Chapter Text
Several hours later, Harry was still embarrassed about forgetting the Portkeys as he padded toward the kitchen for a drink of water. Despite the difference in time zones, Peter and his dad were already asleep, but Harry just couldn't seem to settle, his body telling him it was just after dinner time. The events of earlier replayed in his head, and he felt exhausted, but wasn't able to stay asleep. It might have something to do with the recently healed concussion the healer had found and the residual adrenalin rush from the afternoon.
The healer, a goblin master from the Geneva branch, had checked all of them, noting Peter's cheek bone had also been fractured before Fawkes had healed them. Poor Uncle Bucky had been hurt even worse, hit by armor-piercing bullets that had been coated with a potion to prevent his blood from clotting. The healer had taken a small amount of blood, under a Vow at Ironjaw's insistence, in an attempt to isolate the potion and create an antidote for it, something the Super Soldier serum in the Winter Soldier's body had finally done. Harry was pretty sure the healer was also interested in how the phoenix tears had affected the man's blood chemistry.
The news of the unfamiliar potion hadn't produced near the panic that Bucky had when he told them he thought his metal arm had a tracker in it. Harry could feel the glee his dad had masked at the chance of getting his hands on the HYDA technology and he'd immediately gone to work, finding two trackers and a literal kill switch inside the shoulder mount. The healer hadn't been impressed with Tony but had at least started to treat Bucky the best they could, while the trackers were removed..
Once Ian had arrived, Harry and Pete, seated on the couch between his dad and Uncle Steve, had been questioned by ICW Aurors about the events of the afternoon and what Johnson had said to them. They described how they were hurt and Bucky appeared, grabbing them, and protecting them. Harry relayed how the Asset tried to take care of their injuries before he had collapsed on the cement floor and Fawkes appeared in a burst of flame. The Aurors confirmed what Harry had already guessed; their assailants were a mix of HYDRA agents and Death Eaters.
The Aurors had spoken to Bucky in Uncle Steve's bedroom, where the healer had taken him when Tony was done with the arm. Ian and Ironjaw had gone with them as representatives of the family. Ironjaw showed the Aurors Steve's connection to James Buchanan Barnes, taken from his Inheritance test. Despite that, Uncle Steve wasn’t allowed to stay in the room and had paced in front of the fireplace the whole time. Once everyone else was gone, Steve heated up their dinner leftovers, a casserole of some kind, for Harry and Peter, and made a protein shake for Uncle Bucky. Apparently, HYDRA didn't feel the need to feed their Asset real food or treat him anything like a human being. Harry had a bad moment when he heard that, thrown back to his treatment at the hands of the Dursleys.
After they'd eaten, Steve had disappeared into the room for a long overdue reunion with his best friend. Harry and Tony looked at each other knowingly, but didn't make any comment on Steve's red-rimmed eyes when he came out to join them when they called the rest of the family. Bucky, clad in a pair of Steve's joggers and a tee shirt, had been his silent shadow.
The video call to the Tower had been almost as bad as talking to the Aurors, Harry thought, remembering the tears streaming down both Aunt May and Pepper's faces. Harry felt bad about worrying everyone and particularly stupid about forgetting the emergency Portkeys. In his defense, everything had happened so fast and then Fawkes brought them to Geneva. Mariah and Uncle Rhodey had found the rest of the security team, petrified and tied up in an empty classroom at their school. Happy and Uncle Ben had been particularly upset over the guards being so easily subdued, especially after they had already been alerted to someone watching the boys. The infiltration of their security, particularly someone like Johnson, who had been part of Tony's personal protection for several years, was particularly worrisome.
Harry was relieved to hear the mundane press was not aware of what happened, and their magical counterparts had been denied permission to write anything specific about the boys, due to their ages. Andrew Romano had made sure of that. The MACUSA Aurors were investigating the kidnapping, keeping it as low profile as possible, so they could track responsibility back to Pierce and whoever was leading the American Death Eaters. The ICW Aurors were investigating the circumstances around the Winter Soldier, James Barnes' captivity and manipulation, along with British citizens being part of the attack. Clearly, the two factions had pooled their resources, which would mean everyone would have to be more careful, but Harry couldn't shake the feeling that he had been the target.
Steve had properly introduced everyone to James "Bucky" Barnes, the man's face pale and eyes wide giving each person a nod, appearing a bit overwhelmed. Harry was glad the healer said their rescuer had healed quickly, thanks in no small part to the three phoenix tears he'd received. While the physical damage to his brain, caused by HYDRA's torture, had been repaired, they had no idea whether the programming he'd suffered was gone. Bucky could only stare at his hands as he described in a low voice how a set of words would trigger something in his head to bring out the Winter Soldier. Harry shared a look with his dad, both thinking of the HYDRA file they had discovered in the vault.
"We might have something in the information the FBI was able to secure from the bank building in DC," Tony told them, his eyes locking with Steve's eyes. "And I have something in the works at SI which could help us desensitize the words for Robocop here."
Bucky's head came up then. "Ask them to look for a red journal with a black star on the front – it was the, uh, manual on how to gain compliance from the Asset." He took a deep breath. "Handler Karpov had it, but I don't think I've seen him in a long time."
It wasn't long after, that they had all gone to bed to try to get a few hours of sleep before the trial in the morning. He and Peter had stayed with their dad and Steve took Bucky with him. Harry had been able to go to sleep initially, cuddled up with his dad and brother, but had woken up just a few hours later. Now, Harry hoped some milk or herbal tea might help him go back to sleep.
Stepping into the kitchen, Harry stopped short, as he found Uncle Steve pressing Uncle Bucky against the refrigerator, kissing him. Harry almost laughed as Bucky's eyes widened at the sight of him over Steve's shoulder; Harry crossed his arms over his chest, with the Stark smirk on his face. He had wondered if the two had been together when they were younger, ever since he'd seen Steve's heritage test. Bucky almost frantically pushed Steve away, a flush warming his pale cheeks.
"You know, you two will have to take some precautions now, unless you want to discover what Dad and my father James did."
"What was that?" Bucky asked, looking at Harry curiously as Steve started to laugh.
"That men can get pregnant in the magical world." Harry grinned as Bucky sputtered.
Tony frowned when he woke in the morning, Peter held tight across his chest, but no sign of Harry. He was actually surprised he’d slept as well as he had, considering what had happened yesterday. Easing himself out from underneath Peter, Tony went to the bathroom before heading out toward the kitchen. He stopped as he entered the living room, the sight of Harry sandwiched between Steve and his best friend on the couch, all three sound asleep, was unexpected. Steve stirred at his approach and blinked his eyes open, looking around with a frown before his eyes landed on the other two.
Motioning toward the kitchen, Tony moved quietly, not wanting to wake Harry. Steve joined him a few minutes later, hair combed and more awake. Tony gestured toward the cup of fresh coffee waiting on the counter as he swallowed the remainder of his first cup, before turning to pour more.
"Thanks, Tony," Steve said quietly, blowing across the surface to cool it.
Tony waved him off. "How’d you guys end up on the couch with Harry?"
A blush crept over Steve’s cheeks as he gripped his mug tighter. "Well, the bed was too soft for Bucky, so we came out here. Harry couldn’t sleep and decided to get some milk—"
Paling, Tony almost spat out his coffee. "He didn’t catch you—"
"NO!" Steve’s face and ears went red. "We were just kissing, but he’s definitely your kid, because he then gave us a lesson in magical sex-ed!"
Tony snorted before losing his battle not to laugh. "Using James and I as an example, I image!"
Steve toasted him with the mug and nodded. "After that, we just kept him with us as Harry was afraid he’d wake you up if he tried to go back to bed."
Tony nodded. "How’s Barnes doing?"
Steve looked thoughtful. "He’s confused, a lot of his memories are foggy, both of the past and what HYDRA had him doing." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I mean he remembers he was tortured and used as an assassin, but at the moment he doesn’t remember specific missions."
Tony sighed, cupping his hands around his warm mug. From what he and Harry had deduced, his parents had been murdered and the five vials of defective serum taken, most likely by HYRA. Since learning about the Winter Soldier, they had come to believe he had been used as the weapon. Everyone in their group was aware of this, with the exception of Peter, and he knew it weighed heavily on Steve. He put his hand on Steve’s forearm and met his eyes.
"It’s probably better that he doesn’t remember at the moment, Steve. Let’s give him a little time to adjust to his new circumstances before we have to do that."
Steve was nodding his agreement as Bucky slipped into the kitchen behind him. Tony grabbed another mug and held it up, getting a nod from him.
"I don’t know if I said it last night, but thank you, Mr.—"
"Tony."
"—Tony, for helping me and letting me stay with Steve."
Tony gave him an incredulous look. "You saved the lives of both my sons, Barnes!"
Bucky arched an eyebrow. "That was after I was sent to kidnap them."
"Semantics," Tony quipped, ignoring Steve’s smile. "Whether you know it or not, neither of those boys will remember that part and both have already adopted you into this madhouse of a family!"
"He’s right, Uncle Bucky," Harry murmured as he shuffled into the kitchen and headed right for Tony.
Wrapping his arms around his son, Tony kissed the top of his tousled hair. "Good morning, Bambino."
Harry’s arms circled his waist and buried his face in Tony’s chest, leaning into him. A tap on the door signaled the arrival of breakfast and Steve went to grab it from the security guard. Sirius joined them, looking as ragged as the rest and flicked his wand over the food to check for tampering or spells. Tony noticed Bucky watching the movement with laser focus and made a mental note to ask Steve if Bucky had been able to use his magic when they were kids.
Peter came bouncing out as the others were finishing the omelets the chef had sent. He hugged each of them from behind, even a wide-eyed Bucky, before dropping into the seat next to Harry. Tony filled a plate and slid it over to him.
"Morning, Tesoro."
"Good morning, Dad! When do you have to leave?"
"About an hour," Steve answered, looking at his watch. "And good morning, Peter."
"Good morning, Pops!" Peter looked around the table. "Harry, you’re going, too, aren’t you?"
Harry gave Peter a started look before he glanced at Tony in question and Tony wasn’t sure what to say. While Harry was the primary victim of Dumblefuck’s manipulation and misdeeds, he wasn’t sure he wanted his son anywhere near the old bastard.
"It’s up to you, son. You are the one who suffered the most due to Dumbledore’s actions, but you certainly don’t have to go."
Taking a bite of his omelet, Harry looked thoughtful as he chewed. "I think I’d like to go, Dad. I guess I just want to see for myself that he can’t ever hurt me again."
Nodding, Tony drained his cup. "Then we need to get dressed, son. JARVIS, have Ian send his house-elf to retrieve one of Harry’s suits, please."
“Who is going to stay here with me and Uncle Bucky?” Peter asked between bites.
Bucky’s head snapped up and he looked at Steve and then Tony with wide eyes. “I can protect your kid from about anything but magic. I don’t remember much of the magic my Ma taught me."
"I have an idea," Sirius interjected quietly. "Peter, you're good with Bucky protecting you after what happened yesterday?"
Steve gave Sirius a disappointed look and Tony had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
"Yes, Uncle Sirius!" Peter added an enthusiastic nod of his head to his answer and grinned.
Bucky gave him a hint of a smile and pushed the plate of toast Peter was reaching for closer. Both Harry and Peter's head came up when Sirius let his wand slide into his hand and cast his Patronus, leaning down to whisper to it. Bucky and Steve were as fixated over the magic as the boys and Tony reached to give the ethereal deerhound a pat, before it disappeared through the wall.
"All right, gang, we have just under an hour to be in the ICW chambers!"
His words seemed to motivate everyone to action and Tony guided Harry into the master bedroom. While his son showered, Tony dressed quickly and was putting on his shoes as Sirius strode in, Harry’s clothes over his arm, a charcoal-gray suit with a black over robe, the Stark and Peverell crests embroidered in gold on the left side. Tony took the clothing and allowed himself to be hugged for a moment, knowing Sirius needed the comfort more than he did. Both Sirius and Harry were still touch-starved and Tony mentally added Barnes to that particular list.
"Alastair Moody will be arriving shortly to help provide security for Peter and Bucky while we are gone. The magical half of our security will come with us and the mundane will remain on station here."
A memory fragment swirled up in his mind and Tony frowned. "Didn't Moody fight alongside the Commandos and Steve?"
Sirius grinned and nodded. "Bucky recognized his name and is looking forward to seeing him."
Harry padded out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair still dripping. Shaking his head at his son, Tony waited until Sirius cast a drying charm on Harry, before he stepped in and helped him into his clothing. Peter stuck his head in the door and grinned as Harry stood in resignation as Tony and Sirius both fussed over him, as apparently Bucky was doing the same with Steve.
A knock at the door had everyone trooping into the living room as Steve, in his full uniform, shield on his back, opened the door. Alastair Moody clomped in, Tony trying not to cringe at the wooden leg and magical eye – talk about polar opposites! Bucky's face was almost painful as it went from shocked recognition to tearfully realization that there was someone beside Steve who remembered him from before HYDRA. The magical eye took him in first, before it rolled to give Harry a once over.
"You're a mite bigger than you were last time I saw you, laddie," Moody told him. "However, if you don't leave soon, you lot will be late."
There was a scramble to grab what they needed and Portkey to the ICW antechamber. The four of them slid into their seats behind the prosecutors, where Ian and Ironjaw were already seated, just as the Supreme Mugwump gaveled the court into session. The large gallery was packed and Tony was actually surprised to see people standing around the edge of the room.
"Bring in the prisoner!"
Harry stiffened beside Tony as Dumbledore was brought onto the raised platform at the end of the large chamber, his dad reaching to take his hand. Just as the door at the front of the chamber closed behind several of the departing Aurors, someone slid into the vacant seat behind Sirius and something made Harry glanced back. A thin man with shady blond hair, dressed in worn and patched robes, sat at the edge of the seat nervously, his eyes glued on Sirius' profile. Frowning, Harry knew the man looked familiar, but he couldn't immediately place him.
The sound of a gavel hitting wood drew Harry's attention forward and his eyes narrowed as he saw Dumbledore staring directly at him. Even dressed in prison robes, there was an aura of magic around the old man and Harry hoped Dumbledore had been checked for leeching spells – Harry couldn't have been the only one the berk had casted bonds and spells on, or had stolen money and heirlooms from. His dad gave him a side-eye look as anger began to burn in Harry's gut.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," the Supreme Mugwump intoned, "the representatives of the International Confederation of Wizards have found you guilty on all charges, criminal and civil. You will be remanded to the top security prison at Nurmengard Castle, where your magic will be bound, and you will remain for the rest of your natural life. May magic have mercy on your soul!"
Another man at the table Dumbledore was standing beside jumped to his feet. "Supreme Mugwump, I must protest! You can not bind this great and powerful wizard's magic and lock him away! This is the only man He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was afraid of, what will happen to us all if you—"
"Elphinas Doge!" Babajide Akingbade exclaimed, banging his gavel again. "You are out of order! Dumbledore lost the right to his power and his freedom when he began to manipulate people for his "Greater Good" and chose to kidnap a toddler, knowingly leaving him in an abusive household! He even stole an heirloom which might have saved the Potters that night!"
Doge's wand was in his hand and he was casting a spell before Harry could blink. Uncle Steve jumped to his feet and his shield was a blur as it hit the elderly wizard's hand, knocking the wand to the floor, before the spell could fully form. Several of the ICW aurors stationed around the room were in motion as the shield rebounded, clipping Dumbledore as it came back to Steve. The two magicals seated behind the defense table were also on their feet, casting random spells, Stunners Harry thought, as he was pushed behind Sirius and his dad. The man from behind them was also on his feet, casting a large golden shield around their group.
"Enough!" The Supreme Mugwump's voice reverberated through the chamber. "It is too bad, Doge, that you failed to remember this chamber and the entire building are protected by ancient charms against spells cast to harm anyone. Although, I suspect Doge's spell was to free Dumbledore." Akingbade nodded toward Steve. "Captain Rogers, thank you for your timely assistance."
Uncle Steve inclined his head as he returned the shield to his back. Harry peeked out around his dad as he, Ian, Sirius, and the other man sheathed their wands. Ironjaw continued standing as the others sat down. Sirius gasp but Harry kept his eyes on the Supreme Mugwump.
"Mooney?" Sirius whispered harshly, before practically throwing himself over the back of his seat.
"Supreme Mugwump?" Ironjaw called loudly as the ICW Aurors pulled Dumbledore to his feet, his hands bound behind his back.
"Senior Account Manager Ironjaw?"
"If my memory serves me correctly, Albus Dumbledore was one of the wizards who cast the protective charms onto Nurmengard when Grindelwald was imprisoned there in 1945. The Aurors might want to assess how that will impact Dumbledore's ability to be held in the castle."
Akingbade nodded his understanding. "Would Gringotts wardmasters be able to help?"
"With pleasure, Supreme Mugwump."
At that, Dumbledore, Doge, and the Aurors Portkeyed out of the chamber and Ian was called to the front to deal with the civil judgements. Ironjaw went with him as the manager of both Harry and Tony's money. They had discussed what to do with any financial reparations and Harry knew he wanted his to go into a fund to help abused children – whether they were New Blood, Half-blood or Pure Blood. He'd seen enough at school to know there were children being hurt, regardless of blood status.
Harry turned around to see Sirius and the man behind him crying on each other's shoulders.
Tony leaned closer to him and whispered. "Remus Lupin was one of James and Sirius' best friends, I'm not sure where he's been, but Sirius has been trying to contact him to help tutor us."
Harry frowned before looking at his dad. "I have some vague memories of Moony – I think that was his nickname."
The curved gallery had mostly cleared out by then and Steve began to move everyone through toward the atrium. Sirius took the front and Steve the rear, with Harry between Mr. Lupin and Tony. The Aurors had created a pathway for the them to get through the crowd and Harry blinked as a camera flash went off in his face. Fleeing his dad's anger in his chest, Harry pasted on what his dad called his Media Smile and looked straight forward. Tony paused for half a step, which brought Harry up beside him and wrapped his hand around Harry's bicep.
"I don't want to get separated," Tony whispered as Harry took a deep breath.
He knew they should be safe, but having just gone through a kidnapping attempt the day before, Harry was a bit nervous. He knew if someone managed to shove a Portkey at him, his dad needed to be touching him to go as well. A large hand rested on his shoulder and Harry felt better, even as his dad stuck his tongue out at Steve when he grabbed Tony's shoulder as well. Harry snorted and stayed close to both the men.
Suddenly, Mr. Lupin again erected a golden shield around them as something came flying through the air at him. Knowing the Aurors would take care of whatever it was, Harry followed Sirius into the antechamber they had Portkeyed into. His dad took his tie off and everyone grabbed the edge as Steve activated the Portkey with a tap of his wand. Harry was pleased when he was able to stay on his feet and tried not to laugh as Tony and Uncle Steve grabbed onto each other to stay upright as they landed in the foyer. They knocked into Sirius and Mr. Lupin, still clinging to each other.
Peter looked around the corner, before grinning broadly and throwing himself at Tony and Steve. They crashed to the floor in a pile as Sirius started laughing and even Bucky broke a smile. Harry moved to stand by the man who rescued them yesterday.
"How are you doing, Uncle Bucky?" he asked quietly as they watched the others get themselves untangled.
"Okay, I think. I'm still trying to get used to my mind being so clear," Uncle Bucky told him as he watched Peter collecting hugs. "I keep pinching myself to make sure this is real."
Harry laughed. "Well, brace yourself, Peter's headed our way!"
"He's a cute—oof!"
Peter tackled Harry sending him into Bucky, who managed to grab both of them and keep them all on their feet. Moody's magical eye swiveled toward them after giving Mr. Lupin a pointed once over, watching the two boys both hug the bewildered man. Sirius drew the old man's attention and pulled him aside for a private conversation. Harry was relieved; the old Auror seemed suspicious of everyone and made him feel like he'd done something wrong. The crack of Apparation made everyone jump as Moody turned on his heal and disappeared.
Bucky dropped into a defensive crouch at the sound, pushing the boys behind him as he did. Uncle Steve was by them instantly, kneeling down in front of Bucky, reassuring him quietly.
"Did you have lunch already, Pete?" Tony asked as he loosened his tie and threw his jacket over the back of a chair.
Peter shook his head, eyed darting from their dad to Bucky, and back. "No, we were having a debate and didn't watch the time."
"Oh?" Tony inquired. "Must have been intense."
Harry was watching Bucky slowly stand up and Steve wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. Poor guy was skittish – a feeling Harry was well acquainted with, especially when Vernon had had a bad day.
"Yup!" Peter grinned. "I say their magic is what makes Pops and Uncle Bucky so accurate when they aim. Pops can do amazing things with his shield, so it stands to reason he's using a bit of his magic to guide it."
Steve snorted as Bucky eyed Peter. "I've always been an excellent shot and never had much magic—"
"Until Zola experimented on you, which may have released your magic," Tony interjected quietly. "After Steve rescued you and the 107th, did you notice a change?"
Frowning, Bucky looked at Steve. "I'm not sure, but I know I never missed a shot after that."
"I think we can debate this some other time," Steve told them. "We need to get our things, so we can head home."
Sirius brought Moony over to the group. "Tony, you remember Remus?"
His dad stepped forward and extended his hand to the man. "I do. It's nice to see you again."
"Hi, Uncle Moony," Harry said, smiling at the astonishment on Lupin's face.
"I can't believe you remember!"
Harry tried to smile, but yawned instead. The day seemed to be catching up with him and he leaned back against his dad as Sirius completed the introductions.
Ultimately, Tony, Steve, and Sirius were driven to the plane, where a small group of reporters snapped pictures of them boarding. Once on board, they Portkeyed to New York before the plane took off; the boys and Bucky having left the apartment with Lupin the same way. They were all tired and just wanted to be home, but were mindful of the mundane press. Tony and Steve wanted to get the boys and Bucky back to New York as fast as possible, without being seen.
When they arrived, Tony was proud to have been able to land on his feet for once, even if Steve still had to grab his arm. The same couldn't be said of his stomach, which really didn't like long-distance wizarding transportation, apparently. Bucky was on his knees, having had a rough first trip, both Harry and Peter were hovering around him by the time the three of them had arrived. Steve quickly moved to help Bucky on to the couch, as Peter ran into the kitchen for a bottle of water. Tony tried not to feel smug when he saw the green tinge of the man's complexion.
"Welcome home, Sir. I have alerted Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodes of your safe return."
"Thanks, J," Tony responded automatically walking toward the windows.
He glanced out at the city, the streets clogged with traffic at just after eight in the morning, Pepper should already be in her office forty floors below. Harry caught his eyes, inclining his head toward the kitchen, and Tony moved to join him.
"I'm going to throw together a bit of brunch, Dad," his son said quietly.
Tony's stomach rumbled in agreement, but before they could do anything, the elevator doors opened and the rest of the family spilled out. Tony guided Harry in front of him and stepped out of the way so Harry could be swept up by Pepper before being passed along. Peter was also subjected to being passed around, starting with his aunt. Then Pepper was in his arms and Tony forgot the world as he concentrated on greeting her.
"Get a room!"
Rhodey's rude comment made Tony smile as he felt his best friend's arms wrap around both he and Pepper. He allowed himself to lean against Rhodey for a moment, remembering that they were together in this journey. He heard a gasp and looked up to see Ben Parker staring at Bucky who was still sitting on the couch, watching everyone with curious eyes. Rhodey stepped back, and Tony gave Pepper another kiss before stepping out of her arms.
"Ben? You alright?" Tony stepped forward.
"It truly is Sergeant Barnes, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes wide.
Bucky looked uncomfortable, pink staining his cheeks, and stood. Steve moved to his side immediately. Rhodey and Happy also moved closer, curiosity on their faces.
"Bucky, I'd like to introduce Peter's uncle, Benjamin Parker," he indicated Ben, and then pointed the two other men. "Colonel James Rhodes, Tony's best friend and Harold Happy Hogan, Stark Industries Head of Security." He motioned to May and Pepper. "The beautiful brunette is May Parker, Peter's aunt, and the other beautiful lady is Pepper Potts, CEO for SI and Tony's keeper."
"Hey!" Tony squawked as the rest laughed.
"Everyone, this is James Buchanan Barnes," Steve extended his hand to the man. "He likes to be called Bucky and means a great deal to me."
Bucky, tilted his head at the group as he ran a smoothing hand down his borrowed sweatshirt before taking Steve's hand. "Hello."
"And I'm hoping, once he has settled in and become more comfortable with us, Bucky will join us," Tony told them. "While we will get to Bucky's story, just remember that he saved both of the boys and will forever have my gratitude."
Sirius pulled Remus forward from where he was hoovering in the background. "And this is Remus Lupin, who you all know I have been trying to find since my trial. Remus, this group of people form the core of what Tony and I feel is our family. JARVIS, can you do that thing Tony always tells you to?"
"Of course, Lord Black," JARVIS responded dryly. "The penthouse is locked down and secure based on Sir's protocols."
Harry came out of the kitchen with large platter of sandwiches. "I know, technically it's breakfast time, but it's long past lunchtime in Geneva."
Everyone migrated toward the table, Steve tugging Bucky over and seating him beside Peter as Tony followed Harry back into the kitchen to help carry the sides and drinks back to the table. Steve sat on Bucky's other side and began to put sandwiches on both their plates.
"I'm not six, Stevie," Bucky grumbled as a plate was placed in front of him. "I can get my own."
Everyone found a place, Rhodey, Happy, and Pepper sitting on the tall stools at the breakfast bar. It was silent for several minutes, as everyone got something to eat and drink, quietly murmuring to each other. Tony helped Harry add a bowl of fruit salad and chips to the table, before waving him to the chair next to Peter.
Tony stood beside Pepper's stool, draining his coffee cup as he looked over the people in the room. Mariah wasn't there, nor were Ian or Ironjaw, but they could be quickly brought up to speed.
"So, Bucky and Remus, just a short history of how we all got here." Tony tapped his fingers on his arc reactor. "I was in a relationship with Lily and James Potter in summer and fall of 1999 where, without my knowledge, James became pregnant. Everyone but their closest friends believed Lily was pregnant, including Dumbledore, who sent them into hiding. After their death, Harry was sent to Lily's sister and her abusive asshole of a husband for the next ten years. Luckily, when his Hogwarts letter came, he was taken to Gringotts where Ironjaw, the Potter's account manager ultimately got him away. Harry discovered I was his father and in June, he came to find me."
Harry grinned over his shoulder at him and Tony leaned down to kiss his head. "When we went to Gringotts New York, we discovered my father had established a vault with them during World War II. Inside, we found a massive amount of information, including that HYDRA had been brought into SHIELD. We also learned that Howard was a squib and Steve was magical."
Pausing for a moment, Tony gathered his thoughts. "Harry and Peter actually met while taking placement exams and became instant friends." He ignored the boys giggling at each other. "Ben, ever the cop, brought to our attention that the two seemed too alike to be coincidence. A DNA test later showed I was one of three male DNA contributors to Peter's genetics, Steve being another one. Richard Parker had been a HYDRA geneticist."
Steve took up the story. "I appeared next, stumbling on the boys playing in the park. I didn't realize Sirius had set up protective spells which would keep out non-magicals. Harry thought my magic felt similar to he and his dad, so they brought me back here. I went with them to Gringotts where my Heritage test showed I was one of Peter's fathers, but also that Bucky wasn't dead, but in stasis. That's when we added searching for him to our list of things to do."
Bucky looked intrigued by this information, but frozen when Tony gave him a pointed look. He took several deep breaths, before he began to speak in a soft voice. "I don't really have a clear memory of the fall itself, just of pain in the aftermath, but I know I was found by Soviet troops who were working for HYDRA. They had experimented on a number of the 107th when we were captured at Azzano. I was the only one who survived and I believe Zola was testing various different versions of the Super Soldier Serum." Bucky swallowed hard. "They tortured and experimented on me, trained me to be their perfect weapon, and when I continued to try to escape, they began wiping my memories. When I wasn't on a mission, they kept me in cryofreeze – sometimes for years at a time.
A couple of days ago, I was brought out and given the mission to kidnap two boys from their school and take them to HYDRA."
Bucky looked down at his hands. "When I got there, I saw Harry and Peter being led out of the building, but when they were both hurt by the security guard, something snapped in me, and I knew I had to rescue them. Then, the fire bird arrived and healed all of us."
"Phoenix," Remus suppled, drawing attention to himself. "Apparently, Fawkes likes your family, Harry." He looked at the others. "Like Sirius, I was one of James' best friends – we all went to Hogwarts together. After the Potters were murdered and Sirius sent to Azkaban, I was utterly devastated. Dumbledore refused to let me try and get custody of Harry, and wouldn't let me talk to Sirius before he was shipped to prison. I was caught trying to find the house Harry had been sent to and warned off by Aurors loyal to Dumbledore. He kept sending me on "missions" to the continent for a few years, until I just stopped answering his post. I worked my way through a Defense Mastery in France by tutoring the children of foreign diplomats. I purposely did not follow what was happening in England, it was just a reminder of what I had lost there."
Tony watched as Lupin's eyes turned toward Harry and then Sirius. "Then I received a letter from Sirius, carried by the most magnificent white owl. And that's how I showed up at the ICW this morning."
He saw Harry blink and they both looked over their shoulders to where Hedwig sat sleeping on her perch in the far corner of the living room. Sirius effected a much too innocent expression for Tony. Leave it to Hedwig to find the man when no other owl could.
"And we are hoping Remus will stay and help teach all of us more about magic!" Peter spoke up, excitedly. "Pops and Dad need to learn, too!"
Sirius sputtered at the slight on his teaching abilities and everyone else laughed.
Rhodey leaned forward. "Mariah and Kingsley both speak highly of you, Remus, and I think they want to talk to you about designing some training for the Aurors."
Smiling, Remus looked around and nodded. "It appears I am going to be busy."
"We are all pretty much living in the Tower now," Tony added. "It helps keep us all safe and makes everyone accessible, but it does bring up another question." He looked between Peter and Harry. "I know you two really like your school, but homeschooling is still an option."
"Yesterday was just the first attempt, it’s a guarantee there will be others," Steve leaned forward, elbows on the table and fingers interlaced.
Tony held up a hand before the boys could say anything. "We aren't saying you can't go to school, but your safety is the most important thing in the world to this family. We either need to find a better way to protect you or come to some kind of compromise."
Harry opened his mouth, to argue Tony was sure, but Steve speared him with a look, and he immediately crumbled. Tony tried not to laugh at the disgruntled expression.
"Come on, Pete, let's go to my room and text Ned. He can probably give us the homework from yesterday." Harry grabbed Peter's hand and they started down the corridor.
"Don't get too wrapped up in things, boys," Tony called after them. "I'd like to go to Gringotts for the Heritage Potion this afternoon."
Peter waved his hand as he and Harry already had their heads together, talking. Tony watched fondly, knowing he'd do everything he could to keep his sons in school. He really didn't want to isolate them any more than he had to.
"Tony?"
May's voice caught his attention and Tony turned; an eyebrow raised in question.
"I'd like to get some samples of Peter's blood, along with both you and Steve's," she said, her forehead furrowed. "He has asthma, which I know Steve had as a kid, but I'm wondering how Steve's DNA, which contains the Super Soldier Serum, impacts that. Do we need to expect him developing more than usual when he hits puberty?"
Tony carefully didn’t glance at any of the small group in the know about the serum. "That's a fair question, May, and I think Steve and I both understand the benefit of knowing." He turned toward Steve. "What do you think of bringing Bruce in? Maybe not on everything, but on Peter's situation – he may not be a hematologist, but he's experienced with this type of testing."
"I think that is a good idea," Steve put in his opinion. "I don't know Dr. Banner very well, but I do trust him and if Tony recommends him, then I'm all in."
Tony nodded, before leaning against Pepper. "I think that's a good idea. We'll need to determine how much we want him know, so maybe we can meet after dinner tonight?"
Both Parkers nodded, along with Steve and Happy.
"Mariah should be back by then," he told them. "Should we notify Ian and Ironjaw?"
Agreeing, Tony asked JARVIS to make the calls, his mind already moving to how they should address the serum with Ben and May. The additions of Bucky and Lupin, neither of whom he knew well, needed to be considered. If the phoenix actually healed Barnes' mind as they thought, he would definitely be an addition to the group. Steve would insist on it, Tony was sure and he understood – he wouldn't have done any of these things without Pepper. Lupin was another wildcard. He remembered how close James had been with the man, the fact that Sirius said he was strong magically and gifted in Defense, as well as highly intelligent.
Maybe they should ask Lupin to do the vow Sirius mentioned.
"Tony?"
Steve's voice pulled him from his thoughts and Tony refocused on him. "What's up, Capsicle?"
"Would it be possible for Bucky to take the Heritage Potion, as well?"
Tony's eyes darted to Barnes, who looked intrigued, yet unsure at the same time. "I don't see why not, Ironjaw was going to have six doses ready. So, you, me, Harry, Peter, and Bucky –"
"And I have all my ancestors on a magical family tree tapestry," Sirius told them. "We can use it to compare if there are any Blacks in common on your tests. I'll go ahead and send a Patronus to Ironfang that you'll be there in an hour?"
"Sounds good, thanks." Tony got a nod from Steve.
"Mind if I tag along?" Lupin asked. "If I'm going to stay here, I'll need to transfer my vault from France."
_____
An hour later, they were being ushered into Ironfang's office, Remus separating from the group to take care of his own business. The goblin greeted them quietly, his desk set up with five vials of swirling iridescent metallic-colored potion, next to large pieces of parchment. It looked much like the set-up of the regular ancestry test.
"Gentlemen," Ironfang stood and extended his arm in a welcoming gesture. "I have everything ready for you to complete your tests."
His eyes went to Bucky as he edged deeper into the room, trying to look at every thing at once. "And who might this be?"
Steve stepped forward. "My bond mate, James Barnes.",
There was a sharp rap on the door and Ironjaw enter, acknowledging Ironfang with an inclination of his head. "Account manager Ironjaw, glad you were able to make it."
"Thank you, Ironfang," Ironjaw had almost a smirk on his face. "Or should I say Assistant Account Manager Ironfang. Ironjaw showed all his teeth. "you bring honor to our clan."
Ironfang gave a half-bow back. "Thank you. I will step next door and assist Mr. Lupin, as an ally to the Black, Stark, and Rogers Families."
With that, Ironfang was gone and, as soon as the door was closed, Harry popped up and hugged Ironjaw, who seemed startled but accepting of the contact. Patting Harry's back, Ironjaw made his way to the desk and exchanged greeting with the others.
"I'm assuming you received the message about meeting tonight?" Tony asked as the goblin settled himself.
"Yes, I imagine it will introduce Sergeant Barnes and Mr. Lupin to the group."
Tony exchanged a glance with Steve. "Mostly, but the Parkers want to talk about how the Super Soldier Serum in Steve's DNA may have effected Peter. And I wanted to use this opportunity to explain to Peter especially, but also Bucky about the serum Howard left."
Ironjaw nodded, but used a fingernail to point at the desk in front of him. "These will take some time to fill in, so why don't you each put in seven drops of blood. That way you can speak while the potion maps out your family trees."
As soon as Tony agreed, Harry and Peter were on their feet, leaning over the desk as Ironjaw assisted them. Tony followed after them and then Steve helped Bucky before doing his own. As the goblin stirred the potions with a snap of his fingers, carefully pouring each onto the enchanted parchment.
"Dad?" Peter asked softly. "What is it you need to tell me?"
"Come here, buddy," Tony gestured toward his lap and waited until Peter came over. "Your Pops and I wanted to have this conversation with you privately before the meeting tonight."
Tony glanced at Steve, who spoke, leaning toward the two. "Pete, when I underwent Project Rebirth and received the Super Soldier Serum, Dr. Erskine had your grandpa, Howard, activate the serum with VitaRays. The VitaRays are an type of energy Howard was able to harness from the Tesseract and it caused the serum to change me, on a molecular level,"
Peter's eyes went impossibly wide and he glanced at Tony for confirmation. Tony gave him a nod, arm tightening around his son.
"What does that mean?" Bucky asked quietly, looking between Tony and Steve.
"It means that the serum actually changed Pops' DNA, the building blocks of all things." Harry moved to lean against Bucky's leg.
"Which means he may have passed some of the properties of the serum on to me when his DNA was spliced in with Dad's to create me," Peter answered, a grin on his face. "That's awesome!"
Steve rolled his eyes, Harry's eyebrow arched, and Bucky looked fascinated, which had Tony staring at him.
"What?" Bucky shrugged his shoulders. "HYDRA made me learn all about DNA, so I was careful not to leave any behind on a mission."
The thought caused a shiver to run down Tony's spine. "That's oddly specific."
"Weapons and advances in technology," replied Bucky. "Apparently, learned information was safe from the memory wipes."
Steve looked wounded at Bucky's softly spoken words and Tony jumped in before the conversation turned morose.
"You're right, Pete, we need to find out if there will be changes when you hit puberty. My dad actually perfected a different variation of the serum Steve was given, and we don't know anything yet about the HYDRA serum Bucky was given." He glanced at Harry and then Steve. "We—"
"You and Harry have taken it?" Peter tilted his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "It would make sense, especially after you were kidnapped in Afghanistan and from what I've learned of Harry's childhood."
"We also gave some to Uncle Sirius, when he was released," Harry interjected quietly, "he was a mess after almost eleven years in prison."
Bucky leaned forward and met Peter's eyes. "That okay with you, kid? Especially knowing there's more, in case you need it later? 'Cause I was really glad Stevie got scienced on back during the war, as he was always so sick as a kid."
"You just hated that it made me larger," Steve snarked, a mischievous look in his eye.
"Easier to cuddle when you were a little guy, babe," Bucky retorted with a straight face.
Tony threw his head back and laughed, as did Ironjaw, while the boys expressed their disgust at the implication. He was pretty sure Steve would have reached for Bucky if they'd been alone. Peter clapped a hand over his eyes, reiterating his 'eww'.
"We'll reevaluate after puberty, kiddo, and if you still have the asthma, we'll consider it. After all, Harry is going to need another dose then as well." Tony looked over at Bucky. "And we need to test Frosty, to see if he might need a bit to bolster whatever he got when we go to replace that arm."
Bucky started to protest, but Tony held up a hand.
"Nope, you're not allowed to argue," Tony said emphatically. "You are in constant pain and I'd bet you HYDRA bolted that monstrosity directly to your bone! Add to that, I've already told you that you are in charge of protection for the people who are most precious in the world to me. You need all the help you can get with these two!"
Harry snorted and patted Bucky on the knee. "Hope you can keep up with us, Gramps!"
"Besides all of that, I lost you once and I don’t think I could survive it if I lost you again." Steve reached over and clasped Bucky hand.
"Gentlemen," Ironjaw cut across any further protests. "I believe the potion has finished."
Peter jumped off of his lap and Tony followed him over to the large desk. Each parchment now contained an intricate ancestry chart, much like the one Sirius had described to he and Harry. The room was quiet for several minutes as they all looked over their own chart. Tony drew his finger over his mother's name and the Carbonell side of the family, almost entirely Italian considering the names. The Stark family had emigrated from Britian, but had roots back to Germany and Eastern Europe.
Ironjaw tapped each parchment with a fingernail. "These should now show any ancestors in common between the parchments."
Tony's eyes searched carefully, until he landed on Belvina Burke, nee Black, several generations back on the Stark side. Looking over, he saw Peter's chart also had Belvina's name darkened. What did surprise him, was Steve also showed Belvina. Glancing over Harry's shoulder, Tony expected to see Belvina and knew James' grandmother was also a Black, but he was surprised to see Agnes Potter, nee Buchanan darkened.
"Uncle Bucky?" Harry asked, his eyes not leaving the chart.
"What's the matter, kid?" Bucky was still hunched, wide-eyed over his chart, which presented he and Steve as a married couple.
"Do you know where your middle name came from?"
Bucky's head jerked up and he gave Harry a startled look. "Was my ma's maiden name. Why?"
Harry leaned toward Tony, so Bucky could see where he was pointing. "My Great-Grandmother was a Buchanan."
"The Buchanans are an ancient magical family from Scotland," Ironjaw informed them.
Bucky cleared his throat, his eyes glistening as they looked at Harry. "I think she was my aunt."
Tony watched as Steve wrapped an arm around Bucky's shoulders. "Family, Buck! You still have living blood family!"
Both Harry and Peter cheered, threw their arms around Bucky.
"I think we need to get some of the files from Howard's vault," Tony decided, looking at the emboldened names interspersed between the five charts."