..."
"Now he's family," Tony groaned.
Shrugging his shoulders, Harry gave a small grin. "Maybe even in blood. I guess
we will soon find out if I'm actually related to him." Loki and Thor had
returned to Asgard to not only test Harry's blood to see if he was related to
Loki, but to also petition Oden to release his magic so he could help better
protect him for when Dumbledore showed up.
Tony groaned at that, he couldn't believe that he could possibly be related to
Loony Loki through his sweet son. As much as his son tried to hide it, he could
tell that he was excited over the possibility of having another blood relative.
The resemblance was there, that was for sure, Harry looked like the perfect mix
of himself, and the crazy God.
Giggling, Harry stepped out of his father's arms so he could finish the dinner.
"Loki isn't too bad once you get to know him," he defended.
"Not true," Tony mumbled under his breath.
"And Loki thinks it was his carrier gene that allowed my dad to have me and for
me to be a carrier too," Harry continued, ignoring his dad's grumblings. He had
been shocked when Loki had admitted to being a carrier himself, it made him
feel a lot less like a freak. If Loki, a powerful God, was a carrier and didn't
see anything freaky about it, than why should he think that being a carrier
made him a freak?
Tony felt his eye start to twitch again at the reminder that his son was a
carrier and able to get pregnant. That was something he didn't think he would
ever be able to get use to, a male getting pregnant. Maybe he should see about
getting the demonic duo neutered. At least right now he didn't have to worry
about them getting into any trouble, not with Harry being watched around the
clock.
"You're making that face again," Harry grinned.
"What face?" Tony asked innocently, retaking his seat at the table.
"That face you get whenever you hear that I'm a carrier. You don't have to
worry about anything, I'll never want to do anything with a guy. Besides, who
would want to have me anyway? I'm broken."
Once again Tony was out of seat and gently grabbing his son. "Listen to me,
kiddo, you are not broken. You have been hurt badly and have a mountain of shit
to work through, but you are not broken. As for who would have you, you don't
have to look any farther than those twins of yours. They are hopelessly in love
with you."
"Th-They're not," Harry stuttered, his face going red.
Tony snorted. "If you can't see that they love you, than maybe you need glasses
again."
Harry felt both excited and terrified at hearing that Fred and George loved
him. Maybe his dad was just misreading their body language, the twins were
jokesters and flirts after all. He could admit to himself that he had strong
feelings for the pair, possibly even loved them, love them, but they would
never see him like that. He was just their little brother's pesky best friend.
"You're so adorably clueless," Tony chuckled. "Fine, don't believe me, but I'm
your old man and I'm a damn genius. Those two love you."
Physically feeling the heat in his face, Harry went back to plating up the
dinner. A part of him, and a very big part of him at that, hoped that his dad
was right. He didn't know if he could be in a sexual relationship with anyone,
not after everything he had been through, but he trusted the twins one hundred
percent, they would never in a million years hurt of abuse him. They would also
never pressure him into anything he wasn't ready for. The twins had been the
one constant in his life ever since he boarded the Hogwats Express that very
first time. They always helped him, never told his secrets, hell, they had even
lied to their parents and traveled all the way to America to find him. No one
had ever done so much for him.
Hearing the door open, Harry turned to see who it was, his face lighting up
when he saw that it was Fred and George.
Tony felt like crying when he saw the look that passed between the three boys.
It wasn't that he didn't like the demonic duo, he really did like them, but
Harry was just a baby in his eyes. It could be worse though, at least those
boys adored his son and would never hurt him. It also helped that they had a
healthy dose of fear of him and his team.
Maybe a few hands on reminders on how truly dangerous they were wouldn't hurt,
Tony thought evilly.
***** Chapter 14 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Marvel
This update wasn't supposed to be posted until Sunday, but i decided to post
early as a thank you to all my amazing and wonderful readers who took the time
to review. I know i'm guilty of not always reviewing, but reviews really do
boost a writer's confidence and gives them a reason to keep writing. I have now
reached 1500 reviews for this fic on FF and I'm just blown away. THANK YOU!
Please review.
***HP
 
Sirius was too worked up to remain calmly in his seat. Getting up, he started
pacing the large kitchen. "You expect me to believe that James was a carrier?"
he scoffed. "James was my brother in everything but blood, I would have known
had he been a carrier, and I sure as hell would have known if he had been
pregnant for nine months."
Kingsley knew that telling Black the truth wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't
expected the man to take it so hard. "From what I understand, Sirius, Lily
couldn't get pregnant so James hooked up with a stranger, a muggle stranger to
be precise, at a bar and the two of them spent the night together. Nine months
later, baby Harry popped out out of James, not Lily."
"I just..." Sirius ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, roughly
tugging on it. "James and I shared everything, there wasn't one secret between
us. He would had told that he was a carrier."
"That's not exactly something that comes up in normal conversation," Remus said
gently.
"Did you know?" Sirius asked, turning on his friend. He wasn't mad at Remus, or
the fact that James had actually been Harry's mum, he was just more shocked
than anything else, and a bit hurt that James had kept something so important
from him.
"No, James never said anything to me," Remus quickly reassured, "but I had been
suspicious during Lily's pregnancy. Her scent just wasn't right for a pregnant
woman, James' scent on the other hand had been very confusing for me. I had
thought perhaps I was just getting them confused, or maybe it was because they
were always close together and their scents were just getting mixed together,
but James smelled pregnant to me."
Deflating, Sirius collapsed back onto his chair. "It's really true? James
birthed Harry and not Lily?"
Kingsley nodded his head. "I had a hard time believing it myself when my
brother told me, but when I sat and thought about it, James had been acting
strange there for a while."
"Like when he took those couple months off right before Harry was born because
of a mysterious injury," Sirius said thoughtfully. "I couldn't understand it at
the time, we were partners, I would have known had he been injured out in the
field."
"Remember how tired and pale James looked right after we saw him after Harry
was born?" Remus added. "I thought it had been because he had just witnessed
Lily give birth. Merlin, how did James fool us?"
"He was the ultimate prankster," Sirius chuckled sadly. It was amazing how much
it still hurt after all these years thinking about his best friend. He would
give anything, anything at all, to be able to turn back time and save his
brother. "I just don't understand why he didn't tell us?"
"Times were dark, James couldn't be seen as weak or vulnerable. Maybe it was
also to spare Lily?" Remus added thoughtfully. "You remember how everyone was
beside themselves because a Potter married a muggle born. It would have been
worse had they found out that Lily couldn't conceive."
Sniffling, Sirius rubbed at his eyes, surprised when they came away wet. "So,"
he said, clearing his throat, "my godson is now with this muggle man?"
"His father?" Kingsley stressed. "Harry is with his biological father."
"Well he can't keep him!" Sirius snapped, a hint of panic in his voice. "We are
Harry's true family, he belongs here with us."
Shaking his head, Kingsley looked to Lupin to see if the man felt the same way.
As much as these men professed that they loved Harry, they really didn't know
him at all. He was worried that they saw James, their dead best friend, in
Harry and not just Harry.
"Of course Harry will return," Remus said, trying to calm his volatile friend
down. "Harry has to return to Hogwarts for his magical training. This is his
home."
"Just for a second," Kingsley said tightly, "I want you to put yourselves in
Harry's shoes. Would you want to return after everything that has happened to
him and with the threat of Voldemort hanging over his head? What the hell good
has the wizarding world ever done for that boy? One minute they are glorifying
him, and the next they are crying that he is the next dark lord. Incase you
haven't gotten the memo, Dumbledore plans on putting that boy in front of
Voldemort to fight him. Harry is just a child, not even James, whose one of the
best Aurors on the force, was able to beat him. How the hell can a teen with
very little training defeat him if highly trained wizards can't?"
Sirius opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "Dumbledore
doesn't expect Harry to defeat him alone," he defended weakly. "He has the
Order to help."
Sighing, Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Padfoot, think about it. Think
of everything that has come out of Dumbledore's mouth the past week. He knew
that Harry was being abused and yet he did nothing because he wanted him to be
a good little soldier who would sacrifice himself for those who gave him the
first bit of affection he has ever known. He wanted Harry broken before he
arrived here so he could mold him."
Sirius shook his head in denial even though he knew that Remus was speaking the
truth. "This is all because of that damn prophecy!" he spat in disgust.
"This is all because two powerful men believed in that prophecy," Kingsley
corrected. "Voldemort believed in the prophecy that's why he went after Harry
when he was just a baby, and Dumbledore believes in it enough to throw a child
in front of the most evil dark wizard this world has ever know with no real
training."
"What aren't you telling us, Kings?" Remus asked shrewdly, his eyes narrowed in
suspicion. He was a werewolf, he could scent the apprehension and nervousness
on the man.
This was the part Kingsley was dreading the most. Sirius and Remus now knew
that James was Harry's mom and that his father was a muggle man, but what they
didn't know was how bad the abuse was, or that Harry wanted absolutely nothing
to do with the magical world. He never wanted to leave America or the family
that he found there.
"Kingsley," Remus growled.
Taking a deep breath, Kingsley braced himself for the explosion. "The abuse
Harry suffered was far worse than what we thought...or could ever imagine.
Luckily the men that Harry was left with noticed the signs of abuse immediately
and treated his broken arm. What they didn't know, was that Vernon Dursley had
taken a belt to Harry's back and whipped to him until his back was in shreds."
Paling, Sirius gripped the edge of the table. "I'll kill the bastard," he
growled.
Kingsley held up his hand. "It gets worse...a lot worse. Harry didn't tell
anyone about the wounds on his back and was able to mask his pain until the
wounds started festering and infection got into his blood. He almost died of
blood poisoning. It was while Harry was unconscious and being treated that they
discovered how truly far the abuse went and how sick Vernon Dursley really
was."
"No!" Remus cried breathlessly in denial, bile burning it's way up his throat.
"What?" Sirius cried when he saw that his friend was about to pass out. "What
could be worse than..." Sirius froze, his eyes going wide. "Not that," he
cried, lunging to his feet. "Dammit, Kings, you better not be..."
"He was raped," Kingsley said gravely, interrupting the Black Lord. "What's
worse, it started when Harry was just a small child. Vernon Dursley wasn't the
only one to rape Harry, he sold him out to others, including his boss. He
allowed the man to rape Harry when he was only six or seven years old just for
a promotion at work."
Remus was out of his seat and backing away from the Auror, Moony was too close
to taking over and lashing out and he didn't want Kingsley to get hurt. He
couldn't believe what he was hearing. His cub, his sweet little Harry, had been
sexually abused starting when he was just a baby.
Kingsley ducked under the table when all the windows and breakable dishes
exploded, raining bits of glass and ceramic everywhere. Looking to Sirius, who
was the cause of the magical explosion, the man looked as though he was in some
kind of trance. Fisting his wand tightly, he contemplated stunning the man
before he brought the house down on top of them with his volatile and unstable
magic.
"Sirius!" Kingsley roared loudly. "You need to get control of yourself before
the ministry picks up on your magical explosion. Your godson needs you, and you
can't help him if you're soulless because Fudge had the Dementors suck out your
soul.
"You expect me to calm down!" Sirius raged, his hair whipping wildly around him
thanks to the large amounts of wild magic seeping out of him. "After telling me
my godson was molested you expect me to calm down?" he continued to bellow.
"Yes!" Kingsley hollered back. "Harry needs you now more than ever. How are you
going to help him if you're dead? I know you're mad, shocked, disgusted, hurt
and blaming yourself, but right now you have to put all that aside and help
Harry. We need to save that boy from not only Voldemort, but also Dumbledore."
Sirius wild magic died down and the man collapsed back onto his chair. Feeling
a hundred years older, he dropped his head into his hands and started crying.
"I just don't understand. How could someone be so cruel?"
Getting back to his feet, Kingsley brushed the dust and glass pieces off of his
robes then turned to Lupin whose wolf was dangerously close to the surface.
"You with us, Remus?"
Remus' top lip curled back into a snarl before the man was able to stop it.
Giving his head harsh a shake to clear it, he jerkily nodded his head. "What is
your plan?" he asked roughly, his voice sounding like a growl.
"I will explain my plan in a minute, but first I need you to listen to the
rest. I also need you to keep an open mind and to think before speaking,"
Kingsley instructed. Seeing that he had their attention, even though Sirius
still had tears falling from his eyes and looked as though someone had punched
him in the gut, Kingsley took a deep breath. "Harry doesn't want to return to
our world. He wants to remain in America with his father."
"He...he can't," Sirius stuttered in a panic. "Harry, it's..."
"What's best for him," Remus said sadly, cutting off his friend's rant. "I
don't want him to stay in America anymore than you do, Padfoot, but it would be
best for him. He will be away from both Dumbledore and Voldemort and he will
have a father. You know how desperate that boy is for a parent."
"I...I...we don't even know this man who professes to be our cub's father. What
if he's as bad as Dursley?" Sirius cried, his entire body shaking. This
couldn't be happening, he couldn't be losing his cub again.
"According to my brother, who is something like an Auror, he claims that Tony
Stark is a good man, despite having a big ego," Kingsley explained.
Remus' head snapped up sharply. "Tony Stark...as in the multimillionaire Tony
Stark? As in, Iron Man, Tony Stark?"
Kingsley's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You have heard of him?"
"Who hasn't heard of him?" Remus gasped. "Well, with the exception of witches
and wizards," he corrected when both Sirius and Kingsley raised their hands.
"The man is a bloody genius."
"Figures you would know who he was," Sirius grumbled. "Bookworms!"
"He also built a metal suit that flies and shoots weapons," Remus shot back
snidely. "He's what the muggles call a, super hero. He goes out and saves
people and arrests the bad guys."
Leaning back in his chair, Sirius pouted a bit. "Well that sounds cool. Why
would Harry want us when he has a cool dad like that?"
"How do you know so much about Tony Stark?" Kingsley asked curiously. "I had
never heard of the man until my brother told me about him."
"For the past year I have been a private tutor in the muggle world. Iron Man
and his team are all the kids talk about. They even made toys and clothes after
them.”
"He even has a cool name," Sirius mumbled glumly.
"Do you want to sit here feeling jealous, or do you want to listen to my plan.
This time tomorrow Dumbledore will be in New York City where Harry is. Do you
think he going to let Harry remain with his dad? Do you think the man will even
take Harry's desires or feelings into consideration? He will bring Harry back
here by any means necessary."
As desperately as Sirius wanted his godson, he wanted him to be happy even
more. If his muggle father was who he wanted to live with, then he would move
heaven and earth to see that that was exactly what he got. Harry had been hurt
enough, he deserved to the live the life that he wanted, with who he wanted to
live it with. Hopefully though Harry would have room in his heart life for old
Moony and him.
"I'm prepared to do whatever I have to do to see Harry happy," Sirius said
passionately. "What's the plan?"
With a slow, slightly evil grin, Kingsley pulled out his wand and pointed it at
Sirius.
***HP
With his head down, Harry picked anxiously at his jeans while he sat tensely on
the very edge of the small sofa. He had been having these meetings with the
psychiatrist for just over a week now and he absolutely hated them.
Dr. Hess waited patiently for the teen to relax, knowing that they could sit
there all day and the boy would still be extremely uncomfortable with him. Even
though he was more than qualified to treat Stark's son, working with kids this
damaged wasn't what he specialized in. He signed on with S.H.I.E.L.D to treat
agents with PTSD, evaluate possible new recruits, and to just be there if
someone needed to talk, Harry needed someone who specialized in the type of
trauma.
"I heard you went out again yesterday with Agents Romanoff and Barton, how did
that go?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Harry refused to look up. "Fine I guess," he mumbled.
"Nothing bad happened."
"Were you worried that something bad would happen?"
"Something bad always happens," Harry answered numbly.
"You know, Harry, thousands of kids roam the city everyday and nothing bad
happens to them."
"I don't think that will make the ones that do get hurt feel any better or help
them sleep nightmare free at night," Harry snapped. "Bad things happen to some
people more than others. Some of us are just magnets for bad things."
"Do you feel that you're a magnet?"
Scratching at jeans, Harry finally looked up at the doctor. "I don't feel that
I am, I know that I am."
"I don't know, finding out that you have a father after being an orphan for
thirteen years sounds like a pretty good thing," Dr. Hess pointed out. "Not
only that, you earned the respect and the love of the rest of the Avengers.
That doesn't sound like someone who is a magnet for bad things."
"Just give it time," Harry said darkly. "Bad things always have a way of
catching up to me."
"Maybe it's time for a change," Dr. Hess urged. "Start thinking positive. You
have a home, a father, family in the Avengers, you even have those ever
faithful twins of yours who I know are lingering outside the door right now
ready to burst in if I upset you."
Harry's face got impossibly red. "They're not my twins," he professed yet
again. Why did everyone think that Fred and George were his?
Chuckling, Dr. Hess leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "No matter
how dark life may seem to you, remember, Harry, that you are loved. And if
there is one thing worth fighting for, it's love. Don't let your fear of bad
things happening to you take that away from you."
Shoulders relaxing, Harry gave the doctor a tentative smile. Maybe the man
wasn't so bad after all.
***HP
Standing in front of the mirror, Harry ran his hand down his flawless chest. It
was still incredibly weird to see his scarless reflection staring back him.
Since as far back as he could remember his body was littered with scars, scars
from all the times his "uncle" abused him. If only it were as easy for Loki to
heal the scars on the inside as it was for him to heal the scars on the
outside.
"Are you going to get in?"
Tearing himself away from his reflection, Harry turned to Bruce. "I don't do
swimming, but I'm going to take Dr. Hess' suggestion and work on one of my
fears. I figured putting on the swim trunk was a big enough step for today." He
had also never willingly been topless in front of anyone before, not even at
school. He always hid his scars from everyone by showering alone and wearing
long sleeve shirts, he felt exposed and vulnerable in just swim shorts.
Bruce was incredibly proud of Harry, he was working so hard at getting better.
Tony may not like S.H.I.E.L.D's psychiatrist, but from what he could see the
man was really helping Harry. Just a day ago Harry wouldn't be caught dead in
just shorts or even considering going anywhere near the pool. He could already
see an improvement in the boy.
"Why don't you sit poolside with me while we watch your twins try to drown each
other?" Bruce suggested with a sly wink.
"They're not my twins," Harry protested for the hundredth time.
Bruce smirked at the flustered boy. "If you say so, but you’ll have a hard time
convincing your twins that."
Harry reluctantly followed Bruce out of the changing room, his arms wrapped
self-consciously around his bare stomach. He was tempted to grab a towel to
hide himself in, but hiding wouldn't help. He desperately wanted to be a normal
kid with a normal life and hiding your body and being terrified of the water
wasn't normal.
Bruce kept a close eye on Harry, he wanted him to do this because it was
something that he wanted, but he didn't want Harry to push himself too hard or
to get too upset. "Just take a seat and relax, no one is going to force you
into the water."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly like Dr. Hess taught him to do, Harry
quickly scurried over to a chair about five feet from the pool's edge and sat
down. Heart racing, he grabbed a towel that was on the chair next to him and
placed it over his stomach.
Clint, who had been standing next to the twins when Harry walked out in just
his swim shorts, rolled his eyes at the dumbfounded look on their faces. "Watch
what you're looking at," he growled warningly, before pushing both boys into
the deep end of the pool.
Shaking his head at the trio, Bruce took a seat next to Harry, squeezing his
shoulder as he did so in silent support.
"Are they alright?" Harry asked anxiously as Fred and George resurfaced,
coughing and rubbing water out of their eyes.
"They're fine," Bruce smirked. "Clint was just teaching them a lesson about not
daydreaming at the pool."
Sucking in his bottom lip, Harry continued to watch the twins. They seemed ok
now, George was even forcing Fred's head back under the water. It looked as
though they were having a lot of fun trying to drown each other.
"So I heard your birthday was coming up in two weeks," Bruce said, hoping to
distract Harry from the water and help relax him. "The big fifteen."
Harry reluctantly, very reluctantly seeing how good the twins looked dripping
wet and wearing only swim shorts, took his eyes off of them and looked to
Bruce. "My birthday is the 31'st, but it's not a big deal."
"Your birthday is a big deal," Bruce corrected. "What would you like for your
birthday? Is there anywhere special you would like to go?"
"I...I don't know," Harry answered softly. "I have always spent my birthdays
alone. The Dursleys never celebrated my birthday so I never got a cake, gifts,
or got to go anywhere. They always took Dudley somewhere for his birthday, like
an amusement park or the zoo."
Bruce had to wrestle the other guy for control. Strangely the other guy didn't
want to come out to smash things, he wanted to hold and comfort Harry. He had
never known the Hulk to be so caring towards anyone. "Well, if you had to pick
something to do or somewhere to go for your birthday, what would you pick?"
Fidgeting in his seat, Harry shrugged his shoulders as he picked at the towel
on his lap. "I...I don't know. I really don't need anything for my birthday and
I don't need to go anywhere."
Bruce knew Harry well enough by now to know when he was lying. There was
something that he wanted, but he was too shy to ask for it. He had no doubt
that Harry believed that he didn't deserve a birthday cake, presents or to go
somewhere special, but there was something that he wanted.
"You know your dear, old, crazy dad is going to want to go overboard for your
birthday," Bruce pointed out. "He feels that he has to make up for every
birthday that he has ever missed. It would be easier on youself to just ask for
something, or else he's going to go crazy and you’re going to be drowned in
presents. You see how free Tony is with his money."
 
Harry smiled softly at that. It was a bit overwhelming, but also very exciting.
He still wasn't use to people caring so much about him. “It's really stupid
what I want and I'm sure Pepper would have a fit. Heck, you will probably have
a fit.”
Bruce raised a single eyebrow. “Try me. It can't be that bad.”
Seeing the sincerity in the man’s eyes, Harry decided to confess to him. Dr.
Hess had been trying to get him to be more open and to talk with his family and
trusted friends. “Back at Hogwarts I was on the house Quidditch team. Quidditch
is a wizarding sport played on flying broomsticks and it's the best sport ever.
I was the youngest person to make a house team in over a century. I was a
seeker and my job was to catch a very tiny, flying golden ball that’s darn near
impossible to see. Whichever team's seeker catches the snitch wins 150 points
so it's an almost guaranteed win.”
“Were you good?”
Harry gave Bruce a blinding smile. “I was really good. I only lost once, but
that was only because these really dark creatures flew out onto the pitch and
made me fall from my broom.” Harry shook his head when Bruce opened his mouth
to ask questions about it. “I’ll tell that story later, but let me finish this
first.”
“As much as I love quidditch,” Harry continued. “It’s the flying I love the
most. There is just something so exhilarating and freeing being hundreds of
feet in the air racing over a hundred miles per hour.”
“I'll have to take your word on that,” Bruce chuckled. “I prefer to do all my
flying safely inside an airplane. You’re a lot like your…” Freezing mid
sentence, Bruce smirked at the soon to be fifteen year old. “That’s it, isn’t
it? You want to go flying with your dad in one of his Iron Man suits?”
“No.. I mean yes. I dunno,” Harry answered feeling flustered. “I don't want
lasers or missiles, or anything like that , I just want to see what it’s like
flying in one of his suits. I know, it’s a totally stupid idea. Please don’t
say anything to my dad.”
Bruce just smiled at the boy, making no promises. He would tell Tony because he
knew that the man would love to take Harry flying. Tony was a genius, he could
find a way to program one of his suits so he could take control of it from
Harry if needed. Harry hadn’t asked for a single thing since he moved in, this
was one birthday wish that he would make sure was granted.
“Hey, Harry!” George yelled from the top diving board. The pool had three
diving boards, each one higher than the other. “You're so cute that I can’t
help but to fall for you.” With that, George stepped to the edge of the board,
held his arms out to his sides, gave Harry a wink, then tipped right over,
falling thirty feet down into the water.
“Show off!” Fred yelled down at his brother. “Hey, Harriekins, I'm head over
heels for you.” Unlike with George, Fred ran to the edge of the board, jumped
high, then rocketed back into the air where he did three flips, landing head
first into the water.
Gasping, Harry jumped up and ran to the edge of the pool to make sure Fred and
George were alright, completely forgetting about his fear of the water.
Laughing, Bruce followed Harry to the edge of the pool and stood right next to
him. “See, I told you they were your twins. Deny it all you want, but those
boys love you.”
***HP
“This is crazy!” Remus whispered, panic clear in his voice. “You're going to
get Sirius killed.”
Kingsley looked up and down the dark path, his eyes even flicking up towards
the night sky. So far so good, no Aurors or Dementors. “It’s a completely crazy
idea,” he admitted as he bent down to pick up the stunned animagus. “But we
don't have time to think up a better or safer plan.”
“I can't believe that you stunned Sirius and forced him into Padfoot.” Remus
exclaimed, still reeling in shock from Kingsley’s fast wand work.
“We’re standing in the woods outside Amelia Bones’ house in the middle of the
night and it's me stunning Sirius that has you worried?”
“Good point?” Remus nodded jerkily. “What now?”
“Now we try to get Amelia to not only open her door and let us in, but to also
listen to us and Sirius and pray that she sides with him. If not, we’re all
looking at Azkaban.”
“Do you think she will listen?”
“Here's hoping,” Kingsley grunting, tossing the grim over his shoulder. “She's
a good woman and she's not corrupt like Fudge, she should listen.”
“Should?” Remus repeated weakly as he followed the Auror to the door.
***HP
Tony bolted upright when a hand clamped over his mouth. “Easy, Tony, it’s just
me.”
“Son of a bitch, Cap,” Tony swore softly, looking to the bed next to him to
make sure he hadn't woken Harry. He was actually sleeping pretty good for a
change. “Are you trying to give me a damn heart attack?”
“Sorry,” Steve grimaced, “but the team's been called in.”
Tony was instantly alert and out of bed. Walking swiftly, but quietly, he
exited Harry’s room, closing the door softly behind him. “What's going on?”
“I don't have all the details,” Steve explained. “Fury has called everyone in
and said to be suited up and ready to ship out within the hour. I know
yesterday he was following a disturbance in Germany.”
“Fuck!” Tony growled, this was their first time getting called in on a job
since Harry arrived. “I can’t leave him.”
Steve placed his heavy hand on Tony’s shoulder. “We don't expect you to, nor do
we want you to. Harry needs you and he comes first. Whatever this is, we can
handle it on our own.”
Tony didn't like this, he didn't like the team going without him, but there was
no way in hell he could leave his son, not after his suicide, and not what the
wizards coming. “I'll have Jarvis link me to your coms so I can hear everything
that is going on. Be careful.”
“I'll take care of everyone,” Steve reassured.
“The green guy will take care of me,” Bruce said tightly. “You just worry about
Harry.” He really didn't want to leave Harry, this was happening at the worst
possible time.
Tony reached out and grabbed Bruce’s arm when he went to leave. “You better
bring yourself back in one piece...for Harry,” he quickly added when Bruce
looked at him strangely.
“Don't worry, I'll make it back...to Harry,” Bruce reassured with a small
smirk.
Both Tony and Bruce silently stared at each other for a few minutes before
Bruce reclaimed his his arm and took a few steps back.
“Did we just have a moment?” Tony joked awkwardly. “Because, that totally felt
like a moment to me. The way you looked deeply into my eyes as if you wanted to
kiss me or something. That had to be a moment.”
Groaning, Bruce turned away and headed for the door. “That was not a moment,
you jackass,” he yelled over his shoulder. Despite what he said, it had felt
like a moment to him too.
***** Chapter 15 *****
I decide to update this a day early since tomorrow is going to be a bit hectic
for me. There's also a chance that I may miss a few Sunday update...sorry. I
breed dairy goats and the next two months there will be a lot of births and a
lot of playing with little baby goats. I'm going to do my best to update
something, probably this, but I can't guarantee it.
PLEASE REVIEW
***HP
"Eight cups of strong coffee back to back can't be healthy," Tony mumbled to
himself as he rubbed at his tired eyes. "Jarvis, how's Harry?"
"He's in the shower, sir," Jarvis answered.
Unable to go back to sleep after his team left, Tony had decided to trust Harry
on his own while he moved out to the kitchen to where he could keep track of
and listen to his team. Of course he only pestered Jarvis every five minutes
asking to him to check in on his son and he even activated the surveillance
camera a few times to physically see his son for himself. He didn't want to
stare at the cam the entire time like some creeper, so he only peeked in
occasionally.
"I don't know what he was talking about?" Tony grumbled as he absently picked
at a muffin with a frown on his face. "That was totally a moment and he knew
it. Those warm brown eyes of his were just begging for me to take him into my
arms and kiss him like he has never been kissed before. He wants me alright, he
just doesn't want to admit it."
"Who wants you, dad?"
Dropping the muffin, Tony spun around and gave his son an awkward smile.
"Everyone wants your old man, kiddo, I'm just that sexy."
"Too much info, dad," Harry grimaced. "I was a little shocked when I woke and
found my room empty. Is everything alright?" Shocked was putting it lightly, he
had actually panicked when he woke to find his room empty. His dad slept in his
room with him every night, but sometimes he would rise before him to go work in
his workshop, so either Bruce or Clint would take over guard duty. It scared
him when he opened his eyes to find an empty room.
"Just because I wasn't there doesn't mean that I wasn't keeping a close eye on
you," Tony clarified. "I had Jarvis reporting to me every five minutes and I
checked the survaliance camera multiple times."
"Surprised you didn't watch the Harry Show the entire time," Harry snorted.
"That's a good one," Tony laughed. "The Harry show." Shaking his head, Tony
pushed the chair across from him out with his foot and motioned for his son to
take a seat.
Harry looked between his father and the chair warily. "Dad, is something wrong.
Is..is it Dumbledore? Has he finally found me?" Harry placed his hand over his
heart, the organ pounding erratically and harshly in his chest. This couldn't
be happening, Dumbledore couldn't have found him already.
"No," Tony quickly reassured when all the color bled out of his son's face.
What kind of bastard must that man be to cause such a violent reaction in his
son?
Legs giving out, Harry collapsed onto the chair. "Something's wrong, I can tell
by the look on your face. Did something bad happen?"
"Nothing bad happened," Tony started gently, "but the team did get called in
for a mission early this morning."
"A mission!" Harry gasped breathlessly, his stomach feeling as though someone
had punched him in the gut. "Are..Are you leaving too?"
Tony was on his feet and kneeling beside his son as quick as his legs would
carry him. "You're not getting rid of me that easily," he joked despite his
smile not quite reaching his eyes. "It's nothing, they'll probably be back
before you go to bed tonight."
"But you're worried," Harry pointed out nervously. "You wouldn't be worried if
it was nothing."
Tony wasn't going to tell Harry that it had to be something big for Fury to
call in the Avengers. Fury only called them in when the missions were too
dangerous for normal agents. "I'm not worried," he lied. "Spangles will take
care of Ginger Snaps and Legolas, and we both know that the big guy is having
the time of his life smashing shit. Everyone will be just fine."
Harry gave his father a watery smile. "Promise?" he asked, cringing when his
voice came out sounding childlike. He couldn't help it, he was worried to death
over his new family. Everyone had come to mean so much to him...he loved them
all.
Tony couldn't make that promise, anything could happen while out on a mission.
Captain was pretty damn invincible, same with Bruce, but Clint and Natasha were
just highly trained and gifted agents, they had no super serum running through
their veins or green monsters taking over their bodies. "Are you kidding me?"
he said, hoping to reassure his son without having to make a promise that he
couldn't keep. "We took out Loki and a fleet of really scary looking and smelly
aliens, a couple of human bag guys will be child's play for them."
Taking a couple of deep, shaky breaths, Harry nodded his head. He should have
known something bad was going to happen, something bad always happens. What if
one of them died? He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Breathing getting
hard and his vision blurring, Harry slid off of his chair and onto his father's
lap.
Fred came crashing into the kitchen in only his boxers. "Harry!" he cried in
agony when he spotted the love of his life on the floor...just like how he had
been when he had slit his wrists a few weeks ago. He had been dead asleep when
the feeling of despair, panic and grief came crashing over him. Not caring that
he was only in his boxers, he had leapt out of bed and went running to find his
soul mate.
"He's alright," Tony called out quickly as he patted and rocked his panicking
son. "He's just having a panic attack."
A disheveled looking George came flying into the kitchen, also wearing only his
boxers. He had been violently woken when his twin had woken with a cry and went
flying out of the room.
Knowing that his brother would assume the same thing as he had, that Harry had
once again slit his wrists, Fred quickly grabbed him and pulled him into his
arms. "He's alright, Georgie, he's alright. Harry is only having a panic
attack. You know what to do."
"Sweet Merlin," George mumbled shakily, his face as white as a ghost. "I'll get
the potion," he said, reluctantly pulling out of his brother's comforting arms
and exiting the kitchen.
Tony was trying to calm his son, but nothing he said was helping. Harry had
taken Thor and Loki leaving pretty bad, but losing the rest of his family was
destroying him. "Please breath, Harry, everything will be alright. The team
knows what they are doing, this is what they were trained for. Mother wouldn't
want you crying and having a panic attack over him, he loves you."
Still feeling shaky, Fred took a seat on the cold kitchen floor next to Harry
and his father. "Turn him around so his back is to your chest and rub right
over his heart as you rock him back and forth," he instructed, itching to take
his mate into his arms himself but knowing that Tony wouldn't give him up.
"Excuse me?" A wide eyed Tony asked.
"This isn't our first time dealing with one of Harry's panic attacks," Fred
informed. "That position calms him the fastest and George ran to our room to
get a Calming Draught. It's a potion that will help calm and relax him."
Tony awkwardly turned his son as Fred instructed and started rocking him while
rubbing his chest. "Is the potion safe?"
"Do you think we would give Harry something that would hurt him?" Fred snapped
angrily. "He means more to us than anything else in this world and we wouldn't
harm a hair on his beautiful little head. The potion is harmless, remaining
like this isn't."
George came rushing back into the kitchen with the potion and two pairs of
sweat pants. Tossing one pair to Fred, he got down on his knees in front of
Harry and started talking softly to him. "Easy there, Harry, it's me George. I
want you to concentrate on my voice and try to relax." Placing the potion vial
at Harry's lips, he pressed very gently until his mate opened his mouth.
Carefully, so as not to choke him, he dribbled the potion into his mouth then
massage his throat to help encourage him to swallow.
"The Calming Draught will start working in just a minute or two," Fred
explained. "What happened to cause such a bad attack"
With his cheek buried in his son's hair, Tony continued to rock him as he
rubbed on his chest. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but it
already felt as though the tension was leaving Harry's body. "The team got
called in early this morning. I knew he wouldn't take the news well, but I
didn't think it would be this bad."
With his heart still pounding in his chest from being woken so violently and
then thinking that Harry had tried to kill himself again, Fred shakily pulled
on his sweat pants then took a seat on the floor next to his brother. "I have
never seen Harry as happy as he has been here," he explained. "You and everyone
else here are what he has dreamed of having all his life. He's absolutely
terrified of losing the family that he has found here."
"Even though he has always dreamed of having a loving family," George continued
sadly, "he always believed that he didn't deserve one...that he wasn't worthy.
If he loses you all now, it will destroy him."
"I'm not going anywhere, kiddo," Tony chanted as his own tears fell. He had
done more crying since his son showed up than what he had done in his entire
life. He didn't even shed a single tear when his parents died.
"I'm sorry," Harry whimpered softly. "I just got really scared when I thought
about never seeing Bruce and everyone else ever again."
"Hey, no need to apologize, little chef, I cried like a baby when I thought I
would never see you again. Harry, you don't realize how much you have come to
mean to us. Never be ashamed of being scared, especially when it comes to the
safety of your loved ones. I know it's scary and dangerous, but the team knows
what they're doing and helping people and hurting the bad guys is what they
live for."
"I know, and they're great guys for helping people," Harry said feeling much
better now thanks to the calming draught. "I knew that the team would get
called in again, it just caught me by surprise. I just hope everyone is
alright."
Tony tapped his finger against his ear then smiled down at his son. "As of
fight now, everyone is perfectly fine. I linked Jarvis to their coms so I can
hear hear everything that is going on."
Harry brightened up at hearing that. "You're not just saying that are you?
Everyone is safe?"
Tony internally cringed at the question. As of right now everyone was fine, but
they weren't exactly safe. They were infiltrating a Hydra base and those
bastards had some sneaky tricks up their sleeves. "Their all currently safe and
I promise to keep you up to date with what's happening."
Accepting his father's words, Harry looked around the kitchen, noticing Fred
and George for the first time. Seeing that they were topless and wearing only
low hung sweats, he blushed brightly and dropped his eyes to the floor. "I
guess it's just the four of us for breakfast?" Pepper stopped in every once in
a while, but ever since she started dating some guy seriously, she moved back
to her own apartment so she could have some privacy.
"I could order in breakfast?" Tony suggested as he his son got shakily to his
feet.
Harry looked around the kitchen thinking about the offer. "No, I think I'll
make us all up a traditional English breakfast. I need something to do to keep
my mind off of worrying about everyone."
"Sounds delicious," Tony said, licking at his lips. "While we wait, you demons
can go and get some clothes on before I have to get creative with a staple gun
and the table cover."
Saluting, Fred and George jumped to their feet and quickly sped out of the
room.
***HP
"I should have your wand for this," Amelia hissed, glaring at one of her best
Aurors.
"Why take his wand?" Sirius growled from where he was sitting, spelled tied to
a chair. He had just spent the past two hours, not only telling Amelia Bones
the truth, but also showing her memories and allowing her to question him under
Veritaserum. He had thought for sure that she had believed him.
"Because," Amelia spat, still glaring angrily at Kingsley. "Not only did he
know where a wanted fugitive was and kept it a secret, but he is also working
for Albus Dumbledore when he knows that working for others, such as Dumbledore
and his Order, is forbidden as an Auror. Albus Dumbledore is not the Minister
of Magic or the head of the DMLE, he is a school headmaster with too many names
and a couple of fancy titles. I admit that the man is powerful, but he is not
the law."
Kingsley bowed his head in acceptance knowing that he would be punished for his
actions.
"He's a manipulative bastard," Sirius murmured.
Amelia pointed at the escaped convict with her wand. "Finally figured it out,
have you?" she said icily. "Lord Black, I apologize for everything that has
happened to you for the past fifteen years and I will see that you are freed,
but the chances of you gaining full custody of your godson are pretty slim, at
least not without extensive counseling and psych evaluations. Albus Dumbledore
is also his magical guardian and he has a lot of power and, if you try to
contest him, there is a good chance that Fudge will step in and declare the
both of you unfit and he will make Harry a ward of the Ministry. The man is
almost desperate to get Harry Potter under his control, so much so that he has
even appointed Deloris Umbridge this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts
teacher."
"But that's not fair," Sirius protested. "Harry is my godson, James wanted me
to raise him if something happened to him and Lily. Dumbledore just wants to
stick him in front of Voldemort to get him killed."
With a flick of her wand, Amelia vanished the ropes she had placed around
Sirius Black the second Kingsley had turned him back into his human form. She
had been shocked when her Auror had shown up at her house at midnight with
Remus Lupin and Sirius Black in his animagus form. She wasn't just shocked, she
was also very angry and very hurt. She had trusted Kingsley and it hurt knowing
that he had been going behind her back to work for Dumbledore.
"What about this new muggle father of his," Remus questioned, breathing a hell
of a lot easier now that Sirius was no longer tied to the chair.
"Harry is the only heir to the Potter Lordship, as such, his magical guardian
trumps his muggle father."
"He's also the only Black heir," Sirius pointed out. "Shouldn't that, plus
being his godfather, guarantee me custody of him."
"It would, had you not spent twelve years being fed on by Dementors," Amelia
explained patiently. She hadn't been head of the DMLE at the time Black had
been incarcerated, yet she still felt responsible for his false imprisonment.
She had been an aurora at the time so she should have known that he had been
sent to Azkaban without a trial.
Sirius hung his head fighting back his tears. "So what, we just allow
Dumbledore to force Harry to return and fight old snake face?"
"First, we need to get you cleared," Amelia explained. "I want you to return to
wherever it was you were hiding and await my owl. I'm going to take your
memories and my memories to Minister Fudge and request an emergency Wizengamot
hearing. With any luck, Dumbledore will be out hunting for Harry so we won't
have him trying to delay the trial. Hopefully your name will be cleared before
he returns with your godson."
"I know it's not what you want to do, but as soon as you're cleared I want you
to willingly check yourself into St. Mungos for a complete physical and a
psychological evaluation. You need to prove that you are physically and
mentally capable of taking care of a child."
"That's not our only problem," Kingsley said speaking up, mindful of the fact
that he was probably going to lose his job first thing in the morning. "My
brother, who holds a position similar to your own, Madam Bones, informed me
that Harry's biological father is very powerful with even more powerful team
mates...including the Asgardian Gods, Thor and Loki. If Harry is taken from
him, we are looking at a war with not only powerful and incredibly trained and
gifted muggles, but also gods that we don't stand a chance of beating."
"You're joking?" Sirius cried. "Asgard isn't real, it's just a myth."
Kingsley raised his eyebrows incredulously at the animagus. He would have
thought, seeing as Sirius was a Black, that he would have know his wizarding
history better. Every pureblood knew that one of the theories on how they got
their magic was from breeding with Asgards visiting their planet. "I assure
you, this is no joke. One thing my brother does not do is joke. If he said that
two gods from Asgard will come down on us from kidnapping Potter, than you
better damn well believe that that is exactly what will happen. Nick may be a
squib, but he is very smart and very powerful.
Taking off her glasses, Amelia pinched the bridge of her nose. All she had
wanted to do after she left the office that day was enjoy a nice dinner with
her niece, Susan, soak in a very hot bubbly tub for and hour, then sleep until
she was forced to wake and repeat her day all over again. Had that been too
much to ask for? "It's not a good situation, but there is nothing that can be
done about it now. Go home and I will get in contact with you in the next day
or two."
Narrowing her eyes, Amelia glared once again at Kingsley. "I want to see you in
my office first thing in the morning and you better spend the rest of the night
thinking over who you truly want to work for, me, or Dumbledore." Amelia held
up her hand when Kingsley went to open his mouth. "Tomorrow," she barked. "I
have had enough to for one night. Good day gentlemen."
***HP
"Do you think the brat is in there?" Severus sneered as he stared up at the
large skyscraper. He was sick and tired of looking for the boy, he just wanted
to find him so they could finish this damn war. He was done with his double
life and done with teaching moronic children, he just wanted to retire, move
far away, possibly here to America, and spend his life inventing new potions.
He didn't spend years of his life apprenticing to become a potions master just
so he could teach children who had no love for the amazing art of potion
brewing.
Grinning through his beard, Albus nodded his head. "Harry is here, I can feel
his magic, Severus." Harry's wasn't the only magic he could feel, there were a
few others, but one had him greatly concerned. The magic he could feel was
immensely powerful, the most powerful he had ever felt and it reminded him
almost of Harry's, but there was a dangerous darkness to it. The magic was also
very different, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Luckily the magic
wasn't fresh, which meant that whomever the magic belonged to hasn't been
around for a few days.
Severus eagerly fingered his wand. "So what's your plan? This isn't a regular
home where we can just knock on the door and demand that the brat comes with
us."
Albus patted his potions master on the shoulder. "There will be no demanding,
Harry will be more than happy to come with us. We are his family after all."
"And then what are your plans for the brat?"
Sighing tiredly, Albus turned to look back at Stark Tower. "As much as it pains
me, knowing how he was treated, I think it would be best if Harry is returned
to his relatives until at least mid August. He needs the protection of the
blood wards until he is ready to confront Voldemort."
Severus shivered at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. Ever since the man had
been resurrected, his life has become a living hell. The Dark Lord was even
more insane now than what he had been when he attacked the Potters and killed
his best friend, Lily, and he handed out crucious like Santa Claus handed out
Christmas presents to good little boys and girls. He didn't know how much more
his body could take.
"Keep your wand at the ready," Albus warned. "We know that Harry is no longer
with his relatives, but we don't know what kind of people he is with. I don't
want to upset the American Minister by using magic on muggles here, but I'm
prepared to do whatever is necessary to bring Harry home."
"Like my wand isn't always at the ready," Severus mumbled under his breath,
surprised that Dumbledore was suggesting using magic on muggles. He himself had
no love for muggles and didn't much care what happened to them, but the great
Albus Dumbledore was a muggle lover to the extreme.
***HP
Pen slipping from her hand, the secretary at the front desk of Stark Tower
looked up in aghast. "What the hell?" she murmured to herself when a man with
an exceptionally long white beard walked in the door wearing a pale purple and
muddy green suit with red shoes. She didn't even know that they made suits in
such atrocious colors. Was the circus in town or something?
"Hello, young lady," Albus said jovially to the woman behind the front desk.
"Care for a lemon drop?" he asked, extending his wrinkled hand out with the
sweet inside of it. These lemon drops were from his special stash and laced
with a small amount of Veritaserum.
The woman's face scrunched up in disgust. "My father taught me when I was three
to never take candy from strangers. What can I help you with today?"
Frowning slightly, Albus pocketed his candy. Maybe he would have better luck
with chocolate, not as many people seemed to appreciate lemon as much as him.
"You see, I am a headmaster to a private school in Scotland and I'm here
looking for one of my students. It has recently come to my attention that he
has been mistreated by his relatives who forced him to move here to America.
I'm here to check up on him and escort him back before the start of the new
term."
"This isn't an apartment complex," the secretary explained. "The only one who
lives here is Tony Stark. There are no children here."
Scratching his beard, Albus looked around the grand room. He knew that Harry
was here, he could easily sense his magic. If he wasn't mistaken, which he very
seldom was, a troublesome set of red haired twins were also here. He had always
been exceptionally good at sensing magic, and once he got a taste of someones
magic he never forgot it. Fred and George Weasley weren't visiting with Mr.
Jordan like they told their parents, they were here with Harry.
Pulling out a Daily Prophet that he had charmed not to move, Albus showed her a
picture of Harry taken during the TriWizard Tournament. "This is the child I'm
looking for, his name is Harry Potter, he's fourteen years old, and I'm afraid
that he is in great danger. It really is of the utmost importance that I find
him."
Severus quickly pulled out his wand and cast an oblivate on the muggle woman.
"Severus?" Albus questioned.
"She was getting ready to call security," Severus explained, having read the
woman's thoughts. "Potter is here, but his presence is being kept a secret. For
some strange reason, she believes that Potter's biological father's is this
muggle man, Tony Stark."
"That's impossible," Albus said, paling slightly. If James wasn't Harry's real
father but some muggle man, then there was a scary possibility that Harry
wasn't the prophecy child. Thinking that over for a minute, he decided that
blood didn't always matter. If James loved that boy as a true son, which he
undeniably did, then as his step-father the prophecy still referred to Harry.
Voldemort did mark him as his equal after all.
"Do you know where in this building young Harry is?" Albus asked anxiously.
There was a good chance that the American Ministry picked up on Severus'
oblivate.
"I do, he's on one of the top floors. We will have to take an elevator to get
there, but I'm pretty sure that we will be able to apparate out or use the
portkey."
***HP
Yawning, Harry allowed his head to drop onto George's shoulder. Shifting a bit
more to get comfortable, his eyelids started to droop.
"Come on, how could you possibly be falling asleep during this awesome cartoon,
mini me?" Tony asked incredulously. "These kids a freaking brilliant."
Yawning again, Harry smiled sheepishly at his father. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm
just too tired to appreciate Phineas and Ferb. I do like it though, especially
their goofy father."
"Those freaky haired kids are giving us a few creative ideas," Fred and George
said with a wink.
"Now you're thinking my way," Tony beamed. "The three of us combined could be
very dangerous in my lab." Ever since the truth about his son's magic was
revealed, he had gotten a taste at how wonderfully wicked and brilliant the
demonic duo could be. He couldn't wait for them to teach him all about potion
making, even though he would never be able to brew anything himself. There was
so much about magic that he wanted to learn, but he knew that Harry wasn't
ready to talk much about magic yet. It was a shame that he hated something that
was so very special about himself.
"Sir, there are two uninvited guests making their way up in the elevator,"
Jarvis warned. "I tried to stop the elevator, but something was blocking me."
Harry was first to his feet, his heart pounding hard in his chest. "It's him!"
he cried fearfully.
"Jarvis, did you see what they looked liked?" Tony asked briskly as he pulled
his trembling son into his arms.
"Yes, sir, one is an older male with a long beard, and the other is a male with
long black hair and a rather large, hooked nose."
"Snape," Fred and George spat in disgust.
Tony tried to push Harry into the twins arms, but his son refused to let go of
him. "Take him to my work shop and seal the doors," he ordered shortly.
Harry vigorously shook his head no. "It won't stop them, they will be able to
get through any of your locks."
"Harry, go to my workshop!" Tony ordered, this time forcefully pushing him into
George's arms. "I will take care of your headmaster and this other man."
Taking a couple deep breaths, Harry pulled away from George. "I'm not leaving
you with them. You don't realize how powerful Dumbledore is."
"Harry," Tony growled. "I need you safe. Go to the..." Tony stopped mid
sentence when he heard the elevator stop. "You stay behind me and let me handle
this," he hissed.
Looking fearfully at the elevator, Harry nodded his head. He had hoped and
prayed that Dumbledore wouldn't find him, but once again his prayers went
unanswered. "Dad, always remember that I love you. These past two months have
been the best in my life and I'll always treasure them."
"Stop talking like you will never see me again, kiddo," Tony said around the
lump in his throat. "I'm not going to let them take you away from me."
***** Chapter 16 *****
I sincerely apologize for last updates cliffie, I hate cliffhangers. I thought
that I would have had more time to write, but things came up and it was either
post that, or post nothing. I must admit though, I got a shit ton reviews
because it was a cliffie, maybe I should look into doing it more often…….insert
evil cackle!
Hope you enjoy this and I apologize for all the mistakes, I'm very busy with
the goats right now. For those that haven't friended me on Facebook, Potter
Obsessed, I have had 18 baby goats born so far with 4 more mommas left to give
birth. Next week I will start milking some of the mommas which will cut into
more of my writing time. Just bare with me and be patient.
I wasn't going to post this until Sunday, but I decided to be nice.
PLEASE REVIEW
***HP
 
Smiling sadly and reaching out for Fred and George's hands, Harry looked to the
elevator when the doors started to open. He knew that this was the end, that
Dumbledore was going to take him away from his dad. Tony was tough, but he was
also just a muggle going up against two powerful wizards. Maybe if Loki had
been here he could have stopped them, but it was just him, his dad, and the
twins, not very good odds at all.
Tony didn't know what he had been expecting with the way everyone had been
playing the Dumbledore fool up, but it sure as hell hadn't been a Gandalf
wannabe dressed as a color blind clown. This ancient man was the man his son
was so terrified of?
"Gentlemen, it's awfully rude to enter a person's house uninvited," Tony said
shortly, making sure that he was standing protectively in front of his son.
"And it's even more rude to just barge in without even knocking."
Dumbledore held up his hand when Severus opened his mouth to say
something...something more than likely uncalled for and sarcastic. "Harry, my
dear, dear, wonderful boy, you have had us all very worried. We have been
searching for you for weeks.”
"Uhm, hello!" Tony cried, waving his arms wildly in the air. "I do believe that
I was lecturing you on your lack of manners and extreme rudeness."
"Fred, George," Albus called, his eyes losing their twinkle from
disappointment. "I'm extremely disappointed to find the two of you here when
you're supposed to be at visiting Mr. Jordan."
"Not as disappointed as we are to see you, Headmaster," The twins said dryly at
the same time.
"Why you insolent..."
"Calm now, Severus," Albus reprimanded. "We will leave them to their mother.
I'm sure that she will be able to sort them out in no time."
Harry squeezed the twins hands to keep them from saying anything. Snape was
looking for a fight, he didn't want to make the situation harder on his father.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are," Tony snapped, "but you don't
just barge into someone's private home. Please leave now before I toss you
out...through the window." he added, cracking his knuckles.
"I'd like to see you try," Severus scoffed, staring down his long, hooked nose
at the muggle.
"Excuse my rudeness," Albus said, finally addressing the muggle. "I was just so
relieved to find three of my missing students that I forget myself there for a
moment. I'm the Headmaster at young Harry's and the Weasley boys' school, Albus
Dumbledore. I'm not exactly sure how they ended up in your care, but we have
come to take them home with us." Smiling jovially, Albus extended his hand to
the muggle to shake.
Tony looked down at the offered hand in disgust. All he could think about was
this was the man that left his precious baby son with that vile monster knowing
that he would be abused. He may not have known that he would be abused to such
a horrific extent, but that still didn't make it right. No kid should be
abused, not even just verbally.
Shaking his head, Tony took his eyes off the wrinkly hand and looked the
bastard back in the eyes. "Yeah, that's not going to happen. I don't shake
hands with child abusers."
Albus jerked his hand back as though he had touched fire. "Excuse me, but I
have never harmed a child in my life. I have devoted my life to nurturing young
minds and helping those in need."
"With the exception of my son," Tony pointed out bluntly.
Albus' eyes widened slightly when he looked between the muggle and Harry and
saw the scary resemblance. Harry was almost a clone of the man. Had Lily
cheated on James? Lily was such a good girl, he never would have pegged her for
a cheater. It was plain to tell by the man's defensive stance that he honestly
believed that Harry was his son and he was prepared to protect Harry from him
at all costs.
"James Potter," Severus spat the name out like it was something dirty, "is the
brat's no good father, not you."
Tony smiled smugly at the ugly man. "No, Squidward, James Potter was the mother
to my handsome, sweet, and loving son. I am Harry's biological father. Incase
your small brain can't comprehend what I'm saying because of all the grease in
your hair, let me simplify it for you. Me, James, a bar, drinks, hotel room,
amazing sex, all night long. Do you get the picture now?"
Albus gasped in shock. Not only was James Potter a carrier, but Harry had
broken the Statute of Secrecy and revealed the magical world to a muggle. He
was so shocked that he didn't what to address first, James being a carrier, or
Harry breaking the law. Harry had to have broken the law for this man to know
that a rare few male wizards could get pregnant.
"Lies!" Severus roared. "James Potter is the brat's father and Lily Evans was
his mother. I have not wasted my life working at Hogwarts to look after a child
that wasn't my Lily's."
"Dude, you still carry a torch for a woman who has been dead for almost
fourteen years?" Tony smirked. "A woman that chose another man over you? Not
that I can't blame her and all what with that exceptionally large honker of
yours."
"You liked my mo...I mean Lily?" Harry asked shocked and a bit disgusted. To
think, if Lily had really been his mother, and if she had married Snape instead
of James Potter, he could be Harry Snape.
"Now, now, sweet Harrikens," Fred coo'd patting him on the shoulder. "I know
what you're thinking. Don't torture yourself so, old, ugly Snape face isn't
your daddy."
"You're way to cute and delicate to sport such a honker," George added with a
wink.
Tony's lips quirked up in a mischievous smile. "If my darling baby boy had a
honker like that, his mega rich daddy would have had it properly fixed for him.
Not that a Stark would pass such an unsightly deformity onto their children."
"Enough!" Albus said sternly, pushing some of his magic into his voice. The
situation was quickly getting out of hand and he knew that Severus was at the
point where it would be almost impossible to stop him from cursing the smart
mouth muggle.
"We got off onto a bad start here, and I must admit that it was my fault,"
Albus continued. "First I was relieved to find my missing students, and then I
was shocked to find that James was a carrier and that young Harry here has a
non magical father. You must excuse me for learning such shocking news."
"I don't need magic to be dangerous," Tony snarled defensively.
"I think we all just need to take a deep breath and to calm down." Albus said
with a smile. Looking past the muggle, Albus took in Harry's appearance. "You
look good, my boy. How has your summer been so far?" Harry did look
exceptionally well. He had gained a few pounds, his completion wasn't as pale
and as gaunt, and he was wearing nice clothes that actually fit him for once.
"Of course he looks good," Tony growled, once again stepping in front of his
son and blocking the old man's view of him. "I feed my child and don't abuse
him, maybe if you would have checked in on him, you would have known how badly
he was being abused."
"Maybe we should start at the beginning," Albus suggested, hoping to calm the
muggle. "Harry, how long have you known that Lily wasn't your mother?"
"Just this summer, sir," Harry answered honestly. "Those people," he spat,
"found Lily's diary where she wrote everything down, including the name of my
real father."
"Harry," Albus scolded, "I know that there was no love between the Dursleys and
yourself, but they did take you in and gave you a home for close to fourteen
years. Please show them just a little bit of respect."
Flinching as if struck, Harry turned to George and buried his face in his neck.
He knew that Dumbledore didn't know the extent of the abuse, but the man knew
that he had been abused and yet he was scolding him and telling him to show
those vile monsters some respect. What was wrong with Dumbledore? Why did he
hate him so much?
"Respect!" Tony roared like a lion, he was done playing around. "That fat fuck
raped my boy when he was only six years old and he continued to rape and beat
him until he sold him off to me. And if that wasn't bad enough, he sold my son
to other sick perverts like himself."
Paling, Albus stumbled to the couch and collapsed onto it. "I didn't know," he
mumbled numbly. "I thought it was just hateful words, a few beatings, and food
being withheld. I never would have suspected the man of such dark acts. I-
I don't know what to say, Harry.”
Tony was visably vibrating with anger. "I want you and your big nosed, greasy
haired minion to get the hell out of my tower and to never come back. My
son...MY SON!" Tony roared loudly, "is not returning to that school. He has no
desire to, and you will have to go through me in order to take him."
For once in his life Severus was speechless. He may despise everything about
Potter, but no child deserved that. "Lies," he said weakly, not wanting to
believe a word of what came out of that muggle's mouth. "He wasn't...that can't
be true...he..."
Shaking from fear, anger and embarrassment, Harry looked to his headmaster.
"Every year I begged you not to send me back, I told you they were horrible,
but you would never listen to me. You think that you're this great wizard who
never does wrong and who knows everything, but you're not. My dad isn't forcing
me to stay here, it's what I want. I don't want to be The-Boy-Who-Lived
anymore, the poor misunderstood orphan, a hero one minute and a little dark
lord in the training the next. I want to stay here with my dad and the rest of
the family that I found here. For once I have people who like me for who I am,
not for who they think I am or for something that I supposedly did as a child."
"I am so sorry," Albus apologized sincerely. "Had I known how bad it was I
would have removed you immediately and found you another home. I was just
trying to protect you from the remaining Death Eaters and all the fame that
would come as The -Boy-Who-Lived. I just wanted you to have a normal life, to
be a normal little boy without the weight of the wizarding world on his
shoulders."
"You have had your say," Tony snapped, not truly believing the ancient man. The
man was a manipulative bastard, he would say anything to get Harry to return
with him. "Walk yourself out of my tower the same way you came in, or else I
will be testing to see if wizards can fly without brooms."
"I can't," Albus said, slowly standing up. He didn't miss how the muggle tensed
or how the Weasley boys' dropped their wands into their hands. He didn't want
to fight them, but Harry didn't have a choice, he had to return and fight the
Dark Lord, he was the chosen one in the prophecy. Harry Potter was the only one
who could defeat Lord Voldemort.
Looking to Severus, Albus gave him a barely noticeable nod. He wasn't worried
about the muggle getting in the way, but the Weasley twins were pretty darn
powerful and could be dangerous.
Severus let his wand slip from inside his sleeve where it was held secure by a
wand holster. He had wanted nothing more than to AK the muggle since the moment
he opened his mouth, but now he was reluctant to do so. He was just a man
trying to protect his son, if he had a son he would do the same.
"Harry, I wish that I could allow you to remain here with your newly found
father, but if you do you will be putting him in grave danger," Albus said
gently. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters will come looking for you and they will
kill him. If you truly love your father, you will leave here and not return
until the Dark Lord is dead."
Tony turned to his son, not the least bit surprised to see that Harry was
believing Gandalf's words. "Don't you dare for a second think about it, mini
me," Tony pleaded. "You know that I can take care of myself, you have seen the
proof."
With watery eyes, Harry smiled at his dad. "I'm not leaving you, dad. I know
that he's just trying to scare and manipulate me, but it's not going to work. I
have been hanging out with Loki too long to fall for Dumbledore's tricks again.
If anything, I need to stay here and train with Loki so I can protect you from
Voldemort."
Tony was a bit shocked to see such fire in his son's eyes. He knew that he had
it in him, but he also knew that Harry just wanted to live the quiet life with
no confrontations, or being famous. "That's my boy," he proclaimed proudly.
Turning back around, his eyes widened when two wands were pointed at his face.
"Mr. Stark, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way," Albus warned. "You
claim that Harry is your child, something that I will test to confirm for
myself, but he must return to the wizarding world with us."
"I wouldn't be Tony Stark if I did things the easy way," Tony smirked, holding
out his hand and calling his Iron Man gauntlet to him. He thought about calling
his entire suit, but he was concerned that if he was hit with a spell or curse
that it would bounce off him and hit one of the boys.
Even though they knew that Harry was more magically powerful than themselves,
both Fred and George pushed Harry behind them. Harry was Dumbledore's target,
it would only take him a second to slip a portkey on him.
Tony now wished that he would have had time to test wizard magic against his
suit. He knew from his battle against Loki that he could hold his own, but he
hadn't had a son to worry about at the time and distract him. It was going to
be hard battling and keeping an eye on his son all at the same time. He also
felt responsible for the demonic duo, they were his son's soul mates and he
would be devastated if something happened to them.
"I really don't want to fight with you," Albus stressed. "Despite what you may
think, I'm not the bad guy here."
"Kidnapping in my book makes you a bad guy," Tony hissed. "You are trying to
forcefully remove my child from my home when he doesn't want to go with you."
"I'm truly sorry you see it that way," Albus sighed. "I am Harry's magical
guardian and, since you are just a muggle, I have final say in his life until
he turns seventeen." With a flick of his wrist he sent a stunner at the man.
"It worked!" Tony gaped in surprise when he was able to deflect the curse that
the old man sent at him. "But it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new
tv...again," he sighed, when the curse hit it and caused it to come crashing
down off the wall.
Severus, who was a little more knowable of muggle weapons than Dumbledore,
threw a shield up in front of him and Dumbledore just in time to block a pulse
of some kind of electric that the muggle shot out of his gauntlet. Whoever this
man was, he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
"Harry, tell your father to stand down," Albus ordered. "I don't want to hurt
him, but I will if I must."
Shaking his head, Harry narrowed his eyes as he stepped out from behind Fred
and George. "I'm done playing the good little Gryffindor, sir. I want nothing
to do with you, or the wizarding world. Now please just leave."
"You can't mean that," Albus gasped. "You are the wizarding world's only hope.
How can you just leave us all to Voldemort?"
Tony sent another blast at the wizards, growling in frustration when it just
bounced off their invisible barrier. "He's just a child, children aren't
supposed to fight in a war. Are all the wizards and witches in your world such
pathetic pussies that they need a teenager to fight for them. Are there no real
men in your world?"
Both Dumbledore and Snape sent a mild blasting hex at the muggle. Tony was able
to block the old man's, but he wasn't fast enough to block the greasy haired
bastard's curse. The curse hit him in the shoulder and sent Tony flying into
the wall behind him, but not before shooting off a blast of his own.
Grunting loudly in pain, Severus wrapped his broken arm around his middle.
Luckily he hadn't been hit on his wand arm. Snarling and clenching his teeth,
he pointed his wand and was set to shoot off a bone breaking curse of his own,
when Fred Weasley stepped in front of the muggle, his wand raised and a rare
serious look on his face.
"We're not in school now, sir," Fred warned. "I never much liked you and I
won't feel very bad if I hurt you." How could he like the greasy git? Snape had
always been horrible to his sweet soul mate.
"Foolish child," Snape sneered. "Expelliarmus!"
Quickly shaking off his disorientation, Tony got back to his feet. Maybe he
needed to be in full Iron Man suit after all! Not wasting anymore time on his
thoughts and seeing that his son and George were fighting the old man and Fred
was fighting Squidward, he launched himself back into the battle.
Harry and George were holding their own fairly well against Dumbledore, but he
was taking it easy on them, not wanting to really hurt them. Conjuring three
large dogs, he sent them after George so he could concentrate on Harry. "I
really am sorry, my boy, but you are too important to lose." With that, he sent
multiple hexes and curses at Harry, too many for the boy to be able to block.
Harry dropped to his knees with a strangled cry, his blood feeling as though it
was on fire. Wand slipping from his fingers, he collapsed to his side and
curled up into a ball.
Dumbledore felt bad for using such a horrible curse on the boy, but he needed
this to end as peacefully as possible. The curse he was using was similar to
the Cruciatus Curse, but much milder. He could keep Harry under it for a decent
amount of time before he lost his mind to the pain.
"Severus!" Albus called, "shields now!"
Tony started blasting at the old man, not caring now if he killed him or not.
He was hurting his son so he deserved to die as far as he was concerned.
Unfortunately the man's shields were deflecting everything.
Panting, Fred slipped to his knees, feeling everything that his soul mate was
feeling. "Stop it, you're hurting him," he pleaded.
Unable to take anymore of his son's cries, Tony ripped off his gauntlet and
tossed it across the room. "Enough! Stop hurting him."
"Severus, their wands," Albus instructed, keeping the curse on Harry. "I don't
like hurting Harry, he is like a grandson to me, but I will do what must be
done for the greater good."
With his shattered arm still tight to his side, Severus snatched the wands from
Fred, who was still on the ground whimpering, and George. "Insolent brats," he
growled. "Just wait until I get you back in my classroom. I am going to make
your life a living hell."
"Oh, so nothing new," George hissed with a glare.
If Severus could have, he would have backhanded the boy. "Help your brother up,
boy," he sneered.
"Stop the curse!" Tony roared urgently. He didn't want to give in to the
bastard, but he was hurting his son and there was nothing he could do. He
couldn't risk the wizard hurting his son even more.
Albus ended the curse but kept his wand on Harry. "Don't try anything stupid, I
can have him back under the curse before you can even think about taking a step
towards me."
Tony wanted to rush to his son who was lying there barely moving. He would fear
that he was dead, if it wasn't for the soft, pitiful whimpers coming from him.
"I didn't want to do this, but you gave me no other choice," Albus sighed
heavily. "I can't have you looking for him and interfering. He has a destiny to
fulfill, one that I pray he survives."
Despite his body being wracked with unimaginable pain, Harry lifted his head
up, his eyes pleading with his headmaster. "Please don't obliviate my dad," he
rasped out, his throat raw and torn from screaming. "Please don't!"
Albus looked sadly down at the young boy. "I'm sorry, my boy, but it is what's
best...especially for your father." He wasn't sure if he truly believed the
claim, but there was a simple paternity spell he could perform to find out the
truth. "Severus."
Tony looked down at his crying child with watery eyes of his own. "I won't
forget you, little chef. Be strong and patient, myself and the rest of the team
will come for you. Don't forget, we have an inside man." The inside man he was
thinking of was whoever Fury’s brother was.
 
"Nooooo!" Harry wailed when Snape pointed his wand between his dad’s eyes.
"Please don't. I'll come willingly with you, I promise. Please don't make my
dad forget about me."
Severus looked uncertainly at Dumbledore. Even he wasn't immune to such a
desperate plea from Potter. He knew that the child craved a family, it was why
he latched onto the mutt and the wolf so quickly.
With no twinkle in his eyes, Albus nodded to Severus. "Do it!" he ordered,
wincing when Harry let out a loud and desperate cry. Seeing that the child was
trying to get up, he swiftly stunned him, then Fred and George just to be safe.
Tony looked the greasy bastard dead in the eyes. "I will come for my son, and
when I do, I will tear you limb from limb. I'm not going to forget my son, and
I'm sure as hell not going to forget your ugly mug."
Severus felt a chill go up his spine. He had a very bad feeling about this
muggle. "Obliviate!"
***HP
Stepping into the elevator behind Bruce, Clint smirked at the doctor. "Maybe
you can get Tony to massage that for you," he said with a shit eating grin on
his face.
Bruce, who had been rubbing his sore shoulder, flipped off his team mate.
"There's nothing going on between Tony and I," he defended weakly. He knew that
sounded pathetic, but he was too sore and exhausted to care. They had assumed
that they had the base they raided on lockdown so he had shifted back to his
human self, when a man came out of the shadows and hit him on the shoulder with
a large metal bar.
"You should have had a S.H.I.E.L.D doctor look at that for you," Steve said in
concern. He had managed to just save his friend in time before the man brought
the bar down on his head.
"Nothing's broken," Bruce mumbled. "I just want to check on Tony and Harry,
something doesn't feel right and it has the green guy on edge. If everything is
ok upstairs, then after a hot shower I'll have it checked over."
"What's the big guy picking up?" Clint asked, perking up at hearing that.
Bruce tilted his head to the side and his eyes unfocused a bit. "I don't know,"
he answered, giving his head a little shake. "Something just doesn't feel right
and I can feel the other guy close to the surface."
Clint, trusting Bruce's instincts, readied his bow. Out of the corner of his
eye he saw Natasha pull out her gun. "We're going to feel really stupid if when
these doors open we find Stark waiting to greet the good doctor in only his
birthday suit."
Bruce scrunched his face up in disgust. "Keep it up, bird brain," Bruce
growled. "The other guy is just looking for an excuse to come out and smash
something."
"Come on," Clint scoffed. "Everyone here knows that there is something going on
between you and Stark. What really happened the night in the containment room
when it was just the two of you? You came out naked and limping, and Stark came
out naked and looking cockier than ever."
Bruce was saved from answering when the elevator came to a stop and the doors
opened to reveal a completely trashed room and Stark sitting on the couch with
his head between his hands and his body trembling uncontrollably.
"What the hell?" Clint cursed.
Bruce, knowing that his team and the other guy would have his back if there was
someone dangerous in the room, rushed to Tony and lifted his head. He gasped
when he saw that the man was crying and that there was blood steadily dripping
from his nose.
"Tony, what happened?" Bruce asked urgently. It didn't escape his notice that
Harry wasn’t around and neither were the twins.
Tony, with slightly unfocused eyes, looked around the destroyed room. "I-
I don't know," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper. Whimpering, he
shoved his fingers into his hair and gripped the delicate strands tightly. "I
know that I should know what happened, but every time I force myself to
remember it feels like Thor is taking his hammer to my head."
Cursing softly, Bruce grabbed a clean, spare shirt from his bag and held it to
Tony's nose as blood started pouring faster from it. "Tony, where's Harry?"
Pain flashed across Tony's face. "I know that name, I can almost see a face and
hear a voice, but I also don't know who that is. I know that whoever Harry is
that he's very important to me, that I care for him more than anybody I have
ever cared about before, but I don't know why. What's wrong with me?"
"They scrambled with his fucking head," Clint hissed furiously.
"Tony," Bruce called gently. "Harry is your fourteen, almost fifteen, year old
son."
"I-I have a son?" Tony asked, his eyes still unfocused and his nose still
bleeding heavily. "I-I knew that...I-I think I did anyway. If I have a son,
where is he? Why the hell does my head hurt so much and why is my nose
bleeding?"
Pacing, Steve whipped out his phone and started barking orders. "I'll get a
hold of Coulson. Bruce, you stay with Tony, Natasha, go and check Harry's room
and see if his stuff is missing, and Clint, get on the room and see if you can
signal Heimdall. Hopefully Loki can unscramble his brain. We need to get to
Harry before they put him in front of that dark wizard."
Bruce could feel the other guy clawing to break free. He was having a very hard
time controlling the green monster. "Tony, other than your head, are you hurt
anywhere else?"
Tony stared into Bruce's eyes for a few minutes before slowly and gently
shaking his head no. "I remember green eyes...they were crying. I-I need to
remember, I told them that I would remember. Please help me."
 
***HP
Ok, I had a few people review saying that magic, or maybe just mind magic,
wouldn't work on Tony. I don't know, I really don't know a whole lot about him,
but seeing as this is my own little world, I decided to straddle it a bit. Tony
knows he should know, and he remembers bits and pieces, but he doesn't remember
everything. Come on, I couldn't make it easy for Harry. You know how much I
love angst.
***** Chapter 17 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Marvel.
Hope you enjoy. PLEASE REVIEW!
***HP
 
Moaning, Harry sluggishly brought his hand up and rubbed at his throbbing head.
Why did he feel as though his body weighed a ton, and why did he feel as though
he had been drugged? With his eyes still shut, he scrunched his face up as he
tried to recall what happened.
"He's waking?"
Hearing someone whisper, Harry turned his head towards the voice, his brain
still not fully functioning nor allowing him to wake fully.
Rubbing his eyes, Fred sat up from where he had been resting his head on his
brother's lap. "This is going to be bad, Georgie," he fretted. "This is going
to kill him."
George nodded his head in agreement. He was not looking forward to his little
soul mate waking and finding himself back at Hogwarts in the Hospital Wing.
Harry was going to be absolutely devastated and it was going break his heart
seeing his love in so much pain.
He had never seen Harry as happy as he had been while with his dad. There had
been plenty of bumps and snags the past few weeks, but Tony and the rest of the
gang had been there for Harry and had supported him through everything. For a
brief time, Harry got to experience what it was like to have a loving
family...to have a dad.
"We should have fought harder," Fred said, not for the first, or fifteenth
time. He blamed himself for Harry being back in the wizarding world. He blamed
himself for Harry being ripped from his father's loving arms.
"We did fight hard," George reassured his twin again. "Dumbledore played dirty.
We knew that he wanted Harry, but we never expected that he would physically
hurt Harry to get his hands back on him. There was nothing more that we could
have done, he wasn't going to stop the curse until we surrendered."
Fred felt horrible, more than horrible, he felt as though he was going to be
physically sick. Not only had Dumbledore hurt and kidnapped Harry, but he also
oblivated Tony. He stole all of Tony's memories of Harry and he would never get
them back.
"They'll come for Harry," George said with conviction. "Tony, Bruce, Steve,
Nat, Clint, Thor, and Loki. They'll all come for him and they will tear this
castle down brick by brick to get to him."
"They're muggles," Fred reminded. "Well except for Thor and Loki. What can
muggles do against wizards and witches?"
George looked to his brother with wide, incredulous eyes. "Did you not watch
the same videos as me? Did you not see the green monster that Bruce turns into?
What about the fact that Tony can fly and shoot lasers? Dumbledore doesn't
realize what hornets nest he has poked...the Avengers are very dangerous."
 
Fred rested back against his brother, he was having a harder time than George
shaking off the powerful stunner that Dumbledore had hit them with. He had
already been feeling weak from Harry's extreme emotions before being hit with
the stunner, so that, combined with the stunner, left him feeling shaky and
dizzy.
"Do we have a plan?" Fred asked weakly.
"Right now we continue to do what we have always done ever since we first laid
eyes on our beautiful mate. We support Harry, give him a shoulder to cry on, we
protect him to the best of our ability, but most of all, we do not allow him
out of our sights for even a minute. I don't know how he's going to react when
he remembers everything, but I'm terrified that he will hurt himself again."
Fred nodded his head gravely. "Loki isn't here to save him if he takes knife to
his wrists again." Trying to shake the image of the love of his life bleeding
to death on the bathroom floor, he looked back to his brother. "D-Do you think
he will do it again?"
"I think it's a very real possibility," George answered honestly. "Harry is
going to be devastated. It's like losing his father all over again, but this
time having experienced what a father's love felt like. It's going to kill
him."
"I use to think that Dumbledore was this great man, a bit unstable in the head,
but great. Why is he doing this to Harry?"
George tossed his arm around his twin's shoulder. "I don't know. I think
Dumbledore has had it in his head that Harry is the only one who can defeat
Voldemort for fourteen years so he will now do anything to see it happen. He's
sacrificing Harry for his 'greater good'. Harry is powerful, but he's also
untrained and just a kid. He won't stand a chance against scary snake face."
Fred tensed when Harry's eyes started to flutter open. He wasn't looking
forward to Harry remembering what happened. He was going to be in so much pain
when it dawned on him that his father wouldn't remember their time together.
***HP
Bruce discarded the bloody towel and placed a clean one under Tony's nose. "You
need to stop forcing yourself to remember, you're only hurting yourself."
"I have a son," Tony said shakily. "I have to remember him. What kind of father
forgets his own damn son? Well, other than my own father that is."
"You're going to get your memories back so stop trying to force them. You're
going to bleed to death if you keep this up," Bruce scolded. "Loki should be
able to fix that genius brain of yours."
The left corner of Tony's mouth pulled up into a smirk. "Are you flirting with
me, Dr. Banner?"
"Not now, Tony," Bruce growled. "Let's get Harry back and then we will discuss
what is happening between us."
Tony's face lit up. "Is that your way of admitting that there is an us? I knew
that we had a moment the other day before you left, but..."
"Focus, Tony!" Bruce huffed.
Grimacing, Tony rubbed at his head. "I'm sorry, I'm just really having a hard
time staying focused. My brain feel like mush."
Smirking, Clint turned to Natasha and held out his hand. Sighing, Natasha
reached in her pocket and pulled out two fifty dollar bills then slapped them
hard in Clint's hand.
"Told you there was something going on between them," Clint crowed triumphantly
as he pocketed his winnings.
"I thought Banner was smart enough to know not to get mixed up with Stark,"
Natasha grumbled. "Though, the picture I'm getting in my head of the two of
them together is pretty damn hot."
Having had enough of being fussed over, Tony snatched the bloody rag from Bruce
then jumped to his feet. "Jarvis, replay the encounter earlier with the two
wizards." He needed to know exactly what happened, but most of all, he needed
to see his son...the son that he couldn't remember. He never wanted to be a
father, but now he felt like he was going to drown without the son that he had
no memory of. It was strange, he couldn't remember his boy, but he could feel
him in his heart.
The team, with the exception of Thor and Loki who they were hoping got the
message that they were urgently needed, watched the footage of the
confrontation earlier that day. Inhaling sharply, Tony touched the projection
of his son, a soft whimper coming from his throat.
"I remember him, but I don't remember him," Tony said, his eyes glued to the
image of his son. "It's more like my heart remembers him even though my brain
doesn't."
Bruce tossed another clean towel at Tony, his nose bleed getting worse. It
would be a waste of his breath and energy to tell the man to stop trying to
force himself to remember, he knew that the stubborn fool wouldn't listen to
him. Not that he could blame him, he would be doing the same if his memories of
Harry had been erased.
"We're going to get him back, Tony," Bruce reassured. And he was going to
personally take down Mr. Greasy Big Nose for taking Tony's memories.
Natasha watched the events is disgust. "He's supposed to be the good guy, the
light lord, yet Dumbledore held Harry under that curse that caused him pain
just to get his way. He doesn't care about Harry or his greater good, all he
cares about is that he is right and that events happen the way he has planned
them."
"Like a chess master," Clint said thoughtfully. "As far as he's concerned Harry
is the only one who can defeat the bad wizard so he will stop at nothing to get
Harry back under his control so he will sacrifice himself. The man had Harry's
future planned out for him ever since he was a baby."
Tony rubbed tiredly at his face. His head was a mess and he felt sick to his
stomach, but that was the least of his problems. He had to rescue his son. "Get
ready, we leave in an hour!" he ordered briskly, turning to head to his
workshop.
"Ah, Tony, we don't exactly know where we're going," Steve pointed out.
Ignoring the Captain, Tony continued to his workshop to get everything he
needed. He was prepared to tear the wizarding world apart and expose them in
order to get his son back. Nothing was going to stop him from saving his
son...not even his lack of memory of him.
***HP
Remus came crashing into the kitchen, his face a sickly pale. "They got him!"
Sirius set the cup of coffee down that he was getting ready to drink. "Damn,
Moony, you look like shit. Who got who?"
"Dumbledore," Remus growled. "Dumbledore found Harry and forced him back.
Arthur just floo'd, he's on his way to Hogwarts, it seems Fred and George have
been with Harry, not at their friend's."
"Shit!" Sirius cursed, clambering to his feet. This was bad. He was positive
that Harry didn't return on his own, not after everything Kingsley had told
them about Harry's past and about his biological dad.
"Sirius, maybe you shouldn't..."
"Don't finish that sentence, Remus!" Sirius snapped. "I have failed my godson
enough. No more!"
"At least go as Padfoot," Remus suggested. "We haven't heard back from Amelia
and you don't know who will be at the school."
Despite his top lip curling back into a snarl, Sirius quickly shifted. He
couldn't wait to be a free man again, he loved being Paddy, but his godson
needed Lord Sirius Black, not a damn dog.
***HP
George took Harry's hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Easy, Harry,
Fred and I are here."
Moaning, Harry slowly opened his eyes. "G-George." Grimacing, he rubbed at his
sore throat. "What...what's going on?"
"It never ceases to amaze me how you can tell us apart," George said,
plastering a fake smile on his face.
Eyebrows drawing together in confusion, Harry looked past George, his eyes
going impossibly wide when he recognized Hogwarts hospital wing. "No! No! No!"
he cried brokenly. "Please no!"
Fred couldn't stop tears from falling from his eyes as Harry's pain tore at his
heart. "It's going to be ok, Harry," he tried to reassure weakly.
A loud sob tore its way out of Harry's raw throat. He was back! He was back at
Hogwarts and Snape had oblivated his dad. Rolling onto his side away from Fred
and George, he curled up into a tight ball and started sobbing.
George curled up on the bed behind his mate and pulled him back against his
muscular chest. "Stay with us, Harry. Please don't lose yourself and hurt
yourself again. You have Freddy and myself and we will get you back to your
dad. Promise!"
"Please don't try to leave us again," Fred pleaded desperately. "Your dad is
the toughest and smartest muggle that I have ever met...he will come for you."
"How?" Harry howled brokenly. "Snape oblivated him."
"Are you forgetting Loki?" George asked. "I know everything seems dark right
now, but I promise that it will work out."
Sniffling, Harry turned towards George, his face red and his eyes swollen. "D-
Do you think that Loki can reverse the oblivate?"
George didn't want to give his love false hope, but he couldn't bare to see
Harry hurting. "You heard Loki on more than one occasion..."
"More like on more than a hundred occasions...a day," Fred snorted.
"He's a powerful god who can do anything. Mortals should bow before him and
kiss his bare feet."
Harry tried to smile, but his heart hurt so bad that he was having a hard time
just breathing. "I was so happy, George. For the first time in my life I was
truly happy and loved. Why does Dumbledore hate me so much?"
"I wish I could answer that for you, Harry, but I can't. Know this though, both
Fred and I love you and have loved you for a very, very long time."
"Since the first time we laid eyes on you," Fred winked. "You were just a tiny,
bespectacled little thing who looked scared and overwhelmed on the Hogwarts
Express, but we knew immediately that you were the only one for us."
Harry's muddled brain was having a hard time processing the twins words. What
were they trying to say? "I-I don't understand," he said in a small and
confused voice.
George lovingly cupped Harry's cheek. "Do we have to spell it out for you?"
Fred leaned over his brother's back and ran his finger down Harry nose,
chuckling when the smaller boy went crosseyed. "I think we do, Georgie. Harry
is brilliant, but he is a Gryffindor and Gryffindor's can be a bit thick."
"You're a Gryffindor," Harry reminded weakly, his pulse starting to race. He
had never seen Fred and George look at him with such longing...with such
intensity.
"Yes, but we should have been Slytherins," Fred admitted. "I think by time we
came around the Sorting Hat just tossed us in Gryffindor only because we were
Weasleys."
"There has never been a Weasley who wasn't in Gryffindor," George grinned. "But
you have to admit, we are more Slytherin than Gryffindor."
Harry eyes darted back and forth between Fred and George's matching faces. "I'm
confused," he whined.
"It looks as though we do have to spell it out for him, brother of mine,"
George sighed dramatically.
Pursing his lips, Fred nodded his head. "I guess we do. How many times do we
have to tell our thick little Gryffindor that we are in love with him?"
"And not in a brotherly way," George quickly added when Harry went to open his
mouth.
Fred shook his head no. "Indeed not in a brotherly way. Ron is my brother and I
love him like a brother, but you, Harry, I want to snog the life out of you."
George wagged his bushy orange eyebrows up and down. "We are soul mates, Harry,
even Loki said so."
"Not that we needed a snarky god to tell us that. We have been in love with you
ever since we laid eyes on you."
Harry started to slowly shake his head no. "You-You can't love me...you can't.
I'm no good. You deserve..."
George silenced his little love by giving him a very quick peck on the lips. It
was so quick that for a second Harry thought that he imagined it. George had
kissed him before, on the head or the cheeks, but he had never kissed him on
the lips like that.
"No, we don't deserve you," George admitted, "but that's only because you are
way too good for us."
"We are pranksters, mischief makers to the extreme," Fred added with a smirk,
"but you are compassionate, caring, as beautiful on the inside as you are on
the outside...you are our everything, Harry James Potter. Please don't tell us
that you're not good enough for us, it hurts us when you put yourself down."
Harry could feel himself start to hyperventilate. He had been in love with the
twins for years, but he knew that he would never be good enough, never be clean
enough, to be with them. He was damaged beyond repair and they deserved someone
as fun loving and as full of life as them.
They didn't know. Fred and George didn't know that he was a dirty slut who had
been sucking cock and taking it up the ass since he had been six years old.
Feeling his stomach lurch, Harry rolled to the opposite side of the bed and
started to violently throw up. He didn't want to tell Fred and George about his
uncle and the other men. They would leave him, and he didn't think he could
function without them. He had already lost his dad and Bruce, he couldn't lose
the twins too. He had a terrible feeling that they had suspected what had
happened to him, that he had been sexually abused, but as long as they were
just friends he hadn't been too worried about it.
"That's not the reaction that I had been hoping for," George frowned.
"We shouldn't have sprung this on him," Fred fretted as he rubbed Harry's back
with one hand and held his hair out of the way with the other.
George agreed with his brother, he had just wanted Harry to realize that he was
wanted and loved by more than just his father. He didn't want Harry to feel
that he had nothing left to live for.
Madam Pomfrey came bustling into the room with an angry scowl on her face. "You
were not to upset him," she snapped. "I only let the two of you stay because I
had thought that you would keep him calm."
"Keep him calm!" Fred snapped. "He was just ripped away from his loving father,
how the hell were we supposed to keep him calm after that?"
"You have a point," Madam Pomfrey conceded. She had been horrified when Albus
had brought one of her favorite patients in suffering from a horrible curse...a
curse that was very similar to the Cruciatus Curse. She had been even more
horrified when she learned that it had been Albus himself who had held the boy
under the curse for a dangerous amount of time.
Madam Pomfrey went to grab Harry's shoulder so she could ease him back onto the
bed and give him a calming drought, when George grabbed her by the wrist. "Mr.
Weasley?"
"Unless you want his magic to lash out and send you flying across the room, I
wouldn't touch him when he's like this," George warned, holding his hand out
for the potion.
Pursing her lips, Madam Pomfrey reluctantly handed the potion over. She didn't
like others, especially kids, telling her how to do her job, but she knew that
the terror twins were extremely close to Harry and were better able to help
him. The kids in this school thought her stupid, thought that she didn't know
when they snuck into her hospital wing at all hours of the night to visit their
friends or to try to knick potions, but she always knew. The Weasley twins had
been sneaking in to be with young Harry ever since his first visit to her, but
she never sent them packing because the medical wards she placed on him showed
that their presence helped keep him calm.
Fred climbed up onto the bed and rested his back against the headboard. Nodding
his head, he took the potion from his twin and popped the cork out.
"Alright, love, let us take care of you," George soothed and he slowly started
to pull Harry back from the edge of the bed. He was no longer vomiting, but he
was trembling horribly and sobbing. "It's just the handsome duo of Fred and
George here to make you feel better."
Feeling numb, Harry allowed George to sit him up and rearrange him so he was
resting his back against Fred's chest. This was normal, this was what he was
use to. Fred and George had been taking care of him like this for years...this
was what he needed.
Fred wrapped his right arm around Harry's chest and rested his palm over his
racing heart. With his other hand, he held the potion to his mate's pale lips.
"Please drink this, Harry."
Crying, Harry turned his head away from the potion. "I'm not good. I'm not
clean. I love you, but you deserve better."
Fred's heart soared at hearing Harry proclaim that he loved him, but it was
also breaking into a million pieces at feeling how much pain Harry was in. "Our
noble little mate," he whispered soothingly in his ear. "Georgie and I are
stubborn asses, you won't be able to get rid of us that easily. Take the
calming drought so we can put our heads together and come up with a plan on how
to get the hell out of here. Tony would want you to stay strong and to fight
until he could get to you."
Going limp, Harry gave in and allowed Fred to tip the putrid potion into his
mouth. Fred was right, his dad wouldn't want him to give up, he would want him
to do whatever he had to do to in order get back to him.
Was it worth it though if his dad would never remember him again?
"Mr. Potter, how are you feeling now?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
Harry opened his mouth to respond how he always responded when asked that
question, with his typical, fine, but instead, "mad" came out. After a minute
of processing what he said, his eyes narrowed and he looked up at the nurse.
"Who the hell does Dumbledore think he is taking me away from my dad? What
right did he have to do that?"
Madam Pomfrey was a bit taken aback by the fierce look in her young charge's
eyes. She had also never heard Harry curse before. That look alone spoke of how
badly Albus messed up. The old fool may not know it yet, but he lost the Potter
boy.
Fred squeezed his love just a little tighter and whispered in his ear when he
felt his mate's magic react to his fear and anger. "Easy, love, save it for
Dumbledore and Snape. Madam Pomfrey is only trying to help you. Whatever that
curse was Dumbledore held under was pretty nasty."
Harry took a couple of deep breaths and gave Madam Pomfrey a weak smile.
"Honestly, I feel like shit and everything hurts...even my hair."
"Well that's a first," Madam Pomfrey grinned. "My most frequent patient
actually admitting that he is pain." Fondly shaking her head, she handed the
Weasley boy, she wasn't sure which one it was on the bed with Potter, a pain
potion.
Making a god awful face, Harry swallowed the potion after Fred uncorked it,
then he gingerly sat up. What was he going to do now? Would Bruce and the rest
of the gang be able to help his dad remember him when they got home? Could Loki
reverse the oblivate?
"Can I go now?" Harry asked hopefully. He needed to go, he needed to do
something. He needed to hide from the voice in his head that was screaming at
him to cut himself. All he really wanted to do was cut himself then curl up in
a ball and die. Magic had taken his dad and Lily away from him, magic had taken
any love the Dursleys could have had for him away from him, and now magic had
taken his dad Tony away from him.
"Don't, Harry," Fred whimpered. The despair and hopelessness rolling off of his
mate was physically hurting him.
"The Headmaster doesn't want you to leave," Madam Pomfrey tried to explain
gently.
"Fuck Dumbledore!" Harry roared, his face turning purple. "He took everything
away from me! He took away my dad, the only person to ever love me. I want
nothing to do with the bastard."
"Just let us know how you feel, Harry," George chuckled nervously. "Don't hold
anything back."
Taking a deep breath, Madam Pomfrey inclined her heard. She didn't agree with
what the Headmaster was doing, it was cruel to Harry to take away the father
that he had always dreamt of having. "The Headmaster ordered me to keep you
here and in bed, but I all of a sudden have the need to use the bathroom.
Excuse me, gentlemen."
George counted to fifty after Madam Pomfrey purposely left them alone before
ripping the blanket off of Harry. "I always liked that witch," he chuckled. "I
believe that she was a Slytherin. So, where are we going, lovely Harry?"
Harry quickly scrambled out of bed, but his legs gave out on him the second his
feet hit the cold stone floor.
George was quick to react, catching Harry and easily scooping him up. "If you
wanted to be in my arms, doll, all you had to do was say so," he winked.
Blushing, Harry gave a half hearted struggle to get down. He was embarrassed to
have George holding him as though he was a girl, but he also felt safe and
cared for in his arms. "I can walk you know?"
"No, I don't know," George snickered. "Now tell me, where are we going?"
Harry looked around the room as though he was expecting the answer to just pop
out. "Home," he said brokenly. That was the only place he wanted to go...he
wanted his dad.
George closed his eyes against the pain that that one word out of Harry's mouth
caused, and he wasn't even an empathy like his twin. "That's going to be one
hell of a broom ride," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Back to Sirius'?" Fred suggested. He was still feeling lightheaded and a bit
unsteady on his feet, but it wasn't anything that he couldn't deal with. He
would do anything for Harry.
"Nah, we can't," George frowned. "It's under the Fidelius Charm, remember?"
"Right," Fred sighed. "We could take the secret passageway to the Three
Broomsticks then floo to Lee's."
"Or you can return Mr. Potter to his bed," Dumbledore ordered, the twinkling in
his eyes missing.
Harry didn't know if he wanted to run and hide, or fly out of George's arms and
attack the man that destroyed his life. Albus Dumbledore was supposed to be
this great, good wizard, but he was no better than Voldemort as far as he was
concerned.
"Headmaster," George said tightly, "I was just going to escort Harry here to
Gryffindor Tower."
"It's summer vacation, Mr. Weasley, the tower is closed. Please return Harry to
his bed, he's not yet healed enough to be up and about."
"Yeah, thanks to you," Fred mumbled.
George didn't return Harry to his bed, but held him tighter. "Why won't you let
Harry be happy?"
"It's not that simple," Dumbledore sighed sadly. "There are things you don't
know. Things you won't und..."
"Then tell me!" Harry cried as he struggled to get out of George's arms. He was
still weak and unsteady on his feet, but he was also no damsel that needed to
be held and rescued. "Tell me what I don't know or what I won't understand," he
demanded.
Dumbledore was a bit taken aback by the anger in Harry's voice, the boy had
always been on the quiet and meek side. "My boy, please understand and..."
"I'm not your boy!" Harry hissed. "I'm not your anything. You had no right to
kidnap me from my father."
"Now, my bo...Harry," Dumbledore corrected. "I had every right to remove you.
Not only do we not know for certain if that muggle is your father, but I am
also your magical guardian. You're place is here in the wizarding world, not in
muggle New York City."
"Oh, so now my place is in the wizarding world!" Harry spat. "I grew up in the
muggle world being raised by muggles who despised magic and beat me for it
everyday. When I came to you at the end of my first year begging to stay, you
smiled at me with those damn creepy, twinkling eyes of yours and you happily
shipped me back to my muggle relatives. Now though, when it's convenient for
you, my place is here in the wizarding world. Well fuck you!"
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore scolded, completely in shock over the young boy's
language. "You will not talk to me like that. You will show me some respect!"
"Respect!" Harry laughed madly. "You held me under a curse that hurt as bad as
the Cruciotus Curse while your lap dog oblivated my father. I will never, ever
again respect you. You're no better than Voldemort!"
Fred and George exchanged looks, they had never seen Harry this angry before.
His magic was so thick in the air that they could taste it. They also noticed
that Harry's magic felt different, it felt more like Loki's.
"I'm sorry that you feel that way," Dumbledore said sadly. "But I must do what
I must for the greater good. You, Harry, are the only one who can defeat the
Dark Lord, it is your destiny."
"My destiny!" Harry spat. "Fuck you and your greater good, and fuck my supposed
destiny. You must truly be mad if you think that I will fight for you after
what you did? I don't care about you, your greater good, or the wizarding
world. Voldemort can have it for all I care. The wizarding world never did
anything for me, why should I sacrifice myself for it?"
Dumbledore was shocked over what was coming out of Harry Potter's mouth. He was
even more shocked over the foreign magic that was pouring off of him. Harry's
magic had always felt a bit different, but now it was almost unrecognizable.
"What has been done to you, my dear boy?" he asked softly in bewilderment.
"This isn't the Harry Potter I have known for the past four years speaking.
This isn't James and Lily's boy."
Hiding his trembling hands behind his back, Harry shook his head no. "You're
right, I'm not James and Lily's boy, I'm James and Tony Stark's boy. I am,
Headmaster, what you made me. You left me with muggles knowing that I wouldn't
be loved and probably knowing that I would be abused."
"Every year you set me up to test me, to see if I was strong enough and smart
enough to defeat Voldemort."
Laughing humorlessly, Harry looked at the Headmaster's with dead eyes. "I'm not
the same boy who left here the end of term, that boy died. That boy was
desperate for love and approval from the wizarding world and would have done
anything for them. That boy had been physically, mentally and sexually abused
by his relatives for as far back as he could remember. That boy wore one hell
of a mask so everyone around him couldn't see how much pain he was in. That's
the boy you knew for four years, Headmaster, and I'm sorry to tell you this,
but he died the day he slit his wrists on the bathroom floor and bled to
death."
"Harry," George whispered, reaching out to take his mate's trembling hand. "You
don't have to tell him anything."
Harry smiled warmly up at George. "You're right, I don't, that's why I'm going
to show him." Not knowing how he did it the first time with Loki, and not
knowing if it would even work, Harry turned to Dumbledore and pushing as hard
as he could with his magic into the old man's head. He wanted him to see...he
wanted him to see everything. He wanted him to see the neglect, the abuse, the
starving, the hate, the rapes he endured at the hands of countless men, all the
times he cut himself, all he had suffered while attending Hogwarts, him finding
that he had a biological father and the family that he found in the Avengers,
all the highs and lows that he went through while in America, and finally, he
showed him how he took a knife to his wrists and cut deep enough to end his
life...deep enough that there would have been no saving him had Loki not been
there."
Dumbledore fell to his knees when Harry brutally tore through his mind shields,
ripping them apart as though they were nothing more than thin tissues. Images
started to fly at him...images that you would expect to see at a Death Eater
party, not at a home of muggles in a nice suburban neighborhood.
He wanted to yell, to beg for Harry to stop, but he was powerless against the
boy's magic and all he could do was watch...watch and live the life that he had
condemned the poor boy to.
Severus rushed to the Potter brat to break the connection, but with a
triumphant smirk, one of the Weasley twins erected a shield around Harry,
himself, and his identical partner in crime. "Potter, stop!" he ordered.
"You're going to kill him."
Harry was too far gone, he couldn't see or hear anything that was going on
around him, all he could see and hear where the images he was forcing his
Headmaster to watch. For the first time he truly wanted to hurt someone, to
make them suffer as he had suffered. Albus Dumbledore had left him with those
monsters, monsters that he wasn't even biologically related to, and he never
once checked in on him.
He was no longer the stupid, naive, little boy that stepped off the Hogwarts
Express at the age of eleven all wide eyed and in awe of the new and magical
world he had found himself in. He knew now that Dumbledore had planned out his
life, from being neglected, to defeating Voldemort. Dumbledore wouldn't have
been able to mold him into the perfect, little, sacrificing weapon had he grown
up loved and pampered. No, Dumbledore needed him to be starved for positive
attention so he could mold him into the savior that the wizarding world needed
and the savior who would willingly give his life for them.
George caught Harry when his knees gave out on him. Blood dripping from his
nose, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and Harry started seizing.
Dumbledore couldn't breath, it felt as though his heart was being squeezed and
his lungs refused to work. Head clearing from the mind rape he had just
experienced, he looked down to see blood coating his beard. Vision fading, he
slumped to his side and passed out.
"Severus, you see to Harry," Madam Pomfrey barked. Out of the two, Dumbledore
looked to be in worse shape, she could see his face turning blue from a
distance.
"The brat did this, he deserves to suffer," Severus growled, refusing to help
Potter.
"Dammit, Severus. Now!" Madam Pomfrey ordered. She could only see to one and
they both needed help, Harry was seizing and Dumbledore wasn't breathing.
Top lip curling back in his disgust at Snape seeing to his mate, George dropped
the shield and let the bastard pass. He didn't know what was wrong with Harry,
but he knew that he needed help.
***HP
"The brat should be arrested for using Legilimency against the Headmaster,"
Severus spat. "That was the most brutal attack I have ever witnessed."
"Oh, like you haven't walked through students minds against their will,
Severus," Professor McGonagall snapped in disgust.
"I never gave them a heart attack!" Severus growled. "He almost killed Albus."
"And Albus had it coming to him," Professor McGonagall cried. "He cursed
Potter, had you erase his father's memories, then he kidnapped Potter and drug
him back here against his will. Do I even have to bring up him leaving Harry
with those dreadful muggles all those years ago? I told him then that they were
the worst sort, but he wouldn't listen to me. Albus is not innocent in this."
"You don't know the half of it," Fred mumbled from where he was standing
protectively at Harry's bedside with his twin.
"Then tell us," Professor McGonagall cried in exasperation. "I can't help if I
don't know all the details."
Shaking his head, Fred turned his back on the woman. "You can't help anyway."
"Not that you would," George added.
"And just what is that supposed to me, Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall cried
in a thick Scottish accent that tended to get thicker the angrier she got.
"It doesn't matter," George grumbled. "This will all be over soon."
Minerva threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Fine, don't tell me
anything." Turning back to the man unconscious on the bad, she pursed her lips
tightly. "Will he survive?"
"He was very lucky," Madam Pomfrey admitted. "Had this happened anywhere but
here, in my Hospital Wing, he would have died. I don't know what Potter showed
him, but it was bad enough to give him a heart attack."
"And Harry?" Fred asked nervously.
"He's exhausted his core." Madam Pomfrey explained. "He wasn't yet healed from
the curse that the Headmaster put him under when he pulled this little stunt.
He'll be fine after he sleeps and eats something."
Sighing, Professor McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why don't we all
get some rest. Boys, I think it's time you return home."
"Like hell!" George spat, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring
defiantly at his Head of House.
Fred mimicked his twin's posture. "We won't be leaving Harry's side so don't
even try to make us. He's our responsibility until his father gets here."
"His father is a worthless muggle who has no memory of him," Severus taunted.
"He won't be coming for the brat."
George couldn't help laughing. "Oh, you have no idea what's coming, but you
will be finding out soon enough how worthless Tony Stark is."
Severus didn't understand why the Weasley brat's warning sent a shiver of dread
down his spine. His words, combined with the muggle's before he oblivated him
and the look in his eyes, left him feeling strangely unsettled. The man was
just a muggle, why would he fear him?
***** Chapter 18 *****
I'm baaaack!
I apologize for being MIA for so long, but between real life and major writers
block, I just didn't have any inspiration to write.
I apologize if the chapter is rusty and riddled with mistakes, but I'm feeling
pretty damn rusty. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, so be
gentle and REVIEW.
***HP
 
George scurried off the foot of Harry's bed where he had been watching over his
sleeping mate and brother and stood protectively between the bed and the door
with his wand in his hand. He could hear a commotion coming their way and he
wasn't going to let anyone hurt Harry for what he had done to Dumbledore. The
old bastard deserved what he got.
"Lower your wand, Mr. Weasley."
George's shoulders relaxed when Remus came striding into the medical wing with
a large black dog at his heels. "My apologies, professor." He said, pocketing
his wand. He knew Harry had his doubts where Remus and Sirius were concerned,
but he trusted that neither man would intentionally hurt Harry.
Remus raised his hand. "Never apologize for protecting Harry. How is he?"
With a grin, George stepped aside as Padfoot raced by him and launched onto
Harry's bed. After sniffing his mate and brother, the grim settled down and
took his place at the foot of the bed. "He's still out of it. His mind attack
on Dumbledore so soon after the curse the old bastard hit him with drained his
core, but Madam Pomfrey said he will be alright after some rest and food."
"And your brother?"
Grimacing, George scratched the back of his neck. "I may have slipped him a
dreamless sleep, but he needed it. He's going to be pissed when he wakes, but
he was almost as bad off as Harry."
Remus took in the young man's haggard appearance and dark circles under his
eyes, the normally bright eyed jokester looked dead on his feet. "When was the
last time you slept? You look horrible."
"What's sleep?" George joked dryly. "I feel like I haven't slept in weeks."
Remus led the teen to an empty bed. "Rumor has it you were with my pup in
America, not visiting your friend, Mr. Jordan?"
George didn't put up a fuss when Remus signaled for him to get on the bed. He
was so damn tired. "Where Harry goes we go, it's been that way since we met
him. We found out where Harry was then had Lee cover for us. We had to make
sure Harry was safe and happy."
"I'm not blind, George, I know that you and your brother care for my pup in
more than a brotherly way. I have known since I taught here that you boys are
in love with Harry. I'm a werewolf, it's almost impossible to fool our senses."
George didn't even try to deny it or hide his smirk. Nodding his head, he
looked over to where Harry and Fred were sleeping side by side. Seeing movement
coming from the foot of the bed, he looked to find Padfoot wagging his doggy
eyebrows up and down at him. "Not going to lie, we have been in love with Harry
since the second we laid eyes on him. He's our soul mate."
"Soul mate!" Remus gasped. "That's very rare. Are you sure?"
"Are you sure you're a werewolf?" George snapped back irritably, he didn't like
people questioning his feelings for Harry.
Remus glared at Sirius when he gave a dog like bark of laughter. "I apologize
for questioning your feelings towards my pup, it's just finding your true soul
mate is almost impossible, even for creatures like myself. Why don't you get
some rest and allow us to look over Harry?"
George wanted to protest, but if he didn't get some sleep he was going to pass
out. He hadn't slept properly since Harry took a knife to his wrists. "Don't
let anyone but Madam Pomfrey near Harry, and if there is a problem wake me
immediately."
Remus had a hundred questions to ask the young man, but George was already
drifting off as he barked orders at him. "Harry will be safe with us guarding
him." Conjuring a chair, he placed it between the two beds.
Eyes getting heavy, George laid on his side facing Harry and his brother. He
didn't know how he was going to do it, but he was going to get Harry back to
his dad, even if he has to AK everyone standing in his way.
***HP
Bruce reached out and stopped Tony as he went to pass him in the hall. "How are
you holding up?"
Taking a deep breath, Tony held his hand out to show Bruce how badly it was
shaking. "I'm a fucking mess! My head is pounding, my brain has been scrambled,
and I'm terrified for the son that I can't even remember. Not remembering and
not knowing what is happening to him is killing me."
Bruce surprised even himself when he took Tony's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"We're going to get your memories back, Tony, and we're going to get Harry
back. I know it's asking the impossible, but you need to calm down. You're only
hurting yourself by trying to force yourself to remember and you're not going
to be any help to your son in your current condition."
Tony forcefully yanked Bruce to his chest and slammed his lips down on his. He
had expected Bruce to fight him, but the good doctor leaned in and started
kissing him back.
Panting, Bruce reluctantly pulled away. "We can't do this, Tony, not now. We
need to focus on Harry."
"I know." Tony groaned. "You were just so close and I have been wanting to do
that for a very long time."
Bruce didn't know what he was feeling. He really liked Tony and he wanted to
try having a relationship with him, but Tony wasn't the type to do
relationships and he valued their friendship too much just to have a fling with
him. He didn't want to have just a one night stand with Tony. Well, two night
stand if you counted that time in the containment room.
"Tell me about him!"
Bruce didn't have to ask who Tony was talking about. "Harry, your son, is an
amazing young man. You have only known about him for a little under two months,
but the two of you clicked instantly and you share an amazing father and son
bond. Harry is bright, caring, a bit shy but craves attention. He's an
incredible cook and cooks all our meals for us."
Tony looked down at the floor, his eyes glazing over. "Blueberry muffins." He
mumbled breathlessly, wincing as he tried to pull a memory forward. Why did it
hurt so damn much trying to remember his son?
Bruce tilted his head back and rapidly blinked his eyes to keep his tears from
falling. He wanted to be strong for Tony, but Harry was like a son to him too.
He loved that boy so damn much and it was tearing him up not knowing what was
happening to him. He could still hear Harry pleading with the old man on the
video to not obliviate his dad, he sounded so desperate and broken. He prayed
that Harry wouldn't do anything stupid...like take a razor to his wrists again.
Hopefully Fred and George continued to watch over him like a hawk.
"Harry made sure there was a never ending supply of blueberry muffins for you."
Bruce confirmed with a sad smile. "We're getting him back, Tony. Have faith in
the team."
Tony's head snapped up, his eyes going to the ceiling when the lights
flickered. "That better be Point Break!" He cried, as he turned and sprinted
for the elevator.
Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath. Maybe now that Thor was
back they could get Tony's memory back then tear apart the Wizarding World in
search of Harry. He wouldn't be able to rest until Harry was safely back in the
tower with them.
HP
A part of Arthur wanted to wake his sons up and shake the hell out of them for
lying to him and Molly, but he had never been a violent man and Remus had
warned him how exhausted George was. He was sure that they had a good reason
for lying and then taking off for America, but right now he couldn't think of
one. These were very dangerous times, his boys could have been captured,
tortured and killed, and he wouldn't have known because him and Molly had
assumed that they were safely at Lee Jorden's house in the muggle world. He
blamed Molly for his strong willed children.
Knowing what Arthur was thinking, Remus patted the older man on the shoulder.
"Their safe, Arthur, that's all that matters right now. Let the boys rest,
we'll worry about everything else as it comes."
"I thought they were safe at Lee Jordan's house." Arthur mumbled numbly.
"I know." Remus said as he led the upset man to the chair he had been sitting
in. "We knew they were the most upset over Harry missing and that they had
already went looking for him once, we should have suspected that they were up
to something."
Arthur snorted. "Those two are always up to something. They're very
exhausting!"
"That they are." Remus chuckled. "I don't know how you and Molly have managed
seventeen years with those two."
"They're the reason I'm bald." Arthur grinned wistfully. "Bill and Charlie were
a handful, but Fred and George are in a league of their own."
Pulling out his wand, Remus conjured another chair for himself. "Do you know
how your boys feel about my pup?"
The corners of Arthur's lips quirked up. "Of course I do. My boys are
hopelessly in love with Harry. I can't tell you how many times I have caught
them with silly grins on their faces as they talked about Harry. Unfortunately
for her, Ginny is also in love with Harry. I try to discourage her, but Molly
doesn't see what I do, she doesn't see the way Harry looks at my twin boys, and
she keeps on encouraging Ginny to follow her heart."
"George proclaims that they are soul mates. I believe him."
Arthur looked over at his sleeping son. "I don't know who I feel more sorry
for. Ginny and her soon to be broken heart, or Harry who will have to put up
with my boys."
"I don't know, I think my pup can handle those two. I just wish that he would
wake up so I can find out what's been going on."
"Do you believe the claim that Harry has a muggle father? Did you even know
that James was a carrier?"
"It's hard to believe, but I think it's true. Lily had never smelled pregnant
to me, but James had. I had assumed I was just confusing their scents since
they were always sitting next to each other, but I guess I should have trusted
my instincts. I just wish James would have had told us. Harry could have been
raised by his biological father instead of those monsters who are no relation
to him at all."
"Even if his true parentage had been known, Dumbledore still would have sent
him to those monsters. Dumbledore wanted control of Harry, he wouldn't have had
that had Harry been living in America with a loving father."
Remus knew Arthur was right, but the thought of what his pup suffered through
at the hands of Vernon Dursley made him violently sick. How could anyone do
that to a child? How did Harry turn out so amazing and caring after living a
life of violent abuse?
"Is there more?" Arthur asked, feeling a spike in Remus' magic. "Is there
something I don't know? Is it my boys?"
Pursing his lips, Remus shook his head no. "Your boys are fine, Arthur, but
there is more. More that I can't tell you right now. More about the abuse Harry
was subjected to, but it's not for me to tell. There is also so much that I
just don't know yet myself."
Madam Pomfrey came briskly walking into the hospital wing with her hands full
of potion vials. With a heavy sigh, she looked to her patient. "Harry will be
waking soon." She informed the men and animagus. She had a monitor on both
Harry and Albus, who was in his personal chambers, to alert her of any changes.
"And Dumbledore?" Remus asked, his top lip curled back in a snarl.
After placing the vials in her cabinet, Madam Pomfrey approached Harry's bed.
"He's going to be fine, I was able to reverse the damage to his heart. He's now
resting peacefully, but I suspect he'll be up and about in an hour or two."
Madam Pomfrey shook her head when Padfoot snarled at news of Dumblefore's
recovery and Remus just glared at her. "I know you aren't happy with Albus
Dumbledore, neither am I, but think of Harry. How do you think he will feel if
he wakes to news of his headmaster's passing because of something he did? Harry
may be furious with Dumbledore, but I know that he didn't purposely hurt him."
"He oblivated my dad."
All heads turned to Harry who was just starting to stir. "I don't wish him
dead, but he deserves to suffer too. All the hell I have been through is
because of him and, just when I find happiness and a loving family that want
me, he rips it all away from me. I hate him!."
Madam Pomfrey started fussing over her patient, casting diagnosis spells and
handing him potions. "What the headmaster did is unforgivable. You, Harry, have
every right to hate him."
Harry didn't feel that he needed her permission to hate Dumbledore, but he kept
his mouth shut and swallowed the potions that she gave him. "I just wanted him
to see my life, I wanted him to see what I went through at the Dursley's
because of him. I wanted him to suffer what I suffered through."
Padfoot leapt off the bed and transformed back to his human self. With a pained
expression on his face, he leaned in to hug his godson.
Wincing, Harry leaned back out of his godfather's reach. "Please don't touch
me, everything hurts." That wasn't the only reason why he didn't want Sirius to
hug him, he was still hurt over the man abandoning him after the tournament
when he had needed him the most. He had just seen a friend murdered, had his
blood forcefully taken to bring Voldemort back to life, and he had been
tortured, he had needed a father figure, but Sirius had left on Dumbledore's
orders without looking back. He had begged Sirius not to go, but he had shifted
into Padfoot and left anyway.
"Harry." Sirius whimpered when his godson flinched away from him. He could tell
Harry was shying away from him because of something other than pain. Was Harry
mad at him?
"Leave him alone." Fred mumbled into his pillow. With great effort, he rolled
over and sat up. Head spinning, he looked over to where his twin was sleeping
in a bed next to them. "I'm going to kill him for slipping me sleeping
draught."
Harry shimmied over to Fred so he could get a good look at him. "Are you ok? Do
you need anything?"
Fred smiled softly at his mate. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You are the
one who was held under a torture curse then broke through Dumbledore's mind
shields. Harry, you had a seizure!"
"Torture curse!" Sirius roared. "I thought you were just hit with a stunner."
"Not so loud, man!" George grumbled from his bed. "Some of us are trying to
sleep here."
"Dad's here." Fred warned.
"Son of a..."
"George!" Mr. Weasley scolded, though there was no heat in his voice. He was
still mad at his boys, but he understood more now why his boys felt that they
couldn't come to him and tell the truth. There was nothing Fred and George
wouldn't do for Harry...even lie and leave their family.
"In our defense." George yawned as he sat up and swung his legs over the bed.
"Freddie and I are adults now."
Raising his eyebrows, Arthur gave his twins and unimpressed look. "I advise
that you don't use that excuse with your mother...not if you wish to see
eighteen."
"Noted!" Fred chuckled.
Looking around the room and feeling lost, Harry brought his hands up to rub at
his suddenly damp eyes. Merlin he missed his dad and everyone else back at the
tower. He didn't know how long it had been since Dumblefore kidnapped him, but
it already felt like a lifetime. Hogwarts use to feel like home to him, but now
it just felt like a stone prison.
Fred, feeling his mate's emotions, reached out and pulled Harry to his chest.
"Please be strong, Harry, your dad will remember you."
"Is it really true then, was James you mother?" Sirius asked feeling as though
his world was flipping upside down on him. He still couldn't believe that
James, his brother, had kept something so life changing from him.
Harry reluctantly pulled away from Fred. He loved being held by him, but now it
was a bit uncomfortable being so close knowing how the twins felt about him. He
desperately loved them too, but he wasn't ready for that kind of relationship.
He may never be ready for a physical relationship with Fred and George...and
that wasn't fair to them.
"Lily couldn't get pregnant." Harry explained. "Dad desperately wanted a baby
and an heir so he went to the bar and had a one night stand with a muggle. I
didn't believe it at first either, but muggles have ways of testing these
things and both tests came back positive that I'm Tony Stark's son."
Sirius numbly stumbled to a chair and sat down. "I can't believe James never
told me. We never kept secrets from each other. This man, your biological
father, is he a good guy?"
"The best." Harry declared, his face lighting up. "My dad, he's the most
amazing person that I ever met. He loves me so much...more than anyone ever
has."
Sirius' shoulders slumped in defeat. "I have always loved you. From the moment
I laid eyes on you I was in love. And that's saying something, you were a red,
wrinkly and ugly looking old man."
"If you love me so much?" Harry asked bitterly. "Why did you leave me after the
last task when I begged you to stay with me? I was in pain, terrified, and had
just suffered a traumatic experience, and you just left with hardly even a
goodbye. My dad would never do that." Harry knew that that was a low blow, but
right now he didn't care.
Sirius was struck speechless. Was this why Harry didn't want a hug from him?
Had his godson thought all this time that he didn't love him?
"Harry." Remus sighed. "We both had a job to do for the Order. We wanted to
stay, but it was important that we do Dumbledore's bidding."
"It always comes back to Dumbledore." Harry snapped. "I don't understand why
everyone thinks he's such a great man, he's nothing but a manipulative bastard
and you all are nothing but a bunch of stupid sheep who blindly following him.
I hate it here! I hate the Wizarding World!"
Harry slid off the bed and on shaky legs made his way to the bathroom. Fuck
Dumbledore, he was leaving.
***HP
"Will it hurt?"
"Do you care?" Loki smirked.
Tony narrowed his eyes at the god. "I don't care if you have to cut my damn
head open and poke at my brains, I want my memories back."
"So gory." Loki tsk'd.
"Can you do it?" Bruce snapped impatiently.
Loki rolled his eye. "Of course I can do it, and luckily for him it won't hurt.
He may feel a bit overwhelmed when his memories come rushing back, but he won't
suffer any lasting damage."
Thor was pacing the room, his hammer gripped tightly in his fist. "Then stop
fooling around brother and fix his head. We must go rescue young Stark."
"My young protege is fine. He's stressed and scared and terrified that his
father will never remember him, but physically he is fine." Loki informed. He
had felt when the wizards came to get the boy and it had pissed him off. Had he
been here he would have incinerated them for even daring to look at his mage.
Feeling the child's fear had been enlightening though, he shouldn't have been
able to feel him all the way on Asgard. It was just further proof that they
were related.
Tony lunged for the god and grabbed his shirt. "You know how my son is? How?"
Smirking, Loki looked down at the white knuckled hand gripping his shirt. "I
never removed the magical monitor I placed on him after he killed himself. He
did suffer a magical backlash of some kind a few hours ago, but physically he
is fine." Without warning, he grabbed Tony's head with both hands.
Moaning, Tony fell to his knees as his memories of the past two months with his
son slammed into him one by one at a blinding rate. The memories were coming so
fast that it felt like his head was expanding and threatening to explode.
"Harry!" Tony wailed as he fumbled and failed to get to his feet. Falling back
onto his knees, he started taking deep breaths in an attempt to regain control
of himself. "I'm going to kill them." He painted.
"This is going to be so much fun." Loki clapped. "Little ole me working on the
same team as the big, bad, mighty Avengers."
Bruce held out a hand to Tony to help him to his feet. "Everything back up and
working?"
Grimacing, Tony nodded his head. "I remember everything, especially my son's
fear and heartbreak. Squidward is going to pay for taking my memories. Is
everyone ready to leave?"
"Fury isn't..."
"Fuck Fury!" Tony yelled, interrupting whatever it was the Captain had to say.
"I'm not going in as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, I'm going in as a pissed of father
hell bent on revenge."
"I was just going to say that Fury can't approve this mission, but he also
isn't going to try to stop us. He just asks that we try not to expose the
magical world. The chaos it would cause would be beyond disastrous."
"No promises." Tony growled. "Now, does anyone know how to find this damn
magical school?"
"I can easily find the little mage." Loki announced. "But do you want me to
travel with you, or travel to the school now and check in on our precious one?"
Tony anxiously ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to get to his son
now, but he also knew that he was going to need his team as backup. He couldn't
risk Harry getting hurt again while he battled, he just couldn't. "I'll get the
team to Scotland, and you can reassure my son that I have my memories back and
that I am coming for him."
Loki could have teleported Tony and a few others directly to the school, but
where would the fun be in that? He was looking forward to messing with some
Midgard magic users and he didn't want Mr. Goody Goody Captain America ruining
his fun.
***HP
With a very unmanly scream, Harry quickly pulled his sleep pants back up.
"Fred, what the hell are you doing in here!"
Fred gave him mate a mischievous wink. "Isn't it obvious?"
"No!" Harry squeaked. "Fred, I'm getting in the shower."
"Love, it's not like it's the first time I have seen you naked."
Harry anxiously started chewing on his bottom lip as he looked everywhere but
at Fred. "It's different now though...now that I know that you like me, like
me."
"You know that neither George nor I would push you into something you weren't
ready for, right?" Fred asked seriously.
"I-I know." Harry stuttered. And he did know, he knew that Fred and George
would never force him like his uncle and those other men had. Fred and George
would never hurt him.
"Good." Fred proclaimed. "Now, the real reason why I'm here is because I need
to make sure that your not going to harm yourself."
Harry dropped his eyes to the floor. "I'm not going to try killing myself
again, Fred. I made a promise to my dad and Bruce and I'm not going to break
it. I'm not going to let Dumbledore win."
Fred started walking the bathroom, inspecting it for any sharp objects. "I
trust that you won't kill yourself, Harry, but I don't trust that you won't cut
yourself. Can you honestly tell me that you haven't thought about cutting what
with everything going on?"
Knowing he was caught and that Fred could see through his lies, Harry opted to
just shrug his shoulders and hang his head.
Walking up to his mate, Fred gently placed his hands on his shoulders. "It's
alright, Harry, no one is expecting you to get better overnight. You have been
using cutting as a way to deal with your problems since you were eight years
old, it's going to take a long time to get better. That's why I'm here. Instead
of cutting, talk to me, yell at me, scream, curse, whatever it is that you need
to do to help cope. I'm here for you, Harry."
Closing his eyes, Harry leaned in and placed his head and Fred's shoulder.
"This is what I need. I need you to remind me that it's ok to fuck up and that
I'll still have you and George in my corner. I am trying, I am, but it's so
hard. I want to cut so damn bad, it's like going through drug withdrawals."
"I have you." Fred reassured as he rubbed his mate's back. "And pretty soon
your dad will have you too. I was thinking after we get out of here, we can
find Kingsley and he can get us back to America."
Harry stepped away from Fred and turned towards the shower. "This needs to end,
Fred. If I run back to my dad, Dumbledore is just going to drag me back."
"You're not thinking of facing Voldemort, are you?" Fred asked wide eyed and
panicked.
"Not if I can help it." Harry sighed. "You and I both know I wouldn't stand a
chance against him, but we have to come up with a plan that will get Dumbledore
to leave me alone. Voldemort too, he'll come after me in America and I don't
want my dad to get stuck in the middle."
"I don't think asking snake face nicely or sending him a bouquet of flowers
will work." Fred joked dryly. "And it's going to be impossible to keep your dad
out of the middle, whether you're here, or in New York. Tony isn't the type to
sit back and do nothing, especially where you're concerned."
"You're right." Harry admitted sadly. He didn't want his dad to have anything
to do with the Wizarding World, but if he got his memories back there would be
no stopping him. His dad will tear the Wizarding World apart to get to him.
"Get your shower, Harry, and I'll sit here and wait for you. We'll figure
something out. Promise."
***HP
Harry was relieved to not find Dumbledore waiting for him after his shower, but
he was pissed to find Snape though. "What the hell are you doing here? Despite
loathing you, deep down I always thought that there was something good in you.
I was wrong. No wonder my mother chose my dad, a bully and a prankster, over
you. Dad may have been a bully, but at least he wasn't an evil bastard."
Sirius threw his head back howling with laughter. "You tell him, kiddo."
Harry glared at his godfather. Just because he was pissed at Snape for
oblivating his dad, didn't mean that he still wasn't mad at him.
Severus gripped his wand tightly in his hand. His desire to hex the brat to
hell and back was almost overwhelming, "You don't know what you're talking
about." He spat at the boy.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know, don't care. Lily chose my dad and
all this time you have been pining over her and taking your loss out on me.
You're pathetic."
Snarling, Severus raised his wand and pointed it at the brat. "Think you're all
tough now, do you? Think just because you have a daddy that you can say and do
whatever you like? You are still nothing, Potter. You're still an unloved,
unwanted, disposable weapon."
Harry bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood to stop himself
from reacting to Snape's harsh words. He knew his dad loved him, but the broken
and abused boy in him would always have his doubts. You couldn't overcome a
lifetime of abuse in only two months.
"You're the one who is unloved and unwanted!" Fred snarled, stepping in front
of his mate. "You have no one. There isn't even a student in this school who
likes you. Harry's right, you're pathetic."
"Why you..."
"Enough, Severus." Dumbledore scolded weakly as he came walking into the room
leaning heavily on a cane. The headmaster, who was too weak to wear one of his
heavy, gaudy robes, looked as though he had aged thirty years in just a day,
and looked incredibly frail in just a dress shirt and slacks. "We shouldn't be
fighting amongst ourselves."
Shaking his head in disgust, Harry stomped over to his bed a dug his shoes out
from under it. He was done, he didn't care if he had to walk all the way back
to his dad, he was leaving.
Looking grave, Dumbledore slowly approached his student. "Harry, I'm truly,
truly sorry about what happened to you. I admit that I didn't expect that they
would treat you like their own son, but I honestly didn't expect they would
abuse you to such a horrific degree."
Harry angrily spun around to face his headmaster. "So what is an acceptable
degree?" He snapped. "You knew I wouldn't be loved and that I would be probably
be neglected, where do you draw the line at acceptable abuse and unacceptable?"
Still feeling weak from his mind attack and heart attack, Dumbledore took a
seat on the boy's bed. "You have to understand, my boy, even as an infant you
were so incredibly powerful. I had never felt such a powerful newborn. I knew I
couldn't risk keeping you in the Wizarding World after your parents death, not
with Death Eaters still roaming free. Not only did I fear that they would kill
you, but I also feared that they would kidnap you and turn you dark. I had to
do what was best for the greater good."
Harry didn't want to hear it, as far as he was concerned there was no excuse
for Dumbledore's actions. "You left me on the doorstep of known magic hating
muggles with just a note. For ten years you didn't check on me once, and then
when I did return and came to you for help you didn't want to hear it. You
wanted a broken and malleable weapon to sacrifice himself for your greater
good. Sorry to break it you, but I'm no longer that weapon."
"I'm sorry, my boy." Dumbledore said gravely. "But you don't have a say in
this. There is something that I haven't told you."
"Big surprise there." Sirius mumbled as he glared at the headmaster.
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. There is
nothing you can say that will make me change my mind on staying and fighting."
Dumbledore pursed his lips. "I wanted to wait a few years before telling you
this, I wanted you to have a normal childhood, but there was a prophecy made
before you were born. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord
approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh
month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have
power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other
for neither can live while the other survives ..."
Harry replayed the prophecy over multiply times in his mind. "Well that just
doesn't make sense." He scoffed. "Besides, my dad didn't even know of the
Wizarding World before me, how could he have thrice defied Voldemort?"
"Matching blood doesn't make one a parent." Dumbledore pointed out.
Remus nodded his head in agreement. "Lily loved you desperately, Harry. She may
not have been your biological mother, but she was your mother in every way that
mattered."
"It still doesn't mean me." Harry protested. "I can't be the only one born the
end of July whose parents fought against Voldemort."
"Mr. Longbottom is the only other candidate."
"In 1980." Harry argued. "What about in 1981 or 1982? The prophecy didn't say
anything about when this child would be born. How about where? Voldemort had a
lot of enemies. What if there's a kid out there from Bulgaria who was born the
end of July whose parents thrice defied the Dark Lord?"
Grimacing, Arthur looked to Harry's forehead. "But he marked you, Harry. He
came to your house personally to kill you and ended up marking you with that
scar."
"Voldemort choosing you and marking you set the prophecy in motion, my boy."
Dumbledore said regretfully. "Only you can defeat him."
Harry vigorously shook his head. "Well, I don't believe in prophecies. If I am
supposed to be this chosen one, the defeater of Voldemort, why the hell haven't
you been training me? No, this whole thing is a bunch of shit and I'm not
buying it."
"My young apprentice has a point. Prophecies, they're so tricky and fickle.
Most self-proclaimed seers are frauds, and that prophecy sounded like a load of
bullshit to me."
Harry could have cried at seeing Loki leaning casually against the back wall.
The god must have been masking his presence because he hadn't heard him or felt
his magic.
Despite his weakness, Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand pointed steadily at
the intruder. "Who are you and how did you get in here? The wards shouldn't
have allowed you entrance and you can't apparate in Hogwarts."
Loki looked around the hospital wing with a bored expression on his face. "So
this is the famous Hogwarts? Plenty of magic here, but what's with the outdated
decor? I mean, even Asgard is more with the times than this place. I feel like
I stepped back in time five hundred years."
Harry went to move towards Loki, but Dumbledore stepped in front of him.
"Answer my questions or else I'm going to assume that you're a danger to
everyone hear and I will have to immobilize you and hand you over to the
Ministry."
"I was so hoping you would say something like that." Loki chuckled. "I would
love nothing more than to test your magic against mine."
"Everyone." Harry said loudly, interrupting whatever it was Dumbledore was
getting ready to say. "I would like you to meet, Loki."
"Loki Laufeyson, or Odinson as most mortals know me. I'm also affectionately
known as the God of Mischief." Loki bragged as he looked down on the mortals.
"Impossible!" Dumbledore said breathlessly.
"Not impossible." Loki declared, stepping off from the wall. "I'm also young
Harry's great, great, great, great, add a few more greats, great grandfather."
"Really?" Harry asked, his face lighting up with excitement. "Are we really
related?"
Loki looked fondly at the boy. "Not only are we blood related, but when I gave
you that blood transfusion after your little accident with the knife, it bound
us even closer together. I'm more like your magical father now."
"Impossible." Dumbledore repeated, though he could see the resemblance between
the god and Harry. He could also feel the similarities in their magic. Loki
giving Harry some of his blood would explain why Harry's magic felt different.
It was still mostly the same, but a bit darker and amplified.
Loki allowed his eyes to slowly rake over the old man. He was powerful for
someone from Midgard, but he was nothing compared to his little mage. They
weren't even in the same league. "Not the brightest are you?"
"He thinks he is." Fred scoffed.
Arthur grabbed his son and yanked him behind him. He couldn't believe that he
was standing in the same room as an actual god. He didn't know if he was
supposed to bow, or what, but right now he was frozen to the spot.
Harry stepped around Dumbledore, dodging the arm that went to grab him. Without
giving his headmaster a second thought, he approached Loki, his magic tingling
happily. He never thought that he would be so happy to see the trickster god.
"Loki, how's my dad?"
"You father is once again functioning with all his memories and him and the
rest of his team of misfits are on their way here to rescue you."
Harry couldn't stop his tears. "Thank you, Loki. Thank you so much."
"Ah, my young one, you don't have to thank me." Loki smiled. "We share blood
and magic, you and your father are family."
Harry was shocked at hearing that. "My dad is related to you too? I thought my
other dad would have been the one related to you."
Loki shrugged his shoulders. "Crazy that. I had assumed that too, but nope. It
seems many generations ago I slipped my bloodline in with the Starks. When your
fathers met and made you, James' magic ignited the magic you inherited from
me."
"Don't you see!" Dumbledore cried excitedly. "The power the Dark Lord knows
not. It's proof that you are the chosen one." He couldn't believe this, not
only was Harry unbelievably powerful, but he also had a relative that was a
god...and not just any god, but the powerful Loki. Voldemort isn't going to
stand a chance against Harry and Loki.
"I really don't like him." Loki grumbled.
"That makes another thing we share." Harry agreed.
***** Chapter 19 *****
I do not own Harry Potter or Marvel..
Hope you enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW. Also come find me on FB at Miste Potter .
***HP
 
Face in a sneer, Severus looked down his long hooked nose at the man claiming
to be the god Loki. "Do you honestly expect us to believe that you are Loki,
the god of mischief?" He scoffed. "You're just another one of Black's pranks."
Eyes gleaming, Loki gave the greasy man a slow smile. Yes, this was the bastard
that took Stark's memories, he recognized the magic. Like the man, his magic
had a greasy, disgusting film to it. He was decently powerful, not as powerful
as the crazed old man, but he was more powerful than the other three adult men
in the room. Though, the man in tattered robes felt curious to him and he was
anxious to feel out his magic more. He wasn't certain, but the man didn't feel
entirely human to him...there was a wildness to him.
Dumbledore's eyes flickered to his professor and right hand man. "Severus,
can't you feel his magic? His magic is unlike anything I have ever felt before.
He's not of this world."
Hearing the excitement in his headmaster's voice disgusted Harry. Even if he
believed the prophecy, he wouldn't want to help just because Dumbledore was a
selfish, self-centered dick. The man basically admitted to sitting back and
watching as innocent people were tortured and murdered all because he believed
in a prophecy. All because he believed that he was the only one who could
defeat Voldemort. He wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore had led Voldemort to
his parents house that Halloween night.
"I can see why, my little mage, you wish to never return to this school and
these people." Loki said silkily. "They are not worthy of you. You are so much
more than them, so much more powerful."
"Potter!" Severus spat in disgust. "Potter is a below average student who is
only getting by on his fame. He is nothing...just like his father!"
Loki's eyes narrowed in anger. "You better watch, mortal scum, how you talk
about my mage...my blood. I am not the type of god you want to piss off."
"I would heed his warning, professor." George warned. "That really is Loki."
"And if you think our pranks our bad." Fred added. "Just wait until you see
what kind of pranks he can do. He is the king of pranks."
"King!" Loki scoffed. "I am a god, not a king. Have you learned nothing from
me, my flame haired minion?"
Arthur turned to look at his son in disbelief. "You personally know Loki?" He
asked in awe and fear.
Grinning sheepishly, Fred rubbed the back of his neck. "Uhm, yeah, Loki kind of
took George and I under his wing. We have a lot in common."
Harry made a loud snorting noise. "Kind of! The three of you have reeked havoc
on the tower. Clint has threatened to put a bolt between your eyes the next
time you play a prank on him, and I believe that he will actually do it."
"You would think a man as obsessed with birds as he is would enjoy squawking
like a bird for twenty four hours." George pointed out innocently.
"Thought we were doing him a favor." Fred mock pouted.
Groaning, Arthur rubbed tiredly at his face. "Just wait until your mother hears
who you have been hanging out with. She can't blame me for this, her brothers
were almost as bad as the two of you. This is her blood's doing, not mine.
Weasleys have always walked the straight and narrow."
"Well, that explains Percy." George snorted.
Severus didn't know what to believe. He had enjoyed reading Norse mythology as
a kid, and he had read all about Loki, but Loki was just that...a myth.
Dumbledore had a point though, the man professing to be the god Loki was
extremely powerful and he had never felt magic like his before. Still, even if
he was Loki, there was no way the brat Potter was related to him.
"Are you really Loki?" Sirius asked skeptically. Kingsley had told him that
Harry's dad was in tight with two gods, but it was still hard to believe.
"Are you really an idiot?" Loki shot back.
For the first time since Dumbledore kidnapped him from his dad, Harry started
laughing. He didn't even think what Loki said was that funny, he was just
relieved and happy that his dad remembered him and was on his way to help him.
He was flying all the way from America and was planning on taking on the
Wizarding World just for him. Knowing that he was loved so much felt...well,
there wasn't a word to describe how he felt.
"It wasn't that funny." Sirius protested childishly.
Ignoring his godfather, Harry turned back to Loki. "So what now? What's the
plan?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "The plan hasn't changed, my boy. You will
remain here, return to school for your fifth year, learn magic, then fight
Voldemort when the time comes. Only now you will have Loki at your side."
Loki shook his head in disbelief. "Are all mortals this stupid? Does he have
something wrong with his brain, is that why he isn't comprehending anything?
Does he have one of those old people diseases where they forget stuff? We don't
have illnesses like that on Asgard."
"No old people diseases for him, he just thinks he's a god too." Harry said.
"He thinks he knows all and sees all, and he's never, ever wrong. Even now
knowing what he knows of my childhood, he doesn't feel true regret. He feels
bad that I was abused and molested, but he would do it over again if he had the
chance to turn back time. The only thing he would do different is make sure
that I never found out about my dad."
"That's not true, my boy." Dumbledore said gravely. "Had I know I would have
removed you immediately."
Loki was watching the man's facial expressions as he talked and reading his
magic. It was impossible for mortals to lie to him, especially magic users.
Mortals may lie, but magic never does. "Which is why you never allowed him to
tell you about the abuse." He pointed out knowingly. "You would always cut him
off and send him on his way. As long as you didn't hear the words, then in your
book it didn't happen."
Furious, Sirius turned to Dumbledore. "You bastard!" He roared. "You knew,
didn't you? You knew Harry was being hurt."
Severus took a step back from his mentor. "You told me you had placed wards
around the home to alert you if Harry was sick or hurt."
"I-I didn't want you to worry, Severus. I knew how much you loved Lily and how
badly you were grieving her death. I had assumed that Harry would be safe with
his aunt and uncle so I didn't bother with the monitoring wards. I did have
Mrs. Figg watching over him though. She would have notified me immediately if
there had been a problem."
Harry couldn't believe it. Each time Dumbledore opened his mouth another lie or
deception was discovered. "Crazy Mrs. Figg? Cat loving, crazy Mrs. Figg was
working for you? The only thing Mrs. Figg was aware of or could be bothered
with were her damn cats. Vernon could have fucked me on her front lawn and she
wouldn't have noticed."
Harry's eyes widened and his heart stopped beating when it dawned on him what
he said. Looking around the room, his stomach turned when he saw the looks of
horror on Sirius', Remus', and Mr. Weasley's faces. He knew that Fred and
George pretty much knew what happened to him, but he still never talked about
it with them.
"Oh, Harry." Arthur whimpered, all color draining from his face. This was the
secret that Remus couldn't tell him earlier. Harry had not only been physically
abused, but he had also been sexually abused.
Shaking his head, Harry looked pleadingly to Loki. The last thing he wanted was
to talk about what happened to him, especially not with Mr. Weasley. "My dad?"
He asked desperately.
Loki let his magic flood the room, it was a warning to all to not pressure his
mage into talking about his past. "Well, child, I could easily annihilate the
old man and big nosed pet, but then I would be taking all the fun away from
your dad. He missed out on getting his revenge on the fat whale, I'm not going
to let him miss out on getting revenge on these two. They walked into your
father's home, a home that he tried to make safe for you, they attacked him,
tortured you, erased his memories of you, then kidnapped you. He needs to get
his payback."
Harry exhaled loudly as he brought a trembling hand up to rub his eyes. "I'm so
damn tired. I just want this to end. I want to go home and never lay eyes on
Dumbledore or Voldemort again. Why me? When does it stop?" He was losing steam
fast, his adrenaline wearing out. He had been so mad and scared that all he
wanted to do was lash out and hurt someone, but now all he wanted to do was
crawl in a hole and cry. He wanted his dad, but at least he had Loki. They may
have gotten off to a rough start, but he now trusted the trickster. Loki had
saved his life after all...even before he knew that they were family.
Dumbledore didn't know what he was going to do. Somehow he had lost control of
the situation and control of Harry. He honestly never meant for the boy to be
hurt so badly, he had just wanted him to be desperate for approval and love. He
needed Harry to be willing to sacrifice himself for those he cared about, to
become a hero. He didn't want the boy to die when facing the Dark Lord, he just
wanted him willing to do anything to defeat him, even give his life if needed.
As much as having Loki on their side was a bonus, it was also a hinderance.
Loki's presence made Harry bolder, more confident. Harry Potter three months
ago would have never stood up to him and talked back. Harry Potter three months
ago was meek and malleable. He wasn't sure how to handle this Harry Potter. How
to manipulate him.
"I think." Dumbledore started off wearily. "That we all need to step back, take
a breather, and reevaluate everything. I'm not the bad guy here, Voldemort is.
I know you're upset with me now, Harry, but I have only been acting in the best
interest of the greater good. I think of you as a grandson, your happiness
means the world to me."
Fred brought his hand up to his mouth and pretended to cough. "Bullshit."
Harry walked to the bed and slumped down. "Just, no more. I'm tired of talking
and lies. There is nothing you can say or do that will make me change my mind.
I'm not remaining in the Wizarding World and I'm not fighting Voldemort. You're
powerful, headmaster, and the ministry is full of trained aurors. It's their
job to handle dark wizards, not mine. I'm just going to sit here and wait for
my dad to come and kick your ass. You messed with the wrong damn muggle."
***HP
Bruce was getting concerned over Tony's continuing silence. Ever since they
boarded the plane, the normally talkative and smart ass genius, had barely said
two words. He knew he had a lot on his mind, but a quiet Tony Stark was scary.
God only knew what was brewing in his amazing mind of his.
"Am I the only one here who still finds it odd that we are trusting Loki?"
Clint asked from where he was laying sprawled out on a leather couch. It was
good traveling on a private jet.
Natasha grunted in agreement. "Weren't we trying to kill him a year ago?"
Thor looked up from the Rubix Cube he had been frustratingly trying to solve.
"That was not my brother. Well, not fully him anyway. He was being controlled
by a being much more powerful than him."
"Yeah, that still doesn't excuse him." Clint snarked back. "Are you telling me
that your brother doesn't have a dark streak, doesn't dream of universal
domination? Are you trying to tell me that he didn't play mean pranks on you
when you were growing up?"
Thor frowned. "Well, Loki has always been high spirited, and his childhood
pranks were nothing more than him showing off his magical skills. Loki didn't
have it easy growing up on Asgard, everyone treated him differently and mocked
him. He wasn't like our father or myself. He wasn't a warrior. His strength
lies in his magic and cunning, not in his fists."
"He saved my son's life." Tony spoke softly, the first words out of his mouth
in over two hours. "He also returned my memories. We all have done things that
we regret, Loki is no different. Yes he has killed innocents, but who here
hasn't? I created war weapons...weapons that killed thousands of people. I'm no
saint, not even close to it."
"Are you defending Loki?"
Tony lifted his drink and allowed the liquor to burn his throat before
answering Legalos. "I'm not defending Loki, I'm just stating facts. I wouldn't
trust Loki with the remote to my tv, but I do trust him with my son's life."
"It's pretty amazing how much one small boy has changed us all, Loki included."
Bruce pointed out.
"Changed us all for the better." Tony added wistfully. For the past two hours
he had been mentally replaying and savoring every memory he had of his son,
even the not so good ones. He would gladly take bad memories of his son over no
memories at all. Not that he had a lot of bad memories of Harry. By bad
memories he meant those of Harry when he thought he was dying from blood
poisoning, learning of his abuse and sexual assaults, and finding him bleeding
to death on the bathroom floor. There were more, but those were the worst.
"I knew he was your son the second I saw his face." Bruce grinned. "I didn't
need the DNA tests to prove it. I was prepared to lie, to say that he was yours
in order to get him away from those vile people claiming to be his relatives,
but the second he removed his hoodie I knew I wouldn't have to. Even Pepper
knew he was yours before the tests confirmed it."
Tony grinned when he thought back to his first encounter with his son. "I
thought I was looking at my past self when I first saw him walking into my
kitchen. I never wanted kids, the thought of them actually turned my stomach,
but the second it sunk in that he was my son, I wanted him more than anything I
have ever wanted before. I was scared, but I wanted him and I wanted to protect
him and make him happy."
"I thought you'd fuck up." Natasha admitted without shame. "You were the last
person I would ever expect to be a good father, but you proved me wrong. Being
Harry's father hasn't been easy, he came with a shit ton load of bad baggage,
but you have stood by his side without stumbling or faltering. It pains me to
admit this, but Harry couldn't ask for a better father."
Bruce chuckled at the dumbfounded look on Tony's face. "I had my doubts too,
but seeing you with Harry..."
"Turns you on?" Clint interrupted with a cocky grin.
Bruce glared at Clint while Tony gave him a wink. Bruce really was falling hard
for Tony, and it was pretty much true, he never would have developed feelings
for Tony if it hadn't been for Harry. Harry brought out a Tony Stark that he
didn't know existed, a Tony Stark that did turn him on. Who knew that daddy
Tony would be his weakness?
With a loud growl, Thor crushed the Rubix Cube in his large fist. "Stupid,
impossible, demon created game!"
***HP
Loki was amazed and in awe. With childlike excitement on his face, he looked
down at the small creature. "Do the finger snap thing again."
Dobby's ears started vibrating. "But great, master Loki sir, Dobby is already
doing it thirteen times."
"Please, just once more." Loki begged excitedly.
From his bed where he was eating his dinner, Harry couldn't stifle his giggle.
"It's alright, Dobby, Loki has just never seen a house elf before. Just humor
him one more time."
"Your magic is so fascinating." Loki grinned. "I'm trying to figure out how it
works, but it's unlike any magic I have ever encountered before.".
"That is because you is not being a house elf like Dobby, great sir." Dobby
squeaked. "House elves have special magic." With a snap of his fingers, Dobby
made the chair that the strange god was sitting on disappear. With another
finger snap, he made the chair reappear on a bed across the room.
"Fantastic!" Loki crowed from where he was sprawled out on the stone floor. "I
need to get me a house elf."
With a loud squeak, Dobby disappeared.
"I think you freaked Dobby out." Harry chuckled. "And that's saying something
seeing as Dobby isn't exactly right in the head."
 
Getting to his feet and dusting his clothes off, Loki conjured another chair to
sit on. "I never realized that Midgard had such fascinating creatures. The
scruffy man from earlier, where did he go? I wanted to ask him about his
magic?"
"Scruffy man from earlier?"
"Yes, the man that was here earlier in ratty robes."
"I think he means Remus." Fred pointed out.
Loki tilted his head back and started chuckling. "I get it now...Remus. I
wonder, was he named that before, of after?"
"I'm feeling confused again." Harry pouted. "What are you talking about?"
"This Remus fellow, he's a werewolf, correct?"
Harry nodded his head. "How did you know?"
"It was his magic, though I hadn't realized it until you said his name was
Remus. I knew there was something not human about him, something wild, but I
have never met a werewolf from Midgard before so I didn't recognize that he
suffered from lycanthropy."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "What does that have to do with his name?"
"Do you know the story of Remus and Romulus?"
Harry thought that the names sounded familiar, he vaguely remembered reading
something about them in a history book. "Refresh my memory."
"Well, to make a long story short, Remus and Romulus were twins that were
abandoned and then nursed by a she-wolf. Don't you find it curious that your
friend Remus has the same name as a man that had been taken in by a wolf? I
wonder if his name was Remus from birth and was just destined to become a
werewolf? Odd that, don't you think?"
Harry remembered now, he remembered that Rome was supposedly named after
Romulus. Or was it both Remus and Romulus? He couldn't remember, but now he
understood why Loki found Remus' name so funny. "How do you know about Remus
and Romulus?" He found it strange, especially since Loki didn't know much about
earth stuff.
Shrugging his shoulders, Loki's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I like to
read about myself when I visit. Midgard has an endless supply of books and I
like to read what is written about me. I came across the story of Remus and
Romulus when searching for stories about my life and adventures and found them
interesting."
"Oh, that's great." Harry laughed. "I can picture you now searching through
libraries and bookstores looking for any mention of the great and powerful
Loki. I bet the library here has something on you."
Loki looked thoughtfully to the door. "Do you think so? It would be interesting
to see if magic users portray me differently than non magic users." He didn't
want to leave his mage, but he was very curious now.
Rolling his eyes, Harry jerked his head towards the door. "Go and look, but
you're taking George with you. You may be a trickster, but so is Hogwarts. I
don't need to worry about you roaming the halls lost."
Loki jumped to his feet. "I won't be long, but I will know if you have need of
me. Get some rest."
***HP
Harry turned onto his side so he was facing Fred. They were once again sharing
the same bed, and thankfully he wasn't feeling uncomfortable with the close
contact. He had slept plenty of times in the same bed as Fred and George, but
that was before he knew that they liked him. "What do you think is going happen
when my dad gets here?"
Reaching out with just a finger, Fred started tracing the back of his mate's
hand. "I think all hell is going to break loose." He admitted honestly. "I'll
be surprised if Hogwarts is still standing when this is through...especially if
Bruce loses it and tuns into the green guy."
Biting his bottom lip, Harry tried not to focus on Fred touching him. He liked
it...he liked it a hell of a lot. Fred touching him was extremely distracting.
"I can't believe how much I miss them, it's not as though I have known them
that long."
"You don't have to know someone a long time to get attached or fall in love."
Fred was speaking from experience, he had fallen in love with Harry instantly.
From the moment he laid eyes on the tiny little firsty, who was wearing clothes
that were three sizes too big and taped up glasses, and was struggling to get
his trunk that probably weighed more than him in the overhead compartment, he
had been done. He knew then and there that Harry was it for him.
Harry unconsciously scooted a little closer to Fred, seeking his warmth and
protection. "Has it always felt this way for you and George?"
Fred was having a hell of a time not staring at his mate's plump lips. Merlin,
he wanted to taste Harry so damn bad. "What feeling are you talking about?"
"It's hard to explain." Harry said chewing on his bottom lip. He didn't realize
that his teeth gnawing on his lip was driving Fred insane. "All my life I have
been on my own, I only had myself to depend on. Now, I not only have a dad, but
I have a team of superheroes that care about me. This feeling of knowing that I
have someone out there, especially a dad, that is worried about me and will do
anything to protect me, it's..." Unable to find the right word, Harry stopped
talking.
Fred grinned knowingly at Harry's loss of words. "I must admit, always having
loving parent and siblings I sometimes have taken them for granted. We may
fight each other and pull pranks, and Merlin knows mom has perfected sending
howlers, but despite all that, we have each other's backs. No matter how much a
git Ronnie can be, if someone messed with him he would have George and I to
back him up. You, Harry, you have never had that. It has to be a bit
overwhelming."
"Overwhelming in a good way." Harry clarified. "Overwhelming in a great way
actually. I just wish I knew how to describe how I was feeling. I have a dad, a
real dad, not just one I made up while laying in my cupboard cold, lonely, and
in pain. Tony is real flesh and blood and he loves me. There are no words that
can describe how I feel right now."
Every time Harry brought up his childhood it broke something in Fred. He has
had multiple nightmares over the years over Harry and his abuse. He wished that
there was a time turner powerful enough to send him back to when Harry was a
baby so he could snatch him off the Dursley's doorstep and give him the life he
deserved.
"Harry, can I kiss you?" Fred asked shyly. "Just a small kiss, nothing more."
Harry's heart skipped a few beats before he slowly nodded his head. He would be
lying if he said he didn't want Fred to kiss him.
Fred's smile was blinding. "I want you to keep your eyes open. I want you to
see that it's me, that it's my lips on yours."
Harry licked his lips nervously. He could do this, he wanted to do this. It was
just a kiss, nothing more. It was just Fred and he trusted Fred.
Fred leaned in very slowly, he wanted to give Harry plenty of time to change
his mind. He desperately wanted to kiss him, but he would never force him.
Harry inhaled sharply when Fred's lips made contact with his. Fred's lips were
surprisingly soft, and Fred was being so gentle, unlike all the men that had
raped him, that it was easy to separate Fred from them. This kiss didn't scare
him at all.
Fred lips only lingered for a few seconds and he kept his tongue in his mouth.
He had all the time in the world, he wasn't going to push Harry. Still, the
kiss had been amazing. Pulling back, he looked into his mate's eyes with a
goofy grin on his face. "That was perfect."
Harry could feel the heat on his cheeks. "Yeah it was." He agreed. "Maybe we
can try that again later."
Fred gave the younger boy a wink. "It will be my pleasure."
***HP
"Ingenious!" Loki hollered over another wailing book.
George scowled at the god, his hands covering his ears. Loki, in all his
childish immaturity, had ten books from the restricted section lined up on the
table, all screaming loud enough to bust an eardrum. "Knock it off, will ya!"
Still grinning, Loki waved his hand over the books, silencing them all
instantly. "I never knew magic users here were so creative. A book that screams
when being read by someone not allowed, it's hilarious!"
"Wait until you discover The Monster Book of Monsters." George smirked.
"This school is far more entertaining than what I was expecting. I may have to
hang around and do some exploring. House elves, talking portraits, screaming
books, why have I waited this long to visit the Wizarding World?"
"You visit Earth often?"
"Earth, despite being full of weak mortals, has always intrigued me. At an
early age I discovered all the secret ways off Asgard to other realms, Earth
was my favorite realm to visit."
"And you never knew you fathered a child with with someone from Earth?"
Loki gave the teen a sly grin. "I may look to only be in my twenties, but I am
over a thousand years old. I have slept with more women, men, and creatures,
than I could possibly remember. I didn't even know it was possible for me to
father a child with a mortal woman."
"It's a shame you didn't know about Harry earlier." George said sadly. "You
could have raised him yourself."
"I would have liked that, but I'm afraid Odin would have never allowed me to
bring Harry to Asgard. Still, I would have seen him safe and happy with Tony
and I would have been a part of his life. If I thought it would help him, I
would erase every bad memory Harry has of his childhood, but I'm afraid it
would do more harm than good. Even though Harry has suffered, his suffering has
made him who he is, take away that suffering and who knows who we will be left
with."
George nodded his head grimly. "I get it, I do, but it still hurts to see him
in so much pain."
"He is in pain, a great deal so, but he is healing. Once the mess here is taken
care of and he's back with his father, he will heal even more. It won't be
easy, but Harry will someday be able to move on and heal from his past and have
a full relationship with you and your brother."
Shaking his head, Loki smirked. "Right now as we speak your brother and my mage
are kissing."
George lunged to his feet, his chair tipping behind him. "What!" He cried in
disbelief. "They're kissing without me?"
Picking up another screaming book, Loki laughed as the young man sprinted from
the library.
***HP
"It's a stupid plan and one that will see us dead." Severus sneered.
Staring out his window, Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I am afraid
if we don't act drastically, we will lose both Harry and Loki."
"You can't lose something you don't have. You messed up with Potter, he'll
never willingly help you."
Sighing, Dumbledore turned away from the window then took his seat behind his
desk. "You would think that an old man would learn from his mistakes, but I
fear I have wronged young Harry, just as I wronged Tom all those years ago. I
knew that he wasn't happy in the orphanage and I knew that he was being
neglected and abused, but I still sent him back every summer. I was just so
afraid of his heritage and power. I knew he was dark the moment I laid eyes on
him."
Severus knew the history of Tom Marvolo Riddle and he laid part of the blame on
Tom becoming a dark wizard on Dumbledore. "Maybe, instead of treating him like
a dark wizard at the age of eleven and sending him to a home where you knew he
was being treated poorly, you should have taken him under you wing and shown
him that there was another way. Shown him that there were people who cared."
"It's in the past now." Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand.
Severus wanted to curse the old man. "It may be in the past, but we are still
suffering today because of your actions. As if your treatment of Tom Riddle
wasn't bad enough, you go and do it again with the Potter brat, but this time
only worse. If anyone has a right to become a dark lord and want to see the
extinction of muggles, it's that boy."
Dumbledore bowed his head. "You are right, but I can't go back and change the
past."
"Would you?"
Dumbledore's head snapped back up. "Excuse me, Severus?"
"Would you change the past? If you could do it over again, would you take
infant Harry and place him in a loving home here in the Wizarding World?"
"I have only ever wanted the best for the boy, but you must understand, the
Wizarding World wasn't safe for Harry back then. The survival of not only our
world, but also the muggle world, rested in that boy's hands. I had to weigh
the good and the bad, and sadly one boy's suffering does not outweigh the
suffering of the rest of the world."
Severus felt disgusted and dirty. "Even knowing what you know now, knowing that
a child would be abused and raped, if given the chance to do it over again, you
would still leave Harry on those monster's doorstep."
"You misunderstand me." Dumbledore quickly protested. "If I had the chance to
do it over again, I would see that Harry wouldn't be abused to the extent he
was. I would place safe-guards, wards, around the home."
Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. After everything the man
witnessed, he would still send Harry to live with the Dursleys. He wanted to
walk out, to never look back, but unfortunately he couldn't do that, at least
not while the Dark Lord was still alive. As long as the Dark Mark marred his
arm, he would never be free to live his own life. The Dark Lord would always be
able to find him.
Severus clenched his teeth to keep from cursing the old man. "Back to your
plan." He said in an attempt to change the subject. "Loki is a god, it will not
work."
"The loyalty potion is very strong, my boy, I trust that it will work on both
Harry and Loki. I don't like doing this, but we need the both of them in order
to win this war."
Severus shook his head. "This is insanity."
"No, Severus, this is war."
 
***HP
Note :::::: Ok, so for this fic I'm not going to delve into Loki having other
children.
***** Chapter 20 *****
I do apologize for the cliffhanger. It wasn't my intention because I hate
cliffhangers, but it just happened that way. I'm hoping to have the next
chapter up in another week, so I you don't want to be left with a cliffhanger,
just wait a bit longer.
My FB name has been changed to Miste Potter, friend me for news on updates and
other happenings.
***HP
 
 
 
Sirius had tried to sleep the previous night, but his mind wouldn't shut off
and he spent the entire night tossing and turning and staring up at the
ceiling. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the look on his godson's face as
he pulled away from him...as he refused any kind of comfort from him. It was
killing him knowing that Harry was upset with him for leaving him after the
tournament.
Rubbing his tired and bloodshot eyes, Sirius poured himself another cup of
strong coffee. He had to find a way to make it right with his godson, to prove
to him that he loved him and would stand by him no matter what he decided. He
wasn't upset that Harry didn't want fight Voldemort. Hell, he didn't want Harry
to fight Voldemort. Harry wasn't even fifteen years old yet, it would be
suicide to go against a wizard like Voldemort. Even James, a highly trained
Auror, hadn't lasted five minutes against the monster.
At the same time, he didn't want Harry to leave the Wizarding World either.
Harry was a wizard, a very powerful wizard at that, he belonged in the
Wizarding World with all the other witches and wizards. He didn't want his
godson to move to a different country and live as a muggle. He didn't want his
godson, the godson that he was finally getting to be a godfather to, to move
far away from him when he just got him back.
"Stop it!"
"Stop what?" Sirius mumbled sleepily.
"Scowling at your coffee mug." Remus scolded. "The coffee mug didn't do
anything to Harry, Dumbledore did."
"Fucking bastard." Sirius spat. Just hearing that man's name made his blood
boil. He had never wanted to hurt someone as badly as he wanted to hurt the
headmaster. He always knew that Dumbledore was manipulative, but he never
suspected that could be as evil as Voldemort himself.
"He knew, Remy. That bastard knew that Harry was being abused and he didn't do
shit about it. How could he do that? How could he just turn his back on a
scared and hurting child?"
"I don't know." Remus sighed heavily. "When Dumbledore came to my home and
offered me a chance to attend Hogwarts, I thought that he was the greatest man
alive. No other headmaster had ever accepted a werewolf, regardless of how
intelligent they were. I don't understand how he could help me, yet condemn
Harry."
"He's such a damn good kid, I just don't understand how anyone could hurt him.
I feel like I failed James and Lily, that I failed my godson."
Remus nodded his head in agreement. "I believe that we all feel that we failed
him. We can't turn back time, Sirius, but we can try to be there for him now.
He's going to need all the help he can get dealing with Dumbledore and
Voldemort."
Sirius slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Why? Why would he need us when he has
a god and the worlds most amazing muggle father?" Sirius didn't want to be a
jealous bastard, but he couldn't help it. All those years in Azkaban he spent
dreaming of being a true godfather to Harry, but now he didn't need him. What's
worse, the last time Harry did need him, had begged him to stay at his side, he
had left to do Dumbledore's bidding. He was the worst godfather ever!
Remus grabbed the newspaper and smacked Sirius over the head with it. "Knock it
off. Harry has enough love in him for all of us. Just because he has Loki and a
father, doesn't mean he wants nothing to do with us."
"We abandoned him."
Remus' lips pulled down in a frown. "We did, but all we can do now is beg for
forgiveness." Not that he thought they deserved forgiveness. They had abandoned
Harry after he experienced something traumatic, something most adults would
have a hard time processing and dealing with, they didn't deserve his
forgiveness.
"Let's just get ourselves together then get back to the school." Sirius
suggested. "We need to let Harry know that he can depend on us for now on. He
needs to know that we will have his back. Fuck Dumbledore and his greater
good!"
***HP
Severus wasn't happy, but he placed the vial full of brown liquid on the
headmaster's desk. "I did my part. I want nothing to do with you administering
it to Potter and Loki. This is going to blow up in your face."
Inclining his head, Dumbledore pocketed the potion. "And were you able to check
Harry's claim that the muggle is his father?"
Exhaling loudly, Severus closed his eyes and counted to ten. All these years he
had tied himself to Dumbledore thinking that he was helping Lily's boy. So many
years wasted. "It is true. Lily is not the brat's mother. Lily isn't even
remotely related to him."
Eyes losing their twinkle, Dumbledore rested back in his chair as he thought.
"We can't let this get back to Voldemort. We don't need him questioning if
Harry is the true prophecy child."
Severus shook his head in disbelief. "And what if he isn't? What if the whole
damn prophecy is nothing but mad ramblings from a drunk hack that was desperate
for a job?"
"The words were real. I know a real prophecy from a fake?"
"Says you!" Severus spat. "Why do you want to put Potter in front of the Dark
Lord so damn bad?"
Getting to his feet, Dumbledore walked to his bookshelf and retrieved an old
and battered book. After flipping through a few pages, he handed it to Severus.
Severus scanned the book, his eyes bulging. "So Harry Potter is the only
descendant of Godric Gryffindor?"
Dumbledore pointed to a name in the book. "Remember this name." Taking the book
back, he flipped a few more pages before handing the book back.
Severus cursed softly under his breath. "So the brat is also distantly related
to the Dark Lord through the Peverell brothers?"
"He is." Dumbledore nodded grimly. "Don't you see, not only is there the
prophecy, but both Harry and Tom are the last of the Gryffindor and Slytherin
line, and they are both related. It's fate...it's destiny!"
Sneering, Severus closed the book with a sharp snap. "It's a coincidence." He
growled in frustration. "None of this proves that the prophecy is real or that
Potter is the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord. Why would only one person
be able to defeat him?"
"It's just how things are supposed to play out, I'm afraid. Harry must be the
one to end Voldemort."
Severus couldn't help but think that the old man was mad. Well, the old man was
a bit mad, everyone knew that and just said he was eccentric, but Albus
Dumbledore was off his rocker, fucking mad.
Albus Dumbledore was going to get him killed.
***hp
Crossing his left leg over his right, Loki plucked at the blanket under him
with a frown. "I'm bored!" He whined petulantly.
Harry nodded his head in agreement. He had been awake for hours and he was
tired of looking at the Hospital Wing's stone walls. Everything in the room was
too white and too clean, it reminded him of Petunia. The nosey woman, who
thankfully was no blood relation to him, had been obsessed with her house being
clean and hospital sterile.
"When do you think my dad will get here?"
Loki gave his mage a wink. "Soon, my young apprentice. Stark's plane landed an
hour ago, I'm just letting them bumble their way around trying to find this
castle."
"But aren't there muggle repelling charms on Hogwarts?"
Fred snorted. "If you would have read, Hogwarts a History, you would know the
answer to that." He said in his best Hermione impression.
"Good one." George chuckled. "I like the girl, but damn is she a bossy know-it-
all."
"Has anyone actually ever seen that book?" Harry asked. "She's always going on
and on about it, but she's the only person I have ever heard mention the
existence of that book."
Fred and George looked at each other then shrugged their shoulders. "Dunno!"
They said at the same time. "We don't volunteer to read books that we don't
have to."
Feeling antsy, Harry started scratching at his arm. He wanted this to be over
with. He wanted to see his dad and Bruce and to go back to the tower. He missed
everyone, even Jarvis.
Loki narrowed his eyes at his mage, not missing how the boy's nails were
digging painfully into his arms. Harry was struggling with his urge to cut and
sitting around doing nothing wasn't helping him any. "Don't worry about the
team, Thor will lead them here. My brother has always, much to my displeasure,
been able to track me. Yes, I could go and get them and bring them back, but
isn't this much more fun?"
Harry couldn't help but think that him and Loki had different ideas on what was
fun. "Sitting around doing nothing and praying that Dumbledore leaves us alone
isn't my idea of fun."
Swinging his long legs off the bed, Loki got to his feet. "Then, lets go
explore and shake this old castle up."
Harry looked to Fred and George, who looked back at him with matching
mischievous grins. "Fine." He huffed. "Just, no damaging Hogwarts herself.
Snape and Dumbledore are free game though."
***HP
Harry had been enjoying his time on one of the borrowed school brooms, showing
off to Loki with Fred and George, when he spotted two figures walking his way.
He didn't know how he felt about Dumbledore recovering from his heart attack so
quickly. Yesterday, he could barely walk, but now he was barely leaning on his
cane as he strolled across the quidditch pitch. It's not that he really wanted
to see the old man dead or suffering, it just wasn't fair that he suffered for
over thirteen years and Dumbledore barely suffered for twenty four hours. He
just felt that Dumbledore deserved some sort of punishment for leaving him with
the Dursley's and not helping him when he asked.
"Ah, Harry my boy, out having fun on this most beautiful summer day I see?"
With a loud groan, Harry reluctantly landed his broom next to the old bastard,
but he didn't dismount. He was so tempted to just fly away, to just take off
far away from Hogwarts, but he knew that his dad was on his way so it would be
stupid to leave now. "Headmaster." He greeted flatly.
Dumbledore didn't allow his smile to falter when Loki and the Weasley twins
landed next to Harry. He was going to have to contact Molly and Arthur about
them collecting their boys. He liked the twins well enough and, they were
always good for a laugh, but Harry didn't need distractions right now. He also
didn't need more people on Harry's side that would help Harry stand against
him.
"Isn't broom flying wonderful!" Loki beamed as he spun the broom he had been
riding in his hands. "I have flown by many different means, even by hammer with
my brother, but this was my first broom flight." Loki did a little shimmy then
pulled at the back of his pants. "It is a bit uncomfortable on the backside
though, isn't it? Is that why you all wear robes, to hide your wedgies?"
Snorting, Harry covered his mouth and turned away. There were times that he
wished he could be more like Loki. He had no desire to take over the world or
be the most powerful being in the universe, he just wished that he could just
say and do what he wanted and not give a shit.
"Well, flying on a broom can take some getting use to." Dumbledore replied
jovially. "Thankfully it's not our only means of transportation."
"All forms of Wizarding travel suck." Harry grumbled. "With the exception of
flying."
Dumbledore smiled indulgently at his young student. "Harry, may I have a moment
of your time. I would like to speak to you in private."
Heart skipping a beat, Harry took a step back. "Anything you have to say can be
said in front of Loki and the twins. I'm finished with keeping secrets from
those I care about."
Dumbledore inclined his head. "I agree, secrets can cause problems, but I would
like to talk to you about your uncle and I'm sure you don't want Fred and
George around while we discuss him."
Harry took a few deep breaths, his blood running cold. He felt Loki's magic
spike next to him, but he gave a subtle shake of his head. He needed to start
fighting his own battles. Collecting himself, he relaxed a little when Loki's
magic went from dangerous, to soothing. The god's magic was caressing him,
offering him comfort and support. He understood now why he always responded
positively to Loki's magic. Loki was family and they shared like magic.
"I don't have an uncle." Harry growled. "My dad James was a single child, and
so is my dad, Tony. As for Fred and George finding out about my past, they
already know. Who do you think has looked out for me and taken care of me all
these years? Who do you think owl mailed me healing potions over the summers,
healed me every year when we returned to Hogwarts, comforted me during my panic
attacks and nightmares? Fred and George have saved my life countless times."
Dumbledore was shocked, he hadn't known Harry was so close to the Weasley
twins. How had he missed that? He thought Harry was best friends with Ronald.
He like it better Harry bring best friends with Ronald, the boy was the
brightest. The twins though, despite being carefree jokesters on the outside,
were extremely intelligent, two of the smartest students in his school. "Molly
and Arthur have done a marvelous job raising their children. I'm so glad that
you had them to turn to."
"He should have had you!" George snarled viciously. "He shouldn't have had to
rely on other students for help."
"I did what I could." Dumbledore replied sadly.
"For someone so powerful, you're pretty damn useless." Loki pointed out
snidely. "You could have given Harry to a loving family, but you didn't. You
could have checked up on him, but you didn't. You ignored the obvious signs of
abuse. You wouldn't listen when he came to you for help. Now you're saying you
did what you could? You are nothing but a waste of magic. I should kill you now
and do the world, and my mage, a favor."
"Why do you keep calling Potter a mage?" Severus asked with a sneer. "He's
nothing but a below average wizard."
"Tsk, tsk." Loki smirked, his eyes lighting up. "Did I not warn you not to talk
that way about my mage, about my blood? I'm really starting to think you
wizards are exceptionally stupid. So, why don't you tell my mage how you really
feel about him?" With a smirk, Loki easily slipped into the man's mind.
Severus always prided himself on being a master of the mind arts, but the god
slipped past his barriers as if he didn't have any. No one had ever been able
to enter his mind, not even the Dark Lord.
"I think Potter is a swell lad." Severus said under Loki's control. "He's
smart, has a beautiful head of non greasy hair, his nose is perfectly straight,
and he's exceptionally powerful. If only I could be as magnificent as him.
Alas, I'm just a jealous piece of trash who hasn't had sex in well
over...ever!"
Fred and George were laughing so hard that they had to help hold each other up.
"Stop!" Fred cried. "I'm going to piss myself."
"I already have!" George cackled.
Gasping, Severus almost fell to his knees when the god left his mind. Having
someone take over his mind like that had been one of the worst experiences of
his life. If Loki could effortlessly control him like that, just how the hell
powerful was he?
Dumbledore reached out to steady Severus. "All you alright?" He asked in
concern.
Severus was having difficulty getting his eyes to focus and he could feel a
migraine coming on. He was going to need a pain potion soon...maybe even two.
"If you ever do that again." He threatened weakly, panting to catch his breath.
"I'll..."
"You will what?" Loki chuckled. "You are a mortal and I am a god, what could
you possibly do to me? Maybe now you will think twice before bullying my mage."
Severus clenched his teeth so hard that pain shot through his jaw and up to his
head. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but the god was right. What could he, a
mortal wizard, do to a powerful god who was also a powerful sorcerer?
Smirking, Loki tossed his arm over Harry's shoulder. "I see we're on the same
page, mortal magic user. So far I have been behaving myself because I want to
see my mage's father destroy you, and because I am having fun playing with you,
but my patience only goes so far. Harry is mine and under my protection."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Actually, you are wrong about that. I
appreciate you looking after Mr. Potter and saving his life, but as Harry's
magical guardian, he is my responsibility. I couldn't be happier that Harry has
found two living and loving family members, but I am his legal guardian now
that his aunt and uncle have been found to be unfit."
"Oh, Merlin!" Harry mumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes in
exasperation. Was Dumbledore incapable of learning? Did he honestly think he
could stand against Loki and win? He could see him underestimating his dad
since he was just a muggle, but Loki was a freaking god. Two months ago
learning that Dumbledore was his guardian would have terrified him, but now he
just found it funny. For the first time in his life, he had people who cared
for him and was willing to fight for him. For the first time in his life, he
felt truly safe.
Loki pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Ok, lets dumb this down a
bit more for you." Loki pointed to himself. "Me, god." He then pointed to
Dumbledore. "You, weak human." He pointed to himself again. "Me, prince." He
pointed to Dumbledore again. "You, weak human." Loki kept pointing back and
forth. "Me, most powerful sorcerer in all the nine realms. You, weak human. Me,
very intelligent. You, crazy old man. Me, Harry's blood. You, still crazy old
man."
Dumbledore was really starting to dislike the god. Why was he questioning him
and challenging him at every turn? Yes, he had made mistakes, but he only ever
had the greater good in mind. He was the good guy.
"Well, I can see we won't be able to have an adult conversation right now."
Dumbledore scolded, giving the group his best grandfatherly look. "Why don't we
all go to the Great Hall for some dinner. The house elves in their excitement
over having a god visiting have outdone themselves with a feast."
"Now that's the smartest thing you have said since I have had the misfortune of
meeting you." Loki smirked. "Them little elflings know how to cook. Not even
the Great Odin's personal chef's can cook like those wee creatures. I really
need to get me a weenie elf."
Dumbledore clapped his hands excitedly. "Excellent, let us all make our way to
the Great Hall."
Harry couldn't help but think that Dumbledore seemed way to damn happy over
just a meal.
"Fear not, my blood." Loki whispered with a wink. "Of course the old fool is up
to something." He said as if reading Harry's thoughts. "Finally, some more
entertainment. Do you think he will try bewitching me? That is what mortal
magic users call it, correct? I do so want to be bewitched."
Harry nodded his head. "He is stupid enough to try." He whispered back. "Wish
dad would get here. I'm tired of his games."
Loki gave a dramatic pout. "Awe, but games are so much fun. I personally can't
wait until they meet the big green guy."
Harry's eyes widened. "Do you think Bruce will Hulk out?" On one hand he didn't
want that to happen because Bruce always felt guilty for losing control, but on
the other hand, he desperately wanted to meet the Hulk. He wasn't scared of
him, he knew Bruce would never hurt him, and neither would the Hulk.
"Oh, without a doubt." Loki chuckled. "Bruce was having a hard time maintaining
control last I saw him. Not only is he pissed over them taking you, but he's
also pissed over them messing with his boyfriend's head."
"What?" Harry choked out. "My dad and Bruce...boyfriends?"
"Didn't you know?"
Grinning, Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I had my suspicions and, I overheard
some stuff, but I didn't know it was official."
"It's not official yet, but they are finally admitting their feelings. It's
just a matter of time, my mage, until you get a new, green, mommy. And I'm
warning you from personal, painful experience, don't piss off your new mother."
***HP
Tony wasn't happy. He knew that Loki was playing games by not meeting with them
and taking them directly to Harry's magic school, and it made him want to ring
the damn god's neck. He just wanted his son back. He didn't want to be a source
of the god's entertainment.
"You doing ok?" Bruce asked, stepping in front of the seething billionaire.
"Ask me that again after I incinerate Loki." Toni growled.
"I feel the same way, but look at it this way, at least he's remaining at
Harry's side. With Loki there, no harm will come to him."
Tony reluctantly gave Bruce that. It was true, Loki would protect Harry, he
didn't doubt that. Loki was more powerful than the old man and Moldwart. He
just wanted his son back, it was hard for him to think past that.
"Can you track your pain in the ass brother?" Tony asked, turning his attention
on to Thor.
Tilting his head up towards the ski and closing his eyes, Thor concentrated.
"My brother is still a good many hours away I believe, but the magic around the
school is hampering me a bit. But have no fear, my friend, I can track my
brother. If it comes down to it I can always ask Heimdall for guidance."
"Am I the only one freaked out that there is a man from another realm watching
over us?" Clint asked, looking up to the sky and giving a wave. "Talk about the
ultimate peeping Tom."
"I do not know of this Peeping Tom fellow you speak of." Thor scowled. "But
Heimdall is a very skilled warrior and guardian. It is his job to watch over
the other realms and to protect Asgard from attacks."
"Spying on everyone is just a bonus." Clint snickered. "Can he see inside
houses? Like, can he see when people are showering or having sex?"
Thor opened his mouth, then after a moment of thought snapped it shut. "I do
not know the answer to that, but now, I too am curious ."
Steve looked around with a frown. "Are we renting a car of walking?"
"Ah, hell no!" Tony snapped. "I have been patient long enough. I can take two
with me in my suit, and Point Break can take two. I want my son back. This ends
today."
***HP
Harry shook his head at he settled at the head table in between Loki and Fred.
Dumbledore hadn't been kidding, the elves really had cooked up a feast for
them. The table was damn near splintering under the weight of all the dishes.
Loki looked around at all the plates of food, his eyes zeroing in on his
goblet. So that's how the old man was going to play it? With a smirk, he picked
up his goblet and downed it. He didn't miss the triumphant look on the old
fool's face.
Harry could feel Loki's magic warning him about something. It took him a few
seconds to understand what Loki's magic had wanted, the god had never tried
communicating with him like that before. Getting the message, he reached across
the table for the plate of chicken, not so accidentally knocking over his
goblet. "Shoot!" He cried jumping to his feet. "Sorry about that. Dobby!"
"Harry Potter sir is calling for his Dobby?"
"We don't need your assistance." Dumbledore was quick to interrupt. "Accidents
happen, Harry. I'll have personal elf, Smalls, bring you a fresh goblet."
Dobby narrowed his eyes at the headmaster, his ears vibrating with agitation.
"Dobby is being able to bring his Harry Potter a fresh goblet. Harry Potter is
calling for his Dobby, not butt kissing Smalls."
Loki choked on his forkful of mashed potatoes. "These little elves just keep
getting better and better. Dobby, can I have you?"
"No, you is not having Dobby." Dobby scolded, his long crooked finger poking
the god in the chest. "The great Harry Potter is the only one having Dobby."
Dumbledore gave his beard a harsh tug to help keep from losing his temper. He
couldn't believe that Harry had spilled his spiked goblet of Pumpkin Juice. At
least Loki drank it, soon the god would be under his control.
"Dobby, could I please just get me a glass of water." Harry asked politely. He
knew not to trust Dumbledore's elf, he would just bring him another spiked
goblet.
Dobby gave a large bow. "Anything for the Great Harry Potter."
"I think the crazed elf is a bit obsessed with you." Loki joked after the elf
popped away.
"That's a nice way of putting it." Fred chuckled. "Dobby thinks the sun shines
out of Harry's ass."
Loki started stuffing his face, giving the old fool a wink when he spotted him
watching him hungrily. He could feel whatever the potion in goblet was trying
to work on him, but he was too powerful for mortal potions and tricks. He had
warned Harry against it though, Harry was mentally too fragile to fight off an
attack from inside his body. He was pretty sure the potion was supposed to make
him loyal to Dumbledore, at least that's what it felt like, and it was a pretty
damn powerful potion...but it wasn't as powerful as him.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I think it's really good idea for Harry to
remain here and start training. Do you agree, my boy?" He asked, looking smugly
at the god.
The corner of Loki's mouth twitched up. He could feel the potion trying to
force him to agree. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. "Training for what?
How to become a useless and spineless wizard? That's all the two of you are."
Dumbledore looked to Severus, silently questioning him his eyes. Shouldn't the
potion have started working already?"
Gritting his teeth, Severus ignored his mentor. He wanted no part in this. He
warned the old man that it was a stupid plan and that it was going to get him
killed.
"I'm sorry you feel that way about us." Dumbledore said, sounding regretful.
"It was never my intention for us to start off on the wrong foot. I understand
young Harry wishes to return home to his father, but it's important that he
finish school and defeat the Dark Lord."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to fight Voldemort."
"I'm sorry, my boy, but you really don't have a choice. You are the only one
who can save, not only the Wizarding World, but also the muggle world. Don't
you agree, Loki."
Loki vigorously nodded his head. "Oh, I do agree." He said, internally smirking
when the old fool's eyes lit up with triumph. "If all wizards are as cowardly
and as useless as the two of you, then my mage is the only one powerful enough
to defeat your dark wizard. But having the power, and having the desire, are
two different things. Harry does not wish to fight your battle, and all the
poisoned goblets in the world won't change his mind, not with me at his side
protecting him."
Dumbledore paled. "Poison! I don't know what you're talking about."
"Did you honestly think you could trick me into unknowingly drinking a goblet
laced with a potion to make me loyal to you? Did you honestly think such a
potion would work on me, a god?"
Dumbledore slammed his hands down on the table in anger. "I don't care that you
are a god, I'm tired of your attitude. Harry must defeat Voldemort, why can't
you understand that? I have been grooming that boy for over thirteen years to
willingly sacrifice himself for the greater good and I'm not going to allow you
to waltz in here and ruin everything."
Severus, who had been sitting next to the Headmaster, wisely got up and moved
away. He could feel the god's dangerous magic, like an electrical storm
brewing, and he didn't want to be anywhere near Dumbledore when that storm hit.
Everyone in the Great Hall turned to Harry when he started laughing. "I believe
that that is the first honest thing you have ever said to me." He said wiping
the tears from his eyes. He didn't know if he was crying from anger, hurt, or
because he was losing his damn mind and starting to find everything funny, he
just didn't know anymore.
Fred grabbed Harry's hand that was on the table and gave it a comforting
squeeze. He could feel how messed up and confused Harry was feeling on the
inside. There was plenty of anger and hurt, but there was also self-loathing,
fear, and confusion.
"I think I'm losing my mind." Harry chuckled as wiped even more tears from his
eyes.
Loki tilted his head to the side. "Yes, that does run in the family." He
smirked.
Delicious food forgotten, Harry climbed to his feet. "I swear on my magic right
now, Dumbledore, I will not fight Voldemort for you. The days of you being a
puppet master are over. This isn't my war."
Dumbledore shot to his feet, his complection as white as a ghosts. He had felt
the magic of Harry's oath snap into place, shattering years worth of plans and
manipulations. "Take that back!" He roared. "Voldemort killed your parents, he
took them away from you. Because of him, you were raised by abusive muggles.
Everything you have suffered through is because of him. It's your duty to
defeat him. You are the chosen one, the prophecy child, the only one who can
save us from the Dark Lord."
Harry was speechless, was this man for real? Yes, Voldemort killed his dad and
Lily, but Voldemort wasn't the one who left him on the doorstep of known magic
hating muggles. Voldemort wasn't the one who didn't check on him or ignore him
when he asked for help. Voldemort also wasn't the one who erased his father's
memories and drug him back here against his will.
"I think crazy runs in his side of the family, too." Fred snorted.
"That's not crazy, brother of mine." George added, glaring at his headmaster.
"That's off the wall, bat shit crazy. I think he's crazier than ugly snake face
himself."
"Enough!" Dumbledore roared. "I have worked too hard and too long for you to
mess everything up. I am sorry you were abused, I am sorry you were molested,
but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. You will face Voldemort
and, when you beat him, and only when you beat him, you can move to America and
play house with your damn muggle father. End of discussion!"
A huge grin broke out on Loki's face as he turned to one of the large windows.
"Oh goody, they're here." He said right as a red and gold streak raced past the
window. "As much fun as this visit has been, hearing you talk in circles and
ramble on about the great good and your dark lord, and proving how absolutely
useless you are, has become dreadfully boring. Now that my mage's daddy is
here, along with my brother and the rest of the team, the real fun and games
can begin."
***HP
Well, I put it off for as long as I could because I'm not sure how to write it
yet, but the show down will be in the next chapter. Let's just all take a
moment to pray that my muse will sprinkle some pixie dust on me, because write
now I have nothing. Not only do I have to take care of Dumbledore, but also
Voldemort. Ugh, I just don't know. I'm open to suggestions.
***** Chapter 21 *****
We are getting there :) Not the big confrontation yet, but getting closer. I
still have no clue yet how I'm going to write it. I need to dispose of
Dumbledore and Voldemort before I can give Harry his happily ever after. I
admit, I'm so ready to be done with this fic. No worries though, I won't rush
it.
PLEASE REVIEW
***HP
 
Tony carefully landed with Bruce clinging to one side, and Natasha his other.
After they detached themselves, he flipped his visor up and stared at the mess
in front of him. "This is it? This broken down castle of crumbling stones is
Hogwarts?"
Clint scrunched his face up, clearly unimpressed. "It would explain why there
are no modern day conveniences at Harry's school. It's kind of hard to have
phones and computers when you don't even have walls or a roof."
"And I thought where I was taught was bad." Natasha said as she stared at the
ruins in front of her. "This can't be Hogwarts."
Hands on his hips, Thor paced back and forth in front of the magical barrier he
could feel surrounding the school. "I don't understand what you speak of, this
castle is magnificent. Young Stark is very lucky to attend his studies here,
the castle and grounds are beautiful." He proclaimed as he stared up at he
massive castle.
"Are we looking at the same thing?" Tony scoffed. "It's a condemned, moldering
old ruin of a death trap. There's no way this is a school."
Curiously, Steve took a few steps closer to the ruins, then froze. With a shake
of his head, he turned and started to briskly walk away, mumbling softly to
himself.
"Ah, Captain Spangles, where the hell are you going?" Tony called out, baffled
at the captains odd behavior.
Freezing mid step, Steve slowly turned back towards the group, his eyes
unfocused. "I-I don't know." Scratching his head, he cocked his head to the
side. "I forget."
"There must be a spell protecting the school." Bruce pointed out. "Something
that makes you forget what you're doing if you get too close. I bet there's
also one to make it look like an old, crumbling, condemned castle to nonmagical
people ."
With another vigorous shake of the head, Steve's eyes refocused. "What the hell
was that?"
"Uh oh, the good captain cursed." Clint snickered. "This is serious."
Thor reached out with his hand and pressed lightly on the barrier, he frowned
when nothing happened to him. "Why does this spell not affect me?"
"Because you possess magic, brother."
"Loki!" Thor beamed when his brother materialized out of nowhere on the
opposite of the barrier.
Loki smirked at the group. "The good doctor with anger issues is correct, there
are spells and enchantments surrounding the castle. To those poor souls who
have the misfortune of not possessing magic, you will see a crumbling old
castle. If you get too close, you will suddenly forget what you're doing and
think of something else that needs your attention elsewhere."
Steve blushed when everyone turned and looked at him. "I-I thought that I was
late for a date."
Tony snorted. "Have you ever been on a date, Boy Scout?"
Steve ignored Tony. "So, how are we supposed to get in if there are spells
repelling us and keeping us from seeing the school?"
Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, it is a shame that you don't have an insanely
powerful sorcerer on the inside that can tear these wards apart with just a
thought."
"Then why the hell haven't you torn them down?" Tony snapped impatiently.
"Why haven't you asked nicely?" Loki smirked, "I have spent the last twenty
four hours trapped in this school with a deranged old man and his greasy,
sexually frustrated side kick. You could at least try to act grateful."
Pursing his lips tightly, Tony tried to rein in his anger, but it was hard, his
son was just beyond the barrier. His son was so close, yet it seemed like he
was still miles away. "Could you please bring the wards down." He ground out
tightly.
Gasping, Loki pointed to himself. "Me? Did you just say please, to me?"
"Loki!" Tony growled warningly.
"Well, I could bring the wards down, if I was me, but I'm not me. I'm just an
insanely handsome illusion of myself. The real me is currently listening to the
old fool drone on and on about the greater good and how he has been grooming my
little mage to sacrifice himself for his cause. Do you believe that the mortal
actually had the audacity to try to poison me? He thought that he could
actually control me. Him, a mortal, control me, a god! Humans are so incredibly
stupid."
"Loki, bring the damn wards down now!" Tony roared angrily.
Loki took a deep breath then slowly let it out. "Fine, ruin all my fun. Just,
do me a favor and try not to destroy the school. I have grown rather attached
to the old girl, she's extremely magical, I would even go as far as saying
she's sentient. I would like to explore more, learn all her secrets."
"Fine, whatever, just bring the damn wards down."
Grinning brightly, Loki gave his hand a lazy wave. "That should do it." He
proclaimed proudly.
"I thought you, as in illusion you, couldn't bring the wards down." Clint
pointed out.
Loki shrugged his shoulders. "I was just stalling. Little Stark is starting to
stand up for himself, I wanted him to have his say before you stormed in and
started blasting."
Hearing that made Tony grin. He was proud that his son was standing up for
himself, for too long he has been beat down and forced to do others biddings.
"Can you make it so we can see the damn school?"
"So demanding." Loki said with a shake of the head. "Watch my son, tear the
wards down, show me the school, I'm starting to feel that you only like me for
my magic."
"I don't like you at all, magic or not." Tony said simply, though deep down he
knew that that was a lie. Well, mostly a lie. He no longer hated Loki, but he
also didn't feel that he liked him yet either. He was grateful to the god for
saving his son's life, but Harry had also brought out a side in Loki that he
didn't know existed. Loki truly cared for his son, and he didn't think Loki
cared about anyone, not even his own brother.
"That...that hurts." Loki pouted dramatically. "We're family, you and I, we
share the same blood. You have to like me." He added with a childish whine.
Tony opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut. He knew that the god was
looking to see if his son was related to him while he was back on Asgard, but
now was not the time for this discussion. When he had his son safely back with
him, and when the old man and Squidward were rotting in hell, then he would
deal with the nightmare of possibly being related to Loki.
Loki threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! I guess you all better get in here,
young Harry is starting to lose his mind and become more like me."
Tony stumbled back when a massive castle materialized out of nowhere right in
front of his eyes. The castle was beautiful, magical, he had never seen
anything like it before.
"Ok." Clint cleared his throat, his eyes wide. "Not that's a castle."
With determination in his eyes, Tony dropped his visor and launched himself
into the air. Playtime was over.
***HP
Harry's entire face lit up when he saw the red and gold object streak past the
window. "Dad!" He cried excitedly. He turned to flee out of the Great Hall, but
Loki grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Patience, child, let your father handle this. I'm sure he has been dreaming up
ways to storm the caste and torture the two that stole you from him. Let's not
ruin his fun."
"This can't be." Dumbledore mumbled breathlessly. He had felt the wards
surrounding Hogwarts crumble, something that should have been impossible. The
founders erected the wards when they first built the castle and every year they
were strengthened by the current headmaster and all Hogwarts teachers, there
were centuries worth of magic wrapped in those wards, it should have been
impossible for Loki to tear them down so easily.
"What have you done?" Severus gasped, also feeling the wards crumble.
Loki turned surprised eyes on the greasy bastard. "What? Did I do a bad thing?
You're not afraid of a couple mortal, non-magic users, are you?"
"We call them muggles." George corrected with a smirk.
"Muggles!" Loki chuckled. "What a funny word. You mortals are so weird."
Harry felt like he was going to explode out of his skin. His dad was here and
Loki and George were talking about muggles, what the hell? He just wanted his
dad to hold him and reassure him that everything was going to be alright, that
he still remembered him and that he still loved him.
Fred wrapped his arms around Harry from behind. "Breathe, Harry, everything is
going to work out. Your dad and the rest of the team are here now, soon this
will be all over and we will be back in New York before you know it."
Nodding his head, Harry took a couple deep breaths and relaxed into Fred's
embrace. He felt confident that his dad and the team could handle themselves,
but Dumbledore was sick in the head and extremely unpredictable. If the man was
willing to hold him under a dark torture curse just to get him here, then he
would have no problems killing his father just to see his plans play out.
Dumbledore wanted him to fight Voldemort and he wasn't going to stop until that
happened.
With a loud bang, the Great Hall doors crashed open revealing the Avengers,
minus the Hulk who was still currently Bruce Banner, dressed in full Avenger
fighting gear.
"Wicked!" Fred muttered into Harry's ear as George nodding his head next to
him. This was the first time they, plus Harry, had seen the Avengers in full
costume.
"Dramatic much?" Loki said with a roll of his eyes.
"Dad!" Harry cried, but was stopped from rushing his father by Dumbledore
grabbing his arm and roughly tugging him back to chest.
"Gentlemen, I must insist that you leave immediately, this is private
property." Dumbledore said sternly. He couldn't believe this was happening...he
couldn't believe that a group of muggles managed to enter Hogwarts. First the
school wards and now this.
Flipping his visor up, Tony took five strides forward, but stopped when the old
man gripped his son tighter and pointed his wand at him. "As I recall, you had
no issues with trespassing onto my private property and kidnapping my son. It's
no so fun when the shoe is on the other foot, is it, old man?"
"Harry belongs here." Dumbledore hissed angrily. "He is a wizard and he belongs
in the Wizarding World. If he decides to return to the muggle world after
fulfilling his destiny, I will gladly give him my blessing."
"Give him your blessing!" Tony roared. "Harry is his own person and you are not
his father. By blood and by law, I am his father. You are nothing but a
deranged, power hungry, old man."
Harry's eyes lit up at hearing that. "By law?" He questioned in a small and
hopeful voice.
Eyes softening, Tony smiled at his son. "Kiddo, your daddy is a very rich man.
This was going to be a surprise for your birthday, but I just can't keep it to
myself anymore. I was able to speed up the paperwork, in the eyes of the law,
you are officially now my son. If it's alright with you, your name will now be
Harry James Potter Stark."
Harry barely let his father finish his sentence before screaming, "YES! I would
love to be Harry Stark."
"Muggle law." Dumbledore corrected cockily. "In the eyes of the muggle law you
are his father and guardian, but not in the magical world. Harry is the only
heir to two powerful houses, and as such, his magical guardian trumps his
muggle guardian. I am his magical guardian."
Clearing his throat, Loki raised his hand in the air with a smirk. "Magical god
guardian trumps mortal magical guardian. Not only is Harry blood related to me,
but I also gave him some of my magic when I saved his life. He has my blood and
my magic running through his veins. That makes me his magical guardian and his
father his nonmagical guardian. You are nothing to my mage, not even his
teacher. I will be teaching Harry for now on."
With fire in his eyes, Harry turned on his headmaster. "I already made a vow
that I wouldn't fight Voldemort for you. Just, please leave me alone and let me
live with my dad. I want nothing to do with you, or your war."
"Then what about fighting for your friends, for the people here you care for?"
Dumbledore growled in Harry's ear, his hand tightening on his arm. "What about
the Weasleys, Miss Granger, your godfather and Professor Lupin, are you just
going to sit back and do nothing while Voldemort slaughters them?"
Harry was exhausted and he could feel a migraine coming on. He was so tired of
this, tired of going back and forth with Dumbledore and listening as he droned
on and on about the greater good. There was nothing he could say or do that
would make Dumbledore change his mind about him being the only one who could
defeat Voldemort. "Who, from this world, helped me when I needed rescuing? For
ten years I was beat, starved, and raped, and not one witch or wizard helped
me. Even after I returned to the Wizarding World, the only ones who looked hard
enough to see the real me, to see the pain behind my eyes, was Fred and George
Weasley. Even then my pain and suffering continued every summer when you forced
me to return to the Dursleys knowing that I was being mistreated. Why should I
sacrifice myself for a world that has never cared about me?"
Harry looked to his dad and to Bruce who was standing tall at his side. "There
are only a handful of people that I truly care about in the Wizarding World. If
they feel that they need to fight against Voldemort, then there is nothing that
an can do to stop them. I love them, but they are not my responsibility. I
would be devastated if Sirius, Remus, or Mr. and Mrs. Weasley got hurt or
killed fighting, but they're adults and fighting is their choice. I'm just
fourteen years old, fighting in a war that started before I was even born isn't
my responsibility."
"Well said, kid." Steve grinned. "Children shouldn't fight in wars, not when
there are adult men and women capable of fighting. What kind of cowards live in
this magical world if they expect a fourteen year old boy to fight a dark lord
that is much older and more powerful than him?"
"Older, yes." Loki interrupted cockily, "but not more powerful. Other than
myself, young Stark here is the most powerful being currently in this realm.
Power isn't everything though, my mage is untrained and not healthy physically,
or mentally. I believe that he could beat this powerful dark lord right now,
but at a cost I'm not willing for him to pay. Unlike you, old man, I care for
Harry's health and happiness, and you can bellow like an over inflated dinosaur
all you want, Harry will not fight this Voldemort loser. If you continue on as
you are, I will take him away to Asgard where you will never see him again. The
only reason why I haven't done just that already is because messing with you
has been quite entertaining for me, but you are growing tiresome, and I am
growing bored."
"No!" Dumbledore raged, pointing his wand at Loki. "I will not allow you take
him. Harry will face Voldemort, it's his destiny."
"I'm going to need my head examined for this." Clint grumbled as he raised his
bow. "Again." He added as fired.
Dumbledore cried out in both shock and pain as something slammed into his wand,
the Elder wand, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "My wand!" He cried, his
throbbing hand releasing what was left of his destroyed wand. "You...you
destroyed my wand!"
Tony slowly turned to Clint, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Did you just come
to Loki's defense?"
"As if!" Clint snorted, not meeting Tony's eyes. "I was just bored and wanted
to shoot something. Last time, when we took out the fat pig, Loki got to have
all the fun. Not this time, this time I'm getting my fun in too."
"My wand!" Dumbledore yelled again, his face still frozen in shock. It should
have been impossible to break the Elder wand, it had survived centuries and
numerous masters without getting so much as a small scratch.
"Admit it, bird brain." Loki winked. "I have grown on you."
"Like fungus on a tree." Clint grumbled. He still didn't like Loki, not after
he screwed with his head and made him hurt innocents, but that Loki and this
Loki were two different people. Loki not only cared for Harry, but he had saved
his life. He loved Harry like a little brother, or nephew, he owed Loki one for
saving him.
Harry took advantage of Dumbledore being distracted by his broken wand to
wrench his arm out of his grasp and step out of his reach. He had to give it to
Clint, he was damn good. It was a good thing too, he could have ended up with a
bolt between his eyes.
A door behind the staff table opened up and a red face and flustered looking
Headmistress came rushing in. "What in the name of Merlin is going on in here?
I could hear yelling clear across the school. You would think school was still
in session what with all this commotion that's going on in here."
Steve gave a small bow. "Excuse us, mam, we didn't mean to disturb you. We're
just here to collect Harry and then we will be on our way."
Eyes widening, Professor McGonagall tripped over her feet before coming to a
stop. Cheeks filling with color, she brought her hands up and started patting
at her hair. "C-Captain Steve Rogers." She stuttered airily. "W-What are...
You're here, at Hogwarts!"
Fred, George and Harry all looked at each other, they had never seen their Head
of House look or act this way, all flustered and girly like. She reminded them
more of Parvati Patil than their strict, Transfiguration teacher.
"Minerva, you know who these gentleman are?" Severus asked in disbelief.
Never taking her eyes of Captain America, Minerva slowly shook her head no.
"Just Captain Rogers." She clarified, a small smile playing on her lips. Subtly
she dropped her eyes to check the soldier out. He was sinfully sexy on tv and
in newspaper articles, but in person he had her magic purring.
"Professor, how do you know him?" Harry asked curiously, not missing how his
professor was checking Steve out. Ew!
Professor McGonagall's face flushed brighter. "Potter, I'll have you know, I
knew of Captain Rogers way before you or your parents were born. I was once a
young girl and the Captain..
"
"Oh my god, you had a girly crush on Captain America!" Harry interrupted, his
jaw damn near hitting the floor. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Steve was
technically old...very, very old.
Narrowing her eyes, Minerva turned to her student. "Unless you wish to spend
every weekend next school year scrubbing cauldrons for Professor Snape, Potter,
I would keep my mouth shut if I were you."
Trying to hide their huge grins, Harry and the twins nodded their heads.
"Hey, Spangles, I think I found you a date." Tony teased.
Harry back handed George in the stomach when he started snickering. "Shush,
McGonagall is scary when she's angry." He smirked.
Minerva finally looked around, noticing all the strangers for the first time.
Potter had been right, she had had a massive crush on Captain Rogers when she
had been a young girl, she had even joined his fan club. She had been elated
when they had discovered Captain Rogers preserved in ice, but now she was an
old lady, while he was still just as handsome and as young as he had been over
seventy years ago.
Straightening up, Minerva put on her no nonsense, teachers face on. "What are
all you doing here? Hogwarts is a private school, how did you even get in
here?"
"Didn't you feel the wards fall?" Severus asked.
Minerva spun around and looked out the window. Now that Severus mentioned it,
she could feel the lack of wards. "I just returned from Gringotts minutes ago,
I didn't notice until you pointed it out. How? How did they fall?"
"If I admit to doing it, will you give me detention with Snap too?" Loki asked
hopefully.
"That's Snape." Fred corrected.
"Snap, Snape, who cares, I just want a few minutes alone with the loser. I
could taste his filth all over the potion the old man tried to poison me with."
Severus paled, he would rather face the Dark Lord than the crazed god.
"Can we just go?" Harry asked, having had enough. "I just want to go home."
Tony went to take a step towards his son, when a bright light slammed into his
chest, picking him up sending him crashing into one of the four long tables.
"Dad!" Harry cried at the same time Bruce called, "Tony!"
"What in the... Albus!" Minerva asked, stunned at the sight of her old friend
and colleague standing angrily next to the head table with his wand clenched
tightly in his fist. "What in Merlin are you doing?"
"Damn, he had a backup wand." Clint cursed, staring hatefully at the wand in
the old man's hand. "Guess I'll have to break that one too."
Seeing that his dad was getting to his feet, Harry spun around, facing his
headmaster with his emerald eyes glowing dangerously. "Why can't you just leave
me alone?" He cried, his voice breaking with a mixture of anger and sorrow.
With barely a thought, he raised his hand and gave it a flick, a grapefruit
size fireball shooting out from his palm.
"Oh, Fireballs!" Loki exclaimed excitedly as he watched the fireball make its
way towards the old man only for him to easily deflect it with his wand. "This
just got a whole lot more entertaining."
Harry looked down at his hand in shock and awe. He had only ever produced fire
with Loki that one day in his bedroom and that had only been a small flame in
his palm, he couldn't believe that he had made an actual fireball. Not only had
he made a fireball, but he had thrown it at Dumbledore. He didn't know if he
should be disgusted with himself, or proud.
"Harry this isn't you." Dumbledore said as he slowly approached the boy. "Don't
let Loki's dark magic taint you and turn you into something as disgusting and
as evil as Voldemort. You're a good kid."
"Dark magic." Harry snorted as he reluctantly took his eyes off his hand. He
could feel his palm heating up with his desire to throw another fireball at
Dumbledore. "Do you think everyone who disagrees with you or goes against is
evil or dark? You just hit my father with a curse that sent him flying across
the room, yet I'm the one in the wrong for defending my father? You attacked
first, Head Master, my father was just walking towards me."
"I agree with Potter, Albus." Minerva said, her hand over her chest. First
Albus attacking someone unprovoked, and then Harry throwing fireballs with just
his bare hand, what the hell was going on here? "What is wrong with you?"
"Harry is not going anywhere." Albus proclaimed, his magic crackling around
him. "I will do whatever I have to do to keep him here, even if it means
erasing his father from his life permanently."
"Well, those sounded like fighting words to me." Natasha said, readying herself
for battle. Next to her, Clint nodded his head in agreement.
"I tried to do this the nice way." Tony growled as he allowed Bruce to help him
to his feet. "But you, old man, are standing between me and my son and I will
level this damn castle if I have to to get to him."
Minerva gasped. "You're Harry's father? I thought Severus oblivated you?"
Severus was even more powerful than Albus when it came to oblivating and other
mind arts, how did Harry's father get his memories back? Not that she condoned
what Albus and Severus did. Oblivating Harry's father's memories and kidnapping
him had been cruel, and illegal.
Loki shook his head in frustration. "Why do I have to keep reminding everyone
that I'm a powerful god? What more do I have to do to prove myself to you
people?"
Harry threw his hands up. "This is ridiculous. What do you think you can do
against two gods, a super soldier, two highly trained muggles who can easily
takeout every one of Voldemort's Death Eaters before they even had a chance to
raise their wands, my dad who is equipped with lasers and bombs, and Bruce who
can turn into a green monster bigger and more stronger than any giant you have
ever seen? End this now before you end up hurt."
"I will end this after you face Voldemort."
"I like how he said face, not defeat." Clint pointed out. "You're not expecting
Harry to survive, are you?"
"I can't predict the future." Dumbledore snapped. "Of course I want Harry to
survive this war, that's why it's imperative that he remains here with me so I
can train him."
"You, train him?" Loki threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Do you think
you can teach him better than me. Let me remind you, again, that not only am I
god, but I'm also one of the most powerful sorcerers in all the realms. What
can you possibly teach him that I can't?"
"It doesn't matter." Harry said tiredly. Turning to Professor McGonagall, he
gave her a small smile."Professor, I know that you handle all the letters to
first years and all our supply lists, do you also handle withdrawals?"
Minerva's eyes flicked briefly over to Albus. She didn't want to upset her long
time friend, but she wasn't going to lie for him. "Yes, Potter, I do, but I
must have a letter written by a parent or a guardian. I ask that you think
about this, Hogwarts has been your home for four years and I will greatly miss
you if you decide to leave us."
"Minerva." Albus barked out angrily. "You are forgetting that I have final
say."
"And you are forgetting, Albus, that you can't force a child to attend Hogwarts
if they have their parents permission to withdraw." Minerva looked to the
strange man wearing a suit made of metal. A suit whose colors just so happened
to match Gryffindor's colors. "I take it you won't contest Harry withdrawing."
"No, mam." Tony grinned. "I want my son home safe and sound with me."
Pursing her lips, Minerva looked back at one of her favorite students. "Is that
truly want you want, Harry? Do you want to withdrawal form Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
"Yes." Harry answered with no doubt in his mind. "I have never been truly happy
hear, and Hogwarts was never a real home to me, just an escape from the
Dursleys. I found a home this summer with my dad and Bruce, and everyone else
that is here to rescue me. I have a family now, professor."
Minerva could feel tears stinging her eyes, she was truly happy for Harry.
"Very well then, I accept your withdrawal."
Dumbledore shook his head no. "Well, I don't accept it. Harry, you will face
Voldemort."
"You're kind of pathetic." Harry said with a sad shake of his head. Knowing
that Loki and the team, and even the twins, had his back, he turned from his
headmaster and made his way to his dad. He didn't care if his dad was wearing a
cold, metal suit, he wanted a hug.
Dumbledore was furious. He wasn't the bad guy here, so why couldn't Harry see
that he had to face Voldemort and defeat him? How could he just turn his back
on him and on the rest of the Wizarding World, even his friends? He had spent
years planning and manipulating people to make sure Harry turned out to be the
self-sacrificing hero he was destined to be. Now, in less than two months, all
his hard work was crashing down around him.
"Uh oh, I think he's going to lose it." Clint snickered as he kept a hawk like
eye on the old man.
Bruce moved so he was standing protectively between Harry and the old man while
Harry and Tony were hugging. He wasn't sure how the other guy would fair
against spells being shot at him, but he was pretty confident that they would
just bounce off of him. Loki was more powerful than these wizards and his magic
hadn't phased him.
Tony wanted to close his eyes and savor this moment, to just lose himself in
the joy and relief of having his son in his arms again, but like hell was he
going to take his eyes off of the crazed old wizard. He wasn't stupid, he knew
that this wasn't over yet. There was no way the old man was going to give up
this easily,
"I was so afraid that you would forget about me and never remember." Harry
cried into his dad's neck.
"Hey, I told you that I wouldn't forget, kiddo. You need to start believing in
what your old man says."
Sniffling, Harry started chuckling. "How about when you told me a person could
survive on blueberries alone? Or, when you told me that Natasha wasn't as good
as a fighter as you?"
"Excuse me!" Cried Natasha.
"In video games." Tony quickly corrected as he made a kissy face at Natasha.
"I'm a better video game fighter than you." Leaning closer, he whispered in his
son's ear. "I told you to never tell her I said that."
Laughing, Harry stepped back while wiping at his eyes. "Thanks for coming for
me."
Tony scoffed. "Of course I would come for you. I would have flown over in my
suit and been here earlier, but you know how the rest of the team gets lost
without me."
"And Loki wanted to have his fun messing with Dumbledore and Snape." Harry
added.
"That too." Tony chuckled. Sobering up, he raked his eyes up and down his son's
form, his eyes lingering longer on his arms. "Truthfully, kiddo, how have you
been?"
Harry took a deep, shaky breath. "It hasn't been easy, but Loki and the twins
have kept me distracted. I-I haven't cut myself."
"I'm proud of you." Tony praised, the weight on his shoulders easing a little.
He had been so worried about Harry hurting himself again.
"I wanted to, though." Harry admitted shamefully.
"But you didn't." Tony stressed.
"Only because Fred, George, and Loki were here to stop me. If they hadn't been
here..."
"But they were." Tony interrupted. "Let's not dwell on what could have happened
if they weren't. One day at a time, kiddo."
Relaxing, Harry gave his dad a soft smile. "One day at a time." He repeated.
"Can we go home now?"
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore slammed the Great Hall doors closed then
sealed them. "You're not going anywhere."
"Yes, I am." Harry said simply. "I am no longer a Hogwarts student, I don't
belong here."
"I'm truly sorry, Harry." Dumbledore said softly. "Smalls!" He called.
Harry flinched violently when thin arms wrapped around him from behind. The
last thing he saw before everything went black, was his father lunging for him
with a look of fear on his face.
***HP
Slowly sitting up, Harry closed his eyes against the spinning going on around
him.
"Smalls is very sorry." Squeaked a small voice. "House elf travel can make
witches and wizards feel sick."
Feeling bile burn it's way up his throat, Harry swallowed it down then forced
his eyes open. "What...what happened?" He asked, feeling more than a little
confused. The last thing he remembered he was getting ready to leave Hogwarts
for forever with his dad.
A tiny house elf wearing a brown uniform with a Phoenix on it stood next to
Harry wringing his gnarly hands. "Smalls was not wanting to steal away Harry
Potter, but Master Dumbledore said that if he calls for Smalls, that Smalls is
to bring Harry Potter here."
The small elf looked around then gave a shudder. "Smalls is not liking it here
at all."
Looking around, Harry's blood ran cold when he recognized the cemetery where
Cedric died and where Voldemort got his body back and tortured him. "Smalls,
why am I here?" He asked, trying not to panic.
Smalls looked frantically around, his large eye bulging out of his head.
"Master said to bring Harry Potter here so he can fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-
Named. Smalls is very sorry, Harry Potter."
"What!" Harry cried, he was almost in a full blown panic now. "Smalls, please
take me back. I can't defeat Voldemort, I don't even have my wand."
Smalls very carefully placed Harry's wand on the ground next to him. "Smalls
doesn't wish for Harry Potter to die, so please be careful." With that, the elf
disappeared.
***HP
"Harry!" Tony roared as his hands closed around empty air. With a scream of
pure rage, he turned to the old man. "Where the hell is my son? What have you
done with him?"
"I have done what you have forced me to do." Dumbledore answered without
remorse.
Tony leapt at the old man, slamming him back against the stone wall. "If you
don't tell me where my son is, I will rip your head off."
Dumbledore didn't even try fighting back. "If you rip my head off you will
never find your son. "
Cursing, Tony released the wizard. "Jarvis, can you track Harry?"
"I am sorry, sir, but the magic here is interfering with my system."
Feeling like he was going to lose his mind, Tony frantically turned to Loki. He
was surprised to find the god just standing there with his head tilted back and
eyes closed seemingly lost in thought. "Can you find him?" He asked
desperately.
Loki continued to remain silent for a few more minutes before opening his eyes.
"Elf magic is very different than my own and unlike anything I have ever
encountered before. I can find him, but it's going to take some time."
Thor started sprinting down the long hall. "I'll see if Heimdall can locate
him." He called over his shoulder. Already knowing that the doors were
magically sealed, he hurled his hammer at them without even slowing down,
grinning triumphantly when Mjölnir easily ripped through both the magical
wards, and the wooden doors.
"I say we pluck every hair off his beard until he tell us where Harry is."
Clint growled as he approached the old wizard.
Minerva flew across the room, her magic crackling angrily around her. Stopping
in front of her long time friend, she smacked him hard across the face.
"Dammit, Albus, what have you done with Harry?"
Grimacing, Albus cupped his stinging cheek. "I did what I had to do to insure
that the chosen one would face the dark lord."
"Albus, you didn't?" Severus gasped, his face draining of what little color it
had.
"What?" Clint yelled, not completely following the conversation.
Feeling weak in the knees, Tony stumbled to one of the long benches and
collapsed. "He sent my son to fight Voldemort. He offered up my fourteen year
old son to that mad man like a lamb to slaughter."
Bruce, who had been doing his best to control his anger, lost it spectacularly.
With a window shattering roar, he morphed into the other guy. Never before had
he welcomed the Hulk so easily, or given himself over to the green guy without
a fight. He was ready to smash, and he was going to start with the wizard that
once again put his boy in harms way,
***** Chapter 22 *****
I hope you enjoy. Please review.
***HP
 
Harry quickly jumped to his feet, ignoring the spinning still going on in his
head and the nausea still churning in his stomach. With his wand clenched in
his hand, he spun in a circle, eyes raking over every inch of the graveyard.
This couldn't be happening. How could Dumbledore just drop him in front of
Voldemort without any training or help? Who was the true bad guy here,
Voldemort, or Dumbledore?
Even though he was currently alone in the graveyard, Harry didn't allow himself
to relax. Was Voldemort still living at Riddle Manor like he had been during
the tournament, or was he now lording over one of his Death Eater's manors,
like the Malfoy's? No, if Dumbledore sent him here, Voldemort had to be close.
"Dobby!" Harry whispered, not wanting to draw the attention of any possible
creatures or Death Eaters lurking around. When no overexcited house elf
appeared, he called, "Dobby!" again, but this time a little bit louder.
Harry's heart grew heavier when Dobby still didn't appear after calling him
five more times. Dumbledore must have done something to keep Dobby from finding
him. Harry wasn't technically Dobby's master, Dobby was a free elf, maybe he
couldn't find him outside of Hogwarts.
Harry took in a deep breath and held it for as long as he could in an attempt
to calm his nerves. He knew from past encounters that panicking and freaking
out wasn't going to help him any. He just had to keep reminding himself that
his dad and the rest of the team wouldn't rest until they found him. He just
prayed that he stayed alive long enough for them to find him.
Hearing a twig snap, Harry's heart leapt into his throat as he spun around in
the direction the noise came from. Standing not ten feet away leaning against a
tree was a tall, muscular man in tight, well worn jeans and a black t-shirt.
The man's head was covered in shaggy grey hair that brushed his shoulders and
his ruggedly handsome face was covered in scars. It was the man's bright amber
eyes that he couldn't take his own eyes off of though. They were the eyes of a
werewolf.
"Well looky what the house elf drug in." The man said gruffly as he crossed one
leg over the other, looking as though he didn't have a care in the world.
Despite the man's relaxed appearance, Harry could tell that he was ready to
spring into action if he so much as thought about running. "I don't want any
trouble. I'm not here to fight."
The man raised a single bushy eyebrow. "Then what is Dumbledore's little pet
Gryffindor doing lurking around the Dark Lord's territory? If you're not
looking for a fight, then you're looking to be killed." The man's eyes dropped
to Harry's bare arms. "Is that what you're here for, are you on a suicide
mission? I see your previous attempt was a failure."
Inhaling sharply, Harry hid his arms behind his back. "How?" He asked, his
voice cracking. How had the man seen his scars? Loki had healed most of them
and a few that he kept he always kept hidden under powerful glamour charms.
The man casually shrugged his shoulder. "I'm very sensitive to magic and can
see what was there, but is not now. Magic always leaves a piece of herself
behind. I can see that you have spent years mauling your arms, you probably
started when you were just a young pup. I can also see that not long ago you
slit your wrists. I'm curious to how you survived, judging by those scars you
should be dead and rotting. But then again, you are The-Boy-Who-Lived."
Harry clenched his teeth, he hated being called that. "Look, I'm honestly not
here to fight. I'm tired of being thrown in the middle of Dumbledore and
Voldemort's quest to one up each other and for power. Believe me, I didn't come
here willingly. Dumbledore, with his greater good bullshit, kidnapped me and
had his elf bring me here. I never asked to be his puppet."
The man straightened up. "You're not lying, are you? I can sniff out a lie a
mile away."
"No, I'm not...and for the record, I'm not Dumbledore's pet anything. I want
nothing to do with the man, he's seriously not right in the head. I'm not even
a Hogwarts student anymore, I officially withdrew not thirty minutes ago."
"Well, look who has a little bark in him after all." The man chuckled. "And
here I thought you were Dumbledore's obedient lapdog. So what's your plan now,
pup? You going to go and become besties with the Big Bad?"
"Right." Harry snorted. "Voldemort wants my head on a spike. No thank you. I
actually already have a new home, out of the country. Big Bad won't ever have
to worry about me." He wasn't going to tell this stranger, who was more than
likely a Death Eater even though there was no Dark Mark on his arm, that he was
moving to America. He wasn't that stupid.
"So you're going to hand over the Wizarding World to the Dark Lord just like
that." The man with a loud snap of his fingers. "You do realize that without
you at Dumbledore's side, the rest of the Wizarding World will lose hope and
give up? You're their little light prince."
Harry rolled his eyes dramatically. "You do realize that I'm a fourteen year
old boy? Why should the fate of the Wizarding World rest on my
shoulders...especially seeing as I'm leaving it for good?"
The man sneered in disgust, the tip of his pointy canines showing. "You plan to
live in the filthy muggle world?"
"Yup!" Harry answered, popping his P loudly. "I want to get as far away from
Dumbledore, Voldemort, and the rest of the two-faced, fickle, backstabbing
witches and wizards in this world as I can."
Snickering, the man looked around the darkening graveyard. "So that's why
Dumbledore's elf dropped you off here. The great, light lord is trying to force
you and the Dark Lord to fight each other. You're right, the headmaster isn't
right in the head."
Harry nodded his head in agreement. "I'm fourteen and barely trained, all the
other times I survived an encounter with Voldemort I survived out of sheer dumb
luck. Believe me, I know that I don't stand a chance wand to wand against him."
And he truly believed that despite Loki believing that he could beat Voldemort.
Maybe he could beat him, if he would have embraced his magic when he discovered
he was a wizard and learned all he could like Hermione had, but he had wasted
all his time since finding out that he was a wizard hating his magic and
blaming it for the Dursleys hating him. He had blamed his magic for his parents
death, the hate he suffered at the Dursleys, the beating, the starvation, the
rapes...everything bad in his life. Even now, despite knowing better, he still
hated his magic...but he was getting better. If there was one thing he learned
since finding his father and the rest of the team, that it was ok to be
different. Different didn't make you unlovable, it just made you...different.
And you couldn't get anymore different than his new family.
"Such wise words from such a young pup, it almost makes me feel bad handing you
over to Big Bad."
Paling, Harry took a couple steps back when the man took a couple steps
forward. "I-I wasn't lying, I don't want to fight him and I'm leaving the
country. You don't have to take me to him."
"I know you weren't lying, pup." The man sighed. "But I still have to take you
to him. He felt you the second you came through his wards. If it makes you feel
any better, I do feel bad doing it. Just think of it this way, you tried to
kill ourself and failed. I'm sure you laid there suffering for a long time
while you watched your blood drain from your body. The Dark Lord will make it
fast. Well, at least I believe he will. One painless curse, not even a second
of suffering, and it will be all over. That doesn't sound so bad does it?"
Eyes stinging, Harry looked down at his wrists. He could no longer see the
scars from his suicide attempt, but he could feel them. It was a phantom thing,
him being able to feel them, but sometimes it felt like there were ropes
wrapped tight around his wrists, cutting his circulation off.
"I don't want to die anymore." Harry said in a small voice. "Voldemort can have
this world for all I care, I don't want to fight him, but I also don't want to
die. If you turn me over to Voldemort, you will be letting Dumbledore win. I
don't want to fight, but I will if I'm forced to. I won't be fighting for
Dumbledore or for the Wizarding World, I'll be fighting for my muggle father
that I just discovered and the family that I found with him. I finally have
something worth fighting for, a family, and I'm not going to stand there
quietly while Voldemort ends my life."
Harry had made a vow not to fight Voldemort for Dumbledore, and he wasn't going
to. If it was just him, he would drop his wand now and allow Voldemort to kill
him. Hell, two months ago the man would have been doing him a favor. Now
though, now he had a dad. He had a dad that loved him with all his heart. He
would never be able to erase the image of his father's face after he woke after
his suicide attempt. His dad had been broken, destroyed, and it had all been
because of him. He wasn't lying, for the first time for as far back as he can
remember, he didn't want to die. He wanted to live. He wanted to live for his
dad, for Bruce, for Fred and George, for Loki, for Steve, Clint, and Natasha,
but most of all, he wanted to live for himself. He had a future now, and he was
excited about living it.
"You have a way with words, pup, maybe you can sweet talk your way out of an
AK." The werewolf said. He really didn't want to see the pup die, but Voldemort
knew that he was here so he had to take him to him. Not that he had to take him
far, he had felt the Dark Lord's presence a while ago. The man was lurking in
the shadows, listening to everything that Potter was saying.
Harry gripped his wand tightly. "If Voldemort and I fight, no matter which one
of us remains standing at the end, the only winner will be Dumbledore.
Dumbledore is the puppet master hiding behind the curtain pulling on our
strings, and I don't know about Voldemort, but I am tired of dancing for him.
Shaking his head, the werewolf turned to look into the woods behind him. "He's
good boss, you have to give him that."
Harry just barely managed to swallow his whimper when Voldemort came walking
out of the tree line. This wasn't the snake like man that tortured him not even
two months ago though. This man was tall, had shoulder length black hair that
was pulled back into a tight pony tail, a lot like how Lucius Malfoy wore his
hair. He was built, even under the midnight black robes he was wearing he could
easily see that the man had broad, muscular shoulders. His aristocratic face,
which now sported a nose, was clean shaven and looked a lot like the pictures
he saw hanging in Hogwarts of Salazar Slytherin. The only feature that remained
the same on Voldemort, were his blood red eyes. If it weren't for the eyes, he
wouldn't have know that this handsome, and distinguished looking man standing
in front of him was Lord Voldemort.
Voldemort stopped next to his Death Eater, his eyes raking over the Potter boy.
"You have changed, Harry."
Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. He was terrified, but he wasn't going
to show it. "Clearly not as much as you.".
The corners of Voldemort's lips twitched, but he refused to smile. "So you have
finally met the true Albus Dumbledore, the master manipulator?"
"Truth be told, I always knew what he was." Harry admitted. "But I had a role
to play, one written out for me by Dumbledore before I was even born. I wasn't
given a choice."
Voldemort inclined his head. "You and me both. Albus Dumbledore was the teacher
who came to my orphanage to bring me my Hogwarts letter, he hated me on sight,
but when I stupidly admitted to being able to speak to snakes, he labeled me
right then and there as evil and dark."
"Awe, look at us all bonding here." The werewolf sniffed like he was crying
happy tears. "It just brings a happy tear to my eye."
"Fenrir, just because you're one of the rare few Death Eaters I can tolerate,
doesn't make you exempt from a crucio." Voldemort warned.
Harry had to literally pick his jaw up off the ground. All this time he had
been having a civil conversation with Fenrir...Fenrir Greyback. Fenrir
Greyback, the most notorious werewolf in history. The werewolf that bit and
infected Remus.
"Ah, I see you have heard of me!" Fenrir crowed in delight. "What, had you been
expecting a man more wolf than human with wild, blood matted hair and fangs
dripping with werewolf venom?
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Well, yeah truthfully. That, and you look like
you're only in your thirties when you're more like..."
"Fifty eight." Fenrir cut him off. "What can I say, being a werewolf keeps you
fit and young looking."
With a frown, Harry shook his head. "I don't understand, Remus looks sickly and
old."
Fenrir's eyes filled with sadness. "Remus, my poor, stubborn, misguided son.
Countless times I have tried to help him, but he has rejected his wolf and
there is nothing that I can do to help him. He is suffering a slow and painful
death, a death that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. My little boy had been
such a happy child, watching him waste away is killing me."
"Your...your son!" Harry stuttered in shock. Now that he mentioned it, he could
definitely see a resemblance.
"My one and only blood child." Fenrir confirmed. "His mother left me for her
ex-husband, taking Remus with her when he was only three. She lied to the man,
tried to pass Remus off as his, but the truth came out when Remus experienced
his first shift at the age of six."
Harry felt feint, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Remus had told him
that Fenrir had bitten him when he was six as a way to get back at his father
who was a werewolf hunter. As much as he wanted to believe that Remus' story
was true, he could tell that Fenrir was telling the truth.
"Don't believe that Remus is my son?" Fenrir chuckled. "Who, other than a
werewolf, would name their son Remus? Do you think it just a coincidence that
Remus shares the same name with a man raised by a she-wolf?"
Harry thought back to the story that Loki told him in the hospital wing about
Remus and Romulus. It all made sense now. "Does Remus know that your his
father?"
"Oh, I have told him, but Lyall Lupin brainwashed him good. Deep down he knows
the truth, at least his wolf does, but he has rejected me like he has rejected
his wolf. I am nothing more than a child eating monster as far as he is
concerned. And before you ask, I have never eaten, or bitten a child against
their will."
Harry felt like his world was being turned upside down. Pushing Remus and
Fenrir to the back of his mind, he had more important issues to worry about, he
looked back to Voldemort who was watching him unblinkingly. "Now what?" He
asked tiredly.
"Now I kill you." Voldemort answered simply. "There was a prophecy..."
"Fuck the prophecy!" Harry screamed in frustration as he threw his hands up in
the air. "A prophecy will only come true if those that the prophecy is about
fulfills it."
Fenrir tilted his head to the side, much like a dog, or wolf, would do. "What?
Does that even make sense? I'm feeling confused."
Growling, Harry wanted to throw his wand across the graveyard in a childish
temper tantrum. He was so tired of everything. "You're supposed to be a genius,
I have read your diary and seen the awards you won at Hogwarts, why would you
believe something from a drunk hack like Trelawney? She has been predicting my
death every year, yet here I still stand."
"For now." Voldemort pointed out seriously.
Harry clenched his fist, he could feel his palm heating up. He was hoping to
talk his way out of this, a fireball right now would be a very bad thing. "So
what now, we fight each other to the death because that's what Dumbledore
wants? Why? If I'm not going to stand in your way, and if I plan on moving to a
different country, why do we have to fight?"
Voldemort had heard everything that Potter had said earlier. He had arrived at
the graveyard minutes after the house elf brought him and had planned on
confronting and killing the boy immediately, but then Fenrir had started
talking him. He allowed his curiously to get the better of him, and he had
lurked in the trees listening. He grudgingly could admit, everything that the
boy had said made sense.
"I killed your parents." Voldemort reminded. "You should want me dead."
The death of his dad and Lily haunted him, and while he should want Voldemort
dead for killing them, he didn't feel that it was his decision to make or his
responsibility to be the one doing the killing. "They chose to fight. They
chose to follow Dumbledore. Everything that I know from back then is from what
Dumbledore has told me. You killed people, you probably are planning to kill
more, but it's not for me, a fourteen year old boy, to find you guilty and kill
you for it. I'm not an auror, I'm not the Wizengamot, it's not my
responsibility to be the judge, the juror, and the executioner. I'm not
Dumbledore, I don't think that I'm a god."
"Told you he was good." Fenrir crowed, clapping his hands like a proud parent.
He was really starting to like this pup.
Voldemort ignored Fenrir. "So you propose that I just let you walk off into the
sunset and hope you don't stand against me at a later time."
"Yes!"
"Yes! Just like that?" Voldemort sneered.
"I'm not coming back." Harry stressed.
"So you say now, but what about when after I burn the Weasley's house down or
slaughter half the Hogwarts student population?"
"Are you going to do that?" Harry asked wearily.
Sighing, Voldemort shook his head no. "Not if I don't have to."
Harry looked closely at Voldemort...gone was the crazed look the man had in his
eyes. "You really have changed. What happened?"
Voldemort's jaw bulged with how hard he was clenching his teeth. Next to him,
Fenrir started rubbing his hands together excitedly. "This is the best part.
Wait until you hear what happened. I love this story."
Voldemort slowly turned his head to look at his minion. "You're just asking to
be cursed." He bit out.
"Nah." Fenrir grinned. "I'm not Bellatrix. That crazy bitch gets off on you
cursing her...literally."
Voldemort's nose scrunched up in disgust. "She does know how to suck the fun
out of a good crucio."
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly snapped it shut. He was only
fourteen, he honestly didn't need to know if Bellatrix literally got off on
being cursed. He suffered enough nightmares already, he didn't need to add
them.
Fenrir, as if reading Harry's thoughts, gave him a sly wink.
"How are you Remus' father? The two of you couldn't be anymore different. Remus
is so..."
"Old and stuffy?" Fenrir said sadly.
Harry felt bad for his comment, Fenrir truly looked sad. He would love to learn
more about Fenrir and Remus, but now was not the time. "You said there was a
story?"
"There isn't a story to tell." Voldemort said, throwing Fenrir a dirty look
when the wolf snorted. "You're the reason why I am the way that I am."
"I don't understand."
"The ritual called for your blood, Potter. Your noble, self-sacrificing, good
and pure blood. I was reborn from your blood. It healed me."
"There's nothing pure about me." Harry muttered, his voice barely above a
whisper.
Voldemort held his hand up when a Fenrir opened his mouth to speak. "I was
never a good person, Potter. Dumbledore was correct when he said that I was a
dark wizard...I am as dark of a wizard as you can get. Dark doesn't mean evil
though. After graduating Hogwarts, I tried to change the Wizarding World for
the better, but the old fool was always around every corner blocking my path.
He saw me as evil simply because I was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin."
"That, and because even at eleven you were more powerful than him." Fenrir
added. "And lets not forget that you killed your father when you were just a
little pup."
"And grandparents." Voldemort pointed out without a trace of guilt. "See,
Potter, I was never good, but I didn't start delving into truly dark, more like
black magic, until after graduating. As crazy as it seems, I had actually
wanted to be a teacher, but of course the great Albus Dumbledore couldn't allow
that. He was afraid that I would corrupt young and impressionable minds and
turn them all evil like myself."
"After getting turned away from the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching
position twice, I decided to get into politics. Dumbledore, and his muggle
loving ways, was destroying and endangering our world. Contrary to what
Dumbledore has told you, I do not want to kill all muggles and muggleborns. I
just want us to be completely cut off off from the muggle world. If history has
taught us one thing, it's that muggles can never be trusted with the knowledge
of magic. They fear anything different and more powerful than them. I lived
during WWll, I know how dangerous muggles and their weapons are."
"So what happened to turn you into the...you, you where before my blood
resurrected you?" Harry asked curiously.
"Like I said, I wanted complete cutoff from the muggle world, including finding
newborn muggleborns and bringing them into our world to be raised by witches
and wizards. This straddling both worlds is dangerous and one day there will be
a devastating war between the magicals and the muggles. In case you have
noticed, the muggles greatly outnumber us."
Harry pursed his lips in thought. He wondered how different his childhood would
have been if he would have been raised in the Wizarding World. Hell, being
raised by Voldemort himself would have been better than the Dursleys.
"I see you agree with me, Potter." Voldemort smirked.
"Not all muggles are bad, but I can see your point. The muggles I was raised
with despised magic and made it known daily how much they loathed me." Harry
anxiously rubbed at his arms.
Fenrir started growling. "Those bastards hurt you?" He asked, already knowing
the answer.
Shaking his head, Harry started laughing. "It's sad when Fenrir Greyback shows
more emotion over my tragic childhood than Albus Dumbledore." Maybe he was
losing his mind. Maybe Loki's magic and blood was turning him as crazy as the
god.
"Anyway." Voldemort continued, making a mental note to learn what he could of
Potter's childhood. "Albus blocked me at every turn and ruined my reputation.
Failure is something that I can not accept, especially in myself, so I started
delving into forbidden magic. Magic that taints the soul. I ended up losing
myself, and my sanity to the darkest of magic."
"And my blood restored your sanity?"
"To a degree." Voldemort admitted. "Let's just say that I'm no longer hell bent
on death and destruction. I no longer want to rule the Wizarding World."
"Right." Fenrir said, coughing behind his hand.
Voldemort smirked. "I do plan on becoming the Minister of Magic though, my
goals of separating us from the muggle world have not changed. Just, this time,
I plan on doing it in a more legal-ish manor...after I kill Dumbledore that is.
Despite your blood running through my veins, Potter, I am still a dark lord."
"I won't stop you from killing him." Harry said his eyes darkening. "For
someone who is supposed to be the light lord, his ways are darker than yours.
Hell, he dropped me, a fourteen year old untrained, and currently unhealthy
wizard, off on your doorstep step to duel to the death. The man needs to be put
down."
"I don't want to fight you, I never have." Harry continued. "Every encounter we
have had, including that Halloween night when I was just a baby, was
orchestrated by Dumbledore. I just recently found out that Lily Potter wasn't
my mother, James Potter was a carrier, he was my mother. He met a muggle man in
a bar and nine months later out popped me. The muggles that raised me literally
sold me to my biological father the beginning of summer vacation. My dad...he's
amazing. I have never had anyone care about me before, but even though it has
been less than two months, my dad cares about and loves me. I withdrew from
Hogwarts earlier today, I plan on remaining in the muggle world with my
father."
Voldemort tapped his wand against his leg. "You remaining in the muggle world
goes against what I'm trying to achieve. By remaining in the muggle world, you
are going against me."
"I'm not just remaining in the muggle world, I'm leaving the country. I will no
longer be a problem for you."
"That depends on which country you will be moving to."
Harry really didn't want to tell Voldemort which he was moving to, but the man
would probably be able to easily track him anyway. "America. My dad in an
American."
"MACUSA." Voldemort mumbled. "They have extremely strict laws on magicals
interacting with No-Majs...even family."
Harry grinned to himself. "My dad is very special, I'm not worried."
"Make a vow." Voldemort demanded. "Right here, right now, make a magical vow to
never take up wands against me."
Heart pounding, Harry started chewing on his lips. It was a big vow, and asking
a lot, who knew what the future would bring. What if Voldemort went all crazy,
psychotic again? What if Voldemort attacked him. "I'll make the vow, but I'm
going to need some reassurances on your part."
Voldemort inclined his head. "I would have been disappointed if you would have
accepted so easily. Let's talk."
***HP
"Not good! Not good! Not good!" Clint jumped in front of the Hulk, he had never
seen the green guy so angry. "Why am I always the one to deal with Banner's
alter ego?"
"Hulk smash!"
"Easy, big guy." Clint said as he held his hands up in the air. "Hulk can't
smash just yet."
The Hulk glared down at the puny human. "Hulk smash now!" With a roar, he
picked up one of the benches and easily hurled it across the room.
Clint ducked as the bench soared past him, just barely missing his head. "Hulk,
you can't smash the old man right now, he's the only one who knows where Harry
is. If you smash him, we may never be able to find Harry and he's in a lot of
danger.
Frowning, the Hulk looked around the room. "Harry boy?"
"That's right." Clint said calmly. "Harry needs our help."
"Let him at the bastard." Tony raged as he jumped to his feet. "Maybe he'll
talk if the big guy smashes him enough."
The Hulk balled up a giant green fist and brought it down on one of the tables,
easily breaking it into two. "Hulk smash old man!"
Dumbledore stumbled backwards, tripping over his robe and falling into the head
table. "What in the name of Merlin?" He gasped, staring wide eyed at the
monster.
Severus rushed to the Headmaster, his want pointed at the green...thing. "I
told you you were going to get us killed." He hissed fearfully.
"How!" Dumbledore panted as he picked up his wand and righted himself. "He was
just a man a second ago. How?"
"You need to tell him where Potter is. How could you do this to the boy? He
wasn't ready to face the Dark Lord."
Dumbledore couldn't take his eyes off of the green monster...the monster that
was talking about smashing him. "Harry left me no other choice, he had to
fulfill the prophecy."
"I swore on my magic to protect him!" Severus yelled. "I swore to Lily that I
would protect her child."
"Harry isn't her child." Dumbledore yelled back.
Severus easily vanished the bench that was hurdling towards them, though he was
tempted to let it hit Dumbledore. The old fool needed some sense knocked into
him. "Blood isn't everything! Lily loved that boy as her own...she was his
mother."
"Albus!" Minerva cried. "I swear to Merlin if you don't tell us where Potter is
I'm going to hex you to hell and back. These aren't normal muggles!"
Dumbledore shook his head. "I can't reveal his location, not until the prophecy
has been fulfilled."
"Potter will die!" Severus raged. He may not have liked the boy, but that
didn't mean he wanted him dead. The only reason he didn't like Potter was
because of his father and the Marauders, it had nothing to do with the boy
himself.
"Then that is his destiny." Dumbledore said heavily.
Clint, who had been following their conversation while trying to talk the Hulk
out of smashing the wizards, dropped his arms and stepped aside. "You know
what, Big Guy, smash away." He was furious! How could a man, who proclaims to
being the good guy, the light lord, care so little about a young boy's life. If
Harry died, he was going to personally kill the crazed old man himself.
"Hulk smash!
Paling, Dumbledore shot off his most powerful stunner at the green monster that
was rapidly approaching him. His jaw about hit the ground when the stunner
bounced off of him like it was nothing. That stunner, with that much power,
would have knocked out a fully grown mountain troll for a good forty eight
hours.
"Tony!" Steve yelled. "We need him alive in order to find Harry."
Tony, who had been trying to recalibrate Jarvis in hopes of getting him to work
around the magic to find Harry, cursed before launching himself into the air.
He wasn't saving the old man because he didn't want to see him dead, he was
saving him from the Hulk because he wanted to be the one to do the killing.
This man was responsible for all of his son's suffering.
Loki had backed himself into the far corner and out of the way with the demon
twins. He was trying to understand elf magic so he could track where the little
creature took his mage. He knew as of right now Harry was unharmed, he could
feel him through the bond he created with him after saving his life, but his
mage was absolutely terrified.
"George, do you think Dobby can find him?" Fred asked hopefully.
George reluctantly took his eyes off of the battle that was going on in front
of him. Tony and Steve were trying to contain the Hulk, while Dumbledore threw
curse after curse at him, all of which harmlessly rolled off of his green skin.
"Dobby!" George called loudly.
Dobby appeared before the wizards with his head bowed. "Dobby is knowing what
Harry's Wheezey wants, but Dobby is not being able to help. Dobby has tried and
tried to find Harry, but Dobby is not Harry Potter's elf. Dobby is being able
to find Harry Potter in the school because Dobby can find every student in
Hogwarts, but Harry is not at Hogwarts anymore. Dobby tried asking Smalls where
he took Harry, Dobby even hit Smalls over the head with a frying pan, but
Dumbledore ordered Smalls not to tell anyone, and Smalls obeys his
master...even if his master is a big, mean stupid head."
Loki grinned, he still found the wee elves incredibly entertaining. "Dobby, can
you transport me like a Dobby did Harry?"
Dobby wearily nodded his head. "Dobby can, but Dobby is not know why. Dobby
doesn't know where his friend Harry is."
Loki held out his hand. "That's ok, Dobby, I just want to feel your magic,
immerse myself in it."
Dobby only wasted a few seconds staring at the god's outstretched hand before
taking it. "Ok, Dobby will do as you ask, but you cannot keep Dobby. Dobby is
Harry's."
Fred grabbed his brother's hand when Loki and Dobby disappeared. "Please tell
me that Harry is going to be ok."
George squeezed his brother's hand. "He'll be alright, he has to be. Merlin
have mercy on the Wizarding World if he isn't, Tony and the Avengers will burn
this world to the ground if Harry dies.
"I'll help." Fred said sadly.
***HP
Sitting up, Tony gave his head a shake, it was still ringing from where his
head made contact with the stone wall. "Thanks, Big Guy, see if I play Kenny G
for you the next time your in the containment room."
"Good." Hulk growled. "Hulk not like."
"But it's soothing and you need soothing music to help with your anger."
"Hulk smash Kenny G."
Tony unsteadily got to his feet. "Look, Big Guy, we need to forget about the
old man and find Harry. There's a very bad wizard who wants to kill him."
Pouting, Hulk looked at the old man who kept hitting him with funny lights.
"Hulk smash him, he tell a Hulk where Harry boy is."
"No smashing, Big Guy, at least not right now. Right now Harry is more
important."
Shoulders drooping, the Hulk picked up a large piece of busted wood, it was
easily six feet long, and hurled it at the men that were pointing sticks at
him. "Hulk stick bigger."
Thor came racing back into the Great Hall. "Heimdall has found him, he's in a
cemetery about..."
"You sent him back there?" Severus gasped. "Back to where he saw Diggory
murdered and to where the Dark Lord was resurrected? You sent him back to where
he was tortured?"
Loki popped back into the room with Dobby, his normally immaculate hair now a
mess. The little elf had popped him all over Scotland and England, he felt
dizzy and nauseous, but at least now he could track the other elf's magic.
"Did he say if he's ok?" Tony asked desperately.
Thor inclined his head. "He is. Heimdall said that he is just talking with two
other men. There has been no great battle."
Tony's legs almost gave out at hearing that. His mind had been torturing him
with multiple scenarios, all of them ending in his son's death.
Dumbledore came racing down the isle, staying as far away from the green
monster as he could. "What do you mean there has been no battle? I dropped him
off in Voldemort's territory, they should have fought by now...it's their
destiny."
Seeing red, Tony turned and punched the old man in the face as hard as he
could. Watching as the wizard crumpled to the ground like a rag doll was one of
the best feelings ever. Not the best feeling though, holding Harry was the best
feeling ever.
"Tony smash old man, but not Hulk." The Hulk pouted. "Tony not strong like
Hulk, Tony puny. Hulk smash the best."
***HP
As you can see, I decided against horcruxes.
  Works inspired by this one
      The_Stark_Truth_Cover by Levinson
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!
