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Chapter Text

Harry Potter stepped out of the mine cart as soon as it returned to the top floor of Gringotts, his hand clenching the bag full of gold coins, his mind swirling with images from the vault, his vault! The giant man, Hagrid, was still sitting in the cart, looking slightly green, and Harry felt bad for him. He moved slightly away from the cart, just in case, as the goblin, Griphook, leaned closer to Harry.

“Heir Potter, you need to return, as there are discrepancies in your vaults.” Griphook muttered to him in a low voice and pushed a paper into Harry’s hand. “Use this to come back anytime.”

“Come, Harry, we have shopping to do.” Hagrid had climbed out of the cart and used a hand on Harry’s shoulder to guide him away from the goblin.

Surreptitiously, Harry slid the piece of thick paper into his pocket and followed Hagrid down the white marble steps. The trip through the shops was a whirlwind, with Hagrid gone as often as he was there, and Harry was able to buy a few extras; including some regular clothes at Madam Maulkins and additional books. He was also able to get a trunk which would shrink or unshrink at the tap of his finger and was locked to everyone else, requiring his magical signature. Making it at least safe from his relatives.

Harry didn’t take a look at the piece of paper – parchment – Griphook had given him until he was back at the Dursleys, having had to find a bus on his own as Hagrid had left him at the Leaky Cauldron. His relatives hadn’t been pleased to see him back, especially with an owl in tow, and locked him into Dudley’s second bedroom. This is after Dudley had taken a few shots at him, cheered on by his uncle, for the gift Hagrid had given him. He was very glad he’d bought some food at a small shop near Diagon Alley before the bus left, as he was sure it would be several long days before anything was pushed through the cat flap.

As the evening lengthened and the house went quiet, Harry carefully retrieved the note Griphook had given him. Diving under his thin blanket, Harry pulled out the torch he’d repaired after Dudley had thrown it into a wall during a tantrum.

Heir Potter,

It is of the utmost importance you return to Gringotts at your earliest opportunity as there are discrepancies with your vaults. We have sent multiple posts to you; however, we believe they have not reached you.

Harry frowned at this. Why wouldn’t his mail get to him?

If you need transportation, use this missive. Make sure the letter is in your hand and you are touching anything you want to bring with you. Simply say ‘Gringotts now’ and the paper will turn into a Portkey, a form of magical transportation.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Ironjaw
Potter Account Manager

Harry finally got his chance to go the last week of August, when his aunt and uncle took Dudley to a specialist in London to consult on the removal of his pigtail. They left early in the morning, letting Harry out for a trip to the bathroom and his first five-minute shower in two weeks. His uncle locked him back inside the small, stuffy room, turning a deaf ear to his pleas for at least some water.

Waiting for twenty minutes after the Dursleys had pulled out of the driveway, Harry pulled his shrunken trunk out from under the loose floorboard and unshrunk it. He dug out his wand and one of the extra books he’d gotten in Flourish & Blotts, before selecting a pair of trousers and a long-sleeved blue button-up shirt. Quickly changing, Harry gathering everything in Dudley’s second bedroom that he wanted to keep and packed it into his trunk, including Hedwig’s cage. His owl watched him with her large amber eyes.

“Go, Hedwig and find me later – probably somewhere in London, because I’m not coming back here!”

Hedwig blinked at him once, before taking flight from the windowsill and Harry closed the window after her. He looked around the room one last time, making sure all of Dudley’s overlarge, ratty clothing was shoved into the closet, the floorboard was in place, and the bed was neatly made. Closing the lid of his trunk, Harry tapped the strange symbol the salesman had shown him and grinned as it shrunk small enough to put in the worn messenger bag Harry had used for his school things in primary.

Sliding his wand into the special pocket in his black trousers, Harry put his bag over his head so the strap was across his body, and picked up the slip of paper Griphook had given him.

Taking a deep breath, Harry whispered: “Gringotts now!”

The feeling not unlike a hook yanking him at the back of his navel, Harry felt himself start to spin rapidly, the world dissolving into a pinwheel of colours swirling around him like a whirlpool. He closed his eyes tightly and prayed his glasses stayed on his face, as they were only held together with sellotape.

The twirling seemed to go on for a long time and ended abruptly, with Harry falling to the ground when it released him. Harry managed to struggle to his knees, as his stomach tried to decide whether to dispelled the little it had inside or not. Taking a few deep breathes, Harry was able to keep everything down and slowly open his eyes, before shuffling to his feet. Thankfully he was alone in a small dimly lit room, the walls were hewed dark brown stone and the floor gleaming white tiles. There was an overlarge fireplace on one wall and several chairs along another, with a tall door on the opposite wall.

Harry straightened out his clothing and checked to make sure his wand was undamaged, before he walked towards the door. It opened just as he reached for the handle and Harry jumped back, startled, as a goblin stepped into the room.

“Welcome to Gringotts Bank, Heir Potter.” The goblin gave him a half-bow and Harry returned it.

“Good morning, Mr. Goblin. May I ask your name?” Harry remembered the proper greetings from the book for Muggleborn magicals he’d read.

The goblin tilted his head and seemed to study Harry for a moment. “I am Senior Account Manager Ironjaw, Heir Potter, and if you’ll follow me, I believe we have much to go over.”

Harry followed the goblin, secretly admiring the blood-red three-piece suit Ironjaw wore. The corridor they were in had some type of lighting around the top of the wall, with metal weapons mounted on the walls, most of them long swords and knives. Thinking back to his reading, Harry remembered the goblins were a fierce warrior clan and their hand wrought weapons were highly prized.

Ironjaw stopped in front of one of the many doors in the hallway and pushed it open. “After you, Heir Potter.”

Walking inside, Harry saw that they were in an office, with a large dark wood desk and a couple of leather chairs in front of it. Harry chose to sit in the one furthest from the door, wanting to make sure he had time to react to whatever or whoever might come through it. It was a lesson he’d learned at a young age when Dudley had invented “Harry Hunting”, and being as far away from the door usually gave him a chance at a head start. Harry watched at Ironjaw moved around the desk and sat down, tapping a long fingernail on the top ot the desk, jumping as a large file appeared.

“Do you have your key, Heir Potter?” Ironjaw reached behind him and lifted a tray made of what looked like pounded gold onto the desk top.

“No, sir, Hagrid took it back.”

Ironjaw nodded. “I suspected he would. It just gives us the opportunity to do a blood ritual to determine your true identity.”

Harry frowned, visions of himself lying prone on a sacrificial alter in the light of a full moon.

“It requires a mere seven drops of blood, Heir Potter, typically from the ring finger of your left hand.”

Ironjaw gave him what Harry imagined was a smile, except it display a large number of very sharp teeth. Sheepishly, Harry leaned forward, extending his left hand across the desk, which Ironjaw took with cool, firm fingers. He could see a small bronze bowl sitting in the middle of the golden tray, it was this bowl Ironjaw held his finger over as he used a jeweled dagger to make a painless cut. They both counted out the drops, Harry under his breath, as they fell and when Harry was given his hand back, the cut was already healed.

“Mr. Ironjaw, what will this do?” Harry asked as he watched the goblin sprinkle a pinch of white powder into the bowl, before adding a small vial of iridescent liquid, seemingly stirring itself within the bowl.

“This, young heir, will confirm your identity, list your parents, grandparents, godparents, and other ancestors, as well as any titles and inheritance you have,” Ironjaw informed him.

“If I have any other relatives, would I be able to go live with them?” Harry asked quietly.

Ironjaw continued working, swirling the bowl three times before snapping his fingers. A glittering piece of parchment appeared in the gold tray and Ironjaw poured the liquid in the bowl into the center. The bowl vanished from his hands and Ironjaw tapped the side of the tray another three times with a fingernail, before he gave Harry a serious look.

“Yes, Heir Potter, it will. I have been the account manager for the House of Potter for the past one hundred and eighty-two years. I greatly enjoyed dealing with your grandfather, great grandfather, and his father, who were true partners in maintaining and growing the Potter family wealth. Your father never had a chance to live to his potential and, almost ten years ago, my duties were reduced to merely overseeing your vaults. The loss of potential revenue over this period of time is staggering. I am done sitting by and watching, as I feel you are as keen as your forefathers to bring wealth to your family.” Ironjaw leaned forward. “To do that, requires you be absolutely honest with myself and whomever I bring in to assist us. Can you do this?”

Harry met Ironjaw’s eyes, his mind spinning and his heart pounding. He had wished so hard, for years for someone who would help him get away from the life the Dursleys subjected him to. The hope he tried to push back threatened to overwhelm him.

“I’ll do anything I can to not have to go back to that house, Mr. Ironjaw,” Harry said earnestly. “And please, call me Harry.”

“Good, then the first thing I need you to do is have a physical exam,” Ironjaw announced, looking at him. “The test will take about an hour to complete, so we would be better served using that time to document your current condition, as well as repairing what is needed.”

Swallowing hard, Harry nodded and stood up when the goblin healer came to get him. He knew his relatives hadn’t given him enough to eat, he was the smallest kid in his class at primary and his body ached in the cold. Dudley had done his best to hit Harry at every opportunity and his aunt liked to swing her frying pan at him, which Harry was mostly able to duck. It was his uncle, who had taken a belt to him any time he did something freaky, which had hurt the most.

The room the healer took him to seemed warmer than the other areas and Harry stripped to his pants, as directed. He tried to hide his blush as another goblin came in and took pictures of him, front and back, with an old-fashioned camera, before the healer had him lie down on a padded bench. The healer started chanting under her breath and Harry lost himself in his thoughts. The prospect of a home where he was actually wanted was his dream. Whoever took him in wouldn’t have to do much, he was pretty self-sufficient, Harry just wanted someone who didn’t hate him.

Harry must have dozed off during the exam, as he was awoken gently by the healer, given three progressively worse tasting medicines to drink, and then escorted back to Ironjaw’s office. The tray was gone and the parchment was laying on the desk. Harry hurriedly sat down and turned his attention to his account manager, who was writing something in his file.

Ironjaw looked up, a look on his face which Harry couldn’t decipher. “Before we go over what your test has revealed, young Harry, I would like to ask you about the missing post I have sent over the last few years.”

Catching to angry undertone, Harry sat up straighter. “I have never gotten any mail from anyone, Mr. Ironjaw, with the exception of my Hogwarts letter, which was address to me by name at the cupboard under the stair where I slept.”

Piercing him with a serious look, Ironjaw nodded. “You have been made aware that you are credited with vanquishing the Dark Lord Tom Riddle?”

“Is that his real name?” Harry asked, surprised.

At Ironjaw’s nod, Harry answered as truthfully as he could. “Hagrid told me I did something, but I think it must have been something my mum did.” Harry screwed up his face. “He said I was famous in the Wizarding world for it.”

“Hagrid was correct,” the goblin replied. “You have been hailed the Savior and yet, you’ve never received any post. This means your mail has gone somewhere, with all the cards and gifts you should have received over the years.”

“Can we add it to the list of things for the solicitor?” Harry asked. “Along with those books I saw at Flourish & Blotts which appear to have been written about me?”

“I believe that would be a wise idea.” Ironjaw slid the paper – parchment over to Harry.

- Heritage Test – Certified by Ironjaw, Senior Account Manager, House of Potter –

Harrison (Harry) James Potter
Born: 31 July 2000
Carrier: James Fleamont Potter (deceased)
Sire: Anthony Edward Stark (Squib)
Blood-Adopted Mother: Lily Rose Evans Potter(deceased)
Godfather by Blood Ritual: Sirius Orion Black, Heir Presumptive (Pureblood)
Godmother: Alice Longbottom, Lady Longbottom (unavailable) (Halfblood)

The parchment slipped out of Harry’s nerveless fingers and he lunged to grab it. With a shaky hand, he slid it up onto the desk, and allowed his fingers to trace over the top few lines. Not only did he not even know his real name, but he had two fathers! He looked up at Ironjaw.

“Could you please tell me what this means?” Harry whispered.

Ironjaw took the parchment and looked it over. “It seems as if James Potter was impregnated by another man, this Anthony Stark, and your mother then blood adopted you, essentially giving you three parents. It also states Sirius Black did a ritual to make him your godfather,” Ironjaw paused and Harry swore his eyes widened. “If it is the old magic ritual his family is famous for, he could not have betrayed you or your parents to Voldemort.”

So, Harry thought, two potential guardians for him. “That sounds good! Anything else?”

Ironjaw looked further down the paper and Harry watched as his eyes narrowed. “It seems there has been a conspicuous plot to keep you at your Muggle relatives house, as you are not even related to them and the blood connection with your mother wouldn’t be strong enough to power the blood wards Dumbledore insists are there. There is also the suspicious nature of everyone who could have taken you in either being dead, incapacitated, or illegally imprisoned.”

Looking up, Ironjaw scowled. “And I am fairly certain you have not authorized any withdrawals from your main family vaults, Potter or Peverell, nor your trust vault.”

“No, I didn’t even know I had vaults.”

Nodding, Ironjaw made a notation on the parchment. “You have inherited a number of different properties and quite a tidy fortune, Harry. There are several actions we can take now, including a full audit of all the vaults you are heir to, have you accept your heir rings which would afford you some protections from spells and potions, meet with a barrister, solicitor, and an American attorney. Oh, and a curse breaker.”

Harry’s stomach clenched and he took a deep breath. “So, I don’t have to go back?”

“No, Harry,” Ironjaw smiled with lot of teeth. “Removing you from your relatives is the easiest part of the situation. I’ll have a solicitor out to their residence tomorrow to transfer your custody to this Anthony Stark – as your biological father, they have no choice. In doing so, it will mean all the paperwork is ready when we find him.”

Harry again felt a swell of hope and smiled in return. “And you can start reinvesting money from my vaults?”

“Indeed, I can. I am also able remove your current magical guardian for failing to adequately protect you.”

Blinking, Harry frowned, “I have a magical guardian?”

Ironjaw didn’t appear surprised at his question. “I’ll add searching for your parents’ wills and add lessons on the Ancient and Noble Houses you are heir to.”

Chapter Text

Harry Floo’d onto Platform 9 ¾ a week later, a much happier child. He was clad in proper wizarding robes over his button-up and trousers, wearing new glasses and dragon-hide boots. His temporary guardian, Barrister Ian Selwyn, had insisted he move into his London brownstone and began to immediately educate Harry on the lessons he should have had since birth, including estate management and finances. Harry had decided to take up the two heirships he’d inherited on the Potter side. The man had also arranged for Harry meet with an Auror to give a statement concerning his treatment at the hands of the Dursleys, under a vow of secrecy, as well as the irregularities in his in-depth physical exam.

Especially the soul shard which had been removed by the Gringotts curse breakers, the illegal mail diversion ward, as well as the equally illegal blood wards and monitoring spells placed on a Muggle residence. Harry wasn’t sure exactly what had been done during the ritual, but he knew he had felt much better since it was done. Nutrient potions and a strict diet designed to help him recover from his childhood malnutrition should have his body back where is should be within eighteen months. Ian had Harry tested for placement in more mundane subjects after Harry admitted he wasn’t allowed to do better than his cousin at school. Harry had been excited as he’d loved math and science, which he could continue with self-study at Hogwarts.

Locating his biological father had turned out to be easy, as the man was a famous industrialist and billionaire currently living in New York City. However, is also made it harder to put forth a claim of paternity, as Tony Stark had a disreputable past as a drunken playboy and, with his wealth, had attorneys who fielded dozens of such claims. The attorney, Andrew Romano, knew Harry would be at boarding school for the next ten months and wanted to put together a solid package before approaching Stark’s people. Gringotts had certified a magical birth certificate and Harry had given blood for detailed DNA and genetic tests.

Gringotts was still searching for Lily and James Potter’s wills, if any. They had been unable to locate any paperwork which had given Albus Dumbledore the right to have Harry removed from his home and left on the Dursleys’ doorstep in the early morning over twenty-four hours after his parents had been murdered. In the process, learning it was Dumbledore who had authorized disbursements from Harry’s trust vault. Both Ironjaw and Ian sat down with Harry to advise extreme caution if he was ever alone with the headmaster and stressed to Harry about Dumbledore’s mastery in Legilimency – and never to look the man in the eyes.

Harry thought Dumbledore was a good candidate for kidnapping charges.

Probably more than kidnapping, as property missing from Harry’s family vault was removed by the same man. It was also Dumbledore who signed off on his godfather’s illegal imprisonment, without even being interrogated, not to mention receiving no trial. The barrister had a team of investigators working on the problem and had managed to get Black at least released from Azkaban to a Ministry holding cell.

Both of his advisors had told him not to use his very distinctive snowy owl to send post out to them. Harry loved Hedwig and certainly didn’t want her hurt by anyone who tried to intercept letters. Gringotts had investigated where Harry’s mail had been going and found a dozen house-elves maintaining Potter Manor in Wales. The illegal mail diversion ward had all of Harry’s mail going to the manor, where the house-elves had been sorting it over the past ten years. Harry had met Kiz, the head elf who would come to Harry in Hogwarts when he called and deliver mail to him when he was alone.

It was still early on the platform and Harry took a moment to appreciate the gleaming scarlet and black steam engine as it sat on the platform. He did wonder why the students needed to spend seven hours on a train when wizards had instantaneous methods of transportation. Ian had laughed and cited tradition as he’d sent Harry through the Floo. Shaking his head, Harry made his way to a compartment near the middle of the train and sat down, He turned his back to the closed door and looked out over the platform as he set his bag on the seat next to him. Taking out his trunk, Harry stretched up to put it on the rack above him and tapped it with his finger to unshrink it.

Reaching into his brand-new leather messenger bag with the expansion charm, Harry reached in and pulled out his algebra book along with its workbook. He was soon engrossed in the lesson, writing solutions to problems on the margins of both his textbook and workbook. Raised voices outside the window drew his attention and Harry lifted his head to see the platform swarming with families, younger children chased each other as the older ones pushed trollies loaded with trunks. Parents corralled their wayward offspring as they gathered around the students, showering them with hugs and kisses, before waving them onto the train.

Envy filled Harry as he watched and he closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart that he would be able to feel that kinship with someone, preferably with his living father, but with someone.

Tony Stark gasped and bolted upright in bed, one hand going up to his chest as he felt a twinge near his heart. Not painful and not even as uncomfortable as it usually was, Tony rubbed the area next to his arc reactor, trying to analyze what he was feeling. There had been times the twinge had been painful enough to send him to his knees, but this time it wasn’t painful, per se, more stirring sadness within him.

“Time, J?”

“It is 5:43am, sir, the temperature outside is 67 degrees, with nominal clouds and the stock—”

“Okay, J, thanks,” Tony cut his AI off, running a hand through his hair.

Swinging his legs out of bed, Tony got up to use the bathroom and came back to the bed. Laying down, he found the twinge was gone and he laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. This was the first time his phantom pains, as his doctor loved to tell him, had felt like that and he wasn’t sure he liked the feeling.

The first time he could remember feeling the painful twinge in his chest had been at the end of July in 2000, a burst of pain which he attributed to the night of drunken revelry he was engaging in at the time. It was during a period that he had felt very alone and adrift. Less than a year since he’d made the choice to break things off with the couple he had fell in love with, and Tony wasn’t sure his heart would ever be completely healed.

Tony snorted as he remembered how he’d been literally pulled out of the gutter of a London street by a young husband and wife, Lily and James. They had found him in a drunken stupor, hauled him to a large manor house in rural England and took care of him. They had no idea who he was, only recognized he was someone in need of their help. Tony had stayed with them for over two months, dried out, ate right, and just allowed him to be himself. Tony had fallen in love with both of them, the gorgeous red-haired Lily and her dark-haired husband, and they had all ended up sharing a bed. Tony knew he was bisexual and had been delighted to find James was as well, with Lily reveling in the attention of them both.

There had been a mysterious quality to the couple and Tony had learned they were targets of a local terrorist group. Lily especially became more and more skittish during the weeks he was there and both seemed concerned with his safety. After one too many whispered conversations as the year slid into November, Tony had gathered his things, kissed them both and said goodbye. The twinges had started the following July and always made Tony think of Lily and James.

The worst episode had been on Halloween of 2001, when the pain was so intense, he lost consciousness in his lab. DumE had tried to pat him awake and JARVIS ended up calling Happy, who’d gotten Tony to bed. The doctor hadn’t found anything wrong, of course, blithely suggesting it had been gas. The twinges came sporadically after that, sometime months went by without Tony feeling one, but at other times he could feel the twinge for several days in a row.

Tony rubbed his chest again and sighed, throwing back the blanket. Pepper was in California and the office didn’t even open for another two hours, he might as well get up and see what he could get done in his lab.

Boarding the Hogwarts Express the morning after the Leaving Feast, Harry found himself moving carefully. His body was still sore and his head ached. Ron and Hermione followed him to an empty compartment, still arguing about the House Cup. Harry slid into the seat next to the window and tuned them out.

No one seemed troubled he’d killed a man with his bare hands not a week ago.

Dumbledore had waved his concerns off, yet made a point of telling him he had to return to his aunt’s house this summer and it was all Harry could do not to scream at him. Harry wasn’t about to tell him that he was never going to go to the Dursleys, ever again. Nor was he sure he’d be coming back to a school where his life had been in danger so many times over the course of the year – from mountain trolls, possessed teachers, unicorn-killing wraiths, and baby dragons! All culminating with his professor burning to ash because Harry had grabbed his face and held on.

At some point, Harry fell asleep, his nightmare-fueled exhaustion getting the better of him. Using his bag as a makeshift pillow, Harry slept for most of the trip, waking up about an hour out of King’s Cross. He gave Hermione a small smile as she watched Ron eat the chocolate frog Harry pulled from his bag, Harry settling for a bacon sandwich he’d made up at breakfast. Taking off his Hogwarts robes and putting them away, Harry excused himself to use the restroom as they pulled into the station.

Washing his hands, Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of his bag and threw it over his head. He made his way off the train before anyone else, as he didn’t have to haul his trunk out – it was already shrunk in his bag. Harry quickly wove his way through the crowd, stepped through the barrier, and out into the Muggle world. He concentrated on staying away from people walking in the car park and headed towards a large, dark blue sedan. Pulling the door open, Harry slipped inside with a sigh.

“Hello, Harrison, how was the train ride?” Ian Selwyn asked, putting the car into gear. “How are you holding up?”

Harry carefully removed the invisibility cloak and folded it up, replacing it in his bag. “I’m—functioning, thanks.”

Ian threw him a disbelieving look. “Well, you look like shite, frankly. Are you sure you want to do this today?”

Sighing, Harry nodded. “I’ve waited over ten months, Ian, and I’m tired. If he’s going to reject me, might as well know it sooner than later.”

Reaching over, Ian put a hand on Harry’s arm. “While I don’t think Stark will reject you, can you handle him being distant? Promise me, if he’s a bloody arsehole, you’ll come right back and we’ll concentrate on getting Sirius cleared.”

“I swear I will,” Harry swore. “Although I can’t promise I won’t tell him exactly what I think.”

Ian threw back his head and laughed. “I have no doubt and I’ll make sure Romano has the money to bail you out.”

“Even Tony Stark wouldn’t arrest a kid,” he scoffed.

His barrister just hummed as he pulled into a car park near the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Harry stepped out of the car, retrieving a black leather jacket from Ian and added a blue tie to match his trousers. With his white shirt, it gave him a casual but put together look, and helped give a boast to his confidence. He draped the strap of his bag securely over his head and shoulder.

“Here are your travel documents, passport, identification card, Gringotts card, and the letter we found in your parents’ vault.” Ian handed him an envelope. “There is also a $1000 US in there for spending money.”

“Thank you.” Harry accepted it, sliding it into his bag. “Are you sure using the Portkey is better than Flooing?”

Ian handed him a stomach soother, which Harry downed with a grimace. “They both spin you around, one’s just cleaner. It’s better than another six hours on a plane.”

“True,” Harry conceded, following Ian into the red phonebooth.

Once they were in the atrium, Harry followed Ian down the left side to the Portkey office. Ironically, the Portkey to New York City was a small replica of Stark Tower and Harry couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Saying his goodbyes to Ian, Harry was surprised when the man pulled him into a one-armed hug and he leaned into the man’s side, warmed by the gesture. It was the first hug of any kind he could remember getting from an adult.

The warmth lingered and made the long minutes of spinning across the Atlantic bearable. Arriving in the Portkey office of the American Ministry, Harry stood in line to go through customs, have his passport stamped with the appropriate visa, and heading into the large entrance hall. Looking over the people waiting for passengers, Harry quickly caught sight of a tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed man in a three-piece gray suit.

Harry made his way over to the man, who welcomed him quietly, before leading him outside to a waiting car. It was just before 3pm in New York and Harry appreciated the nap he took on the train with the five-hour time difference. They were driven directly to Stark Tower, where Andrew Romano had secured an appointment at half three.

Harry’s apprehension grew as they checked in with the receptionist and were escorted by a uniformed security guard up to an office on the 75th floor. The attorney was a pleasant lady with sandy brown hair who accepted the paperwork which contained Harry’s DNA profile and copy of his birth certificate.

“Thank you, Mr. Romano, but as you are aware, we prefer to do our own tests.” The woman told him and Harry’s stomach dropped.

They were directed down the hall to a small office which resembled a doctor’s exam room and a man in a white lab coat awaited them. He took a cheek swab from Harry and a small vial of blood from his arm. They were ushered out by the lab tech and directed to the elevator, advised to make an appointment for the following week.

Harry could feel tears prickle his eyes, anguish and hopelessness filling him. This was the same runaround they had been getting for months, according to Ramano. Harry had had enough – he couldn’t take this after all that had happened in the past week. Tony Stark was supposed to have been here – was supposed to have at least met him!

“I’m going to find him,” Harry whispered to Romano, checking the corridor before pulling his cloak out of his bag and pulling it on.

Romano nodded, waiting until Harry slipped into an elevator going up, before heading down to the lobby to wait.

A flash of anguish hit Tony as he was putting the final touches on an upgraded repulsor for his gauntlet. Frowning, Tony set down the micro-laser he was using and reached up to rub his chest.

“Sir, we have a situation,” JARVIS announced.

“Show me, J,” Tony stood, one hand still rubbing over his heart.

A holographic screen popped up in front of him and he watched as a boy in the hallway outside one of the labs pulled some kind of cloth out of a messenger bag and threw it over his head, disappearing from view. The elevator then open and closed on its own before heading upward.

“Another paternity claim, Sir, although this is not the first time the attorney has approached Legal and given over DNA results. Apparently, the boy, a Harrison James Potter, accompanied the attorney on this occasion.”

Tony felt his breath catch and a surge of disbelief flooded through him. “J, can you get a close up on his face?”

The video changed to a still shot of messy dark brown hair, high cheekbones, and pain-filled green eyes – a perfect blend of James, Lily, and himself. His heart stopped for a moment and Tony was moving toward the elevator lobby.

“Bring him to me, JARVIS!” Tony choked out, stumbling uncharacteristically in his haste.

“Sir, caution—”

“Be damned! Bring him to me!” Tony snarled, his heart beginning to palpitate.

The elevator dinged and the doors swished open, the car seemingly empty, but Tony could feel the boy who stepped out.

“Please, will you show yourself to me?” Tony asked softly, stopping a few feet away.

After a long moment, a silvery cloth was pulled away and Tony got the first look at a haggard boy, no more than eleven or twelve, who had tears running down his face, but whose eyes blazed with anger. The twinge in Tony’s chest gave an unpleasant pang.

“Why?” the boy demanded heatedly in a tight voice, ignoring the tears. “Why do you hate me so much you can’t even show up to reject me personally?”

Tony sank to his knees and opened his arms, palms up. “I didn’t know! No one told me about you!”

The boy took a hesitant step toward him. “Would you even want me, if you knew?”

The quaver in his voice told Tony how close this child, his child was to breaking.

“In a heartbeat, son.”

Two more halting steps as the green eyes search his face for sincerity and then the child threw himself into Tony’s arms, sobbing. Standing with his arms wrapped around the small body, Tony held his son against his chest as he walked toward the elevator landing.

“J, get me an elevator and then send Happy down to the lobby to bring that attorney up to the penthouse. Also, get me everything you have on the situation and I want to speak to the department head in Legal.”

“Yes, Sir. Shall I also notify Ms. Potts?”

The elevator dinged and Tony stepped inside. “Not yet, JARVIS, I want to figure out what happened first.”

“Unwise decisions, it seems.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Tony muttered as he patted the child’s back, hoping to calm him down.

When the elevator opened into the penthouse, Tony made his way over to the wall of windows and looked out unseeing over the city. They had always been careful during their activities, with James being the one who penetrated Lily, while Tony had fucked James. It was their preferred position, although Tony was very tactile and often using hands and lips to drive his lovers wild with passion. Yet, somehow, Harry looked identical to Tony at the same age, with just little differences, hair a shade darker, lips were pure James, and those eyes—

“Where are we?”

His son lifted his head from Tony’s shoulder and tried to get down, but Tony held him tight.

“Let me hold you for a bit, please,” Tony said softly. “I’ve lost almost twelve years of being able to hold you. And we are in my home at the top of Stark Tower.”

Harrison slowly sighed and melted into him. “I didn’t think you would believe me, but I was so angry. I’m sorry I trespassed—”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh. “Can’t exactly trespass in a building your father owns, now can you?”

Harrison’s arms tightened around him and he turned his face into Tony’s neck. “You know you have grease all over you, yeah?”

“Probably,” was Tony’s unrepentant answer.

The elevator doors opened again and Tony saw Happy step out, followed by a man who was wearing a high-quality suit. He scowled and moved quickly as he took in Tony holding his son. Happy’s hand went to his gun, but Tony waved him off.

“Harry! Are you all right?”

“’m okay.” Came the tired reply.

Tony looked him up and down, extending his hand. “Tony Stark.”

“Andrew Romano, I’m Harry – Harrison’s attorney.”

Tony liked the sure, firm hand shake and gestured to the sofas arranged next to the windows. “Please, sit down.”

Romano sat down on one of the smaller sofas and put his briefcase onto the low table, opening it with an economy of motion. “I’m surprised, Mr. Stark.”

“How so?” Tony rubbed his hand lightly over Harry’s back, as he rocked side to side slowly.

Romano gestured toward him. “After almost nine months of getting the run around from your legal department, believing you wanted nothing to do with this child, and then to see you instantly accept Harrison like this.”

Tony laid his cheek against his son’s hair. “It’s supposed to be a fairly streamlined process, Mr. Romano – I was, unfortunately, quite the playboy in my misspent youth, and have dealt with a number of paternity claims, all negative if I might add.”

“Until today,” Romano set a folder on the table, snapped his briefcase closed and set it on the floor.

“Until today,” Tony agreed, moving towards the couch. “Although, to be honest, I’m not sure how, but Harry is clearly mine. I spent time with Lily and James Potter in England, Wales I think, about thirteen years ago.”

Romano looked at him steadily. “If you are convinced Harrison and I are no threat, I’d like to speak to you privately.”

Tony made eye contact with Happy, who nodded and headed back into the elevator. Arranging Harry a bit in his arms, Tony sat down and shifted Harry to the side, so he was leaning against Tony. The kid looked half-asleep but was following the conversation.

“Mr. Romano, the time I spent with Lily and James was precious to me and I left reluctantly all those years ago. I must admit to being bewildered at why the couple I remember, wouldn’t have let me know I had a son with them.”

“We actually believe they may have tried,” Romano admitted. “We found a letter to you in their vault, but before I start, Mr. Stark, I must ask if you are aware of the magical world?”

Tony blinked and searched his mind. “Magical? What do you mean?”

“Was Harrison not covered with his invisibility cloak when he came up in the elevator?”

Eyes widening, Tony nodded, and he watched Harry pull the cloak out of his jacket pocket. When he threw it over their legs, Tony gasped as their legs disappeared.

“That’s fuc—fricking amazing!” Tony fingered the cloth. “So magic, like witches?”

“Technically, Harrison and I, as well as James Potter, are wizards and Lily was a witch.” Romano pushed the folder towards him. “There is a whole magical world which exists alongside the mundane or non-magic world.” He frowned. “In fact, I believe the attorney I have been dealing with in your Legal department may be a witch – she just reacted badly to either myself or to Harrison’s name every time I had contact with her.”

“Hmm,” Tony said as he watched Romano open the folder and saw the paperwork. “JARVIS, save all the audio and video since you alerted me in the lab about Harry, until we are done – EYES ONLY and on my private server, please.”

“Yes, Master Stark.”

Harry’s head snapped up and he searched the ceiling. “Who’s that?”

“JARVIS is my AI, artificial intelligence – like an electronic butler.”

“But so much more, young sir!” JARVIS added.

“He’s modest, too.” Tony deadpanned and was thrilled to get a shy smile out of his son.

“Harrison, Ian gave you the letter he found, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry pulled up his bag and took it out but held on to it as Romano handed Tony his Gringotts’ paperwork.

“Holy shit!” Tony gasped as he looked at Harry’s heritage test. “I got James pregnant! What the fuc—I mean, how?”

“Magic!” Harry chirped with a smirk.

Tony tightened the arm he had around Harry. “How do you even know that, squirt?”

“My goblin account manager explained what it meant.” Harry gave him a smirk that was pure James.

Tony shook his head, wondering how any of this fit into his science-based mind set. Maybe magic was just a different type of energy, like his arc reactor was a different type of energy from electricity. He went back to the top of the thick paper – parchment? – in his hand, and read again, slowly.

“So, mini-me, do you prefer Harry or Harrison?”

Harry leaned his head back on Tony’s arm. “I didn’t even know my real name until last summer, so everyone just calls me Harry.”

“Harry it is then!” Tony decided, reading on, muttering under his breath. “James was pregnant, that would have been something to see…”

Tony’s head came up and he frowned. “Mr. Romano –”

“Andrew, please, Mr. Stark.”

“Tony – seeing how we are discussing how I procreated.”

Harry wrinkled his nose, fingers brushing over the envelope he had.

“Andrew, what is a blood adoption?”

“It is a magical potion which added Lily’s DNA with yours and James’ to Harrison’s genetics, making him a child of the three of you.”

“And the ritual Sirius did? He was always devoted to both James and Lily.”

“James and Sirius were actually cousins and, due to some mental illness within his family, Sirius refused to father an heir, instead they conducted a ritual which used blood and magic to make Harrison his blood heir to the House of Black.”

“Tony?”

The clacking of heels across the marble floor identified the new arrival. Harry stirred beside him, but Tony firmly kept his arm around him. Pepper was his rock, one of his best friends, lover, and CEO of his company.

“Pepper! Come meet my mini-me!” Tony called out.

Andrew stood as Pepper made her way to the couch, her Starkpad in hand. “Andrew Romano, this gorgeous woman is Pepper Potts, my better half, and CEO of Stark Industries. Pep, this gentleman is the attorney for Harrison James Potter, or would it be Potter-Stark?”

“Mr. Romano,” Pepper shook his hand before turning toward Tony, one eyebrow arched.

Tony felt Harry stiffen and his breathing pick up, and, at the same time, he felt a twinge in his chest. He could feel his eyes widen as he had an epiphany, but first he had to stop the panic attack he felt Harry having. Drawing Harry half into his lap, Tony pulled him against his chest.

“Breath, Harry,” Tony instructed him quietly, rubbing his back.

Pepper sat down on Harry’s other side and began running her fingers through his hair, the way she did for Tony when he had a nightmare. “Is this handsome young man related to you, Tony?” Her voice was soft.

“Harry?” Tony sat him up a bit until his son looked at him. “I would really like you to meet a very nice lady, who kinda hangs around here a lot, ‘cause I’m irresistible.”

Harry snorted and took a deep breath, before turning toward Pepper. “Hi.”

“Oh, my goodness, how adorable are you!” Pepper gushed, making Harry blushed.

As Harry turned his attention to Pepper, who began to ask him questions, Tony turned back to the attorney.

“What is a squib?” He asked, again looking down at the heritage paper.

“Someone who is born to a magical parent but doesn’t have the ability to access their magical core,” Andrew explained. “There are also some theories suggesting there are families who are from a line of Squibs, who are able to have children with magic – what are called Muggleborn, or first gen magical.”

“Would someone like me have enough magic in them to, I don’t know, be able to feel it when their child is hurt, physically or emotionally?”

The attorney looked startled and leaned forward. “Parental bonds are possible between parents and children, especially if the children are magically powerful. Have you experienced this?”

“Yes, apparently since Harry was born,” Tony admitted, looking at Harry’s birthdate. “And whatever happened to Lily and James, Harry was also hurt – Halloween of 2001?”

Chapter Text

Harry blinked as he listened to Tony talk to his attorney. His father had been able to feel when he was hurt?

“Yes, they were murdered, and Voldemort tried to kill me that night.”

Tony closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths.

The lady beside him gasped. “Tony – the phantom pains you feel in your chest?”

“Yeah,” the man answered, opening his eyes, his forehead scrunching in a frown. “So, what happened about a week ago, my son, that caused my chest to feel like it was on fire?”

Harry’s eyes widened and he sucked in a deep breath. “Can I tell you after we get all of this stuff done, please?”

His face softening, Tony leaned down to press a kiss to his hair. “You don’t have to worry, mini-Merlin, I’m not letting you out of my sight for like the next thirty years. We will be talking about everything.”

Andrew tilted his head. “Are we speaking about the incident at Hogwarts which you wrote Ian about? Because I’d really like to bring in a few people who need to hear it.”

“Ian?” Tony asked, frown deepening.

“Ian Selwyn, Harrison’s London barrister,” Romano answered. “We’ve both been concerned about the school’s headmaster downplaying the significance of what happened.”

Harry looked down, taking a deep breath. It felt odd to have adults who actually cared what happened to him – not even his professors cared, and Dumbledore had just given him an explanation which didn’t make sense and brushed him aside. His stomach chose then to grumble loudly, embarrassing him. He knew he was blushing as he looked up.

“I think,” Pepper interjected, giving Tony a significant look. “We need to get Harry something to eat before we continue.”

“When was the last time you ate, Harry?” Tony asked him.

“Um, breakfast?”

“To translate, breakfast this morning in the Scottish Highlands before getting on the train to London? So about 3am here in New York?” Romano clarified.

Harry dropped his eyes to stare at the envelope in his hands but nodded.

“What are you hungry for, mini-me?” his father asked.

Looking up, Harry almost shrugged, not sure what to say, but something in Tony’s eyes pleaded with him to be honest. “Um, something warm and filling?”

“JARVIS, please have the cafeteria send up bowls of whatever hearty soup they have, the pasta special, and stew if they are serving it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Andrew, how soon could you get the people here that you believe should hear Harry’s story?”

“Within fifteen minutes.” Andrew said, extracting his wand from his sleeve.

Harry watched, fascinated, as Andrew casted a glowing white dog who trotted around him for a moment and before disappearing through the wall. “Wow!”

“My Patronus,” Andrew told him with a smile. “A light magic guardian, for lack of a better term, who is also able to carry messages and fend off dementors.”

“Someone will be explaining this part of what is going on to me, I assume?” Pepper muttered to his father, who nodded.

The elevator dinged and the man his dad called Happy stepped out, followed by several people. The cafeteria workers set the covered food they have brought on the kitchen island and left as Tony waved them a thanks. The woman from the Legal department stood nervously next to Happy with a file folder in hand, while an older man in a black suit followed, glowering at her.

“Truesdale, an explanation of what happened with my son’s paternity claim, please?” The request was polite enough, but Harry could hear the steel in his father’s voice.

“I, uh, I followed the protocols, Mr. Stark, however the initial DNA tests were conducted at a lab I wasn’t familiar with and— “

“And you are familiar with all the certified genetics labs, worldwide, Ms. Truesdale?”

Harry’s eyes widened at the cool, I-may-want-to-hurt-you tone in the red-haired lady’s voice. He looked up at Tony, who tilted down his head and lifted his eyebrows. Harry was sure Tony had heard that tone before, probably directed at himself.

“Ms. Potts, I — I mean, no I don’t but this one was a positive match and we’ve never had one before!” Truesdale stammered.

“And it nothing to do with Harrison being Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived?” Romano threw in.

The widening of the woman’s eyes gave her away and Harry saw his attorney flick his wand, held down by his side, immobilizing he and levitating her down to the floor. At that moment, the elevator doors open once again, and several large men stepped out. From Tony’s groan, he knew at least one of them and Harry was shifted to the side as Tony stood up. Ms. Potts ignored all of them to set a bowl of what appeared to be beef stew in front of him and pointedly handed him a spoon.

“Hello, Nick and Agent, while I’m always glad to see you, now is not the— “

“Actually, now is the perfect time, Stark!” The man with an eyepatch and a long, black leather coat snapped. He looked over at Harry, who almost laughed when the man did a double take. “Who thought it was a good idea to procreate with you, Stark?”

The elevator opened again and three more people, all dressed in more wizarding style clothing stepped out.

Sneering at the one-eyed man, Harry stood up, tired of adults who talked over his head like he wasn’t there. “My father, sir! Do you have an issue with that?” He crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow.

“Crap – there are two of them!” Happy groused.

Tony grinned and Ms. Potts seemed amused, even if the one-eyed guy just stared.

“Don’t mind the nasty pirate, son, he’s always a bit rough around the edges.” He smirked. “Harry, I’d like you to meet Director Nick Fury of SHIELD and Agent Coulson. Gentlemen, my son, Harry James Potter.”

Harry watched as Coulson just closed his eyes while Fury continued to stare, before turning back to Tony. “How is it you are the father of a famous, powerful wizard?”

“I believe I can help clear things up.” Ian Selwyn stepped forward, to Harry’s delight. “I am Ian Selwyn, currently Harry’s legal guardian and barrister. The gentleman with me is Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt of the British Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the lady is Mariah Fontaine of the Security Forces of the Magical Congress of the United States.”

“Kingsley, what are you doing here?” Fury had whipped around.

“Auror business, cousin.”

Tony seemed to have lost whatever patience he’d had as he stepped forward and help up his hands. “Welcome to my home, Mr. Selwyn, Aurors, and whomever! My place so I get to ask the first questions.” Tony turned to where Ian was standing beside Romano. “How long ago did you first file the appropriate documents?”

“Almost nine months ago, Mr. Stark. Harry had requested we file as soon as we had confirmed results.”

Tony’s face darkened and Harry’s eyes widened as he hurriedly sat back down. He was awfully glad his dad’s anger wasn’t directed at him as Tony threw him a wink and pointed at his stew. Harry picked up his spoon and took another bite. Taking a step toward the immobilized woman, Tony snarled at her in a tone even more cutting than Snape’s worse.

“You are telling me; you have had proper documentation concerning my child for EIGHT months and failed to apprise me of the fact?” The rage dripped from Tony and Harry could feel his anger, literally, in his own chest.

His dad turned his back on the woman and looked at Harry, taking a deep breath, before turning back to look at the man standing by Mr. Happy. “Frank, I want an audit of every paternity claim, lawsuit, and anything else she has handled over the past five years to make sure it was handled properly!”

“Yes, Mr. Stark, and I sincerely apologize for what has happened.” The man wrung his hands.

Harry watched as Tony nodded abruptly and made eye contact with Mr. Happy, who in turn, escorted the man to the elevator. “JARVIS, please start a full audit on your end as well.” Tony turned toward the group of people standing beside the one-eyed man. “Whomever wants to take jurisdiction, please get this person out of my home!”

Auror Fontaine moved forward immediately and threw what looked like a gold coin on her chest. “Ms. Truesdale, you are hereby placed under arrest for custodial interference, illegally withholding information concerning an heir from a custodial parent and attempted line theft.” She then tapped her wand onto the coin and the woman disappeared.

“Thank you, Auror Fontaine,” Tony told the lady, before glaring again at the one-eyed man.

Seating himself once more beside Harry, Tony lifted his arm and Harry willingly snuggled against his side. It was an amazing feeling to be held against someone else and Harry was fairly sure he’d never grow tired of it. He caught sight of Ian smiling at him and Harry felt his cheeks heat up, but he refused to be embarrassed. There was a low murmur of conversation as Harry ate several more bites and then pushed the bowl away from him.

“Harry, bambino, do you need anything before you start with your story?” Tony asked quietly.

“Could I have some water, please?”

Ms. Potts immediately rose and grabbed a bottle off the breakfast bar, handing it to Harry as she sat back down. He murmured a thank you before unscrewing the top and taking a sip. In a quiet but sure voice, he began telling the assembled people about his life. At times, his dad’s arm would tighten around him and at other times, Ian would clear his throat, giving him a nod of encouragement. Nervous to speak in front of strangers, Harry concentrated on looking at those he did know. Ms. Potts laid a hand on his knee as he talked about his life at the Dursleys and how Hagrid had found them, including the trip to Gringotts with Hagrid pointedly picking up Dumbledore’s special package.

He noticed at times, a pain-filled grimace flit across on one or more of his audience’s faces, and his father’s anguish at times made his chest hurt. Stiffening a little, Harry told them about the return the Privet Drive and the summons to Gringotts, allowing Tony to pass his heritage test around the room. Pepper and Fury blinked several times as they read over his parentage, but Mr. Happy just gave Tony a smirk. Harry was sure his dad rolled his eyes but grinned back.

No one said a word as he began relaying what had happened at Hogwarts that school year, the British Auror began pacing as he talked about the troll, the enchanted mirror, and the three headed dog. Tony hauled him into his lap as he talked about receiving his father’s invisibility cloak and then going through the tests to get to where Quirrellmort was. Ian jumped up and came over to pace behind the couch, as Harry relayed what happened in the room beneath the school. Describing how Quirrell had died at his hand, Harry told them about the headmaster’s matter-of-fact behavior while he was in the hospital wing, brushing aside Harry’s questions and concerns.

“You are not going back to that school!” Tony, Ian, and, surprisingly, the one-eyed man said in unison, as soon as he was done.

Exhausted, Harry laughed as he laid his head on Tony’s shoulder, He felt Ms. Potts’ hand carding through his hair and sighed, basking in the comfort being offered; it felt wonderful. The adults started talking in low voices and Harry listened with half an ear, to Ian, Mr. Romano, and, most vocally, Tony were making comments on what he’d told them. Somehow, Harry felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders in the retelling of what happened and only hoped no one judged him too harshly for being a murderer.

Chapter Text

Tony felt the completely relaxed form of his son resting against him and could hear the even breathing indicating he’d fallen asleep. Pepper must have also noticed as she stood up and Tony helped her reposition Harry to lay on the couch with his head in Tony’s lap. Reaching over to the breakfast bar, Pepper grabbed a large bowl of rigatoni in a tomato sauce and sat on Tony’s other side. Neither of them had eaten since breakfast and Tony wasn’t getting up until his son was safe.

“Please keep your voices down as the munchkin looks exhausted.” Tony looked at those assembled. “And somebody tell me why I shouldn’t appeal to Her Majesty’s government to take this Dumbdoor into custody?”

“I’d like nothing better!” Harry’s barrister announced, shooting Tony a conspiratorial look. “With Harry’s preferred charges of kidnapping, mine of child neglect, child abuse, theft, if not embezzlement, abandonment of a child – and those are just the mundane charges. If you add the wizarding charges of interference with an Ancient and Noble House, failure to probate wills, withholding custodial rights, line theft, and whatever those special Boy-Who-Lived laws are.”

Tony felt a sharp stab of grief and horror. “How could they call him that?” He whispered. “Reminding him at every turn that he survived while Lily and James didn’t?”

Barrister cleared his throat, his face genuine. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Mr. Stark. Please, at some point will you tell Harry about your relationship with his parents? He doesn’t realize – James could have never conceived if there hadn’t been love in the relationship.”

Wiping a hand down his face, the other resting on Harry’s head in his lap, Tony took a deep breath. “I will, as we had started to establish ourselves as a triad, and were happy for a while, but something happened—“

“Dumbledore happened!” The British Auror stepped forward, his face grave. “I remember Sirius teasing James about his love life just before they went into hiding.” The man noticed Tony’s puzzled expression. “I was a new trainee and James my trainer when they were force to go into hiding by Albus Dumbledore, a month after you left. Although, everyone assumed it was Lily who was pregnant.”

Tony started at the man, his heart thundering in his chest. “You are telling me that this Dumblefuck manipulated my lovers, got them killed, and then kidnapped my son to place him in an abusive environment. And now seems to be grooming him into a child solider!” His voice rose as Tony’s anger grew until Harry made a distressed sound.

Pepper put a hand on his arm, anchoring him, and he took several deep breaths, in and out, as the therapist helping him with his PTSD taught him. He’d told Pepper and Rhodey about the relationship, the end of which sent him back into several years of destructive behavior. It took him many years of meaningless one-night stands until Pepper had taught him to love and trust again, and Rhodey, his brother, had never stopped loving and supporting him.

“I’m going to call Rhodey, Tony,” Pepper said, as if reading his mind, pushing the bowl into his hand.

Tony nodded; his gratitude apparent in his eyes before he turned back to the assembled visitors. “Mr. Selwyn, was it? I’m certainly hoping you are here to surrender custody of my son to me.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Stark, legal and physical custody papers already signed and notarized. However, unless you want Dumbledore to be able to get his hooks in Harry again, I or a magical person of your choice needs to be appointed his magical guardian.”

Tony clenched his jaw, swallowing his pasta. “The document Harry has indicated I have a magical heritage, why do we need someone else?”

Several looks were exchanged and Tony did his best to crush the growing anger he was feeling. Harry moved restlessly.

“Mr. Stark – I..”

“Squibs aren’t recognized as magical by the British Ministry of Magic.” Fury, of all people answered. “I should know, I’m one of them.”

Tony would definitely need to see the dentist after this, he was sure he was cracking teeth now.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Harry muttered, trying to pull away.

Tony carded his fingers through the unruly hair, his heart expanding at the honorific. “Not mad at you, bambino.”

“‘Kay.” Harry settled once more.

Tony took a minute to gather his thoughts, his eyes alighting on the envelope still clutched in Harry’s hand.

He recognized Lily’s delicate script, even thirteen years later. Reaching across his son, Tony gently tugged it from his relaxed fingers and placed it on the table in front of him. He hoped it would explain things to him; explain the whys and hows, but he wasn’t going to read in in front of these people, most of them strangers. Pepper came back from making her phone call, sliding a comforting hand to the back of his neck. Happy had moved over to the breakfast bar and was quietly eating from one of the bowls, his eyes never stopping as he continued to watch their guests.

“JARVIS, is Grayson on his way?”

“Yes, sir, with an ETA of approximately fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you, J.”

“Grayson?” Romano asked.

“My lawyer – to make sure all the custody papers are in order,” Tony told them in a soft voice. “I will not be parted from my son ever again, so I would appreciate it if you would remain his magical guardian, Mr. Selwyn.”

The man nodded his head, having returned to his seat beside Romano. “Andrew and I would be delighted to assist you in any way we can, Mr.—”

“Tony.”

“—Tony. I know your immediate acceptance of Harry is like a dream come true for him. However, there are still things which need to be done, including managing his wealth which has been sitting stagnant, as well as the Regent duties for his seats in the Wizengamot House of Lords.”

Fontaine took a step forward. “I can set up a meeting with MACUSA, who interfaces with the no-maj federal agencies, so we can secure your son’s American citizenship.”

“Thank you—”

“Actually, that’s not necessary,” Romano interjected. “Harrison already has his citizenship paperwork – being the son of an American citizen means he’s always had dual-citizenship.”

“There is a matter of upgrading security,” Fury commented, standing shoulder to shoulder with his cousin.

Tony shook his head. “The tower is brand-new and high tech, Fury. Not even completely open to the general public yet, only specific departments with an appointment.”

“You won’t be able to protect your son if –” Shackles-something started, “--when Dumbledore comes to retrieve him. He is not afraid to wipe your mind of the knowledge you even have a child.”

“That’s barbaric!” Pepper gasped. “Can you help us?”

The Aurors and Harry’s attorneys all nodded their heads. Fury spoke up after exchanging looks around the room.

“We can all help, Stark. Not for you, but for your kid – no one deserves what he’s been through.”

“What’s SHIELD’s angle?” Tony’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“There is no angle, Stark—”

“Mister Stark, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes is on his way up.” JARVIS announced.

“Tony!” Rhodey came striding out of the elevator towards where Tony sat, but his steps slowed as he caught sight of the group of people still standing to one side of the room. “Mariah? What are you doing here?”

“Platypus? How do you know her?” Tony scowled as Harry stirred and tried to sit up.

“What’s—”

Handing his bowl to Pepper, Tony lifted Harry across his lap. “Meet your Uncle Rhodey, son, and then you can go back to sleep.”

Harry was still half asleep, lifting a hand and giving a little wave. Tony brushed his hand through Harry’s fringe, exposing his scar. Harry leaned into his hand, even as he protested. “Dad, don’t.”

“Hello, young man,” Rhodey replied, staring. “Tones, how come your poor kid has a tie around his neck, and how the fuc—”

“Rhodey!” Pepper admonished, putting the bowls on the table before reaching over to quickly undo Harry’s tie.

“—frick is Harry Pott—oh my God!” Rhodey looked shocked.

“Stark.” Fury made his voice heard. “My being here today has nothing to do with SHIELD; I am here because of the role the Potter family played in the founding of magical America.”

Tony unbuttoned the top of Harry’s shirt, before settling him back down. “I’m listening.”

“Your father was a Squib, like you, Stark, and he insisted on choosing one for the Super Soldier – it was one of the reasons he wanted Steve Rogers chosen – figured it would make him even stronger when they gave him the serum, as well as withstand the procedure.”

Tony shot Fury a long look, before giving him an abrupt nod and going back to the bowl Pepper had once again pressed into his hands.

Rhodey sat down on the coffee table, picking up Harry’s heritage test. “Only you, Tony, could sire a child with a wizard and have him turn out to be the only wizard who has ever survived the Killing Curse.” Rhodey shook his head. “I should have put the names together after you came back from England a basket case.”

Tony stared at his best friend. “How do you even know about magic, Sourpatch?”

“Special Ops missions with Mariah and her Aurors,” Rhodey answered. “I’ve had a couple of deployments with them. They also helped search for you in Afghanistan, Tony.”

That stunned Tony for a moment. “I—thank you.”

The magicals inclined their heads in acceptance, although Fury looked irritated at the news.

“So,” Tony looked around the room, his gaze falling on Ian Selwyn. “Can you help me coordinate everything we need, security, training, tutors, and Rhodey here as Harry’s godfather.”

Shackinup, Fury’s cousin, stepped forward again. “Sirius Black is Harry’s godfather, although he is imprisoned in Azkaban, he never received a trail.”

“We are already working on his case with his scheduled for September 1st ,” Ian responded. “He is the current Lord Black and named Harry as his heir.”

“Okay, he can stay godfather if he is proved innocent,” Tony reasoned. “But as Harry has two fathers; he can have two godfathers.”

Pepper rolled her eyes affectionately and again nudged the bowl of rigatoni in his hand. “Eat!”

Tony took it gratefully and ignored the snickers from Rhodey and Happy. Harry’s head was a warm weight in his lap and Tony took a few minutes just to look at the child’s face, relaxed and impossibly young looking. His kid, his son, was such a perfect blend of all three of them, and, of course, incredibly handsome. As he ate, Pepper organized more chairs to be brought up and passed around drinks, allowing the gathered individuals to quietly discuss what was happening. When he was finished, Rhodey took the bowl from him and set it on the table, handing him a bottle of water to wash it down.

Tony would really prefer about half a bottle of 40-year-old Macallan single malt scotch, but he was sure Pepper would veto that idea.

“Tony,” Andrew Romano spoke up from where he and Harry’s barrister sat. “If it is acceptable, I have made an appointment for us to speak to the goblins of Gringotts Bank tomorrow morning.”

“Goblins?” Tony felt his eyebrows raising.

“They are the wizarding bankers,” Ian informed him, pointing at Harry’s heritage test. “They also handle inheritance for the Most Noble and Ancient Houses, like those Harry is heir to. We need to establish you as his primary guardian and have his vaults either secured in London or transferred to New York, to make them easier for Harry to access.”

Tony blinked. “Vaults?”

Andrew and Ian exchanged a glance, causing Tony to narrow his eyes, ignoring the muttering of the other people in the living room.

“Stark, your son’s fortune probably rivals your own,” Fury supplied.

Tony stared at him. “Why do you know so much about my son’s money, Patch?”

The SHIELD director glowered at him and he opened his mouth to snap a reply, when his cousin elbowed him. Tony arched an eyebrow as Fury shot daggers at the Shack guy. Pepper cleared her throat as she stared Fury down.

“All right, it is getting late and I think we’d be better at sorting this out tomorrow,” Pepper announced. “Both Tony and I appreciate your concern for Harry, and we want to make sure he receives whatever medical and emotional treatment he needs, as well as an appropriate education in a safe and secure environment.”

Tony nodded at her statement. “I also will need guidance on Harry’s financial situation and while he’ll never need to worry about where his next meal is coming from, I want to make sure he knows how to handle his investments.” He looked at Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. “I also need to keep my family safe and would welcome the opportunity to learn how we can to that.”

“Mr. Selwyn, we would be happy to put you and anyone else who needs it, in a guest room on one of the lower floors so we can meet first thing in the morning.” Pepper stood up, indicating they were done for the night.

Chapter Text

Dearest Tony,

This past year has been incredibly hard for us, with James’ pregnancy and being sent into hiding as soon as it was confirmed the baby would be born in July. We have missed you so much and love you just as much today as the day you left. We treasure the gift you gave us as well, our little Harry, and, as soon as this bloody war is over, we are coming to find you!

We are getting ahead of ourselves though, and are writing this in case the worst happens before we can find you. We need to tell you all about the Wizarding world and just how it happened that James gave birth to our little miracle.

You were still with us, when one of the central figures in our world, Albus Dumbledore, came to us and asked us if Lily was pregnant. At the time, as you know, it was a possibility and he told us a famous Seer had prophesied that a baby born in July would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord Tom Riddle. The madman who called himself Voldemort, was targeting those without magic and magicals with non-magical families. I know there were times when we used magic around you, Tony, and you are intelligent enough to have figured it out, but never questioned it – but, man of science, magic does exist!

At the time, we were told the safest thing for us to do is go into hiding. We wanted to take you into hiding with us, Tony, but then you packed and left. Your self-esteem sucks, love!

The reason we were sent into hiding was due to a so-called prophecy, which Dumbledore has taken as written in stone:

“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... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...”

Neither one of us believes in this, but James and I can’t put our family in unnecessary danger, as Voldemort is aware of this mess of a prophecy – and according to Dumbledore, believes it. We are as secure as we can be here and are using Sirius as a decoy. If anything happens to us, blame Peter Pettigrew, who is the person who holds our fate in his hand.

If anything happens to us, our wills name you clearly as Harry’s sire and gives you unquestionable custody of our son. Please love this little boy as you loved us and let him know he was conceived in love, just as James and I loved you. Do not let Albus Dumbledore take him from you – allow Sirius to protect you and seek out the goblins, they have all the proof you will need.

All our love always, Lily and James

Tony hadn’t realize he was crying until a silent tear dropped onto the edge of the thick parchment in his hand. He quickly wiped it off, not wanting to damage the letter. Running a hand down his face, Tony wiped his fingers on his jeans before picking up his cup of coffee from the breakfast bar. He downed the rest of the cup before wrinkling his nose in disgust at the cold bitterness.

“Dad?”

His heart spasmed and Tony could feel his face split into a wide grin when he heard the name. Turning, he saw Harry walking towards him in his pajamas, his hair sticking up and his eyes still sleepy behind his glasses. Tony thought he was the cutest kid he’d ever seen.

“Good morning, son,” Tony said, still grinning wildly. “How did you sleep?”

Harry blinked a couple times as he stopped just short of the stool Tony sat on. “Good, I think. How did I get into these?” He pulled at his bottoms.

Tony reached out and took Harry’s hand, drawing him close enough to give him a hug. “Ian cast a spell and switched your clothes last night.”

Harry lost the stiffness as Tony continued to hold him close, relaxing enough to drop his head to Tony’s shoulder. “Okay.”

“No nightmares?”

His son’s head popped up. “How—”

Tony snorted. “I was kidnapped and held captive in a cave for three months a few years ago, kiddo – and I still have nightmares.”

Harry’s eyes widened and took on a bit of a wild look. “January – like three years ago?”

Leaning down, Tony immediately lifted Harry up and into his lap. “What happened, bambino?”

Harry buried his face in Tony’s neck and inhaled deeply, tickling his skin and Tony pulled him closer. He ran his free hand down Harry’s back as he waited for him to speak, savoring the feeling of warmth settling into his chest. It truly felt like he was whole for the first time in a long time, filling a void in his heart which had been empty since his mother had been killed.

“I woke in my cupboard one night with terrible pains in my chest and couldn’t seem to move. My uncle figured I was faking and hauled me out, gave me a belting so I knew what pain was. I don’t think I was able to do anything for almost a week.”

Tony winced and made a mental note to ask Harry’s attorneys whether charges had been pressed against the assholes who abused his child. “The terrorists were using illegally obtained Stark weapons, including a bomb which almost killed me. It tore through the ballistic vest I was wearing and filled my chest with shrapnel – little pieces of metal. I made a device which keeps the pieces from moving towards my heart.”

Gasping, Harry looked up. “I could have lost you before I knew you were there!”

“You didn’t, though, son, and now we have the time to get to know each other and live the rest of our lives as a family.” Tony nudged the open letter towards Harry. “It’s what your mom and dad wanted and I think we should honor that.”

Reaching to take the letter with a trembling hand, Harry’s eye searched his face. “You’d really let me read it?”

“Of course, kiddo,” Tony responded, smirking. “Nothing too embarrassing in it, really!”

Harry snuggled closer, bringing the letter up and started reading through it. Tony didn’t comment as tears began to trickle down Harry’s face, just tightening his embrace. The hand holding the parchment was steady and his other hand curled around Tony’s fingers. Tony closed his eyes, feeling the emotion Harry was experiencing in his chest, like an echo of his own feelings: love, want, and sorrow.

“You really loved them,” Harry whispered, placing the letter gently onto the table.

Tony brought their hands up to his chest. “I loved you mum and dad very much, Harry, just as I now love you.”

“I thought—” Harry snapped his mouth shut even as he leaned against Tony.

“You thought I had a one-night stand with your dad and never looked back.”

Harry looked up at him from under his fringe. “Well, you do have a bit of a reputation as a playboy.”

Laughing, Tony pressed a kiss to Harry’s temple. “That I do, squirt! I was a bit wild before I met Lily and James and was worse when I came back from England. Not anymore, though, as I’m sure Pepper would cas—hurt me if I cheated on her.”

Harry smiled and closed his eyes. “You know I’m too big to sit on your lap.”

“I think you fit just fine, kiddo. You can have a growth spurt in a year or so, right now I’m making up for lost time.”

“Sir, Barrister Selwyn is on his way up.”

“Thank you, J.” Tony kept Harry in his lap, despite him trying to wiggle off. “We have appointments today, but you need to eat breakfast first. What would you like to eat?”

Drawing back, Harry looked at his father questioningly. “You actually cook?”

Tony snorted at the look. “Damn, you look just like James when you do that! And yes, your mom taught me.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Harry eyed him again. “So, if my dad gave birth to me, isn’t he actually my mum? Or are you going by some other fancy name like sire or pater or something?”

“But you get that sass from me!” Tony crowed. “Seriously? Your mom will always be Lily – no matter what James did. You can call us Dad One and Dad Two!”

A snort let them know they weren’t alone and Tony looked up to see approval in Ian Selwyn’s eyes. He smiled happily.

Chapter Text

Harry followed Ian Selwyn into the New York branch of Gringotts Bank through the street entrance just prior to the Woolworth Building. This entry, disguised to look like a pawn shop, was very effective, Harry thought as he reached back to grab his father’s hand. Tony seemed to want to look over the merchandised in the grimy glass counter that served as a decoy to non-magicals, the jewelry and daggers gleaming despite the filth of the shop.

“Those aren’t really for sale, Dad,” Harry snickered, as the back door opened into an impressive white marble and gold bank lobby.

The room was huge, even bigger than the Gringotts branch in Diagon Alley, Harry thought, as they followed Ian towards a large central desk just behind a row of goblins tellers. There was a line of customers leading to the tellers and Harry was awestruck at the variety of people and forms of dress. The business suits he and Tony wore were not the only ones Harry saw and while some people were wearing robes, most seemed to be in some form of Muggle clothing. And no one acted like anything strange was going on. Harry grinned, perhaps America wasn’t as old fashioned as Britain.

Ian gave the goblin behind the desk a respectful nod of his head as he spoke to him and Harry guessed the area around the desk had a privacy ward of some kind on it as he couldn’t hear anything. Tony stood beside him, swiveling his head to look around, taking in everything in the ornate room. As Harry watched, his dad muttered softly, likely speaking to his AI, JARVIS, and was surprised the high-tech glasses were still working. Harry wondered how Andrew was faring, as he’d gone to MACUSA to make sure all the American paperwork was properly filed and to have Tony’s homes listed as magical residences.

Ian beckoned them forward as another goblin appeared and escorted them down a corridor leading further into the bank. Harry was surprised to find the walls made of the same white marble and lit by lightbulbs in golden sconces which lined the wall. A vast improvement, in Harry’s opinion, over the hewed rock wards of the Diagon Alley branch. The door they were escorted to was made of dark wood and led into a richly decorated office, with a large desk of the same wood in the middle of the room. An older goblin sat behind the desk, going through a muggle-style file folder.

“Greetings, Account Manager Ironfang,” Ian addressed him as he bowed slightly.

The goblin looked up, taking in the three of them. “Barrister Selwyn, welcome. If the description from my clanbrother, Ironjaw, is correct, this would be Lord Peverell.”

Ian smiled and rested his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Indeed, may I present Harrison Potter-Stark and his father, Anthony Stark.”

Harry almost snickered when the goblin’s eyes widened slightly before he inclined his head and gestured to the chairs in front of the desk. Taking the seat in the middle, Harry sat down, watching his father as he examined the room with unbridled interest, especially a display of goblin wrought iron swords on the wall. Tony slowly lowered himself into the chair, refocusing his attention on Ironfang.

“Doctor Stark, I am pleased to finally see another Stark in Gringotts Bank.”

Tony blinked, but didn’t comment as Ironfang turned his attention to Harry. “How is it Gringotts can help you today, Lord Peverell?”

Ian leaned forward and set his paperwork down on the desk, sliding it towards Ironfang. “We would like to finalize the custody transfer of Harrison to Dr. Stark with complete mundane custody and magical guardianship here in America. I will remain Harry’s magical guardian in the UK.”

Ironfang looked through the paperwork for a moment before nodding and looking up. “This all appears to be in order, we will certify them and then file them with both the British Ministry for guardianship and MACUSA, as to the control of your assets.”

“Account Manager Ironfang, is there a way to have the Potter and Peverell vaults moved here? There have been a number of questionable withdrawals from them since my parents’ murder.”

The goblin nodded. “I was notified by Ironjaw of the discrepancies and we believe it would be best to shut down all of the vaults left to you, with blood and magical signature requirements to enter them. I can, of course, move your trust vault here without issue, but there are certain British Ministry regulations concerning artifacts being removed from the London branch.”

Tony turned to him and laid his hand on his arm. “Harry, I plan to open a vault for your use today, along with a vault for our family and one for Stark Industries.”

Harry started to shake his head. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to, son,” Tony insisted, his hand tightening slightly. “I know James and Lily had plenty of money, but you are my son, too, and I want to provide for you, as well.”

“But, that’s not why—”

Tony’s eyes softened as they met his. “I know, bambino, and I appreciate it more than you know. Let me do this for you, please.”

His eyes prickling, Harry nodded, giving his dad a small smile, just as Ironfang cleared his throat. They all turned to look at the goblin.

“Dr. Stark—”

“Tony, please.”

“Tony, there is already a Stark vault within this branch of Gringotts. Your father opened it during the war with Grindelwald and there have been continuous deposits made over the last almost seventy years.”

Harry could see the shock on Tony’s face. “How—how did he even know to come here?”

Ironfang withdrew a piece of parchment from the folder he had in front of him and slid it over towards Tony. “Howard Stark was part of a secret special forces group working with the Wizarding world to defeat both Grindelwald and Hitler. The two both wanted to rule their respective worlds by conquest and shared a vision of exterminating undesirable portions of the population: muggleborns and Jews, respectively. Howard came in accompanied by one of the wizards, Alastor Moody, when he was able to see through spells designed to hide magic.”

Harry watched as Tony pulled the parchment closer, which appeared to be a heritage test like Harry had done in London. He watched as his father’s brown eyes tracked over the writing on the test, seeing the excitement in them grow as they went. He knew exacting how Tony’s stomach had to be flipping, remembering the feeling as he had when he looked at his own lineage with Ironjaw. Reaching over, Harry extended his hand and carefully laid it on Tony’s arm in support.

“Howard Stark designated one half of one percent of the profits of Stark Industries to be deposited when he opened the vault in 1942, originally in our London office. After the defeat of the two would-be dictators, Mr. Stark had the contents transferred to this branch, where he could more easily access it.”

“And he just left it to accumulate?”

Ironfang shook his head. “Oh, no, Tony, your father often visited the vault, using it as a high-security storage area, in addition to continuing his quarterly deposits. He made two large withdrawals over the years, once to finance the building of the first Stark factory outside New York City and again to build the experimental arc reactor complex in California. The deposits continued after his death, as per his will.”

Tony looked stunned when Ironfang slid another parchment in front of him to find almost five hundred million Galleons in the vault. Harry leaned over to read the figures over his father’s shoulder and did the conversion to pounds in his head, whistling softly.

“When was the last time Howard visited the vault?”

Consulting the parchment in front of him, Ironfang answered. “The morning of December 16th, 1991.”

“The day they died—” Tony trailed off, sounding astounded. “After we are done here, I’d like to examine the vault, if possible.”

Harry knew something was going on as Tony’s muscles were still tense as he continued to speak to Ironfang. He watched as Tony set up two the additional vaults, a personal one for their family and a second one as a trust vault for Harry. His dad shot him a look when Harry opened his mouth and he snapped it shut. A warm feeling spread out from his chest at the thought of how eagerly Tony had accepted him and had assume the role of Dad for him. It was more than he could have hoped for and Harry wasn’t going to argue with him over money, of all things.

Tony had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, which had nothing to do with the drop the mine car they were riding in had just made. Barrister had stay in the goblin’s office to finalize guardian legalities as he and Harry rode down to check the vault Howard had opened, with a goblin escort. He had noted the night before, when his son’s heritage test had listed he and Howard as Squibs – and wasn’t that a demeaning label – and therefore could utilize the bank, but it hadn’t really sunk in. Rather like James being pregnant, Tony thought with a small smile.

They went around a tight corner and Tony grabbed at the cart even as Harry cheered. Apparently, Disney World was in their immediate future, Tony thought, his kid was as much of a daredevil as he was.

“How is it possible to have vaults down here?” Tony spoke up to be heard over the wind rushing by. “I would think we’d run into the subway!”

“We’re lower than the No-maj tube trains,” the cart goblin growled.

“Fair enough,” Tony answered, thankful the cart was finally slowing down.

“Vault 616,” the goblin announced as the cart stopped in front of an elaborate gold vault door.

Tony followed Harry out and examined the door. There was no keyhole, which was fine as they hadn’t been given a key. There was what looked like a door knob and Tony reached for it. As he wrapped his hand around it, Tony felt a sharp prick on his palm and a tingling sensation, before the handle turned and the door swung open.

Harry grabbed his hand and looked at it carefully, seeing a pinprick in his palm. “That’s how they check the blood!” He looked up at Tony, “I wondered as Ironjaw changed my vaults to the same security, blood and magical signature.”

“Huh, I guess that’s why my hand tingled.”

Stepping back, Tony drew Harry closer to his side as a precaution and they both moved cautiously into the dim vault. The lights must have been triggered by their movement, Tony surmised, as they brightened when he and Harry crossed the threshold. Stopping just inside, Tony felt his jaw drop when he took in the expanse of the space and the sheer number of golden coins lining the walls, stacked in transparent containers. The containers reached to the ceiling, neatly lined up along the sides and back of the vault. The vault space was rectangular in shape, the walls looked more like concrete than anything else, Tony thought, having expected a cave like room, as Harry described his vault at the London branch.

“Sure neater than my vault in London,” Harry murmured as they both looked around.

To the left of the entrance, there were two large, black file cabinets, reminiscent of the type found in all government offices in the 80s and 90s. Next to them was a set of wooden bookshelves filled with books and journals, and a small table littered with papers. Tony moved toward it as Harry stood inside the door, just looking around.

Tony stopped at the first filing cabinet, pulling out the top drawer to see it jammed full of file folders. They didn’t appear to be in any order, as the first one was labeled “Tesseract”, and the next was “Arc Reactor”, followed by “SHIELD”. Something about the sight of the words had Tony’s heat speeding up. Closing the top drawer, he pulled out the one below it to see more files, some brown with age. The third drawer appearing the same, with none of the file names jumping out at him. In the top drawer of the second file cabinet, Tony found a thick folder labeled simply “Anthony” and the one behind it was “Magic”. The breath froze in his lungs as he stared at the two.

“Dad?”

Harry called to him and Tony suspected it wasn’t the first time his son had tried.

“Whatcha got, bambino?” Tony stepped over to him.

“There’s an envelope here addressed to you and this case feeling like it has a preservation charm or something on it.”

“What is it about people leaving me notes in vaults I had no knowledge of?” Tony grumbled as he joined Harry.

Taking the letter, Tony’s heart skipped a beat at the familiar script and the tingle of what he’d come to decided was magic. Why would a letter from his father have some kind of magic on it?

“Harry, that bag of yours? Exactly how much room is there on the inside?”

Grinning at him, Harry pulled it off his shoulder. “Guaranteed to hold half a library.”

Tony took the bag and carefully withdrew the files which had caught his eye, as well as the letter his father had left. Closing the drawers of the file cabinets, Tony slung the bag over his shoulder and moved to where Harry was studying the aluminum carrying case. The shiny case stirred a memory in Tony of Howard using a similar case when he was a teenager. He watched as his son held a hand over the top of the case, his eyes screwed up in concentration.

Harry must have felt his presence as he opened his eyes and looked up at him. “I’m not sure whether it is a special ability or anything, but I seem to be able to feel different kinds of magic. No one at my school ever mentioned being able to do the same, so I never said anything, but—” Harry studied him for a moment. “Let me have your hand.”

Tony held his right hand out and stepped closer, allowing Harry’s warm fingers to wrap around his wrist and hold his hand over the case. Taking a breath and holding it, Tony could feel a prickling against his palm and felt his eyes grow wide.

“You feel it, too,” Harry stated with a knowing look.

“Yes, like a prickling sensation against my hand.”

Harry nodded. “I couldn’t open it, so I think its based on magical signature.”

Frowning, Tony met his son’s eyes. “But if I’m a Squib, do I have a magical signature?”

“Ian told me that it isn’t that Scuibs don’t have magic, its that they aren’t able to use the magic they have inside.” Harry gestured at the case. “Maybe your dad somehow included your magical signature into the locking spell on the case.”

“I don’t know, mini-me, but it’s worth a try.”

Setting the messenger bag down, Tony lifted the case onto the table and reached to unlock it. The prickling became almost painful as he flipped the latches and eased off as he opened the case. There, nestled in a foam insert were seven large glass ampoules of a bluish liquid. The breath seized in Tony’s lungs for a moment, before he reached in and lifted one of them out. The glass was cold to the touch and Tony knew what he’d found. Taking the pocket square out of his breast pocket and the handkerchief out of his pocket, Tony carefully wrapped the vial in them.

“Harry, can anyone take things out of your bag or is it enhanced so only you can remove things?” Tony sounded breathless to his own ears as he glanced up at Harry.

“Only I can take anything out,” Harry told him guardedly.

Tony nodded and beckoned him closer, putting a finger to his lips. “Is there a pocket in your bag you can slip this into where it won’t get broken?”

Nodding his head, Harry carefully took the ampoule from his dad and slid it into an inside pocket. Tony nodded silently never breaking eye contact, hoping to convey to Harry that they would talk about it at home. With the utmost care, Tony closed the case and closed the latches, before holding his hand over it again to make sure he flet the same prickle of magic. When he did, he set the case back down, sliding it back so it sat under the table, just out of sight of anyone who stepped inside the vault. While he knew no other person could enter the vault, Tony was certain the goblins had been maintaining the contents, and didn’t want to call undue attention to the case.

“So, Harry, how many of these gold coins do you think we need to go shopping?” Tony’s voice was raised just about a normal speaking voice, as if Harry was at the far end of the vault.

“Well, I took one hundred from my vault last year to get all my school supplies, including my uniforms and trunk.” Harry cocked his head and studied Tony for a moment, before pulling a small pouch from his pocket. “Here, I still have the leather pouch Ironjaw gave me.”

Together, they scooped several large handfuls of gold into the pouch. Tony kept up a continuous ramble about where they needed to go and what they needed to buy. He could feel how fast his heart was beating and willed it to slow down. Harry slid the pouch back into his pocket and without saying a word, handed over the messenger bag for Tony to carry.

Looping an arm around Harry’s shoulders, Tony guided him out of the vault.

Chapter Text

The Wizarding shopping area was very different from Diagon Alley, bright, clean, and housed in a large glass atrium inside the Woolworth Building. Harry was surprised, as the area was twice as large as Diagon and there was a greater selection of stores. Several wand shops, a half-dozen clothing shops, and at least four different sweet stores. There was also a hotel which opened into the area near Gringotts as well as a variety of restaurants and cafes. Ian smiled indulgently at both of them as he and Tony exclaimed over the different choices. Harry was sure he had acted with more restraint than his dad did – it was like the word wasn’t even in his dictionary!

Tony seemed to view the American version of Flourish and Blotts like Ron like Harry had looked at the Quidditch Supply Store. The top-quality broom Tony had bought for him resided in Harry’s pocket as he helped carry the books Ian and Tony decided they needed to read. Books on the magical theory, on how to integrate first generation magicals into Wizarding society, as well as the responsibility of Harry had to the lordships he’d inherited. They had even found several books on the last two Dark Lords and how they were defeated, something Tony was very interested in, after what they had been told by Ironfang concerning Harry grandfather.

They had eaten lunch at one of the smaller restaurants, Harry had decided to try something called mac and cheese with his roast beef sandwich, which he loved. Andrew joined them in time to share the meal, telling them everything had gone well at the MACUSA offices. He’d scheduled an appointment for a wardsmith to come to the Tower the following week to properly secure the building from any magical attack. Tony had asked to also arrange for the Malibu house and the old Stark mansion outside New York City to be warded as well.

It wasn’t until early afternoon that Harry and Tony arrived back at the Tower by themselves. Happy dropped them off at the private elevator in garage and they rode up to Tony’s floor in silence. Harry wasn’t sure what Tony had found in his father’s vault, but he could sense it was significant. He truly hoped that Tony would explain it to him as he felt like he’d been kept in the dark so much through his short life, and especially in his first year at Hogwarts.

“JARVIS, lock down my floors, Protocol Absolute Silence,” Tony announced as soon as the elevator doors had closed behind them. “Scan the area for any surveillance devices and disable them if found.”

“Certainly, sir.”

Tony beckoned him to follow by crookling his finger at Harry, leading him into a large bathroom in the middle of the hallway off the living room. Harry waiting while Tony stepped into the shower and pressed the water knob in. The knob swung to the side and revealed a fingerprint reader. Tony pressed his thumb against the sensor and then leaned in, as a laser-like light scanned his retina. The entire shower wall swung inward and Tony lead Harry down a flight of stairs into what looked like a windowless flat. There were bunkbeds in one corner and a queen size bed in the other, a kitchenette with a large open pantry area and a refrigerator took the third corner. A door on the open wall led into a bathroom with a shower. There was a large television and built-in shelves held book, electronics and what Harry guessed was a gaming system.

Tony set the messenger bag down on the table adjacent to the kitchen. “This is the panic room, son. Built to keep you, Pepper, Happy, and whomever safe in the event of an attack or invasion of the Tower. The door on the far side of the pantry leads to the only other entrance, which is through the closet in the master bedroom.”

Harry looked around the space as Tony spoke, describing the room’s steel shell, reenforced by two feet of concrete, and the fact that it was completely self-contained, purified water tanks, and would be powered by a smaller version of the arc reactor due to be brought on line to power the entire Tower in about six weeks. Realizing that he was a taget in this world due to Tony’s high-profile work along with his wealth, there was always a possibility of another kidnapping attempt.

“J, add Harry to those authorized to access the safe room,’ Tony called out as he escorted Harry back up to the shower-door.

Harry let his thumb print be scanned and took off his glasses in order to have his retina read. He grinned at Tony as he straightened back up, Tony reaching over to ruffle his hair.

“Now, I have a feeling that the information in we took out of the Stark vault is going to be a bombshell.” Tony’s face turned grim. “I think we need to change into more comfortable clothes, grab something to drink and snack on, and go through what we found either in the safe room or my personal lab, they are the two safest, most secure areas of the Tower.”

“Where is your lab?” Harry asked curiously.

“The floor below us and we can reach it by going down an interior staircase just down the hall.”

“And its as secure as this?” Harry gestured down the steps.

“Yes, and is adjacent to the penthouse’s built-in safe.” Tony admitted, feeling that these files at least would need to be put somewhere very secure. “And it has the benefit of not feeling like you are entrapped.”

Harry gave him a nod, knowing that after his years locked in a cupboard, small spaces did bother him. “Let’s go to the lab then.”

Thirty minutes later, Harry met his dad in the living room, both dressed in worn jeans and long sleeve tee shirts, their arms full of snacks, following him down the stairs one floor to Tony’s workshop. The front of the lab was curved, sitting across from the elevators, and was made of four-inch thick reenforced translucent steel, apparently, with the walls, floor, and ceiling were constructed with an similar bullet-proof and explosive resistant material. Tony led him into the main workshop area, which was about half as big as the living room above them, a large containment room for actual explosions, and a third room housing cases for the Iron Man suits. Harry blinked when he saw the robot looking suits, having a vague memory of seeing them on the telly a few years ago.

“JARVIS, continue Protocol Absolute Silence and open an Eyes-Only folder on my most private server, code the folder H Vault, and the password is Harry’s birthdate.”

“Yes, sir,” JARVIS answered, “and one surveillance device found in the living room and destroyed.”

“Thanks, J – darken the front windows 80%, please.”

Harry watched as the walls looking out towards the elevators darkened to a charcoal gray – light enough to see movement but nothing else. Tony moved to the back of the room, were there was a large, comfortable looking couch, a small table with three chairs, and a small refrigerator. He set the leather messenger bag carefully on one of the chairs and beckoned Harry toward him. Opening a small cupboard, Tony stacked their snacks there and then opened the refrigerator to pull out a couple bottles of water.

“JARVIS, for the moment, keep the bots at their charging stations – this is going to be a difficult enough conversation without Dum_E or U trying to get us to play.”

“Yes, sir.”

Harry stood beside the chair. “Do you want me to take stuff out of my bag?” he asked quietly as Tony looked around the area.

“Could you pull the folders and that letter out, please, but leave the ampoule inside for now.”

Harry opened the bag, sliding his hand inside and thinking of the folders. “Accio folders”

He knew he was supposed to do it silently, but he’d not practiced much since his lessons last summer, plus the Trace was only activated by the magic he did using his wand. The folders nudged his hand and Harry pulled them out one at a time, knowing his father was watching everything he did. He repeated the Summoning Spell on the letter before setting it on the table.

Tony pursed his lips as he gingerly picked up the envelope, running his fingers along the edges. Waving Harry to the couch, Tony followed as he sat down, setting his water on to arm. His dad flopped down beside him, the envelope still in his hand. Harry could tell the man was nervous and turned, resting back against the arm rest and pulling his leg up so he could face Tony.

With a sigh, Tony set the letter between them and rubbed a hand down his face. “I wasn’t planning on telling you this right away, just as I’m sure you wouldn’t want to tell me about your shit childhood until you’d been here awhile. I’ll try to be as objective as I can.

If you’d asked me even five years ago, I would have told you that Howard Stark was a terrible father and would have sworn never to let you near the man if he was still alive. Not abusive in relation to what I suspect you have gone through, more that he was rarely there, and when he was, I was more a possession than a son – and a disappointing one at that”

Tony took a deep breath and Harry reach across the cushion to lay a hand on his sleeve, earning a quick smile.

“Howard put me in front of the cameras the first time when I was three days old. At four he claimed I built a circuit board on my own, when I had only copied one as my toy had broken and no one was around to fix it. When I was five, Howard fed me alcohol until I staggered around the ballroom during my parents annual Christmas Ball. I built an engine at six because I had learned by then, that I only received attention from him when I did something he could brag about. At eight, my mom caught him having sex with the latest nanny and they shipped me off to boarding school. At least there, I was only one of probably fifty kids of super rich people and was left pretty much alone, aside from a couple bullies – especially as we all had our own rooms.

Mom always insisted I came home for the Christmas holidays, at tried to make it up to me for sending me away. However, with all her charities, she wasn’t there as much as she wanted and I was usually left with our butler, Edwin Jarvis and his wife, Ana.”

He looked up at Harry with glistening eyes. “Thank goodness for Ana and Jarvis – they were truly the ones who saved me when I was growing up. Instilling my value system and set me on the course to becoming the man I’d like to think I was now, to be able to be a good father for you, Harry.”

Scooting closer, Harry ducked under the arm Tony raised and cuddled against his side.

“I finished boarding school at thirteen and was shipped off to MIT the next fall. It didn’t take me long to go a bit wild, finding alcohol, drugs, and sex where much easier to come by in a college setting. I overdosed on LSD at fourteen, but neither of my parents came to the hospital, Howard’s secretary sent flowers, so I knew they had been told. Thank goodness for my roommate, eighteen-year-old James Rhodes, who must have been thrilled to find a child as his dormmate. Rhodey became a stabilizing influence in my life then and continues to this day.”

Tony paused and buried his nose in Harry’s tousled hair. “I won’t deny that I earned my reputation as a playboy, son, cultivated it even, but I was never the drunk so many assumed. I have a high tolerance to alcohol, but usually I kept my wits about me and knew when to quit drinking for the evening.

I graduated MIT with several masters degrees and two doctorates, and moved on to Columbia University at Howard’s insistence to earn my MBA before starting at Stark Industries. I was there when my parents were killed in an accident on December 16th, 1991. I took over the company as soon as I graduated the spring of 1992. I didn’t change anything there as my godfather, Obadiah Stane, advised me against it. In fact, everything was pretty much status quo until I took the trip to London in 1999 and James and Lily literally pulled me out of a gutter in a drunken stupor.”

Harry cuddled closer, remembering most of what his father had said the night before about that period in his life. “And then in 2009 you were kidnapped by the Ten Rings and built the iron armor to escape?”

“Yes,” Tony acknowledged, sounding relieved he didn’t have to go through it ago. “So that’s the overview of my life and I wanted you to know my history, before I told you about Howard’s life by contrast. I’m not sure what this letter says, but while I was trying to find a way to keep the palladium which was powering my arc reactor from killing me,” he tapped his chest, “SHIELD gave me property Howard had left there – among the information was a film where Howard told me about a new element he’d discovered, but couldn’t synthesize as the technology didn’t exist in 1974. In that film, he told me that I had always been his greatest creation.”

Blinking, Harry looked at Tony, trying to quell the anger that had grown inside him during his father’s story. “Was that his version of tough love – to put you down, ignore you, and then expect you to think it was for your own good? Sounds a little too familiar for me to like?”

Tony narrowed his eyes at Harry’s statement. “We will be talking about that later. Just for background, Howard worked with the military on the Super Solider Project, creating Captain America from a serum and energy harnessed from the Tesseract. Long story short, an organization named Hydra, who was the evil arm of the Nazis, stole the Tesseract, and Steve Rogers, Captain America, went after it. Howard spent many years and resources trying to find them after the plane carrying both went down in the ice somewhere near the Arctic. Ultimately finding the Tesseract, Howard studied the energy put out by the stone, for lack of a better description, which he believed actually came to Earth in a meteorite. He then used it to create the Arc Reactor technology.”

His dad sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. “The neglectful relationship we shared when I was younger turned positively confrontational and volatile when I became a teenager. All Howard could see was the drunken idiot who would have sex with anyone willing, completely disregarded the patents I registered to SI along with the information on how to use them –”

“You patented them or sent them to someone else to patent?” Harry interrupted to ask, a suspicion growing.

Frowning, Tony narrowed his eyes. “I sent them to Obi – damn it!” He gave his head a quick shake. “I’m an idiot!”

Harry covered his snort of laughter with a cough, before sliding out from under Tony’s arm to pull a bag of blueberries towards him. He could see going through all this history was tough on Tony, especially coming just twenty-four hours after Harry had appeared in his life. He knew, once this was over, Harry owed his dad a full accounting of his life at the Dursleys as well as what he’d faced at Hogwarts.

Stealing a handful of his father’s blueberries, Harry watched as Tony popped several handfuls, washing them down with water, before beginning again.

“Anyway, Howard continued to search for Captain Spangles, bitch at me anytime I was home, and Mom ran interference. The night they died; Howard accused me of something just before they were supposed to leave to spend Christmas somewhere tropical. I screamed that I hated him, kissed Mom goodbye, and never saw them alive again. They were killed when their car hit a tree on the way to the airport.”

Tony reached over and picked up the letter on the table, with a contemplate expression.

Staring at his name, scratched across the front of the envelope in his father’s unforgettable script, Tony hesitated for a moment. He knew he could probably ask Harry to read it to him, but he was many things, coward wasn’t one of them. Sliding his finger under the flat of the envelope, Tony lifted the flap from where it had been glued down. Prickles of magic ran up his fingers as he eased the folded paper from inside. He already felt like he’d been on a rollercoaster of emotions just telling his son about his childhood and Howard, Harry sitting beside him still.

Taking a deep breath, Tony unfolded the paper and began to read.

May 29, 1980

Tony,

If you are reading this, it means I am dead and you have somehow learned about enough about magic to find your way down to the vault. It also means I have never found a way to pass on to you some of the most secretive and damning information I have taken a vow not to tell you. If I am dead, the vow no longer prohibits me from telling you.

I’d like to start by apologizing for being such a bastard to you as you’ve been growing up – you are incredibly intelligent and already a talented inventor, and I have no doubt you will change the world with your ability.

I’m starting this on your tenth birthday, as I have come to the vault to remove the Tesseract and enough gold to start building the SI factory in California. I will be constructing a energy source based on the gem, for the lack of a better word, inside the Faraday cage. It protects the gem from natural electromagnetic impulses and, surprisingly, alternating current. Based on the principles I’ve developed, the reactor should provide continuous energy for the factory for at least a hundred years.

If you have not already received it, I have left information among my notes from the 1974 Expo on synthesizing a new element with your Aunt Peggy at SHEILD Headquarters. I have not figured out a do it with the constraints of the current technology, but I believe you will be able to complete it – I thought I would call it Tonyium. The new element should have some amazing characteristics, the biggest one being it’s compatibility with the reactor energy.”

“Tonyium,” he gave Harry a smirk. “Sounds almost as good as Badassium, which is what I wanted to call if!”

Harry snorted.

In this vault, you will also find files on projects I’ve worked on all my life. A word of caution, Tony, stay away from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division or SHIELD. I helped found the organization after the war was over, to continue where the Strategic Scientific Reserve had left off, with Peggy Carter as the head. However, it soon became apparent that this organization wasn’t going to be run like SSR was and I have become increasingly alarmed as former Hydra scientists were pardoned and given jobs at SHIELD – including Arnim Zola as Chief Scientist. You know Peggy is solid, but her next in command, Rick Stoner, is worrisome. He’s got Zola and I working to recreate the Super Solider Serum.

I have grave reservation about this and am working on my own serum, which would enhance baseline humans without the agony Steve Rogers went through or the extreme result. If I can get it right, enhancing longevity, strength, hearing, endurance, and healing, I’ll be happy. We don’t need more super soldiers running around.

Tony, one of the reasons I have devoted so much time trying to find Steve Rogers, aside from him being my friend, is that the serum he was given activated his magical core and he was able to channel that magic into the Vibranium shield I made for him. I’m sure you are aware by the time you read this, that you are a Squib, but your magical core is bigger than mine and we may be able to activate it if I get the serum formula right.

September 15, 1986

SHIELD has taken the Tesseract and, while they have promised not to experiment with it, I don’t trust the new Director Stoner or his new assistant, Alexander Pierce. I’ve effectively retired from SHIELD, with the exception of what they believe is my continued work on the Super Soldier Serum. The last time I was in their labs, the number of familiar faces from those captured in the war gave me the chills. And Pierce seems to have too much of an interest in your accomplishments.

I am convinced the Arc Reactor can be miniaturized. Although, I believe we will lose longevity the smaller we go, but no loss of energy. There are some schematics and calculation in a file folder in the cabinet.

I came into possession of an ancient manuscript, said to be the words of a primordial being, known as a Celestial. The text describes the existence of powerful ‘stones’ – one describes the Tesseract exactly. I haven’t been one to believe in the existence of other sentinel beings in the universe, however, I may have been wrong.

March 30, 1991

I don’t like the direction things are going – Stoner assassinated and Pierce made Director. The man has always been more interested in power by any means than the good of this country.

If you haven’t already, have the goblins seek out a magical policeman from England, named Moody – he can help you if you need anything from their world. If wizard named Albus Dumbledore approaches you, be very wary of him – he has an agenda.

December 16, 1991

SHIELD has demanded I deliver the remaining vials of the serum, plus all my notes to them tonight as we are leaving town. This is the failed attempt to make the Erskine serum – it will enhance whomever they give it to with heightened strength, speed, endurance, and bodies. It will not make them anything like Steve, nor will it augment their magic if they have a core. I have left you a copy of all my notes in the file labeled “Tony”.

When we get back after Christmas, I am determined to sit down with you and explain everything. I think it’s past time for you to understand what is going on and you need to take the serum I created from the last existing vial of Erskine’s formula. It will not make you a super solider, but it will allow you to access your magical core and make you stronger and heal faster.

Pierce continues to ask about you whenever I see him and Obie has become firm friends with him. I hear Pierce is going to be appointed to the WSC, with Nick Fury taking over SHIELD – I’ve worked with him before and I believe you can trust him.

Tony stared at the last sentences of the paper, the handwriting hurried with smudges on the paper, and somehow seeming unfinished. He didn’t know how to feel, having hated Howard for his drunkenness and absentee parenting skills, along with feeling like nothing he did was good enough for him. This letter, note, whatever, seemed to indicated that Howard actually gave a shit about him, which Tony had a hard time believing.

“Dad? Are you okay?” Harry asked softly, pressing along his side.

Looking up, Tony read the sincerity in his son’s face. “I will be, son. I’m sorry about all this, especially less than twenty-four after we met.”

Harry turned slightly, looking toward Tony, who was still holding Howard’s note. “I say we just both acknowledge our shite childhoods and move on. Plus, you have shown me more affection since I arrived yesterday than my relatives did in all the years I lived with them.” He drew in a deep breath. “And I have learned so much about my family already!”

His words pulled a laugh out of Tony, the knot in his chest easing a bit at his son’s words. “I don’t even know what to think about this – there is so much startling information here. World shattering, not only for me, but for everyone involved.”

“My friend Hermione always tells me to break down the problem into part, as it’s always easier to deal with each part than the whole thing.”

Tony nodded. “Sounds like good advice, kiddo. If we do that, we’d have to separate out the Tesseract, SHIELD and Hydra, Steve Rogers, magic, and the serum.”

“Which looks like these folders should cover.” Harry pointed towards the stack of files sitting on the table. “But…”

Tony met his son’s eyes, seeing an odd expression there. “Go ahead, Harry – do you have one you think is more important than the others?”

Chapter Text

Harry nodded and licked his lips nervously. “Yes, I’d like to find out more about the modified serum and its effectiveness.”

His father blinked at him. “Well, that wasn’t what I thought you’d say, but, go on, tell me why.”

Harry scratched the back of his neck, not used to an authority figure actually listening to him. “If I said my reasons were purely selfish, would that be alright?”

Tony made a vague “go ahead” gesture with his hand, Howard’s note still held in his hand.

“Well, for one, my relatives believed food was optional where I was concerned and, even though I’ve been on a potion regime for the last ten months, I haven’t grown much.” Harry looked at Tony sheepishly. “I hate being the smallest one in my year!”

“I can understand that,” Tony muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. “I assume there was also damage to your organs and such, which the serum could help – including adding years to a shortened life span.”

“And if it does help with magical power, I could use all the power I can get with an insane Dark Lord after me!”

His dad nodded. “I have to confess; I’d love to see if the serum would unlock my magic.”

Harry reached over to pick-up the folder labeled “Serum” and pulled it into his lap. “Does it have to be an injection? It might be more effective if it was a potion, one we could take a course of over a couple days.”

“Potion?”

“Uh, brews or elixirs which can be used for medicine; like regrowing bones, and even temporarily change into another person.” Harry explained with a shudder.

“Usually unnatural colors and taste vile?” Tony asked, head tilted as if he was remembering something.

Nodding, Harry smirked. “Only thing fouler was the teacher, Snape’s a git!”

“Snape? Big nose, greasy hair, dresses in black?”

Harry felt his eyes widen. “Yes! How did you know?”

Tony tapped his temple. “Photographic memory – your mom and I ran into him one time in London, and he was as bad as you said.”

“Do you remember everything?” Harry gapped.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Tony confirmed, eyes on Harry’s face as he dropped his.

“Me, too. I can even remember the night my par—mom and dad died.” Harry squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to remember the green light and high-pitched laugh.

The arm around his shoulder tightened and Harry was pulled tight against his father’s side. “Sorry, bambino, guess you get that from me.”

A kiss was pressed to his hair and Harry smiled at the feeling of warmth that surged through him. He’d received more affection since he’d arrived at Stark Tower yesterday, than he’d received since the day he was dumped on his relatives’ doorstep like a newspaper. Just another mark against Dumbledore, leaving him on a doorstep in November, under a sleeping spell with no other protections in place. He’d had new nightmare material after learning what his aunt had always hissed at him in anger, was actually the truth.

Tony leaned his cheek against the top of Harry’s head for a moment and his arm gave him another squeeze. “Now, open that Serum file and let’s see what it says.” Tony looked around with shifty eyes. “Maybe we can even take it before we have to tell anyone.”

Tony tugged the folder so it was shared equally across both their laps as they began to read through the documentation. There were dosing charts by weight, as well as notes on the body’s reaction to each dose strenght. Timelines and physical changes were listed, but Tony began to realize the documentation was actually for several different versions or batches of the serum. Luckily, all the papers were meticulously dated and sorted into a chronological order by serum batch. The seven ampoules they had discovered, each contained either one superpowered dose or two enhanced doses, but there was mention of a second, flawed batch of five vials which appeared to be missing.

The serum was one topic Howard had rarely spoken of in any detail, especially that he was attempting to recreate it. Erskine’s original formula required direct input from the energy of the Tesseract and had transformed Steve Rogers on a molecular level. The missing five doses of the serum were noted to cause metal changes, including notes of brutality and easier to mentally control the dosed subjects, along with a note that the batch had been requested by the director of SHIELD at the beginning of 1990 to increase the strength of the recipients.

While there had been space in the aluminum briefcase for the missing doses, they had apparently been removed by Howard, maybe even the day he and Tony’s mom had been died.

“This is Captain America?” Harry pointed at a photo of Steve Rogers before he’d undergone the serum transition.

“Yes,” Tony said, looking through the photos in the file, until he found one showing Rogers after the serum. “The serum changed him down to his very molecules.”

“Wow!” Harry put the photos side by side, “but the serum your dad was working on won’t do this to us, right?”

“That’s what the notes said,” Tony replied, going carefully through the file as Howard’s notes showed the progression over time of the chemical formula. “This latest one shows the basic ingredients interact with your DNA, when introduced into the bloodstream, without the need for outside energy.”

Tony glanced up from the documentation on the last changes made to the chemical formula as Harry pulled a paper out from between the photos. “What’s that?”

Harry glanced up. “It actually shows a break down of how much of the serum is utilized by the different ways of introducing it to the body.” He made a face. “I don’t think I’d enjoy the suppository method!”

Tony barked out a laugh, before shaking his head to get rid of the visual Harry’s words created. “Definitely not!”

“Oh,” Harry pointed at a place about halfway down the paper. “It says there was virtually no difference in the effectiveness of infusion versus drinking the serum, except that over fifty percent actually vomited the serum before it could work itself into the blood stream.”

They both grimaced at that.

“Sir?”

“Yes, JARVIS?” Tony answered, as he continued to read the notes.

“Ms. Potts is on her way.”

“Direct her here, please, J.”

Sliding the file back onto Harry’s lap, Tony stood up and arched his back to stretch it. “One thing I learned from the palladium poisoning fiasco, is that lying by omission is still lying and not to do it.”

“Sounds like there’s a story behind that,” Harry reasoned, trying not to smile when Tony rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, pretty much. JARVIS, bring up the transparency on the glass.” Tony took a deep breath, hoping Pepper would give him a chance to explain.

The elevator arrived and Pepper stepped out, a slight frown on her face when she saw where she was. Moving toward the workshop, she put her finger on the bio-reader and pushed the door open when it clicked. Tony heard Harry shift in the couch before he felt his son move to his side as Pepper pushed into their room.

“Wow, Ms. Pepper, you look beautiful!” Harry’s voice was genuine, and it was all Tony could do to keep a smirk off his face. His mini-me was a charmer!

“Harry’s right, Pep, you look stunning in that shade of green,” Tony told her.

She eyed them suspiciously. “Thank you, Harry. Tony, you’re not planning to make me another omelet, are you?”

Tony laughed, reaching out to pull her close and kiss her, probably not as caste as he should in front of his impressionable son. Pepper relaxed in his arms after a moment, then stepped back, her eyes taking in the stack of file folders and their collection of snacks.

“All right boys, what are you up to?”

“JARVIS, resume protocol,” Tony told the AI and waved Harry back into his seat, before retaking his own and pulling Pepper down on the chair beside him. “The bank was truly a revelation, Pep.”

“How so?” Pepper kicked off her stilettos and took off her suit jacket. “No problems with Harry’s paperwork or anything?”

“No! None – that was all perfect.” Tony smiled at her. “We did discover that Howard already had a vault at Gringotts.”

“With a bloody fortune in it!” Harry muttered, then looked embarrassed for interjecting into the conversation.

Tony ruffled his hair. “Add in anything I forget, bambino.” He looked back at Pepper. “So yes, a fortune – somewhere around three billion dollars – but he also had files, things he was working on, and he left a letter for me inside.”

“A letter?”

Tony reached over to where he and Harry had set the letter down, retrieving it before handing it to his girlfriend. “Read this and we will tell you what we have been doing.”

Pepper took the letter carefully and settled back to read it as Tony went back to studying the formula. Based on the notes in the file and the observations Howard had made on the original application, Rogers went through an immense amount of pain to achieve the results which turned him into a Super Solider. One of Howard’s focuses had been the ability to unlock or connect the magic cord most Squibs, as Fury called them, possessed inside them. Another focus had been the repair and enhanced durability of the internal organs and body of those who took the serum.

Erskine and the military wanted an army of indestructible soldiers, but Howard was more interested in enhancing the body to its optimum ability, according to what Tony was reading. Going back to review again the revisions Howard hed made to Erskine’s original formula, Tony knew he was going to take the serum and give it to his son as well. The hints Harry had dropped about what he’d already had to endure during his childhood pointed to long-term damage done to his body. Tony searched through the paperwork to find the dosage recommendations and timeframes.

He knew he was vulnerable with the arc reactor buried in his chest; it restricted his ability to take a deep breath, made his sternum ache, and was a temporary solution at best for the shrapnel in his veins. Tony knew how to utilize the same reactor to power the suits – he didn’t need it embedded in his chest to accomplish that. Harry had long-term damage done and who knew what further damage a wraith of an evil, would-not-die asshole had done to him a week ago. They may have only met last night, but Tony felt a connection with his son which was unexplainable, and he didn’t want Harry to be susceptible, like he was. It was something he would not, could not allow to happen.

“Tony?” Pepper’s quiet voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Turning, Tony saw her tracing her fingers over the last paragraph of the letter, over his father’s last entry. He waited as she completed her thought process and looked up.

“You and Harry need to take this, Tony.”

In his periphery, Tony saw Harry look up in surprise from the paper he was reading. “What makes you say that?”

“It would strengthen you and help you tolerate the arc reactor until we have the technology to remove it.” Pepper took a deep breath. “It would also counteract the damage done by the palladium poisoning – just like it would help with the damage Harry has suffered.”

Pepper lifted her head to meet his eyes. “From what I am reading, your father believed he had completed the serum to do what he thought was the best. And from the way this is written, I believe he took it himself.”

Tony blinked and looked at Harry, who silently handed him the papers he had been looking at.

“I think this is the documentation your dad left and the notes on how it affected him.”

Taking the notes, Tony continued to look at Harry for a moment. “And you want to do this?”

Harry slowly nodded. “Yes, anything I can do to be stronger and more prepared for the fight I know is coming, but I also want you to have it, too. You fly around in that iron suit—”

“Gold titanium alloy—”

“—but you’re still squishy inside! That makes you vulnerable, Dad, especially with that thing in your chest.” Harry’s words were earnest.

“Stop.” Pepper spoke up. “I can see the same impulsive look in both of your eyes!”

Tony smirked at Harry, who gave Pepper a wide-eyed, innocent look, but she waved it away.

“I have known this impetuous idiot—”

“Hey!”

“—far too long and have had to clean up the messes he makes during these rash decisions!” Pepper glared at him, as if daring him to deny the truth of the statement. “I won’t even mention what I’ve already caught you doing.”

Tony gave her his most innocent face.

Harry couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing at his dad’s attempt to persuade Ms. Pepper, even after she had agreed with them.

His dad’s girlfriend smiled at him, carefully putting Howard’s letter down. “I’m not saying don’t take the serum immediately, but I think you need to read through all of these notes, know what to expect and how strong a dose to give, before you do it.”

Harry nodded in agreement. “After that thing went through me, it felt like I was burning from the inside. The matron gave me a nasty potion to drink, never told me what it was or what it was supposed to do, but I drank it – it just made me sick to my stomach. At least this serum, which I think I’d rather not drink, I know what it is supposed to do after reading all this.”

“Anyone else you want to discuss it with?” his dad asked quietly.

With a smile, Harry shook his head. “This sounds like something we should keep as quiet as possible, especially with the implication that picking up the other serum may have been the reason your parents died.”

“It was a car accident—” Tony started, before Harry cut him off.

“And I was told for years that James and Lily were killed in a car accident because James was driving drunk.”

“Point.” Tony acknowledged.

Pepper looked over at the other files they had and her eyes went wide as they scanned the labels. “All right, one thing at a time.” She looked around. “Let’s put these in the safe for later and concentrate on the serum – where is the serum itself?”

“Still in my bag,” Harry answered, pointing at his messenger bag. “I, um, I’d like to take the serum as soon as I can, if you agree.”

His dad and Ms. Pepper shared a look, Tony reaching to pat Harry’s knee. “You feel there is an urgency to this.”

“Yes.” Harry rubbed a hand over his face. “The goblins are going to be filing claims against the wizard who is responsible for manipulating my life, since you left England, Dad. But even before that, Ian believes the person he has watching my relatives house in Surrey is going to report that I failed to return there yesterday. I’m not sure how long it will take to track me down, but I’m sure he will soon as he claims I have to stay with my aunt and uncle. Something about protections.”

“Dumblefuck! That son-of-a—”

“All right!” Pepper clapped her hands together. “JARVIS, have the chef send up dinner for us here, please. And if Rhodey is in the tower, please ask him to join us.”

“Immediately, Ms. Potts.”

She turned to look at Tony. “Put these other files into the safe, Tony, I think one earthshattering revelation at a time. Harry, while I understand your desire, I ask you to be patient for a little longer. Tony and Rhodey need to review the documentation and then Tony will take the serum first.”

Harry started to protest, but it died in his throat as Ms. Pepper arched an eyebrow at him.”

“If Tony survives without ill effects, then you can take it.”

His dad leaned over. “She’s magnificent, isn’t she? Just like your mom was!”

Pepper rolled her eyes at them. “Yes, apparently Tony Stark has a type!”

Grinning, Harry surged up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her in a hard hug. “I’m glad!”

Closing his eyes tightly, Harry could feel a delicate hand cup the back of his head and love expanded his chest. He wasn’t sure if the emotion was fully his or something his father was also feeling. Harry really hoped to be able to call Ms. Pepper “mom” sometime in the near future.

“Sir, Colonel Rhodes is arriving, with dinner.”

Harry jumped, just a little – it was going to take a while to get used to the AI. Looking up, Harry could see the elevator doors open and his father’s friend, Rhodey, step out with a tray full of covered plates. Pepper went to the door, letting the casually dressed man into the lab area with a murmured greeting.

Tony stepped forward to take the tray from him and set it on the small table in the part of the lab they’d been using. “Thanks, Honey Bear.”

Rhodes looked around, Harry watching as his keen eyes took in the stack of documentation spread over the couch and coffee table, until they landed on Harry himself. A quirk of his lips told Harry his attempt at an innocent expression wasn’t working.

“Tony, why do you have your poor son cooped up in your lab when you aren’t even allowing him to blow up anything?”

Harry watched as his dad straightened up and faced his best friend, his face serious. “Platypus, I need my best friend here, the guy who decided a 14-year-old drunken mess, high on LSD, was worth the bother. I need my brother.”

Rhodes turned toward Tony, his eyes searching his father’s face for several minutes, before giving him a nod. A look of relief passed over Tony’s face and Harry relaxed as Ms. Pepper seated herself at the table. Harry joined her as Tony gave Rhodey a one-armed hug, before they sat down as well. Ms. Pepper smiled as she took the cover off a plate and slid it over to Harry. Looking it over, Harry could see it was grilled meat, with roasted vegetables, and a small salad; his stomach growled.

“Dig in, kiddo,” his dad directed him and Harry didn’t need to be told twice.

As he ate, he listened to Tony fill Rhodes in on everything they had found at the bank. By the time they had finished with their meals and had moved back over to the couch, Howard Stark’s letter had been shared again and the Serum file shared with Rhodey.
Who, it turned out, had a degree in advanced engineering and a minor in biochemistry. Exchanging an eyeroll with Ms. Pepper as the two men dissolved into talking about quantum molecular theory.

“Well,” Rhodey rubbed the back of his neck as he gingerly set the documentation onto the coffee table. “I have to tell you that I spent the afternoon meeting with Mariah Fontaine, Kingsley Shaklebolt, and the American president discussing protections and legalities. We have the goblin ward masters coming tomorrow to put up magical shields on the Tower and the auxiliary buildings on site. Kingsley mentioned his boss, a Madame Bones has personally arranged for the transfer and trail of Lord Black, without the knowledge of most of those in power. She is concerned this Dumbledore and their Minister of Magic will try to interfere in the process if they find out. She and the American president, Madame Hendricks, has requested the International Confederation of Wizards take custody of Black until his hearing.”

Rhodey sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I gather Black isn’t in the best shape, so perhaps you save a half-dose of this serum for him as well. And the reason I bring this up, is there a concern on the wizard side that Dumbledore will get wind of the fact that Harry is not at his relatives’ house and take action.”

Harry nodded grimly, his mind flashing back to Dumbledore’s dismissal of him after what had happened beneath the school. “He doesn’t care what happens to me, just that I am ready to fight his Dark Lord when the time comes!”

Tony was on his knees in front of Harry instantly. “Breathe, bambino! I won’t let either of them anywhere near you, I swear!”

“Sorry, Harry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Rhodey assured him. “Just trying to explain why I think you both need to take the serum now, tonight. I get the feeling time is imperative.”

“You feel it’s safe, Rhodey?” Ms. Pepper inquired quietly.

Nodding his head, Rhodes swept his hand over the file folder. “All of these indicate that. I think the one vial you brought is enough to dose both of you, but I also think you should include one of the wizards here, as they have a way to spell you to sleep so you wouldn’t feel any pain.”

“Ian,” Harry said immediately. “I trust him implicitly and he will swear an Unbreakable Vow if we need him to.”

Tony didn’t hesitate. “JARVIS, will you ask Barrister to join us, please.”

“Absolutely, Sir.”

Tony agreed with Rhodey, although the documentation alluded to discomfort when taking the serum, he didn’t want to take the chance of putting Harry in pain.

“I also believe we need to compile a group that can help us, both with Dumblefuck and what we discovered in Howard’s vault. People we would trust with our lives.”

“Rhodey and Happy,” Pepper supplied immediately. “I’m leery of either Fury or Coulson, based on what Howard put into that letter – how do we know how deep HYDRA might be entrenched in SHIELD?”

“Good point,” Tony responded, wondering the same. Fury might be a pain in the ass, but Tony was pretty sure he wasn’t HYDRA – even his father had trusted Fury.

“Ian and Ironjaw,” Harry added quietly. “I trust them.”

“Mariah and possibly Shacklebolt, but we’d have to check him out a bit more first.” Was Rhodey’s contribution.

“I would think Sirius, too, once he recovers,” Tony added, standing as he watched Harry’s reaction. “If you are good with him, Harry?”

Lily’s beautiful eyes looked at Tony from his son’s face, the same intelligence, desire to learn, and fire in the depths. “You said he was devoted to Mum and Dad, and a magical policeman, so he’s got to be smart and magically powerful.”

His face softened and he leaned forward to kiss Harry’s forehead. “He was all those things, bambino, with a healthy dose of devilishness in him. I’m sure he was insanely protective of you as well, Harry.”

The elevator dinged and Ian Selwyn stepped out. Tony moved to greet him and invite him into the lab. It didn’t take long for them to explain the serum, its history, and what they wanted to do. Tony could see the relief on Harry’s face when Ian agreed the serum was a good idea. His suggestion for Harry to receive a partial dose made sense when he described how a wizard’s magical core matured.

The last thing Tony wanted was to hurt his son – enough of that had already been done.

Ian also scored points with Tony when he volunteered to take a Vow, so he could never, even inadvertently, talk about the serum.

Locking everything but the dosage documentation and Harry’s messenger bag in the safe built into the very foundation of the tower, they used the stairs to go up to the penthouse. After gathering what they would need and alerting Happy they would be unreachable, Tony had Harry open the safe room to see if he remembered.

As they made their way down into the room, Tony pulled the door closed behind them and the snick of the lock engaging had the sound of finality to it.

Chapter Text

Harry opened his eyes slowly, the room around him dimly lit but warm and comfortable. His whole body seemed to hum; feeling better than he could ever remember, with the feeling of his magic pulsing through him. Stretching, he sat up slowly and looked around, finding himself in a vaguely familiar room, a bunk bed in the opposite corner, and a couch across the room. Harry jumped a little when he felt someone move beside him. Turning his head, Harry was just able to make out his dad, dressed in tee shirt and sweatpants, lying curled up beside him, still asleep.

Not moving at all, Harry worked to clear the fog out of his brain. He remembered going to Gringotts with Ian and his dad (HIS DAD!) and coming back to the Tower. Tony had shown him this safe room and then took him down to his workshop. The letter from his grandfather, the files, the serum—

"Bambino?" His dad’s voice was low and a bit hoarse as Harry turned toward him. "How are you feeling?"

"Good – I think," Harry whispered back, the memory of Ian casting a Sleeping Spell on them coming back.

Patting Tony's arm, Harry eased away from his dad and rolled over to arch his back, slowly stretching his legs and ankles, then his hands and arms. The usual persistent ache in his fingers seemed to be gone, something the goblin healers had not even been able to correct without Vanishing the bones in his hand and regrowing them. Sitting up, Harry took a deep breath, amazed that he could expand his lungs so far. Beyond feeling really good, Harry could feel his magic, like a pulse within him and his jaw dropped.

"Dad!" he whispered excitedly. "I think it worked!"

"J, bring the lights up a little, please." Tony's voice sounded restrained.

"As you wish, Sir."

The lights brightened slowly as Tony sat up next to Harry, his eyes intense as he looked Harry up and down. "Stand up for me, kiddo."

Pushing off the edge of the bed, Harry gingerly got to his feet as his eyes swept the room. Ian was on the lower bunk of the beds in the corner and Pepper stirring on the couch. His center of balance seemed to be off a little and the joggers his dad had given him to wear didn’t seem as baggy, the tee shirt tighter in the shoulders.

"JARVIS, scan Harry please."

A blue light appeared at Harry’s head and moved down his body. He heard a gasp from Ian and smothered a smile, technology always seemed to take wizards by surprise. Pepper sat up on the couch and rubbed her eyes as JARVIS raised the lights to a daytime level. Trying to remain still, Harry glanced at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen and saw that it was just half six in the morning. He reached up, rubbing fingers over his own eyes, before pulling them away abruptly.

"Holy sh—" Harry looked at Tony with wide eyes.

"What?" Tony exclaimed, on his feet beside him in an instant, hands grabbing his shoulders.

"I—" he swallowed hard. "I don’t need my glasses anymore! I can see perfectly!"

"J, what did you find?" Tony looped an arm around his shoulders.

"My surface scans are indicating young Sir has grown 3.3 inches taller and his shoulders have broadened by 18%, his chest by 15%, and his internal organs appeared to have been rejuvenated and are unscarred and healthy. While his eyesight and hearing have been optimized, Master Harry is still underweight and needs to gain approximately twenty-three pounds to optimize his progress. I would advise a second partial dose of the serum when he has begins puberty."

Excitement welled up in Harry as he listened to JARVIS. He’d always wanted to be taller, but even more was the desire to have a day where his body didn’t ache. His years with the Dursleys had had an impact on his body, between the chores, the small sleeping space, and the lack of proper food. Added to those established issues, his year at Hogwarts had not helped, between Norberta, Fluffy, trips into the Forbidden Forest, and being attacked by the wraith of a dark lord. Harry was just thankful the goblins had removed the Horcrux from his scar last year – he was sure it would have caused problems as well.

"JARVIS, could you scan Dad, too, please?" Harry requested as he met Tony’s eyes with a wide smile.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at him. "Since when did my AI start listening to you, squirt?"

"Since I realized mini-sir would probably be more reasonable that you are, Sir."

Harry grinned at JARVIS’ sass as the blue light scanned a sputtering Tony. Even Pepper was hiding a smile behind her hand as she stood up from the couch and moved toward the kitchenette, where a fancy coffee maker stood. She pulled open the door of the refrigerator and took out a bottle of juice.

"Harry — catch!"

Catching it easily, Harry saw it was apple juice and unscrewed the top as JARVIS began to speak.

"Sir, according to your scans, you have enhanced your body mass overall by approximately 19%, with a 2.8-inch increase in height, your BMI stands at 18.5%, and there has been an overall improvement to your internal organs, including a 62% reduction in scare tissue in your chest cavity."

Tony blinked. "I’m taller!" His face split into a wide grin as Pepper walked over with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"You won’t have to wear lifts in your shoes to dance with me!" She smirked and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

Not denying her words, Tony continued to pout as Harry watched in fascination as the man took a large mouthful of the steaming liquid. Pepper followed his stare and leaned towards him to whisper.

"He burned out any pain receptors in his mouth long ago, sweetie."

Harry laughed and he brought the bottle to his mouth to drink. He couldn’t ever remember having apple juice before, but the crisp, sweet flavor was heavenly, and he drained the bottle. Ian stood from his bunk and stretched, before retrieving his wand and spelling away the wrinkles in his shirt and trousers. When he noticed Harry watching, he flicked his wand at him, freshening up the long sleeve tee shirt and joggers Harry wore.
Ian’s motions had caught Tony’s eyes and Harry watched the way his dad followed the wand motions as Pepper gave Ian permission to cast the same spell on her clothes.

"Do you think—" Tony looked between Ian and Harry, the question of magic hanging between them.

Ian studied Tony for a moment, before turning to Harry. "I’m in no way a scientist, so I don’t know whether those new pathways to your core would have formed yet, so I’m reluctant to cast magic on you to find out." He eyes narrowed in concentration.

Moving back over to the bed they had slept on, Harry retrieved his wand from under the pillow. "Ian? Do you think it would hurt Dad if I let him hold my wand – not do anything with it, just hold it to see if he can feel a difference?"

Tony went still, turning his focus inward as he felt the hum of energy just under his skin and seemingly centered in his chest – about where his phantom pains had always originated. Hearing movement, Tony looked up and watched as Harry set his wand down on the table in front of him.

"Go ahead, Tony," Ian urged him. "Pick it up."

Gingerly, Tony reached for the slender rod of polish wood, Harry’s wand – holly and phoenix feather as Tony remembered. As he wrapped his fingers around the base, Tony felt a tingle run up his arm, almost like touching a wire charged with low voltage. Picking it up, Tony was surprised to find the wood was warm; the tingle intensify and a single gold colored spark and a red spark shot out of the top. Tony stared at the wand in disbelief, setting it quickly, carefully back down on the table.

Harry’s face had split into a huge grin and he threw himself into Tony’s arms, giving a hearty cheer. As Tony caught him and returned the tight hug, he couldn’t help but smirk at the astonished look on Ian’s face and the tearful joy on Pepper’s face. She moved immediately to embrace both he and Harry in an all-encompassing hug. Tony felt a kiss pressed to his temple and another kiss pressed to the top of Harry’s head.

"Congratulations, Tony!" Ian’s voice was touched with awe. "Magic can do many things, but even we have never been able to connect a Squib with their magical core. Many wizarding families would pay a King’s ransom for this serum."

Tony continued to hold his family tightly as he worked to accept what had happened. "And many would kill for it in this world as well, Ian, which is why the vows and the secrecy."

Ian nodded his agreement, knowing the enormity of the information he’d been included in. "I believe we need to form your advisory group immediately, as well as allow both a trusted healer as well as a doctor to check both of you over."

A light flashed along the edge of the ceiling and Tony looked up sharply. "JARVIS, is it Rhodes or Hogan?"

"Colonel Rhodes is accessing the safe room through the shower." The AI would have sent a taser-level burst of electricity if it had been anyone else.

"Thanks, J," Tony sighed, looking at Ian. "I agree, Ian, just as I believe the healer was correct and Harry will need at least another half-dose about the time he hits puberty to finish the work this dose started."

"Tony! Pepper!" Rhodey pushed open the inner door.

"We're down here, Platypus." Tony looked towards the staircase, keeping his arm around Harry as Pepper took a step away. "Is everything alright?"

Rhodey's eyes were intently focused on Tony and Harry as he came closer. "Other than Happy wearing a hole in the living room floor, everything is great. We were both concerned as the others will be back in less than an hour for our first meeting."

"And I could use a shower, Dad," Harry stage-whispered and Tony wrinkled his nose at him.

"Take your father with you," Pepper threw over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs with Ian behind her. "Then make him eat."

Harry's laugh turned into a chortle when he saw the pout on his dad's face. Watching his son snag his wand off the table, Tony made sure Harry followed him up the stairs. Tony could hear voices from the direction of the living room as he diverted into his bedroom and the aroma of bacon wafted through the air, making his stomach growl. He walked faster, shedding clothes as he moved through his room.

The hot shower felt amazing, and Tony couldn't help but notice most of the scars he'd accumulated on his body seemed to have vanished. Even the shrapnel scars from the bomb fragments piercing his ballistic vest in Afghanistan were gone and the only ones remaining were those actually touching the arc reactor in his chest. Other scars were gone as well, leaving his skin soft and unmarred. As he stepped out of the glass enclosure, Tony grabbed a towel from the warmer, drying his hair and face, before his eyes found the long mirror over the double sinks and Tony froze. Holding the soft towel against his chest, Tony took a step closer, his eyes examining his face.

If he hadn't known better, Tony would have thought he had just turned thirty, instead of forty. The frown lines in his forehead were gone, as well as the lines etched in the corners of his eyes and mouth. While his father had left notes about the increased longevity the serum would give them, he'd not mentioned the removal of scars and wrinkles. Not that Tony was going to complain! Besides, it might give Pepper a little extra incentive to taking half a dose, even though she still looked fabulous!

"Dad?"

Tony heard Harry call him and took a step back from the mirror, using the towel to finish drying off. "In here, son."

Never one to worry about his state of dress or lack of it, Tony didn't mind at all when Harry stepped into the large bathroom, with just a towel around his waist. Tony stopped drying his legs and straightened up, giving Harry his full attention.

Harry shifted a little before looking up at Tony with wide eyes. "Can you—can you tell me if the scars on my back are gone? All the ones on my front are, like the scar just above my ankle that Ripper the dog made when he bit me. Except for the scar on my forehead, but the goblin healer said as it was from the dark curse—"

Tony wrapped the towel around his waist and knelt, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Breath, bambino – and turn around."

Harry turned around immediately, and Tony ran his hand down the perfect, unblemished skin. He gently turned Harry back around and tugged him closer, wrapping his arms around his son. "It is free of any marks or scars, Harry."

His son stiffened but didn't pull away from him.

"I take it that there were scars there yesterday?" Tony asked quietly.

Harry nodded. "My uncle liked to discipline with his belt – it left marks."

He shrugged and Tony let the subject drop for the moment as he stood. He knew the goblins had done a thorough examination of Harry and had noted signs of abuse as well as specific damages to his body from lack of food and over-exertion. Tony had spoken to Ian and the British magic cop – Shacklebolt – who were already working on both criminal charges and civil litigation. Fury had apparently decided to help as well, but that was above Tony’s security level. And, apparently, all the hardships his son had suffered, could be traced back to this Dumblefuck and Tony had already vowed to make his life as miserable as possible.

Putting a hand on Harry’s shoulders, Tony pulled him back in with a smile, one hand around his shoulders and the other running fingers through his hair. He could feel the tickle of magic wherever their skin touched and just stood for a moment, savoring the feel of his son, his child in his arms.

"We have a fresh, new start, Harrison, and, together, we can accomplish anything."

"Thanks, Dad," Harry whispered, pressing his ear to Tony's chest.

A kiss to the damp curls and Tony stepped back. "We better get dressed before Pepper drags us out there naked."

"Hope my clothes fit," Harry muttered as he left, making Tony smile.

Five minutes later, Tony joined the group sitting in the living room. The quiet conversation stopped as he was noticed, heading towards the coffee machine on the island. Harry had been right to be concerned, as Tony found his favorite jeans were definitely tighter and his Metallica tee shirt snug across the shoulders.

"Damn, Tony!" Rhodey stepped in front of him, grabbing his arms. "You look good!"

Tony smirked and kissed his friend's cheek. "You're looking pretty divine, too, Honey Bear, but I only have eyes for Pepper—"

"Asshole!" Rhodey laughed, shoving him playfully towards the kitchen.

Tony laughed, detoured to kiss Pepper, who was standing at the end of the island dressed casually, and was rewarded by a mug she pushed into his hand. Tipping it up, Tony took a deep drink as the quiet conversation resumed between Barrister, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. He could hear enough of what they were saying to understand he had magic now.

"Dad?"

Harry's soft voice had Tony looking up to see his son walking towards him. Like Tony, the kid’s tee shirt was a bit snug and the jeans he wore were tight and the legs rode up above his ankles. Doing his best not to laugh, Tony held his mug out of the way and gave Harry a one-armed hug.

The barrister whistled. “I can really see the changes in those clothes, Harry — you look great!"

Turning to him, Harry gave him a sheepish look. “Ian, can you fix my clothes, please?"

A swirl of the light brown wand had Harry’s tee shirt loosening and his jeans lengthen and the smile Harry gave the wizard was grateful. Tony fought a surge of jealousy in his chest, knowing he didn’t have the right yet to claim his son’s affections. A hand found his and Harry leaned against Tony’s leg, a mildly exasperated look on his face.

“What about the scarring?" Rhodey moved to lean against the island.

Tony carded his fingers through Harry’s tousled hair. “You okay with showing these guys, bambino?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders but gave Tony a slight nod, leaning into the touch.

“JARVIS, please display the photo of the shrapnel scars on my chest and the photo Barrister gave us of Harry’s back."

Harry didn’t look up to where he was sure the AI was projecting the images of what his back looked like before. He wanted to feel embarrassed, but he couldn’t, especially knowing the serum had erased all the marks. His dad’s hand stopped its soothing movement and tightened briefly on his head before the fingers slid down to cup the back of his head and pressed him tighter against Tony. The brief surge of what Harry had thought might be jealousy was replaced by angst and regret.

“Harry, sweetie?" Pepper’s voice was soft as it called him, and he looked around Tony’s leg.

“Come eat some breakfast." She slid a plate towards him. “Rhodey even made bacon."

Harry glanced up and met his father’s warm brown eyes. A tiny nudge from the long fingers on his head had Harry stepping away, slipping his shirt back on, and climbing up onto a stool across from Mr. Happy. The older man looked up at him for a moment and gave a nod, before returning to his own breakfast. His dad snorted before sliding in beside him and inhaling another cup of coffee before Pepper forced him to eat a plate of eggs and bacon. Harry concentrated on his food, including the bowl of fruit which appeared halfway through breakfast.

Harry knew he needed to make an effort to eat proper proportions in order to gain the weigh JARVIS said he needed. He wanted to be healthy and loved that the serum had helped with some of the damage the Dursleys had inflicted. Maybe if he ate and exercised, like he was sure his dad did, he’d get even taller. Eating everything but the potatoes on his plate, Harry jumped off the stool and carried his dishes to the sink. The adults continued their conversations as Harry explored the kitchen, finding the cabinet next to the sink was actually a dishwasher and underneath the sink were cleaning supplies. He quietly began to clean up the kitchen.

“Sir, Mr. Ironjaw, as well as Aurors Fontaine and Shacklebolt are on their way up."

“Thank you, JARVIS. Initiate Protocol Absolute Silence once they arrive."

Harry rinsed the last pan and set in on a towel next to the sink to dry as he heard JARVIS’ announcement and was excited to hear Ironjaw had made it for the meeting. Drying off his hands, Harry walked out of the kitchen to join his dad in front of the elevators. Mr. Happy stood to one side, hand underneath his black suit jacket and his new godfather, Rhodey flanked Tony on the other. Pepper and Ian had moved into the living room with a stack of documents,

A ding announced the arrival of the elevator and Harry was bouncing on his toes as the doors part. His account manager, Ironjaw, wearing his elegant blood-red suit, was the first to step off.

“Account Manager Ironjaw!" Harry was trying for a mature greeting and was embarrassed as his voice broke, but he still grinned.

“Lord Peverell!" Ironjaw greeting was exuberant for a goblin, and he gave a bow which Harry returned, despite the gasp of the two Aurors.

Frowning at the reaction, Harry turned to his father. “Dad, may I present Senior Account Manager Ironjaw, of the London branch of Gringotts Bank." He turned back to the goblin. “Ironjaw, this is my father, Dr. Anthony Edward Stark, Iron Man."

Tony followed his lead and gave a short bow. “Thank you, Manager Ironjaw for taking care of Harrison when he came to see you last summer. You have my eternal gratitude."

Ironjaw bowed back. “And thank you for exceeding my expectations, Dr. Stark, as my clan has served as the Potter family advisors for a millennium, and I feared for young Harrison’s well-being when we first met. Ironfang spoke highly of his interaction with you and your father before you."

"Peverell?" The British Auror stepped forward, nodding to Tony as he studied Harry.

Ironjaw answered, "One of the items we will be discussing this morning, Auror Shacklebolt, as Harry made the decision to have the Potter name reabsorbed into the House of Peverell, as the last direct descendent of Ignotus and the last living descendent of the three brothers, themselves."

Pepper stepped forward. "Why don't we all make ourselves comfortable before we get into what we need to discuss?"

"Mr. Iron—"

"Just Ironjaw is fine."

Tony grinned. "Ironjaw, it is! I'm so pleased to introduce you to Harry's soon-to-be mom, the light of my life, Pepper Potts."

Ironjaw clapped his hands together. "CEO Potts, your skills and acuity in the business world is renowned! It is my great honor to meet you."

Tony looked gobsmacked and Harry grinned as he walked beside the goblin. "Maybe Ms. Pepper can help teach me to manage my money," he whispered loudly to Ironjaw.

"Hey!" His dad yelped in protest.

Uncle Rhodey, as the man insisted he be called, ushered everyone into the living room, necessary vows taken, and people settled in. Harry sat on the long couch beside Tony, Pepper on Tony's left and Ian on Harry's right. Both Ironjaw and Shacklebolt noticed the differences in father and son's appearance, asking for an explanation. Both took their shirts off to show the newcomers the benefits of the serum, Harry blushing furiously. Tony just smirked, which had Pepper and Rhodey rolling their eyes. Tony was insufferable when he borrowed Harry's wand to send up several red and gold sparks.

"Like a potion of sorts," Ian added for the magicals. "An extremely potent rejuvenation potion. And the first I've ever seen that repaired magical pathways."

"I would hope you have more of this serum as Kingsley and I were able secure Sirius Black's transfer to the ICW facility in Geneva, and he's not in good shape after ten years in Azkaban." Fontaine stated, astounded eyes looking from Tony to Harry .

Leaning forward, Harry met her eyes. "You don't believe he is guilty, do you?"

The two Aurors straightened up and Fontaine's eyes flicked over to his dad, again, who was watching closely.

"No, neither of us believe he was guilty of anything but trusting the wrong person, Harry—"

"Damn Dumblefuck again!" Tony was irate; Pepper reaching to grasp the back of his neck in what Harry had decided was a pressure point to calm.

Shacklebolt interjected. "He may not have just fallen for the headmaster's schemes. Mariah and I were able to have Sirius examined by a healer when we arrived in Switzerland, and she found compulsion and complacency spells on him."

"Also, Black was never interrogated under truth serum or asked for his side of the events," Mariah continued. "In fact, he felt he deserved Azkaban for not being able to prevent James and Lily's betrayal."

"That was until we told him Harry been placed with that bitch Petunia." Shacklebolt added. "He only calmed down when we told him Harry had found Tony."

Harry was saddened to think of his parents' friend being another victim of Dumbledore's stupid manipulations. He leaned into Tony’s side and was delighted when an arm was thrown around his shoulders.

“How soon do you think it will be before they schedule a trial?" Ian asked, making notes on his paperwork with a fountain pen.

Harry saw the two Aurors look at each other once again, before Shacklebolt answered. “Tomorrow, or the next day at the latest. The ICW Enforcement branch director believes Sirius is innocent and was going to interrogate him this morning with Veritaserum – truth serum. Once they have confirmed his version of the events, they will clear his name immediately."

“And since the death of his grandfather, Heir Black is the new head of house," Ironjaw supplied.

Both Ian and Shacklebolt gave a low whistle.

“Once he takes up the lordship and claims his inheritance, Sirius will be a force to be reckoned with," Ian informed them, “the Black fortune is immense. How is his mental health?"

"Not near as bad as one would assume," Shacklebolt laughed. "He reminded me of a bet I lost while in training and actually smiled when I described Harry as a miniature Tony with Lily's eyes." His expression turned solemn. "I believe he spent most of his time incarcerated in his Animagus form, a large black deerhound."

An image of playing with a large black dog surfaced in Harry mind and him riding on the dog's back. "Padfoot—"

Shacklebolt grinned, clearly delighted. "You remember! Sirius will be happy to hear that!"

“All right," his dad said after giving Harry a squeeze, then exchanging a look with Pepper. “Harry and I will arrange to attend then and if we can organize it, bring Sirius back here for appropriate treatment."

As Harry watched, Tony made eye contact with everyone in the room. “Before we proceed any further, I would like to thank you all for agreeing to help our family. Harry has been the target of manipulation his entire life and I, for one, refuse to let it continue."

With that in mind, Harry and I agreed we needed help in gathering everything together to keep him safe and defeat the two wizards who seem to be out to kill him. Pepper, my heart, and Rhodey, my brother, agreed the people we have asked here today are trustworthy and while some are already family, the rest of you have proven yourselves trustworthy to Harry and myself.

Added to Harry's dilemma, is the information discovered when Harry and I examined my father's vault in Gringotts, not the least of which was the discovery of a version of the Super Soldier Serum and all its related documentation. We also discovered evidence that the secret scientific branch of the Nazis, HYDRA, has infiltrated SHEILD, the Tesseract isn't what it is thought to be, an extensive file on Steve Rogers, Captain America, and two file cabinets filled with heaven only knows what earthshattering secrets. "

Harry spoke up. "I've had a Dad for only a few days, yet my life has been changed in an unimaginable way. I used to lay in my cupboard under the stair, wishing for some distant, unknown relative to save me from that house, those people, but it wasn't until I was basically kidnapped from my relatives by a half-giant and taken to Gringotts Bank that I finally found help. Ironjaw, and then Ian, took me in, treated me with respect and taught me what I needed to know, keeping my secrets as they did. I owe both of you an unpayable debt."

"As do I, for guiding my son to me," Tony acknowledged quietly. "Rhodey, Happy, and Pepper have been my family for years and have proven themselves trustworthy, over and over, and I know they will give me good, sound advice." He looked at Fontaine and Shacklebolt. "I know we've only known you a short while, Aurors, but you come highly recommended and I know we are going to need your specific training to help."

"And Dad's JARVIS is amazing and will help us keep everything organized," Harry chirpped with a grin.

"Indubitably, mini-sir."

"I believe the best place to start would be a list of the issues." Pepper was all business.

"Getting Sirius free," Tony started.

"Making sure Dad is healthy."

"Dealing with Dumbledore." Was Ian's contribution.

"Complete the search for and destruction of the Horcruxes," Ironjaw interjected, "we have located three of what we believe are six or seven soul pieces."

"Locate Steve Rogers." Rhodey said, giving Tony an apologetic look.

"What?!" His father sputtered.

Rhodey held up his hand. "After reading Howard's letter, Tony, and skimming through the file you gave me to read last night, I believe there was a reason Howard was obsessed with him. We'll have to go through the file carefully, but I believe there is a connection there we don't know about."

Ironjaw leaned forward. "Steven Grant Rogers? The so-called Captain America?"

"Yes?"

Harry could hear the tightness in his dad's voice.

Ironjaw snapped his fingers and a piece of parchment appeared in front of him, which he took a moment to read. "Howard Stark and Steven Rogers acquired a vault in the London branch of Gringotts in September of 1943. The vault was last visited in January of 1945, by Captain Rogers. If he were dead, you would have access as the Stark heir, Tony, however, his status is listed as "suspended animation" as of February 1945."

The living room was silent for several long minutes as everyone digested the information. Happy Hogan cleared his throat as he looked between the goblin and Harry's father.

"Well then, looks like we've got a lot to do. When do you want to take off, boss?"

Chapter Text

Tony’s head was still spinning five minutes after they had Portkeyed in the the Geneva branch of Gringotts Bank. Even Harry looked slightly green as they brushed themselves off and straightened their clothing. His private jet was in the air, bringing Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy over, covering for he and Harry. Auror Shacklebolt promised several officers from the ICW would meet the plane when it arrived to make sure they were safe. Ian stood speaking quietly to Ironjaw, who was there as the representative of House Black and Peverell.

“Tony, if you are ready?” Ian walked over to them; his expression unusually serious. “We have just enough time to get across town to the ICW building before they start Sirius’ hearing.”

Harry put a hand on the man's arm as they walked, and Tony ignored the spike of jealousy in his chest. "What's wrong?"

"I visited Heir Black yesterday, at the behest of Ironjaw, and found him in the same condition he'd been in when released from Azkaban." Ian's jaw was tight with anger. "The British Ministry had allowed him one shower and no new clothing – not even for his trial today. Food has been more an afterthought and he'd not seen a healer since his transfer until Kingsley and Mariah brought him here!"

Tony arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "They brought one in, right?"

Ian nodded, following Ironjaw through a doorway. "Yes, who then yelled at the poor ICW Aurors. I was able to call in my own house-elf who cut Sirius' hair and got him some fresh clothing to wear. He should have formal robes this morning with the Black family crest on them."

Ironjaw led them out to a porte cochere where a limousine was waiting. "I have the Black Lordship ring with me and will insist on the man putting it on right there as soon as he is exonerated. The ring is charmed with protection and shielding spells to protect Sirius until we can get him back to New York."

Tony nodded; they had tried to anticipate every issued which might come up. "I have the paperwork Gringotts provided in order to become the Sirius' temporary conservator in the event the ICW feels he isn't mentally capable of taking care of himself."

Ian lifted his briefcase onto his lap as they slid into the car. "I have the special visa Andrew obtained from MACUSA and the president."

Harry grinned. "And I'll just make sad eyes at them if anyone tries to interfere."

Tony threw back his head and laughed, delighting in the sassy side of his child. Said child's face lit with a bright smile and Tony could feel the warmth invade his chest as Harry ran a hand down the front of his bespoke suit. Ian had found them a magical tailor, who was able to make them elegant, well-fitting suits overnight. Tony had chosen classic black pinstripe in a three-piece Italian cut suit for both. Harry had chosen a red shirt with a red and gold striped tie; Tony a white shirt with the identical tie. Pepper had rolled her eyes fondly at him for dressing his kid in a matching suit, as well as the ties in Iron Man colors.

Tony thought they both looked damn good, and Harry had beamed when Tony suggested the suits and ties.

The limo stopped in front of a modern building monstrosity consisting of curved metal beams and glass, without any symmetry to it. Tony liked to think he was an aficionado of free-flowing modern architecture, but he had no idea how this building was even standing and the engineer in him wanted to shriek. He stepped out onto the cobblestone pathway and walked toward it, surprised when he could feel the magic of the building itself.

Harry appeared beside him. "Can you feel the magic, Dad?" he whispered.

Nodding Tony, put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I can, but I don't know if its magic holding up the building or magic to protect it."

They fell silent as they entered a spacious atrium area where Kingsley was waiting for them. Several people, some in cultural dress, looked up as the four walked to where the Auror stood at the far end of the large room. There were seating areas interspersed around the space and a whole wall of extra-large fireplaces near the entry doors. Tony could see a number of hallways leading off the atrium and a bank of elevators near where Kingsley was waiting.

"Gentlemen, good morning," Kingsley was wearing a more ornate version of his uniform and flicked his wand as they walked up to him.

Tony could feel the magic settle over them and smirked. He wasn't sure he'd ever get use to the feeling. Harry tilted his head at Kingsley.

"Privacy spell, young man," Kingsley answered the unasked question, before his face flowed into a neutral mask. "Dumbledore was tipped off by someone."

"Sonofabitch!" Tony spat out, anger surging through him, and pulled Harry into his side. "I didn't want to deal with the bastard until after we had filed the lawsuits—"

Ian held up his hand, wand in place, and cast the Patronus Charm. Tony and Harry were astounded as a brilliant white fox shot from his wand and ran around them once, before it stopped in front of Ian. "Find Andrew and Pauline, tell them to immediately file the lawsuits and requests for charges with the Wizengamot and MACUSA."

Grimly, Tony smiled at Ian's ruthlessly taking advantage of Dumbledore being out of the UK. "There's no way we are going to be able to avoid him, is there?"

"No," Both men and Ironjaw said in unison.

Hearing Harry sigh softly, Tony drew him closer as he realized the anger he was feeling was more than just his own. There wasn't anything they had to fear from Dumblefuck legally, but the asshole had shown he had little to no regard for either regular or wizarding laws or rules.

"How are your Occlumency shields?" Kingsley asked.

Ian and Ironjaw apparently knew the term and nodded, while Tony frowned and glanced as Harry, who shrugged. "What exactly are those?"

"The art of being able to shield your mind from outside intrusion," Ian spoke up. "I have started Harry on meditation exercises in preparation for Occlumency."

"It's the ability to compartmentalize the thoughts and information in your mind to protect it from anyone being able to 'read your mind'," Kingsley further explained.

With a scowl, Tony considered what they were saying and what they weren't – Dumblefuck could read unprotected minds. That explained a lot to Tony and confirmed they needed to be careful.

"Well, I've had to develop a system in my brain just to keep it organized, so I may be able to learn this skill and Harry's already started learning. Is there any way to prevent the bastard from getting in?"

"Don't look into his eyes," Kingsley answered, "you need eye contact to cast the spell."

"Or wear my sunglasses," Tony quipped.

"Yes, that would do!" Ian grinned at him.

Smirking, Tony patted his breast pocket for his sunglasses. "I have mine right here, Harry, if you need them."

"Thanks, Dad."

Harry breathed easier, knowing Tony was looking out for him as Kingsley canceled the privacy spell and led them into a large chamber. It was shaped like half a circle, with tiers of seats in the curved portion which led down three tiers to an area with two desks, one on each side, and everything faced a raised platform at the other end of the room. The room was decorated with elegant drapery, dark wooden furniture, and comfortable chairs. A large, stylized ICW seal in gold was mounted on the wall behind the elevated platform.

"A bit ostentatious, don't you think," his dad muttered as they followed Ian down to the seats Kingsley had indicated.

Harry snorted softly and his eyes widened when he realized there were already people sitting at the tables in the middle of the chamber. At one table, a witch and a wizard, clad in expensive looking robes sat below where Harry and Tony were directed to sit. On the other side, there were two wizards in plain black robes, one of whom was writing on a scroll with a quill. Grinning, Harry, nudged his dad with his elbow and tilted his head. Tony had literally squawked when Ian had told him the magical world still used them.

A short, plump man appeared in front of the raised platform of seat and used a staff to tap on the hardwood floor.

"The International Confederation of Wizards special hearing into the matter of Heir Sirius Orion Black in now in session."

As he spoke, a line of witches and wizards came through a side door and began to fill the seats on the platform. Most wore wizarding robes, although several were wearing suits like the ones Harry and Tony were wearing. The last man to enter was wearing a bright blue set of robes with silver moons embroidered around the hems and sleeves. Harry would have been able to recognize Albus Dumbledore even without the long white hair and beard. He nudged his dad and nodded toward the man as he moved to sit in the middle seat on the raised platform.

"Supreme Mugwump Albus Dumbledore presiding. Bring in the accused."

Harry sat up straight and kept his eyes on the door to the left side of the room, where he was sure Mr. Black would come out of. As that door opened, Harry felt Tony grasp his hand and enfold it into his larger one in silent support. At first all Harry could see was a pale face under shoulder length, wavy black hair, and expensive looking black robes with a crest on the left side over the man's heart. His dad squeezed his hand gently, having clearly recognized Sirius Black, as the man moved slowly towards the empty chair set to one side of the barristers' table, hampered by chains around his wrists and ankles.

When Mr. Black looked up towards them, Harry was struck by the gaunt look of his face and the dullness of his gray eyes. He must have made a sound as those gray eyes swung around towards him and widened in recognition. His dad gasped and Harry wasn't sure if it was him or Tony that Mr. Black had recognized. For a moment, he could feel the weight of the entire chamber as everyone's eyes turned towards them. Harry was careful to keep his eyes on Mr. Black and refused the urge to look up at his headmaster, who he knew was looking at him.

One of the men in black stood up and began speaking, but Harry tuned him out. He knew what his godfather was accused of and how he was thrown into the Wizarding prison without even an interrogation on Dumbledore's authority. Ian had been irate when he'd learned what happened, as he'd gone to Hogwarts with Harry's parents and Mr. Black. The injustice of how Mr. Black was treated and, subsequently, Harry's placement with the Dursleys rankled and Harry was better off not listening to the idiot who started his opening speech by proclaiming Sirius Black guilty.

Instead, Harry eased out the small Starkpad his dad had made for him from his inside pocket and started going through the information his Uncle Rhodey had loaded onto it. It was about Steven Rogers, the man known during World War II as Captain America, who had been a friend of his grandfather. It also was very apparent to Harry that his dad did not like Captain America and, after Uncle Rhodey had explained about Tony's childhood and Howard's inattention to his only child, he completely understood. Uncle Rhodey believed they could find Captain Rogers based on the information his grandfather had compiled and especially after what Ironjaw had told them about the vault and Captain Roger's status, Harry believed they need to find him, also – they could use all the allies they could get.

Ignoring the proceeding as he knew his dad would nudge him if he was needed, Harry immersed himself in the files. He read about how Steve Rogers was chosen for Project Rebirth and how Dr. Erskine developed the Super Soldier Serum, while Howard Stark invented the Vita-Ray Chamber, designed to focus the Vita Radiation - something Howard believed Erskine based off the Tesseract. Thankful that Grandfather had managed to create a serum which didn't puff him up like the one Captain Rogers was injected with, Harry cringed a bit at the description of what happened during the Rebirth process. He had to admire the guy for just surviving that!

Losing himself in the files, Harry was amazed at the detailed notes his grandfather had taken, both about the Project and the Vita-Ray chamber he'd invented to distribute the Vita Radiation, although the energy source wasn't described. According to the development, the chamber would distribute both the radiation and the serum, which interacted to produce the Super Soldier Rogers had become.

It was raised voices which broke through Harry's concentration, and he lifted his head.

"I am Supreme—" Dumbledore was on his feet, wand held loosely in his hand.

The witch at the table on the right was on her feet, navy blue robes swirling around her as she stepped in front of Mr. Black. "Not in this particular proceeding, Mr. Dumbledore!" She held up a piece of parchment. "In fact, I thought the great Albus Dumbledore, whose moral compass influences so many in our world, would have immediately recused himself from this trial."

Dumbledore sputtered a denial, but the woman spoke over him.

"In my hand, I hold the single document in Heir Sirius Black's arrest record. It is a document, signed by the Wizengamot Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore, ordering the forthwith removal of Sirius Black to Azkaban without interrogation or trial."

The chamber exploded with noise until Dumbledore waved his wand and a loud bang was heard. "Sirius Black—"

"Has been declared innocent by this body, Dumbledore, and released without prejudice for eleven years of false imprisonment. He is free to live his life, including seeking custody of his godson." An elderly man on the platform interjected.

"No! The child must remain with his blood relatives—"

At this point, Ian stood up and interrupted. "Warlock Toledo! I am Barrister Ian Selwyn and I represent Harrison James Potter. May I speak?"

The man waved a hand in agreement as he glared at Dumbledore.

"I have documentation designating the young man's custody, a young boy who managed to escape a year ago from the abusive family Albus Dumbledore left him with, and who has recently been reunited with his sire, Anthony Stark."

Harry felt his dad squeeze his hand and he looked over to where Mr. Black had managed to turn half around in his chair, staring up at them. As he watched, the man threw his head back and laughed hoarsely. Tony grinned at him, winking, and Harry smirked as he saw the incredulous look at Dumbledore's face. Ian made a motion with his hand and Tony stood up, Harry stood as well, proudly, by his side.

"No!" Snarled the Supreme Mugwump, lifting his wand towards Tony.

Harry's gut reaction was to throw up his right hand, palm out, willing Dumbledore's wand to him; hoping to prevent the bastard from hurting his dad. "Come here!" he yelled, putting all his energy into his plea.

The room went silent as Dumbledore's wand was ripped out of his hand and flew straight toward Harry, as well as his pointy hat, and his flamboyant robes were almost pulled over his head. The slender wand with odd rings at regular intervals up the shaft slapped into Harry's hand with a thwacking sound. His fingers closed around it reflexively, a whoosh of magic encircled him. Harry was filled with surge of warmth and power that made his magic sing. Arms pulled him into an embrace and Harry knew his father was protecting him, opening his eyes to see them both haloed in iridescent light.

The rattling of chains drew Harry's attention as the surge receded and he took a deep breath against his dad's chest. He turned towards the sound, staying in the circle of Tony's arms. Mr. Black was trying to stand up, while several people where trying to help Dumbledore right his clothes.

"Remove the chains, Heir Black had been found innocent of the charges!" The witch's voice cut across the roar of raised voices in the chamber.

Tony moved his hands to Harry's shoulders as one of the ICW Aurors flicked his wand and removed Mr. Black's bindings. The instant he was free, Ironjaw appeared beside him and whispered urgently into his ear. With a nod, Sirius held out his hand and Ironjaw slipped the Lordship ring on his hand. A silver light enveloped Mr. Black before it sank into his skin and Dumbledore let out a gasp at the sight, before turning his eyes towards Harry.

"Quick, slide that wand into your bag, munchkin. Something tells me Dumblefuck wants it back."

Nodding, Harry lifted the flap on his bag and secured the wand in the deep pocket he'd used to carry the serum from Gringotts. He knew if they needed it, he also had his Invisibility cloak in another pocket, even though he was sure the old man could see through it. Mr. Black stood and started toward them, just as Dumbledore finally waved off his overeager helpers.

"Harry James Potter! How dare you!" Dumbledore roared.

Harry felt Tony tighten his hands and Ian stepped in front of him and his dad.

"Actually, it's Stark," Tony snarked, leaning around Ian. "Apparently, you don't know everything, Mr. Supreme Mudwimp!"

Mr. Black choked out a laugh as he got to them, throwing himself at the two. Tony caught him and Harry found himself squished in between, not that he minded.

"Merlin, Tony, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again!" Mr. Black's voice broke, and Harry could feel him tremble. "And I'm so thankful Harrison is with you."

His eyes wide, Harry looked up at his dad as Mr. Black began to sob and press kisses into the top of his head. Ian looked teary eyed as well and Tony patted Sirius' back as Harry stood stiffly, not really sure what he was supposed to do. Dumbledore was still yelling at him, and Harry grimaced when the was a loud bang.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, you are hereby under arrest for kidnapping, embezzlement, child endangerment, interference with an Ancient and Noble House, failure to probate wills, withholding custodial rights, line theft, and criminal conspiracy."

Harry looked around Sirius at Kingsley's voice and watched as a group of uniformed Aurors tied Dumbledore up with ropes they conjured. The warlock was rumpled, his hair and beard mussed up, and his wizard hat trampled on the floor. He looked almost as bad as Harry had felt after the encounter with Quirrellmort at the end of the year.

Harry found he liked the look.

"On what authority?" Dumblefuck seemed to draw his dignity around him like a tattered cloak. "I am Supreme Mugwump as well as Chief Warlock—"

"Not anymore, Mr. Dumbledore," a tall woman with an honest-to-God monocle announced as she walked into the chamber. "Charges have been brought against you by the British Ministry of Magic, the Goblin Nation, and the ICW on behalf of Heir Potter-Stark by his biological sire, Anthony Stark."

"Lord Sirius Black would also like to bring charges against the former Chief Warlock for lying under oath, perjury, and illegal imprisonment."

Tony really liked the woman, witch, who was representing Sirius. She might be short, but she was feisty and not easily intimidated. Sirius was still kneeling in front of them and Tony figured it wouldn't be long before his body would succumb to exhaustion.

"Are you okay, Mr. Black?" Harry asked quietly, ignoring the drama on the platform as he hesitantly patted the man's shoulder.

The man straightened up, his hands coming to frame Harry's face gently as turbulent gray eyes met his. "You were calling me Padfoot before you walked, sweet boy, please don't call me Mr. Black – I think it would literally break my heart."

Tony could see love shining in those eyes and knew Harry could see the same thing. He watched as Harry gave his godfather a shy smile.

"Padfoot."

Sirius enfolded Harry in a hug and Tony could feel Harry's pleasure in his own chest.

"Come on, bambino, let's get your godfather out of here and get something to eat. Looks like the theatrics are going to go on for a while."

Ian caught Tony's eye, tilting his head towards Sirius' barristers and Tony nodded, knowing Ian would arrange things for them. Ironjaw had organized a portkey back to New York City, but Tony wasn't sure Sirius was up to using one yet. Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy should have landed by now and would be in the hotel waiting for them with dinner. It made sense to start with that, as their security team was already in place.

"Mr. Potter?"

Tony whipped around and found monocle lady standing behind him, arching an eyebrow. "Tony Stark, actually."

"Madam Bones, this is Harry's father. Tony, may I present Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Kingsley appeared at Tony's elbow.

Tony gave her a nod but didn't extent his hand. "Madam Bones, how can I help you?"

"Mr. –"

"Doctor, actually."

Tony hid a smirk as he was sure the very proper woman wanted to roll her eyes. "Dr. Stark, Dumbledore has made an allegation of theft against your son—"

"If you are speaking of the wand, Madam Bones," Ironjaw interjected. "Specifically, the one Albus Dumbledore illegally possessed. I can assure you, Harrison did not need to steal" he spat the word out, "a Peverell family heirloom! One which had been stolen from his ancestor by Gellert Grindelwald and, subsequently, stolen from Grindelwald by Dumbledore. The wand most likely was drawn to Lord Peverell when Dumbledore brandished the wand at he and his father."

Smirking openly now, Tony tilted his head at Bones as he spoke to Ironjaw. "Both Harry and I would be grateful if you would return the wand to the family vault as soon as we return to New York."

"Assuredly, Dr. Stark."

Rescuing Harry from his clinging godfather, Tony maneuvered them out of the chamber and through the atrium without drawing too much attention. At one point, a large beetle flew up out of nowhere and Tony was able to bat it away from Harry's face, watching it smack into the central fountain. He idly wondered why it sank into the water instead of swimming away.

The Royal suite of the Four Seasons Hotel in Geneva was close to the ICW building and very luxurious. The main suite took up the entire floor with four bedrooms, a living room, dining room, small kitchenette, and a balcony looking over Lac Leman. Pepper had organized dinner, with some classic French dishes, as well as prime rib from a steak house. There was a famous bakery nearby as well as a chocolatier and Tony grinned as he saw Harry beeline for those goodies as they came in the door.

Pepper intercepted him with a hug and a smooth redirect to the bedroom he'd been assigned to change his clothes. Tony introduced Sirius, who gave Pepper a bow and flopped on one of the couches, leaning his head back. Kingsley and Ironjaw had gone back to their own duties, Ironjaw transporting the Peverell wand to the family vault. Happy was parking the car and then would prowl the perimeter, before he came up to eat. Rhodey lounged on another couch, paging through something on his Starkpad.

Taking Pepper in his arms, Tony wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, savoring their closeness. He could feel Harry's happiness at how the case had turned out, with Sirius free and Dumblefuck under arrest by the ICW. Two of the things on the top of their list of things they needed to accomplish. While he knew the barristers and attorneys, in collaboration with Gringotts goblins, had a great deal of evidence amassed, he was sure in the end, Harry would probably have to testify to the harsh treatment of his family and Dumblefuck's manipulations.

"Tony?" Sirius called quietly.

Lifting his head from Pepper's shoulder, Tony turned toward him, keeping Pepper in his arms. Pepper brought her hands up and began to untie Tony's red and gold tie.

"What's really going on?" Sirius shot a glance at the open bedroom door. "Kingsley told me Harry just found you?"

Sighing, Tony gave Pepper a quick kiss before stepping away from her. "It's a long story and I think we need to be safely back in New York before I give you all the details. Let's eat and relax for a bit to make sure we're not needed anymore here, and then we'll head back."

"We need to make sure everything is secure, Padfoot," Harry walked out of the room, dressed in jeans and a green hoodie, carrying his suit. "Let's eat and then I'll join you for a nap on the way back." He leaned toward his godfather. "Did you know Dad's jet has a bedroom in it?" He sounded scandalized.

Both Tony and Sirius laughed hard and even Rhodey snorted as he looked up.

Happy walked in shaking his head at them and headed towards the table. "Let's eat!"

Tony just grinned.

Chapter Text

The plane ride back to New York was relaxed, allowing everyone to catch their breath. Tony insisted on Sirius taking the bedroom and encouraged Harry to join him in taking a nap. With the lights turned off and soft music playing, Tony had instructed his longtime head stewardess, Isabel, and the steward she was training, they wouldn't need to do anything until just before landing. He and Pepper curled up on the wide sofa in what Tony called the "party lounge", while Rhodey and Happy dozed off in their seats.

Four hours into the flight, Tony woke with a start, his connection to Harry twinging. Tony grabbed one of the pillows piled on the back of the leather couch and eased it under Pepper's head, so he could sit up without disturbing her. Just as he stood, the bedroom door opened, and Harry slipped out. His eyes taking in the half-panicked look on his son's face, Tony motioned him over. He wrapped his arms around Harry and stood still for several minutes as Harry buried his face in Tony's chest.

"Bad dream?" Tony whispered, leaning down to kiss the top of Harry's head.

Nodding, Harry clung for another moment before pulling back. With a finger over his lips, Tony led Harry to the seating area at the front of the plane, just prior to the galley. It was far enough away from Rhodey and Happy that they should be able to have a quiet conversation. Isabel materialized before they were settled into side by side seats, and disappeared back into the galley for the requested coffee and ginger ale. The steward, Jeb or Jed, Tony couldn't remember, brought out a bowl of blueberries for them.

Tony munched his way through a handful of berries as he watched Harry's face, washing them down with half the cup of coffee. "Are you all right, bambino?"

Harry sipped at his drink and nodded his head. "Yeah. I woke up just after the dream started and before it turned really bad." He gave a small shrug. "I was kind of expecting it, after seeing Dumbledore. Something about that man just makes me uneasy."

"I can understand that," Tony agreed. "I know I struggle with rage when I see him and it's all I can do not to rip him apart with my bare hands. I want him to feel the same kind of pain he sentenced you to, as well as what he did to James, Lily, and I."

"I know," Harry told him. "But I refuse to let it consume me. You rescued me from his evil clutches, Dad."

Tony arched an eyebrow. "In reality, Ironjaw and Ian rescued you, and I will always owe them one of those life debts for that." He decided Dumblefuck had taken enough of their attention today. "How was Sirius?"

Harry's eyes grew wide. "Poor guy started sobbing into his pillow when we first laid down and I didn't have any idea what I should do! So, I just did what you do for me, and rubbed his back until he went to sleep."

"It's going to take a while before Sirius is better, Harry." Tony set his now empty cup on the table. "Ironfang is going to send us a list of mind healers who might be able to help him."

Isabel materialized beside them with a pot of coffee and a tray of meat, cheese, and cookies. They both thanked her quietly as Rhodey dropped into the seat across from Tony.

"Coffee, please," he responded to Isabel's inquiring look.

Tony watched as Harry plucked a piece of cheese off the tray and nibbled at it. There was obviously something on Harry's mind and he patiently waited until Isabel and the steward were back in their area of the front. Building himself a little sandwich out of meat and cheese, Tony gave Harry an expectant look.

"What's on your mind, son?"

Throwing a look over his shoulder towards the galley, Harry leaned into him. "I think we need to look at the priority lists we made and double check to make sure it's the way we want to go. Especially after what happened at the ICW."

Tony tilted his head and glanced at Rhodey, not needing the bond to feel Harry's anxiety. "How so?"

"We have to make sure Sirius gets all the help he needs," Harry whispered, not looking up from the piece of cheese he was now shredding with his fingers.

Tony bit back the teasing quip which popped into his head, reaching out to cover Harry's hand with his. "And?"

His head shooting up, Harry met his eyes, trepidation filling his own. "You know I don't want to go back to my former school, but I'd like to continue my, uh, special studies."

Patting his hand. Tony arched an eyebrow. "I would insist on it, son. I realize that it is one of your strongest talents and I want to encourage it as much as I can. Do you want to look into the same type of schools in the US, or see if there is a local day school?"

"You could even hire tutors and just be homeschooled in all subjects," Rhodey interjected.

"I hated that, myself," Tony admitted, grabbing another handful of blueberries. "Granted, I was younger than you are, but I was bored out of my mind and ended up sneaking into my dad's workshop a lot."

Rhodey snickered. "And probably blew things up."

Tony felt his cheeks heat up. "Well, if he ever paid attention to what I was doing – then again, it was probably what got me sent to boarding school at eight."

"I think there was more involved than that, Tones, like the nanny—"

"Right!" Tony cut him off quickly. "Anyway, mini-me, you have a whole range of options; we'll see how you do on your placement tests, though, before we decide."

"Placement tests?" Harry scrunched up his nose. "Why do I have to take those?"

Swallowing his blueberries, Tony arched an eyebrow. "For one, you've been out of regular school for the past year, and two, I doubt you were actually encouraged to do your best when you were in primary." He side eyed Rhodey. "Something tells me those people wouldn't have liked you being smarter than their son."

"Can't Sirius help with the special subjects?" Rhodey asked, reaching for the bowl of blueberries. "He had to have graduated school in order to have qualified for a career in—."

"Special ops," Tony interrupted, throwing a look at the galley.

Rhodey rolled his eyes and grinned as Harry snickered. All three jumped when another voice joined their conversation.

"I did finish school, thank you, and did pretty well at most classes. I generally tied James for second or third in our year." Sirius dropped into the chair across from Harry, his hair rumpled, dressed in trousers and one of Tony's Black Sabbath tee shirts. "Only one who consistently beat us was Moony."

Harry frowned and tilted his head. "Uncle Moony? Light brown hair and, kinda, goldish eyes?"

Tony pushed the tray towards Sirius as Isabel appeared beside them again. "Remus? Good God, I haven't thought of him in years. He wasn't around much when I was with James and Lily."

Giving Harry a quick smile, Sirius looked at Tony. "Dumbledore's doing; kept sending him out on missions, ones only Remus could do."

Isabel brought Sirius a cup of tea, refilled Tony and Rhodey's coffee, but Harry waved her off when she asked about a refill.

"How are you feeling, Uncle Padfoot?" Harry asked him softly.

"Better than I have in years, really," Sirius answered, looking at Tony. "If I haven't said it already, thank you, Tony. Kingsley mentioned you were instrumental in moving my trial up."

Tony waved him off. "Actually, you should thank Harry and Barrister." And look at his kid blush. "Harry was rather insistent after Ironjaw did his test at the Bank. He decided he wanted you in his life, even though he’d just gotten ME as a dad." Tony shook his head. "Don’t know why—"

"Dad!" Harry hissed as he elbowed Tony.

Sirius frowned at Tony. "What do you mean, he’d just gotten you? I know for a fact James and Lily left instructions in their wills—"

"Dumblefuck happened," Tony bit out. "I’ve only had my son for the past week! If it weren’t for Ironjaw’s intersession and Harry’s stubbornness, I might have never known."

Harry’s hand grasped his and Tony took a deep breath, his anger still very close to the surface. A slim hand carded through his hair and Tony looked up to see Pepper standing beside Harry. Without thought, Tony lifted Harry up and sat him on his lap, ignoring his son’s squawk of indignation, and Pepper took his seat. Tony wrapped his arms around Harry and leaned sideways for a kiss.

Sirius looked lost. "But—then where was Harry?"

"I think this conversation can wait until we get to the tower," Pepper interjected softly and Tony, who could already feel the prickle of Sirius’ agitated magic, agreed.

Harry had stopped squirming to get down and gave Tony a look, to which Tony nodded. They’d discussed the probability of Sirius’ control over his magic after being incarcerated for so long. The last thing they needed was a spike of accidental magic while flying at 30,000 feet.

"Uncle Padfoot, what’s the first thing you want to do now that you’re free?" Harry asked as he snuggled into Tony’s embrace.

"I know what I’d really like to do—" Sirius started and Tony gave him a deadpan look, knowing how Pepper felt when he’d arrived back from Afghanistan. "—is going flying! Kingsley told me you’d been made Seeker as a first year and I can’t wait to see if you can fly as well as James!"

Harry positively beamed and the discussion stayed safely in more causal topics for the remainder of the flight. Happy continued to snore softly in his seat until the wheels touched the tarmac and managed to get them back to the tower by 3am.

Harry made his way silently to the large kitchen in the penthouse, JARVIS lighting the way. He’d gone back to bed with everyone else when they had gotten home but was only able to sleep a couple hours before he woke up. He snooped through the cupboards and refrigerator, before deciding on pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. He hadn’t cooked since he’d arrived in New York and wanted to do something nice for everyone. Besides, since he and his dad had taken the serum, Harry found he ate more than he ever had before – he’d might as well help make the food.

It was amazing how much he enjoyed cooking when he wasn’t being forced to, Harry thought, humming under his breath as he stirred the batter. He'd just pulled the first of the bacon off the stove and was transferring them to a paper towel lined plate, when the sound of soft footsteps told him he wasn't alone any longer.

A barefoot Pepper came padding around the corner, wearing a blue blouse and skirt, and stopped short. "Harry? What are you doing, sweetie?" She looked at the stack of pancakes on the counter. "You don't have to cook for us—"

"I know," Harry cut across her words softly. "I wanted to. I thought we could all use a nice hot breakfast this morning."

Reaching into the cupboard to take down a stack of plates, Pepper set them on the island, before grabbing a handful of forks. Harry dished her up a plate of eggs and bacon, adding two pancakes on a separate plate. He moved the butter and maple syrup over as Pepper sat down. He watched intently as she took a bite of pancake and saw her eyes widen in surprise.

"Are they okay?"

Moaning, Pepper nodded before taking another bite and moaning again. "These are amazing, Harry!"

"Thanks, er, Pepper," Harry stumbled and flushed as she cocked an eyebrow at her. "I—uh, I wanted to apologize in advance," Harry all but stuttered, "if I call you, uh, mum by mistake." He couldn't bring himself to look at her, fearing the rejection he's sure is there.

"Harry." A finger under his chin lifted his face to meet those blue eyes. "I already think of you as my kid, calling me Mom would just be icing on the cake."

Harry gave her a small smile. "I just kind of think you’re really good for Dad and I don’t really have very many memories of my mum, and— "

"Harry," Pepper interrupted him, tucking a strand of hair behind her eye. "I would love if you called me mum, I just don’t want to, ah, replace Lily."

Harry felt a tightness in his chest and looked at Pepper. "My only memory of her was when she was killed. I’d really like to have other, better memories— "

Pepper stood up and pulled Harry into her arms, giving him a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. Harry wrapped his arms around her and hung on tight for several long minutes.

"Would you like to see a picture of her, Mum?" he asked softly, trying out the honorific.

"You have pictures?" Pepper pushed him to arm’s length. "Tony has never had any! Go get those, right now, young man!"

When his dad wandered out half an hour later, yawning and rubbing a hand through his rumpled hair, he found Harry and Pepper seated at the island, going through the photo album Hagrid had given him. Harry looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"Dad! I found you in one of these pictures!" Harry told him, waving him over.

The picture was of a group of friends, gathered in a pub. Until now, Harry had no idea who most of the people were. It was of his mum and Dad James, with his arm around Lily on one side and Sirius on the other. Behind them, Tony was hanging over James’ shoulder, while a sandy hair man was leaning over Sirius’ shoulder. Harry held the photo album out to Tony, who took it, sitting down hard on the stool beside him. His grin slid off his face as he felt his dad’s grief through their link and his face paled.

A tear crept down Tony’s cheek as he traced Lily and James’ faces, a far away look in his face. "God, we look so young," he whispered, his eyes riveted on the picture.

Harry reached out and laid his hand on Tony’s arm. "I didn’t mean to cause you any pain, Dad. I’d completely forgotten I had the pictures! Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts gave it to me before I left, but I didn’t even know who most of these people are." Harry took a deep breath. "I’d never seen a picture of my parents before I arrived at school and one of my friends showed me them in a history book."

There was a heaviness in his chest and a sadness which seemed to engulf him. He watched as Tony set the album on the island and drew Harry towards him. Harry went willingly into a hug, as Pepper watched them both.

"Dad? Mum said I could call her mum, if it’s all right with you," Harry told him in a stage whisper.

Tony blinked, looking from Harry to Pepper and back, a smile slowly erupted on his face. Harry rubbed his chest as the heaviness lightened and grinned back at him.

"And I made you some blueberry pancakes!"

Pulling away from Tony, Harry took out the plate stacked high with pancakes from the oven and placed it on the kitchen island, so Tony could serve himself. Sirius found his way to them a few minutes later, looking freshly showered and dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants along with a tee shirt Harry was sure was another
one of Tony’s favorite band shirts. Good mornings were mumbled as Harry slid a plate over to his godfather, who, he decided, wasn’t a morning person. Even after he ate, Sirius was quiet, his face seemed fixed in a frown as he finished his coffee. Harry couldn’t help but wonder if he'd done something wrong.

The elevator dinging distracted Harry and he watched James Rhodes step out with Mariah Fontaine and a man Harry didn’t know. Rhodey introduced the man as the chief healer from the New York Hospital of Magic, someone who had worked with MACUSA in the past and held a high clearance level. As Harry watched, the look on Sirius’ face became a scowl and then a glower. He watched as his dad put a hand on Sirius’ shoulder and guided him back toward the room Sirius had been given.

"Damn, that man is worse with medical checkups than I am," his dad told him when he returned, sitting back down beside Harry. "He’s going to lose his mind when the other healer gets here!"

"Dad!" Harry swatted at his arm as Tony snickered. "That was awful!" Harry tried to hide his own grin.

"I’m sure I’m going to feel the same way when I have to talk to her," Tony remarked, "and so will you."

Harry rolled his eyes, knowing his dad would feel the tendril of apprehension he felt.
Tony had warned him they would all be having a chat with the Mind Healer today. Although Harry had spoken to a mind healer the previous summer at Ian’s insistence, there had been a lot of changes for them all in the last few weeks. He’d been surprised when Tony agreed as well, Pepper having told him how hard it was to convince Tony to get any therapy after his kidnapping and the betrayal of his own godfather. Harry really hoped the talking would help all of them.

Leaving the adults to do the clean-up, Harry returned to his bedroom, showering and dressing in a pair of the new jeans and a green pullover shirt Pepper had ordered for him. The shirt was incredibly soft, and the jeans fit him perfectly, something Harry loved after a lifetime of Dudley’s hand-me-downs. He grabbed the new StarkPhone his dad had left on his dressed for him and went back out into the living room. Pepper was headed for work, but Harry found Tony on the couch, the photo album still in his lap, talking with Uncle Rhodey and Mariah.

"You need help with that, bambino?" Tony asked as Harry sat down beside him.

Looking at the sleek device in his hand, all glass and metal, Harry nodded. "Don’t even know how to turn it on, actually," he admitted, feeling thick.

"I wouldn’t think so, squirt, living in the stone age as you have been," Tony quipped, pulling Harry closer and taking the phone from him.

Setting the device on the cover of the photo album, Tony spend the next half an hour showing Harry the features of his new phone. Defaulting to his dad’s suggestions, Harry watched, amazed, as Tony downloaded apps and showed him how to make social media posts. Debating the benefits of Instagram over Twitter, Harry smothered a grin as Uncle Rhodey argued something called Facebook had better options. It took another thirty minutes and a heated debate on what Harry’s screen name would be.

"If you used Harry Stark or Harry Potter, you could draw unwanted attention, bambino," Tony maintained. "I’d like to keep you out of the media circus for a while longer, kid."

Having experienced fame in the Wizarding world, Harry appreciated what his dad was trying to do. "Maybe something a bit vague, like Starkmagic?"

Tony wrinkled his nose. "Not really subtle, kiddo. HarryPS? What do you think, Platypus?"

"Starkette, Starkling, PottersHotter," Rhodey rattled off without hesitation.

"MiniMage, Magickid, Tesoro, TonysBoy?" Mariah suggested with a grin.

"MiniTones, let them think it's music related," Pepper announced as she came around the corner, tapping on a StarkPad as she walked in and stopped in front of Harry. "The healers are ready for you, sweetie, let Tony finish setting up your phone."

"I'll make sure he doesn't put anything embarrassing in your profile, kid," Rhodey assured him.

Harry handed over the phone with a bit of apprehension. "I can change it if I don't like it, right?"

Pepper shot Tony a look which would freeze a lesser man, Harry thought. "Absolutely, Harry. Come along, now."

Harry sighed deeply. He really didn't want to see a healer, but if it would help his godfather and make sure he stayed with his new family, he would do anything. He wasn't going to take a chance of his old headmaster messing with his life. Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw Tony watching him and gave him a lopsided grin as he walked away.

Pasting on a reassuring smile, Tony watched his son walk towards the interior staircase, feeling his apprehension. He knew exactly how the kid felt, but they both knew it was necessary. Should Dumblefuck challenge either his paternity or his suitability as a father, they would need all these check-ups documented to prove Harry was thriving. Tony wasn't about to let anyone take his son or his memories away from him. Tony finished up Harry's phone, Starkling for Instagram and MiniTones for Twitter, and set it on the table, before standing up and stretching his back.

Knowing Rhodey would be watching him like a hawk, Tony stepped out onto the balcony and dropped into a lounge chair. The sun was behind a white, puffy cloud, leaving it pleasantly warm morning. Straightening his spine into a comfortable position, Tony crossed his legs at the ankles, laid his forearms on his thighs, hands dangling, and centered himself. Meditation wasn't new to him, having learned it from when he was a kid when one of his bodyguards introduced him to martial arts. Although he hadn't kept up the practice in many years, it had taught him how to compartmentalize his mind and allowed him to hide things he didn't want to deal with. It was also probably why he had suffered from nightmares for years.

Clearing his mind was a hard thing for him to learn how to do, Tony felt like his mind was always going at top speed. He'd used alcohol and sex for years to dull his thoughts and exhaust him enough so that he could sleep. Lily had insisted he cut back on the booze and James had helped by teaching him some of the techniques magicals used, with assistance from a potion. Tony concentrated on the memory of light blue liquid in the slender crystal vial, which James always seemed to have in the pocket of his robes. Concentrating on the vial, Tony successfully cleared his swirling thoughts, and let his mind rest.

"Tones?" Rhodey's voice was low and gentle, like the hand he laid on Tony's shoulder. "The healer's ready for you."

Opening his eyes, Tony took the hand Rhodey offered him and allowed his best friend to pull him to his feet. "Thanks, Honey Bear. How long have I been out here?"

"About an hour," Rhodey told him, eyeing him. "Feel better?"

Grinning, Tony patted his arm. "I'm hanging in there, Rhodey, and I appreciate you being here for us."

Rhodey nodded, smiling at him. "Anytime, Tony, anytime."

Detouring to the kitchen for a fresh cup of coffee and a lingering kiss from Pepper, Tony walked down to where the healer was set up. Harry was waiting for him outside the door and gave him a smile when he came around the corner. Tony didn't feel any negative emotions coming through the bond they shared. Tony opened his arms and Harry stepped into them with a sigh, burying his face in Tony's shirt.

"You doing okay, bambino?"

"Yeah, I think so, Dad," Harry gave him a squeeze. "She seems really nice and everything."

"Okay," Tony kissed the top of Harry's head. "Go see how Sirius is doing and I'll find you when I'm done here."

"All right." Harry laid his head against his chest for a moment before stepping back.

Tony reached on with his free hand and ruffled his already unruly hair. He watched Harry head for the stairs before he turned and knocked on the door. A muffled voice instructed him to enter and, taking a deep breath, Tony walked into the conference room. The mind healer had arrived while he was meditating and he wa surprised to see a middle-aged woman, with tan skin, dark eyes, and white hair. She was at the age where Harry could picture her as a grandmother and Tony, a mother. She was dressed in a flowing peach top and chocolate colored skirt. The pearls around her neck instantly reminded Tony of the set his mother always wore.

"Good morning, Dr. Stark," she greeted him with closed mouth smile. "I'm Healer Claire Martin, but please, call me Claire."

Tony took the hand she extended and shook it, liking her firm grip. "Tony, please."

A wall of floor to ceiling windows on one side of room allowed in plenty of light and Tony set his mug of coffee down as he dropped into one of the comfortable chairs, turning toward the woman as she reseated herself. He watched as she flipped open a file folder in front of he and picked up a pen.

"I understand you had already been working with a therapist, Tony?"

Pushing down on the instant irritation he felt, Tony answered truthfully. "I have. Doug works with veterans and specializes in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

Claire nodded at him to continue.

Tony inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, he did not need to have a panic attack. "He's helping me work through my experiences during my involuntary vacation in Afghanistan a few years back, as well as my near-death experience due to heavy-metal poisoning after that."

"What type of impact did those incidents have on you?" Her voice was warm and non-threatening,

"Panic-attacks, night terrors, questionable decision-making, and, at the height of the poisoning, reckless behavior."

The healer nodded again, as if she recognized how hard it was for him to speak to a stranger. "Do you feel talking about what you experienced has helped?"

Tony tilted his head. "Yes, it has. Although I do still have nightmares, it is better than it was."

"And how are you feeling about the sudden appearance of a biological child?"

The pleased smile which curved his lips at the mention of Harry wasn't something Tony could stop. "I am absolutely amazed and incredibly thankful to those who helped bring him to me." He leaned toward the healer. "I had always felt like there was something missing, something important, but I wasn't sure what. For a long time, I believed it was unresolved grief for the people and the relationship I had left behind in England. I believe now that it was my connection with Harry which brought it on."

"It has only been a week, Tony," the healer said softly, her eyes intend on his. "How can you be certain you won't, at some point in time, resent being tied down with a child?"

Anger bubbled in his chest and Tony tried to reign it in with a deep breath. "I would never—could never resent Harry, ever! He is my son, my child! One conceived in love and illegally withheld from me for almost twelve years! I will love Harry no matter what and always, always support him!"

The lights above the table flickered and Tony felt a calming wave through the bond which helped defuse the anger he was feeling, especially as the healer gave him a true smile, teeth and all.

"Excellent!" Claire announced. "I am very glad you feel so strongly, Tony, as it is one of Harry's greatest fears that you will realize at some point that he is more trouble than good."

Tony was blindsided. "What?"

The healer folded her hands and laid them on the table. "Have you not wondered why Harry has so readily accepted you, your girlfriend, and friends as family?"

"I—no, not really," Tony stuttered. "Isn't that good?"

"It is, in a way, but not if he feels he must be absolutely perfect to make himself worthy."

Shaking his head, Tony forced the words out. "He doesn't have to be perfect – he just needs to be a kid! I thoroughly expect him to do stupid stuff, God knows I did!" he took a deep breath. "The only time I'd get mad at him is if he puts himself in danger. I mean, I expect he's going to be a bit reckless, he's James and my son- two of the most reckless idiots you'd ever meet!"

Still smiling, Claire nodded in agreement. "As Harry is scared of losing his new family, I believe it would be beneficial to have some joint sessions, as well as family sessions. Harry will require reassurance and, despite being highly intelligent, he's been manipulated and abused the majority of his life, he may not always make rational decisions."

Tony nodded, knowing JARVIS was keeping notes on the conversation, although he'd instructed the AI not to record the sessions involving Harry or Sirius. He was not going to violate their privacy, but wanted to make sure they were safe. The healer was well aware of this and had agreed to the oversight.

"Is my son in danger?" Tony had to ask.

"Harry is eager to please and is in more danger from someone who might attempt to befriend him with ill intent. However, I don't believe he is in any eminent danger of trusting the wrong person. He doesn't trust easily."

"That is a relief," Tony exhaled. "How was Sirius?"

The healer made a note and then set the pen down, folding her hands before looking up at him. "Lord Black is a very interesting case," she declared.

That drew a laugh from Tony. "He's always been just left of normal!"

The healer looked at him intently. "He is extremely guilt-ridden and has a strong desire to make it up to both you and Harry. His emotions are subject to wild swings, such as from euphoria to depression within seconds. I have prescribed a potion which is used by Aurors who are exposed to the Dementors while on guard duty at the prison, which should help."

Claire looked contemplative for a moment. "While the assessment is accurate, I believe, he is actually amazingly well, mentally and emotionally, for having spent over ten years in that hellhole. Lord Black is fortunate he was able to spend most of his time in his Animagus form, protecting him from the worse damage."

Tony leaned forward. "Is Harry safe?"

Nodding, the healer checked her notes. "Yes, in fact, I believe Sirius will take protecting both you and Harry to the extreme if threatened, and you will have to set firm guidelines on how much he can buy for Harry. I have a feeling he'll try and spoil him, as he feels he owes Harry for all the missed birthdays and Christmases."

Dragging his fingers through his hair, Tony gave her a sheepish smile. "I might know that feeling."

Chapter Text

Harry woke up slowly, insanely comfortable and pain-free. His room was dark and would stay that way until he opened his eyes or JARVIS figured out he was awake. A smile erupted on his face as he thought about the three and a half weeks since he'd arrived at Start Tower and how much his life had changed since then.

"Good morning, young sir, it is 6:45am and 72 degrees in New York City. Ms. Potts is awake and preparing for work. Sir and Lord Black are both sleeping and, surprisingly, in their own beds."

Harry snickered. He'd learned to appreciate JARVIS' dry sense of humor and how many times he'd report that his dad had fallen asleep in his workshop or on the couch in the living room. Sirius, it seemed, could fall asleep anywhere as well, but luckily had only fallen asleep once outside Stark Tower. Harry shivered, remembering how Sirius had almost been stabbed by a gang member in Central Park.

"Thanks, JARVIS. How long do I have before I have to leave for my placement exams?"

"An hour and a half, young sir."

"Ugh!" Harry rolled out of bed as JARVIS automatically returned the windows to transparent. "When are you waking Dad up?"

"He asked to be awoken at 7:45am, young sir."

"And when did he finally go to bed?" Harry grabbed underwear and socks out of his closet.

"Sir went to bed at 3am." There was a pause. "Perhaps I will begin attempting to wake Sir at half seven."

"I'll have coffee ready for him," He threw over his shoulder as he went into the bathroom.

Harry went through his morning routine, luxuriating in the ability to take a hot shower for as long as he wanted. Rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, Harry thought about the things they had accomplished since Sirius had been released. The healer had given his godfather two doses of the Auror-grade Dementor potion and had helped his emotional stability immensely. Harry and Tony made another visit to the Stark vault, bringing out additional files they had found in the file cabinets and put back the file on the Serum. Gringotts was one of the most secure places in the world and neither of them wanted the file to fall into the wrong hands. They had also brought two of the ampoules back to the Tower, leaving four in the vault.

Sirius had taken half a dose a week ago and they had all been amazed at the result: gain in muscle mass, better lung capacity, removal of internal scaring, and heightened clarity. The sheer amount of improvement sent Sirius sinking to his knees in shock and tears, changing his whole demeanor. He was going to oversee both Tony and Harry's magical training and had tested Harry on his magical proficiency two days ago. They were focusing on Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes. Harry had been proud of his results, even in Potions, and looked forward to the two new subjects. For the first time since his first year in primary school, Harry was looking forward to learning.

After much discussion, Harry and Tony had been able to talk both Happy and Rhodey into taking a quarter dose of the serum. It was pointed out by Mariah and Kingsley that both men were baseline humans, and both were primary protectors for Harry. Knowing the military regularly tested its aviators, Rhodey had agreed to the smaller dose when they had shown the dose Harry had taken didn't show up during blood tests. With he and Happy splitting the dose, it left one full vial in the secret safe in Tony's workshop. Both Harry and his dad wanted Pepper to take at least a third of a dose of the Serum, to strengthen her body, just as a preventative. So far, she had refused.

Drying off, Harry quickly dressed in jeans and a green button-up and padded out to the kitchen in his socks. Pepper hadn't come out of their bedroom yet and Harry grabbed the bread to make her some toast. He'd grown to love his new mum and trusted her implicitly. The sessions they had had with Claire helped put Harry's fears of being unlovable to rest and the family sessions had allowed him to talk about deeply rooted fears of being abandoned or doing something to make his family hate him. It turned out his dad had similar issues, as did Sirius.

Sirius had been an amazing godfather, exactly what Harry had envisioned, caring and interested. Pepper had kept both he and Tony in line and didn't let them shower him with expensive gifts, as it turned out Sirius had loads of money as well and even less impulse control than his dad. Harry had found that out when the top racing broom of the year had appeared in his room one morning, much to Harry's delight and his mum's displeasure. It was obvious who had broken the rules and Sirius had cringed as Pepper verbally ripped him to shreds. His dad had a smug expression on his face as he watched, until Pepper pointed out the new, high tech and sleek, watch Tony had made for him, wiping the look off his face.

When Sirius had recovered from the administration of the Serum, Tony had them all driven up to a set of Stark Industry warehouses which had been used as storage for years. He'd told Harry he wanted to see what shape they were in, but it was an isolated area, away from the city on a large piece of property, with no one else around. Rhodey, Happy, Mariah, and Kingsley came along as moral support when his dad had told Sirius why Harry hadn't lived with him until now. While Sirius had been able to maintain control over his magic during Tony's explanation, when Harry had started to tell him how he'd been dumped on the Dursleys' doorstep in the middle of the night, he'd lost control.

Harry swore he could feel Tony's magic whipping around, as well. Luckily, they had been outside and only a few trees had suffered the loss of limbs. It had taken almost an hour to calm everyone down as Harry had told them about life at the Dursleys. He'd forgotten he hadn't gone into too much detail that first night in at the Tower. All in all, Harry thought it went over fairly well and he never had to tell his story again. Ian and Andrew had made sure it was all documented for the trials.

"Good morning, sweetie," Pepper dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "Thank you for the toast."

"You're welcome, Mum," Harry chirped at her as he cracked eggs into a bowl. "I figured I'd do better on my test if I had some real food in my stomach."

"Excellent idea," Pepper agreed, spreading blueberry jam on her toast before eating it over the sink. "Any idea when you'll be home after the test?"

Popping more bread into the toaster, Harry stirred the eggs. "I'm not sure if Dad had any other plans or not."

Pepper arched an eyebrow. "He better not get distracted. We have the board meeting this afternoon, which his appearance is mandatory at and would delay our vacation if he missed it."

"I'll make sure he gets there, Mum," Harry promised, not wanting anything to delay his first family vacation.

Pepper washed jam and crumbs off her fingers, drying them before picking up her StarkPad and purse, and kissed Harry's forehead. "Good luck on your tests, sweetie, and text me if you have any Tony-sized problems."

"I will," Harry snickered, putting his buttered toast on a plate and dishing up some eggs. "Have fun, Mum!"

With a wave, she was gone, and Harry carried his plate over to the coffee table. Sitting on the floor, Harry pulled his study notes closer and ate as he looked them over again. He wasn't concerned about most of the exams, only math and science, as Hogwarts didn't have those classes. Math had always been easy for Harry, he liked to play with numbers in his head, and science was always fun, with the exception of biology. That was one subject which had always been harder for him. Harry was just glad to get these out of the way, so they weren't hanging over his head during their vacation.

His thoughts brought a smile to his face. A vacation he actually got to go on! And it was to celebrate his twelfth birthday! No one would tell him where they were going, only that he would love it. He had been told to pack for warm weather and given a new leather suitcase which matched his messenger bag, including an Expansion Charm on the inside. Sirius had also told him to pack both his Nimbus and his new broom, a Lightning Bolt. Harry really didn't care where they went, as long as his family was with him, and they had fun.

Harry was cleaning up the kitchen by the time his dad and godfather stumbled out of their rooms, both dressed in black jeans, band shirts, and sport jackets. Stifling a laugh at the two of them, Harry set plates of eggs and toast in front of them, along with mugs of strong, black coffee. His dad immediately gulped down half the mug while Harry and Sirius watched in amazement.

"Morning, squirt," Tony mumbled before digging into his breakfast.

Harry just shook his head and kept his dad's mug topped off with coffee.

Tony followed Harry and Sirius as they walked into Midtown School of Science and Technology, taking in the brick façade and well-manicured grounds. Happy positioned himself just inside the door as Tony watched Harry and Sirius continue down the hall. Harry was supposed to report to the cafeteria where he and several other students would be taking their placement test. Midtown was both a middle school as well as a high school and geared towards those who had above average intelligence and an aptitude towards STEM subjects. Harry's IQ was as high as Tony's own, and he had aced the math and general science portions of the IQ tests. Tony was sure Harry would be able to pick up technology, as he was already posting videos on his Instagram, and Tony could help him get up to speed on mechanics. Biology was his weakness, but Tony was sure they would be able to find a tutor for him.

Following a directional sign on the wall, Tony stepped into the school office and stopped in front of a secretary's desk, looking around. It seemed indistinguishable from every other school office he'd ever been in, with pale green walls and linoleum floor tiles. A smiling man of Asian descent stepped out of an inner office and extended his hand.

"Good morning, Mr. Evans. I assume your son is already in the cafeteria as Mr. Harrington is rather strict on punctuality."

Tony inclined his head in the affirmative and grasped the man's hand in a firm, if short, grip. "And you are?"

The man turned away and walked back into the office, clearly indicating Tony should follow him. For a moment, Tony almost didn't before letting out a noisy sigh, finally following. The man seated himself behind the desk and waved his hand towards an ugly chair in front of his desk, which Tony gingerly lowered himself into, after taking time to close the office door behind him. He set the file folder he carried on his lap, waiting for the man to introduce himself.

"I'm Principal Morita, Mr. Evans, and I understood you had some questions for me."

Nodding, Tony opened the file and removed the NDA Pepper had insisted on. "Yes, but I'm going to need you to sign this before we can go any further."

Morita frowned and pulled the paper toward him, reading over it quickly. Tony took off his sunglasses when Morita looked up questioningly and then kept his face neutral when the man gaped at him.

"Tony Stark?"

"Actually, it's Doctor Stark," Tony smirked and pointed towards the document. "If you'll sign that, we can get started."

He waited while Morita carefully read the Non-Disclosure Agreement and, finally, signed it. Taking it back, Tony checked the signature before sliding it back into the folder. Looking up, Tony made eye contact with the principal.

"If Harry passes his placement test – which I have no doubt he will do – I will install a state-of-the-art alarm and surveillance system for the safety of all the students. In reading the school charter, I understand you are a private school and, in that capacity, are able to accept donations?"

"Oh, yes, Dr. Stark—"

"Tony, please."

"—Tony, we would welcome any updates or behests which would improve the school and the educational experience for all our students."

Tony stared at the man, face serious. "Frankly, Principal, I wanted to homeschool my son, for a multitude of reasons, however he has decided on attending Midtown, mostly because he can be with other 7th graders, but take the advanced courses he qualifies for."

Morita nodded, looking into what Tony could only assume was the file of Harry's prior schooling. "I have Harry's records from his primary school, which don't reflect the high results of his IQ test, Tony. I understand he went to boarding school last year, but there are no records, and, frankly, I'm confused about all the different names I see on these records."

Biting his tongue on the scathing retort Tony wanted to make, he levels a hard look at the man. "Firstly, my son was erroneously sent to an abusive relative who discouraged him from doing well in school. His parents were murdered when Harry was a toddler and—" he saw Morita's mouth opened, "before you say anything stupid, I was involved with both Harry's parents and contributed the DNA for his conception. "

Pausing, Tony dared Morita to question him. "Harry holds at least two titles within the British aristocracy and his name is very well-known in those circles. While he will be legally known as Harry James Potter Stark, we have opted to enroll him under his mother's maiden name, Evans. And I'd like him to enjoy the new family he's found for a while before the vultures known as the media find out."

He leaned towards Morita. "Let me reiterate, I am very proud of my son, Principal Morita, but I don't think he or your school needs the attention the Stark or Potter names would bring to the school. My first concern will always be my son's safety and he will have a security team while he is here, not in the classroom, but certainly on school grounds, whether as crossing guards or landscaper or cafeteria monitor."

Morita gave him the semblance of a smile. "I can assure you, Mr. Stark, that our security is top notch as we already have several high-profile students in attendance, including the Oscorp heir."

"Norman Osborn is so far out of my class, I feel fairly insulted, Principal!" Tony knew he had to look appalled. "If you agree to the safety measures and I promise to not hover too much, in this file you will find agreements to upgrade the chemistry, mechanical, and general science labs of the school."

Morita couldn't sign the documents fast enough as Tony sat back in his seat and smirked. Principal insisted on walking Tony around the school, showing him each of the labs, and directed him to areas the man hinted could use improvement. They ended up back at the cafeteria where Tony introduced Sirius. The principal left them with an emergency contact card for them to fill out and return on Harry's first day of school.

Tony could see Harry, sitting at the back of the room, hunched over a stack of papers. He was concentrating completely on whatever test was in front of him and Tony grinned when he saw the tip of Harry's tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. There were probably about twenty kids taking the placement test, both new students and those students here on scholarships. Everyone was spread out evenly throughout the room and Tony was pleased to see all shapes, sizes, and colors of kids. He didn't want Harry going to a stuck-up, homogenized school.

"Hey, Tony?" Sirius poked him with an elbow. "See the kid Harry sat down beside?"

Tony shouldered Sirius out of the way and took a good look at the child Harry was sitting next to. The boy looked about the same age as Harry, with dark brown floppy hair, big brown eyes, and whose concentrated posture mirrored Harry's.

"Looks like a cute kid," Tony told him, stepping back.

Sirius stared at him with an unreadable expression. "Look again, genius. If I didn't know for sure exactly where you were when that boy was conceived, I'd say you were his father. The hair is a shade off, but otherwise, the shape of his face, and those big brown Bambi eyes—"

Tony smacked his arm. "Just because Lily used to say that—"

"It was ever so smashing!"

Sirius teased him good naturedly and Tony couldn't help but grin. He was amazed how well the man had recovered in a short period of time. Between the Serum, the special potion, and reuniting with Harry, miracles had been accomplished. Although, taking another look at the boy, Tony had to admit, superficially, the child resembled him, but as Sirius said, he'd been with James and Lily until the end of November of 1999. Tony shook his head and stepped back from the window, not wanting to disturb Harry or anyone else.

"How much longer do you think they will be in there?" Tony asked, pulling out his phone.

"Your guess is as good as mine, mate."

Tony gave the wizard a deadpan look, which only made Sirius smirk harder. "I'm going to step outside and make a few calls."

Shaking his head, Tony walked out into the late July sunshine, sliding on his sunglasses. "Hey, J?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"I need you to create a file on my personal drive, label it Midtown. Then I need you to pull up the blueprints..."

Tony lost track of time as he worked with JARVIS to arrange for the upgrade to the school's security and labs. Happy had shooed him into the car before anyone could get a good look at him and Tony relaxed in the air conditioning as the temperature rose.

"Boss, kid inbound," Happy announced just as the car door opened.

"Dad!" Harry almost vibrated with excitement as he slid in and hugged Tony. "Can we give my friend Peter a ride home? Otherwise, he'll have to ride the tube or a bus and—"

'Take a breath, kiddo!" Tony couldn't help but laugh at his son. "I don't have a problem giving the kid a ride, if you trust him."

Harry grinned. "I do, 'cause he's just like me. His parents died when he was little and he lives with his aunt and uncle, but both of them are at work and he says he can help me with chemistry and mechanics—"

Tony glanced at his watch and saw that he still had over two hours before the board meeting. "We've got time, go get him."

Disappearing for several minutes, Harry slid back into the car and moved over to sit beside Tony. The dark-haired boy Harry had been sitting beside in the cafeteria followed him. Sirius closed the door and slid into the front passenger seat, leaning over to give Happy an address in Queens, while Tony made sure both boys put their seatbelts on. Happy took off, smoothly merging into the late morning traffic.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet my new friend, Peter. Peter, this is my dad—"

Wide brown ears looked around Harry, staring at Tony. "You're Tony Stark!"

"I am—"

Peter grabbed Harry's arm. "Holy smokes, Harry! You didn't tell me Mr. Stark was your dad! That's awesome! You are so lucky – he's like a genius! And I've actually met him before!"

Tony felt bemused as his son's new friend rambled at high speed, something he knew he was guilty of when he was nervous. Although, he couldn't ever remember meeting the child.

"You have?" Tony frowned.

"At the Stark Expo, you saved me from one of those knockoff Hammerdrones!" Peter exclaimed, leaning forward again. "I had on my Iron Man mask and gauntlet and the stupid thing thought I was you!"

A chill ran up his spine as Tony remembered the little boy he'd saved during the fiasco that was Hammer and Vanko's attack on the Expo. With a cringe, Tony realized he'd never checked on the child after he'd blasted the Hammeroid away that night.

"I—you got out okay, then?"

"My uncle was there with me; we'd just lost each other in the crowd!" Peter told him excitedly. "He was really glad you saved me."

Harry grabbed his hand and squeezed it, obviously feeling Tony's anxiety. "Dad?"

Tony took a deep breath and smiled at both the boys. He'd been arrogant and sloppy in the past, but he'd gotten better, improved, and now, with the arrival of his son, Tony swore he'd strive to be the best. Using all the information Howard had left in the vault, Tony would endeavor to mitigate the threats to his family and beyond. He squeezed Harry's hand.

"So, Peter, tell me about yourself."

Harry bounced on the balls of his feet. It had been a wonderful day so far! He'd passed his school placement tests according to the email he'd just received, made his first American friend, and, as soon as his dad was finished his meeting, they were heading out. Uncle Rhodey and Uncle Padfoot were going with them with Pepper, Mariah, and Uncle Happy would join them for dinner tomorrow night. No one would tell him where they were going, but as Harry had never really had a birthday before, he was just beside himself with excitement.

"Hey kid, are you ready?" Uncle Rhodey asked as he stepped out of the elevator, Pepper and Sirius with him.

"As soon as Dad gets here," Harry answered with a slight frown. "Where is he?"

Pepper puffed out a long-suffering sigh. "He had a last-minute errand; said he'd meet you at the plane." She gave him a hug and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner. Be good!"

Clapping his hands like Tony often did, Sirius grinned. "Then let's go!"

The traffic was typical of the commute hours in New York City, Uncle Rhodey cursed almost as well as Vernon Dursley did when the car in front of them stopped suddenly. Sirius whispered a Cushioning Charm as he held on to the door handle with both hands. Harry was sure Uncle Rhodey rolled his eyes at Sirius' antics. The only thing worse was the thought of his dad teaching his godfather to drive a car, as Uncle Padfoot had taken to badgering him about.

Harry cringed at the thought and Uncle Happy must have shared his thoughts as he had just turned, shaking his head, and walked away. His dad had just laughed at all of them.

Tony was waiting for them at the plane when they drove on to the tarmac, hands stuffed in his trouser pockets, still wearing his waistcoat over his dress shirt, tie and suit jacket nowhere in sight.

"Dad!" Harry shot out of the car as soon as it stopped and almost tackled Tony in his excitement.

Tony wrapped his arms around Harry and lifted him off his feet. "Bambino! How was the drive over?"

"Slow," Uncle Rhodey interjected, carrying his suitcase to the foot of the stairway. "How do people sit in commute traffic day in and day out, I just can't fathom!"

"It insane!" Tony agreed as he set Harry down and they headed to the boot of the car to retrieve their own luggage.

"Says the man who lives in the building he works in, commuting via elevator, which his AI makes sure is always available to him." Uncle Rhodey snarked at him.

Tony just laughed and handed Harry his messenger bag, while he grabbed Harry's new suitcase. "Come on, Honey Bear, fun awaits us!"

The steward, Jed, if Harry remembered right, came down and stowed their luggage for them. Isabel greeted them as they stepped into the plane. Harry sat in the seat by the window where he'd sat coming back from London and put on his seatbelt. His father had gone up to the cockpit to have a word with the pilots as Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Rhodey settled into the seats opposite him. Sirius was looking pale.

"Uncle Padfoot, do you want to transform for the flight?" Harry asked, concerned.

Tony slid into the seat beside him. “Seatbelt for takeoff and then dogman.”

Harry snickered and turned to look out the window, watching the tarmac start to speed by. The plane took off smoothly and Harry watched at the soared upward, through a layer of thin clouds and out over the Hudson River, before the clouds were all he could see. Turning back toward the cabin, Harry was glad to see his dad had leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes – the man never got enough sleep, enhanced or not. His godfather was hanging on to the armrests with both hands. Harry suspected the man would head for the bedroom and transform as soon as they leveled out. A Calming Draft would probably not work as well and Harry seriously hated the dopey feeling he had when he took one, so maybe Sirius was the same way.

Leaning back, Harry closed his eyes for just a moment, only to be woken up by his dad as the plane landed. As the steward opened the cabin door, Harry can feel the warmth and humidity in the air. Tony handed him a bag of blueberries as Harry followed him down the stairs, no doubt able to hear the way Harry’s stomach was growling. On the tarmac waited a large SUV with dark tinted windows and Harry grabbed his messenger bag from his dad before climbing into the vehicle.

Harry felt his stomach twisting a bit in anticipation as he’d never had a good surprise before. He knew, whatever it was his dad had planned, would be spectacular, because that was how Tony was. He’d learned over the weeks he’d been here that Tony used money to express his love for those closest to him, through extravagant gifts and gestures. He took a look at the area around them as he waited for the luggage to be loaded, noting the palm trees and tropical flowers in the landscape around what he thought was a private airport.

Harry gave Tony a smile as he climbed into the SUV beside him. “Where are we, Dad?”

“Florida,” Tony answered, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Want to guess why we're here?"

Harry frowned, looking at the expectant, incredibly smug smile on his father's face, and had no idea what he was thinking. "Um, Florida—ah, beaches?"

Uncle Rhodey snorted, and Uncle Sirius rolled his eyes, swearing under his breath about Unforgivables and bitches. Harry looked at them wide-eyed and thoroughly confused. He turned his head back to look at Tony and found the man had his face in his hands, shaking his head.

"Bambino, one of these days we are going to sit down and make a bucket list of all the things kids are supposed to do when they are children." His dad lifted his head and gave Harry a crooked smile. "Have you ever heard of Disney World, squirt?"

Harry bobbed his head. "My cousin—yes, I've heard about Disney World; it's supposed to be an amazing place."

"It is, even the non-magical side is amazing," Tony confirmed. "But I understand from Mariah Fontaine that the magical side of the resort is incredible."

Blinking, Harry stared at each man in the car in turn, starting to bounce in his seat when all three gave him a slow nod. "Are you serious?" Harry knew his voice came out as a squeak.

"No," Tony smirked, pointing over his shoulder. "I'm Dad, he's Sirius!"

Harry giggled as both Uncle Rhodey and Uncle Sirius smack his father on the back of the head. "What? I couldn't resist!"

"Damn, Tony, you sound just like James!" It was Sirius' turn to give a crooked smile.

Tony reached over and wrapped his hand around the back of Harry's neck, gently turning his head toward the window. "Watch and see."

The hotel was huge, a series of white buildings with red roofs, sitting right on a lagoon. Harry wished his neck was a swivel as he tried to take it all in at once. A uniformed concierge escorted them to a large suite on the top floor, where one side of the sitting room looked over the lagoon and the other looked over part of the amusement park. Looking around, Harry surreptitiously reached down and pinched his leg, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. His dad wrapped his arms around Harry and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"We have the whole floor," Tony told Uncle Rhodey and Uncle Sirius. "There are four bedrooms directly attached to the suite, and I'm going to take the king bed with the closest side bedroom for Harry."

"How in the world are there four bedrooms attached to one suite?" Uncle Rhodey sounded puzzled.

"Magic!" Tony and Uncle Sirius said at the same time and Harry snorted into his dad's shirt but didn't move his head.

"We're actually in the magical wing of the Grand Floridian Hotel and they said we'll have a perfect view of the fireworks." Tony's voice rumbled through his chest and Harry tightened his arms.

How did he get so lucky to find a father who embraced Harry's freakishness and did everything he could to learn about his world. To have Tony be of magical blood and who was now able to use magic himself, was amazing, but nothing could compare to the feeling of being loved. Blinking rapidly, Harry tried to alleviate the prickling in his eyes before he cried. Almost twelve-year-olds weren't supposed to cry.

Tony gave him a squeeze and then stepped back, pausing to brush his hair out of his eyes and smiled. "Come on, mini-me, dinner is supposed to be waiting on the balcony. Those Warming Charm are a handy bit of magic."

The large balcony overlooked the lagoon, with a large rectangle table and chairs. Harry was fascinated by the large buildings situated around the water and the rides. He'd stayed with Mrs. Figg one summer when the Dursleys had taken Dudley to Disney World and his cousin had thrown a map of the resort at him, rubbing his face in all the things Harry hadn't been a part of. Late that night, Harry had examined the booklet by torch light under covers, fantasizing what he would see and ride on if he ever made it to the amusement park.

Now, he had the opportunity to live out that fantasy and Harry was going to enjoy every single minute.

Tony could have sworn he was in the middle of an earthquake as he was shaken awake in what seemed to be the middle of the night, only to see Sirius' maniacal grin when he opened his eyes. Groaning, Tony tried to bat his hands away, wondering why JARVIS had let the madman into his room—

"Tony! You have to get up –"

Ignoring Sirius' indignant squawk, Tony easily pushed him off the bed and sat up, rubbing a hand over his face. Realizing why he had to get up, he threw the bedding aside and stood up.

"You better have coffee out there, Fido!"

Tony tossed at him as he stood with a groan and headed to the bathroom. He'd known he would probably be tired this morning, but Tony had chosen to sneak into Harry's room just before midnight with a small chocolate cake to share Harry's midnight birthday ritual with him. He'd felt both privileged and heartbroken when Harry had shyly told him about the only birthday celebration he'd ever had the week before. Stumbling into the shower, Tony washed and got dressed in record time, pulling on a red tee shirt with a birthday cake on the front.

A floating cup of coffee greeted him as he walked into the kitchenette of the suite and Tony grabbed it greedily. Gulping down half of the steaming contents in two swallows, Tony sighed and looked up at the other occupants in the kitchen. His Platypus rolled his eyes at Tony, while Sirius starred with a disbelieving look – both men wearing identical shirts. Just as Tony emptied his first cup, Harry stumbled into the kitchen, sleepy and adorably rumpled, walking right into Tony. He grinned and wrapped an arm around his now twelve-year-old son.

"Happy Birthday, bambino! Go jump in the shower and put on the clothes I left for you, please. By the time you get back, I'll have breakfast and chocolate milk to go for you."

Sirius stepped over and ruffled Harry already messy hair. "Hurry up, kiddo and grab both of your brooms when you come out."

Harry's head snapped up and a grin spread across his face. He gave Tony a squeeze and then ran back towards the bedroom. Grabbing one of the breakfast burritos he'd arranged to have delivered, Tony took a bite of it as his coffee cup refilled itself, making him grin. Rhodey just shook his head at Tony's antics.

"You haven't changed at all since we were at MIT, Tones," he remarked, using a knife and fork to eat his own burrito. "At least, in regard to your manners."

Tony swallowed his tasty bite of scrambled eggs, sausage, and shredded potatoes. "These are like big finger food, Honey Bear! They weren't made to eat like that." He scoffed at the very idea.

It only took a few minutes to eat the tasty wrap and by the time Tony was done with it and sipping his third cup of coffee, Harry came back out, his hair still dripping. His red shirt read "Birthday Boy!" and had a grin a mile wide. With a flick of his wand, Sirius dried Harry's hair and gave him a birthday hug. Tony grabbed one of the to-go cups in the kitchen and transferred his coffee over, while grabbing a bag with several burritos, some fruit, nuts, and cookies. Rhodey reached into the refrigerator for bottles of water and Harry's chocolate milk.

A large SUV was waiting for them at the side entrance to the building and whisked them all off to a large open area at the back of the resort. Tony felt the weight of the wards as they passed through them and Harry shot him an inquisitive look, but Tony simply smiled at him. When the vehicle pulled up next to a fence, shimmering with magic, and an unmistakable set of goals at each end. Harry started to vibrate with excitement and scrambled over Tony's lap to get out of the vehicle.

"A Quidditch pitch!"

Tony caught his arm to stabilize him as Harry grabbed the door handle. "Easy, birthday boy, don't want to fall out of the car." Tony couldn't help but give his son a smirk, not expecting the enthusiastic hug Harry gave him.

"Come on, Harry!" Sirius sounded as excited as Harry. "Grab the Lightning Bolt and get over here. You're joining the Disney Dandies morning practice today and then we get to watch a practice match!"

Tony watched Harry run around the edge of the fence as he and Rhodey followed at a slower pace. Harry was bouncing on his toes as a tall, well-built blonde man greeted he and Sirius. The man directed them both to stretch and then join the other players who in their morning warm-up. Rhodey pulled Tony over towards a set of bleachers where they could watch. Even through calisthenics, Harry's grin never dimmed, and Tony found himself laughing as Sirius tried to keep up.

It was when, half an hour later when Harry mounted his broom and took to the sky, that Tony saw a look of pure joy appear on his kid's face. Elbowing Rhodey, Tony gestured towards Harry.

"The kid's a natural! Look at him fly!" Tony exclaimed, grabbing Rhodey's forearm.

As they watched, Harry threw himself into a dive, did a complete roll, pulling up just three feet from the ground. Tony had leapt to his feet and clutched dramatically at his chest with an inarticulate squawk, before cheering Harry's perfect acceleration upward.

"Yup, chip off the old block, Tones!" Rhodey's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Just like the punk kid who became my MIT roommate."

"Hey!" Tony sputtered indignantly. "I've improved with age!"

Rhodey gave him a deadpan look. "Says the man who likes to slip into his armor late at night to go joy riding over the ocean."

"Aerial maneuver training, Platypus!"

"Keep telling yourself that, genius, but remember you can't yell at Harry for doing the same stupid stunts on a broom that you are doing in the suit."

"There's a big difference between a broomstick and one of my suits." Tony grumbled under his breath.

"Tony!" Sirius stood by the fence, waving him over.

Throwing a grin over his shoulder at Rhodey, Tony hopped down and jogged over to the wizard. Rounding the fence, Tony could see two broomsticks laying on the ground.

"Team manager says if we stay over at this end of the pitch, we can get you up on the Nimbus." Sirius pointed out Harry's old broom as he moved to the new Lightning Bolt he'd bought himself.

Tony moved over to the broom; he'd already practiced with in secret. As soon as he was proficient, he'd be buying himself one of those top of the line brooms, like Sirius had. It still surprised him to he thought about how wealthy the Black Lord was, although nothing close to what Tony was worth.

"Up!"

Tony was ecstatic when the broom jumped into his hand, ignoring the fact that Sirius did his silently. Throwing his leg over the broom and situating himself in the seat, Tony gently pushed off from the ground and angled the broom upward. He gained height rapidly until he was probably twenty feet off the ground and leaned forward as Sirius had taught him to. With a whoop, Tony found himself flying through the air at a healthy clip, Sirius flying alongside him.

It was a different type of flying than his armor, which wrapped him in gold-titanium alloy which could take a missile without a problem. Here, Tony felt exposed; fragile and at the mercy of the elements, especially considering the safety protocols and JARVIS built in. Not that flying on a broomstick wasn't fun, Tony acknowledged, rather like riding a motorcycle instead of taking the Rolls. He leisurely flew around the perimeter of the Quidditch pitch, keeping one eye on his son's daredevil moves as he did. Sirius was doing loops and dives, corkscrewing towards the ground and then shooting high into the sky. Tony didn't feel the need, he was too busy sending thanks to his father and the serum that had given him access to his magic.

Harry, on the other hand, jetted straight for him when he finally recognized his dad, his face split in a huge grin. They played a game of tag with Sirius for about twenty minutes, before the Dandies took to the field for an exhibition game with the Charlotte Charmers. Tony was amazed at the level of flying and terrified at the same time, considering Harry had been on his House team since last year. His heart stuttered in his chest when the Charmers Seeker was knocked off his broom sixty feet above the ground, bouncing safely on the Cushioning Charm used during practice matches.

The Dandies prevailed, finally, just after noon and, after a round of Harry signing autographs, his face red with embarrassment, they headed back to their suite. Tony had been genuinely surprised at Harry's popularity among the wizards and, at the same time, relieved that a few of the players asked for his autograph as well. Ian and the British Aurors had tried to explain it, but Tony had no idea just how universally beloved the Boy-Who-Lived was. Seemed like both he and Harry would have to go to the parks wearing hats and sunglasses or glamours.

He'd have to talk to Sirius about it. Right now, they had a delicious lunch of all Harry's favorite food and time for a short nap before the rest of the family joined them. Tony watched as Harry gave a wide yawn as he watched the scenery as they drove back to the hotel. Despite his drooping eyes, his son's face was still grinning madly.

A nap would do them all good.

Chapter Text

Harry woke up with a start, staying absolutely still for a moment until he remembered where he was, before sitting up with a grin. He – they – were in Disney World to celebrate his twelfth birthday. With a bounce in his step, Harry hurried into the bathroom and took a quick shower to get rid of the sweat he worked up flying. He noticed a change of clothes lying on the chair by the windows and hurried to get dressed. He paused for a moment as he looked at the denim shorts but shrugged before pulling them on. He couldn't ever remember wearing shorts before. This time his tee shirt was made of thinner, lighter black material with Birthday Boy written in flowing red. There were a pair of black and red trainers with matching short socks; the most comfortable shoes he'd ever worn, Harry decided after he tested them by jumping and down.

He bounced down the short hallway to the living room and found his Dad, dressed a matching outfit, sprawled on the couch nursing a cup of coffee and Uncle Rhodey scrolling on a StarkPad beside him, while Sirius snored quietly in the armchair. Tony was the first to see him, looking up with a grin.

"Nice nap, ragazzino?"

With a lopsided smile, Harry nodded, delighted to see his father's eyes light up at his smile. He wasn't sure what half the endearments Tony used meant, but they always made him feel warm inside.

"You're going to make me learn Italian, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question.

Rhodey snorted as he set his tablet aside and reached for his glass. "Taught me to swear in seven different languages when we first met."

"Just furthering your education, migliore amico." Tony stood up and patted Rhodey on the shoulder as he walked over to where Sirius was slumped, nudging his foot. "Come on, Fido – lunch."

"Tones, is your kid wearing Jimmy Choo's?" Uncle Rhodey whispered, knowing Harry could hear him.

"Blame Pepper, she chose our outfits." His dad smirked as he swept his hand down the front of his friend's clothes. "You look good in Jimmy Choo, Platypus."

Uncle Rhodey actually tripped, looking down at his shoes as he groaned and Sirius caught him as he walked up, both of them looking down at their trainers, which matched Harry's own.

Snickering behind his hand, Harry followed his dad into the kitchen area, where there were sandwiches, salads, and fruit waiting. Harry grabbed one of the plates sitting on the counter and picked up what looked like a ham and cheese sandwich, grabbed one of the small salads, and an apple. He saw that the table had been set up for them to eat at, with coffee, water, sodas, and milk there. Sirius was still yawning as he sat down beside Harry, who pushed a cup of coffee closer to him. Tony sat on his other side and Uncle Rhodey across from him.

It didn't take them long to finish. Tony got up and disappeared into his bedroom, coming out with a small stack of presents from his room, as Rhodey wandered over and opened the glass door to the balcony. He'd just turned around, when a streak of white flew through it and beelined for Harry.

"Hedwig!" Harry cried as the snowy owl landed gently on his forearm, several small packages tied to her feet.

"She's beautiful, pup," Sirius slowly reached to untie the packages as Harry cooed at Hedwig.

"Hagrid gave her to me last year, she was my first ever birthday present," Harry rambled as he stroked the owl's pinfeathers, missing the look Sirius exchanged with Tony.

"Here, kiddo, a bowl of water and some of the fruit and nuts from lunch." Tony took them out to the small table on the balcony. "She should be okay out here and we will leave your window open so she can get in, okay?"

"Yeah, she's good at hunting."

Hedwig gave an affectionate nip to ear before launching off his arm to head back to the balcony. After a drink of water, Hedwig settled on the railing and tucked her head under her wing to sleep.

"All right!" Tony clapped his hands. "Presents to open and then the magical side of the Magic Kingdom to explore. Chop chop, people!"

Sirius grabbed a small gift, wrapped in red paper with gold snitches flying around on the paper, and pushed it in front of Harry. His dad frowned, sighing dramatically, and crossing his arms over his chest, but didn’t say anything. Smirking, Sirius pushed it closer.

“Mine first!”

Blinking at him, Harry slowly unwrapped a small box and opened it. A small gold ring with a black stone was nestled inside, along with a small golden key. Glancing at Tony, his dad smiled at him and gave him a nod. Harry removed the ring with a shaky hand, taking in the engraving on the stone and the stylized “B” on the side.

“It’s the Black heir ring,” Sirius said, a bit nervously. “I’m hoping you will consent to wear it, as it has protective spells and enchantments on it.”

Harry swallowed hard and held out the ring to Sirius. “Which finger should I put it on?”

Grinning broadly, Harry’s godfather took the ring and slipped it on his right pinky finger. “You wear it like a signet ring.” His voice was soft and tight,

Harry yelped as the ring tightened on his finger, sizing to it perfectly, and then threw himself into Sirius’ arms. “Thank you, Uncle Sirius!”

The man squeezed him tightly, whining as he did. “That makes me feel so old! And the key is to your trust vault, pup.”

Harry dragged himself away from Sirius, rolling his eyes. “That’s all I need, more money!”

His dad pulled him into hugged him and whispered loudly. “If it’s Sirius’ money we’ll find something to spend it on!”

Laughing, Harry pulled away and sat down on the couch as Tony handed him another package. “This is for today, and we’ll open the other presents later.”

Curious, Harry ripped into the paper and opened the small box. With a frown, he reached in and pulled out a golden wristband and what looked an ID badge on a golden lanyard. Tony reached over and lifted the wristband out of his hand, putting it on his right wrist.

“This wristband will get you into all the parks during our stay and the card lets you go into the Fast Pass lanes—" Tony cut off as Harry tackled him in a hug. "Happy birthday, son."

"Thank you, Dad!"

Harry knew his eyes were bright with tears, but he couldn't help it – no one had ever shown him as much love as his father had since they'd met. He imagined how his life would have been different if Lily and James Potter hadn't been murders, and Dumbledore hadn't sentenced him to ten long years at the Dursleys. Right then and there, Harry vowed never to take his dad, his new family, this love, for granted.

Tony pulled back a little and kissed his forehead, his eyes glistening suspiciously. "Come on, munchkin, our VIP tour starts in half an hour!"

There was a frantic dive for the things they would need. Uncle Rhodey slipped him a new light gray cap with the War Machine logo on the front, even though his dad rolled his eyes as he handed him a darker pair of sunglasses. Sirius trailed along behind them as Rhodey made sure everyone els had their wristbands and special cards hanging around their necks, then hustled them out the door. Instead of taking the large ferry, Harry was delighted when they took a speedboat across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom. Harry's eyes widened as he took in the castle as it came into sight.

His face ached from constantly smiling, but it was the only reaction Tony seemed to be able to have as he watched his son's delight in everything around him. Harry was extremely appreciative and continually thanked all of them for everything. The VIP tour guide they'd been assigned was a perfect match, Amy, a college junior majoring in robotics was informative and helpful as well. She described some of the original animatronics which had brought the rides and displays to life when the park first opened and took them behind the scenes for a look. Harry was able to go on all the popular rides he'd indicated he'd wanted to try, especially Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as all the roller coasters. He'd not been as keen to go on those rides which went into the dark, but Tony had made sure, when possible, Harry was seated in the middle of the car on those.

Rhodey had assumed responsibility for their food and drink as they made their way around the park, making sure they had water and snacks every twenty minutes or so. Sirius was almost more of a child in his reaction than Harry was absolutely gob-smacked, as Harry laughingly labeled his godfather's astonished expression, by almost every aspect of the park. Tony had heard him muttering about "muggle magic" and had to stifle his snickers, while Rhodey rolled his eyes. Harry didn't seem to hear him, too wrapped up in his own astonishment; Tony followed him, delighted to have given him the experience. Seeing the world through Harry's enthusiastic eyes was quickly becoming his favorite thing in the world.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Tony glanced down at his watch to find a text reminder from JARVIS of the time. With a hand signal, Amy led them to the side door of the monorail train which would take them back to the hotel. Tony pulled the guide aside, tipping her generously and requested she be their guide in the morning for their visit to Hollywood Studios. Amy readily agreed and wished them all a great dinner as she waved them off.

Tony sat down next to Harry who seemed energized instead of the expected exhaustion, even as Sirius literally keeled over into Rhodey's lap and fell asleep. The expression of surprise and exasperation had Tony biting his lip to keep from laughing. Harry gave him a questioning look until he glanced over and saw Rhodey's face. A giggle escaped him before he was able to stop it and Tony pulled Harry into his lap, hugging him tightly.

"Did you have a good day, bambino?" Tony asked, carding his hand through Harry's hair.

Leaning against his chest, Harry wrapped an arm around his back and gave him a squeeze. "Aside from the day we met, Dad, today has been the best day of my life! Thank you!"

The kid's smile was blinding, and Tony buried his face in his son's messy hair. "I'm glad, bambino."

It took Harry poking at Sirius and Tony's promise of a Pepper Upper Potion to get Sirius back on his feet. Rhodey teased him about his stamina, which descended into a banter session of questionable content. Tony was glad Harry had run ahead to the suite, knowing Happy and Pepper were waiting. Cleaning up and changing into dressier clothing took a bit longer than they expected and they walked into the side door of the hotel restaurant a little after 7pm. Harry was behind he and Pepper, talking about the Quidditch match that morning with Sirius, as Tony ushered Pepper into the private dining room. His eyes went to the pair who were already seated at the table and grinned.

Harry stepped into the room, curious eyes taking in the simple yet elegantly appointed room. He stopped suddenly when he saw who was waiting for them.

"Peter?"

Peter Parker popped out of his seat and bounced over to throw his arms around his new friend. "Happy Birthday, Harry!"

The man with Peter had also stood up and made his way around the table, were Tony greeted him quietly and proceeded to introduce Police Office Benjamin Parker to everyone. Pepper and Rhodey were staring at Harry and Peter, while Happy and Sirius greeted the kid.

"Thanks for coming, Ben." Tony walked with Peter's uncle to the table, the boys, still chattering away, followed them. "I'm pretty sure Harry will have a lot more fun going with someone his own age to the park – not that I'm not a whole lot of fun myself!"

"Thank you for providing us with this opportunity, Mr. Stark. Peter' birthday is in ten days and both May, my wife, and I have to work, so Peter getting to come here with his newest friend is a blessing."

"Tony, please." Tony smiled at him.

Tony looked over at the two boys, sitting across from him and Ben, an indulgent smile curling his lips. Harry was describing his afternoon in the Magic Kingdom and all the things they had done, with Peter listening enraptured. The two boys had their heads together and Tony could see the resemblance Sirius had been talking about, except for the eyes, they could be twins.

"Tell me about Peter, Mr. Parker," Pepper asked from his other side, leaning across Tony with her hand on his thigh.

"Dad?"

Harry drew his attention away from Pepper and Ben. "Yes, mini-me?"

"Can Peter and I have a sleepover tonight? Neither one of us has ever had one and—"

"Take a breath, son." Tony laughed as the two boys' excited faces assumed twin puppy dog eyes of manipulation. "Damn, you're getting good at that, Harry!"

"What about me, Mr. Stark?" Peter pulled a pout.

Tony shook his head. "And you, Mr. Parker, are a natural."

"Is that a yes, Dad?" Harry adopted the pitiful pout as well.

Tony rolled his eyes at their antics. "As long as it's okay with Pete's uncle, then yes—"

The boys cheer interrupted him, and Harry pushed back his chair to race around and hug his dad from behind. Tony patted his hands as his kid kissed the back of Tony's head and ran back around the table like a goof. The serving staff appeared with the first course of dinner and the conversation was minimal for the next half an hour. After the salad, the adults were served Beef Wellington with Yorkshire pudding, and roasted carrots; with the boys offered the beef, along with Shepard's pie. Parfait glasses of Strawberry Fool were served for dessert, the fresh strawberries and cream the perfect finish for everyone except Pepper, who enjoyed a dish of vanilla gelato.

After dinner, everyone went to their floor, where a two-bedroom suite had been set aside for Peter and Ben. They all gathered in the sitting room, its large sliding glass door looked over the laguna and a prime viewing site for the fireworks in a half an hour. Happy and Ben sat in a pair of armchairs, chatting away as the boys disappeared into Harry's bedroom. Sirius and Rhodey were suspiciously absent, and Tony and Pepper walked in, hand in hand. With a reassuring squeeze, Pepper dropped his hand and headed to their bedroom for Harry's gift. Tony headed toward the sound of laughter,

Harry snorted as Peter bounced around the room, his eyes sweeping over everything he'd left lying around, and was relieved to see none of his magical things were out. Peter's bag sat at the end of the second bed, which his friend was now jumping on.

"This is amazing, Harry! I can't thank you enough for inviting Uncle Ben and I to come to Disney World with you! It's all so cool!"

Harry grinned, sitting down on his own bed. "My dad must have made the arrangements before we left as a surprise."

"I'm glad he did!" Peter bounced again.

"He's glad he did, too."

Harry's head swiveled to the door where his dad leaned against the frame, his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face. Jumping up, Harry ran to him and threw his arms around Tony, burying his head in Tony's shirt. He couldn't believe his father had arranged to bring down the one kid he'd become friends within the month he'd been in America. Pressing his face into the soft fabric, Harry felt his eyes well up with tears, a sob escaping his throat as Tony wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

In his short lifetime, Harry had been ignored, scorned, and beaten. Even at Hogwarts, after learning of his magical heritage, he hadn't been treated normally. Ron, who vacillated between awe and jealousy, and Hermione, who treated him as someone who was clueless and in need of oversight, didn't seem to be able to treat him like another kid. The teachers, even McGonagall, treated him differently, either with higher expectations or allowing him too much latitude. Or, like Snape, hate him for his parentage.

And Harry had had his doubts about Tony when he'd found out about his paternity, seemingly reaffirmed when meeting Tony had turned out to be so difficult. However, since he'd found his dad, Tony had been absolutely amazing: warm, loving, giving to a fault, and caring. Harry had found the deep connection and firm guidance he'd craved in his father, who continued to support Harry at every turn. Sometimes, he felt that he didn't deserve the life he'd found.

"I can leave."

A quiet voice offered, and Harry would have pulled away if his dad's arm hadn't tightened to keep him in place.

"It's okay, Pete. I don't think Harry minds you being here."

Harry felt Tony lift him up with ease and carry him over to his bed, where he sat them down, keeping Harry in his lab. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to try and get down, his dad wouldn't hesitate to use his enhanced strength to keep him there.

Looking up, Harry smiled at his friend, who looked very uncomfortable. "Come sit with us, please."

Moving slowly, Peter sat beside them, and Tony put a hand on his back. "I'm not sure how much Harry has told you, but we have only recently discovered each other and are trying to learn about being a family, as well as making up for lost time. So, we may be a bit clingy, but as someone who has experienced loss of your own, I think you understand."

"I was four when my parents died." Peter nodded, his face open and big brown eyes understanding. "Why weren't you—I mean how come you didn't know about Harry?"

Tony pressed a kiss into Harry's hair. "His parents were murdered when Harry was a baby and didn't have a chance to tell me. I had helped in his conception but didn't—I wasn't aware of his birth as I left London shortly after."

"Like a sperm donor?" Peter asked, head cocked.

Harry snuggled closer, feeling the remorse and sadness radiate through their bond.

"Something like that," Tony agreed and Harry could see they had lost focus for a moment.

"Tony?" Pepper was kneeling in front of them, a hand on Tony's knee, and the other holding out a wrapped gift.

Smiling, Tony exchanged a look with Pepper and gave her a slight nod. Shifting
slightly, Pepper set the package on Harry's lap and sat down on Peter's other side.

"This is from your dad and I, Harry."

Harry picked up the present and glanced at his dad, who nodded at him. Peeling off the paper with great care. It turned out to be a framed photo and Harry's breath caught as he stripped away the last of the wrapping. It was a still picture of his parents, all three of them, standing in a ballroom of some kind, with Tony and James squishing Lily between them. His dads were wearing tuxedos with matching emerald green bowties and his mum was in an elegant gown of the same color. All three had their arms around each other and bright, happy smiles on their faces.

"Is that—" Peter asked softly.

"Yeah," Harry whispered, "my parents."

His dad's arm tightened around him, and Harry cradled the frame with both hands, supporting the back of the photo. "We were at a gala in London and Lily had insisted they go with me, not wanting me to go alone. James was in his Lord Potter get-up, as he called it, and Lily chose the color of her gown to honor James' grandmother's family, the Blacks."

"Slytherin green," Harry muttered, his fingers tracing the faces of each of the people in the picture, his chest aching with suppressed tears and a feeling of loss. "It's brilliant, Dad. Thank you, Mum."

Pepper leaned over to kiss the top of his head. "JARVIS helped me find that and a few others to add to your photo album, Harry."

"Why don't we go show the others, bambino?" Tony suggested, giving Harry another hug. "Fireworks should go off in about ten minutes."

Sliding off his lap, Harry carefully held the picture and carried it out to the sitting room. He gingerly set it on the coffee table for the others to see as Tony rested his hands Harry's shoulders. Peter stood quietly next to his uncle's chair as the two adults there leaned forward to see the picture.

Without warning, Harry was scooped up and twirled away, Sirius laughing as he threw Harry over his shoulder. "Got time to cut the cake and eat it while we watch the fireworks!" he exclaimed in a sing-song voice.

Sirius lowered Harry on to one of the tall stools at the breakfast bar where he was surprised to see a large birthday cake decorated with the Star Wars R2D2 robot sitting on a slab of rock. Happy 12th Birthday, Harrison! was written in red block letters. Lit candles lined the edges of the cake, each one looking like a miniature lightsaber. Rhodey and Peter led everyone in the birthday song, which Harry never had sung to him before. His dad stood beside Sirius, singing surprisingly well.

After they were done, Harry glanced at Peter, not sure what to do.

"Blow out the candles, Harry!"

With a grin, Harry took a deep breath and gently blew out the twelve candles, Peter helping him with the last few. Everyone clapped and cheered, until Sirius tried to hand Harry the knife and Pepper pounced on him, snatching the knife from his hand as she said a few words Harry knew he wasn't allowed to say. Pepper had the cake cut and everyone situated on the balcony, in a chair, with a slice of cake. They were all chatting as they planned their trip the next day, when the first explosion sounded from the direction of the Magic Kingdom.

Harry jumped, the loud noise startling him. "Oh! It's the fireworks, yeah?"

Scrapping his fork against the plate to get the last of the frosting, Harry licked it clean before setting the plate and fork on the table. The first volley of fireworks had him moving up to the railing of the balcony, where Harry watched, astounded by the display of lights and pyrotechnics. Peter soon joined him in exclaiming over the display, both jumping up and down when the finale lit the skies with brilliant colors. The boys cheering until the last of the sparks cleared the sky.

"Okay, bambino, presents!"

Harry spun at his dad's words, looking at him incredulously. "You've already given me a present, Dad—"

Tony shook his head. "Harry, Harry, Harry, never question anyone who wants to give you a gift, except creepy old guys—"

"Tony!" Pepper cut in, edging around him to hold her hand out to Harry. "These are normal gifts every child gets on their birthday, sweetie."

Harry shook his head. "But the picture and this trip and Peter!"

"Harrison James." Tony took a step closer, Sirius at his side. "The trip aside, the presents you are receiving are from people who care about you. I know you've never gotten any, and as much as I'd like to string—"

"Tony!"

"—that was on them. Every kid deserves to celebrate their special day."

"And, believe us, when your dad says these are normal," Sirius told him, looking sheepish. "Both Tony and I had plans to buy you eleven years' worth of gifts. But it was suggested—"

Pepper leaned over. "I had to blackmail them both."

Harry giggled as he watched both Sirius and his dad blush.

"—you might be overwhelmed," Tony finished the statement, pouting.

Harry's heart felt lighter as he watched the antics of the adults and, after giving Pepper a hug, sat down on the couch. Peter plopped down beside him and thrusting a rumpled present.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" Pet grinned, watching him.

Feeling self-conscious, Harry peeled back the paper at his friend's urging. Several things came tumbling out of the package and into Harry's lap. One was a handmade coupon book, giving Harry four coupons for an hour's worth of tutoring in chemistry, making him grin. Underneath the book was a red tee shirt that said Never Trust An Atom – They Make Up Everything!" and several different kinds of candies.

Laughing, Harry gave Peter a hug. "I love it! And thanks so much for the coupons!"

"Mine next!" Rhodey handed him a box.

"Come on, pup! Rip it open!" Sirius urged him on.

Harry grinned and made short work of the rest of the presents, receiving several Star Wars shirts, a couple books from Pepper, and his own boxing gloves from Happy. Tony made both Harry and Peter close their eyes before bringing out Harry's last present. Squirming nervously, Harry had been relieved up to the point that all his gifts had been what he imagined a normal kid would receive, and not the extravagant ones was sure Tony wanted to give him. He considered their vacation as his gift from his dad and Pepper.

"Okay, open your eyes," Tony announced, excitement in his voice.

Harry obeyed and saw another wrapped box in front of him, with a present sitting in front of Peter, as well. "Dad?"

Reaching over, Tony ruffled his hair. "Well, Peter's birthday is in ten days, so I thought we would give him a little gift as well."

Looking over at Peter and taking in the excitement on his face, Harry grinned and nodded. "That's a great idea, Dad," he told him softly. "Thank you."

Tony kissed the top of his head, before stepping back and clapping his hands. "Come on, boys, rip'em open!"

Peter didn't need any other encouragement and grabbed for the paper, Harry laughing as he followed his lead. They slung paper everywhere, with the adults laughing at their antics. Peter was the first done and he gasped as he ran a hand over the front of the box.

"It's a TIE Fighter Lego's set!" Peter exclaimed in an awed voice. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" He lunged at Tony and wrapped him in a one-armed hug.

Trying to muffle his laughter at the panicked look on his dad's face, Harry peeled off the last piece of wrapping and stared at the box. Like Peter's gift, it was a Lego's building set, this one, however was of Stark Tower.

"Oh man, Harry, that incredible!" Peter looked over his shoulder.

"Do you like it, Bambino?" Tony's voice was hopeful. "I think the company did a great job with it and they're going to market it as a specialty item with the proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish Foundation—"

Harry's eyes prickled and he surged up to wrap his dad in a hug, like Peter had. "I love it, Dad!"

The guided tour of Epcot with Amy was amazing, and Tony was thrilled to watch how animated his kid's face was as they strolled along the Walk of the World. He and Peter had found boundless energy as they ate their way from one country's pavilion to the next. Tony kept close to the boys, loving the excitement and pleasure on his son's face as he got to act like the kid he was. It was going to be a delicate balance to allow Harry to grow and mature, without spoiling him as Tony wanted to give him the moon, to make up for the time he was absent from his child's life.

The boys wore themselves out by mid-afternoon and decided to play in the pool at the hotel, before returning to the Magic Kingdom for rides and fireworks. Peter and Ben were leaving that evening as Ben had to work at noon the next day. Tony stayed with the boys, after sending Pepper off to a well-deserved spa treatment. Sirius, not used to the level of activity or the humidity, had opted to take a nap. Happy and Rhodey had gone their own ways and would meet them back here later.

Tony was relaxing in the sun, stretching his legs out on the chaise lounge as he watched Harry and Peter splash around in the shallow end. Neither boy was a strong swimmer, with Peter being the better of the two, so they were doing cannonballs into the water and then swimming back to the steps to climb out and do it again. Reaching for the takeout cup of coffee he'd gotten; Tony took a long swallow of the lukewarm liquid as he kept an eye on the pool. Pepper had made sure each boy was coated in sunscreen before they came down to the pool, but Tony didn't want them to get too much sun.

Ben sat down in the chair beside him, leaning forward with his forearms on his thighs and hands clasped between his knees. Tony glanced at him curiously, but the older man didn't say anything, so he turned his head back to focus on the boys.

"You know, when you invited Peter to come down here, I wasn't thrilled with the idea as I don't usually do well with people I don't know – a cop thing, really. Then there was May, my wife, who has never been one of your fans and was not in favor of us accepting your generosity." Ben paused, lifting his head to look at the playing children. "Despite my misgivings, you and your family have welcomed us and done everything to make both Peter and I comfortable. I've been pleasantly surprised to find you are nothing like your reputation."

"Well, that reputation was well-earned," Tony told him sheepishly. "A little stay in an Afghani cave, nearly dying of heavy metal poisoning, and finding I have a son are what have changed me."

"Regardless, Tony, you are definitely not the man the public believes you to be," Ben answered. "And then there were the boys themselves – your son is pretty amazing."

"Thank you," Tony responded, turning to look at Ben. "I think he's perfect."

"He also has magic—"

Ben caught Tony's arm as he moved to stand up. "Relax, Tony, I'm a cop, we see some pretty strange things! I know all about magic, sorcerers, and have met several mutants."

Tony relaxed back into his chair. "Why tell me this? Even if the boys become close, we could hide the magic."

Sighing, Ben met his eyes. "Honestly? Because I think there is more going on than we, you and I, know. I guess they are right when they say cops are always suspicious, because at the moment my instincts as screaming. Peter doesn't make friends easily and certainly not as quickly as he and Harry connected. In fact, he has only one other friend, Ned, and they've known each other for a couple years."

Tony nodded, acknowledging what Ben was saying, a little confused at the why, however. "I'm just thankful Harry has found such a good friend of his own age."

"But that's not the only thing." Ben gave him a slight smile. "I didn't even put it together until we got here, and I saw the boys together." He leaned forward. "Tony, are you aware that Peter is twelve and a half months younger than Harry?"

Feeling himself stiffen, Tony's brain began to whirl. "I thought they were the same age."

Ben shook his head. "Peter will be eleven on August 10th, he was taking the placement test for the same grade as Harry because he skipped a grade in elementary school."

Tony heard Ben take a breath. "Frankly, Tony, I don't really know what to think any more. My brother, Richard, was a geneticist, imbedded in Oscorp by the government agency he worked for. Mary was also a geneticist, working at Oscorp. They had dated casually around the time Peter was conceived, nothing serious as my brother was overbearing and could be pretty harsh, while Mary was quiet, studious, and sweet. We didn't even know they had married or had Peter until he was almost a year old, when they showed up on our doorstep unexpectedly."

His heart was pounding, and Tony saw Harry turned to look at him with concern. Giving him a reassuring smile and a wave, Tony turned his head back to look at Ben, remembering Sirius' off-hand comment when the boys first met. "Do you think...."

"I don't know what to think," Ben admitted. "I know you explained you were in a committed relationship with Harry's parents, which broke up abruptly. Based on your reputation, I would wager you returned to hard partying when you came home from London."

"You would win that wager," Tony grimaced, remembering. "It's not a period of time I am proud of. On the other hand, I have always been meticulously careful with the women I've had sex with."

"I'm sure you have, Tony, and I have my suspicions as to what might have happened."
Ben rubbed the back of his neck. "I have some of Mary and Richard's belongings in the back of the closet which might give us information. Regardless of how it may have happened, after Peter and I leave tonight, you'll find his toothbrush and a couple of Q-tip swabs in my room. I think it's important for us to know the truth, as my kid looks way too much like you, Stark."

"Your wife doesn't like me," Tony stated, suddenly finding it hard to get a deep breath. "Do you think she knows?"

Shrugging, Ben looked thoughtfully. "I don't believe she knows necessarily about Peter's parentage; I think she shared Mary's opinion that you were no better than a womanizer and a gigolo."

Tony couldn't help but snort. "Well, I did cultivate that playboy image for years."

For the first time since he sat down, Ben appeared to relax. "Whatever you might have done in the past, I firmly believe you are a good man and—" he looked pointedly at the boys. "—a wonderful father. Let's do the testing and we'll move on from there. Just, promise me you won't take him out of our lives."

"I wouldn't, Ben," Tony promised immediately, his mind already working on possible scenarios.

Ben nodded. "Then you will have my support in whatever Peter might want to do."

"Thank you," Tony whispered as he turned back to where Harry and Peter were splashing around in the pool, trying to dunk each other under the water. Both boys were laughing, their eyes sparkling as they lunged for each other, looking so much alike in that moment that they could be twins.

Could it be possible?

Chapter Text

Harry's room was dark when he woke up and he could hear the soft sound of rain hitting the windows. Lying motionless for a moment, Harry listened for whatever had awoken him this early. Almost immediately, Harry realized it wasn't an external source, but rather a dull ache in his chest, tied to the emotional turmoil his father was feeling. Creeping silently into the bathroom, Harry threw one of his new tee shirts on before padding out into the living room of the suite.

Pepper and Rhodey had returned to New York the night before with Peter and his uncle, both had meetings this morning they couldn't get out of. Happy and Sirius had arranged today's outings for them, and Harry was content to go with anything they came up with. The past two days with Peter had been the most fun Harry had ever had and he knew he was going to miss the other boy. So many people had assumed they were brothers, due to their similar coloring, the boys had decided they would be honorary brothers. Just the thought brought a grin to Harry's face – he'd always dreamed of having siblings, at least a brother and sister.

Harry stopped when he saw his dad sitting out on the balcony, chair pushed back out of the rain, and a brooding look on his face. He could feel recriminations and self-loathing in the swirl of aching emotions and walked silently to stand beside the man.

"I can feel your guilt, Dad, can I help?"

Tony's arm came up and Harry was tugged into his father's lap; he squashed the automatic whine of being too old to sit on Tony's lap. Arms encircled him and Harry snuggled close as he waited for his dad to speak. Despite being twelve, Harry loved the cuddling.

"I promised I'd never lie to you, bambino, and I won't." Tony pressed a kiss to his temple. "Even when it puts me in a bad light." His dad took a deep breath. "Ben Parker brought some information to my attention yesterday about Peter, including that he was a year younger than you are, instead of the same age."

Harry nodded, already knowing this.

"He also told me about some—irregularities in the information surrounding Peter and something which might explain why he looks so much like you and I." Tony sighed and held Harry tighter. "And if it's true, then I have failed Peter as much as I failed you."

Lifting his head, Harry scowled at Tony. "You didn't fail me, Dad! How could you when you didn't know about me?"

His father closed his eyes for a moment and, opening them, allowed Harry to see the regret in them. "Instead of coming back from London and burying myself in the bottom of a bottle and one-night stands, I should have—"

"Dad," Harry interrupted him accusingly. "We've been through this, and you know how I feel, as well as how Mum and Dad felt."

"Even if my reckless behavior created another child I didn't know about?" Tony whispered, his voice reflecting the emotions Harry was feeling.

"Well, don't worry about Peter and me," Harry said warmly. "We already sorta adopted each other as brothers yesterday. But I would like to hear what Mr. Parker told you."

His dad's arms tightened slightly as Tony relayed his conversation with Ben Parker and Harry was glad that the man knew about magic and had the integrity to relay what he knew about Peter's parentage. His thoughts started to spin by the time his dad was finished, and Harry pulled back to look at him.

"Is it possible that you were slipped something which would make it less likely you'd remember, uh, you know?" Harry asked, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Frowning, Tony looked at him. "Not sure I know what you mean, kiddo."

Huffing a breath, Harry felt his blush deepen. "Well, something that would make it so you weren't aware of what was going on and taking your, um, sperm?"

With a wide-eyed look, his dad went absolutely still, and Harry began to feel a spike of anger in him.

"Son of a—" Tony cut himself off and took a deep breath. "What made you think of that, son?"

"The part Mr. Parker told you – about his brother working at Oscorp undercover for some secret government agency. All I could think of is SHIELD and the way they were trying to recreate the serum. What if the somebody there assumed Grandpa Howard had given you the serum as a kid, to like, make you smarter or something? "

"I think it certainly something worth looking into."

Tony buried his face in Harry's messy curls with a deep sigh and Harry looped his arm around his dad's back, clinging to each other tightly for several minutes. On one hand, Harry would definitely welcome a brother into the family Tony had created for them, a companion on what would probably be an exciting and fun-filled journey through life; on the other, he'd only just found his father and hadn't had him to himself for very long himself.

Tony must have felt his little bit of jealousy and hugged him tighter. "Son, I could not ever love you any less than I do. You were conceived in love, Harry, as I loved Lily and James so much. You will always be my firstborn human child and I promise you, no matter what, we'll always find time to be together."

"Thanks, Dad," Harry felt a little guilty.

Leaning back a little, Tony gave him a serious look. "Ben left some swabs behind to test Peter's DNA, but even if it comes back positive, I think we need to take it slow. Peter has no idea what might be coming at him. I think we'll have to move slowly and make sure his aunt and uncle are included in everything."

"Which means adding Ben and Peter to the Task Force," Harry agreed.

Tony nodded and gave Harry another hug. "In the meantime, we still have a couple days here and Happy's special surprise this afternoon. Amy will meet us at whichever park you want at 9am, and it looks like the rain is stopping so let's get moving."

Their tour guide met them at the Animal Kingdom, and they spent the morning exploring the park. Harry really liked the animal viewing locations, Everest Expedition ride, and the safari ride. Enchanted by the different 'lands', Harry was amazed how they made him feel like he was really in the countries they represented. DinoLand was also fun, but he missed sharing it with Peter, his dad and Sirius weren't really the types to get on their knees and search for fossils.

A sudden warm downpour as they were debating where to eat lunch drenched them and they headed back to the hotel to change. Making a quick call, Tony arranged for lunch to be brought up to their suite. Laughing at Sirius, who transformed to splatter Tony with water when he shook out his fur, Harry headed for his room and a quick shower.

Entering his room, Harry skidded to a stop when he saw a large tawny barn owl on perch Uncle Happy had found for Hedwig.

"Hullo there." He approached the large bird slowly and carefully reached for the package tied to the bird's leg. "Can I take this?"

The bird dutifully stuck out its foot and Harry quickly untied the twine. The bird stuck its head in the water dish and took a long drink, before taking off out his window. Grinning, Harry looked at the package and was delighted to find it was from Hermione.

"Harry?" Sirius popped his head into the room and stepped fully into the room when he saw what Harry was holding. "Where did that come from?"

"A barn owl delivered it," Harry told him. "From my friend at school."

"Set it down on the bed, please."

Harry frowned at the serious tone of his godfather's voice but did as he asked. "What's wrong?"

Wand in hand, Sirius moved closer and waved it over the package. "Using a detection spell to check it for possible hexes and jinxes."

His frown deepened. "But Hermione's my friend, Sirius, she may be a bit bossy, but I don't think she would curse the post."

The package didn't react as Sirius cast the spell over it and he nodded, satisfied. "I don't think your friend would have cursed your package, Harry, but we just can't be too careful. There are still dangerous people out there and any one of them could have intercepted this package before it got here. Especially since your birthday was several days ago and the owl is just getting here now. Either she didn't mail it soon enough or—"

"Sirius!" Tony's voice had an urgent tone to it.

Harry looked at his godfather before grabbing his own wand and rushed out of the room behind Sirius. Tony was standing near the door into the suite, where an American Auror stood with a small creature wringing its hands in front of him.

"Harry Potter sir!"

"This is apparently Dobby the house-elf, who was trying to find you, Harry. Do you know him?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't but why don't we sit down with, er, Dobby and see what is so important."

"Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but never has he been asked to sit down by a wizard! Like an equal." The little being burst into tears.

"Dobby!" Sirius snapped. "I am Lord Sirius Black, Harry is my godson and I want to know if you are here to hurt Harry?"

The little elf shook his head so hard; Harry was afraid he'd give himself a headache.

"Never! I is here to help Harry Potter!"

"Why?" his dad gave Dobby a hard look.

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year!" Dobby said before jumping up and ramming his head into the island.

Sirius grabbed him and Harry yelled for Dobby to stop.

"But why?"

"Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts because terrible events will happen at the school!"

"What events, Dobby?" Sirius demanded, still holding onto the elf.

Harry, still on his knees beside Sirius and Dobby, put a hand on the elf's arm. "I am not going back to Hogwarts, Dobby, but I don't want any of my friends to get hurt either. Please, can't you tell us something?

Dobby shook his head. "The family Dobby serves is Dark, Harry Potter, very Dark. Master has a plan, to make history repeat itself!"

Sirius gasped. "You serve the Malfoy family!"

A look of fear on his face, Dobby snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. The Auror just smiled smugly.

"Anti-house-elf wards," she said by way of explanation. "I found him trying to climb the up to the balcony and grab that delivery owl."

Harry hated the terrified look on the little elf's face and patted him on the back. "You are a good house-elf, Dobby, and I wish you worked for my family instead of one who hurts you."

Dobby burst into tears again.

"Dobby?" Harry kept patting his back. "Is there anything in your family's home that feels Dark, oily, and evil?"

"Yes! In Master's study, a book – little and black!" Dobby bounced up and down.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry told him sincerely as he stood up.

Tony, who'd been watching from the side, moved forward. "Uh, Dobby? If you are ever able to get away from your Master, we'd love to have you."

Dobby was still sobbing as the Auror escorted him out of the suite. Harry was distracted by Sirius as he cast a spell and a silvery image, a duplicate of Padfoot, shot from his wand. The silver dog trotted in a circle around his godfather, before stopped.

"Find goblin Ironjaw and tell him there is a Horcrux in Malfoy manor, Lucius' study, a small, black book."

"Your Patronus is Padfoot!" Harry exclaimed excitedly, staring wide-eyed as the silvery dog disappeared through the wall. "Will you teach me that spell?"

Sirius ruffled his hair. "When you're old enough, pup!"

"Please tell me we warded the Tower against house-elves?" his dad asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It seems to me, one of them could 'pop' into a house and grab anything or anyone they wanted to, then just 'pop' out."

"I'm pretty sure Kingsley said they had," Sirius replied, frowning.

"What did you get in your room, mini-me?"

Harry brightened. "A letter and a package from my friend Hermione! It's the first I've heard from any of my Hogwarts friends since I left."

Tony cocked his head. "Did you expect them to write?"

Feeling his cheeks heat a little, Harry gave him a sheepish grin. "Well, we promised each other we would."

"Would that elf have taken them?" Tony questioned. "The Auror said he was climbing a tree, trying to get to the owl."

Harry got a crazy idea. "Dobby, if you can hear me, may I have the rest of my post, please?"

Several letters shimmered into existence on the breakfast island and Harry grinned as both his dad and godfather looked astonished. Harry went to grab them and paused, giving Sirius a pointed look and Tony turned to him as well, both staring.

"Oh!" Sirius rolled his eyes, before flicking his wand at the letters.

One glowed blue, making all of them frown. Walking over, Sirius used his wand to separate out the envelope. "Looks like your school letter has a Tracking Charm on it."
He flicked his wand sharply downward, and the glow disappeared. "There you go."

"Thanks, Padfoot," Harry chirped, gathering the other letters, pointedly leaving the Hogwarts letter. He looked at Tony. "I’ll leave that one to you two to deal with."

Smirking, Harry headed for his room to read his letters—

"Shower and get change, bambino, we’re leaving in thirty minutes!"

At Happy's direction, Harry wore casual shorts with a clean tee shirt and the comfortable black and red trainers. Lunch was thick sandwiches, fruit salad, and fairy cakes, which all of them loved. Making sure he grabbed his rain jacket, Harry followed Tony, Happy, and Sirius to the SUV, his mind whirling with questions, only some had to do with where they were going.

He’d read Hermione’s letter at lunch, learning his friend was in France vacationing with her parents. She’d sent him a red leather-bond homework planner so he could get himself organized for the next school year. Hermione also mentioned that she’d been invited to stay the last two weeks of the summer with the Weasleys, who would be taking her with them to Diagonal Alley, and she was sure Ron would write to Harry with a similar invite. He hadn’t had the time to look through the stack of letters that had appeared on the island, Harry knew what he was going to say if he did have receive an invitation – he wasn't going to take the chance on someone trying to separate him from his father.

Tony watched his son as Harry quietly looked out the window of the SUV, wondering what was going through his head. He hadn’t felt anything in his chest, so he knew Harry wasn’t upset, but something about the letter from his friend had left his son unsettled. Harry had already decided not to go back to Hogwarts before he'd even come to New York to seek out Tony. If he wanted to continue to communicate with his friends in England, Tony would send each of them a new StarkMag phone. Based on the energy of the Tesseract, they were able to operate around magical energy.

Happy pulled into the Wide World of Sports complex and Harry started to get excited, peppering the man with question about the various types of sports. Listening unashamedly to the conversation, Tony quickly masked his feelings as Harry told Happy he'd never been allowed to participate in any sports while living with his relatives. Tony made no attempt to hide his glower at those words but was reassured by the last report he’d received from the SI security team in Surrey investigating the Dursleys. He'd already sent inquiries about buying Grunnings Drill Company.

They pulled into a parking lot to the rear of the complex, where a uniformed employee was waiting. While Tony knew there was a magical side to the resort, he didn’t know it extended to the sports complex as well. Tony was delighted by the waves of happiness which warmed his chest throughout the afternoon as Harry was able to participate in soccer and baseball games, a boxing demonstration (which made Happy happy), and a game of Quadpot. Sirius had pulled the brooms they brought with them from his pocket and resized them, allowing Tony to fly leisurely around the field. It was exhilarating but exhausting, and they all fell asleep soon after the fireworks display that night.

All too soon, they were back on the jet headed for New York, Harry already asleep in his seat before they lifted off, having finished his trip with a day of sightseeing around Orlando. Tony smiled at the sight and tried not to laugh at Sirius, who was goofier than normal due to the Calming Draft he’d taken. Glancing at Happy, Tony could see he was already engrossed in something on his tablet. Sighing, he eased his seat back and took out his Starkphone to see what Pepper had flagged for his attention. He’d appreciated her handling everything which had came up in the past few days, allowing him time to spend with his son.

Opening his SI email, Tony read through several, signing off on the new operating system for their regular line of tablets and phones, approving the final changes to the StarkMag line of electronics, and acknowledged the date of the next Board of Directors meeting. He stopped for a moment when he saw an email from the head of the Stark BioLab. Tony had sent the items Ben Parker had left behind to the lab for testing and, frankly, he’d expected the results to have gotten back to him within twenty-four hours, but they hadn’t, and he couldn’t help wondering what the delay had been.

His finger hovered over the screen of his phone for a moment, until Tony unbuckled his seatbelt and made his way back to the bedroom. If this was some kind of bad news, Tony wanted to make sure he didn’t react in a negative way in front of his son. Stacking the pillows against the headboard, Tony sat back, crossing his feet at the ankles. He took a deep breath and opened the email from Dr. Berg.

Tony,

There was sufficient DNA available on the items you sent in, and multiple tests were performed on it. The results are concerning, and I would like the opportunity to discuss them with you, in person, at your earliest convenience.

Specifically, the donor mentioned shares 80% of the paternal DNA with the target individual.

Regards, Ian

Baffled, Tony read the email again and then for a third time, before replying with, for him, a short, terse request to meet at 9am the next morning.

"Dad?"

Harry's voice startled him as Tony hadn't even heard the door open. Snapping his head up, Tony saw his son step through the doorway and quietly close it behind him. Tony patted the bed beside him and smiled as Harry trudged over to him, climbing up. He tucked himself into Tony's side, sharing the stack of pillows.

"What's wrong?" Harry inquired softly.

Leaning down, Tony pressed a kiss to the top of Harry’s head. "Dr. Berg sent an email about Peter’s DNA test."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, a look Tony himself used often, and Tony had to grin.

"There is an anomaly of some kind in the tests," Tony admitted, pulling up the email for Harry to read.

"I know biology isn’t my strength, but shouldn’t it show 100% of the paternal DNA matches?" Harry frowned.

"Absolutely," Told answered. "This almost looks like what your DNA would come back like, with the paternal half showing double the genetic markers and a small percentage of your blood showing Lily’s contribution, due to the blood adoption."

"Blood magic?"

"No, I don’t think so." Tony rolled the suggestion around in his mind. "I’m not sure what to think, except be a bit relieved that I didn’t impregnate a woman I can’t ever remember meeting," A tad bit uncomfortable with the conversation, but Harry was mature for his age.

"Poor Peter – I guess his uncle was right about his brother being up to something."

"Well, we’ll find out at 9am – we’ve got a meeting with Dr. Berg."

"Okay, Dad." Harry yawned and rested against Tony, closing his eyes again.

When Harry relaxed fully against him, Tony eased him down so that his head was pillowed on Tony’s thigh. Glancing at the time, Tony figured Ben would still be up as it was only just going on 11pm and sent him a text message, inviting him to the meeting in the morning. He then sent instructions to JARVIS to do a deep dive into Richard and Mary Parker’s background, with a specific request to search the SHIELD databases for information on Richard’s time as an agent.

He laid his head back against the headboard, one hand carding through Harry’s tousled hair as he waited for JARVIS to give him the results of the search, only to wake up to Sirius shaking him.

"Come on, Tony, you guys need to belt up or whatever we do to land."

Tony tried to stretch when he realized Harry was still laying half in his lap. "Can you grab the munchkin for me, please?"

Between them, they were able to strap Harry into his seat and get to their own before they were descending. Happy watch them with amusement from his seat, a cup of coffee in his hand. It wasn't until they were back at the Tower and Harry safely tucked into bed, that Tony had a chance to ask his AI what he'd been able to find. Even though they had an appointment in the morning and it was already midnight, Tony wanted to hear a summary from JARVIS.

Stepping into his lab, Tony pulled up his holographic displays. "You up, J?"

"For you, Sir, always."

"Lay it on me," Tony told him as he scrolled back to Ian Berg's email.

"Richard Parker was a geneticist whose specialty was human genome editing techniques, based on DNA manipulation studies which go back to 1976. As a scientist working for SHIELD, Parker was specifically studying the molecular changes the Super Soldier serum made in Captain Rogers' DNA. He was also studying genetic material from Sgt James Barnes, and several other soldiers who HYDRA experimented on. The documentation is heavily redacted, but it seemed to indicate the SSR had taken blood, saliva, and sperm samples from each of the men."

Tony's eyes grew wide, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. "For fuck's sake! What if he experimented with Rogers' DNA? Or Barnes?"

"There is no mention of that type of experimentation while he was working at SHIELD, sir, however, he was sent undercover to work as a genetics expert, specializing in genome editing. According to the records available, Oscorp and it's owner, Norman Osborn, was interested in replicating the Super Soldier serum, but at the cellular level. There are also vague references to human cloning in his SHIELD file."

Somehow, Tony wasn't surprised by the information. It all seemed to circle back around to the damned serum. Another thought hit him and Tony froze, cloning? Was Richard trying to clone Tony? Had he done the same type of experimentation on samples from Steve Rogers or his best friend, Bucky Barnest? How many other people did they have genetic material from? His father, possibly? Tony buried his face in his hands.

"On the other hand, Mary Parker, nee Fitzpatrick, who was an Oscorp geneticist, but it seems unclear as to what specifically she was studying. SHIELD recruited her and Richard was paired with her when he was imbedded in the company. She married Richard in March 2001 and Peter Benjamin Parker was born that August. The parents began leaving young Peter with Richard's brother and sister-in-law when he was two anytime they needed to go out of town. Thus, the four-year-old was with his aunt and uncle when his parents were killed in the crash of a private airplane while attending a scientific conference in Europe."

"All of this smells, JARVIS," Tony whispered. "Is my name mentioned in any of the information about either parent?"

"Richard apparently was of the impression that your father had taken the serum and given it to you as well, however, there was no elaboration on the theory."

Lifting his head, Tony sighed as he stood up and arched his back to stretch it. "All right, JARVIS, continue scanning for anything that concerns the Parkers, as well as anything you can find on the outcome of the experimentation with Rogers, Barnes, or Howard's DNA." Tony shook his head as he walked out of the lab. "God forbid there's another Howard running around!"

Pepper was sound asleep when Tony slid into bed, leaning over to kiss her shoulder before settling into bed. Despite his worries, pure physical exhaustion allowed Tony to sleep for a few hours, but he was up by seven. Showering, Tony dressed in light gray trousers and red shirt, carrying the jacket, with a matching gray tie looped around his neck. A wonderful smell wafted over him as he stepped into the hallway and Tony followed it to the kitchen, where Pepper and Harry were eating scrambled eggs and toast.

Tossing his jacket and tie over the back of a chair, Tony kissed the top of Harry's head and Pepper's cheek as they ate. "Good morning, favorite almost-wife and favorite son," he quipped before scooping up some scrambled eggs and sighing as he found a full coffee cup in front of him..

Pepper swallowed a sip of her orange juice. "Harry was up early and made us breakfast, honey. He's officially my favorite Stark now."

"What!" Tony squawked.

"I made blueberry muffins," Harry told him.

"Best. Son. Ever!" Tony announced, pushing back his chair, and heading into the kitchen. "My favorite Stark, too!"

Locating a plate of cooling muffins, Tony carried them back to the table. As he sat down, Pepper laid her fork down on her plate, drained her glass, and reached over to steal one of Tony's muffins. She grabbed her coffee mug and kissed both on the head.

"Let me know what Berg says, stay out of trouble both of you, and 11am for the finance meeting, Tony."

"Yes, Mum!" They both chorused as Pepper rolled her eyes and stepped into the elevator.

Harry grinned at him and swiped a muffin as well, taking a large bite. Tony just shook his head,

"Finish up, bambino, so you can get dressed, unless you're going to the meeting in your pajamas." He waited for Harry to nod and peeled the paper off his muffin. "Hit me with it, JARVIS."

"Good morning, Sir and mini-sir. Mr. Hogan is on his way to the Parker residence now with an anticipated return time of 8:45am. A continued search of the SHIELD databases made no further reference to cloning, however all the genetic documents were heavily redacted. I did search for anything authored by Howard Stark yet found nothing."

"Maybe we need to make another trip to Grandpa's vault, Dad."

The soft words penetrated Tony's racing thoughts. "I think you're right, son. In fact, it's probably our best course of action, especially as we don't know how much the HYDRA scientist like Zola might have done on the side."

"How long do you think your meetings will last today, Dad?" Harry asked as he stood and started to clear the table.

"Probably mid-afternoon," Tony brought his plate. "We can go after that." He flapped his hands at his son. "Go get dressed, the housekeeping crew should be here in half an hour and they'll take care of these."

As soon as Harry left, Tony hid the rest of the blueberry muffins in the microwave and refilled his coffee. Moving back into the living room, Tony set the cup on the island as grabbed his tie and stood in front of the windows to tie it. His mind cycled between the possibility of what people like Richard Parker and Arnim Zola had done with the DNA samples they had, to HYDRA embedded in SHIELD, to how Ben would react to this twist.

"Sir, Mr. Hogan is back," JARVIS advised.

"Send Ben up here, please."

Harry, his hair still damp, wandered out of the hallway, tucking his shirt into his dark pants. "Uncle Ben is here already?"

"On his way up."

Harry nervously ran his hands through his hair, trying to will it to lay flat as the elevator softly dinged. Turning toward it, Harry grinned broadly as he watched Peter bounce out of it, in front of his uncle.

"Peter!"

He ran towards Peter and grabbed him in a hug, delighted his brother had come with his uncle. Feeling a wave of uncertainty in his chest, Harry glanced at the clock and saw they still had fifteen minutes before they were due in Dr. Berg's lab.

"Dad, can I show Peter my room? We have a few minutes before we have to leave—"

Tony gave him a wave as he pointed out the coffee machine to Ben Parker. Grabbing Peter's hand, Harry dragged him down the hall towards his room. "That door is Mum and Dad's room, the door beyond it is Uncle Rhodey when he stays here. Sirius actually has his own floor down from here," he pointed out as he pushed open his door. "Oh, I should have—"

An embarrassed flush colored his cheeks as Harry pulled the duvet up on his bed and Peter just laughed good-naturally. "My room's always a mess, Harry! Kids are supposed to have messy rooms."

The comment made Harry feel better and he stood back and let Peter look around. He loved the wall of windows looking out over the city and the few touches they'd managed to do to customize the room since he'd arrived. A desk in the corner held his laptop and a built-in set of bookshelves, already stuffed full of books. The table in the far corner, which took advantage of the natural light, held several of the projects Harry was working on, plus his new Stark Tower Lego set. His trunk was stored just inside the walk-in closet and the door to the bathroom was closed.

Peter rambled in admiration of the layout, the worktable was awesome, and noted the walls needed Star Wars posters, which made Harry laugh. As he watched, Harry felt the echo of anger coil in his chest and he guessed his dad was telling Ben Parker what they had found out. While he was all for telling Peter what was going on, Harry hoped he wasn't overwhelmed. Granted, Peter had been through a lot already in his life and was mature for his age – more importantly, Harry wanted his brother to be safe.

"Harry, is this a magic wand?"

Wanting to groan, Harry saw that Peter had his hand hovering over the holly and phoenix feather wand. "Why do you ask that?"

Peter titled his head. "Because I can feel the magic, I think, prickle against my palm."

Harry stared at him for a moment, but it made sense that if he and his dad had magic, Peter would, too. "How do you know about magic?"

"My friend, Ned, his grandmother is magical, and he told me all about it."

"Hmm, really? "Well, I think we need to tell Dad about this," Harry motioned for the door and, pausing to grab his wand, before following Peter out.

Harry found the two men talking at the kitchen island, but Peter had been distracted and diverted to the living room to gawk at the view. Rolling his eyes, Harry walked up to the men who were having a serious discussion. He stood to the side, waiting to be acknowledged and couldn't help but hear what the men were talking about. His eyes widened slightly when he put the pieces together and realized Peter was aware of the DNA tests being done. His dad's hand came up to rest on his shoulder.

"What's up, bambino?"

He looked up but didn't see any evidence of the anger he felt. "Peter can feel the magic coming off of my wand. He says his friend grandmother has magic."

Tony arched an eyebrow and they both looked at Ben, who sighed. "From what Ned has said, his Nona is more a sorceress than a witch –"

"Uncle Ben!" Peter bounced up beside Harry with a grin. "Harry has a magic wand!"

"So he was just telling me, short stuff."

Tony clapped his hands. "All right, time to head down to the lab, are you two ready?"

Harry was surprised when Peter grabbed his hand as he nodded his head and they both followed the two men into the elevator. There was a slight tremor in Peter and Harry gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. The elevator stopped and Harry followed his dad out, tugging Peter with him, and Uncle Ben followed behind.

"Dr. Stark, thank you for being prompt!" A tall man with dark hair and caramel colored skin was waiting outside a large workspace with opaque glass, a teasing smile on his face.

"I'm always prompt!" Tony whined as he stepped forward to shake the man's hand. "Hello, Ian, thanks for having us." Turning, he gestured at Harry. "This is Harry and Peter and Ben Parker."

Dr. Berg led them through his office and into a brightly lit laboratory area. Harry looked at the gleaming stainless-steel tables and large machines, not recognizing any of them. On the other hand, Peter looked like he knew what everything was and practically vibrated with excitement.

"Is that actually a real time PCR machine?" Peter breathed, "and a CRISPR?"

"Ugh," Harry exclaimed. "Biology is so confusing!"

"I'll teach you!" Peter chirped as he tried to pull Harry over towards the machines, but Ben put a hand on his shoulder.

"I think you'll want to hear what Dr. Berg has to tell us, buddy," Ben suggested gently.

Harry watched as Peter took a deep breath and turned back to stand quietly by Harry's side. Tony explained to Berg that both Harry and Peter were aware of the reason behind the request for the DNA test. With a nod, the geneticist activated a holographic screen and displayed Tony's DNA on one side and Peter's on the other. Even to Harry's untrained eyes, they were almost an exact match.

Peter leaned forward, looking hard at the display. "Why isn't it an exact match?" he asked, pointing out where the two images differed.

Harry, still holding tight to Peter's hand, watched as the three adults exchanged looks. It was his dad who answered.

"We don't know, Pete, but there are several things which weren't adding up."

Peter looked up at Tony and Harry's heart almost broke at the resigned look on Peter's face. "My dad – I mean, Richard did something, didn't he?"

Ben crouched down to be eye level with Peter. "We don't know, buddy, but Dr. Berg has agreed to help us out. I'm going to give him some of my blood and he's going to see if Richard was the other DNA contributor."

"He specialized in genome editing," Peter reasoned, "it isn't too hard to figure out he spliced some of Mr. Stark's genetic material into his own."

"Perhaps," Dr. Berg acknowledged, "and I intend to find out the truth. This isn't fair to you or your family, young man. Although I might not able to speak to, uh, Richard's motivation, I do know none of this is your or Tony's fault."

"And we had already decided on adopting each other as brothers, Peter, so this just makes it true," Harry told him with a grin.

Tony leaned down and gently tugged Peter forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I know we have to work things out, especially with your aunt, kiddo, but I'd be proud to have you as a son. Frankly, I'm just relieved I hadn't made you suffer due to my recklessness."

"Before you leave, would I be able to get a blood sample from each of you, for some additional comparison studies?" Dr. Berg asked, with a gleam in his eye.

Tony stared for a moment before whispering to Harry and Peter. "Let's give the mad scientist what he needs so we can escape!"

It was almost 10am by the time they stepped back out into the penthouse. Happy must have been by as Harry found a box of donuts from the bakery across the city, which was Tony's favorite.

"Dad! Happy brought donuts!"

Gathering some small plates and the milk for both he and Peter, Harry carried them out to the table. His dad poured two cups of coffee and they all sat down around the island. Harry looked at Peter when Tony went into the kitchen and took the plate of blueberry muffins out of the microwave.

"You don't have to hide them, Dad, I can always make more!"

Grinning, Tony carefully presented the plate to Peter. "Would you like an exceptional muffin, Peter? Your brother made them."

Peter smiled widely and took one, before Tony snatched the plate back protectively. Harry just laughed as he took a crème-filled glazed donut, licking his fingers.

"Maybe you should split that with Peter, sweetie, you know how much sugar is in that thing!"

Harry's heart skipped a beat as he heard Pepper's voice and then groaned. He figured he could eat the whole thing, because his dad was worse than he was about sugar-ladened pastries and let him. He swore she was tiptoeing as he hadn't heard the click-clack of her high heeled shoes. Tony handed him a knife and Pepper came around to kiss the top ot his head, before circling around and doing the same to Peter, whose eyes went impossibly wide.

"All right, gentlemen, how are we going to proceed?" Pepper stole a muffin from Tony, taking advantage of him laughing at Harry's plight.

"Good morning, Pepper," Ben greeted her, reaching in to take a plain glazed donut. "At the moment, I have to work at noon and Peter is supposed to go over to Ned's house as May is still sleeping. She works tonight and then the weekend before we are both off on Monday and Tuesday. I think that's when I should broach the subject with her."

Catching Peter's eyes, Harry held up half of his donut and slid it over on to his plate. "If Peter has any free time, we could start the tutoring in Chemistry and Biology this week."

Nodding his head, Tony washed his mouthful of muffin down with a swig of coffee. "After my meetings today, I think Harry and I will head to Gringotts, to do some research in the vault. But really, someone is always here who Peter could stay with, Ben. Everyone who was in Orlando with us knows what is going on."

"And once you've spoken to May, we'd like to bring you into our special team." Pepper bit into her muffin.

"Mum, we think Peter might be magical, too," Harry supplied, taking out his wand and sliding it over to Peter.

Hastily wiping off his hand, Peter gingerly picked up the wand and grinned as a blue spark shot from the end. "Wow!"

"I'm not surprised, given that both Harry and Tony are as well."

Peter handed the wand back to Harry. "Uh, Uncle Ben?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"Do you think Aunt May will be okay with all this?" the younger boy asked hesitantly. "I really love you guys, you've been my parents for seven years and all, but I'd like to get to know my—um, dad, too."

Ben reached over and ruffled Peter's hair. "I'd like to try and blend our families together, buddy, so we both get to spend time with you."

Harry saw Tony and Pepper exchange a glance, Tony speaking for them both. "We'd like that as well. In fact, Pepper is going to arrange a few legal matters so that we can actually share custody and guardianship with May and Ben, if that's okay with you and Harry."

Started, Harry nodded his head immediately and Peter beamed at him.

Ben laughed at his expression. "Well, why don't we start by having Peter spend his birthday here, as both May and I have to work."

Peter frowned. "But Uncle Ben, Ned was coming over and we were going to go to the New York Hall of Science in the morning and then have a sleepover."

"How about you and your friend go to the Hall of Science in the morning and then plan to spend the rest of your birthday getting a tour of SI's labs and do your sleep over here?" Pepper suggested.

"Can Harry come to the Hall of Science, too?"

Both Harry and Peter's eyes lit up.

"I think that could be arranged," Tony assured them, smiling when both boys cheered.

Chapter Text

Nodding to Happy at the door, Tony escaped the boardroom with an apologetic look at Pepper, who was staring down the pompous ass Tony had just removed from the Board of Directors of Stark Industries as he signed his severance paperwork. Tony didn't often interfere in the politics of the Board, something Pepper managed effortlessly, but the misogynism displayed by one of the members, someone who had been appointed by Howard, had been more than he could bare. Despite the company's profits having steadily increased since Pepper had taken over as CEO two years ago, the bastard felt he had the right to accuse Pepper of sleeping her way into her position, which made Tony see red.

It had felt good to eviscerate the man, using company sales and production statistics to inflict verbal blows as deadly as a repulsor shot. SI had gone from the largest weapons manufacturer to the top technology company in the last five years. Tony had augmented the protection divisions and the electronics technology divisions, as well as added an entire medical division in the past five years – but Pepper was the one who had organized and made each division thrive. And, in a week, Tony would bring the newly reconfigured Arc Reactor technology on-line to provide clean, renewable power to the entire SI Tower complex, becoming one of the only companies anywhere, active in producing green energy at that level.

Under Pepper's guidance, SI had made every member of the Board a multi-millionaire, and Crawford's idiocy had just lost that coveted spot for him. Tony bought back the few SI stocks the bastard had at double the current stock market value, knowing the capital gains taxes would eat most of the prick's profit. His own personal worth was over two hundred billion dollars, even though he'd doubled his charitable contributions and started a new foundation to help those impacted by conflict and natural disasters. Gringotts had been more than happy to oversee the charity.

As he stepped into the elevator JARVIS had waiting for him, Tony took several deep breaths and thought back to the trip he and Harry had made to the bank. Sirius had gone with them, wanting to speak to Ironfang about moving the Black vaults to New York, while Tony and Harry went down to Howard's vault. Looking specifically for files related to HYDRA, SHIELD, Steve Rogers, and anything which might have information on genetic experimentation, cloning, or DNA collection. The four ampoules of remaining serum were left in their case, as there was still a full dose of the serum in the safe in Tony's lab.

They hadn't had the time yet to sit down with the files they'd brought back from the vault, which they needed to do. Doctor Berg was still working with the blood they had given him and, while Tony had searched the vault thoroughly, he couldn't find any sign that his father had any blood or DNA samples stored there. While there was no indication that Howard was involved in any genetic research, Tony had just wanted to make sure. Howard had had his hands in so many different things during his dealings with SHIELD.

Stepping out into the penthouse, Tony headed towards his son's room. Perhaps after his final meeting of the day, he'd use the rest of the afternoon to start going through the files that were in the safe in his lab. He needed to do a final check of the reactor schematics for Pepper to patent the larger version, but otherwise, he'd planned to work on his suit. His time might be better spent starting on the files, especially with Harry spending the afternoon with Peter. His Aunt May had been called into the work last Monday, causing their meeting to be pushed back to the coming weekend. Tony knew the two boys were as anxious as he was to sit down with the woman and work out a more concrete arrangement.

"How goes the chemistry homework, munchkin?"

Harry jumped, startled by his dad’s voice. He looked up sheepishly to see the man, still looking boardroom perfect in a navy-blue three-piece suit, red tie loosened just a bit.

"Jeez, Dad, you scared me!" Harry clutched his laptop as it started to slide off his lap. "I didn’t hear you come in."

Tony wandered into the room and sat down beside Harry on his bed, kissing his temple. "Sorry, Tesoro, just thought I’d say hi between meetings."

Grinning, Harry leaned into his father. "How was the board of directors meeting?"

Tony sighed dramatically. "Boring mostly, production is up, stocks at an all-time high, and there are three more new patents – what’s there to argue about?"

"So what made you so angry a half an hour ago, then?"

"Some old geezer questioned Pepper’s decision to discontinue an old product line, and insulted her in the process."

Harry whistled. "Not too bright, was he?"

"Nope." Tony leaned over him, looking at the computer screen. "Whacha studying?"

"Chemical reactions," he explained, pointing out the article he was reading. "Peter says we can do some practical experiments as soon as you have a lab set up for us."

"Hmm, practicals, huh?"

Grinning, Harry heard the suspicion in his dad’s voice. He and Peter had done some "sciencing", as Peter called it, in the kitchen last tutoring session and created a slimy fog which took an hour to clean up. "Daaad! That was an accident!"

"So you both say," Tony muttered, standing. "Come on, let’s go see what was sent up for lunch. Peter should be here any minute and your brother is always hungry."

Sliding off the bed, Harry paused to set his laptop on his desk before following Tony out the door. He was looking forward to spending the afternoon with Peter, both for the chemistry lesson and for the chance to run around the park for a while after. Peter’s birthday had been so much fun and Harry had really liked Ned, despite him being awed speechless about meeting Tony Stark. Hoping to get Ned to refocus, Harry told him about how he'd taken to wearing the War Machine cap his Uncle Rhodey had given him as a disguise. They had made further attempted to distract Ned by introducing him to Sirius and, of course, Padfoot, which worked a little better.

Despite Ned's over-the-top reaction, they’d all clicked and thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Hall of Science. Ned and Peter had taught Harry the right way to build with Legos and educated him on proper sleepover etiquette. His dad had put a set of bunk beds into his room for the night, so each had their own bed, but the boys had all jammed into Harry’s large bed as they had stayed up half the night watching Star Wars movies.

While Ned had talked about his Nona and Harry about being a wizard, by silent agreement, neither of them had said anything about Peter’s new found ability. Both Harry and Peter had decided to keep their new relationship quiet for the moment, especially after Ned’s reaction to their dad. Pepper had ordered a smaller version of Harry’s birthday cake with a Tie Fighter on it and Tony had pizza delivered. Restraining himself at Pepper’s insistence, Tony had given both Peter and Ned new Starkphones, and Peter a tablet, while the others had gotten him graphic tee shirts and Legos.

In the week since, Peter had been over twice for a couple hours, both times for tutoring sessions in Chemistry, which Harry had really liked. They had had only a little time to talk or play, as Peter’s aunt hadn’t been able to make the meeting Monday, so they were limiting the visits. The next one was set for tomorrow, Friday being a day May went into work later in the afternoon. Ben thought she would take the news fairly well, especially if Harry and Peter stood side by side.

Harry was looking forward to going over the chemistry article Peter had sent him, a detailed assessment of daily chemical reactions. The idea of chemical reactions in baking, which occurred when some type of leavening was add to cause dough to rise was a chemical reaction had really caught Harry's attention. If Harry had his way, he and Peter would spend their tutoring session baking.

"The chef made those pasties things you like so much," his dad called as Harry came into the kitchen area. "Although, I don't think any of these are the pumpkin ones."

The elevator dinged open as Harry walked out of the hallway into the living area and grinned as Peter stepped out, already vibrating in place. Grabbing his arm, Harry pulled him into a hug, before Peter tore away and all but tackled Tony.

"Miniest-me!" Tony exclaimed, ruffling Peter's hair. "Right on time for lunch!"

Harry grabbed a plate and looked at the dishes lined up in the middle of the island. He reached over Peter's shoulder to grab a beef pastie, ignoring his brother's indigent squawk, before going around to make himself a small salad. He was trying to follow the healer's directive to eat smaller but more frequent meals in order to add muscle mass and not fat to his frame. Harry was proud of the fact that he'd managed to gain half a stone since he'd taken the serum. Settling into his seat, Harry began to eat as Tony asked them about their afternoon plans.

"Chemistry lesson," Peter chirped between bites of pastie.

"That encompasses a wide field of study." Dad gave him a deadpan look.

Harry had to snort. "We are going to study chemical reactions by using leavening in dough."

His dad blinked a couple times before he grinned widely. "Is that so? Need anyone to, uh, do an expert analysis on the results?"

Peter and Harry both rolled their eyes, before Harry leaned over and patted Tony's hand. "Yes, Dad, we'll save you some."

"Sounds yummy! You're not going to bake all afternoon, are you?"

"No, Sirius is going to walk over to the park with us, so we can kick a ball around."

"We bribed him with the promise of baked goods," Peter confirmed with a happy smile.

"Sounds like a fair trade to me," Tony agreed, before popping the last bite of pastie into his mouth and washing it down with a swig of coffee. "No chance of blueberry muffins?"

Cocking his head, Harry narrowed his eyes as he looked at the attempt at an innocent face his dad was pulling. "If someone doesn't eat all of them again!"

Tony looked affronted, his hand coming up dramatically to cover his arch reactor. "I would never!"

Both boys stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter, laughing harder as Tony gave an exaggerated pout.

"Sir, Ms. Potts requested I remind you the meeting you need to be in starts in five minutes." JARVIS announced.

Sighing, Tony stood and carried his plate to the sink, using the his reflection in the stainless-steel refrigerator to fix his tie. "All right, munchkins, don't burn the place down while I'm stuck in this boring, boring meeting."

He kissed each of them on the top of their heads, before disappearing into the elevator. Harry looked at Peter and they both dissolved into giggles at the disgruntled look Tony had had on his face. They made short work of lunch and Harry wrapped the leftovers, cleaning the kitchen while Peter pulled his laptop out of his ever-present backpack. Pulling up the recipes they had each decided to try first, Harry pulled out two bowls, measuring cups and spoons, as well as baking powder, yeast, and baking soda.

"Mine needs milk, butter, and eggs," Peter told him, moving to join Harry in the kitchen. "I love science we can eat!"

"Yeah," Harry agreed, remembering the baking soda volcanos his primary class had done. "I'm going to make the blueberry muffins and then start some sweet bread dough, so we can see how high it rises. If it's successful, we could use it to make cinnamon rolls."

"Cool!"

Forty-five minutes later, Harry took his second pan of muffins out of the oven, while Peter tried to figure out what happened to his biscuits. They had turned out a sticky lump of dough and, while they had risen, they looked nothing like biscuits. Peter just stared at them.

Harry bumped him with his shoulder. "Did you mix the dry and wet ingredients separately first?"

"Uh, no?" Peter admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, before writing a note in his workbook. "I just put everything in the bowl."

Harry leaned against him for a minute, glancing over the notes. "Um, I think that might not have been the right way," Harry observed. "Plus, the butter is supposed to be, well, frozen."

"Ugh!" Peter groused. "I didn't think it made any difference!"

"Good thing you’ll never have to go to Hogwarts, that git of a Potions professor would eat you alive! Not like he’d teach you anything useful, anyway – he didn’t teach me a thing!"

Peter frowned as he watched Harry stir the dried yeast into hot water. "Sounds like a jerk."

Nodding, Harry grimaced. "That’s putting it mildly. He hated my other father and I inspired him to loathing." He grabbed a clean mixing bowl. "Now, you want to help me with the dry ingredients for the bread dough?"

Peter reached for the flour, and it only took them about fifteen minutes to combine all the ingredients. Turning the dough out onto the countertop, dusted with flour, and Harry taught Peter how to knead it properly. Peter made notes on how the yeast was incorporated and the measurements of the dough. Sirius came in as they were forming the dough into two rounds and laid them in a greased pan, which Harry covered. With a grin, Sirius Vanished the biscuit mess and a flick of his wand set the dishes to washing themselves.

"How long before this is done?" Sirius asked as Harry washed his hands.

"It needs to proof for about two and a half hours," Harry answered, exchanging a look with Peter.

"Go get cleaned up and we’ll go to the park while your bread rises."

Both boys grabbed him in a hug and ran for Harry’s bedroom, where they changed into flour-free jeans and tee shirts. The park was only a few minutes' walk up a side street off Park Avenue and Peter challenged Harry to a race while Sirius walked behind them. Harry would never admit to not running his fastest while Peter did a victory dance as they both collapsed on a park bench.

They'd found a small grassy area, situated between a hedge row and a forested area, with the bench for Sirius to relax, if he wanted. Both boys watched as Sirius surreptitiously cast a protective ward, no-maj repelling ward, and a Notice-Me-Not spell on the area. He conjured a soccer ball for them to kick around from a discarded coffee cup thrown on the ground, before leaving to walk to a coffee shop within sight. Harry, whose wand was in his wrist holster, waved him off and joined Peter in a game his brother called kickball. The warmth of the day, the sunshine on his face, and the delighted laughter of his new sibling gave Harry a wonderful feeling; one he’d never experienced before. He’d never felt as happy.

Distracted as he was, Harry missed the ball when Peter kicked back at him him, making Harry turn and chase it. The sight of a large, blond man sitting on the park bench had Harry hesitate, especially when the ball collided against the man’s shin. Harry eyed the man as he looked up, apparently startled by the ball that had hit him. He'd been staring at the phone in his hand with a perplexed expression. His blue eyes seemed sad and filled with pain as he met Harry’s eyes.

"I’m so sorry, sir!" Harry said softly, coming to a stop just outside of arm’s reach. "Did the ball hurt you?" For some reason, Harry's magic seemed to reach out to the man, who had to have magic himself, or he wouldn't have been able to get through Sirius' protections.

The man shook his head, before leaning down and scooping the ball up into his hand, tossing it to Harry. "Not at all," he responded, tilting his head at Harry. "Are you from England?" he asked.

Catching the ball, Harry nodded. "From the greater London area," he acknowledged, trying to interpret what his magic was sensing. "I just moved to New York a few weeks ago."

"The man has no weapons, Master Harry, but the cellular device he is carrying has both video and audio feeds active." JARVIS said softly into his ear from the special sunglasses his dad had made for him.

Before Harry could react, the blond man jerked as if he'd heard JARVIS and looked back down at the phone. Harry watched as the man carefully set the phone down on the bench and stood up. His narrowed eyes, an icy blue, found Harry's wide ones. On impulse, Harry crooked his finger at the man to follow him and walked back to where Peter stood, looking puzzled, under one of the trees at the back of the glen. The man straightened to his full height, Harry swallowing hard as he realized just how large the man was. He approached Harry and Peter slowly, with a hand extended and a soft voice.

"Hi, I’m Steve." He smiled.

"I’m Harry, sir," Harry said politely, standing partially in front of Peter. "And this is Peter."

Steve gave them a smile. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He reached up a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, Harry, but I couldn’t help but overhear what was said. Is that phone really recording everything?"

Harry glanced at Peter before turning back to Steve. "Yes, sir – not only recording your voice but videotaping your surroundings," he paused at Steve's puzzled look, "filming what you are doing. I’d also guess that you are being tracked for some reason." He made it a statement, but the question lingered.

Steve’s eyes narrowed again and he took a deep breath. "Any idea how I might get it to stop?"

Grinning, Harry took a half step closer and signaled Steve to bend down. "See the water fountain over there? Accidentally drop it into the flow of water while you get a drink," he whispered into Steve's ear.

Steve leaned back and met Harry's eyes again, who tried to communicate his seriousness. Harry felt Peter grab his hand and they both watched as the man walked back to the bench. Picking up the phone, Steve started tossing it between in his hands as he looked around, before throwing it about a hundred meters into the small pond clear across the park. Both boys cheered when there was a splash in the middle, scattering the few birds swimming on the surface. A grinning Steve walked back to where he and Peter were standing.

"That was amazing, Mr. Steve!" Peter piped up, grinning wildly. "But won't whoever was tracking you come here to see what happened?"

"We'll just have to leave before they get here, won't we?" Steve seemed to be having a lot of fun.

"We don't need to," Harry told him. "My uncle put up wards around the area, no one should see us unless they are magical."

"Magical?" Steve scratched his head. "Yeah, I remember the doctor said something about magic, but I didn't really understand, especially with my ma being a—"

"Harry! Peter!" Sirius' voice had an edge of panic. "What's going on?"

Harry spun around towards the bench and his jaw dropped as he watched an armored vehicle filled with heavily armed operatives drive over the pathway, headed to the pond. His wand in hand, Sirius moved quickly to join them, giving Steve a suspicious look.

Keeping his voice quiet, Harry explained to Sirius what had happened. "So, this is Steve, who threw the phone he had into the lake when he found out it was recording and tracking him."

Sirius glanced at the men dressed in tactical black gear with large weapons slug over their shoulders, and secured his wand. He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Steve. I'm Sirius Black; Harry's godfather and the fun uncle to both these urchins."

Shaking the offered hand, Steve followed Sirius' gaze and frowned. "Pleasure, Mr. Black." He jerked his head towards the men. "I've been—asleep for a rather long time, is this a normal reaction for a person who isn't wanted for a crime?"

"Asleep, Mr. Steve?" Peter asked, tilting his head as he stood beside Harry. "Like Rip Van Winkle?"

Steve smiled. "Something like that, but three times longer."

"Well," Sirius interjected. "This looks like the secret organization we've been told takes an interest in unique individuals, but tends to take it to the extreme." He ruffled Harry's hair. "Harry's dad is one of those people and has told us how strongly they came on to him – including breaking into his house and business, spying on him, and putting him on house arrest in his own home."

Nodding his head, Steve chuckled. "Sounds like the people I've been dealing with since I woke up."

"Magical or non-magical?" Harry asked, watching as the searchers searched every inch of the area, before piling back in their armored vehicles and heading out.

"Non-magical," Steve guessed. "No one has said a word about magic to me. They just said they found me frozen in ice."

Harry met Sirius' eyes for a moment, before looking up at Steve. "I think you should come back and meet Dad. He can help with whatever situation you've landed in and he knows about magic."

Steve nodded his head slowly, his cheeks pink. "Worth a try. I just know I feel like I'm drowning here and am looking for some help."

"Like cryostasis," Peter whispered to Harry, starting to walk towards the sidewalk.

"Hold on a minute," Sirius interjected, tapping each of them on the head with his wand.

Harry knew from the feel the Sirius had cast a Disillusionment Charm on each of them. . Grinning when Steve gave a shudder as the spell took effect on him. He watched as Sirius took down the privacy charms he'd cast on the grassy area the boys had played in and Summoned the ball, which Harry caught and after Sirius reversed the transfiguration, he dropped the cup into a trash bin

"That's rude," Peter commented, reaching up to take Sirius hand. "If I'd been asleep for a long time, I'd want to learned about everything I had missed! It doesn't sound like these people want to help you."

"From the limited information I have gotten, it seems like they are provided me with the bare minimum of information, and only the subjects they want me to have. I've been trying to figure out how to search for things on the computer they gave me, but it only seems to show me the same topics over and over."

"Someone has restricted your access," Peter frowned, his eyes looking back at Steve. "Like the controls that parents can put on computers so their kids can only research certain subjects."

Harry could see Steve frowning as they walked side by side back towards the Tower. He didn't know what was going on, but he this close to Steve, he could really feel Steve's magic, which wasn't unusual for him. The man fell into step with Harry, right behind Peter and Sirius.

"Harry? Can I ask you what your last name is? You look awfully familiar to me."

"I was born Harry Potter," he glanced up to see if Steve would react like everyone else and was surprised when he didn't.

Steve grinned. "There was a Monty Potter in the group of British wizards who fought with my regiment in Europe." He leaned toward Sirius. "Mr. Black, do you recognize the name Alphard Black?"

Sirius' face was surprised as he turned back towards them. "My uncle was Alphard – he ran away from the family when he was only fifteen and made me his heir. It made it possible for me to get away from my family at about the same age."

The grin on Steve's face widened. "Really? That's amazing! It is a small world."

"Still doesn't explain why your magic feels familiar to me," Harry muttered, hoping his dad was finished with his meetings.

"Tony?"

James Rhodes voice caught Tony's attention from where he was at the back of his workshop. Dum-E beeped excitedly beside him and Tony absently patted the bot's strut.

"In the back, Honey Bear! Doing maintenance on the boys."

Replacing the cover on Butterfinger's motherboard, Tony gave him a pat, before wiping grease off his fingers. He listened to his best friend make his way to them, spinning on his chair to greet him. Rhodey appeared around a piece of machinery, dressed in his flight suit and leather jacket, his dark eyes sparkling.

"Pepper said you'd survived your meetings and were hold up down here waiting for the boys to get back."

Grinning, Tony spun on his chair. "I have to wait down here, Platypus, because Harry's baking as part of his chemistry tutoring and if I go up to the penthouse too early, I'll eat his homework before it's graded."

Rhodey blinked, before he threw his head back and laughed. "Jeez, Tones, sounds like Dad problems!"

Tony rolled his eyes and stood up, arching his back to get the kinks out from bending over for so long. He gestured Rhodey to the front of the lab, where there was an alert flashing on one of the holographic scenes. With a glance, Tony saw it was from Dr. Berg and quickly brought up the email, only to find it was another test failure.

"Still nothing on Peter's DNA?" Rhodey asked quietly.

"No, other than there are two other DNA contributors. Frankly, it's getting extremely frustrating," Tony sighed. "I'd just like to have a concrete answer for him and his aunt."

Rhodey stared at him for a long minute. "Why don't you take him for one of those heritage tests, like Harry had when he first got here?"

His mind suddenly swirled with possibilities when he remembered the detailed linage his son's test had shown. Maybe it was time to get one of his own as well; he'd looked at Howard's test but not taken the time to do one of his own. That test had shown Tony was his son, so it was possible Tony's would show whether there were any other children he'd sired without being aware of.

Tony grabbed his friend and gave him a hug. "You are absolutely brilliant, Platypus!"

"Sir, Master Harry is headed to your location and wishes to speak to you," JARVIS announced.

Tony exchanged a look with Rhodey. "Is he all right, J?"

“Yes, Sir, both Master Harry and Master Peter are fine, however, they did have a bit of adventure during their outing with Lord Black.”

Tony’s heads snapped toward the elevator as it dinged and he watched Harry step out, his son's green eyes lighting up when he saw Tony in the lab. The door swished open immediately as Harry approached and Tony turned to greet him.

"Dad! Uncle Rhodey!" Harry threw his arms around Tony first and then Rhodes, both kissing the top of his head.

"You had an adventure?" Tony asked grabbing Harry's arm gently and turning him around. "Nothing that needs bandaging?"

Harry snorted and pulled away. "No, we're all fine, I just wanted to talk to you before we introduce you to our new friend."

Tony frowned but nodded. "JARVIS, appropriate security protocols."

In a calm, matter-of-fact way, Harry described what had happened in the park, the man who found his way past Sirius' spells, and the familiar feeling Harry got from the man's magic. Tony had to silently agree with Harry about the SHIELD-like tactics this man had been subjected to since he woke up, whatever that meant. While Harry assured him the stranger seemed safe enough, if pretty confused by the situation he found himself, Tony didn't necessarily want him in the penthouse with Peter.

"Sirius is there, too, Dad," Harry reminded him. "He's going to give him one of your muffins."

"My muffins!" That spurned Tony to his feet, leading the way to the elevator. "What did this man say when you brought him into Stark Tower?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. 'We actually didn't tell him, just came in the back entrance through the garden."

Rhodey huffed out a laugh and shook his head, throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Not sure whether to congratulate you on your level of paranoia or laugh at how fast Tony's hair is going to go gray with a couple of kids just like him."

"I'm devastated, Platypus," Tony sputtered dramatically, hand covering the arch reactor. "My hair will always be dark and luxurious!"

"Sir, you might want to hear this," JARVIS announced as they stepped into the elevator.

"Harry baked these, Mr. Steve! It was part of our lesson on chemical reactions and they are really good!"

"Well, if you are sure it's all right." An unfamiliar male voice replied.

"Harry's a fantastic cook!" Sirius sounded like his mouth was full.

"Are they eating my blueberry muffins?!" Tony squawked as the elevator stopped.

He was the first one out, striding across the foyer and around towards the kitchen island where a large man with blond hair sat, a half-eaten muffin in his hand. His eyes widened as Tony swept by him, and elbowed Sirius out of the way. He scooted up Peter and the muffin tray he was trying to hold away from Sirius, giving the man a glare.

"You dare assault my blueberry muffins in their own home!" Tony gave him his most murderous scowl.

"Dad! No!"

Peter was shouting as he melted into Tony's arms, Harry was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach, and Rhodey grinned ear to ear. Scowling right back, Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, while the stranger looked at all of them with a bemused smile.

"You abandoned them!" Sirius accused, shooting Harry a grin as he reached for the tray.

Peter had wrapped his arms and legs around Tony as his arm around Peter's waist anchored him, thrusting the muffins behind him. "Harry said I couldn’t eat them until they were graded!"

"I'd give him an A+." the man at the kitchen island interjected softly, taking another bite of his muffin.

"Hey!" Tony stepped forward and lifted Peter up to sit on the island, still holding the muffins behind him. "Blasphemy! Harry, the handsome stranger has even gotten a muffin before I have! I thought you loved me!"

"Then eat one, Dad, you have the whole tin of them!" Harry wiped his eyes as Sirius grinned at him. "And give Uncle Rhodey one before you eat them all, please!"

Tony brought the tray of muffins around to cradle them protectively against his chest. He plucked a muffin from the center of the tray and took a large bite. He kept his moan of appreciation just this side of appropriate, watching the man at the island out of the corner of his eye. The man sounded American, his features seemed familiar, and Tony had to agree with his son in that something about the man called out to him. Harry rolled his eyes at his antics and came around into the kitchen, going to the bread dough which had been rising on the counter.

Peter squirmed to get down and Tony lifted him with a kiss to the top of his hair. A part of him was thrilled every time either of his sons called him Dad. Finishing off his first muffin, Tony took another, before pushing the tray towards the stranger.

"I suppose I should be a gracious host; would you like another?" Tony smiled. "I'm Tony, by the way."

The man was already reaching for a muffin. "I'm Steve."

Rhodey appeared next to Tony, setting a cup of coffee down beside his elbow, before sliding one over toward Steve. "And I'm Rhodes or Rhodey, as this disaster calls me."

"What's a gorgeous guy like you doing, getting mixed up with super-secret spy organizations?"

"Stop flirting with the man, Tones, or I'll tell Pepper," Rhodey remarked, taking another bite of his own muffin.

"Don't be a party-pooper, Sour Patch!"

Looking amused at the banter, Steve swallowed. "I'm not really sure where to start, sir."

"Let me, then," Sirius sat beside him, a cup of tea in his hand.

Tony nodded, distracted for a moment by Harry, as he began rolling out the dough on the kitchen counter.

Sirius described the spells he'd cast so no non-magical could see the boys or the grassy area they were playing. He admitted to including the bench in the spells, so he had a place to sit when he came back from the coffee shop. Peter and Harry took turns relating what happened while they were playing and how the ball had rolled into Mr. Steve's ankle. He also relayed what JARVIS had told him about the phone the man carried.

"JARVIS?" Tony questioned the AI.

"Both transmittal frequencies are known to belong to SHIELD."

"That's Mr. Tony's AI, Mr. Steve," Peter chirped. "Like an electronic assistant."

"Thank you, Peter," Steve said as he smiled.

Taking a deep breath, Tony addressed the man. "Were you aware you were under surveillance?"

"I hadn't even thought of it, actually, er, Tony." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Any more than I'd suspected to be drawn toward a hidden magical area."

"But you know you had magic?" Rhodey asked quietly.

Steve laughed. "I'm not sure how magical I am, my ma had been a witch, but I didn't have magic when I was a kid—"

"Steve," Sirius said softly as he stepped forward, and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You mentioned to the boys that you had recently woke-up—"

"Cryostasis," Peter supplied, working on rolling out his own ball of dough.

Frowning, Tony could feel his mind trying to put together the fragments of information he was hearing. The man was very familiar and while he wasn't as sensitive to magic as Harry was, but he agreed there was an aura around this man. And there was something the man wasn't telling them, even though Tony didn't feel there was any danger to them. Tony knew Sirius had his wand already in hand and JARVIS had several ways to eliminate any threat to them.

Tony couldn't help but wonder if their magic itself was pulling them together.

Chapter Text

"Well, I don't know exactly what cryostasis is, but I know I was frozen in ice for sixty-six years." Steve looked up to make eye contact with Tony and blew out a breath. "This SHIELD found me, and, I guess, thawed me out. I woke up in a room which looked like it was from the 1940s, but the woman who came in to check on me wasn't any WAC I had ever met. I ran, at first, until their director stopped me and told me the date."

"Tall guy, really likes his leather trench coat?" Tony guessed, his head starting to hurt as his thoughts swirled.

"A pirate-looking guy with an eyepatch?" Harry threw out, smirking.

That prompted a grin from Steve. "That's the one, Harry." He looked back at Tony. "They took me to a small apartment in Brooklyn, gave me a phone, a computer, and told me I needed to acclimate to the time." The man shook his head. "I had to ask one of the agents to show me how the phone and computer turned on."

"Idiots," Rhodey muttered. "You'd have been better off with a library card, at least you could catch up in a way that was comfortable for you."

Nodding, Steve sighed. "There were little movies on the phone and computer about some of the people I left behind and some I needed to learn about in this era. I made a point of asking for paper files – that didn't go over well."

"Little movies?" Peter asked, having finished with his dough and washed his hands. "Like video clips?"

"Maybe?" Steve didn't sound like he knew the term. "I just know the walls were starting to close in on me in that little apartment today. I have to admit to being cautious, so I slipped out onto the fire escape, going up to the roof and went down the opposite side. I walked for hours, until I felt the magic in that park."

"With SHIELD tracking you all the way," Tony could feel the frown crease his forehead. "They won't give up trying to locate you, if you chose to disappear."

"I don't doubt it."

"Dad?"

Harry leaned against his side and Tony wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "What are you thinking, munchkin."

Steve grinned. "I know what a munchkin is!"

Tony snorted as everyone else stared at the man. "Go ahead, son."

"Why would Director Fury treat Mr. Steve that way, especially if he has magic?" Harry wanted to know. "When I found you, he seemed like he really wanted to help."

"Fury always has an agenda, Harry," Rhodey stated, a bitter edge to his voice.

"Mr. Steve?"

Tony looked over to see Peter standing beside Steve, a pensive look on the boy's face. "Yes, Peter?"

"Why did you look so sad when you sat on the bench today?"

Steve's right hand tightened on his cup and the other ruffled Peter's hair. "It's been almost ten days and I feel like I'm lost with nowhere to go. I've walked the streets, trying to find anything familiar and mostly failed, like walking in circles. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself."

"How many times did you want to rip your shirt off and throw it over one of the young ladies who seem very undressed?" Sirius asked him quietly, his face solemn for once.

Tony watched as Steve blushed hard, his left hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. His own mind was still shifting through information and photos, trying to put the pieces together.

"I have to admit the clothing fashions are very different from the 30s and 40s."

Suddenly, everything clicked and Tony felt like he'd been center punched, right in his arch reactor. His knees threatened to give way and Tony more fell, than sat, on the closest stool, as he stared at Steve Rogers, Howard's friend.

"Dad!" Harry grabbed his hand and pressed his palm into his own chest. "What's the matter?"

"You're Steve Rogers," Tony said definitively, clinging to Harry's hand as he heard Rhodey gasp.

Steve tilted his head, and Tony can see the defensiveness in his eyes. "I am."

Conflicting emotions swamped him and Tony wasn't sure which end was up. This was the man his father had devoted so much of Tony's childhood searching for, and failing. Yet, in the end Howard had been correct: Captain America was still alive. The hero Tony had looked up to as a boy, but who was also the bigger than life hero who Tony could never live up to. As a teenager, Tony had hated him as much as he admired him.

Now, after the information in Howard's letter and the files they were working through, Tony didn't know how to feel. His father had explained why he looked so hard for Rogers and described how the serum had activated the man's magic, augmented the serum, and allowed him to use the shield as a focus. Tony drew a deep breath; if they could get Rogers to trust them instead of SHIELD, he could be a powerful ally.

"I can't believe that Howard was actually right," Tony commented, his breath still shallow.

"I'm sorry?" Steve stared at Tony; his expression confused.

Tony sat up straight. He knew this introduction was critical and he needed to not revert to the sarcastic, arrogant persona he took on when he was knocked for a loop. "My father, Howard Stark, spent my childhood searching for you. He believed the Super Soldier Serum would have been strong enough to put you into suspended animation when you crashed the Valkyrie. I guess he was right."

"You're Tony Stark?" Steve exclaimed, an incredulous tone to his voice.

Feeling his anger well up at the perceived insult, Tony opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort, but Harry spoke first.

"Let me guess, a video – one of the little movies SHIELD put on your computer was the one where Dad was drunk in the Iron Man suit at his birthday party a couple years ago," his son's voice was at a conversational level, but Tony could hear the hard edge. "When he was literally dying and thought it was the last birthday he'd ever celebrate."

"When his best friend, me," Rhodey's voice was more sad than angry, "had my head so far up my own ass, that I never recognized the signs of the heavy metal poisoning Tony was exhibiting."

"No! I mean, yes, but I didn't mean—"

"Did SHIELD also show how they injected him with an unknown substance and threatened him?" Pepper's voice cut Steve off, the click-clack of her stiletto heels punctuating her words. "And we won't mention Tony's asshole of a father, who always compared Tony to the great Captain America as the standard for being an acceptable son."

Steve was on his feel, hands extended palms up. "Yes, that was one of the little movies, Harry, but no, that wasn't what I was thinking!" The man to a step towards Tony, his hand extended. "And while the Howard Stark I knew could be an arrogant, irritating man, he was also my friend. I'm delighted to meet you, Mr. Stark."

There was a sincerity to Steve's words which propelled Tony to his feet and they shook hands. It seemed rather anticlimactic to Tony, who knew if they had met under any other circumstances, he would have taken an antagonistic attitude towards the man, even though Steve Rogers had no part in what Howard had used him for. Little Tony Stark, unworthy of his own father's attentions, had fantasized about winning Captain America's friendship, only to have Howard debunk him harshly of the idea. Steve's grip was firm, his hand warm, and Tony could feel the familiarity Harry had mentioned.

Withdrawing his hand, Steve slid both hands behind his back in a position Tony recognized as parade rest. "I'm hoping to get to know you and your family, Mr. Stark, without being saddled by the past."

Tony nodded. "I'd like that, Capsicle, but please, call me Tony."

Steve looked confused. "Capsicle?"

It was Harry who answered. "Like a popsicle, a sweet icy treat, Mr. Steve, which I think means Dad likes you."

Tony grinned, not correcting his son's assumption – icicle, popsicle, whatever.

Proper introductions were made and everyone stood around chatting as Harry put the cinnamon rolls he was making in the oven. Tony set another pot of coffee to brew, pulled out bottles of water, and a couple cans of the soda he knew Harry and Peter liked. Pouring a cup for each of the adults, Tony stood beside Pepper's stool as the group listened to Steve Rogers describe the differences between the 1940s and the world he'd woke up in.

"—everything seems either too sweet or too salty, especially those conveniently packaged dinners SHIELD provided."

"Don't try any of the canned soups, then," Pepper told him, blowing across her coffee. "They all seem to have way too much salt in them."

"And the breakfast cereal," Peter chirped. "Aunt May says it's like eating candy."

"I would image there are a lot of differences, subtle to most no-majs, but as a wizard who hasn't been in this world for many years, they jump out," Sirius mused.

"Yes, exactly!" Steve wrapped his hands around his coffee cup. "The fashions, the social niceties, and the different nuances in speech are enough to drive you crazy. I went into a coffee shop the other day and tried to order a cup, only to be asked if I wanted a 'vente' and I said, no, just a regular. Then the boy, I think it was a boy, said 'cool'—"

"And you answered,' no, hot'!" Peter slapped his palm against his forehead with a snort. "I'm sorry, Mr. Steve, I'm not laughing at you, really."

"You'll have to spend some time around the boys, Steve. I'm sure they can get you used to the current slang." Rhodey grinned widely.

"There are several, more serious, items we need to talk about, in order to give you the big picture." Tony waited until Harry was standing beside him, and set his hand on his son's shoulder. "JARVIS, Protocol Absolute Silence and Eyes-Only."

Harry was startled when his dad locked down the penthouse and met his steady gaze. Uncle Ben and Peter had been brought into their secret group, bringing them up to date on what they knew, including the fact that Tony had a security crew watching over the family. There was no discussion concerning the serum, as Peter was a healthy eleven-year-old and, if the time came, they weren't sure how it would affect his unusual DNA situation. Tony had told Ben about HYDRA, Dumbledore, and Voldemort, wanting him to know about the potential threats they faced.

"Maybe we should get comfortable," Pepper took Peter's hand and walked over to the long couch Harry had sat on the night he met his dad.

Harry followed behind, having stopped to take his rolls from the oven, sitting on Tony's left, with Pepper and Peter on his right side. Sirius and Mr. Steve sat on the small couch facing them and Uncle Rhodey dropped into the single armchair. The atmosphere was tense and Harry could feel the spike of tension in his dad through the bond. Reaching over, Harry took his dad's hand as he drew in a deep breath and blew it out.

"Captain Rogers—Steve, since my son was returned to me at the end of June, we have discovered several very sensitive secrets surrounding both he and my father. Your name appears prominently in them and I would feel better if you were aware of these revelations. Everyone within our advisory group is either family to us or has taken a vow of secrecy."

Harry saw Mr. Steve's jaw tighten, the muscle beside it jumping as his dad spoke.

"Captain," Uncle Rhodey addressed him quietly. "These secrets are compatible with and would fall under the oath you took upon entering the Army, as well as the one you made when you were accepted for Project Rebirth."

Mr. Steve sat up straight and gave a sharp nod.

"All right," Tony began, "do you remember the vault you and Dad opened in London during the war?"

Harry watched as Mr. Steve's forehead scrunched up in a frown, like he was searching his mind for the memory of his vault. "Oh, yes, I remember it now."

"Good – know that no matter what you decide to do from here on out, I believe you have money in that vault which can help you." Tony ran his free hand over his face. "The day after Harry found me, we went to Gringotts bank here in New York, and there we discovered Howard had opened his own vault when he went with you in London and transferred it to New York when the war was won. In that vault, we discovered a number of files on many of the things he was working on, the people he cared about, as well as what he saw as troublesome behavior he witnessed. He also left me a letter to explain what his concerns were. One of the issues which troubled my dad from the end of the war, was the recruitment of top HYDRA and Nazi scientists into many of the different United States scientific agencies."

"What?" Mr. Steve's frown was back.

"Remember Zola?"

Mr. Steve was on his feet, his hands balled into fists. "He was the bastard who experimented on Bucky and the 107th!"

Sirius put his hand on Steve's arm, coaxing him back into his seat.

Tony leaned forward. "I have no problem letting you read Howard's letter, especially as it's where he lines out his suspicions that SHIELD, which took the place of the SSR, was sheltering HYDRA. Before we get into that, I do think we need to head to Gringotts right now and get a heritage test done on you, Peter, and I."

"Sir, Officer Parker has given his consent to having Master Peter's test done. He'll come by to collect him later this evening." JARVIS announced.

"Thanks, J."

"Can I ask what this test is you are talking about, uh, Tony?" Steve inquired.

Harry looked at his dad and stood up. "I have mine in my room."

"I got it, pup." Sirius flicked his wand.

"I swear you do that to just make me feel inferior," Tony mumbled and Harry grinned as he patted the man's hand.

"Find more time for magic lessons, Tony," Sirius gave him a wink. "And getting a wand would help."

A piece of parchment flew into the room and Sirius caught it, before passing it to Steve. "This is Harry's heritage test which the Gringotts goblins did last year, and it helped him locate his living father."

Steve gingerly took the parchment and Harry leaned forward, feeling anxious as he watched Steve read the document. The man's jaw dropped almost immediately and his head snapped up, eyes pinning Tony.

"Harry has two fathers? Is that legal now?" Steve's voice sounded hoarse.

Tony gave him a saucy wink. "Of course, handsome! James and I—"

"Tony, don't flirt with the poor man." Pepper gently smacked the side of his dad's head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Steve, Dad just doesn't seem to be able to help himself," Harry gave Steve a smile, ignoring Rhodey and Sirius' snickers. "And yes, two men together, or two women being together, is absolutely acceptable these days. Wizards getting pregnant is a bit rarer, but apparently, Dad's ambient magic along with my father's rather strong magic was sufficient for James to become pregnant."

"And on that note," Pepper interjected. "You all better get going now."

Tony waved to Ben, who was standing at the entrance to the pawn shop on Broadway, stepping back as Peter charged towards him. Grinning, Tony led Harry, Steve, and Sirius in to the shop with the Parkers bringing up the rear. Rhodey had decided to stay in the penthouse and start reading through the file they had already retrieved on Steve Rogers. Tony was thankful for his best friend, as they didn't know what was in the file and it was best to know before they handed the file to Steve. While Howard was his friend, Tony wouldn't put it past Howard to have save all the negative, as well as the positive reports in the file.

He let the others pass by him as they entered Gringotts lobby, Harry hanging back to walk beside him.

"Are you okay, Dad?" his son asked him quietly.

Putting his arm around Harry's shoulder's, Tony reevaluated his thoughts for a moment. "Seems like this summer has been a string of earthshattering revelation, doesn't it?"

Harry looped his arm around Tony's waist. "And all of them dumped into your lap in rapid succession. I know with the bombshells I found last summer, I felt like I was off kilter for a while, just needed time to get used to it."

Tony could appreciate that, feeling a bit off kilter himself. "I just want to get all the facts and other details, so we know what we are facing and decide how to deal with it." He squeezed Harry's shoulder. "You okay if I put the Capsicle up in the Tower? I don't like the idea of him being at SHIELD's mercy and, worse, feeling in debt to them."

Harry nodded but didn't answer as Sirius stopped at the head teller's desk and Ironfang appeared to greet them. For once, Tony sat quietly in one of the chairs in front of the goblin's desk, observing as Sirius spoke for the group. He remembered from Harry description that it would take seven drops of blood and about an hour for the tests to be completed. Watching the others until it was his turn, Tony followed the instructions Ironfang gave them to the letter. As Ironfang added a pinch of white power into the shallow bowl with each of their blood, and then the contents from a small vial, Tony found himself mesmerized. Magic fascinated him, making him want to explore all the aspects of it, and how he could apply it to mundane technology.

"Now, as is usual for this type of test, there are healers waiting in make sure each of you is healthy and free of any charms, binds, or compulsions." Ironfang told them after he'd poured Tony's bowl over the glittering parchment.

"You'll be fine, Dad," Harry told him as Tony followed the goblin healer into a smaller room.

The walls were white and the small room well-lit as he laid down on the padded bench the healer indicated. While they had already confirmed that his arc reactor was impervious to magic, Tony was uncharacteristically nervous as the healer used his hands to sweep down his prone body, before returning to his chest. It felt like his rib cage heated for a moment before the heat sunk into his lung cavity. Another wave of the healer's hand and a tingle started at the top of his head and traveled down to his feet.

The healer signaled him to sit up and thrust a vial into his hand. "Drink."

Tony eyed the vial for an instant before he threw it back, deciding Harry was right, potions were vile. He was escorted back to Ironfang's office, where everyone but Steve waited for them. Ironfang stepped out for a conversation with the healer as Tony assured the boys that he was all right.

"Tony, are you comfortable with hearing the results of your examination?" Ironfang asked.

"They're all family, go ahead," Tony told them, sitting in-between Harry and Peter.

"The healer was able to repair damage you sustained from the palatium poisoning you endured several years ago, as well as strengthen your lungs and ribcage."

"Thank you," Tony said sincerely and Ironfang gave him a nod.

Ironfang continued. "And Pete was fine, other than a slight weakness in his lungs, which was strengthen—"

The door opening cut the goblin off as a different healer brought Steve Rogers back into the office, Ironfang slipping into the corridor to speak with them.

Steve slumped into the chair between Sirius and Harry. "Ugh! I forgot how awful potions tasted!"

"Simply a general health potion to enhance your immune system," Ironfang advised him, returning to his desk.

"Is that what those were?" Tony still had the aftertaste in his mouth.

Ironfang shot him with a look which Tony interpreted as man-up, human! and grinned. Their account manager tapped the top of his desk with this forefinger and the three parchments shimmered in to view. Ironfang gave them a nod and Tony leaned forward to pick it up.

- Heritage Test – Certified by Ironfang, Senior Account Manager, Stark Family Vaults –

Anthony (Tony) Edward Stark
Born: 29 May 1970
Mother: Maria Isabel Carbonell Stark (deceased) Squib
Father: Howard Walter Stark (deceased) Squib
Children: Harrison James Potter-Stark (Sired) Fullblood
Peter Benjamin Parker (Blood Ritual) Half-blood
Godmother: Margaret (Peggy) Carter Sousa, Half-blood

Tony stared at the parchment, looking at the assets he had in his various vaults, ancient titles, and properties he owned. He wasn’t surprised that there were no other close relatives, both his mother and Howard had been only children. His paternal grandfather had had siblings, but Tony had no idea what had happened to them.

"Ironfang?" Tony looked up as Harry leaked against him to peer at his results. "Is there a way to check family history in more detail?"

The goblin nodded. "There is a specialty potion which you could commission which would give you family connections back ten generations."

"Would you be able to facilitate the commission and testing for at least six doses, please?" Tony was intrigued by the possibility of seeing who his ancestors were.

A gasp from Steve drew Tony's attention and he looked across Harry to where Steve sat, his hands trembling as he held the parchment Ironfang had given him. Draping his arm around Harry, Tony leaned toward the man.

"Steve? You okay?"

Without looking up, Steve tilted the paper toward Tony, who felt his own eyes widening as he read the parchment.

- Heritage Test – Certified by Ironfang, Senior Account Manager, Rogers/O'Brien vaults –

Steven (Steve) Grant Rogers
Born: 4 July 1918
Mother: Sarah Theresa O'Brien Rogers (deceased) Half-blood
Father: Joseph Sean Rogers (deceased) Nonmagical
Children: Peter Benjamin Parker (Blood Ritual) Half-blood
Blood-Bond: James Buchanan Barnes, (stasis) Half-blood

Vaults: Rogers Vault - Gringotts London #704
O'Brien Vault – Gringotts New York #343

"A blood-bond?" Steve asked Ironfang, his voice rough.

The goblin blinked once. "Did you every purposely mingle your blood with Mr. Barnes' blood, Captain?"

As Tony watched his father’s friend, the frown creasing the man’s forehead deepened as he appeared to concentrate on the question. He knew Bucky Barnes had been Steve Rogers' best friend since they were small children, with legend saying Steve was a punk who was always getting into fights, which Bucky had to drag his ass out of. There were stories of Bucky taking care of Steve, who was a sickly, asthmatic kid including taking Steve in after his mother had died. Less well known were the rumors that the two had been more than friends, rumors which in the 1930s and 1940s could have gotten them arrested, if not killed.,

"When Bucky and I were around ten or eleven, we cut the palms of our right hands and pressed them together, declaring ourselves blood brothers," Steve admitted softly. "Would that have been enough to bond us?"

"Yes," Ironfang answered promptly. "Especially as your Bucky was magical."

"Mr. Ironfang, what does stasis mean?" Harry asked before Tony could.

"It generally means the individual is in a potion induced sleep," Ironfang told them, "and, yes, there are several different ways mundanes have discovered which puts the body in what they call 'suspended animation'."

"Like I was when I was frozen in the ice." Steve offered, running a fingertip over his friend’s name on the parchment.

"So, your friend may still be alive, Mr. Steve!" Harry announced excitedly.

Tony thought the smile Steve gave his son was more a grimace and he could see the pain behind it. "We’ll add looking for Barnes on to our to do list, Steve."

"Dad?" Peter’s voice was a bit breathless. "Look at this!"

Tony leaned the other direction and put his other arm around Peter’s shoulders, looking at the parchment he held up for him to see.

- Heritage Test – Certified by Ironfang, Senior Account Manager, Stark and O'Brien/Rogers Family Vaults –

Peter Benjamin Parker
Born: 10 August 2001
Mother: Mary Elizabeth Clark Parker (deceased) Squib
Father: Richard James Parker (deceased) Nonmagical
Anthony Edward Stark (Blood Ritual) Fullblood
Steven Grant Rogers (Blood Ritual) Half-blood
Sibling: Harrison (Harry) James Potter Stark Fullblood
Uncle: Benjamin John Parker Nonmagical
Aunt: Maybelle Marie Costa Parker Nonmagical

"Bloody hell!" Harry breathed. "How is Mr. Steve your dad, too?"

"What!" Steve looked at Peter, eyes wide, his eyes going back to his own parchment before widening.

"Genetic manipulation," Tony grounded out, holding out his hand to Peter, who handed the parchment to him. Taking the test, Tony held it in a way that Steve could see it as well.

"And before you go into heart palpitations, this is not as surprising as it sounds," Tony explained quietly. "Howard wrote that he was concerned SSR had taken various DNA – blood samples from you and the Howling Commandos who were experimented on." Tony shook his head. "He even thought they might have his, too."

"All of this is enlightening, but it doesn't explain why both Harry, Tony, and I feel your magic is connected to ours." Sirius looked to Ironfang. "How soon will the ancestral potion be ready?"

"It takes a full moon cycle to brew, so it should be done in just over a month." Ironfang made a notation on a slip of parchment, which then disappeared in a sparkle of gold.

"Ironfang, will you please set up a trust vault for Peter? The same parameters as the vault we set up for Harry." Tony handed Peter's test back to him and shot Ben a look, who gave him a nod of permission with a sigh.

"Well," Sirius announced as he stood up and looked around. "It sounds like we'll need to take a trip to London."

Tony pushed himself to his feet, folding his parchment and sliding it into his jacket. The others followed suit and headed for the door as Tony paused to sign the parchment Ironfang pushed across his desk. A quick overview showed it was the authorization to create Peter's trust vault and a second signature to pay for the ancestorial potion. Quickly signing them, Tony exchanged goodbyes with Ironfang, before heading toward the front of the bank.

His mind swirled with the new facts they had learned and began to processing them. Peter's parentage hadn't really surprised him; Richard Parker had somehow obtained his DNA material and may not have even known who the other contributor was. If SHIELD had been as infiltrated by HYDRA as they were beginning to believe, there could be individuals with virtual cocktails of different DNA. That might be something he needed to have JARVIS start searching, for when they hacked into SHIELD's servers.

Tony was very glad there had been no additional offspring on his test.

James Barnes needed to be added to their priority list as it looked like he was alive somewhere. Tony couldn't help but wonder who had found the solider after he fell from Zola's train in the Alps. It didn't make any sense that he would've been frozen in the ice like Steve had been; despite the temperatures in those mountains, they did thaw out in the summer. Even if Barnes had gotten the version of the Super Solider Serum Zola was working on, as suggested by his report after Steve had freed the 107th, had that been enough to have made him as durable as Steve?

Harry was waiting for door of the pawn shop. "Sirius Apparated Steve back to the Tower, so Ben and Peter are riding with us."

"Sounds good, son," Tony slug his arm around Harry's shoulders. "What else is on your mind?"

Looking around surreptitiously, Harry leaned into his side and whispered. "I think Steve's magic feels so familiar due to the serum."

"Interesting thought." Tony steered him towards where Happy had pulled up the car. "Also interesting to think he was like me, had a magical core but no evident magic."

"And now, magic recognizes both of you as Half-bloods." Harry gave him a sideways look. "And, apparently, Aunt May is waiting at the Tower."

Tony snorted. "Then we’d better not keep her waiting, should we, Tesoro."

The meeting with Peter’s aunt turned out to be anticlimactic. She and Pepper were waiting in the penthouse with glasses of red wine, both looking up when Harry and Peter darted out of the elevator. They pulled up short when they saw the two women standing at the floor to ceiling windows and Harry could feel Peter squeeze his hand before he let go.

"Aunt May!" Peter wrapped his arms around his aunt’s waist and gave her a hug. "I missed you! Was work hard today? Were there a lot of patients? Did you—"

"Peter," His aunt interrupted him. "Why don’t you introduce this young man who looks so much like you."

"OH!" Peter exclaimed and grabbed Harry’s hand, pulling him closer. "Aunt May, this is my half-brother, Harrison!"

Warmth flooded Harry’s chest at Peter’s proud grin and the way he bounced on his toes. Harry tugged his hand back from Peter and gave Aunt May a short bow as he extended it towards her. "Delighted to meet you, Mrs. Parker."

His dad stepped up beside him, hand extended. "Mrs. Parker, thank you for coming."

Harry held his breath as he watched the woman eye Tony before finally taking his hand. His dad turned their hands over to kiss her knuckles before he straightened up and let go.

"Your radiance enhances the whole room," Tony said graciously, ignoring Pepper's snort.

"Smooth, Tony." Uncle Ben stepped up beside him. "Really smooth."

"Let's all sit down," Pepper led the way to the sitting area. "What did you find out at the bank?"

Harry and Peter trailed behind, sitting next to Tony on the long couch with Pepper. Ben and May sat on the small couch across from them. Tony retrieved his heritage tests from his inside pocket and leaned forward. Peter following his example.

"Mrs. Parker, do you believe in magic?" Tony was dead serious.

Mrs. Parker gave him what Harry thought was a 'duh' look. "Call me May and you can't have worked in an emergency room for as long as I have and not seen things which can only be explained by divine intervention or magic, Mr. Stark!"

"Tony, please," his dad answered, pushing Peter's test across the coffee table to her. "JARVIS, is Steve on his way up?"

"I'm here."

Steve Rogers voice came from behind the them, startling both Harry and Peter, as they jumped together. Craning his head, Harry could see both Uncle Steve and Sirius walking from the direction of the stairs. Each man gave May a wave when Tony introduced them and Harry covered his mouth to hide a smile when May's eyes grew wide.

"Steve has accepted our invitation to move into his own floor in the Tower, so he can acclimate to this century, safely, and without being pressured. Sirius also lives here now and has agreed to be our chief magic tutor."

Looking over Peter's test, May shook her head and turned toward her husband. "Did Richard ever give you a hint about any of this?"

"No, I can't help but wonder how he ever got something like this into his head or how he thought it was acceptable to do. I realize I wasn't home during his teenage years, being ten years older, but this just doesn't seem like the Richard I remember."

"If HYDRA indoctrinated him, Ben, he probably wasn't anything like the brother you grew up with," Steve informed him quietly. "They were insidious with the techniques they used to brainwash people and convince them to believe in their cause."

"And it does raise the question of whether HYDRA actually kept track of Richard's research projects," Tony added. "Especially anything to do with genetic manipulation or the Super Soldier Serum."

Harry felt the apprehension in Tony as he watched all the adults faces pale. A sudden thought occurred to him and he turned around to look at Uncle Steve.

"Uncle Steve, you talked about working with wizards during the war?"

"Yes, we – the Howling Commandos and I – were fighting against the Nazis and HYDRA, who were building weapons from the Tesseract. There were, uh, Dark wizards, I think, fighting with them."

"The forerunners of the Death Eaters," Sirius supplied. "The group of Dark wizards that supported the Dark lord who killed Harry's other parents."

"And me, again this year." Harry grumbled. "I hope he doesn't continue to target me."

Tony looped an arm around Harry and half dragged him into his lap. "May, Pepper and I have talked about it, and we'd like to offer you and Ben one of the residential floors in the Tower as well." He held up a hand to forestall the argument Harry was sure Peter's aunt was going to start. "We will work with you to provide anything you need, you can pay rent equivalent to your current apartment, and we will provide you with a car and driver. Or, you can apply for a position within the medical wing we are opening up here in the Tower for SI."

May sat back and Harry knew she was picking up the sincerity in his dad's voice.

"Aunt May?" Peter slid off the couch and padded over to where his aunt and uncle were sitting. "With both Mr. Tony and Mr. Steve having contributed genetic material to my DNA, I kinda feel like they are my dads. If we lived here, it would be easier to see them and be a part of their families."

Harry would have to practice those soulful eyes Peter had aimed at every adult in the room, they were something else. "And Dad's AI JARVIS controls the Tower, so only you would be able to give people permission to be on your floor."

"And school is closer."

"The hospital is just across the river," Ben chimed in.

Pepper lifted her wine glass. "And while I'd love another woman in this testosterone heavy Tower, you boys shouldn't try to guilt your aunt into making a decision."

May Parker smiled at Pepper and raised her glass in a silent salute. "I'm glad to know your feelings on whether we should move or not, gentlemen," she tsked at them. "I would really like to know more about this medical wing, Tony."

Tony's face lit up and he slid Harry back onto the couch, before launching a holographic screen over the coffee table. "One half of the 68th floor will be our in-house daycare and nursery school; the other half will be an urgent care type medical facility. On the 69th floor, we have full exam rooms for our doctors, three fully equipped trauma rooms, and a full operating suite, plus four standard patient rooms."

May blinked. "That sounds excessive."

Pepper laughed. "Tony hates hospitals and would refuse to go to one if he was bleeding out. With becoming Iron Man, I agreed with him that having a fully equipped medical wing is necessary." She smiled at May. "I'll email you an application, we're interviewing for nursing positions in the next few days."

"With ten floors of R&D, it's probably good idea," Tony told them, a little defensive. "I'm not the only one who gets hurt!"

"What time frame are we talking about to move in?" Ben asked, grinning at Peter.

"Tomorrow!" Peter yelled.

"We don't want to be disruptive."

"It's no problem and if we have the goblins take care of the move, they can have it done in a couple hours." Tony waved off her concern. "We are going to connect up the arc reactor to power the building day after tomorrow, then I promised the boys a quick trip to London to help Steve with his vault there, and then we have the grand opening of the building just before the kiddos go back to school."

Harry stood up from the couch, signaling Peter to follow him into the kitchen. The adults were discussing the details of the Parkers move and they had cinnamon rolls to put icing on. Theirs might not be a traditional family, but he thought it would work out just fine.

Chapter Text

Tony grinned as he secured the coupler, activated it, and closed the casing around the thick cable array under the New York harbor. He watched the bright blue light curl around the heavy-duty power lines with satisfaction.

Mission accomplished.

Shooting up towards the surface, Tony felt warmth in his chest and grinned. The past several days had been crammed full of tasks to accomplish and all of them were tired. The Parkers had moved into their own floor of the Tower with a minimum of fuss, thanks the goblins. Peter had been beyond excited, and Harry wore a perpetual grin as he helped his brother set up bedrooms both on the penthouse and the Parkers’ floor. The two were enthusiastic at JARVIS’ suggestion they do their decorating online with his assistance.

Steve Rogers had been taken into their confidence during the planning of meeting with the group while the Parkers were being moved. Tony had held his snort of amusement when Steve had been introduced to Ironjaw, although he’d been properly respectful, which pleased Tony. As it was a weekday morning, the meeting had been held in Tony’s private conference room adjacent to his main workshop. There were a number of SI employees who had access to various floors and had everyone not Apparating come up his personal elevator to the lab floor. Prior to everyone arriving, Tony and Harry had taken Steve to into the lab, where Steve had been allowed to read Howard’s letter. Only Tony, Rhodey, Pepper, Ironjaw, and Ian had been given that privilege.

The man Tony had been prepared to hate, had read the letter with a mixture of disbelief and incredulous; looking up several times to give Tony an almost apologetic grimace. While they had put the Serum folder back in the vault, the file Howard had kept on Steve was offered to him to read. Tony wasn’t surprised when Steve had the file as he walked into the conference room. Rhodey sat on his right, giving him a nod as Tony began the meeting.

“Thank you, everyone, for attending on such short notice.” Tony looked around the table. “The arrival of Steve Rogers yesterday afternoon was a surprise, but a welcome one. Harry, will you tell everyone about it.”

Harry had quickly and effectively described what had happened at the park and Steve added what he remembered about being found in the Valkyrie. Rhodey gave an overview of the information he’d gleaned out of Howard’s folder on Captain America, leaving any personal details out as much as he could. It was with mutual agreement he gave the gathering the details about Peter’s paternity and what that could mean for them. Tony had appreciated the discussion afterward and the insight from the others, especially Mariah and Kingsley, who were able to look at the situation logically. Steve brought up the possibility that his best friend, Bucky Barnes, had been captured after his fall from the train and by which side. He’d know his friend had been experimented on by HYDRA, Armin Zola specifically, and couldn’t help but wonder if his DNA had also been used to create the superior children both HYDRA and the Nazis had wanted.

Tony shook his head to clear it, as he broke the surface of the water and streaked up into the sky. The two Aurors were going to work with Rhodey on locating Barnes, while Steve had asked yesterday that the goblins silently move everything out of his apartment which actually belonged to him. He’d gone back late this afternoon to make an appearance at the gym, before returning to the Tower. Steve then begun to distance himself from SHIELD, as he and Rhodey had already sought out the assistance of their military committee on adding Steve to the team.

Harry and Pepper were at the Tower and Tony gave them the word to throw the switch. As the building lit up, floor by floor, Tony felt more and more accomplished, pleased with the echo of pride he felt from Harry. They had done it! The arc reactor was a self-sustaining, non-polluting energy source which could generate power for decades with little or no maintenance. It would revolutionize the world and Tony couldn’t wait to see what the miniature version could power.

They all could have done without Agent Agent appearing to interrupt their celebration!

Harry waved his father off with a feeling of trepidation, knowing he was headed to Germany where there had been a sighting of Loki. He'd helped his dad read through the information Agent Coulson had left on Astrophysics, something Harry hadn't even know had existed before. His Astronomy class came in handy when they looked at the pictures of the solar system, trying to locate where Asgard was. When Harry had done his own reading of magical mythology, the Hogwarts' library had a whole section on the Norse Gods, Thor and Loki, and Harry had relayed what he remembered about Loki's particular kind of magic. While he didn't remember any particular mind control type magic, Harry relayed to his dad Loki's ability to project images of himself and teleport.

With a sigh, Harry made his way to the kitchen, where he began to gather the ingredients for a fry-up. Sirius was down in the sub-basement, finishing a protective rune array on several key components to JARVIS' servers. Everyone had been furious when they heard about SHIELD compromising JARVIS after Dad came home from Afghanistan – no one wanted a repeat of that. In the future, if JARVIS was attacked, the AI would self-isolate to the lab, only communicating with his father and those in the lab or safe room. Both of which now had runic protection.

Steve had called late last night, confirming the gym had been under surveillance as well, as Director Fury had appeared. He was being transported to the SHIELD base as soon as he could shower and dress, which he would do at the apartment with the clothes he'd brought with him. He had been given incomplete briefing information, profiles of the other Avengers and a slim file on the Tesseract – something Steve was significantly more knowledgeable about, of course. Steve had told then even before rescuing Bucky and the 107th or learning Red Skull was making weapons with it, he had known the energy of the cube had been used to activated Dr. Erskine's Serum before the war. He pointed out the color of the Serum was the same blue as the cube.

The adults had decided that Peter would spend the morning with his aunt, who was getting an orientation at the hospital wing. Harry suspected Peter actually wanted to gawk at the laboratory equipment. Once Aunt May left for her one of her last shifts at the hospital, Peter would join Harry and Sirius in the penthouse. His Uncle Ben was already at work in Queens and wouldn't be home until evening. Peter had been shown how to access the safe room from both entrances and been keyed into the safe guards. Both he and Harry had agreed to have subdermal chips the size of a piece of rice inserted, so they could be found if anything happened. Harry knew Sirius had alerted the Aurors of the situation, as none of them believed SHIELD would; Ironjaw and Ironfang had also been appraised.

If an alien invader could take out an entire secret operations base, no one was safe.

"Harry?"

"In the kitchen, Sirius." Harry pulled the food off the fire, dividing it between three plates.

Sirius sat down at the island and accepted the plate Harry handed him. "Where's Peter?"

"I think he's still with his aunt," Harry told him, before taking a bite.

Nodding, Sirius flexed his arm and extended his wand, casting a warming charm on Peter's plate. They ate in silence, each occupied by their own thoughts. Harry was paying particular to his bond with his father. A spike of anger, anxiety, and then frustration had awoken Harry early that morning, but had emotions had faded. If Harry had to guess, Loki was in custody. He just wished he knew where Dad and Steve were, and what area of the planet was being targeted.

"What did you have planned for the afternoon," Sirius asked, trying to act casual.

Giving him an indulgent smile, Harry managed a small smile as he knew Sirius wasn't going to let him out of his sight. "I thought I would read through more of the files down in the lab until Peter gets here. He was going to give me a lesson and then we are going down to the gym and kick a ball around."

"Well," Sirius appeared to ponder something for a moment, but Harry could see the mischievous look in his eyes. "We could go down to the training room Tony reenforced for us to practice, and go over some of the second-year spells until Pete shows up, maybe even get in some laps around the room on our brooms."

The grin Harry gave him was heart felt, knowing it would take his mind off of his dad. Working together, they made quick work of the dishes and headed down. Putting in the special ear piece Dad had made for him. Harry confirmed he was connected with JARVIS, who was going to take energy readings while they were there. They spent the morning with Sirius demonstrating defensive spells and having Harry practice them, before moving on to offensive magic. MACUSA, thanks to Mariah and Kingsley, had given permission for Harry to be able use magic in the presence of an adult magical, which his dad now qualified as to both their delights.

Surprisingly, Sirius turned out to be a patient instructor, despite his normally impulsive personality. He was quick to praise and took the time to show Harry exactly what was wrong when he'd get a spell wrong. He even showed Harry pranking charms like the Tickling Spell, the Leglocker Curse, and a spell to tie shoelaces together. An eager pupil, Harry was amazed at how easily he learned the hexes and jinxes his godfather was teaching him. Shielding spells he found simple to cast and, with Sirius' coaching, used intent to strengthen them.

It was after lunch time before a spike of anger coming from his father caught him by surprise and Harry actually stumbled as he tried to shield from Sirius' tickling spell. He caught himself, but had to bend over, hands on his thighs for a moment. His godfather was at his side instantly.

"JARVIS, is Dad okay?" Harry started for the elevator

"Yes, young sir, merely a heated discussion," JARVIS answered immediately.

"I wonder where Peter is?" Sirius asked suddenly, as they stepped out into the penthouse. "His breakfast is still here."

"Master Peter left the Tower just after Mrs. Parker, as he needed to retrieve his notes from Mr. Leeds for this afternoon lesson."

His head snapped up and Harry looked at Sirius with wide eyes. They both groaned. Peter was headstrong and stubborn, much like both his fathers, according to Aunt May.

"Merlin, Steve and Tony both are going to kick my arse if anything happens to that kid," Sirius grumbled as he Summoned Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "JARVIS, can you give me a picture of the front of the building Peter is in?"

A picture of an apartment building appeared in the air and Sirius studied it for a moment, before throwing on the cloak.

"Can you please throw together a simple lunch, pup?"

Harry nodded to the disembodied voice before he heard the crack of Apparation. Molving into the kitchen, Harry had grabbed a loaf of bread when an pulse of fear took him to his knees. Pain, anger, and determination came through the bond and Harry took several deep breaths.

"What happened, JARVIS?"

"An incident has occurred on the SHIELD helicarrier, young sir. However, Sir and Captain Rogers are working together to mitigate the situation."

It took Harry fifteen minutes to make a plate full of sandwiches, a tray of carrots and celery sticks, crisps, and the apple crumble Harry had made earlier in the week. He set out everything out on the island and wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The bond had been muted, but Harry could feel a wave a sadness. Whatever was going on, his dad was in the thick of things. Looking up to the sky, Harry offered up a prayer for his newfound father and Uncle Steve to come home safe.

As he watched, Harry frowned as movement on the highest roof of Stark Tower caught his eye. He could see two figures moving around, one with a strange looking staff, and some kind of machine being set up. Stepping back into the shadows, Harry slipped inside.

"JARVIS?"

"I am here, young sir," the AI's voice sounded in his ear, instead of in the room. "Sir is enroute to the Tower now, about fifteen minutes out, however, he believes Loki is also headed to the Tower."

"I think he's already here, JARVIS." Harry whispered, his wand in hand and was headed toward the hallway bathroom. "Where are Sirius and Peter?"

"Young Peter took a fall and was injured, Lord Black was reluctant to teleport him back. They should be at the Tower momentarily."

"Tell them to go to Dad's lab and come up the stair case, I'll have the safe room door open there."

As quickly as he could, Harry went into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He stepped into the shower and impatiently waited for his retina to be scanned. When the lock clicked, Harry opened the door, securing it behind him as he ran down the stairs and over to the room's only other entrance. Unlocking the entrance into the master bedroom walk-in closet, Harry silently stepped into the space and moved toward the stairwell, glancing out the large strategically placed window. Mirrored on the outside, it afforded a view on down to the entrance of the Tower on Park Avenue.

The sound of an explosion from above made Harry jump and he whipped around toward the bank of windows on the far side of the room. Wand steady, Harry silently started for the closed door. He pulling it open slowly.

"Young sir, your father has arrived at the Tower and he is walking inside. However, he wishes you to immediately secure yourself in the safe room as Prince Loki has landed on the penthouse balcony. He carries with him the mind-control specter, which produces the same type of gamma radiation the Tesseract does."

"So, he should be able to withstand it's effects, right?" Harry asked backing away from the still open door.

"I believe so. He asked me to relay to you to help keep your brother safe."

Harry moved toward the lab staircase. "Where are Sirius and Peter now?"

"At the bottom of the staircase, it seems they are both injured."

Harry spun around and ran to the bottom of the stair, He found Peter trying to support Sirius as they struggled on the steps. Grabbing Sirius' other arm, the adrenaline-fueled panic helped him practically carry Sirius up to the door.

"Come on, Pete! We have to hurry!"

The urgency in his voice had Peter quiet as they slipped into the safe room and lowered Sirus on to the bed. Harry ran back to the bedroom door, reassured when he heard his dad's voice, conversational and with an even tone, coming from the living room. Leaving the door ajar, Harry scampered to the closet, where he silently closed the door, before stepping into the safe room, hesitating for just a moment, and then securing it.

He stood for a moment and took a deep breath. This wasn't Hogwarts, where he was supposed to play the little hero and he wasn't an orphan trying to prove himself. Wrestling the urge to sneak back out and go see if his dad needed any help, Harry turned to where Peter was frantically hovering over Sirius, who had passed out.

"Pete? What happened?"

Wide brown eyed looked up at him and Peter's right hand cradled his left arm against his chest, tear tracks visible on his face. "I left my chem notes at Ned's and went to grab them, but no one was home at their apartment, so I was coming back, but I tripped on the front steps and fell." He held his arm, scraped and bruised, out toward Harry. "I think I broke my arm."

Stepping forward, Harry gently took Peter's elbow and guided him over to the couch. "Hold your arm still for me. What happened to Sirius?"

"He didn't want to Apparate me in case my arm was broke, so we came back in a taxi, but right in front of the building, something fell from the roof and a piece of it hit him."

"JARVIS, can you scan Uncle Sirius?"

Getting up, Harry opened a cupboard and grabbed the first aid kit as he waited for the AI to answer, a sharp tug of fear in his chest. Gasping, he doubled over for a moment until it eased. Harry climbed on the bed and gingerly pressed some gauze to the bleeding gash at his godfather's hairline, Harry couldn't help but look up to where he knew one of JARVIS' cameras was with a frown.

"My apologies, young sir, but Sir needed his newest suit rather urgently." JARVIS paused and Harry jumped at the sound of another explosion, which sounded suspiciously like a repulsor blast in the living room. "It does seem Lord Black has sustained a mild concussion."

Nodding absently, Harry eased another pillow under Sirius' head, and worked to clean the blood off of his godfather's face. Peter wandered over and stood beside him, carefully holding his arm still, just as a loud rumble shook the entire building. Harry reached out to steady his brother, as the Tower shook again.

"Please activate the screen, JARVIS, I'd like to see what's going on outside," Harry asked, helping Pete onto the bed, before he lifted the gauze on Sirius' forehead to peak underneath it.

"I am not sure that is a wise idea, Harry."

Harry head shot up; JARVIS hadn't ever called him Harry before. "I need to see what's going on, JARVIS, or I'll have to go take a look myself."

"Your father needs you, both of you, to be safe, young sir," JARVIS said quietly. "He seems to have his hands full at the moment."

Harry and Peter exchanged glances, both as impulsive as Tony, but Harry knew he had to take care of his brother and Sirius.

"We promise to stay out of danger, JARVIS, but we need to know what's happening out there."

"Very well."

The large screen on the wall lit up, showing three views of the Midtown area. Gigantic robot-like creatures were flying on a chariot-looking device and shooting blue energy beams from some type of weapon. Dumbfounded, Harry stared at the video display, until he heard Peter cry out in pain. Turning, he could see his brother trying to climb off the bed, jostling his arm. Harry moved to stop him, wrapping an arm around his waist in an attempt to comfort him.

"Both my dads are out there, Harry! What if something happens to them?"

Harry swallowed hard, trying to figure out something reassuring to say. One of the screens zoomed in on Iron Man and they both froze as a blast of blue energy hit him in the center of the chest – and glanced off harmlessly. The runic array had worked! Both boys sent up a cheer as they watched the alien blown apart by a repulsor beam.

"Ugh, what happened?" Sirius started awake, one hand flying to his forehead as he slowly sat up.

"Sirius!" Harry cried, letting go of Peter to help his godfather. "How does your head feel?"

"Like I took a bludger to the head," Sirius grumbled, looking around. "Why are we in the safe room already?"

Harry moved the first aid kit closer to Sirius, pulling open a hidden pocket. "Alien robot things are coming from a portal in the sky," he answered, pointing to one of the videos. "Dan and Uncle Steve are fighting them, but the runes seem to be protecting them from the worst of the weird energy weapons." Harry pulled out a vial of light red potion. "Is this the right potion for pain?"

"Yes, thanks," Sirius confirmed, throwing the potion back like a shot of alcohol.

"JARVIS says you have a mild concussion," Harry explained to Sirius as he checked the gauze on Sirius' forehead. "And do you know the spell to fix Pete's arm?"

"Harry! Look!"

Whipping around, Harry saw Peter was pointing at one of the video feeds on the screen. He saw a group of people, all clad in the scarlet and black robes, shooting off spells at the invading force. Several of them cast golden shields over a group of people running towards one of the buildings. As the different cameras panned across the scene, Harry caught glimpses of other witches and wizards joining in the fight. Shields, stunners, and blasting spells were cast to help people and fight the aliens. The Tower still shook as the creatures kept coming and Harry was relieved to see only superficial damage to the building when a camera would pan across it.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed and Harry turned to look at the video feed he was watching.

"Is that a space whale?" Peter asked, in an astonished voice.

"No idea, but it's massive," he answered as they all continued to watch.

"There's Dad!" Harry cried, pointing at the next screen. "Oh no! He's going to—"

"Holy shit," Sirius breathed. "That man has bullocks—"

Harry could only watch as Iron Man flew into the mouth of one of the whale things, blowing it up from the inside as he went. He lost sight of the red and gold armor as the whale fell out of view. The fight continued as they watched, more and more aliens dropping from the portal in the sky. As soon as the potion had lessened the pain in Sirius' head, he healed the fracture in Peter's arm and they fashioned a makeshift splint to keep it immobilized until it could be checked.

The sound of a roar made all of them jump, then some muffled thuds, but one of the video feeds showed the Hulk jumping from the Tower and on to one of the whale things. Iron Man seemed to be everywhere, battling the invaders with everything he had. Harry was a proud as he was worried, when the aliens just kept coming.

A new form zoomed across the screen and both boys cheered as they recognized War Machine arrive to help with the fight. Harry had wondered where Uncle Rhodey was, as he'd been temporarily stationed in Washington DC.

Harry's phone ringing startled them all, especially when JARVIS announced it was his dad.

"Put him on the speaker, please, JARVIS." Harry rubbed his chest as it prickled with a strange feeling.

"Harry? Is Peter with you?"

"We're both here, Dad – are you all right?" Harry grabbed Peter's hand, he had a bad feeling about this.

"I don't have much time, but I just wanted to tell both of you how much I love you and how proud I am to be your father. I hope someday you'll forgive me – there isn't any other way—"

"Dad!" Both boys yelled together, but the line was dead.

Peter turned into Harry, wrapping his arms tightly around his brother. Sirius gasped behind them and Harry turned. On the screen, all three video feeds showed the red and gold armor carrying some type of missile through the portal in the sky above the Tower. His chest tightened with fear, both his dad's and his own, and then shock. The minutes dragged by as the aliens stopped coming through and the portal started to close. Harry held his breath as he watched, Sirius grabbed his shoulder, and Peter held on.

The portal closed and Harry felt his heart stutter to a stop.

"There! I see him!" Sirius shouted, pointing at the video feed.

Seeing the flash of red and gold falling from where the portal had been. Harry felt relief swell inside him, until it dawned on him that the Iron Man suit wasn't flying, it was falling, like a dead weight, towards the ground. His heart in his throat, Harry was running before he realized he was even moving. The door to the safe sprang open at his touch and Harry's broom was in his hand instantly, before he launched himself off the balcony of the penthouse. One hand clamped on the wood with a desperate grip and his wand in the other, Harry leaned low over the broom, shooting through the air towards his father.

A green blur flew in front of him, snatching Iron Man out of the air and fell toward the ground. Harry followed closely, concentrating on casting the spell Sirius had shown him to slow things down. He pushed as much of his magic into the spell as he could, before casting a Cushioning Charm on the ground they were quickly approaching. The sound of repulsors firing told him Uncle Rhodey was flying beside him. About a meter off the ground, Harry jumped from his broom and ran to where his dad laid on his back on the street.

Hulk roared loudly as Harry flung himself onto the armor, his own heart stuttering as he saw the dark arc reactor begin flickering.

"Dad!" Harry cried as he felt the man jolt and draw a shaky breath.

"Harry?" his dad gasped, his arm coming around Harry's back. "What happened?"

"We won," Uncle Steve whispered, as if scared to say it too loudly.

"Oh yay," his father cheered half-heartedly. "Let's just not come in tomorrow – just take a day. Anyone hungry? There's a shawarma joint a couple blocks from here—"

Laughing through his tears, Harry was pulled off his dad by Uncle Steve as War Machine lifted his dad off the ground. It was then that Harry noticed several unfamiliar people standing around them. He looked up into the Hulk's green eyes, smiling.

"Thank you, Mr. Hulk, for catching my dad."

Hulk grinned at him, giving him a very gentle pat on the head.

A large blond man with a red cloak had his jaw clenched. "We have unfinished business."

Tony woke up slowly, surrounded by warmth and surprisingly comfortable. Without opening his eyes, he knew he was sandwiched between Harry and Peter in his own bed. Slowly, the memories of the alien invasion and the events of the prior day, until his mind swirled with everything that had happened. He was proud of his boys' actions, particularly Harry in taking care of Peter and Sirius – not so much the insane flying stunt – but for the boys doing what he asked of them and keeping themselves safe. The healer who looked him over yesterday, May Parker had insisted, was thorough and Tony was thankful she was able to heal both Peter and Sirius. The vial of Dreamless Sleep had been a godsend.

The shawarma had been tasty, after placing Loki into SHIELD's custody, with the agency's equivalent to a SWAT team escorting him out of the Tower. Thor had claimed the Tesseract and, surprisingly, the mind control scepter had disappeared. Black Widow had thrown him a look when Tony announced it must have fallen from the roof in all the confusion. Agent Sitwell had taken a menacing step toward Tony, however both Steve and Rhodey had backed him up.

The attitude had left a bad taste in Tony's mouth.

Harry stirred beside him and pushed himself into a sitting position, yawning. Tony sat up beside him, wrapping his son in a hug. They sat that way for a moment, Tony relieved when a wave of happiness warmed his chest. He kissed Harry's hair.

"Why don't you go shower and get dressed, mini-me, while I work on waking up the munchkin."

"Not a munchkin," Peter grumbled before he started to stir. "Do we have time for breakfast before the meeting?"

"Yup!" Tony lifted him into his lap and gave him a hug before sending him out.

Sirius had repaired the damage to the penthouse last night, before heading out to join the group of magicals who'd helped in the invasion. They were going to spend the overnight hours repairing as much as possible under the cover of darkness. A group of Mystic Sorcerers had joined them, hoping to lessen the damage where they could and get a jump on the clean-up. Each of the Avengers were set to go out and help with the damage this afternoon.

A bag of still warm take-out breakfast sandwiches sat on the kitchen island, where Happy was pouring a cup of coffee. The boys both greeted the man with hugs and climbed onto stools, while Tony inhaled half of a cup of coffee in one gulp.

"How does he do that?" Peter whispered and Tony saw Harry shrug, his mouth full of bacon and sausage.

Tony and the boys had finished breakfast, talking quietly as they laid out the refreshments the chef had sent up. Steve, Ben, and May joining them about twenty minutes before ten and Sirius stumbled out of the elevator about five minutes later. Both boys grabbed him and hugged him tightly. He grinned at the boys as Tony poured him a cup of coffee. Scooping Peter up, Sirius dumped him in Steve's lap as he headed to the island.

"Sir, most of your meeting guests are on their way up in the elevator."

"Thank you, JARVIS," Tony acknowledge, stopping to fill his cup again. "All right, folks, lets chose our seats."

Grabbing the StarkPad Tony had made notes on, he sat in the middle of the long couch. Harry tucked himself into one side of Tony and Peter the other, with Sirius next to Harry and Steve next to Peter. Uncle Ben and Aunt May took one of the smaller couches, and Happy drew up one of the stools from the kitchen island, sitting next to the couch. The elevator dinged and Rhodey was the first one out, striding over to flop into one of the armchairs next to the couches. Ironjaw, Mariah, Kingsley, and Ian Selwyn followed, all finding seats, with curious glances at Steve Rogers.

"Protocols in effect, please, JARVIS."

"Of Course, Sir."

"Looks like yesterday was a rough day," Ian commented as he sat back and crossed his legs.

"You could say that," Steve murmured under his breath.

Tony nodded his head. "It was rough, Ian, and I shuddered to think of how much worse it could have been, without the help of the magicals." He nodded at Mariah. "Especially your Aurors, Mariah."

The Auror shook her head. "I'm sorry it took an alien invasion to get the magical community out of where they were hiding! We all live here, too!"

"The Goblin Horde was able to protect the Woolworth Building and the surrounding area," Ironjaw added. "In accordance to the self-defense clause in the Statue of Secrecy."

"And who is this gentleman, Tony?" Ian asked, nodding at Steve.

Giving Steve a sheepish smile as Ian and Ironjaw hadn't been able to attend the last meeting. Tony gestured at the man. "Ironjaw, Ian, I'd like to introduce you to Steven Grant Rogers. He was a friend of my father's, and is also known as Captain America. Steve, these are our most trusted advisors: Account Manager Ironjaw, who helped bring Harry to me; Ian Selwyn, Harry's UK barrister and adviser. Like the others, they have sworn Unbreakable Vows to keep our secrets."

Ironjaw stood from his chair and held his hand out to Steve. "Captain Rogers, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Please let me know if you need any help with your London vault."

Steve stood and half-bowed as he reached to shake the goblin's hand. "Thank you. Tony and I will be coming over with the boys soon to check it out."

Ian nodded at Steve, but remained quiet.

"And," Tony smiled, "I think you know everyone else, Cap. Pepper sends her apologies, she's still in Washington on business."

"Dad, does everyone know about Peter and the inheritance tests?" Harry asked quietly. "It's important, and it might make him even a bigger target than I am."

"No one's a bigger target than—"

Rhodey leaned over and smacked the back of Sirius' head. "Go ahead, Tones."

Stifling a laugh, Tony explained the heritage tests Peter, Steve, and he had taken, including the outcomes. The three tests were passed around and gave the others time to take in the information, Harry leaned into his side on one side, while Peter was having a whispered conversation with Steve on the other. Tony let his mind wander over the many things that had been revealed, slamming to a stop on the idea that James Barnes was still alive. The how and why weren't even the questions at the forefront of his mind – it was the fact of where had he been, who had him, and what had they force him to do.

"Genetic manipulation?" Rhodey asked as he passed Peter's test to Mariah.

"Richard was a geneticist whose specialty was human genome editing techniques, and he was working on a top-secret project at SHIELD, before he was imbedded in Oscorp," Ben informed them.

"Mary was a witch," Kingsley observed. "Is it possible she created a blood adoption potion?"

"If she did, how did she get both Tony's and Steve's DNA? How was she able to combine them? She'd have to be a Potion Mistress to accomplish something like that." Sirius asked, leaning forward.

"She was also a geneticist, working on DNA at the molecular level, but never talked about what exactly she did at Oscorp." May interjected.

Tony rubbed a hand over his face. "The letter Howard left indicated SHIELD, or really the remains of HYDRA that was brought in to SHIELD, were still trying to recreate the Supper Solider Serum. Add to this, he suspected they had samples of blood and semen from himself, Steve, Bucky Barnes, me, and several other of the Howling Commandos who had been experimented on."

"So, there could be other children out there who were created with this stolen DNA?" Steve asked quietly, anger evident in his voice.

"Unfortunately," Tony responded with a sigh, looking at Steve. "The only thing I know for sure, is that my living children, and yours, are here with us."

"Son of a bitch!" Happy exclaimed, horrified.

All of the adults' minds went to the same place – how many of those experiments had died?

"All right," May clapped her hands. "We will have to keep researching the manipulation of the genes. Let's add that to the list of things we need to look into."

"I, uh," Steve started, his right hand clenching on his thigh.

"Go ahead, Cap." Tony encouraged him.

"If Bucky is still alive, I think finding him should be a priority."

Rhodey spoke up in agreement. "I think so, too. He fell from that train in the Alps, correct?"

Steve gave a short, jerky nod.

"Which means it was either the Soviets or HYDRA who found him. Which means he's been essentially a prisoner of war for almost seventy years." Rhodey thought out loud. "Shmidt and Zola had already experimented on Barnes and several of the other Commandos, so they would have jumped at the chance to have him back in their hands."

"And to think Zola became one of SHIELD's chief scientist shortly after he was brought in." Tony picked up on what his best friend was getting at. "Meaning Barnes may still be HYDRA's favorite experiment."

A haunted expression passed over Steve's face and Peter moved even closer to him.

"JARVIS, locate any pictures you can of James Buchanan Barnes and scan them in. Start searching with facial recognition, scrub any video you can find, starting in 1945."

"Yes, Sir."

"Dad?" Harry asked, frowning.

Tony tightened the arm he had around Harry's shoulders. "Go ahead, Tesoro."

"Remember that SHIELD tactical team that came last night to get Loki?"

Tony nodded.

"Where were they when the aliens were attacking? Where was the army?" Harry asked him in earnest. "And why would SHIELD send a missile like that? It could have killed thousands!"

"Funny, I was wondering that myself," Ben added, looking at Rhodey.

Rhodey held his hands up. "I wish I knew. I came as soon as JARVIS let me know what was happening. And I notified my Command of what was happening and where."

Steve stiffened further and Tony saw Peter climb into his lap.

"I'm not sure why the mundane soldiers weren't deployed," Mariah leaned forward. "We were sent out immediately, by both MACUSA and the ICW. They felt stopping the invasion was more important than the Statute of Secrecy."

"I'm certainly glad they did," Ben spoke up. "I was out there, on the street, and it was hell. If it hadn't been for the magicals in the outlining areas, there would have been many more casualties."

"And the repairs overnight were amazing," Rhodey agreed. "There's a lot of clean-up still to do, but the main roads are open and we're able to get supplies in."

"Relief trucks should be arriving shortly, courtesy of the Maris Stark Foundation, and I've rented all the heavy equipment in the area to begin clean-up operations," Tony rattled off some of the things Pepper had been able to put into motion.

The group spent the next twenty minutes going over the priority list they had and rearranging items they thought should now take precedence. Thanks to Sirius, the repairs needed for the penthouse were minimal and most of the damage remaining external. The group agreed if would be best if Tony invited the other Avengers to live in the Tower, both so they would be able to bond into a team and it would be easier to protect them. Steve pointed out, other than Barton and his insane ability with a bow, neither Romanoff nor Banner seemed to have any magical abilities. Thor was unique, of course.

Tony's mind had turned toward what they would need to do for the afternoon, when Harry cleared his throat.

"Dad? When you went through that portal yesterday, I felt your fear. What did you see on the other side?"

His breath caught as what he'd seen immediately filled his mind. Tony could feel his heart begin to race and his hands tremble. All he could see was the massive formation of alien ships, coming closer—

"Dad! Breath with me!"

Harry's voice held a tendril of the panic Tony felt in his chest. His hand was held against a broad chest and Tony took in a deep breath, held it for the count, releasing it slowly. He went through several cycles before he opened his eyes to find Rhodey in front of him, Peter and Harry on each side, arms wrapped around his waist.

He cleared his throat, cognizant of the eyes on him. "An armada," he forced out. "A huge armada of ships. The Chitauri that we battled yesterday were just a fraction of what I saw, more like a scouting party than the invasion force which was sitting on the other side of that portal."

Silence greeted his rough voice and Tony had a bad moment, thinking no one believed him. He looked up to see dismay on May's face, but determination on everyone else's, and his body relaxed. Tony felt lighter for having shared what he'd seen, prepared to keep it to himself, as he thought no one would believe him.

"Well then," Steve Rogers said, standing up. "I guess we'd better get started on our list of things to do."

Chapter Text

With a flourish, Harry completed the last of his summer test and turned around, grinning. Uncle Steve had insisted on tutoring them in American History, so he and Peter would be up to date with the rest of their class when school started in ten days. He'd already passed his chemistry test and had a good understanding of mechanics, thanks to his dad and Peter. Glancing over at his brother, Harry could see he was still working his way through his own history test.

Grabbing a piece of lined paper, Harry picked up his pen and started a letter to Hermione:

Dear Hermione,

Sorry I haven't written in the last couple weeks, but we had a bit of bother, in the form of an alien invasion. I'm sure you probably heard about it. It was amazing to see witches, wizards, and even sorcerers, among those who were protecting people and fighting the aliens.

Did I tell you my dad was Iron Man?

How is your stay at the Weasleys going? It must be very different to live in a fully magical house! Although, the technology Dad has created is almost like magic.

I start my new school the first week of September, and am getting excited about it. I'll do my mundane subjects there and my magical studies at home. My godfather is going to do my magical tutoring, as well as the real history of magic. Sirius has an old friend, who has a mastery in Defense and Runes, and he's trying find him to come tutor us (Peter, Steve, Dad, and me). Runes can be used for loads of things, including protection.

So, America also has sorcerers, and one of my friends' grandmother is a sorceress and knows the mystic arts, which sounds different than our magic, but still amazing. Have you ever met a sorcerer?

We are supposed to come over to London next week, including a trip to Diagon Alley. Have you already gotten you school supplies?

Say 'Hi' to Ron for me!

Harry

Pulling open one of the drawers, Harry drew out an envelope and addressed it to Hermione. A glance over his shoulder told him Hedwig was still dozing on her perch, but he left it on his desk for her to take to Gringotts when she awoke. After the mail snafu with Dobby the house-elf, Ironfang had suggested they use Gringotts special postal service, which his dad immediately agreed to. The goblins make sure all their post was check for spells and Harry's letters would reach his friends without being intercepted.

"Yes!" Peter cheered, dropping his pencil onto Harry's worktable, where he'd been taking his test. "Thank goodness, this only covered up to the Mexican American War!"

Harry grinned in response. "I'm just glad it wasn't the history of magic!"

"Why?" Peter asked as he stretched.

"Because the ghost who taught that class at Hogwarts had a thing for goblin rebellions."

Peter giggled. 'Sounds confusing."

"It was," Harry answered grinning. "Apparently goblins rebelled a lot!"

"Well, we could be a little rebellious, too!" Peter threw him a conspiratorial look.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Do I want to know?"

"Weren't there donuts left?" Peter gave him a smirk. "Race you!"

His brother darted out of room with Harry hot on his heels. They were both laughing as they dove toward the kitchen island and the pink box sitting on it. Just as Peter grabbed it, a loud crack of Apparation made both boys jump and Harry's wand was in his hand instantly. Shoving Peter behind him, Harry scanned for their attacker, only to find a sheepish looking Steve standing in front of the elevator, hands held up placatingly.

"Pops!" Peter exclaimed, a hand on his chest. "You scared the he—ck out of us!"

Taking a deep breath, Harry slid his wand back into the holster and scowled at the man. "I thought there were anti-Apparation wards on the building!"

Two more cracks filled the penthouse and Harry spun around again, trying to face the threat, when he saw it was just his dad and Sirius. Dad had an apologetic expression on his face and was rubbing his chest.

"I'm sorry, boys!" Tony exclaimed, moving to pull both boys into his arms. "We were supposed to be surprising you, not scaring the shi—"

"Sirius was teaching us to Apparate!" Steve interrupted, shooting Tony a look, before tugging Peter out of Tony's arms and into hug..

"And the wards are working, pup," Sirius said, tousling Harry's hair, while one hand reached toward the pink box Peter still held. "They keep people from Apparating into or out the building, but we can authorize certain areas to be designated as 'reception areas' for people we chose to have that privilege. Those who already in the building can Apparate between floors."

Spinning away, Peter laughed as he tried to hold the box out of reach.

"And they still have to be wearing a bracelet or ring with the proper runic array etched on them, to get through the wards," Steve answered with a smile.

Steve had turned out to be gifted where Runes were concerned, easily learning the basics and his etched arrays were amazingly well done. The diamond tipped Starkanium etching tool his dad had developed allowed Steve and Sirius to etch protective runes on almost any surface, including Steve's shield and the Iron Man armor. Both Harry and Peter now wore a special watch Tony made and Steve engraved.

Harry grinned and moved back to hug his dad. "Congratulations on your success!"

He knew Tony was still insecure about his magical abilities and had only recently gotten a wand. His dad and Steve had gone together to get them in the New York magic district, Steve's was Maple and dragon heartstring, and Tony's wand was Ironwood and unicorn tail-hair. Harry thought both sounded appropriate for the men. Sirius had started tutoring them all in magic, three afternoons a week, with Peter sitting in. Proudly, Harry was able to help the others with some of the easier spells.

Peter sent him a desperate look and Harry pulled away from Tony. He threw his arms around his brother in a way that kept the donut box between them. Sirius took that as a challenge to try even harder to get the box, including transforming into Padfoot. Just as he was about to grab the box from he and Peter, Steve reached over Peter and plucked it away.

"Pops!" The boys yelped, trying to look affronted while laughing.

Steve grabbed Peter around the middle and lifted him up to sit on the counter before he plopped the box on his lap. Turning around, he pulled Harry behind him and crossed his arms over his chest, giving the others a steely look. Peter and Harry broke out in giggles as they finally got to choose a donut.

"Hope you left one for me," Pepper warned them as she swept into the kitchen, kissing Tony on the cheek as she passed him.

Harry selected Pepper’s favorite and Peter handed him a napkin to put it on.

"Thank you, loves." Pepper kissed each of them on the head as she took the napkin. "Finish your doughnuts and go get ready. Sirius and Steve are going to take you shopping this afternoon."

Harry groaned while Peter looked excited, but they began eating their doughnuts. As he chewed, Harry noticed both Steve and his dad's eyes on his brother. They were taking Peter to a healer when they went to Gringotts in London. Although he seemed fine, Peter hadn't gotten a letter from any school on his eleventh birthday, and he was afraid his magic wasn't going to be strong enough to wield a wand. Peter also had the occasional asthma attack and often squinted when trying to read things, which the healers could help with. Harry remembered biting his tongue when Peter had mentioned these things with a sigh, but everyone had decided not to mention the Serum yet to the Parkers.

"Did you boys finish your tests?" Pepper asked as they were all seated around the island.

"Yup!" Peter answered for both of them.

"I could go with them—" Tony started but Pepper cut him off.

"You have three meetings this afternoon, if you want me to clear your calendar so you can go to London next week."

Harry covered his grin as his dad gave his best pout.

"Besides, I don't trust Sirius to behave, and you're worse, so Steve, who I do trust, is going to keep Sirius grounded, and make sure your sons aren't traumatized during the outing." Pepper gave them a smug smile. "And your Aunt May is going to join you."

Steve and Sirius gave each other a panicked look as Tony laughed at them.

Tony was splitting his attention between the pictures his sons were sending him of an uncomfortable Captain America in a modern department store, and the long-winded department head from Procurement talking about SI’s newest acquisition. Steve’s embarrassed face was much more entertaining than the windbag. A non-too-subtle kick under the table from Pepper had Tony’s head popping up with a frown.

"—and Dr. Stark has forwarded three new patents for the department to start using in development. Tony?" The senior vice-president for R&D gestured at him,

Pulling his mind back to the meeting, Tony signaled JARVIS to bring up the holoscreen. "We are introducing Repulsor technology adapted into engines – from drones to large scale engines for aircraft. Various government agencies will be interested in these, as they are able to cut air travel time by a third. R&D is going to work on both streamlining mass productions, as well as adaptation for water use.

The second patent is for a cellular phone and tablet which work in those areas of high natural interference where standard electronics don't work well. I've already scheduled a focus group to test these."

Tony was taking several prototypes to London with them so Harry and Peter could test them while they were in Diagon Alley. He even had a few extra in the event Harry's friends were able to meet him, so they could continue testing in various magical areas.

"The third patent is for a new battery, which will be able to power various electronics for 50% longer on a charge than the standard battery used by the industry now. R&D is going to testing these for stability, based on the new element – we are getting away from lithium-ion batteries which can explode. They will also be testing these for sizing, how size impacts the life of the battery and such."

There were a dozen questions from the board members, department heads, and executives, which Tony answered as patiently as he could. He knew these patents would keep R&D busy for quite a while, but it was the first step for SI in developing magic-compatible electronics. Sirius and Steve were both looking into whether runes could help with magical compatibility, as well as the range.

His phone buzzed just as Pepper was giving her closing remarks and Tony ignored it to shake hands as everyone walked out of the conference room. Following Pepper to the elevator, Tony loosened his tie when his phone vibrated again.

"JARVIS?"

"The first message contains a photograph of Captain Rogers, Lord Black, and the young sirs on their shopping excursion. Although this post on social media seems more interested in Captain Rogers, however, the second posting seems to be a first gen magical as it spotlights Master Harry and what he might be doing in New York."

Pepper gasped as Tony swore. "Quash what you can, J, and contact Mariah with whatever details you have."

"Already done, Sir."

"Thanks, J. Please alert the security detail and have everyone return to the Tower."

"Mrs. Parker has joined them and the group just ordered ice cream."

Tony shook his head, looking at his watch. "Of course they did. Have them bring me back a vanilla caramel and Pepper a mint chocolate swirl, please."

"Of course, Sir."

"I'll alert Legal as well, they will take the appropriate action against any outlet publishing the boys' pictures."

They stepped out into the penthouse and Tony flung his jacket over the back of a chair, tossing his tie on top of it as he walked toward the windows. Pepper joined him and they stood silent for a moment, Tony reassured by the lack of strong emotion from his link with Harry. He slipped an arm around Pepper and she stepped closer to lean into his side. It was nice just to take a minute out of the hectic life they lived and Tony sighed, enjoying the calm.

Pepper turned into him and looped her arms around his neck. "It's going to get even worse when Peter and Harry start school."

Tony just groaned and tried to hide his face in her neck. Pepper laughed and slid her hands down until they cupped Tony's face, giving him a kiss. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer.

"Are you certain you still want to keep hanging around with me?" he asked quietly. "Not sure you signed up for this extended family we are gathering or the two ready-made kids."

Huffing a laugh, Pepper kissed him again. "Actually, the boys just sealed the deal for me. Couldn't ask for better behaved, intelligent, and good-looking sons – are you sure they're related to you?"

Tony kissed her again, just as the elevator opened and the boys spilled out, chattering happily and carrying cups of ice cream. The adults followed, ladened with numerous shopping bags.

"Ewww! Dad!" the boys whined in unison.

Pepper stepped away, laughing, and Tony arched an eyebrow at the grins everyone was wearing. "Where's my ice cream?"

Once everyone was settled in the living room, Tony asked JARVIS to display the pictures that were uploaded onto the internet. The group was silent as they looked at them.

"What's the damage?" May Parker was the first to speak, a resigned expression on her face.

Tony swallowed his bite of ice cream. "The mundane photos are probably okay. Steve is the only one the media knows and, except for some wild speculation, there's not too much damage they can do. It's the magical community I'm a bit concerned with. Harry's as famous on that side as I am on this side."

"Modest much?" Sirius muttered to Steve, who smothered a grin.

"Isn't the information going to come out at some point, anyway?" Harry's question was resigned. "Is there any way to keep the press away?"

Pepper answered. "Yes, there are protections in place for minors and the Legal department will be serving those on the sites that published the pictures. On the other hand, we need to have a press conference and introduce you boys as Tony's sons, in order to give them the most protection."

Tony exchanged a glance with Steve and Sirius before looking at the boys. "I think it's best to make preparations, then have an announcement when we get back from London."

"Do it before they go to school," May added. "That way we have protections in place and the parasites are warned the boys are off-limits."

"I agree," Steve spoke up, looking to where Peter was sitting beside May. "I only regret I can't tell everyone I'm Pete's father as well."

"Puts him at too much risk right now," Tony said apologetically. "Especially when the boys look so much alike."

Peter bounced over to Steve, who pulled him into his lap. "We'll be able to someday, Pop."

"That we will, Petey," Steve promised as he wrapped the boy in a hug.

Everyone had spread out through the plane, Harry curled up with Padfoot and Peter in the bed, while his dad and Uncle Steve took a couch each in the remodeled lounge. Happy had stayed behind to protect Pepper, while Peter's aunt and uncle were working. Harry had fallen asleep as soon as the plane was in the air, knowing, with the five-hour time difference, it would be best of they did. His dad had made a number of appointments for the day, before they could explore Diagon Alley tomorrow.

Harry woke to a hand carding through his hair and his dad leaning over him. As he smiled sleepily, a kiss was pressed to his forehead, before Dad moved to wake Peter up. Sirius transformed and sat up.

“Where is my kiss?” Sirius quipped.

“You’ll be lucky to get coffee if you don’t move, dogman.”

Harry popped into the bathroom before joining the others in the main cabin. Uncle Steve handed him a glass of orange juice and a breakfast burrito the chef had made up for them. Peter stumbled into the room, and hugged Steve around the thighs, before dropping into the seat next to him. It wasn’t until everyone had eaten before they really woke up, and Sirius only grudgingly. Harry smothered a smile, his godfather really hated flying. When they were ready to leave, Harry remembered to grab his messenger bag and threw it over his shoulder.

Ian Selwyn met them at the private airstrip outside of London with a limo. Pleasantries were exchanged as they all climbed in the car.

“Wow!” Peter exclaimed, seeing that the car was bigger on the inside.

“Wizarding space,” Ian explained as they got settled.

“Handy, that,” Uncle Steve observed, looking around.

“Easy enough to do,” Sirius told him. “We’ll add that to our list of spells to learn.”

Tony turned to the barrister. “Any news on the Grunnings acquisition?”

“Yes, it’s completed and Dursley sacked. The company itself is salvageable with some restructuring.”

“Is it large enough to refit into something other than manufacturing drills?’

Harry’s stomach swooped as he caught on to what they were talking about, before a bit of satisfaction settled it. Vernon Dursley had been a bully and arsehole, who deserved to feel some of the fear he’d filled Harry’s childhood with. He knew there was also a criminal investigation into the Dursleys treatment of him, which had found enough evidence to go forward with child neglect and endangerment charges against his aunt and uncle. His statement from last summer had been enough for the court, along with the physical evidence found at the house on Privet Drive.

“It has the potential, Tony, for something on a smaller scale. The area would do well with an influx of employment, as well.”

Harry tuned the discussion out, watching the scenery as it went by. He was glad that there would be consequences for his miserable childhood, but he found himself less vengeful about his relatives now, then a year ago. He blamed Dumbledore much more for orchestrating and manipulation of not only his life, but his family’s as well. Harry hadn’t said anything to his dad, but after what happened to Sirius, he really believed Dumbledore knew about Tony and had prevented his mum and dad from contacting him.

Warm fingers wrapped around his hand and Harry smiled when he felt his chest warm with love.

‘You okay, kiddo?” Tony leaned toward him, Ian looking over his shoulder.

Harry nodded. "I'm fine," he told them quietly. "I'm just glad I'm where I'm loved and not being manipulated for the 'Greater Good'."

"Never again, son. I promise you that." Tony told him fiercely.

Harry leaned into his side and nodded. "Thanks, Dad."

There was no one around when they walked through the Leaky Cauldron, as it was still early in the morning. Tom was already behind the bar, leaning on it with a cup of coffee. He merely waved at them as they passed through. Sirius showed everyone the tapping pattern for the bricks in the alleyway, stepping through first, while the rest of them crowded in behind him. The Alley was quiet, with only a few people walking around and shopkeepers in the process of getting the shops ready to open.

Heading towards Gringotts, Uncle Steve held onto Peter's hand, as Harry walked beside Sirius, Dad and Ian bringing up the rear. The guards at the top of the stairs inclined their heads at the group and Harry nodded back, a small smile on his face as they went through the door. The lobby was empty, except for Ironjaw, dressed today in a forest green suit, waiting for them. Harry grinned and dragged Sirius forward as he greeted the goblin, who took in their tired faces and shook his head.

"Had you Port-keyed, you'd all have been able to sleep in your own beds," the goblin stated, a pointed look at Tony, and shook his head. "Come, we have much to do."

Once they were all seated in Ironjaw's office, the goblin opened the center drawer in his desk and brought out a Stark tablet, one Harry recognized as being the magical prototype Tony and Sirius had been working on. A surge of pride swirled in his chest and Harry smiled at his dad. They were already testing the prototype phones which were almost ready for marketing, each of them having been given one to use on the trip.

Ironjaw tapped on the screen of the tablet to activate it as he reached for a piece of parchment sitting on the corner of the desk. "Dumbledore's trial will begin 3 September in Geneva, the criminal and civil trials being tried concurrently. The ICW has been divided into two separate sections and they will be judging. As Harry holds dual citizenship, the American president is representing him, and the British Ministry has been relieved of any participation in the criminal trial, and is listed as a defendant in the civil issues."

He looked up with what Harry thought was his evil smile. "Minister for Magic Fudge has been summoned to the ICW as the representative of the British Ministry."

Tony leaned forward. "Does Harry have to be there at all?"

Ironjaw smoothed out the parchment. "Only for the final verdicts, most likely two weeks after the start of the proceedings. You, Sirius, and Ian should be able to represent him, as well as giving your own testimony."

"Would I be able to sit in as well?" Uncle Steve asked, his hands balled into fists.

Harry shot his dad a questioning glance.

"It is an open court, Captain Rogers," Ian answered, before narrowing his eyes. "Unless you believe you have information which would benefit the case?"

"Steve, please, and I might," Steve said, glancing at Tony and Sirius. "I fought with a group of wizards during World War II, or the Grindelwald war, Sirius says. I believe this Dumbledore you're talking about was the leader of the group. I know I fought with a Monty Potter and Sirius' uncle, Alphard Black, among others."

"Do you remember when this was, Steve?" Ironjaw asked, making a note on the parchment.

"It was after I rescued the 107th from Azzano, so from late 1943 until about February 1945." Steve grimaced. "The other wizards weren't very supportive of Dumbledore then, as rumor had it, he and Grindelwald had been very close at one point in time. They were a little leery of him at first."

Harry blinked. Although it didn't surprise him that Dumbledore had fought with Steve Rogers seventy years ago, as Hermione had mentioned once that he was well over one hundred years old, it was surprising that he had been friends with a Dark Lord. He frowned, trying to work the new information into what he'd heard about his headmaster for the past year. It was enough to give him a headache.

"Interesting, we'll look into that information." Ironjaw snapped his fingers and the parchment disappeared. "And you are more than welcome to join Tony and Sirius for the trial."

Ironjaw tapped on the Stark tablet again and a holographic image of a spreadsheet appeared. "These are your latest vault figures, Steve."

Tony opened his mouth, but was cut off by Ironjaw.

"Yours have already been sent to your JARVIS, Tony." Ironjaw gave him the goblin versus of an eyeroll and turned back to Steve.

Harry covered a snigger behind his hand at the exaggerated pout his dad pulled, until he was distracted by Ian and Sirius. They were discussing the plea deal the Dursleys were being offered and the odds of them accepting it. Apparently, it involved a prison sentence for Vernon and probation for Petunia, and at that point, Harry stopped listening. His thoughts turned to the letter he'd gotten back from his friend yesterday. Hermione was supposed to meet them for lunch, but she'd said nothing about the Weasley family. Sirius knew a small restaurant near Fortescue's Ice Cream and had owled them for reservation. They were going to eat lunch and then come back for Peter's healer appointment.

"Come on, munchkin."

Harry looked up at Tony's voice and stood to follow he, Steve, and Peter out the door. He knew Sirius and Ian had more to discuss with Ironjaw, while they headed down to the vault Steve and his grandfather had opened. It meant a ride in the carts and Harry grinned as he grabbed Peter's hand and followed the goblin who appeared to escort them.

Tony just kept himself from groaning when he saw the cart the goblin led them to. If possible, it looked even ricketier than the one in New York. The boys scampered into the front seat, with he and Steve squeezing into the center seat.

"Keep all appendages inside the cart," the goblin growled as he put the cart into motion.

Reaching over the seat, Tony grabbed the back of Harry's shirt, just in case. Harry was too busy chanting for the goblin, Griphook his badge said, to go faster. Steve just grinned, clearly remembering the thrill ride. Tony gave him a deadpanned look, speed was amazing when he was in control of it, not so much when he wasn't.

As they rocketed around another corner, Tony wondered if Harry would want to go to the Potter vault on this trip, or save it for another day, when they would have more time to go through things. He made a mental note to ask his son, just as the cart shuddered to an abrupt stop in front of Vault 704. Griphook waited in the cart as Tony followed Steve out, keeping the boys between them.

Steve pressed his hand to a plate in the door and Tony recognized it as the same level of security the goblins had put on he and Harry's vaults. As the door opened, Tony could see the vault was smaller than the one Howard had opened in New York, and more along the lines of what he'd open for each of his sons as trust vaults. The back half of the space was taken up by various neat piles of coins in different denominations. To the right side, just inside the door was a small table, it's top covered with stacks of file folders and papers. On the left side, there were two small footlockers stacked against the wall, a bit smaller than Harry's school trunk, with several old boxes beside them.

He saw Harry grab Peter's hand and guide him back to where the coins were. Steve stopped two steps into the vault, taking everything in. Tony stepped over towards the table, giving Steve a little privacy, as he suspected the second truck belonged to Bucky Barnes. The table appeared to be organized, folders labeled, and papers in neat stacks, rather like the file cabinets Howard had put in the New York vault. Looking over the labels, Tony wasn't surprised to see a folder on Erskine and Project Rebirth, one with Steve's name on it, and another on HYDRA. Moving over to look at a stack of maps spread out in the middle, Tony was expecting to see military maps of the Howling Commandos targets, instead a label jumped out at him:

Search for Sgt. Barnes

The handwriting was Howard's and the map was the original mission map for the capture of Zola.

"Steve?" Tony called softly, reaching a hand out to him as Steve turned, looking overwhelmed.

His hand on Steve's arm, Tony drew him over to the table and pointed out the map.

"Looks like Howard didn't only search for you, Steve," he said quietly, putting a reassuring hand on Steve's shoulder.

Steve simply nodded, hands jammed into his pockets and shoulders rounded. Harry and Peter appeared from the back of the vault to lean on either side of him. They stood there for several minutes, allowing Steve time to regain his composure. Steve finally took a deep breath.

"Thanks, Tony." Steve drew the boys in for a hug and then straightened. "Howard moved his vault to New York, right?"

"Yes, after the war."

Steve nodded. "I think I'd like to do that as well."

"Uncle Steve, if you want any of these right now, I can put them in my bag for you." Harry held out the bag.

"I think it would be better to hand carry some of the folders, Steve," Tony suggested. "Especially the Project Rebirth and Erskine ones, as we know HYDRA is still around and it's information they would kill for."

Steve met Tony's eyes. "Will all the files on the top of the desk fit in your bag, Harry?"

"Yes." Harry moved toward the table and Tony joined him, carefully picking up the folders and scattered maps.

Steve sent Peter to the back of the vault to scoop up as many Galleons as he could carry. He walked back over to the boxes and foot lockers, opening each and peering inside. Tony watched as Steve looked quickly through the contents, stopping twice to withdraw several small pictures, and sliding those into his shirt pocket. He knew how he'd felt when he and Harry had discovered Howard's vault in New York, and could imagine what it meant to Steve to get this much of his past back. In that moment, Tony realized Howard had done this for his friend.

Peter staggered back to where they were standing and Tony laughed as he took some of the gold coins from him. Steve filled his pants pockets and then allowed Harry to put the rest into the secure pocket of his bag. The ride back up to the lobby was quieter than the one down, in and they rejoined Sirius and Ian in Ironjaw's office.

"Did you find everything in order, Steve?" the goblin asked as he put the Stark tablet his drawer.

"More than I could have hoped for, actually. Thank you," Steve answered with a smile. "Could I ask to have the vault transferred to New York, please?"

Ironjaw smirked. "Of course, for a small fee."

Steve grinned and signed the relocation order Ironjaw produced.

"Oh, and Harry?" Ironjaw reached into his drawer again and removed a small black box, setting it on the top of his desk. "We were able to locate another Horcrux, this one at the Guant property we sold for you."

Harry reached for the box, before hesitating as he looked at Tony. "Is it safe?"

"It is now," Ironjaw tapped a nail on his desk. "There was a nasty dark spell on it, however our curse breakers were able to mitigate it at the same time they destroyed the soul piece. This ring was originally a Peverell family heirloom which Slytherin claimed for himself, as a descendent of the brothers."

Tony watched as Harry gingerly picked up the box and opened it. A chunky gold setting held translucent dark grey with a symbol etched in the top, and Tony thought it was rather unremarkable. Harry reached in and ran a finger over the stone, only to be haloed in an aura of gold once again. Alarm jolted Tony as his chest tightened in fear and he grabbed the box out of Harry's hand, hastily setting it back down on Ironjaw's desk.

"Once again, this seems to prove the heirloom belongs to House Peverell and I will secure it in the family vault."

"Thank you, Ironjaw." Harry looked a little shaken and Tony wrapped an arm around him.

Goodbyes were exchanged, Ironjaw reminded them of Peter's appointment, and they made their way down the white marble steps, Tony following behind Sirius as he felt his hands being taken by his sons. A wave of contentment swept through him and earned him a grin from Harry. Steve had a hand on Peter's shoulder as they walked abreast down a more crowded Diagon Alley. Fortescue's was already open and Ian led them toward a side walkway, to Belladonna's Kitchen, before taking his leave.

Tony snorted at the name. "We aren't going to be poisoned, are we?"

"Maybe it's just an Italian lady, Tony," Steve teased. "But you have to admit, Belladonna is a great name for a witch!"

"Yeah, just don't order anything purple," he laughed as a small, dark purple building came into sight.

"Hermione!"

Harry called and Tony saw a girl about the same age as the boys standing outside with the restaurant. A nicely dressed woman in her early forties stood beside Hermione and he guessed this would be the mother. Harry had mentioned both of his friend's parents were dentists and Tony ran his tongue over his teeth reflexively, even though he knew he had great teeth. Harry looked up at him and Tony gave him a small nod, walking ahead of them as his friend threw herself at him.

"Harry!"

Coughing to cover up his laugh at his son's look of panic while his friend squeezed him in a tight hug, Tony stepped forward, holding his hand out to Hermione's mother.

"I'm not sure I should assume you are Dr. Granger, you look more like Hermione's older sister," Tony said suavely. "I'm Tony Stark, Harry's dad."

"My goodness, you're as smooth as your reputation," Dr. Granger shot back at him with a smile.

Tony smiled only to be elbowed out of the way by Sirius, who extended his hand.

"Lord Sirius Black, Dr. Granger."

Rolling his eyes as Sirius brushed his lips over the woman's knuckles, Tony cleared his throat as Harry grabbed his hand.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet my friend, Hermione Granger. Hermione, my dad, Tony Stark."

Hermione, her eyes bright, gingerly clasped his hand before letting it go. "It is such a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Stark!"

"I'm glad to finally meet you, too. Harry has told me a great deal about you."

Harry gave a delighted grin and introduced everyone else. Both Dr. Granger and Hermione's eyes widened when they were introduced to Steve Rogers and Tony almost expected them to squeal. He held his breath until they both had acknowledged the blushing man, although, Hermione did make a shrill noise when Harry introduced Peter as his brother.

With Sirius' help, Tony was able to herd everyone into the small restaurant, where Harry was greeted like an A-list celebrity. All of their magical friends had warned Tony about Harry's degree of fame in the Wizarding world, but Tony hadn't really believed them. The degree of adoration was something Tony had not experience and he thought of himself as fairly popular. Steve and Sirius smothered grins when all the other patrons in the place stood up and clapped.

He finally rounded on the owner, who was waiting to seat them and demanded privacy for his son. She blinked at him, before leading them to a large booth, where Sirius cast privacy spells.

"Was it this bad when you first went to Hogwarts?" Tony leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear.

"Yeah," Harry answered softly. "At least the other students got used to me pretty quickly."

"Even Ron—" Hermione cut herself off, shooting a look at Harry.

His son just nodded. "Asked to see my scar right off."

Tony sighed, but kept his comments to himself as Harry and Hermione caught up. Peter easily entered into the conversation, asking questions about Hogwarts and the different subjects. Steve and Sirius were listening avidly after the drink they'd ordered popped up on to the table.

Jean Granger leaned toward him. "How much has Harry told you about their first year?"

"Pretty much just the highlights, I suppose," Tony answered, his hand curling around the cup of coffee he'd ordered. "The last part, about he, Hermione, and Ron feeling they had to protect a powerful magical artifact, was enough to turn my hair gray."

"Did he mention the rampant bullying of new magicals, like Hermione?"

Tony frowned. "Not specifically."

She gave him a level look. "Not even about Ron calling Hermione names, which led to the three of them fighting a troll?"

Tony felt his heart studder. "Troll?"

Dr. Granger nodded her head slowly. "One of the reasons I didn't let Hermione stay with his family this summer—"

She was interrupted by the food being delivered, or rather appearing at each place around the table. Magic fascinated him and Tony couldn't wait until he knew enough to delve into magical theory. Dr. Granger smiled at him as he checked underneath his plate.

"Hermione still gets that same bemused look on her face whenever she sees magic," she said softly. "She loves learning about how magic works, and wants to return to Hogwarts, something that scares me, frankly. Add to that a teacher who is a ghost, another who doesn't hide his distain of students like Hermione, and Harry in particular."

Tony nodded as he took a bite of his Shepard's pie, delighted to find it was much like the dish Ana Jarvis made him when he was a child. He swallowed and chased it down with the tepid, weak coffee the British were fond of.

"I'm familiar with Snape, unfortunately, and he hated James Potter. Harry isn't going back," he responded adamantly. "And Peter will join him in his studies at home."

"I wish we had that option, Dr. Stark," she sighed, pushing around her mashy peas around.

"Tony, please."

"Jean, then." She smiled at him. "It nice to be able to talk to another parent who recognizes their child needs to be safe."

Tony set down his fork and wiped his fingers on his napkin. "I also don't appreciate the lack of mainstream subjects being taught in the school, and I'm speaking of mathematics, English, and science."

"It's like they are expected to never return to the non-magical world!" Jean pushed her plate away.

"They aren't," Sirius interjected, leaning across Tony. "Most of the community is arrogant enough to believe no one would want to return to the mundane world after experiencing magic."

"Why wouldn't they embrace both worlds?" Steve asked, taking Peter's plate from him to finish his last piece of fish.

"The older families are entrenched in the past," Sirius said, pushing his own plate away. "They still use ink quills and parchment, for Merlin's sake! Most have no idea about the advances in science and technology in the Muggle world."

"We're about to change that," Harry piped up. "Dad's developed cell phones and computers that work around magic."

"Which reminds me," Tony remembered. "Harry, you want to get Hermione's present?"

Harry's face lit up and he reached into his bag, coming out with a rectangle box. Hermione immediately ripped it open, taking out the new StarkMag phone. Harry and Peter both leaned over to show her how the phone worked, the adults watching bemused.

"Jean?" Tony switched his attention back to her. "Have you thought of a private magical tutor for Hermione or an alternative school, so you don't have to send Hermione back to Hogwarts?"

She shook her head. "I'm not even sure how I'd go about finding something like that."

Sirius transfigured his fork into a pen and took out one of the business cards he now carried. "Here is the phone number of my cousin, Andromeda Tonks. She's a solicitor and her husband, Ted, is a barrister. They can help you draw up the paperwork you would need to have Hermione homeschooled in magic or even create a charter school." He handed her the card. "You and Tony can't be the only parent who feels Hogwarts is not providing what your children need or the safety it should."

"I'd even help fund a school, as long as it's open to all kids," Tony told her. "And that includes the magical kids who can't access their cores. Some never get the opportunity for an education."

"Dr. Granger," Steve spoke up for the first time. "I was one of those, a Squib my ma called it. When I was changed by Project Rebirth, it enabled me to finally connect to my core. While we are fortunate enough to be able to give our sons the best of both worlds, I would also like to help. No kid should have to remain in an unsafe or abusive environment."

All three of the kids nodded in agreement and Tony was proud of his sons. The atmosphere lightened from there, with everyone finishing their lunches while they chatted. Tony sat back and listened to the conversation among the kids as they continued to regal Peter with their exploits at school. It was nice to sit and listen to the three laugh and giggle at each other. It was one of the few times since Harry had come into his life, a little over two months ago, that he actually got to hear his son laugh freely.

"It's almost time for Peter's appointment." Steve's voice cut threw Tony's thoughts.

There was a flurry of activity after that. Harry and Hermione hugged and promised to keep in touch, while Tony gave Jean his phone number should she need anything from them. Sirius used the opportunity to pay for the meal and Steve herded them all out the door in record time. The Alley was busier now and apparently word had gotten out that Harry Potter was there. A crowd of people gathering around their group as they made their way towards Gringotts. Many of them were trying to touch him or yelling at Harry to show them his scar.

And Tony thought paparazzi were invasive.

Harry plastered a stoic look on his face, on hand gripping the strap of his bag. He was glad when Uncle Steve picked Peter up and waded toward the steps of Gringotts with the goblin guards preventing anyone from following them. Fed up with the situation, Sirius drew his wand and pushed his way through the crowd, with Harry behind him and Tony bringing up the rear; the guards stepping down to form a safe path. Once they stepped inside the bank, Harry took a deep breath, rubbing at his chest to relieve the knot of tension and anger both he and his dad were feeling.

"We're using glamours tomorrow," Sirius growled, stowing his wand back in its holster.

"Glamours?" Harry asked as they walked to Ironjaw's office.

"It's a charm that changes your appearance."

"What about the Notice-Me-Not spell?" Harry was curious.

Sirius nodded. "Another good one, but it's harder to buy things when people don't see you."

"Makes sense," Tony agreed as they stepped into the room and saw Steve sitting in front of the large desk. "Peter already taken back?"

"Yes."

Harry thought Uncle Steve's voice was a bit clipped and he moved to stand beside him. Steve grabbed his hand and held it as Harry leaned against his leg. His dad and Sirius settled into the seats on either side, sitting tensely. They all knew this appointment was different then the one they all did after their heritage test, a more specific and invasive magical exam. An exam that none of them could be in with Peter, as their magic might interfere with the results.

"Ironjaw went with him," Steve told them. "So, he wouldn't feel alone."

"He'll be okay, Pops," Harry reassured him. "Probably asking the healer a million questions."

"Yeah," Tony muttered. "He didn't get that from me."

Harry turned to look at him with a deadpan expression, as did Steve and Sirius, which made his dad sputter and them all laugh. With a grin, Harry listened to the men rib each other, wondering how he'd gotten this lucky. A little over a year ago, Harry had been miserable and downtrodden, hoping he could survive the drudgery of the Dursleys through his teenage years without them throwing him out of the house. He had thought he only had himself to depend on with no real family or prospects.

Now, he had a father who loved him, a brother, and an entire family behind him. He couldn't imagine not growing older with Sirius or Pepper, a second dad in Steve, and strong uncles and aunts, like Rhodey, Happy, Ben, and May. Add to that a supportive, nurturing environment, not having to worry about getting enough to eat, or his needs being met. Harry swore to himself as he watched the good-natured teasing going on between the three of the most important men in his life, that he would never take it for granted or be one of those hateful teenagers.

The door opening startled him from his thoughts and Harry stood up with the others, watching as Ironjaw entered, with a healer carrying Peter. Steve stepped forward immediately to gently take his son, Tony at his side as they moved back to the chairs. Harry reached over the take his brother's hand.

The goblin healer, the same one who had cared for Harry, stood just inside the door with a foreboding look on his face. Ironjaw settled in his chair behind his desk before signaling the healer to go ahead.

"I am not sure whether it is a coincidence for this child to be a half-sibling to the last child I saw with similar blocks on his core."

Harry shifted uncomfortably at the healer's words, welcoming the arm his dad put around his shoulders. "Is Peter okay?"

The goblin nodded. "He will be. Someone cast a block on his magical core at birth, it appears. The type of block which would become permanent, if not removed once his body matured sufficiently."

"Were you able to remove it?" Steve asked quietly.

"I was able to weaken it sufficiently, to allow the block to erode on its own. It would have caused more damage to remove it abruptly." The healer tapped his fingernail on his chin. "May I ask a question?"

"Of course," Tony answered for them all.

"This binding was placed on the child almost immediately after birth, the magical signature too degraded to identify the caster. Do you know who might have placed it?"

Harry watched as everyone looked at each other and then shook their heads.

The healer appeared to purse his lips, if he had lips, Harry thought. "His magical core is a healthy size, although there has been some minor atrophy due to the block. The mother was a Squib, but is it known whether she came from a magical family? His inheritance test shows three fathers, which is highly unusual –"

Ironjaw interrupted him. "The original contributor was a Muggle scientist who used a method at the genetic level to add Tony and Steve to the child's creation. They were both unaware of this until just weeks ago."

"Then there was a witch or wizard at the child's birth, who immediately blocked his magic for some reason."

"Dad?" Harry scrunched up his forehead in thought. "HYDRA knows about magic, would they have put the block on his magic in order for Peter to survive?"

Steve's head snapped around to look at Harry and then Tony. "If his magic was unstable at birth, due to the experimentation, would blocking it have let the magic stabilize?"

"Quite possibly," the healer answered as his dad nodded in agreement.

"The thing that haunts me," Steve whispered, looking down at Peter, "was how many of these experiments failed."

The impact of those words hit Harry hard. He knew his dad's DNA, along with Steve's and several others had been used in the experiments. The heritage tests had proven only Peter had survived, that they knew of, but what of Steve's friend, Bucky? For once, Harry was thankful that making potions were difficult, or HYDRA hadn't had a Potions Master to make blood adoption potions.

"More mysteries to try and make sense of," Tony interjected. "We need to find out if HYDRA is currently aware of Peter's existence and whether they know where he is."

Ironjaw had them Portkey to the London apartment, much to Harry's relief, and they all collapsed on the couches in the lounge. Peter came around shortly afterward, cuddled between Steve and their dad, while they explained what the healer said.

Of course, Peter heard only the good news. "I'm really magical!" he exclaimed. "That is so cool!"

"Yes, Peter, you are, but it will take a bit of time before you have full access to your core," Sirius explained.

"Which means no trying to do magic until you're cleared, young man," Uncle Steve added.

"And you need to tell us if you feel your magic, so we can make sure the binding comes off the way it should." His dad told him.

Peter looked at Harry, who shrugged his shoulders. "Never can have too many parental figures, Pete."

"We'll see how you feel when you start dating," Sirius muttered.

Tony clasped his hand over his chest. "My sons aren't dating until their thirty!"

Steve choked, before laughing hysterically. "Guess I shouldn't tell you about your Uncle Bucky and his champaign to be the Casanova of our freshman year!"

Sirius joined him, as did the others one by one. It had been a long day and they were all tired. Harry felt giddy, but knew not all the news they had gotten today was good. Grabbing Peter, he wrapped him in a hug, only to have Steve pull them both to his chest and lift them off their feet, causing both to giggle in delight.

"All right, enough levity," Tony announced, clapping his hands. "Let's see what the chef left for our dinner."

Dinner turned out to be roasted chicken with rice and veggies, which Harry thought was delicious. Sirius set the dishes to wash themselves and they made an early night of it. Peter must have been unsettled from the healer exam as Harry woke up in the early hours to him crawling into his bed, his body trembling. By morning, both Tony and Padfoot had joined them, while Steve had gone for an early run when he was awoken by a nightmare.

The return visit to Diagon Alley was low key, both boys wearing glamours with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes to match Steve. Sirius delighted in leading them around the shops, and showing them all the wonderful things magic could make better. Tony particularly liked the mugs charmed to refill automatically with your beverage of choice. All of them got derailed in Quality Quidditch Supply for over an hour, ending up with Sirius buying Steve and Peter their own brooms. Harry was beyond excited to teach his brother to fly. Tony promised a trip to the warehouse property in New York so they could learn.

Flourish and Blotts was where both his dad and Uncle Steve got sidetracked, while Sirius took Harry and Peter to Sugarplums Sweet Shop. They grabbed lunch at ZA Coffee, before going into Twilfitt and Tattings, where Tony ordered several outfits as school clothes for he and Peter with protection spells and growth charms woven into them. Harry warned Peter about the frisky magical measuring tape and they both smothered snickers when the cheeky thing molested Uncle Steve while he was being measured for trousers. They both cheered as he batted it through a wall and the shop attendant had to apologize.

By the time they all climb onto the jet late that afternoon, Harry felt exhausted and Steve carried a dozing Peter from the limo. Even his dad, who never tired out, would probably be asleep as soon as the plane was in the air. It was a good tired, though, Harry decided as he put his seatbelt on and looked out the window as they began moving down the runway.

"Sir?"

JARVIS' voice startled Harry, as he hadn't heard it since they left New York.

"Yes, J?" Tony tried to stifle a yawn.

"I have just received a confirmed sighting of Sargent James Barnes."

Chapter Text

"I have just received a confirmed sighting of Sergent James Barnes."

The sleepiness Tony had been feeling disappeared, and he sat forward, glancing over to where Steve had stiffened in his seat. "What did you find, JARVIS?"

"A sighting confirmed via facial recognition from the surveillance system at a small airfield in Jordan, just over the border from Syria, where last night a high-ranking member of the Syrian Military forces was assassinated, further igniting the current civil war. He arrived on a motorcycle and was escorted onto a Quinjet, which took off without filing a flight plan."

"How long ago did it take off?" Tony asked.

"Approximately 45 minutes ago, Sir."

"Thank you, JARVIS. Can you show us the pictures?"

"Of course, Sir."

A holographic screen appeared before them with two pictures, one of a masked and goggled Winter Solider parking a small motorcycle next to an unmarked Quinjet. The second was of the same man, his face now exposed, being directed toward the jet by another man, a sniper rifle visible strapped over his shoulder.

Steve gasped as JARVIS zoomed in on the Winter Soldier's face. Despite the almost shoulder-length hair and stubbled cheeks, the Bucky Barnes in the picture didn't look like he'd aged more than a handful of years since he fell from Zola's train. Tony's first thought was Barnes had been frozen in ice, much like Steve had been, but he knew the area below the point of the fall, had been searched by Howard within days of the incident. The only thing equivalent to ice would be cryostasis.

"Is there any way to track that plane?" Steve asked, hands clenched into fists.

"I'm afraid not, Captain Rogers, they have no transponder or radio turned on, therefore there is no frequency to track."

"Stealth mode, JARVIS?" Tony asked, studying the Quinjet.

"Similar, Sir, however, per SHIELD's data, going by the markings, this same Quinjet has been utilized by SHIELD STRIKE Team Delta."

"Sonofabitch!" Tony cursed as the implication sunk in.

"That’s the STRIKE Team Fury wanted me to join!" Steve whispered, his eyes still on the pictures. "And the team that came to the Tower to collect the scepter."

"I think we need to assume that particular team is HYDRA," Tony replied grimly. "Who do they answer to, JARVIS?"

"Secretary Alexander Pierce, Sir."

"Secretary of what?" Harry asked, his eyes glued to the pictures as well, Peter dozing in the seat beside him.

"The World Security Council!" Tony spat.

Steve’s jaw dropped. "That ass—man who came to the Tower to collect the Tesseract?"

"The same one who ordered a nuclear strike on New York City," Tony confirmed. "Did you get anything on the escort, J?"

"SHIELD Agent Rumlow, sir."

"Sounds like confirmation to me," Steve slumped into a seat.

Sirius studied the pictures. "If JARVIS can let us know where the jet ends up, we might be able to get close enough to cast a Tracking Spell on it."

Tony nodded in agreement. "That would certainly be less dangerous as we can do it from a distance. Plus, they would have to have a magical to be able to check for it, while a manual tracker would be detected by the onboard systems."

"Will you teach us that spell, Sirius? So that any of us can cast it if we have the opportunity?" Steve's voice was determined.

"Yes, as well as the spell to detect them, so everyone can check themselves," Tony added. "Especially if you've been to the SHIELD offices, Steve."

"Someone want to cast that whatsit now, just to make sure there aren't any tracking or listening things in here?" Happy spoke up. "I already swept for bugs and trackers, well, physical ones."

Sirius had his wand in his hand immediately and cast silently with a circular motion over his head. Nothing lit up, telling Tony there were no spells in place.

"Thank you, Sirius." Steve took a deep breath. "At least the Quinjet gives us a place to start.

Tony nodded, rubbing the knuckles of his right hand on his cheek. "HYDRA has to have a facility to house Barnes, large enough for a cryotube, if they keep him frozen between missions. Plus, they would need a place to work on that arm – it looks like metal and most likely mechanical."

"At least we know that your friend is alive, Pops," Harry said softly. "So now we can start planning how we can help him, when we are able to find him."

Tony nodded along with Steve, while Sirius looked thoughtful. There was no doubt that HYDRA had to have tortured and programed Bucky Barnes into the assassin he'd become, as there was no way Captain America's best friend would have willingly worked for them. Definitely some type of brainwashing had to be involved.

"We'll all prepare, Steve," Sirius said. "There are potions and spells that can help with whatever HYDRA might have done to him. I'm sure Tony will allow us to set up a special room on your floor for Bucky, where we can have him treated."

"Absolutely!" Tony agreed immediately. "Bruce is going to be moving into the Tower in the next few days, and I invited Natasha and Clint, as well." He speared his fingers through his hair. "Happy, let's double the security force at both the Tower and the California headquarters. JARVIS has the Malibu mansion handled."

"I'll take care of it, Boss." Happy's jaw was set. "Can JARVIS identify all of the STRIKE Team members who came to the Tower?"

Tony nodded. "Great idea, Hap! J, start a list of those we know or suspect are HYDRA."

"As you wish, Sir."

"And every one of us needs to be careful," Steve said through gritted teeth. "If HYDRA has people at Pierce's level, they are powerful, and that makes them very dangerous." He glanced at the boys, before meeting Tony's eyes. "They will not hesitate to kidnap or kill anyone if it benefits HYDRA."

Tony's heart stuttered when he thought of something happening to either of his sons, or anyone else in their family. He knew he would have to come up with a way to keep his loved ones safe, including magical and technological means. The protections they already had were formattable, but mainly focused on magical means, not physical dangers.

"Harry! Get up!"

Groaning, Harry tried to pull the sheet over his head, put it resisted. The bed beside him dipped and Harry rolled away, blinking his eyes opened to bright sunlight streaming into his room. The bed started to ungulate under him and he sat up, grabbing Peter as he bounced.

"Ugh, Petey! It's too early!"

"Come on, Harry! It's our first day of school!"

Peter's enthusiasm was usually delightful, but at the moment, all Harry could muster was a moan. However, his brother was smart enough to know when his chosen tactic wasn't working, so he wasn't surprised when Peter flopped down beside him and hugged Harry.

"Pops is making waffles and Uncle Ben brought us donuts from the Donut Pub!"

His stomach growled at Peter's words and Harry popped up. "Waffles?"

"Yup!" Peter confirmed, rolling to the side of the bed and jumping off. "I'll try to save you some!"

"Grab me a maple bacon donut!" Harry commanded as he headed into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Harry was washed up and dressed as he headed for the kitchen. Sirius, Pepper, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Steve, and Dad grinned at him as he plopped down in his seat. A plate was set in front of him and Harry took his first bite, happily chewing on the crisp, delicious waffles. He nodded as his head was kissed by each of his parental figures, his dad giving him a one-armed hug before setting his favorite donut beside his plate.

He was glad that Peter was such a morning person, as he listened to his brother chatter away. While Harry was excited to start his classes, especially in a new school where he shouldn't be in danger, nor expected to be a hero; the news conference Tony had held the day before made him uneasy. The information SI released as it announced them as the company's heirs, simply contained he and Peter's names, with Stark as their surname, age, and simple headshot pictures. Most of the press had assumed they were full brothers, being a year apart, and that their "mother" had recently died, allowing them to come into Tony's care. No one had corrected them.

Midtown High would know him as Harry Evans and his brother would continue to use Peter Parker. They only shared four classes, even though they were technically in the same grade, but would give them time together at school, but also encourage them to form their own friendships. He and Peter had dissuaded Tony and Steve from accompanying them this morning, knowing every other parent would be there, and probably the press, due to several other high-profile parents. Sirius accompanied them, a Notice-Me-Not Spell on himself and the mostly magical security team who would be guarding them while at school.

Happy maneuvered the Bentley Mulstanne to the back entrance of the school. Tony had assured the boys that the vehicle was the least formal of the cars, while being fully reenforced and protected. Harry had tried not to roll his eyes when Sirius stepped out first, wand in hand, but hidden by his side as he and Peter clambered out. They had already been through all the hugs, kisses, and pictures before they left the Tower, Steve and Tony particularly clingy. Sirius sent them off with a smirk before sliding back into the car.

"The outside cafeteria door should be open," Peter told him, leading the way around the building. "Ned will either be there or at his locker."

Harry happily followed, his messenger bag over his shoulder. Peter carried a backpack made of a lightweight Kevlar fabric SI used to make tactical gear for the military and SWAT teams. Sirius had charmed the backpack with the same spells and protections Harry's bag had, especially when Peter had told him about some of the things his middle school bullies had done in previous years.

"No one will be able to open it or take it from you, Pete," Sirius had assured him.

As they stepped into the cafeteria, Peter scanned the students before leading the way out into the hallway. Ned was putting his things in his locker when they found him and Peter hurried to greet him. Harry followed at a slower rate, amused as he watched the two do the insanely complicated handshake they had created. He watched as other student filed past, most talking animatedly. Down the hall, he watched as a small group of boys came toward them taking up the entire hallway, being led by a boy whose stride seemed to imply that he owned the place, and Harry watched as the boy caught sight of Peter, swerving to head toward his brother.

When the boy got close, Harry stepped in his way as the kid went to shoulder check Peter. Mentally thanking both Happy and Uncle Steve, Harry turned into him, sending the kid to the floor on his backside. Smirking, Harry stood, looking down as the kid gawked at him, while his friends hauled him to his feet.

Red faced, the kid stepped closer to Harry, who was delighted to find he was taller than the bully.

"Do you know who I am?" The kid snarled at him.

Harry glanced over at Peter who had moved up beside him, trying to smother a laugh. "Not a clue, nor do I care. But you remind me of an arsehole bully from my last school, who like to be a jackass to other kids because his family had money."

"Flash thinks his family has money, Harry," Ned told him helpfully from next to Peter.

Harry through his head back and laughed, thinking of the Stark, Potter, and Black fortunes. "Not enough!" he got out, still laughing.

"Come on, Harry, we don't want to be late." Peter grinned, and led the way to their homeroom.

The day passed quickly and Harry found he enjoyed his introduction to all his classes. It was also a relief not to have to worry that someone would cast a spell at him in the hallway between classes, although Flash continued to try and bully Peter and Ned whenever he saw them. Harry just quirked an eyebrow at the bully and his gaggle of followers. After the Dursleys and Draco Malfoy, he wasn't going to let anyone else bully him.

It came to an expected head pretty quickly by the last class of the day, Earth Science. The teacher, Mr. Harrington was busy monitoring the hallway, when Flash came into the room ahead of Harry. As Harry walked in, Flash had tripped Peter, sending him sprawling across the floor as one of his friends shoved Ned into a wall. The teacher walked in and ignored both Peter and Ned, as Flash sat in the seat Peter had chosen and tossed his messenger bag across the floor toward him.

"Settle down, everyone!" Harrington said, looking around his desk for something. "We will be taking role before we begin—"

"Excuse me," Harry snapped, feeling the anger swirling in his chest as he checked Peter for injuries.

"What is it?" Harrington glanced up, before continuing his search.

"Are you not going to do anything about what just happened?" Harry bit out, not caring in the least that his tone was not one you should use in addressing a teacher.

Harrington frowned and looked up. "I didn't see anything and your attitude leaves much to be desired, Mr.?"

"Evans, Harry Evans!" Harry retorted; he was not going to just drop it. "Are you blind or just that obtuse?"

"Mr. Evans—"

"Were you not told about the upgrades done to this classroom over the summer?" He might never have spoken up for himself, but no one was going to hurt his brother!

Harrington stiffened, which told Harry he knew exactly what had been done and had identified who Harry was. "I am aware, Mr. Evans."

"Then, you know there are now CCTV cameras in all the rooms and hallways to keep the students safe and discourage bullying."

Harry pinned Flash with a look and was pleased to see his face lose all its color. Peter moved closer to Harry, not as comfortable as Harry was with calling Flash out.

"I think you need to sit down, Mr. Evans," Harrington scowled at him. "I'll not have you disrupting my class."

"But good ol' Flash over there is fine, even though he assaulted two of your students?"

"If you won't follow my instructions, Mr. Evans, I'll have to ask you to go to the office."

"Or the office may have to come to the classroom."

Harry grinned as he heard Uncle Steve's voice coming from behind him. Mr. Harrington's mouth fell open and Flash gawked as they both turned toward the door. Peter leaned into Harry's side for a moment, before straightening up and schooled his face before he turned around.

"Captain America?" Harrington sputtered. "Principal Morita?"

"I don't like bullies, Mr. Harrington." Uncle Steve stepped into the room, dressed in a leather jacket and chinos, and made his way to the front of the classroom, plucking the sheet of paper out of the teacher's hand. "Why don't I take roll for you while you speak to the principal."

Harry, Peter, and Ned found seats as Uncle Steve began to call out names. Flash slowly regained the color in his cheeks as the minutes ticked by, apparently thinking he was in the clear. Steve took his time, chatting with each of the students for a few minutes as he called their names. Harry smothered a laugh when his Pops skipped over his name and then Peter's while going down the list.

"Captain Rogers?" One of the students spoke up when Steve was done.

"Yes, Miss Davis?"

"You forgot those two." She pointed at Harry and Peter.

With a grin, Steve nodded his head. "That I did, I'm sorry." He gave the boys a wink. "My apologies, Mr. Evans and Mr. Parker, while I know you both, the other students don't."

Flash slid down in his chair; his eyes wide. He was saved by a harried Mr. Harrington coming back into the room and immediately beginning the class. Uncle Steve came over and sat next to Harry through the class, before sweeping the three boys out of the class as soon as they were released. Happy met them a half a block down from the school, Ned coming home with them to work on homework. The boys filled the back seat, Ned and Peter chattering away as they drove back to the Tower.

Harry wasn't surprised when his dad and Sirius were waiting for them when they got to the penthouse. Steve stepped out of the elevator first, a grin on his face.

"You're never going to believe who the Midtown principal is related to?" He told Tony as with a wide grin.

Harry covered a smile when his dad gave Uncle Steve a look.

"He's Jim Morita's grandson!"

Tony's face went slack. "From the Howlies?"

Steve nodded, his grin morphing into something smug. "Which is why we should never have to worry about anyone being bullied at Midtown High again."

"We watched the video. He's damn lucky the kid wasn't charged with assault!" Sirius interjected, stepping forward to hug Harry and Peter. "Ned, get over here!"

Peter grabbed Ned's arm and pulled him into the group hug, before they all broke apart, laughing.

"Come on, kids! Let's have a snack and you can all tell us about your first day!" Tony waved them over to the kitchen island, where veggie sticks and hand-held fruit pasties were waiting.

Tony yawned widely as he began to shut down the numerous hologram screens around him. It was early by his standards, but he, Sirius, and Steve were leaving tomorrow afternoon for Dumblefuck's trail and Tony wanted to be up to get the boys off to school.

"Sir?"

Frowning slightly at the tone in JARVIS" voice, Tony looked toward one of his AI's cameras. "Yes, J?"

"The Quinjet I have been trying to track, landed at the Triskelion this afternoon. In attempting to backtrack it's flight path, I have discovered the Quinjet spent the last few days on the roof top of an abandoned bank building in Washington DC."

Tony blinked. "An abandoned bank?"

"The Ideal Federal Savings Bank, Sir."

"Find all the nearby CCTV, ATM cameras, you know the drill, JARVIS. Go back at least since Pierce took over SHIELD, if you can. I want to know everything you can wring out of the footage. Let's keep eyes on the building from now on."

"Of course, Sir," JARVIS sounded determined, making Tony smile.

"And a second task, J, go into that backdoor to SHIELD Natasha left in your server and see what you can find on Barnes or anything that sounds like HYDRA." Tony snapped his fingers. "Start with Zola and do a deep dive, but remember he was HYDRA and take all precautions."

"I will endeavor to do just that, Sir."

Tony slid into bed, sheets chilly against his skin and he missed Pepper's warmth, as she had flown to Berlin to negotiate the sale of the next large Arc Reactor. She hadn't wanted to be gone while Tony was also going to be out of New York, but they both knew this was a large step for the new green energy division of the company. Ben and May were at the Tower and would keep the boys safe. Harry was even going to bunk over with Peter on the Parkers' floor while they were gone. Mariah Fontaine and Andrew Romano were also aware of the trial and Tony knew he could count on them if anything happened while they were gone.

Despite his anxiety, Tony slept surprisingly well and was up before the boys. Steve came in, already cleaned up after his morning run, and they put together breakfast. Steve went to wake Peter, while Tony sat down on the edge of Harry's mattress and began to slid his fingers through his tousled hair.

"Come on, bambino, it's time to wake up." Tony injected enough cheeriness in his voice to be annoying and grinned when Harry whined, trying to push him away.

"I could have Steve come in and wake you." He threatened, trying to keep from laughing as Harry's nose scrunched up.

"No! Please, Dad!" Harry groaned and basted away Tony's hand. "That's cruel!"

Tony gave an unrepetitive grin. "I could kiss you all over your face, too, if you want!"

"Ugh! I'm up! I'm up!"

If Tony had known how fun it was to be a father, he might have considered it sooner, he decided as he watched Harry stumble into his bathroom. The reality of the thought sobered him, remembering what Harry had endured before he'd found Tony. Peter's situation was an improvement as far as childhood abuse, but no less traumatic as Harry's in its own way.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Tony got up and headed back to the kitchen, where Happy was already seated with a donut and coffee. He saluted with his mug as Tony opened the lid of the pink box Happy had brought and pulled out each of the boys' favorites to put on their plates. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit completed breakfast with both Harry and Peter sliding into their seats just as they finished up.

"Morning, munchkins!" Sirius strolled out of the elevator dressed in black, with a maroon over-robe, and headed toward the kitchen island. "Everyone ready for this new adventure?"

"You are all going to be careful, right?" Harry asked, his eyes darting from Sirius, to Steve, and finally, to Tony.

"We are, son," Steve spoke before Tony could. "I'm going in my new uniform with my shield. Sirius has his Auror-grade equipment, and Tony has his new Mark IX suit. With all the runic arrays and protective spells for all of us."

"I'm more concerned about you boys," Tony told them. "We're keeping it quiet that we're going to be out of the country just so no one decides to take advantage of our absence."

"No one here knows, either, do they?" Harry asked. "With the exception of Uncle Ben and Aunt May?"

Tony nodded. "I also let Rhodey know, as he's back in Washington with the president, and could help if you need him. Mariah and Andrew said they would check in with you both in a couple days."

"And we'll call you every day, and you can text whenever you want." Steve added, after washing his eggs down with a sip of coffee.

"You may also inquire of me, young sirs, as I will be monitoring the gentlemen as well," JARVIS added. "For their own good, of course."

Both boys snickered as Tony gave a betrayed squawk and an overdramatic pout.

"All right, boys, finish up and grab your things. We don't want you to be late."

"Yes, Pops!" Harry and Peter chirped together.

There were a flurry of goodbyes, love yous, and stern warnings to behave, before Happy whisked the boys into the elevator. Steve started cleaning up, waving Tony off. Tony gave him a grin as Sirius rolled his eyes and waved his wand at the dishes in the sink. Tony ignored them both as he made his way back to his bedroom and finished packing his bag. His suit, as well as a holotable, tablets, and what equipment he needed to set up a small lab, were already stowed in the upgraded Quinjet Tony had purchased. It was primarily for the Avengers, but it was the fastest form of transportation they had, beside the nausea-producing Portkeys.

Clint Barton was going with them, as the pilot, but Tony had a feeling Fury really wanted to keep tabs on them. Romanoff was on a deep-cover assignment, while Bruce had remained in his lab at the Tower. Tony knew he could have flown to Geneva and Sirius Apparate, but they had appearances to keep up in the mundane world. There was also the fact, that he and Steve wanted to talk to Sirius about becoming an official Avenger and the flight would give them time. Neither of them was sure how that would go over with MACUSA or the ICW, but they wanted to see if he was willing before they took the idea further.

Sirius, of course, was enthusiastic about joining the team, and they worked on drafting a proposal for the ICW and MACUSA, wanting both to give their approval. Before the alien invasion, the idea of openly using magic in the mundane world was unthinkable. Now, with Super Soldiers, various superheroes, and the mutant community becoming more visible, it seemed to be the time for magic to come out of the shadows.

The rented apartment took up the entire top floor of a building near the ICW offices and Tony did a walk-through with Sirius, removing surveillance devices and spells. Despite the late hour, local time, Tony wasn't surprised to find he needed the swallow of sleeping draught Sirius had given both he and Steve. They all wanted to be at their best the next morning.

The short Portkey to the reception area of the ICW was tolerable, all of their moods positive after being able to video call the boys to say goodnight before they left. Security was tighter around the ICW chambers than it had been during Sirius' trial, including a check for spells and potions on each person entering. Tony shared a look with the other two men as their wands were checked, all wondering what had happened to cause it.

This time, Tony noted, their seats were situated right behind the prosecutors' table, Ian Selwyn already in place at the table as their representative. Tony had chosen a navy-blue suit, with a deep red open robe, the Peverell crest in gold over his heart. His tie matched his robe. Sirius wore black dragonhide trousers, a dark gray tunic top, and a black open robe, his family crest in silver. Both Tony's and Sirius' robes were made from the special protective cloth SI produced. Steve, clad in a slight variation of his Captain America uniform made of the same cloth, without the cowl, and the family crest Gringotts had crafted for him: his wand crossing his shield, with a shamrock for the O'Brien family and a Scottish thistle for Barnes.

As the settled into their seats, Tony hoped the Pensieve memories Harry had given to Ian, along with the reports from the healers and goblins who had examined Harry would be enough that his son would not have to testify. The fact that Dumbledore had sealed a piece of Tom Riddles' soul into Harry's scar instead of having it removed, spoke volumes to Tony. Sirius elbowing him in the side brought Tony's attention back to the court as the defense attorney walked in, with the representatives from the ICW following. A short, round man dressed in a green suit was escorted in and seated to one side of the ICW. Tony recognized the MACUSA Present Quahog as he took his seat adjacent to the prosecutors' table and returned the man's polite nod. While they had not formally met, Tony had been briefed in full on everyone significant to the American magical community, including the political situation in both the US and the UK. The guy in green had to be Fudge, the British Minister for Magic.

Albus Dumbledore was escorted into the room, magic-suppressing cuffs on each wrist, and dressed in periwinkle-colored robes. The man appeared relaxed and rested, a benevolent smile on his face, as if he weren't responsible for both Harry and Sirius' misery for over a decade. He felt Sirius stiffen with anger beside him, which he expect – what he hadn't anticipated was Steve's sharp intake of breath on his other side.

Tony leaned toward him. "Are you alright?" he whispered as the Supreme Mugwump arrived.

"That is the man who manipulated Harry and Sirius' lives?" Steve hissed, his eyes hard on Dumbledore.

Tony nodded, a bit confused by the level of fury in his friend's eyes.,

"He was the leader of the wizards the Howlies fought with against Grindelwald. Monty said he was very powerful, but Alphard didn't trust him, said he was Grindelwald's lover who changed sides." Steve took a deep breath. "He didn't really associate with us during the missions, not like the other wizards did."

A gong-like sound cutoff any further discussion as the new Supreme Mugwump, Babajide Akingbade, opened the trial. Like any trial Tony had ever had to sit through, the beginning was full of bureaucratic announcements, jockeying between the prosecution and the defense, and the judge or arbitrator's instructions. Dumblefuck sat serenely in a chair next to his solicitor, a self-satisfied smile on his face.

The lead prosecutor opened the trial with an overview of the charges against the old bastard and how they impacted the lives of his victims. Dumbledore's solicitor waxed poetically about the need to prepare for the inevitable return of evil, and the need for sacrifice in light of what was to come. How suffering was always required for the greater good of their world.

Tony thought he was going to throw up or his magic explode out of him as he listened, Steve grabbed his hand as did Sirius on the other side, and Tony could feel all their magic swirling around them. Having his two friends to anchor him helped, as Tony thought about Harry and how happy he was in order to reign himself in. The last thing his son needed was for Tony to lose his patience here. Perhaps he should take Ian's offer of a Calming Draft.

While he knew it was coming, Tony was still startled when the prosecutor began with Lily's letter to him that was found in the Potter's vault by Ironjaw. While a representative of the ICW read the letter aloud, Dumbledore began to fidget in his seat when the prophecy was first mentioned. When the woman began to read the prophecy itself, Dumblefuck surged to his feet.

"No! You can't read that!"

The Supreme Mugwump flicked his wand and silenced Dumbledore. "I will have you removed from the chambers if you can not comport yourself, Dumbledore."

Tony watched in fascination as Dumbledore continued to wave his arms and gesture wildly. Another flick of the Supreme Mugwump's wand had Dumbledore tied to his chair.

Akingbade gave the defendant a hard look. "While I have not way of knowing Minister Fudge's political affiliations, Dumbledore, I doubt he is one of Tom Riddle's supporters, so I see no reason not to read this supposed prophecy into the record." He waved to the official to continue her reading.

When she had finished, the prosecutor spoke. "It was based on the words of a self-proclaimed seer that the defendant took as truth, and set him on a path which led to the destruction of a young family, the kidnaping a child he'd decided was the prophecy was about, and knowingly placed him in an abusive living situation. Dumbledore, who had cast the Fidelius Charm on the cottage he insisted James and Lily Potter hide in and knew who the Secret Keeper was."

Several of the Aurors James had worked with were called to testify, confirming James took a leave from his duties prior to Harry being born. Tony watched intently when retired Auror Alastor Moody was called. This had to be the magical policeman Howard had mentioned in his letter. Steve sucked in a breath, also clearly recognizing the man as his crazy eye seemed to look between Sirius, Steve, and Tony. He gave them a small nod as he sat down and began to answer the questions the prosecutor asked him.

Part of Tony's mind followed along, while another part went over what was coming: he was going to testify to the relationship he'd had with Lily and James tomorrow, as well as how Harry had come into his care. Harry's memories would be viewed, and the report he gave to the Auror who initially interviewed him would be read. Sirius would be called next, introduced as the one person who had arrived at the cottage in the immediate aftermath of Tom Riddle's attack and vanquishment. His testimony from his own trial, under Veritaserum would be introduced, as well as Dumbledore's part in his illegal incarceration.

Ironjaw, representing Gringotts, would present and verify the documents in their had had in their possession, including the wills which were never probated, even though Dumbledore was the executor, Harry and Tony's heritage tests, and the records connected to the vaults Harry had inherited.

As the days passed, it was surprising that the solicitor representing Dumbledore had acknowledged each of the witnesses, but declined to ask them any questions. Tony thought it was unusual the first day, but by Friday he couldn't help but think either the man was a fool or Dumbledore was. Ian had accompanied them to dinner Thursday night, but he was just as mystified as to what was going to be accomplished with that particular tactic.

"All I can image, is that Dumbledore doesn't believe he needs a defense and Doge is going along with his wishes," Ian admitted to them over dessert.

"Seems pretty foolish to me," Tony muttered as he poked at his blueberry tart.

"Especially when the prosecutors are asking for him to take Veritaserum if he testifies." Ian grinned at their stares. "Won't that be entertaining?"

"Worth sitting in that chair for the past week," Steve answered, his grin more like a smirk, if Tony were asked.

"Oh, Steve." Ian slid his hand into his robes and withdrew a piece of parchment. "Liam O'Connor, the lead prosecutor would like to call you to testify tomorrow, if they get done going through all the documents Ironjaw brought."

Accepting the document, Steve blinked; a bit surprised. "Of course, although, I'm not sure how much I can help."

Steve was called to testify just before lunch on Friday and Tony savored the look of astonishment on Dumblefuck's face when he recognized Captain America. The prosecutor shot the old wizard a toothy grin as he approached Steve.

"If you would please identify yourself, sir, and give us your age," Liam O'Connor directed Steve.

"Captain Steven Grant Rogers, and I was born in 1918, so chronologically I am 94 years old."

"How can that be, Captain Rogers, you look like you are still in your twenties?"

Steve shifted on the seat. "I crashed a plane into the Artic in February 1945, where I was frozen in ice for sixty-seven years. I was twenty-seven when that happened; the freezing seems to have halted my aging during that time."

O'Connor nodded his head and Tony saw that all eyes were on Steve as the magicals realized who he was. "Can you confirm that you served in World War II, with a group of wizards who were fighting against factions led by a Dark wizard named Grindelwald?"

"Myself, Sgt. James Barnes, and the Howling Commandos were originally formed in the winter of 1943 with the purpose of destroying the Nazi's scientific branch, known as HYDRA. Grindelwald joined forces with HYDRA and we were assigned a number of missions with a group of British wizards."

O'Connor nodded, his eyes looking over the parchment in his hand as Tony sat back, arms crossed over his chest.

"Why were you and your men assigned this duty, Captain?"

Steve sat forward; his brow creased in a frown. "HYDRA had been doing human experimentation on prisoners they had captured. Once Grindelwald joined them, they concentrated on experimenting on those with a magical core."

There was a murmur through the assembled body and Tony hid a smirk when even Dumblefuck squirmed.

"How do you know that information is fact, Captain Rogers?"

Steve took a breath and let it out slowly. "My best friend was one of those captured at Azzano and experimented on. He was the only survivor of those used by Armin Zola there, and it was documented both in files discovered and from Sgt. Barnes, that it was his magic which kept him alive."

Nodding, O'Connor let the information settle into the minds of the ICW body as he moved back to the table and picked up another piece of parchment.

"Captain Rogers, do you remember the names of the wizards you served with?"

"Yes, sir." Steve smiled for the first time. "Monty Potter, Alphard Black, Alastor Moody, Lord Longbottom, Prewett, and Bones." He hesitated for a moment, before he raised his hand and pointed at Dumbledore. "The defendant was the leader of the group."

"I see you are pointing to Albus Dumbledore, Captain, yet you seem hesitant. Is there a particular reason why?"

Steve looked at the assembled witches and wizards of the ICW. "Several of the wizards who lived with us during those missions in 1944 were suspicious of Dumbledore due to his prior, very close relationship with Grindelwald. While Dumbledore fought alongside us during our battles with HYDRA, somehow we were never able to catch-up to Grindelwald."

With a smile, O'Connor quietly thanked Steve, and started to walk away. As he came to the prosecution table, he turned back toward Steve.

"Captain Rogers, I understand you have been reunited with the son and grandson of your old friend Howard Stark, who assisted your unit during those HYDRA mission."

"Yes, that's correct," Steve answered, glancing over at Tony.

"Can you describe young Harry Stark and how he is faring now that he is living with his father?"

A warm smile split Steve's face, his eyes shone with delight. "Harry is a wonderful kid, smart, talented, kind, and very personable. He seems to be getting better, slowly, and is more open with people, even initiating a hug here and there. His dad says Harry has managed to gain some weight and has been on a potions regiment to help undo the damage caused by his relatives. Harry is happy with his father and family."

"Excellent news, Captain! Thank you."

Harry followed Peter up out of the subway, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder. He was relieved to slide his sunglasses on as soon as they stepped out into the sunshine. Both he and Peter were wearing baseball caps pulled down low over their foreheads as they stepped out of the flow of pedestrians while Peter dug out his own sunglasses. Harry had an itch between his shoulder blades and the uncomfortable feeling they were being watched.

"The Tower is just up Park, Harry!" Peter pointed to the right as they stood at the intersection. "And there's an open-air market with lots of yummy stuff."

Harry surreptitiously looked around them, trying not to show how uneasy he was. "I think we need to get home, Pete. Uncle Ben's going to get mad at us if we don't go directly home."

Peter pouted. "It's not our fault that everyone forgot there was an in-service training for the teachers this afternoon. Everyone was working, so I'm glad Uncle Ben said we could come home on the subway."

Harry looked around again as the light changed and they crossed the street with a group of pedestrians. "JARVIS, is Mr. Johnson still with us?"

Subway cameras recorded him getting off the train at Grand Central and 42nd, Master Harry, however, I haven't seen him exit the station.

Harry's unease grew and Peter moved closer at JARVIS' words. "Anyone at the Tower who could head this way?"

Security Supervisor Tupua is leaving the lobby now.

Stepping into a doorway, Harry swiftly pulled his Invisibility cloak out of his messenger bag and slid it over their heads. "I'm not taking any chances, Peter," he whispered to his brother.

Peter pressed himself against Harry, who looped an arm over his shoulders and arranged the cloak so it covered all of them, including their shoes. They waited a few minutes until there was a break in the flow of people along the sidewalk, before they slipped out. No one stuck out to Harry as they made sure they were walking the same speed as the people in front of them. He wasn't sure if it had been someone magical he was feeling or what, but it definitely felt like they were being watched. Uncle Steve would probably say he was paranoid, but the same feeling had helped him several times at Hogwarts, especially when someone was lying in wait in the hallways.

As they approached the Tower, Harry could see the security supervisor standing at the corner of the building, his eyes sweeping the crowds as they went by. The boys slid passed him and down the side of the building, to the private entrance near the back garden.

"JARVIS, could you let Mr. Tupua know we're in the building, please?" Harry asked as he secured the door behind them.

"What was that all about?" his brother asked as Harry pulled the cloak off of them and folded it.

Harry looked over and met Peter's eyes. "Just had an odd feeling we were being watched and then when we couldn't see Mr. Johnson—" Shrugging, Harry replaced the cloak in his bag.

"Mr. Johnson is now at Stark Tower." JARVIS' voice came from a ceiling speaker as the boys took their sunglasses off and stepped into the private elevator. "The Quinjet is on approach to the Tower, young sirs."

"They're early," Harry remarked, frowning.

"Can you take us up to the roof, JARVIS?" Peter asked, moving closer to Harry as the elevator shot upwards. "Do you think anything is wrong?"

"I don't know," Harry answered as the doors opened and they stepped out onto the observation deck. "I can't believe the trial would be over in the first week. Dad said last night that the prosecution wasn't done with their part yet."

When they got to the observation deck, the Quinjet was already in the hanger. Harry watched as their dad, Sirius, and Uncle Steve walked down the ramp and headed their direction. Sirius transformed and ran ahead, jumping up on both the boys and trying to lick their faces. Uncle Steve grabbed Peter and Dad threw his arms around Harry, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, before switching with Steve. Harry hugged them both back as hard as he could.

His shoulders relaxed and he blew out a breath, while Sirius, back in human form, wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The ride on the subway had been interesting, especially as Harry had never been allowed on the Underground when he lived in England. It wasn't until they had come up to the street, that his senses had prickled. It was the one thing Harry always paid attention to, even before he had known he had magic. That sensation had saved him numerous times when Dudley and his gang had decided to engage in 'Harry Hunting'.

"You boys are out of school early today," his dad said as they came into the penthouse. "Is everything okay?"

Peter was bouncing with excitement. "The teachers had an in-service training this afternoon, Dad! And Uncle Ben was working, so he couldn't pick us up, so we came home on the subway—"

Harry closed his eyes and sighed, He was hoping they could wait and ease their parental figures into their subway adventure. How was he going to tell Tony about the feeling he'd had?

"Harry?"

It was Uncle Steve who addressed him. "What else happened?

His dad turned toward him, arm around Peter's shoulders, Sirius moved closer to him as well. Every eye was focused on him and Harry shrugged, pulling in his shoulders. His godfather moved behind him, put a hand on the back of his neck.

"It's was just a feeling, Pops, nothing—"

"Harry." Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "Sometimes a feeling, like instinct, is just as viable as a fact."

Blowing out a breath, Harry straightened. "When we came up out of the subway, it felt like someone was watching us. I didn't see anyone and no one seemed to be paying any attention to us, but we lost sight of Mr. Johnson and it made me uneasy. So, we slipped on the Invisibility cloak and used it to walk to the Tower."

"Good job, son," Steve praised him softly, opening his arms for a hug. "Always listen to your instincts and err on the side of caution."

"And in the future, you will be Portkeying home if there is no one to pick you up," Tony directed as he made Harry the filling of a sandwich hug. "The emergency Portkeys you both have can be used for that."

"Neither one of you can take a chance," Steve reached out to pull Peter toward them. "There are too many factions who would use you if they could."

"Magical or mundane," Sirius added grimly. "This trial is stirring up memories of some of the atrocities the Dark side and HYDRA have committed over the years."

"I completely agree with that," Steve squeezed Harry and Peter again. "Just look at what they've done to Bucky over the last seventy years." His voice promise retribution.

Tony kissed Harry's head and then Peter's before stepping back. "Alright, enough emoting for now! Let's order some pizza, and we'll tell you what's happening with the trial. JARVIS, can you let the others know we're all home and tell them dinner on the common floor?"

"Certainly, sir."

Chapter Text

Tony sighed in relief when JARVIS sent him a message, announcing Harry and Peter had made it safely into their school. He, Sirius, and Steve were back in Geneva for the second week of the trail, having bit the bullet, and taken the international Portkey Sirius had gotten for them. Despite the discomfort and almost losing his breakfast, it was worth it to spend the weekend with their family.

Turning his attention back to the lead prosecutor, Tony listened to the man summing up the evidence and case against Dumblefuck. They had sat through the pain of viewing Harry's Pensieve memories, as well as the healers and Aurors reports on his life with the Dursleys. It had had a huge impact on the members of the ICW, but nothing like the revelation of the Horcrux sealed in a fifteen-month-old's scar; the horrified gasps had resonated through the chamber.

Dumbledore had sat through the maelstrom with his usual serene demeanor and Tony was sure it wasn't just him who want to plant his fist in the man's face.

When the prosecutor had sat down, Doge jumped up immediately, and called Tony back to the stand, having already testified the same day Steve had. Standing, Tony straightened his red over-robe and the labels of his black suit before walking over to seat himself.

"Mr. Stark, you claim to have sired the child known as Harry Potter, however you have not shown us definitive proof of the fact."

Tony blinked and stared at the idiot. They had provided the both sides Harry and Tony's Heritage tests, as well as the DNA test Berg had done while trying to figure out Peter's parentage.

"If I may, Supreme Mugwump?" Liam O'Connor stood and waited to be acknowledged. "The appropriate documents were entered into evidence last week and verified by Gringotts Account Manager Ironjaw."

Babajide Akingbade nodded. "Barrister Doge, what is the point of this questioning? Mr. Stark has already been proven to be the father of the child."

Doge shook his head, his face determined. "The child must be returned to his mother's Muggle relatives, in order to be protected. This man can not have fathered Harry Potter."

Tony narrowed his eyes and knew this was Dumbledore's plan. "That would be very difficult as Vernon and Petunia Dursley are incarcerated and facing charges for child abuse and neglect."

The Supreme Mugwump's voice was even more biting than Tony's had been. "Discontinue this line of questioning, Doge, or you'll be in the cell next to your client."

Doge turned and walked back to where Dumbledore sat. "Mr. Stark is excused and I call Albus Dumbledore to the stand."

Babajide Akingbade looked at Doge as Tony slipped out of the seat and returned to his own. Sirius bumped shoulders with him as he settled back. They exchanged a glance, Tony trying to keep his anger at bay so it didn't bleed through to Harry. Steve sat straight in his seat, his face the picture of profound disappointment as he watched Dumbledore stand leisurely from his chair.

"I think not, Barrister Doge. Your client can testify tomorrow, it's too late in the day to start now." The Supreme Mugwump decided and dismissed the proceedings untoil the next morning.

Tony remained seated as the ICW and the court officers filed out, watching as the Aurors quickly and efficiently removed Dumbledore from the chamber. Steve stood first, arching his back to stretch his spine after the long hours of sitting. Suddenly, Tony jumped as Steve stiffened and spun toward the back of the room, his shield in one hand and wand in the other. Sirius slid sideways out of the row in a crouch, his wand also in hand, as a figure separated itself from the shadows. Tony's watch gauntlet had form around his left hand as he moved to stand next to Sirius.

"Identify yourself," Steve snapped out, in full Captain America mode.

"Still no sense of humor, blondie?" The figure stepped toward them with a distinctly unusual gait. "And hanging out with the likes of Sirius Bloody Black!"

Sirius groaned but lowered his wand. "Bloody hell, Moody! Overdramatic son of a bitch!"

Tony watched a tall man step into the light, wearing a calf-length worn brown leather duster over trousers and a shirt, with what looked like pirate's peg leg. The magical left eye rolled around, seemingly independent of the right eye, and, appeared to have the ability to look right through Tony, as he retracted his gauntlet. Alastor Moody was the wizard Howard had mentioned in his letter.

Steve relaxed his stance, reattaching his shield to the back of his suit, as he watched Moody. "Are you sure it's him, Sirius? This guy looks old and a bit worse for the wear."

"Can't all be bloody Super Soldiers, can we, Captain Fancypants?"

Sirius greeted the old wizard affectionately, one hand pounding him on the back as Steve joined them in the aisle to shake his hand. Tony hung back, allowing the men to insult each other for several minutes as he watched.

"And this is the man James and Lily were so enamored of?" Moody looked him up and down.

Sirius stretched out a hand to Tony and drew him forward. "Tony, I’d like you to meet one of James and my old Auror trainers, Alastair Moody. Mad-Eye, this is Tony Stark, son of Howard and father of Harry."

As Tony extended his hand, Moody stared at him in shock before taking his hand. "Pleasure is mine, lad. Have to say, you do favor your da a bit."

Doing his best not to roll his eyes, Tony gave the grizzled old man a nod. "Thank you," he said in a neutral voice.

Moody grinned, flashing a look at Steve. "Truth be told, I punched your father the first time I met him, actually."

Tony blinked before he threw his head back and laughed. "I think I like you!" He quipped as Sirius bumped his shoulder. "I also understand you were the one who told Howard he was magical."

"That I did—"

A noise from outside the chamber interrupted Moody and he turned toward it. "Why don’t we go find a pub for dinner, lads?"

They followed Moody out toward the atrium, watching as Moody paused near a man in British Auror robes for a moment and then rejoining them.

"What’s going on, Alastair?" Steve asked quietly. "Anything we can help with?"

Moody shook his head. "Missing person report on a reporter, who was last seen at Black’s trial, actually."

"Anyone I know? Sirius inquired with a frown.

"Rita Skeeter," Moody told him. "Although I use the term reporter loosely."

"Any leads?"

"None, she was last seen following you and Stark out of the chamber, hasn’t been seen since."

Harry carried the tray with their afterschool snacks up to the table in the roof top garden where he and Peter were doing their homework. The day had been sunny and warm, and, as soon as they were done, Uncle Ben was coming up to watch them as they swam in the pool for a while. Peter looked up with a smile as Harry set a small bowl of cut-up fruit and plate of cookies beside him. Harry groaned as he saw Peter had pulled out their biology textbook to start with.

"Suck it up, Harry!" Peter teased him, grabbing a shortbread cookie from the pile.

"Easy for you to say, shortie!"

Peter gaped at him before narrowing his eyes. "Just you wait until I hit my growth spurt! I’ll show you who’s short!"

Laughing at Peter’s indignant face, Harry grabbed a cookie for himself and sat down next to him. A five-foot tall, four-inch-thick translucent steel fence looked out over Park Avenue below and beyond. Harry found the garden, adjacent to the swimming pool, was one of his favorite places in the Tower. The fence protected them from the worst of the wind found a thousand feet in the air, it also muted the noise from the street level, but still gave Harry the feeling of being in his own yard. He knew the protective Shielding Charm the goblins had erected kept out anything that would harm them. Unfortunately, it didn’t hide their presence, which meant they could be seen by anyone in a helicopter, but it would not be able to land or shoot at them.

Idly eating pieces of fruit, Harry read through the chapter on plant cell structure they had been assigned. After Peter’s lessons, this was more review than anything, but it didn’t make the textbook any less boring. Harry’s eyes were growing heavy as he struggled to get to the end of the page, when the feeling of being watched struck him again. Glad for the sunglasses his dad had made for both he and Peter, Harry flicked his eyes around the immediate area and couldn’t see anyone on the roof.

"JARVIS?" He asked quietly, knowing Peter would hear him. "Is there anyone else on the roof, or above us on the upper roof?"

"No, Master Harry, there are no other humans on the roof of the Tower."

Peter looked at him out of the corner of his eye, but kept his head bent over his textbook. "Can you tell which direction it’s coming from?"

Harry shook his head, eyes searching the buildings around them tall enough and close enough for someone to be able to see them. "JARVIS, from where Peter and I are sitting, which building has the best vantage point, within the range of high-powered binoculars, to be able to see us?"

"The Chase Building under construction at 270 Park Avenue, would be on likely vantage point. As is the Bank of America Tower on 6th Avenue. The Chrysler Building on Lexington has the height, however only in the top three floors."

"So, if there is someone watching us, they are far enough away that a spell or bullet couldn't hit up, correct?"

"That is correct, Master Harry," JARVIS tone was matter of fact and not his have-to report-to-Sir voice. "I suspect there may be a paparazzi attempting to get a photo, which they aren't permitted to do. It has happened before."

"Thank you, JARVIS."

Peter looked up at him, a serious expression on his face. "Is it a magic thing?" he asked.

Harry nodded, trying to casually pop a blueberry in his mouth. "I think so," he answered quietly. "I mean, I always able to tell where my cousin was, so he didn't blindside me with a punch, but it really started last year at Hogwarts. I could, uh, sense when anyone cast magic around me or there was someone watching me."

Peter's eyes grew wide. "That would be a cool ability to have! Like a special sense, or something!"

Laughing at his brother's enthusiasm, Harry nodded. "It did save me from a couple of nasty jinxes last year."

Peter's wide-eyed admiration soothed something in a place deep inside him; a place where Harry had been carrying his Dursley based trauma. A place where he had convinced himself of his own unworthiness for love. His dad's immediate and unconditional love had started the healing process and Peter was helping it progress. Harry's whole outlook had transformed in the past few months, his chest warming with the love he felt.

Even his magic seemed to sing whenever Harry used it, a reassuring energy under his skin. While MACUSA laws allowed children to perform magic outside of school, there had to be an adult magical in attendance when they did. Sirius was usually around and Harry had gotten used to doing wand magic, and had to be careful when everyone was gone. Reaching into his messenger bag, which was draped over the back of his chair, Harry silently Summoned the notebook he used for class notes, wandlessly, before settling in to finish the chapter.

The boys mentioned Harry's feeling when Uncle Ben had come up half-an-hour later, a frown furrowing his forehead as he did a check of the perimeter of the deck, before sending them to change into their swim suits. Putting aside his worry, Harry practiced his swimming and played with Peter in the pool as Uncle Ben sat under an umbrella, watching. It was a warm September afternoon and Harry floated lazily on his back until Peter tried to dunk him, again. By the time Uncle Ben called them out, Harry was hungry and pleasantly tired.

Harry had just gotten out of the shower when his phone rang. Wrapping his towel around his waist, Harry picked up his phone and frowned, answering immediately.

"Dad? Is everything okay?" Worry spiked through him.

What little he could see of his dad's shadowed face looked tired. "Everything is fine, bambino. I, uh, just wanted to see your face."

"JARVIS, can you put the call on the screen, please?" Harry asked as he dropped the towel and reached for his sweat pants. "What are you doing up? It's like 2am there."

"Can't I just want to speak to my wonderful son?"

As soon as the call switched, Harry could see Tony was in a darkened bedroom, his face pinched with tiredness and something else. "Let me guess – a nightmare?"

His dad rubbed his hand over his face before nodding. "Dumbledore's grand scheme is starting come out – he challenged my paternity this afternoon and then tried to insist you had to go back—"

"I won't!" Harry's heart was in his throat, his hands wrapped in his clean tee shirt.

His dad put his hands up in a placating gesture. "Never, son! They would have to kill me first!"

Both Harry and Tony took a deep breath to ease the panic both were feeling.

"It will never happen, son, I promise you that!" Tony said fiercely. "But it makes for lovely nightmare fuel."

Harry tilted his head. "I have my rings, the runic bracelet, and both Peter and I have the subdermal transponders, Dad. They can’t hide us from you."

"And I wouldn’t put it past Sirius to have cast Tracking Charms on both of you, Harry," Tony told him with a nod.

Harry gave him a smile. "Do you want me to get Pete for you, or maybe Uncle Steve to cuddle you?"

His dad laughed softly. "Would be like hugging a giant teddy bear!" He was still smiling when he next spoke. "Go have dinner with your brother, Harry, and I’m going to see if I can get some more sleep. We’ll call you in a few hours."

"All right, Dad. I love you," Harry reminded him.

"Love you, too, munchkin."

Peter and Ben both looked up as Harry as he hurried into the kitchen, dragging his tee shirt over his head. "Sorry!" He told them. "Dad called just as I got out of the shower—"

"Is he okay?" Peter asked anxiously.

Nodding, Harry settled in his chair and took the plate Uncle Ben handed him. "He'd had a nightmare about Dumbledore forcing me to return to the—those people."

Peter gasped and looked horrified; Ben just looked murderous. A tendril of warmth swirled in Harry's chest and he gave them a smile.

"I think he just needed to see that I was here and okay. Reminded me to wear the runic bracelet and heir rings." He took a bite of the chicken and pasta casserole, savoring the flavors and creamy sauce. "He said they'd call before we went to bed, as usual."

Uncle Ben paused, fork halfway to his mouth and gave Harry a knowing look. "And you didn't tell him about this afternoon."

Harry separated a piece of chicken from the noodles and speared it with his fork. "I just didn't want to add to his fear, Uncle Ben. They all know about the last time and they know we are being even more careful now—"

Ben held up his hand and Harry snapped his mouth close. "It's fine, Harry, but promise me you will tell them about it when the trial is over and they are home."

"I will." Harry decided it was time to change the subject. "Peter, tell Uncle Ben about your chemistry project!"

Peter's head popped up and Ben gestured at him with his fork. That was all his brother needed to launched into his explanation. "Well, I want to try and make a adhesive with a higher tensile strength—"

Harry let Peter's voice wash over him as he turned his attention to his dinner. Chemistry was just never going to be his thing.

"Officer Parker?" JARVIS' voice interrupted several minutes later. "Colonel Rhodes is on the line."

Ben exchanged a look with Harry. "Put him through, please, JARVIS."

"Ben – are the boys with you?"

Harry's head snapped up at Uncle Rhodey's brisk tone. "We're here, Uncle Rhodey."

"Harry! Good!" Rhodey took a deep breath. "I've already fed all the information to JARVIS, but I wanted to warn all of you. JARVIS?"

A holographic screen dropped down to the side of the table with arial footage playing. They all watched as a black town car stopped at the back of a tall brick building and a man in a tailored gray suit stepped out.

"This is the Ideal Federal Savings Bank in DC at about 7am this morning. That is Pierce who entered through a back door, spent about twenty minutes inside and then left in the car. The FBI, utilizing a special Grand Jury search warrant, served in on the location within forty-five minutes of Pierce entering the building. However, this is what happened as they approached. "

They all watched was a convoy of tactical vehicles approached, about two blocks away from the brick building, as the unmarked Quinjet landed on the roof. Two men dressed in black tactical gear, half carried, half-dragged another figure whose silver arm gleamed in the sun. They all but threw the man into the jet, before entering and taking off.

"The Winter Soldier," Harry whispered, his eyes following the plane as it disappeared.

"What did the FBI find, Rhodey?" Ben asked in a grim voice.

"Cryostasis tube, a torture chair which apparently uses electricity to wipe memories, a tiny cell, scientific labs, and a ton of HYDRA documents." Rhodey's disgust was evident. "Along with files on their experimentation."

"Jesus!" Ben wiped a hand across his face. "How the hell are we going to tell Steve?"

"I'm on my way to you now, so I can talk to them when they call later. And then I'm going to stay until they get home from Geneva as we have no idea where the jet went."

Harry's thoughts churned in his mind, thinking about the experimentation HYDRA might have done, about who split multiple DNA to created his brother, and what they had done to Uncle Steve's best friend. He truly believed there was true evil in the world and he hated that they had all been touched by it. His appetite gone, Harry pushed his plate away, noticing Peter did the same.

"I should be there in about thirty minutes, Ben."

"We'll save you some dinner. Fly safe, Rhodey."

JARVIS disconnected the call and Ben looked from Peter to Harry, and sighed. "Come on, boys. Help me with the clean-up and we'll pile on the couch, see what Disney movie we haven't watched."

Aunt May joined them soon after, grabbing a plate for herself, while they caught her up on the newest events. Rhodey arrived and ate as well, before joining the group on the couch to cuddle as A Goofy Movie played.

Tony had actually been able to go back to sleep after talking to Harry, despite his nightmare. He hummed under his breath as he walked out of his bedroom, draping his tie, jacket, and over robe on the back of a chair in the living room. The smell of bacon drew him into the kitchen, smiling as Steve pushed a cup of coffee toward him. Steve gave him a hard look as he took a deep swallow.

"Good morning, Tony. Did you sleep okay?"

Tony shrugged. "Had a bit of a nightmare, but I was able to go back to sleep."

"Which means you called Harry," Steven guessed as he slid a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs to Tony. "Is Sirius up?"

"I am!" Sirius walked into the room, accepting a cup from Steve with a murmured thanks. "You didn't think I'd miss the call to the kids, did you?"

The large screen on the wall lit up at his words and Tony laughed at the amazed expression on his friend's face. His laugh choked off as Rhodey’s face filled the frame instead of his sons. Tony was on his feet instantly, even as his best friend tried to wave him back. Harry stuck his face into view in front of Rhodey's chest and waved.

"Peter and I are here, too!"

Exhaling on the spike of anxiety, Tony sat back down and attempted another smile. "Honey bear! What are you doing there?"

Rhodey lifted his arms and allowed the boys to slide under each of them. "I flew up this evening to tell you about the new developments out of Washington."

Steve dropped into the chair beside him as Sirius stood behind them, as Rhodey filled them in on what happened that morning. Tony shuddered at the description of what the FBI had found in the basement of the building, knowing what it felt like to be tortured, but his was nothing near what they had done to Bucky. When Rhodey described the chair, Tony grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed it, closing his eyes as he filled in what Rhodey hadn’t said.

"Pierce never showed up at either his Triskelion or WSC offices after the search, but we were able to apprehend Sitwell, and most of the Delta STRIKE team. Rumlow and Rollins are outstanding but the FBI believes they were on the Quinjet with Barnes."

"And they already had Bucky suited up as the Winter Soldier?" Steve asked quietly.

Rhodey nodded. "Looked mission ready but not quite awake yet, Cap – sorry."

Steve gave a short nod, his face a stoic mask. "They could be anywhere, which means we need to be even more careful. It may be a standard HYDRA mission, or they sent the Winter Soldier to another base if they were forewarned."

"Or they may still be searching for the scepter," Sirius reminded them.

"And there may be an informant inside the FBI," Rhodey bit out, "as Pierce’s arrival was awfully coincidental."

"Or the Aurors," Mariah Proudfoot’s angry voice filtered over the connection. "Although, I have a feeling HYDRA is deeply entrenched in all of the intelligence agencies, magical and mundane,

"Well, the only person I know who can track the scepter’s energy is Bruce and he’s safe on his floor of the Tower," Tony assured them.

"I’ll be staying at the Tower, Tones, until the trial is over."

"As will I," Mariah announced.

JARVIS zoomed the screen out, allowing them to see Ben, May, and Mariah behind Rhodey and the boys. Tony felt better with the additions to the Tower, especially Mariah. He shot Rhodey a knowing smirk as he realized they would both be staying in Rhodey's room in the penthouse. Pepper and Happy should be back by the next weekend as well.

"Have you filled Bruce in?" Steve asked, ever the strategist.

Rhodey nodded. "I spoke to him earlier, so he's aware, and JARVIS will keep him updated with any new information. Bruce did ask me to tell you not to worry about anything else."

Tony nodded, knowing the scepter was secure – Harry may have hidden it after the battle, but Tony had the goblins create the impenetrable vault embedded in concrete below the Tower. The energy of the large Arc reactor nearby would mask the gamma signature of the scepter, if any was able to leak out of the vault. He sincerely hoped HYDRA wasn't stupid enough to try and kidnap Bruce, as the Hulk might not like that.

"All right, everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings and don't take any chances!" Steve's face was serious and he looked at each of the boys. "While we have no information suggesting HYDRA is a threat to any of us specifically, we still need to act like they are."

Both boys nodded, their faces pale. He learned forward and paused for a moment, letting all eyes focus on him.

"So, tell us how your day was?"

Peter launched into a description of his chemistry class and how he'd managed to add his ingredients too fast, creating another kind of slime. Both Tony and Steve groaned at that, before laughing at Harry's deadpan expression. The boys wrapped up their retelling of their day with being able to swim in the pool. Tony knew Steve was keeping an eye on the clock for them, allowing himself to just enjoy the prattling of his two boys. There was still tension across his shoulders, but he'd deal with that later.

"All right, children," Steve interjected, winking at Harry and Peter. "We need to go – say goodbye."

The boys giggled as Tony realized Steve was talking to he and Sirius. "Bedtime for munchkins!" He blew them all kisses as a chorus of "love yous" flew back and forth.

JARVIS cut the video feed and Tony felt his face fall into a frown, as he looked at his companions. "Someone is orchestrating all of this, and I'm not sure it's Pierce."

"If I hadn't seen Schmidt sucked into the Tesseract myself, I might believe he was still out there," Steve admitted, shaking his head.

"And it could be anyone, magical or not." Sirius rubbed his forehead.

Tony nodded, thinking hard. "We haven't heard from Fury since you moved into the Tower, Steve, and I can't help but wonder why."

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he does think I'm exploring the country."

"Hmmm," Tony didn't buy it. "JARVIS, hack into the SHIELD database and dig deep. I want to know if they have a HYDRA infection as Howard thought and how deep it goes." Tony glanced at Steve. "And don't utilize the hack points they're already familiar with."

"Understood, Sir."

They were just sliding into their seats as the Supreme Mugwump gaveled the conference to order. Doge immediately called Dumbledore to the stand and didn't even quibble over the lead prosecutor's demand for Veritaserum. An ICW Potions Mistress oversaw the dosing and verified the potion had taken effect before she left.

Doge opened up by asking Dumbledore to explain his actions regarding the Potter family since he had witnessed the Prophecy being given. The man waxed poetically about the deeper meaning of the words which were said and how he had become convinced the Potter's unborn baby was the child of the Prophecy. He admitted to the crimes he'd been charged with, relaying how he'd had Harry retrieved from Sirius and left on the Dursleys' doorstep, ignoring the Potters' wills, and knowing Harry was going to be treated poorly. He admitted he had cast the Fidelius Charm on the Potter's cottage and knew Sirius was not the secret keeper, allowing the man to be sent to Azkaban. Both Tony and Steve had grabbed Sirius' arms as his magic began to swirl around him, grounding him.

Ian had taken the preventative measure of using a Sticking Charm on both Tony and Sirius at the beginning of the session and made sure Steve sat between them. It was a struggle for Tony to keep his anger from filtering through to Harry, which would undoubtably wake his son up. Ian slipped a small vial into his hand as Dumbledore continued to speak and Tony took it without question, the taste telling him it was a Calming Draught. It settled Tony's riotous emotions and he sat back, determined to maintain a neutral mask no matter what was said.

Doge led his client through the events of Harry's first year and the wraith possessing one of his professors. For Dumbledore it had been the validation of his belief that Voldemort was still alive and why he sealed a soul piece into a baby's forehead. The Supreme Mugwump had called a recess for the day at that point as the chamber exploded in disbelief.

Dumbledore continued his testimony for the next day and a half, allowing Liam O'Connor to finally question the wizard Thursday afternoon. The prosecutor confirmed several details with Dumbledore, mainly asking the wizard to readmit his guilt on the charges, before getting to the questions he wanted answered.

"Mr. Dumbledore, you seem to believe you will be exonerated by this distinguished body as all your action were taken for the greater good, but I don't understand how you can believe you will be able to take Harry away from his father and gain his cooperation."

Dumbledore lifted a hand and waved it lazily. "With the use of Memory and Compulsion Charms, of course. Although, I believe I will Obliviate the father, he seems particularly strong willed for a Muggle."

O’Connor nodded as if in understanding. "It sounds like you have done that before," he said lightly.

Dumbledore’s creepy smile sent a chill down Tony’s spine. "One does what it must for The Greater Good, Mr. O’Connor. Harry is the only one who can defeat Lord Voldemort."

"Are you say that Harry Stark must also die, Mr. Dumbledore, as you believe he is still a Horcrux?" O’Connor’s voice was steely, and Tony’s heart was in his throat.

"Unfortunately, yes, but in dying, the soul piece will die as well."

Steve had an arm wrapped around Tony’s waist as he tried to control the murderous rage filling him. The looks of horror on the faces of ICW members and officials were lost to him as Tony worked on sucking in a breath, trying to stave off the panic attack he felt building as he contemplated the extent of Dumbledore’s plans for his son. The bastard!

"You truly believe you will be permitted to leave here with no ramifications for your actions?"

"Of course," the man answered, standing up and clapping his bound hands over his head.

"Fawkes!"

In a dramatic burst of flames, a crimson and gold phoenix appeared over Dumbledore’s head, trilling softly. Something about the birdsong eased the pain and rage in Tony’s chest, but Steve’s face lit up, as though he’d seen the bird before. Sirius had frozen, his eyes following the phoenix as it flew in a circle over Dumbledore’s head.

"Fawkes! Take me away!" Dumbledore commanded.

The phoenix just flew higher, the song he was singing turned sad to Tony’s ears. He flew another circle before disappearing in a spectacular burst of flame, leaving Dumbledore sputtering with rage. While Tony was glad Dumbledore’s plan had failed, he was disappointed the phoenix had left. He watched as the ICW Aurors hauled Dumbledore out of the room and the session was ended for the day.

Ian stood and stretched before ending the Sticking Charm on Tony and Sirius. Steve shot to his feet, hands balled into fists, and Tony laid a hand on his arm as he stood. With his other hand, he rubbed his chest to the left side of the reactor, where there was a knot of tightness. Both Steve and Sirius took several deep breaths, their faces pale as they all followed Ian out of the row. By unspoken agreement, no one spoke until they were walking through the atrium.

"Ian, is there a way to know whether any of those charms have been used on us?" Steve asked quietly.

"The goblins removed Compulsion Charms from most of us," Sirius interjected grimly. "It's the Obliviates that are harder to find, as you usually need someone skilled in Legilimency to find them."

"Although…" Tony muttered, tapping a finger on his chin. "Wouldn't the serum repair any damage that would do in your brain?"

"Probably, but it might not return the memory it was used on," Ian told them.

Steve narrowed his eyes, his expression turning suspicious. "I think Dumbledore used those against the Howling Commandos, as some of us remembered missions with the wizards completely different than others."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sirius agreed with a sigh. "The more I think of it, the more I believe he used Memory Charms on those of us in the Order of the Phoenix during the first rise of Voldemort."

"Would not surprise me with him speaking so casually about altering everybody's memories to get Harry back under his control," Tony added, carefully keeping his anger under control.

Ian led them to the Portkey reception room. "At least we should have a verdict tomorrow, as O'Connor just had his whole case handed to him, neatly wrapped."

"I am so ready for this to be done," Tony muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. "I just want him dealt with so he can't destroy any more lives."

Ian nodded his head. "I'm actually relieved you talked Harry into recording a victim impact statement, as I don't think it would be good for him to even be in the same room as that man."

Both Steve and Sirius nodded their heads and Tony couldn't help but tighten his hands into fists. "Harry will never be subjected to that man again, if I have anything to do with it."

Harry met up with Peter and Ned at their lockers, just before their last class of the day. AP algebra was an easy one for all three of the boys and they liked sitting together. Dropping off everything but their mathematics textbooks, Harry led the way toward the classroom, only to stop just outside the door as he saw the head of their security team, Mr. Johnson, standing there.

"Mr. Johnson?" Harry asked quietly. "Is there anything wrong?"

"We need to go." His voice was sharp and clipped.

Harry frowned at the tone. The security supervisor always had a serious expression on his face, but Harry couldn't see any tension or outward signs of stress. Peter stepped closer to Harry as Ned gave them an uncertain look, only to be waved off by Johnson. Harry's instincts were to demand to talk to his dad or Sirius, but Johnson had started walking towards the back door of the school. Harry and Peter exchanged looks, both clearly having reservation about leaving. They were both quiet as they filed out the door in front of Johnson, Harry looking around for Happy or one of the other guards, but there wasn't anyone waiting.

"Mr. Johnson, aren't we going home the usual way?" Harry asked, as they had been Portkeying all week.

Johnson ignored him, urging them to move faster, until Peter stumbled into him. Harry watched in horror as the man backhanded his brother into the brick wall of the school. Harry's wand slipped into his hand, just as a fist hit his temple and he went down next to Peter. Before he could get up, Harry heard several soft thwacks and saw Johnson, along with two other unfamiliar men dressed in black robes, fall to the ground. Harry pushed himself up to his hands and knees, trying to get his head to stop spinning, and reached for Peter.

A large figure dressed in black tactical gear ran past him and scooped Peter up in his arms, before turning to kneel in front of Harry.

"Get on my back," a voice growled at him as Harry heard someone yell from a distance, and the red spell light hit the ground beside him.

His instincts urged him to do as he was told and Harry closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around the man's neck with his legs encircling his waist. His head was pounding and Harry hoped they stopped moving before the waves of nausea churning in his stomach decided to rebel. Harry had no idea how long the man ran; but it seemed like an hour as he held on and tried not to throw-up. Peter groaned but didn't wake up.

It felt like a long time before movement stopped and Harry was eased down onto something hard and cold. His head was still pounding as he forced his eyes open and saw that they were in the what looked like a concrete basement. There was a dampness in the air and Harry shivered as he wrapped an arm around Peter, who was set down beside him. The man who had taken them crouched down, a fierce looking black mask on his face and black stuff smeared around his eyes. The only thing that stopped Harry from dragging Peter away from the man, was the look in the blue eyes – pain, confusion, and fear.

A glove-covered hand gently cupped Harry's chin and lilted his head to the side. "You're bleeding." The voice was soft, in complete contrast to the man's appearance.

Peter stirred and whimpered, his hand coming up to grab onto Harry's arm.

"If you could take that thing off your face, you would be less scary," he said quietly, tightening his hold on Peter.

The man was examining Peter's rapidly swelling eye as Harry spoke and his eyes darted over for a moment, before he reached up with his left hand to unhook the mask. As the arm made a soft whirling sound, Harry gasped, realizing it was made of metal. Just then, the man bent over, coughing harshly, and Harry was terrified when he saw the man was coughing up blood.

"You're hurt, too!" he cried, leaning toward him, Peter sitting up shakily as he groaned again.

Peter's eyes shifted to the man and he gasped, huddling back against Harry. "Are you gonna hurt us, mister?"

The man was breathing heavily as he straightened up, wiping his mouth on the back of his gloved hand. "The Asset won't…won't hurt you, but you were my mission—" The man shook his head, metal hand pressing against his chest.

Harry's eyes widened as his mind put the clues together. "Are you—are you Bucky?"

Looking up, the blue eyes narrowed at him. "Who the hell is Bucky?"

"James Buchanan Barnes," Peter told him, staring at the metal arm. "Steve Rodger's best friend and a wizard. Do you have magic, Mister Bucky?"

"Are you the Winter Soldier?" Harry asked softly; as, apparently, Bucky Barnes, sat down heavily on the concrete floor.

Bucky nodded once, before he was hit with another coughing fit. Peter pushed himself up and moved over to kneel beside the man, putting a hand tentatively on his back.

"Harry! We need to get him some help, fast!"

Harry frowned as he pulled his phone out of bag still strapped securely at his side and had no signal. "I'm not sure who we can trust, Pete! Johnson was in on this!"

"But he needs help—"

A bright orange and gold fire ball appeared in the air above them, leaving behind a large red and gold bird. Both boys gasped at the sight, while Bucky was hit with another coughing spell, his breathing growing more ragged. The bird, he was pretty sure it was a phoenix, hovered over Harry and started to sing. The sound was reassuring, and as he watched, the bird lowered down, rubbing its head against Harry's temple. He was surprised when his head felt instantly better.

"Thank you," he told the bird softly as it flew to hover over Peter.

Bucky collapsed back onto the floor and Harry crawled over to him, horrified by the two bullet holes he could see in Bucky's upper chest. He immediately began to undo the buckles and zippers of the jacket, glad that he had a bit of enhanced strength himself, as he was able to rip open the leather to expose Bucky's chest. He threw aside the ammo holders and knives he found strapped to a harness, as Peter came closer to help him. The bird hovered for a moment, before landing on Bucky's chest, its large wings gently pushing the boys back.

Harry watched, his arm protectively around Peter, as the bird bent his head over the prone man, two tears slipped down, one splashing on his chest and one into his mouth.

"He cried on my face, too," Peter whispered while they watched. "That one book I read said phoenix tears have incredible healing properties."

Harry's thoughts were spinning. "I wonder if you have to be magical for them to work," he wondered aloud. "I'm pretty sure this is Pops' Bucky."

Nodding, Peter glanced at Harry as he pressed harder into his side. "He still needs a healer, doesn't he? How are we going to get home, Harry?"

Bucky groaned and tried to sit up, Harry and Peter moving to help him. The phoenix hopped off his chest, on to his metal arm, and walked up to his shoulder. Bucky watched the bird closely, scowling for a moment before gasping and shaking his head. Harry grabbed Peter and moved them both back out of arm's reach. The phoenix seemed to be examining the area where the metal arm was attached to the shoulder, Harry's efforts to pull the leather jacket off leaving it exposed.

"Are you feeling better, mister?" Peter asked him quietly.

"Bucky," the man told them, opening his eyes to look at them. "I…I remember now – I was Bucky, before they made me the Winter Soldier."

Both boys perked up, grinning at each other and then at the man.

"You're our Pops' Bucky!"

Peter practically vibrated and Harry rolled his eyes. "He was also sent to grab us, Pete!"

"But he said he wouldn't hurt us!" Peter whispered in a hiss.

Bucky snorted, his eyes now watching as the phoenix continued examining his shoulder. "Your brother is right, kid, I'm not sure what is going on, but I was sent to kidnap you." He held his right hand out to forestall any reaction. "But I couldn't after I saw you two and then that man was hurting you. I just knew I needed to get you away and to somewhere safe."

He shook his head, his long hair falling into his face. "The bullets shouldn't have penetrated the leather, and even if they did, my body heals really fast, but it wasn't."

The phoenix trilled at him and cried another tear onto his shoulder where the metal met flesh and Bucky gasped. Peter eased away from Harry and slowly walked over to stand by Bucky, reaching his hand toward the bird. It leaned toward him and bumped it's head against his fingers, Peter gingerly smoothing down its feathers.

"It's warm!" Peter exclaimed, an awed look on his face. "Harry, you have to feel this!"

Curious, Harry moved slowly toward them with mixed emotions. He wasn't sure what had happened, either at the school and in this concrete basement, but he was still worried about getting his brother home safely. The phoenix trilled softly again and Harry felt himself calm as he reached the others. As his hand tentatively touched the warm feathers of the wing the bird stretched out, Harry felt a spike of panic in his chest.

Just as Harry tried to step back, the phoenix wrapped it's wings around all three of them and, in a flash of flame, they all disappeared.

They had all been sitting in the living room, winding down from the day. Tony had actually been able to catch up on emails and work on upgrading the operating system of StarkPads that Pepper wanted. Sirius and Steve had started going through the information Rhodey sent them, as well as what JARVIS was pulling out of files found buried in a sub-level of SHIELDs databases. It was almost as if there was a parallel information network, several levels deeper than the normal SHIELD information, where missions ' reports, personnel records, and asset information was stored. It had a heavier encryption, but once the code was cracked, JARVIS was able to delve deep into the servers. This is where they had found the first file on experimentation with the Super Soldier serum.

The crackling fire was soothing, Geneva colder than New York at the start of fall, and Tony knew the boys would love it. He couldn't wait for the holidays and to share them with the family they were gathering around them. He'd give them the kind of Christmas he'd always longed for when he was a child. Full of light and laughter, giving, baking, and love.

A sharp feeling of surprise twinged in his chest, followed by panic, before it was muted by pain. Tony gasped and doubled over, knowing something was wrong with Harry. Nausea and terror spiked as Steve and Sirius grabbed Tony's arms. He found himself on his knees in front of the couch, trying to take a deep breath. He didn't want his own panic to add to what Harry was already dealing with. Tony hoped that Peter was safe somewhere else…

"Sir! Colonel Rhodes is calling!"

JARVIS' voice had an undertone that made all of them sit up. "Put him through, J."

"Tony!" Rhodey sounded panicked. "The boys have been taken from school!"

"Send me what video you have, JARVIS! Rhodey, what do you know?"

"I'm flying there now, Tones," Rhodey told them, repulsors sounding in the background. "Started as an alarm because they didn't make it into their last class, then the security supervisor and several others were reported outside the school."

"The video feed from the back door and the fence line, Sir, and in your HUD, Colonel."

They all watched as the screen turned on, showing Johnson pushing the door open and Peter, then Harry stepping out. Johnson began leading them away from where the car would usually be waiting and it was obvious that Harry was questioning what was going on. Johnson seemed agitated, his head swiveling like he was looking for something or someone, when he whirled around and backhanded Peter into the brick wall of the school. Two wizards appeared behind Harry and he was blindsided by a punch to the side of his face. Before Johnson or the two accomplices could do anything else, they were downed by precise headshots, even with spell light flashing around them.

Tony held his breath as a man, dressed in black tactical gear ran into the frame, scooping an unconscious Peter in his arms and crouched down to have Harry climb on his back. The man looked over his shoulder briefly and Tony gasped at the muzzle-like mask and black smeared around the man's eyes. The blue eyes narrowed at something behind him and Tony watched as he swung around, lowering Peter as he took two shots to his upper chest, before taking off at a run.

The camera switched to the fence view and they could see several men dress like a SHIELD Strike team and another in black robes shooting at the man. He hurtled the fence easily and disappeared down the street. The others didn't even try to chase after, Tony noticed.

"Definitely enhanced," Steve muttered, his face pale hands balled into fists.

"Trackers!" Tony suddenly realized. "Show the boys' trackers! Rhodey, divert towards the northeast of the school!"

A map of the midtown area appeared on the screen and the trackers the boys had were moving at an enhanced pace. The panic had dulled a bit in his chest, but Tony put that down to the pain he knew Harry was feeling. A smaller window opened in a corner of the screen, showing CCTV footage in the area of the trackers. Mostly showing them Harry hanging onto the back of a man with shoulder length brown hair. Light glinted off the man's left arm as he turned slightly to check behind them.

"Holy fuck! It's the Winter Soldier!" Tony whispered, his heart in his throat.

"Bucky?" Steve gasped, grabbing Tony's arm. "Oh God, please don't hurt the boys. Please—"

"Sir, the trackers have stopped transmitting. Also, the MACUSA Aurors have found Rumlow and Rollins dead, along with security supervisor Johnson, all outside the school, along with two unknown wizards."

Barely suppressing the rage at the news, Tony focused on the red blinking X on the screen, the last verified position before the trackers stopped transmitting. "Rhodey! Can you concentrate on the buildings near that intersection? The only reason the tracers would blink out is if they are being blocked by lead or concrete."

"Rhodes!" Sirius shouted, coming closer to where Tony was standing. "Get Mariah there and have her cast for the tracking spells on both boys!"

"She's on her way, Sirius," Rhodey confirmed, his camera showing him flying through the underground garage of one of the buildings. "Mark this area cleared, JARVIS."

Tony stood tensely, one hand rubbing over the arc reactor in his chest, the other wrapped around Steve's bicep. He'd never felt so helpless in his life, even though the panic he was sensing had eased, but there was worry and concern coming through. While Tony was reassured Harry wasn't badly hurt, he was worried about Peter. A brief spike of wonderment and then surprise served to befuddle Tony, as it disappeared again, replaced by concern.

"What is it, Tony?" Steve asked, watching his face.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure, really, Harry's emotions keep bouncing around: panic, concern, awe, surprise, and then concern again."

Steve blew out a breath. "I haven't felt this fucking useless since Bucky fell from that train!"

"Damn!" Sirius exclaimed, turning to Steve. "That file I was reading earlier described how HYDRA, er, replaced a badly damaged arm caused by a fall. I think it might have been Bucky."

Steve went still and Tony was concerned he wasn't even breathing. "I need to read—"

"No!" Sirius cut across what Steve was going to say. "Let's concentrate on getting the boys back first and then you can—"

"Sirius!" Mariah Fontaine's voice came through the open line JARVIS was keeping for Rhodey. "What type of tracking spell did you use?"

"A blood based one especially designed for the Black family," Sirius answered immediately.

"Merlin, Sirius," Mariah huffed, "It's a good thing I’m related!"

Sirius' face lit up. "Bloody hell! You know what to do then!"

Mariah gave a sharp nod and flicked her wand in a sharp move. Tony watched as a jet of orange spell light flashed, disappearing into the parking facility in the building across the street from where Rhodey and Mariah were standing. Rhodey took off and grabbed Mariah under the arms, following behind the light. War Machine's camera feed, showed them flying downward in another parking structure.

A loud whoosh behind them had the three men turning as one, Sirius and Steve both holding their wands and Tony a gold-titanium glove with the repulsor in the palm energizing. A huge ball of flame hovered over the floor in the living room before lowering slowly to the floor and flared brightly, before disappearing. Tony had to blink his eyes several times before he could see his sons standing over a man clad in black.

"Harry! Peter!" Tony's heart was in his throat as he took in how close they were standing to the HYDRA assassin, Dumbledore's phoenix sitting on Bucky's shoulder. "Please get away—"

"Dad," Harry beseeched him. "Bucky saved us from the kidnappers and he's hurt!"

He heard Steve take a deep breath and Tony did the same before he answered. "All right, but can you put us out of our misery and come give us a hug?"

As Harry quickly covered the distance between them, Tony saw Sirius' Patronus out of the corner of his eye and knew he'd summoned a healer. Wrapping Harry in his arms for several long minutes, Tony loosened them to exchange for Peter and an equally hard hug. They both sent the boys toward Sirius before Steve carefully knelt down next to Bucky, the phoenix still sitting on his shoulder, trilling softly.

"I'll let everyone in the Tower know the boys are safe, Tones," Rhodey told him. "We'll let you know what we find here."

Tony threw an arm up to acknowledge his friend as he moved toward Steve. It wasn't until Tony stepped closer, that he could see the raw emotion on Bucky's face as his eyes were riveted to Steve. As Steve reached a hand toward him, Bucky's blue eyes followed it as Steve grabbed the hand Bucky tentatively reached toward him.

"Is it really you, Steve? They—they told me you were dead…" Bucky's voice broke and Tony lowered his hand, allowing the glove to retract into his watch.

"Is this the same phoenix from the courtroom, Sirius?" Tony asked as the bird lifted off Bucky's shoulder and moved to the arm Tony held out.

Steve helped Bucky to his feet and wrapped his arms around him tightly, backing off immediately as Bucky winced in pain. The phoenix on Tony's shoulder leaned down, seeming fascinated by the arc reactor under his shirt, studying the ring of lights intently.

"Yes, Fawkes is his name," Sirius told him as he held onto the boys. "He may be looking for someone else to bond to."

"Well," Tony smiled at Fawkes as the bird raised his head, "you are welcome to stay with us anytime. Thank you for saving my sons and bringing them to me."

"And helping Mr. Bucky!" Peter called as Fawkes lifted up and disappeared in a flash of light.

Harry leaned against Sirius. "He cried on Peter and I – we were hurt by Mr. Johnson – and then he cried on Mr. Bucky's chest and face."

Tony walked back over and took Peter from Sirius, helping him over to the love seat in the living room. Steve had already guided Bucky to the couch and was stripping him down to his underwear, easing him down onto the couch. Harry dropped his bag onto the floor as Tony had him lay beside Peter, taking their shoes off. Tony grabbed a throw off the back of the love seat and draped it over the boys, as Steve sat on the edge of the couch, looking over Bucky. Tony could see the half-healed bullet wounds in the man's upper chest, but it was the scars extending from the metal implant in his shoulder that made Tony realize the hell Steve's best friend had been through.

"I just have one question," Sirius came to stand next to where the boys were. "Why didn't either of you think to use your Portkeys?"

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."

Chapter Text

Harry propped his head up on the palm of his hand, elbow braced on his desk and stared out the window. His classmates were still working diligently on their exams and Harry bit down on a sigh, having finished twenty minutes ago. Mrs. Richardson was an excellent, but no-nonsense instructor and frowned on any disturbance during a test, so there was no way he could hand it in early. While he enjoyed the Advance Math class, it didn't challenge him like he hoped it would.

A cloud drifted over the sun, casting a shadow over his desk and Harry shivered. It had been a warm fall so far, which had been nice as Harry knew his Uncles Steve and Bucky really didn't like the cold. Thinking of the two made Harry smile, especially Bucky, who had improved so much in the past six weeks. Aunt May had taken over their health care, making Harry and Bucky eat more often than the others in order to bring their weight up to what it should be. Harry had managed to gain almost eight pounds since he'd arrived at the Tower and was pretty proud of it.

Bucky was having a harder time with it, having had to learn how to eat regular food again. He'd also been in intense therapy for the last month; the mind healers using magic and potions to repair the damage to his brain, deprogram him, and another to help him with what had happened to him. Harry had his own sessions, working through his years of living with the Dursleys. They were both learning Occlumency and often met up in the roof garden to practice the meditation together. Harry had been delighted when they discovered Bucky was a blood relative on his mother's side, and, despite what HYDRA had forced him to do, he was better than the Dursleys.

Dr. Banner had helped Harry, who wasn't as good at meditation as Bucky, to understand better how to clear his mind for his Occlumency exercises. Peter had instantly taken to the quiet man whose doctorate in biology, or "human chemistry" as Peter called it, more in line with his interests. Harry had learned a lot, just spending time with the quiet man who seemed to have endless patience in explaining things that Harry didn't understand. As much as Harry loved to watch his dad's version of controlled chaos in the lab, he found he also enjoyed watching Peter and Dr. Banner as the worked to compare all their different blood. Peter got very excited as similarities were found.

Harry's watch buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts, a signal from JARVIS to call home as soon as he could. Silently, he grabbed his messenger bag and his test paper, making his way to the teacher's desk. Mrs. Richardson frowned at him as he slid the paper onto his desk.

"I been asked to call home, ma'am," Harry explained quietly, before heading out the door.

Part of the updated security measures at the school included the staff knowing Peter and Harry had electronic devices which allowed for silent alerts. If they received one, the teachers had been instructed to allow them to leave the classroom. Principal Morita had been assuaging after the boys had been kidnapped, agreeing to the new security measures his dad and Uncle Steve had insisted on. Including leaving class if there was an alarm.

Peter was in PE class at the moment, his least favorite class Harry knew, and should be out in a minute. Peter's locker was the designated meeting place when they received an alert. Harry nodded at the hall monitor as he passed by, knowing he was one of the Stark security guards. Peter wasn't there yet and Harry frowned, as the lockers were closer to the gym. He shifted from foot to foot as he pulled the glasses Tony made him out of his bag.

Sliding them on, Harry was immediately connected to JARVIS.

"Hello, young sir, there has been an incident with Sergeant Barnes. You and Master Peter are closest to the Tower and may be able to help."

Harry was instantly tense, several scenarios running through his head. "Is he okay, J?"

"Sergeant Barnes is physically unharmed, however, as he and the healer were finishing his session, he remembered what happened with your grandparents."

"Well, sh—"

"Harry!" Peter yelled as he came running down the hallway, a hand covering his cheek.

"It's our uncle," Harry explained, reaching to peel off Peter's hand, not surprised to see a red mark, his anger flaring. "We're going to leave from the restroom, JARVIS."

Gritting his teeth, Harry surreptitiously pulled his Invisibility cloak from his bag and threw it over them. Peter tucked in behind Harry and matched his movements as the entered the boy's bathroom. A quick look around showed they were alone and he reached back to grip Peter's hand.

"Paradise Found."

The Portkey deposited them in the safe room and Harry hurriedly stuffed his cloak back into his bag. Peter following him out.

"JARVIS, what's going on?"

"A memory resurfaced at the end of Sergeant Barnes' session this afternoon, and it devastated him."

Harry's breath caught in his chest, as he muttered to Peter. "Grandpa—"

"Yes, Master Harry," JARVIS responded. "He has locked himself into the isolation room they were using for the treatment. Captain Roger's is still in his top secret meeting at Pentagon concerning the HYDRA issue, Lord Black and Mr. Lupin are at Gringotts, while Sir and Ms. Potts are in the midst of the Los Angeles Stockholder's meeting."

Taking a deep breath, Harry grabbed Peter's hand and headed up the stairs. "Has Uncle Bucky relapsed or been violent?"

"He has not, my concerns are more due to his anger at himself," JARVIS explained. "Mrs. Parker is monitoring his vital signs and has determined he is in a prolonged panic attack."

"Stuck in the loop," Harry muttered, thinking of one of his reoccurring nightmares, where his dad morphed into Quirrell and begins to turn to dust under Harry's touch.

"So it would seem."

"Harry? What's happening?" Peter asked jogging to catch up to Harry as they ran through the penthouse to the elevator.

Turning to face his brother, Harry eyed the bruised cheek before speaking. "When Dad and I were reading through Grandpa's files, we thought he and Nona might have been targeted by HYDRA for the serum he was working on."

Peter gasped. "And they used Uncle—"

"No!" Harry snapped as the doors opened, regretful as Peter flinched back. "Sorry, Pete –I just think of them as separate entities—"

"The Winter Solider," Peter breathed, catching on. "Oh no! Poor Bucky!"

"Yeah," Harry softly agreed as the elevator doors opened onto the medical floor.

"Aunt May!" Peter beelined to his aunt.

"Peter! What happened to your face?"

Throwing his brother a knowing look, Harry turned toward the isolation room, knowing JARVIS would be able to unlock the door. On hearing the click, Harry slowly turned the knob and stepped into the room. He found Bucky sitting in a corner by the wall of windows, knees pulled up to his chest, and his face pressed into them. He had his flesh arm wrapped around his legs and the metal one hung like a dead weight. His uncle didn’t look up when Harry slid down the window on his right side.

"You shouldn’t be here," came the flat statement. "I’m dangerous."

Harry slowly leaned against Bucky. "Not to me, you’re not."

"Kid—" Bucky lifted his head, his eyes haunted and red rimmed. "I killed your grandparents and I am so, so sorry!" His voice broke at the end.

Sighing, Harry leaned further into him. "I know. Dad and I figured it out when we were going through the information Grandpa left. We weren’t sure it was you specifically, but we knew it was HYDRA."

Shaking his head, Bucky stared down at his knees. "How can you even look at me! You should send me away!"

Harry tilted his head. "Did you consciously plan and carry out the assassination?"

"No! Howard was my friend!"

"If you had been in control, would you have killed them?"

"No!" Bucky’s voice broke again. "No—"

"Then I would say you are as much a victim as they were, as Dad and I are. HYDRA killed my grandparents, Uncle Bucky, you were just the weapon they used."

"I still did it! I used this fucking metal weapon they strapped on me to do it! I want it off!" He finally met Harry’s eyes. "It was my hands," Bucky whispered.

"If you, Bucky Barnes, are a killer," Harry stated quietly. "Then I must be a killer, too."

"What?" Turning his head, Bucky stared at him.

Harry took a deep breath. "At the end of the school year in June, I was manipulated into doing a series of challenges which led to one of my professors, who was hosting the wraith of the man who killed my parents." Harry dropped his eyes to examine his hands. "He tried to kill me and I grabbed his wrist, which began to burn and turn to ash under my touch. Instead of backing away when he screamed, I grabbed his face and held on until he was burned to ash and dead." While he'd kept his voice strong, Harry could feel the prickle of tears as he looked up at his great-uncle. "I guess that makes me a murderer, too," he whispered.

"Oh, Harry." Uncle Bucky stretched out his legs as he lifted Harry into his lap and pulled him against his chest. "You did what you had to—"

"But you did the same, Uncle Bucky," Harry said earnestly, his ear pressed against his uncle's chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. "I know I have to forgive myself for what happened, but you need to forgive yourself for doing things you were forced to do, because I doubt you would have survived HYDRA's anger if you'd failed."

"Oh, kid," Bucky muttered, laying his cheek on Harry's head. "You are too good to me, but I do want to be your uncle and be a part of this family. Maybe together we can figure out the 'forgive ourselves' thing. Do you think your dad would take the arm off for me?"
Nodding, Harry wrapped his hand around Bucky's warm wrist. "I even think he'd make you a brand new one."

The door creaked opened and Peter peeked in. "Harry? Uncle Bucky?"

Harry waved him over and Peter plopped himself down beside Bucky, pressing against his side. Peter knew better than to ask questions and the three of them sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes until Bucky spoke.

"What happened to your face, kid?"

Peter flinched a little and buried his face behind Bucky's shoulder.

"Young sirs and Sgt. Barnes, Sir is calling," JARVIS announced.

A holographic screen appeared in front of them with a worried looking Tony on it. Harry could tell his dad had dragged his hands through his hair repeatedly as it was sticking up in all directions. There was anxiety in the dark brown eyes, causing Harry to give him a small smile, knowing he was partially responsible as Tony would have felt his jolts of anger and anxiety.

"Frosty and munchkins!" Tony greeted them with false brightness. "You're all in a cuddle pile! The view must be great today!"

Harry put him out of his misery. "Uncle Bucky remembered one of his missions after his session today, so we're just doing cuddle therapy."

Bucky snorted, but wouldn't look up and Harry gave Tony a tiny nod, knowing he would know which mission had been remembered.

"Oh, and Dad? Bucky was curious about how hard it would be to remove his metal arm," Harry asked casually, feeling Bucky go motionless against him.

"Easy-peasy!" His dad waved a hand. "No problem – we'll talk about it when I get home, snowflake."

"Are you going to be here before we go Trick or Treating, Dad?" Peter turned toward the screen, a wide grin on his face.

"I won't miss it for the world, squirt!" Tony smiled back at him, but Harry could see his eyes lingering on the still red mark on Peter's face. "Although I can't understand why neither of you wanted to be Iron Man for Halloween! I could've made you a suit—"

"No suits for the boys, Tony!" Pepper must have come into the room and moved so she was standing behind him.

"Hi boys! Don't smother your poor uncle, Harry."

"Yes, Mum!" Harry laughed as Bucky pulled both the boys closer.

"Now, take Bucky to the kitchen, I hear your Aunt May has an after-school snack for you, which may or may not involve ice cream," Pepper enticed them with a smile.

Harry and Peter both jumped up, cheering and dragged Bucky to his feet.

Tony turned toward Pepper as JARVIS ended the call and met her angry eyes. "What happened?"

She drew in a deep breath. "Apparently, the same kid who shoved Peter and Ned the first day of school has continued to verbally harass him. Today, he punched Peter in PE class, claiming it was an accident."

Tony rubbed his chest. "No wonder Harry got angry when he saw Peter."

"Tony, I think it's time to file a Restraining Order and May agrees with me."

"Past time," Tony bit out. "JARVIS, can you file an on-line report with the precinct, please? Ask Ben for assistance if you need any additional information. Pull the video from the gym and included that with the report."

Pepper nodded as she listened. "JARVIS, please get some pictures of the bruise on Peter's face, and attach those as well. Send a copy of everything to Legal, to Grayson's attention, please."

Reaching out, Tony tugged Pepper to him, wrapping his arms around her. He relished the closeness and warmth, something he might not have appreciated a few years ago. He pressed his cheek against Pepper's, before pressing a kiss to her ear.

"If I ask you to marry you, would you say yes?"

Pepper leaned back in the circle of his arms and examined his face intently. "Well, if you ask me because you love me and can't live without me, perhaps, but if you ask me because I organize your life, put away your clean laundry, and love your kids to distraction, no."

Tony wrinkled his nose. "Well, how could anyone not love those boys? What if, I love you to distract, you balance the part of me that gets frantic and angsty, and I couldn't find a better partner in life?"

Pepper smiled at him. "I'd say there was room for negotiation."

Tony kissed her hard before reluctantly pulling away. "I guess I'd better find a ring."

Stepping back, Pepper tapped his reactor with a manicured finger. "Still won't get you out of telling Captain America his kid is still being bullied."

"Ugh!" Tony shuddered. "I'll call him on the flight back. He should be out of his Pentagon meeting by now."

"After dropping the hint that HYDRA has infiltrated SHIELD?" Pepper shook her head. "You need to get going, hotshot, so you get there before dark." She kissed him again before heading for her next meeting.

"Keep Happy with you," he called after her, before undoing the knot in his tie.

"I will, Tony. Fly safe."

Tony pulled off his tie and left it on his desk before he headed out. He didn't have an undersuit with him, having flown to California with Pepper in the jet. His Tom Ford suit could always be pressed. Activating the Mark IX he'd flown from the jet to the roof, Tony took a loop over out over the ocean before heading east. JARVIS was diligently scanning for helicopters and aircraft as Tony accelerated to Mach 2. He gained altitude, staying just below 50,000 feet to avoid commercial jets below him and military above.

Once he was locked on course, Tony checked his HUD and saw it was after 4pm EST. "JARVIS, call Steve, please."

The call was picked up on the second ring, although it sounded like the phone was dropped and grabbed. A few colorful words could be heard in the background.

"Tony?" Steve's voice sounded a touch exasperated. "You're not tracking me, are you?"

"Not me, Cap," Tony smirked as he answered. "Just thought it was time for your meeting to end."

"Oh, ok. Yeah, it actually just did. I'm walking toward the front of the building."

"You're driving or flying back?"

There was a pause. "I was going to catch a flight out of Regan, why?"

Tony shook his head, even though he knew Steve couldn't see him. "I think we need to buy a Quinjet for Avengers transportation, but in the meantime, you still have your dog tags on, right?"

"Always, Tony."

"Sirius made them into a Portkey when he etched the protection runes on them," Tony told him. "I'm on my way back from California, but I'm still a couple hours out in the suit."

There was a beat of silence, before Steve asked in a sharp tone: "What happened?"

Tony sighed. "After his session today, Bucky's memory of my parents surfaced and he sent everyone out of the isolation room. May was pretty worried, so JARVIS sent the boys a message to come home from school a little early." He paused for a second. "Harry was able to talk to him and bring him out of it."

"The possessed guy?"

Harry had had enough nightmares about what happened, so they all knew about the incident. "Yes."

"What else happened?"

Tony didn't really want to tell Steve any more as he stood in the entrance way of the Pentagon. "I think—"

"Tony."

Tony grimaced at Steve's Captain America voice. "Peter's still being bullied by that asshole kid."

"What. Happened."

Sighing, Tony explained what May had learned after talking to both Harry and Peter. "He probably wouldn't have said anything, but he was accidentally punched in the face and has a visible bruise. I texted May to hold off on putting Bruise Paste on it, in case the police need to take their own pictures. Legal is also petitioning for a Restraining Order."

Tony could hear Steve take several deep breaths and waited patiently for his friend to get his emotions in check. "Do you think JARVIS can set up a meeting with Morita and the parents?"

"Of course, Captain Rogers," JARVIS answered for himself. "Would tomorrow afternoon do?"

"I'll clear my schedule," Tony chimed in.

"I'm free," Steve assured them. "I'm in the men's restroom now, Tony, and I'm going to use the Portkey."

"Sounds good, Cap," Tony told him. "I'm thinking comfort food, soft blankets, and a Disney movie might be good for tonight."

"Add hot chocolate and you've got a plan."

By the time Tony landed on the balcony and the rings had his suit removed, he walked into a penthouse smelling of pizza, lasagna, and garlic bread. Harry and Peter were watching a movie as they sat stuffed together in one of the large recliners, while Steve and Bucky were pressed together on the couch. Tony caught a glimpse of a dark mark on Peter's cheek as both boys ran to give him hugs. His eyes connected with Steve's over the top of their son's head and he gave a small nod.

"Why don't you guys go start dishing stuff up, while I talk to Uncle Bucky for a minute," Tony instructed the boys, giving them a gently push toward the table.

Steve gave Tony a small smile and then followed the boys to the kitchen. Taking out his wand, Tony carefully cast the privacy spell Sirius had taught him, around he and Bucky. The other man, usually mesmerized by magic, didn't even look up, and Tony sat down on the low table in front of him.

"James."

Bucky lifted his head, his gaze focus over Tony's shoulder. "You know neither Harry nor I blame you for what happened. Whether it was your hands or not; you weren't in control of your actions."

"I still killed them! I should have been strong enough to—"

"I don't know if you remember how long it took them to torture you into submission, but from what we've found, it took years and they had to temporarily suppress your memories by half electrocuting your hippocampus to do it."

Tony leaned into his personal space, causing Bucky to shift and meet his eyes. Tony almost winced at the self-loathing and wariness he saw there. "I have a letter from Howard I'd like you to read – I think he suspected what was going on. We have a lot of other information he left for us, which you could help us with. Before that, you have to acknowledge that what you were forced to do, wasn't your choice, nor you can shoulder the blame for what HYDRA orchestrated."

He could hear Bucky draw in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, before he gave the tiniest of nods.

"Will you take this arm, this HYDRA weapon, off me?" Bucky asked urgently. "I feel like it's covered in blood!"

Patting him on the knee, Tony sat back and studied Bucky's face, knowing he was serious. "I'd be happy to take a look at it, but I hesitate to just take it off of you –" he held out a hand as Bucky started to object. "Having only one arm would put you at a disadvantage in any crisis situation, and I won't put you in that position. I will, however, start work on a new arm." He gave the man a knowing look. "One that doesn't constantly cause you pain."

He waited until Bucky gave him a reluctant nod and Tony stood up, extending his hand. "Come on, Frosty, there are a couple of nosey boys over there trying to read our lips!"

Bucky and Sirius stood guard outside the conference room near Principal Morita's office as Tony and Steve followed May and Ben into room. Peter walked between Tony and Steve, the bruise on his cheekbone in full color and encompassing his left eye. Pure, sweet, Peter, who thought if he let Flash bully him, he wouldn't pick on younger kids. Harry had been irate when Peter had told them that, knowing exactly how it felt to be bullied. Tony had to promise to allow JARVIS to broadcast the meeting to Harry, as he had a study period, because he wanted to go with them.

Jim Morita had greeted Steve quietly as their group sat at one end of the table in a conference room. Tony was in one of his most expensive suits, having learned that Harrison Thompson was a moderately successful attorney and all-around asshole. From what JARVIS had been able to find, Thompson was an abusive husband and, most likely, father. They had all decided they were going to show the man, and his son, that being abusive was not the way to succeed in life. Ben and Steve were also wearing expensive suits, even though each wanted to put on their respective uniforms. May had rolled her eyes at the men, wearing her jeans and a leather jacket. Bucky and Sirius had chosen black leather for their attire.

After a few minutes, the door was thrown open and a tall man in a mediocre suit with the beginnings of a paunch, strode into the room, followed by a short, rather frumpy woman in a floral dress. Morita, sitting in the middle of the table, greeted the Thompsons and directed them to the opposite end of the table. Eugene was helped through the door with a subtle hip check by Sirius, his face pale as he stared at Bucky. Mrs. Thompson looked over at them, and Tony allowed himself a predatory smile, watching as her jaw dropped.

"Before we get started," Thompson began, pausing halfway to his seat, "I thought I would introduce myself, as you don't seem to understand who you are dealing with." He whipped a business card out of his inner jacket pocket. "Harrison Thompson, Esq., Attorney at Law."

The door flew open and Bucky appeared, snatching the card out of Thompson's hand before disappearing out the door again. Tony smothered a grin, but May giggled at the perplexed look on Thompson's face and Peter snorted, drawing a dirty look from Flash. Tony eyed the man and the hand he now extended toward him. He didn't bother to get up or take it, but he was spiteful enough to remove his sunglasses.

"And I am Dr. Anthony Stark, Iron Man, and you can call me Dr. Stark."

Thompson's hand dropped back to his side as Steve cleared his throat, standing but not taking the extended hand. "I'm Captain Steve Rogers, Captain America, and you can call me Captain Rogers."

Ben bit his lip to keep him from laughing as Morita buried his face in his hands. "Benjamin and May Parker, Peter's aunt and uncle." He patted Peter on the arm.

"Could you please take your seat, Mr. Thompson?" Morita asked and waited until the man complied. "Now, you were asked here today as there was an incident between Eugene and Peter in the gym yesterday—"

"An incident?" Mrs. Thompson's voice was surprisingly high pitched.

"I'm not sure calling it an incident does it justice," Tony interjected, setting his phone on the table and tapping it.

A hologram appeared above the table, showing the unprovoked attack on Peter. Mrs. Thompson groaned while Mr. Thompson crossed his arms over his chest.

"You called us in here, Principal Morita, because the boys were roughhousing in the gym?"

"I—"

"We requested this meeting, as Peter's family," Steve cut in, his voice deadly serious, "because Peter was criminally assaulted by another student in a place where he should have been safe." Steve turned his head to pin Eugene and then his father. "I don't like bullies and Eugene will cease this behavior immediately."

Thompson waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Boys will be boys—"

Tony had had enough. "We have filed a criminal assault report with the NYPD and notified the school district, complete with the video you just watched. "

"And because Eugene seems to have an issue of keeping his hands to himself," May informed the Thompsons. "We have been granted a Restraining Order, keeping not only Eugene, but your entire family away, from Peter."

Morita, as a neutral third party, slid the paperwork over to Mrs. Thompson, who reached for it only to have her husband rip it away from her.

"You can't do that!"

"You will find we can, especially as this is the second assault on Peter since school started." Tony stood and smoothed out his tie. "My attorneys are the best, Thompson."

Ben and May stood up, and ushered Peter out of the room. Steve remained sitting, his posture relaxed and even Morita side-eyed him. The look on his face was one Tony was sure Bucky would recognize in a heartbeat, a mix of disappointment and expectation.

"I would advise you to read that document," Steve began in a quiet, no-nonsense tone. "It covers acceptable behavior and unacceptable behavior, which include: verbal threats, insults and taunts, derogatory nicknames, and staying 100 feet from all our family." Steve slid his chair back and straightened to his full height. "The camera system within the school has been improved, by the greatest mind in technology—"

Tony had to bite his cheek to keep the smile off his face.

"—so if you call Peter anything but his name, it will be recorded." Steve looked from Flash to directly at Thompson. "I hate bullies, Mr. Thompson, and if I hear of you taking your anger out on anyone else, I will personally come for you."

Steve pivoted crisply and Tony opened the door for him. He quietly said goodbye to the principal and followed Steve out the door. Morita was going to give the kid a week's detention, but they had all agreed against a suspension, which would have gone on his permanent school record and would have given his father more access to the boy. Tony hoped the boy was smart enough to change his conduct, before he became a duplicate of his father.

Harry tugged the thick blue jacket down, straightening the strap that ran across his torso, and checked his utility belt. A custom pocket along the seam of the brown pants he wore housed his wand and he made sure his rings, bracelet, and necklace were all on. Peter bounced into his room, already in his Captain America costume – the original design that their grandfather made for Steve in WWII, complete with brown leather jacket. Harry was happy to see the bruise and black eye were gone.

"You look great, Harry!" Peter gave him a one-armed hug.

Harry grinned at him as his little brother practically vibrated. "Has Pops seen you yet?"

Peter shook his head. "I thought we'd surprise them."

"Ted's going to think you two stood him up, if we don't leave now." Their dad's voice called to them from the living broom.

Peter took off like a shot, Harry grabbing his torch and messenger bag before following them. Tony was clad in his undersuit with a jacket over it, hands on his hips as he looked them over.

"You both look amazing!" He exclaimed. "Your Aunt May out did herself with these."

Grinning, Harry opened his mouth to answer when he was distracted by a flash of light. Sirius stood near the elevator with Ben, who had taken their picture. May watched from where she was sitting on the couch with Pepper. Following Peter, they gave a round of hugs and kisses, before Sirius took them down to the garage. Happy was waiting in a low-profile black SUV, one large enough to accommodate them plus Uncle Steve and Uncle Bucky on the way home. Ben was headed to the precinct to help with any emergencies which might come up.

The super soldiers had left an hour ago, deciding to take the subway to Queens and 'scope out the neighborhood' as Bucky had said. The difference in his uncle's demeaner had been amazing since the mind healers had done the finally check that HYDRA's programming had been eliminated this morning. While he would have bad moments, like the day before, Bucky had grown more open with their family and optimistic about the future. He treated both boys as favored nephews, but as he and Uncle Steve settled back into their former relationship, Harry teased Peter that he now had four dads.

Steve was waiting for them in front of Ned's apartment building, wearing what looked like a brown leather bomber jacket, but Harry knew was the new Kevlar material his dad created, khaki tactical pants, and his shield on his back. Harry knew Uncle Bucky was dressed similarly, except everything was black and he had no visible weapons. Happy pulled up and gave the man a nod, before letting the boys out.

"You fellas look amazing!" Steve grinned at them, pulling them in for a hug. "Bucky is bringing Ned down."

Harry watched the front door of the building as Peter talked enthusiastically with his father. describing his day at school. While he was glad his brother was excited, Harry was on edge. He'd never gone Trick or Treating before, having been left behind, locked in his cupboard, when the Dursleys took Dudley to the community Halloween party. The little children he saw darting down the sidewalk between buildings were tiny and vulnerable, with no sign of their parents anywhere close. A glance told him Steve was also watching the kids, even as he kept Peter close to him.

The front door of the apartment building opened and Ned came running out, followed at a slower pace by Bucky. His uncle had a small smile on his face as he scanned the adjoining buildings for threats. Frowning, Harry took another look at Ned, taking in the fake redhaired mustache and bowler hat, before grinning himself. Ned had dressed up as Dum Dum Dugan of the Howling Commandos!

Peter and Ned came together for a hug, before doing their special handshake, which Harry hadn't even tried to learn. He idly wondered what Hermione would think of a secret handshake. Steve herded the boys down the sidewalk, toward a neighborhood of Brownstones and townhouses. No one wanted them going into the apartment buildings, as they were too closed in, with few escape routes, according to Bucky. The younger boys never stopped chattering, but Harry stayed silent, partly because going door to door demanding candy was a foreign concept to him. The other part was his discomfort in being out in the open, something they hadn't done a lot of since Uncle Steve had walked through the wards at the park that day.

He stayed close to Bucky, going up when the families were passing out candy on the front porches of their buildings. Harry knew Sirius was trailing them under a Disillusionment Charm and he'd heard the repulsors of the Iron Man armor above them several times. When they had noticed Harry dragging along behind them, Peter and Ned had pulled him forward. Grabbing his hand, Peter ran up to the next porch.

"Trick or Treat!" he chirped, Ned echoing him as he bounced up the steps behind them.

The elderly lady fawned over the boys, knowing who they were dressed as and then absolutely squealed when she caught sight of Steve standing at the foot of the steps. She insisted he come up and get a treat as well, which turned out to be a hug, something that made Steve's cheeks redden. Harry was sure he heard Bucky snort as Steve led the way down the stairs. They moved down the block, crossed the street, and came back up the other side. Harry relaxing enough to join in Peter and Ned's delight of the evening, their goody bags significantly heavier.

They were walking past an alley, when someone jumped from the darkness into their path. Harry grabbed the harness on Peter's back, shoving him behind him, as the silhouette made a grab at Ned, who skittered away. His wand was in his hand, but before he could cast, red spell light flashed by him and stunned the assailant. Steve's shield found a second target, and another figure collapsed to the ground as Bucky punched him.

Iron Man landed beside Harry as Steve took a startled Peter from him, and Sirius brought Ned forward into their protective huddle. Bucky crouched over each of the would-be miuggers, collecting weapons: a pair of knives and a bill club.

His dad's helmet retracted. "Police are already on their way – apparently, these three assholes have been preying on kids all evening."

"Picked the wrong kids this time," Bucky growled, kicking one of the black-clad men who was trying to crawl away. "Stay down before I decide to take you out myself."

The guy eased back down to sit on the ground, his hands raised, as he stared at them wide eyed. Harry sucked in a deep breath as his body started to react to the adrenaline his body had just dumped into his system. With a shaky hand, he slid his wand back into its pocket. A metal covered hand settled gently on his shoulder.

"Alright, Tesoro?" His dad asked quietly and Harry nodded his head automatically, focusing on taking deep breaths to get rid of the jittery feeling.

Flashing red and blue lights and running feet announced the arrival of the police officers. They immediately took charge of the men, speaking to Steve and Tony, who had captured video of the suspects jumping out of the alley. Bucky and Sirius moved Harry, Peter, and Ned away from the activity as Steve and Tony dealt with the formalities, turning over evidence.

Harry tried not to listen in, but it was hard to avoid. "The video will help immensely, Mr. Stark, you literally caught them in the act. Add to that the weapons you found on them, in addition to the robberies, they'd be smart to take a plea deal so they don't spend the rest of their lives in Rikers."

"They didn't hurt anyone, did they?" Steve asked, concerned.

The policeman shook his head. "No, terrorized them and then, along with anything valuable, assholes took the kids candy!"

That was how they all found themselves walking into NYPD's Precinct 107 thirty minutes later. Harry juggled several bags of candy, Peter and Ned had their hands full as well, as they presented themselves at the front counter and asked for the officer in charge. Ben Parker stepped out of the door in front of a balding man with captain's bars on his collar. After hugging them, Ben introduced the other man as Captain George Stacy, who seemed unfazed to find Iron Man and Captain America in his lobby. Captain Stacy explained there had been a rash of children mugged this Halloween.

"I'll have Dispatch put out a bulletin for our officers to come get some candy to pass out," he assured them.

"Sir?" Harry asked. "Do you know where the kids are who were robbed are? We picked up some special bags for them."

As it turned out, several of the children with their parents, were in the squad room finishing up report paperwork. Harry grinned as they were sent out and his dad, with Uncle Steve, handed out Avengers-themed bags filled with candy and action figures. They stayed and played with the kids for a while, Uncle Bucky even participating. The news spread and the lobby was soon filled with costumed children and an impromptu Halloween party. Captain Stacy took it good naturedly, especially when the officers came through to gets treats and selfies.

Ben, Harry, and Peter took a bunch of pictures for Remus, Pepper, and May.

"Sir, your meeting will start in ninety minutes and Ms. Potts said to tell you it was time to eat."

Sighing, Tony finished soldering the last microchip into the new Starkphone upgrade he was working on. "Tell her I'll be right up, J, and please save my work."

"Certainly, Sir."

Tony pulled off the safety goggles and set them down on his workbench, reaching over to turn off the soldering iron. He slipped off his stool and arched his back, stretching his cramped back muscles. His boys had slept in this morning and then focused on cleaning their rooms and getting their homework done, both mundane and magical. Remus had an introductory class on Runes scheduled for right after lunch. Pepper and May were shopping, Ben and Happy had gone out somewhere together, and Steve and Bucky decided to walk through Times Square.

"JARVIS, are the boys done with their class?"

"Both are currently headed to the kitchen for a snack before heading to the large gym for a flying lesson."

"Excellent!" Tony stepped into the elevator. "Take me up, please, J."

He found the boys in the process of cutting up fruit for a snack, with Sirius starting a pot of coffee. The three looked at him when he stepped out of the elevator and smirked.

"Forgot to eat lunch again, Dad?" Harry asked as he grabbed a bowl in the refrigerator and slid it into the microwave. "Sit down, it'll be ready in a minute."

Sliding on to a chair, Tony grabbed a piece of melon out of the bowl Peter was working on. "Everybody still out?"

"We're back!" Steve announced as he and Bucky came through the stairway door, not even breathing hard after ninety floors.

Sirius sat down next to Tony with a cup of tea. "Remus is grading the boys papers and then he'll be up."

"The ladies have just parked in the garage, Sir," JARVIS supplied. "Mr. Hogan and Mr. Parker have just left Madison Square Garden, enroute to the Tower."

Tony blinked, briefly wondering what Happy and Ben were up to. "Thanks, J."

"Here."

Harry set the bowl in front of him and Tony could see it was some kind of curly pasta in a tomato sauce, with shredded parmesan on the top. Taking a cautious bite, Tony perked up at the simple but favorable dish. He looked up at Harry, his eyebrow arched.

"Nope, Uncle Bucky made it, said it was called American goulash." Harry nodded toward the man, giving him a smile.

Shrugging, Tony took a spoonful and popped it into his mouth, chewing happily. The others were chatting back and forth, while Tony ate and lined up a bullet-point list on his tablet of the things to discuss at the meeting.

"Dad? Can Peter and I go ride brooms in the large training gym for half an hour?" Harry gave him a pleading look.

"Please, Dad?" Peter, who had perfected puppy-dog eyes, pleaded.

Tonyn eyed them and shook his head. "You know, it's blatantly unfair that both of you have gotten so good at that!" He gestured toward Steve. "Ask Pops!"

Steve frowned but immediately caved under the twin pleading looks. "Go on, but be careful!"

Both boys cheered and took off toward the elevator.

"I'll go!" Bucky was right on their heels.

"Wait! I want to go, too!" Sirius abandoned his tea.

"Jeez, feel like I'm back corralling Howlies!"

Tony laughed as Steve took off toward the stairwell. "Better grab the shield, Cap!"

Shaking his head, Tony headed to his bedroom and a nice, hot shower. He was still grinning when he returned to the living room forty-five minutes later. Ben and Happy were sitting at the kitchen island, each with a bottle of beer as they argued good-naturedly about the Monday Night football game. Covered dishes were lined up on the table, indicating the chef had already sent up the finger food he'd asked for. Tony diverted toward them to see what was on offer.

"Tony!"

He jumped as Pepper and May stepped out of the elevator, hiding the cookie he'd grabbed behind his back. "Pepper, light of my life—"

She gave him a pointed look. "Did you have some real food?"

Tony grinned and nodded. "I did, Bucky's goulash!" He swiftly stuffed the cookie into his mouth, while both women rolled their eyes.

"Don't let me hear you yell at Peter for doing that," May muttered, taking the glass of wine Ben handed her with a smile.

The elevator opened again and Steve strode in, his hair mussed up and cheeks pink. Tony swallowed the last bit of his cookie, taking the sparkling water Happy pushed across the island at him, pausing as he took in Steve's appearance.

"You look roughed up, Capsicle, everything okay?"

Dragging his fingers through his hair, Steve sighed. "Everything is fine, Tony, I'd just forgotten how competitive Bucky could be."

"And Sirius is just a bloody menace," Remus interjected as he walked in.

"That, too," Tony agreed readily. "Where are the boys?"

Steve sent him a look. "I sent the children to clean up, so they should be here in a few minutes."

Snorting, Tony shook his head and went in search of his tablet. Rhodey was bringing the HYDRA folder he'd been reviewing and Ironjaw would have the family trees. Bruce had supplied the results of the blood tests, and, while Tony thought he'd make a great addition to the group, he didn't know him well enough to invite him in yet. A movement in the periphery of his vision caught his attention and Tony smiled as Rhodey landed on the platform outside. Just as he touched down, Mariah appeared on the balcony.

"Dad!"

Peter's exuberant voice announced his arrival as he bounced into the room and Tony braced himself for impact, as Peter threw himself at him. "I beat Pops and Uncle Bucky in a race, but Harry is amazing!"

"Wait until I find a Snitch, little brother!"

Tony looked up at Harry's voice, to see a smirk on his son's face as he walked in with Bucky right behind him. Straightening up, Tony kept on hand on Peter's shoulder as Harry leaned in for a hug. He'd barely squeezed Harry when his son was tugged away by Rhodey.

"Hey!" Tony squawked as Peter was also tugged away from him.

Steve just grinned at him as he swung Peter up on his shoulders and Bucky tugged Harry out of Rhodey's arms, hoisting him up on his shoulders. Both boys were laughing wildly as the two Super Soldiers jogged over to the seating area and dumped them onto the long couch. Tony felt a warmth in his chest, along with a bubble of happiness from Harry, and he just watched his sons, delighted in the fact that they were able to act like the pre-teens they were. Pepper appeared at his side, her wine glass and his sparkling water in hand, and nudged him toward the couch.

The elevator dinged as Tony dropped onto the couch between the two giggling boys. Looking up, Tony could see Ian, Ironjaw, and Kingsley step out. Things quickly settled down as greetings were exchanged and everyone grabbed a drink before sitting down. Tony organized his thoughts as Harry sat on his right and Pepper on his left. Peter had his own tablet with the blood test results, sharing a small couch with Ben and May, while Steve and Bucky took the arm chairs next to it. The others arranged themselves around the room as Tony had JARVIS lock it down.

"It sounds like some of you had an exciting Halloween," Ian opened the discussion with the hint of a smile.

Steve leaned forward. "Local bullies stealing candy from kids, which is bad enough, but we don't think there was a more nefarious element."

"Picked the wrong kids, I'd say," Kingsley noted with a grin. "I'm surprised they came out in one piece."

"It was a close thing," Sirius muttered.

Ironjaw cleared his throat. "Well, on a happier note, Mr. Barnes, I have some news for you."

Bucky sat up straighter. "You do, sir?"

Ironjaw snapped his fingers and Tony observed as a parchment envelope appeared in his hand. Another snap and the envelope floated over to Bucky. Tony watched curiously, hoping it wasn't something unpleasant – Bucky had had enough unpleasant to last him a lifetime.

"I discovered a small vault you are the heir to, from the Buchanan line, the contents of which I can have transferred to the New York branch." Ironjaw gestured with his hand. "There is some gold in it, but it also contains a number of family heirlooms, which I thought you might appreciate."

"Yes, please, Ironjaw," Bucky told him, giving the goblin a half-bow. "Thank you, I appreciate your efforts."

Ironjaw tilted his head in acknowledgment and Tony cleared his throat. "JARVIS, display the list for us, please."

"I have an update on the Dursleys," Ian announced as the updated to-do list appeared on a holographic screen. "Dursley was found guilty of child abuse and endangerment and will do eight years. The woman was found guilty of neglect and failing to report abuse, ending up sentenced to five years. They were both found guilty of fraud and financial crimes for another three years each. The son has been put into care at a facility which deals with abused children, over indulged in his case. Hopefully, they'll be able to turn him around before he becomes a criminal. Their assets are to be sold and half will go into a trust for their son and the other half to Harry. "

"That sounds fair," Tony gritted out, still wishing he'd gotten just five minutes with the fuckers.

"Much more so than they would have gotten on the magical side," Sirius interjected angrily. "And not just because it was their precious savior, but because children are such a gift – birthrates have never been really high."

Harry looked up. "But what about the Weasleys?"

"Family magics, Harry, fertility in this case," Mariah answered. "Each family has certain gifts which run through the family – like the Black family gift is the ability to change their appearance."

Sirius nodded. "James' family was known for their magical prowess and for their skills at inventing potions."

"I'll work it into your lessons, boys," Remus promised the them, redirecting the conversation back to Tony.

"Alright, let's start with a couple of updates," Tony began, outlining Bucky's successful deprograming and his strengths.

Directing the group through the information JARVIS and Rhodey had found out on the kidnappers, showing the non-magicals were mainly SHIELD agents, who were likely part of the hidden HYDRA organization. The magicals were a mix of Death Eaters and mercenaries. Their names and pictures were added to the appropriate files, as were the handlers Bucky could remember. Alexander Pierce was still outstanding, which was a worry. Mariah brought the news that MACUSA had authorized Harry and Peter to use their wands to train and defend themselves, despite their ages.

As a group, they made the determination that no one would go into public without someone else accompanying them. Pepper, Happy, May, and Ben were a little uncomfortable with the directive, but agreed to abide by it. Both Harry and Peter were in agreement, they'd had too many close calls lately. Sirius and Remus volunteered to help with escort duties, when it didn't interfere with tutoring Bucky, Steve, Tony, and the boys in magic. Remus also volunteered to work with the protection runes and join Sirius in helping to train new SI security wizards.

Peter described the differences he and Bruce had found in the DNA of those who had received any type of Super Soldier Serum, based on the appearance of the 'rungs' in the double helix, or the spiral 'ladder' of each DNA strand. The difference was most apparent in Steve's DNA, with Bucky's version being the next prominent, while the serum Howard had developed was more superficial. Bruce was studying the differences, but was confident he'd be able to tell if someone had received a dose and which variety.

"Don't forget the Wizengamot, Tony," Ian reminded him. "I know Sirius holds proxies for Harry's seats, so it'll be imperative for him to attend the next session as rumor has it Lord Malfoy and Lord Nott are going to introduce new legislation concerning the removal of no-maj born children from their families as soon as they displayed accidental magic."

Pepper gasped. "That's awful!"

Tony felt the anger spike in Harry and had to agree. "Sirius, let us know if you need Harry to go with you, if only to make an apperance."

"Sir, Director Fury is in the elevator," JARVIS announced. "He believes he's bypassed my security parameters."

Sighing, Tony glanced around the room. "Well, the next thing on my list was to debate about Fury. Let him come up, J."

They waited in silence as the elevator door opened and Nick Flury swept out in a swirl of leather. Stepping out behind him were Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff. Tony barely resisted rolling his eyes. Fury stepped to the edge of the conversation area, and allowed his eyes to sweep over everyone, pausing at Kingsley who gave him a nod, before fixing on Bucky.

Tony uncharacteristically stayed quiet, tense like most of the group. Harry's eyes had narrowed, while Peter's were wide. Bucky returned the intense stare, not a man who was easily intimidated. Fury reached inside his trench coat and slowly extracted a thick envelope.

"I was just in DC and President Ellis asked me to bring this to the Tower," he began in a clipped tone, "I asked who it was for and he would only say that I should give it to the man who shouldn't be here."

Fury's eye bounced from Bucky to Steve and back. "You appear to be Sgt. James Barnes, which is impossible."

The envelope was dropped into Bucky's lap and Fury turned back to Tony. "Sorry to crash your gathering, but both Presidents seemed to believe it was imperative I speak to you about an infestation."

Tony straightened and exchanged a look with Steve, as Bucky looked through the papers in the envelope.

"Tony?" Bucky voice broke. "How is this—"

"It should be a full pardon, acknowledgement of being the longest POW in American history, your updated military records, and all the documents to prove it, Bucky." Tony told him, eyeing the assassins in the room. "The Winter Soldier has been put to rest."

Natasha gasped and Fury's eye twitched, but his gaze never wavered. Bucky looked overwhelmed as Steve reached over and took his hand. Harry beamed at both of the men and leaned closer to his chest, happiness bubbling in his son's chest.

"And you are supposed to be able to help me with a HYDRA problem." Fury's tone was cold.

Chapter Text

The tall, leather-clad figure of Nick Fury stood at the edge of the living room, his arms crossed over his chest and two Avengers flanking him, glaring at their group. Harry barely held in a snort of laughter. And he thought his dad was dramatic!

They all knew Bucky's case had been presented before a military tribunal, as Bucky had been a POW and was technically still in the Army. Uncle Rhodey had led the team representing Bucky, who appeared via video conference, while still undergoing treatment with the mind healers and no-maj psychologist. Uncle Steve sat through every day of the testimony, his face stoic and neutral, and had escorted Harry the day he'd testified about how the Asset had rescued them. The acquittal of the charges had been a relief for all of them and now a pardon would let Bucky finally be able to live his life.

While he was pleased Uncle Bucky had been pardoned, Harry wasn't impressed by Director Fury. His glower was not a benevolent smile and there wasn't any twinkle in his one good eye, but he still reminded Harry of Dumbledore, and that made him uneasy. He could sense the irritation his dad was feeling, as he sat tensely beside Harry, engaged in a staring contest with Fury.

Uncle Rhodey was the one who stood up and gestured at the two Avengers standing beside Fury. "We were actually just debating whether to bring you into our group, Colonel Fury, but before we go on, do Romanoff and Barton have the security clearance to be here?"

"They do," Fury replied immediately. "Why do you have children here?"

"They're directly involved," Steve answered, his voice hard.

Romanoff scoffed and Harry stiffened at the implication, pinning her with a narrowed gaze.

"When was the last time you were kidnapped by Hydra, Agent Romanoff?" He asked in a sharp tone as both the SHIELD agents turned to look at him. "Well, it's only been weeks since Peter and I were taken from our school and almost killed by their agents!"

Tony squeezed his shoulder and Pepper took his right hand, as Harry took a deep breath. He'd met the two Avengers after the invasion, introduced along with Peter, as Tony's sons, but hadn't had any further contact. Having done his research, he knew both were SHIELD agents and appeared to be very loyal to Fury. Harry wasn't impressed by what he'd seen so far.

Rhodey cleared his throat. "Just to make sure everyone knows each other, allow me to make introductions." He quickly went around the room.

Watching the two agents' reactions, Harry was pretty sure Romanoff was already aware of the magical world and Barton at least suspected it existed. Both maintained a neutral face as they were introduced to a goblin, something most no-majs hadn't had the opportunity to do. His dad was doing an admirable job of biting his tongue on his usually snarky jabs.

Sirius pushed himself to his feet. "And you are absolutely sure of their loyalties? Because I'm sure that Kingsley or Mariah must have a vial of Veritaserum on them."

"What is Veritaserum?" Romanoff asked, looking Sirius up and down.

"Lord Black refers to a truth serum which compels one to speak the truth," Kingsley explained. "Generally used for interrogations and court testimony."

"Whatever you need to do," Romanoff spoke in a clear, quiet voice. "However, Barnes could probably tell you I am not Hydra, as he was sent to shot a scientist I was escorting out of Odessa a few years back."

Everyone's eyes turned to Bucky, whose face was scrunched up, as if trying to remember. Steve leaned closer, wrapping his hand around Bucky's flesh hand.

"Bucky." May addressed him quietly, concern in her voice. "Don't try and force the memory, if it doesn't come. Remember what the mind healer told you."

Bucky gave her a grateful nod. "I think I remember," he said softly, turning to meet Romanoff's eyes. "You covered the man with your body and I shot through you. I can vouch that the incident occurred, but not to your true allegiance – I won't put my nephews lives in greater danger."

"I will vouch for both of them and they can sigh the NDA I'm sure Stark has ready." Fury had lost all patience. "Now, can we clear out the extraneous people and get to it?"

"The only extraneous—" Tony started, only to have Uncle Rhodey cut him off.

"Colonel Fury, these people are part of our family and each has a stake in destroying Hydra." He gestured toward Ironjaw. "The Goblin Nation is tracking both Hydra and Death Eaters through their finances, using the information to identify suspected members of both organizations. The Aurors are members of an ICW Task Force, investigating the kidnapping of the boys, as well as the threats made against our extended family."

"So, you refuse to—"

"Director Fury!" Steve rose to his full height. "Please sit down, and we will tell you everything we know about Hydra, however, Harry and Peter stay."

Harry felt like squirming as Romanoff came over and sat on the end of the couch next to him, but resisted. Uncle Rhodey waited until everyone settled and described to the two agents how Harry's journey had started with Ironjaw, Ian, and then to his dad. It got a bit more complicated when Rhodey got to Peter and Harry meeting.

Uncle Ben spoke up, shooting Fury a frown, and gave them the information on his brother. Harry saw Fury scowl at Ricard's name, but neither of the agents' faces changed. Tony helped Ben explain, in general terms, the science of how his dad and two other males were contributors to Peter's DNA.

"He was doing genetic engineering? DNA splicing?" Barton, surprisingly, was the one who asked.

"Yes, and worse," Tony answered, leaning forward to put clasp his hands between his knees. "My father was concerned that Hydra had infiltrated SHIELD when Zola and the others were brought in after the war. The SSR had taken genetic material from Steve during Project Rebirth, then Bucky, and some of the others captured at Azzano." Tony scratched the back of his head. "Not really sure how they got ahold of mine."

Harry picked up the narrative as he glanced at Steve and Bucky. "Peter and I were playing in a small park when Uncle Steve happened to sit on a nearby bench. His magic seemed familiar and we brought him back to the Tower to introduce him to Dad."

"Like they'd found a bloody puppy!" Sirius' mutter wasn't as quiet as he'd meant it to be and Bucky smothered a laugh as Steve turned narrowed eyes on him.

Feeling his own cheeks heat, Harry refused to look at Peter, who was snickering. "Dad had—other information he wanted to verify with the goblins, and Peter needed a heritage test, so Steve went with us when we went to Gringotts that afternoon."

"The heritage test I took said I was now fully magical," Steve picked up the story. "It also showed us that Bucky was alive."

"Can we see it?" Romanoff spoke for the first time, her tone neutral.

Sliding his wand into his hand, Steve gave it a flick and a pull. "Accio Heritage test! Catching the parchment as it flew out of one of the folders on the table beside Ironjaw with a grin.

"Show-off," Tony murmured as Harry and Peter cheered.

Smirking, Steve stood and handed it to Romanoff, reseating himself before he continued. "The test also showed I was a contributor to Peter's DNA, along with Tony."

"When we saw the notation after Barnes' name," Tony continued. "I had JARVIS start scrubbing video as well as photographs on the internet, starting with news reels from back in the 1940s. J, show them the footage."

Harry stood up and moved over to squeeze into the armchair with his uncle. Bucky wrapped his arm around his shoulders and Harry leaned against him. He knew how hard it had been when he told his story to a group of strangers in this very room. Neither of them needed to watch the video, but Bucky nudged him as a second screen appeared, listing the names of identified Hydra agents:

"These are names either documented in the information Howard Stark left, the information from Sergeant Barnes, or confirmed by facial recognition," JARVIS announced.

"Also, the members of the STRIKE team who came to the Tower to take the Tesseract and the scepter," Steve added, eyes intense. "They were the unit that handled the Winter Soldier."

"How sure are you of this information?" Fury asked as his eyes scanned the list.

"100%," Rhodey said firmly. "I also have a copy of the list of locations where there are known or suspected Hydra facilities for you." He gave Fury a hard look. "These have not been shared with the individual countries involved, as we don't know how high the infestation goes. President Ellis is working on getting our task force blanket permission to clear out the locations from each of the different country."

"All but one," Bucky interjected, his voice a low growl. "That mission will need all the Avengers, plus the ICW and the task force."

Fury's eyes narrowed on Bucky and Harry scowled back at him. "And what makes you think you will get the necessary back-up for that, Sergeant Barnes?"

"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier, Director."

Tony felt exhausted as he stepped out of the Mark XIV on the landing pad and had JARVIS take it down to the workshop. It was well after midnight and he'd been up since early that morning when their group had headed out to the Midwest. Their objective was several decommissioned intercontinental missile bases in Montana and North Dakota that Hydra had taken over in the mid-1980s. Two were utilized as training facilities, but the Montana site had been turned into an experimentation laboratory. North Dakota, even though they were active bases, were easier to deal with than the vacant cement silos outside of Great Falls.

Rhodey, Steve, Clint, and the ICW wizards had been primary on the active bases, while Tony, Sirius, Kingsley, and Mariah had been primary on the facility they knew were being used for experimentation. It had been obvious Hydra expected them, as there were several booby-traps set around the exterior of the facility. The conditions of the inside were indicative of the occupants having left in a hurry, including half-burned documents in a makeshift burn pit near the main laboratories. The labs themselves had all the elements of a horror movie, with evidence of human experimentation and half-a-dozen holding cells, complete with wall shackles.

Tony had been immensely grateful that Bucky had stayed behind with the boys, his mind healer believing he wasn't quite ready to go back to a facility similar to what he had been held in. Tony had felt deep satisfaction as he'd blasted the cryotube, and vindictive when he'd smashed the torture chair to smithereens. Hydra must have not trusted their own mind-raping memory wipes, as they had fled the silo as soon as it was announced Bucky had escaped their control.

Ironically, Hydra hadn't thought to wipe their databases of information prior to fleeing.

JARVIS recovered everything left behind and Tony was just glad he didn't have to read through the accounts of horrific torture and inhuman experimentation. He shuddered at some of the things he'd read in connection to Bucky's programing and was glad JARVIS wasn't subject to Secondary Traumatic Stress. Tony felt stressed and exhausted enough for both of them.

"Tony?"

He'd never admit to jumping a foot as a voice in the darkness startled him. JARVIS brought up the lights as Tony spun around, one hand pressed to his chest and his heart pounding hard in his chest. A rumpled Bucky Barnes stood in front of him, hands extended, palms up, in a gesture of surrender.

"I'm sorry! I thought you saw me standing here," Bucky soothed him in a low voice. "I just wanted to make sure everyone was all right."

The burst of adrenalin perked him up a bit and he slumped onto the closest couch. Bucky walked over silently and sat stiffly beside him.

"Noone got hurt, the magicals Apparated home, and the Quinjet with Steve and Clint should be here in about half an hour." Tony gave him a tired smile. "And while we're not going to talking about this stuff; I'd just want to say you are the strongest fucker I've ever met."

Bucky frowned. "What—"

Tony laid his hand on Bucky's metal arm. "I had the pleasure of obliterating one of those freezer tubes and the fucking torture device they used on you." He met Bucky's wary eyes. "Just to still be standing after what those bastards—"

"Dad?" Harry stood across the room, one hand rubbing his chest. "Are you okay?"

"Come here, bambino," Tony beckoned him over, pulling him onto his lap. "I'm fine, Bucky just startled me."

Harry snuggled against his chest and Tony kissed his tousled hair. Bucky looked from one to the other and started to get up. Both Tony and Harry's hands shot out to stop him and Bucky settled back down.

"You know, we represent two-thirds of Harry's living, blood relatives, Frosty, so you're not intruding."

Bucky's eyes were sharp. "He feels what you do?"

"Not exactly," Harry started, before yawn ambushed him.

"Strong emotion and pain, mostly," Tony said softly. "A parental bond, Ironjaw called it. Pepper used to call it my twinges in my chest, but when Harry was attacked as a baby, I thought I was having a heart attack and passed out due to the pain."

"I felt it when Dad was kidnapped in Afghanistan, and they put that thing in his chest."

"He could also feel my elation and awe when I learned he was my son." Tony tightened his hold. "Plus, I'll always be able to tell if he's lying to me!"

Harry rolled his head off of Tony's chest to give him a deadpan look, which both Tony and Bucky laughed at. He sighed and buried his face once again, muttering something snarky. They sat there quietly for several minutes, and Tony wasn't surprised when Harry completely relaxed in his arms.

"James?" he inquired softly.

Bucky's eyes swung back toward him. "You only call me that when you're being serious."

"True," Tony met his eyes. "If something happened to Pep and I, I'd like you and Steve to keep the boys together, to help Sirius, Ben, and May with them."

Bucky gave him a rare smile. "You know that goes without saying, right?"

With a shrug, Tony smiled back. "The paranoid businessman in me wants it in writing, so it's already in my will."

Shaking his head, Bucky stood and lifted Harry gently out of his lap. "You're as much of a punk as Steve! Come on, genius, let's get both of you to bed."

Tony followed him at a slower pace, reminded that he wasn't still in his twenties anymore and he should get some sleep. The bedroom was dark when he let himself in, shedding his clothes in the bathroom where he took a quick shower. Sliding silently into bed, Tony was surprised to find Pepper awake, and had a delightful 'welcome home' for him.

The aroma of bacon lured him out of bed the next morning; Pepper having gotten up earlier for work. A quick shower and dressing, Tony stepped out of his bedroom to hear his sons laughing over whatever they were doing. As he turned the corner from the hallway, Tony grinned when he saw Peter bent over a bowl of scrambled eggs that Harry was slowly pouring from a pan, his Stark tablet in his hand. A platter of bacon and another of French toast sat on the kitchen island.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "What in the world are you boys doing?"

Peter’s head popped up, his face alight with a broad smile. "Sciencing!"

Harry rolled his eyes as he set the pan back on the stove top. "Peter wanted to know what the exact temperature of a Warming Spell is."

"And?" Tony asked as he settled into a seat, taking the cup Harry slid over to him with a smile, and inhaling half the cup.

Peter's face screwed up in concentration. "Well, Sirius, Remus, and Harry's spells, concentrating just on keeping the food warm, registered at 145 degrees. Steve was 140, Bucky ran hot at 150, and I managed 138."

"Interesting," Tony set his cup aside, and stood, allowing his wand to fall from his holster into his hand.

Sirius and Remus had insisted each of them had wand holders, which they wore any time they were awake. Tony, in particular, had been rather lazy about carrying his, until Sirius had sat him down and relayed how James had been caught without his wand the night he died. While he still preferred his tech to magic, Tony knew he'd never forgive himself if something happened because he'd forgotten his wand.

"Fovere!" Tony stated clearly, concentrating as he made a sweeping motion over the platter of eggs.

Both boys watched intently, Peter held the Stark pad over the top of the platter for a moment.

"143!" Peter yelled, both boys jumping up and down, looking at the readings.

"How about eating them now?" Happy's voice cut through the celebrations. "Or a couple of somebodies are gonna be late for school!"

"Yes, Uncle Happy," the boys chorused and raced to grab plates.

Tony waited until the boys had dished up their food, before grabbing some eggs and bacon. Happy sat next to him, helping himself to bacon and toast. Steve and Bucky appeared next, freshly showered after their early morning run. Finishing his breakfast, Tony took his plate to the sink, rising it before putting it into the dishwasher. He filled his coffee cup again, mentally going over what he needed to accomplish while the boys were at school today, as they had magic lessons this afternoon.

"Do you have meetings today, Dad?" Peter leaned against him, jacket on and backpack beside him.

Tony slid his arm around his son and gave him a hug. "Well, the Magic men are supposed to join me in the lab, if they ever wake up, to test out the new mini-Stark computers, using runes to make them operate around magic. Then, mean ol' Pepper is making me go to a Board meeting with a bunch of stuffy old men—"

"Where he'll fall asleep," Happy stage-whispered to Peter.

Not even blinking, Tony continued. "—where I'm going to dazzle them with the new tech we've been working on, and the patents for the new palladium-based batteries." He arched an eyebrow at the pair.

"You going to make it to lessons this afternoon, Tony?" Steve asked, spreading his favorite boysenberry jam on his toast.

Tony tipped the last of his coffee into his mouth, swallowing before he answered. "I'm hoping to make the magical theory part, but absolutely for the practical."

"All right, young bucks," Happy wrangled the boys toward the elevator.

Both boys gave everyone quick hugs as they ran after Happy, Bucky following them at a slower pace. They rotated how Harry and Peter got to school randomly, sometimes Happy took them, other times two of the others would. They always had at least one armed guard and someone magical escort the boys – with Steve and Bucky, they had both. In the afternoon, the boys who use their portkeys to get home.

Ironjaw was working on purchasing a building within a half block of the school to use as an Apparation and Floo destination. Tony knew they could also use part of the premise to house the offices of several the charities connected to the Maria Stark Foundation, Harry had expressed a desire to create a new charity to assist new first generation magicals, who found themselves victims of abuse when their magic started to show. MACUSA paid families a visit at the first sign of accidental magic, unlike the British Ministry.

Tony suspected Harry believed, deep down, he would have been aided sooner if someone had been sent to investigate his accidental magic.

His mind swirled with many thoughts as he sat in his last meeting of the day and absolutely ignored the R&D managers spirited debate on whether or not Palladium was the best base for his new batteries. He did snort when one of the managers on the business side interjected his thoughts on why lithium batteries were superior, cheaper, and tried to minimize the fire danger they presented. Peter would have level the man with a scientific retort, as Harry glared at him. Perhaps, he should bring the boys to these meetings. Especially as Harry seemed to have inherited what Steve called the ‘Barnes glower’ from his great-uncle.

The experiments from this morning had gone exceptionally well and the runic array had proven successful in protecting the small laptop computer. Remus had felt confident they could utilize the array to protect any electronics and even help shield the armors better. Steve, surprisingly, seemed to have an affinity to runes and Remus was going to tutor he and Tony separately from the boys. Both Peter and Harry were doing fine with runes and magical theory, Peter excelling at arithmancy and Harry with practical magic, especially what Sirius called Defense. Remus had quietly relayed to Tony that Harry was going to be a powerful wizard, possibly even stronger than Dumbledore.

Escaping his meeting, finally, Tony had his tie off and was shrugging out of his jacket as JARVIS sent his elevator toward the penthouse. As the doors opened into the penthouse, Tony had his shirt unbuttoned and half-way off as he exited, only to find Rhodey and Mariah, both in uniform, making out in his living room.

"Hey, get a room!" he heckled as headed to his bedroom. "And keep it PG, the boys should be home any minute!"

A chorus of Ewww! told Tony his sons had arrived and he quickly changed into workout clothes, before heading back out with his sneakers in hand. Rhodey and Mariah still stood together, now with Harry and Peter chattering excited in front of them. Tony sat down in the first armchair he came to, only to be pounced on by his excited offspring. Hugs firsts and then tickling the two until they both pulled away from him to roll on the floor.

Warmth filled Tony's chest as he grinned down at them. "Must have had a good day for you two to be in such a good mood."

"I aced my Calculus test," Peter cried, jumping up from the floor.

"And I didn't blow anything up in Chemistry!" Harry leaned against Tony's leg. "And we get to do magic this afternoon!"

Stuffing his feet into his shoes, Tony headed to the kitchen. "Sounds like a celebration! Go get your clothes changed while I grab some snacks. Uncle Sour Patch and Esmerelda are here to help today."

He ducked as Mariah threw a pillow at him.

Harry slung his messenger bag over his desk chair in his room, before pulling off his school clothes and folding them neatly on the bed. Stepping into the closet, he grabbed a pair of snug fitting joggers and the tee shirt Peter had given him for his birthday. He grinned as he tugged the clothes on, finding he'd gain enough weight that the shirt fit snuggly across his shoulders.

"Harry!" Peter called as he bounced into Harry's room, a parchment scroll in his hand. "You have a letter from your friend!"

"Wicked!" Harry took the scroll with a grin as he stuffed his feet into his trainers and followed Peter to the kitchen, fingers breaking the seal and unrolling the parchment.

Dear Harry,

I am glad to hear you and your brother are fine and you've learned a new Halloween custom; I do feel the need to ask why Halloweens are so dangerous? Whilst you and Peter were gathering free sweets and being robbed, someone (or something) damaged the girls' loo on the second floor and petrified Mrs. Norris! Mr. Filch went mad and tried to blame the twins! That stopped when Collin Creevy was also petrified.

Halloween doesn't seem to be a lucky holiday for you or I these last two years!

Everyone seems on edge, except Professor Lockhart, who believes he knows who is behind the attacks, however, Headmistress McGonagall won't let him investigate. Probably doesn't want anything to happen to such a wonderful teacher.

Harry literally rolled his eyes; he and Peter had tried to read one of Lockhart's books, but it was obvious the prat was making it all up. He couldn't understand why the usually levelheaded Hermione couldn't see it.

Ron, on the other hand, doesn't seem to like Professor Lockhart, but then, even Neville seems to agree with him despite being more sensible. Ron did have a fit over a couple of spiders he saw on a windows sill in one of the hallways. Really, Ron is the one who is dangerous as he managed to break his wand and it has affected his spell casting. He and Neville were paired during the new Dueling Club and it was scary!

I do have to admit to being envious of you, though. It must be heavenly to be tutored in your magical studies! You can learn so much more and so quickly! You must tell me all about the subjects and spells you are learning! And, yes, please send me all your notes on Runes, they sound so interesting!

"Harry? You with us?" Peter asked as he held the elevator door.

Harry's head shot up and he realized they had arrived at the training room. Stepping out onto the floor, Harry rolled up the scroll and stuck it into his back pocket, following Peter into the large room. Steve, Bucky, and Sirius were already there, warming up by running laps around the room. Sirius complaining under his breath as he was doing a slow jog, compared to the full out sprint the other two were doing. Heading toward the mats on the floor, Harry dropped down and started to stretch like Uncle Rhodey had shown him.

This was the largest of the various training rooms in the Tower, easily taking up most of the floor it was on. One Sirius and Mariah had reenforced with wards and protective spells. It could take an overpowered blasting charm without damaging the walls. Other than JARVIS' scanners, there were no other electronics on the floor. It was where they were learning spellcasting during their magical lessons. The lightly padded floor was especially designed to give when it was hit, but didn't impede movement.

"Hello, everyone," Kingsley greeted them as he walked into the room.

He was wearing what Harry could only guess were dueling robes, as they were shorter and cut closer to his body. Mariah, in contrast, was dressed much like the rest of them, in close fitting black pants, a snug tee shirt, and trainers. Sirius had chosen jeans and one of his dad's band shirts, with dragonhide boots. Uncle Remus seem to have an affinity to corduroy and cardigans.

"All right, students form a line along the edge of the padded area," Remus told them, pointing at the floor.

Steve and Bucky stood on Harry's left side, with Peter next to him and then his dad. Remus walked them through a review of three different types of shielding charms and had each of them cast them. Harry smothered a grin when Sirius grumbled about Bucky using Steve's wand, even more displeased when the wand worked for him. Kingsley gasped as he watched and Steve just grinned, giving the Auror a wink. Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know what that was all about.

They progressed to firing a tickling jinx on the students, while they cast their shields. Bucky and Steve traded off the wand with Steve's actual shield to block the spells. Harry managed to block all but one, when Sirius and Remus both targeted him, yipping as a mild stinging hex hit his shoulder. Spinning around, Bucky scowled and jumped in front of Harry with Steve's shield, blocking everything with incredible speed.

Sirius stepped back with a grin and gave Bucky a bow. "Well done, Bucky!

Harry grabbed Bucky's arm and gave it hug, ignoring his uncle's slight stiffening. "Thanks, Uncle Bucky!" He was relieved when Bucky relaxed and looped the arm around his shoulders.

Remus holstered his wand and crossed his arms. "You all did very well, especially since this is the first time you've cast the new spells." He looked between them. "We all know Harry is strongest magically, but needs to learn to temper his power depending on the threat – that one shield he threw out moved Sirius back two feet."

Harry could feel his cheeks heat and gave Remus a sheepish look.

Remus waved him off. "Better too much power than not enough, pup. Now Peter, while having decent power, is also very nibble and is constantly moving, making him a harder target. The only drawback is that he stops when he's going to cast, making him vulnerable in that moment." He gave Peter a smile. "His tactic is one we should all utilize in magical combat, as you'll find that many magicals are lazy and only move around when they have to."

"Tony, you are quite strong," Kingsley interjected, taking a step forward, hands behind his back. "You're also agile, but you aren't used to casting, so you're not as smooth yet as the boys. You tend to throw out your arm as if you were in your armor." He brought his hands up in a placating gesture. "And that's not necessarily bad, as your magic responds quickly, you just have to make sure your mind is in the right place."

Harry saw Remus and Sirius both nod at the feedback. His dad listened intently and the look in his eyes was one Harry had become familiar with, telling him Tony was replaying the exercise in his head. Peter was leaning against him, grounding him.

"Steve and Bucky," Remus shook his head. "You both were amazing to watch, especially with that shield. Steve, you're in the upper mid-range magically, while Bucky is a couple notches higher, and, like Harry, both need to learn to control your power when you cast. It's amazing how you can both use the same wand, but using the shield and, in Bucky's case, his metal arm as an effective shield gives you an advantage. Although, you need to get a wand of your own, Bucky." Remus gave him a pointed look. "I'll expect you to have one before we leave for Malibu."

"Gather around everyone," Mariah called out. "Kingsley, Sirius, Remus, and I are going to give you a demonstration of magical combat."

Harry scrambled to the edge of the training floor, grabbing Peter's hand and they sat on the bench along the wall. Steve and Bucky stood together, backs against the wall with a clear view of the door. Rhodey, who had left after the shielding practical, clomped back in to the room in his War Machine armor. Harry leaned around Peter to speak to his dad, who sat on the other side of his brother.

"Are they going to try out the runic arrays?" he asked excitedly.

"Yup!" Tony flashed him a grin. "JARVIS! Make sure you record everything!"

"Ready?" Kingsley's deep voice sounded loud quiet room. "Begin!"

Sirius cast the first spell, a mild stunner Harry thought, which Mariah easily avoided. She retaliated with a Stinging Hex, that had Sirius yelping even as he managed to shield against it. Kingsley sent what Harry thought was a tickling hex at Remus, who turned at the last second to block it. After that, the duel turned into a dance of movement and jets of different colored spell light, with Rhodey between the two pairs, spells bouncing off the armor.

Harry watched, spellbound, at how fluid everyone's motions were and the variety of spells exchanged. He also observed with keen interest the different types of shields and other ways to avoid the spells. The duel didn't last for long, about ten minutes, before Sirius transformed into Padfoot and ran to hide behind War Machine with a yip. Remus threw up his hands and yielded to the two Aurors, his face flushed with exertion and bent down to catch his breath. Mariah and Kingsley, both grinning broadly, were breathing heavily as well.

"Looks like dueling takes stamina," Uncle Steve observed thoughtfully, making Harry want to groan.

Mariah nodded. "So many magicals believe that as long as they exercise their magic and can cast, they don't need to do anything else."

"Which means," Harry leaned over and whispered in Peter's ear. "Pops is going to kick our butts in training again!"

Tony snorted and Bucky grinned at them, but Steve just crossed his arms over his chest and gave them a look they all recognized. Harry couldn't hide his smile while Peter rolled his eyes. Neither of them really minded the exercise, as it allowed them to spend more time with their favorite adults.

Maybe Harry could convince Pops that broom riding was exercise.

The cabin lights were dim and everyone else seemed to have nodded off, but Tony's mind would not shut down. Slipping out of the bed, careful not to disturb Pepper, Tony moved toward the door. The bedroom and attached bathroom on this plane, the newest Stark jet, was smaller, more compact. There was a small bar and lounge area with a large screen for movies. The main cabin had been fitted with individual sleeping pods, which made Tony think of an old science fiction movie – although he didn't think any aliens could get in to snatch any of them.

Steve, Bucky, and Happy, had chosen to fly with he, Pepper, and the boys. Sirius, Mariah, and Remus would take a Portkey this evening to join them in Malibu. Bruce already had plans and Tiny hadn't even seen the assassin duo in weeks. Ben had chosen to work Thanksgiving to secure Christmas off and May was staying with him. Which worked out for the house, as it would leave one guest bedroom free, since the boys had decided to share one for this trip. Rhodey was flying in as soon as he was able.

Settling down in the empty pod next to Harry, Tony sighed and leaned his head back against the headrest. They'd left as soon as the final stockholders meeting of the year was over, a day early as both the boys wanted a day in California to acclimate to the time change. They had determined they, with Steve and Bucky's help, were going to cook Thanksgiving dinner. Harry enjoyed cooking and Bucky had apparently been a genius in the kitchen when he and Steve had been young. Peter was horrible at cooking, but was enthusiastic about helping. Somehow, Tony was sure his son would be sprawled in front of the television Thanksgiving morning, watching the big parade with him.

Turning on his side, Tony let his eyes study his son's face, delighted to feel a soft hum of contentment in his chest. In the five months Harry had been with him, Tony had watched him blossom into a happy, healthy, and remarkably well-adjusted boy. Not that Harry didn't still have the occasional nightmare, unfortunately, but they were working on those. With Peter as a brother, and the extended family they were now a part off, Harry was thriving. Tony was under no illusions that the future wouldn't have its share of issues, but whatever it was, they would meet it head on, with their family beside them.

He felt he had changed, too. Before Afghanistan, Tony was sure he would have made a terrible father. If fact, the idea had scared him enough to be very care with his one-night stands. Add that to his entitled, arrogant playboy image, one he'd actively cultivated, Tony was sure no one would have envisioned him in the role of father. Maybe it was that stay in the cave or everything that had happened since, but Tony felt he was doing okay as a dad, and if he wasn't, someone certainly would tell him.

And now, Tony's chosen family of Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy had expanded, with a blood relative from the Evans' line in Bucky for Harry, and Steve, Peter, Tony, Harry, and Sirius, all related through the Black line. Banding together they would deal with Hydra, Death Eaters, and fucking Dark Lords.

He must have fallen asleep, as the next thing Tony knew Harry was gently shaking him. As he sat up, a glance out the window showed the sky was starting to lighten. A cup of coffee was put in front of him and Tony murmured a thanks, before drinking deeply. Tony didn't have time to savor the cup as Pepper hurried him along. Somehow, he figured if it was his plane, he could wear what he wanted, but Pepper, apparently, disagreed. Changing out of his comfortable sweatpants and tee-shirt, Tony managed to be seated in time for the final descent to the airfield.

Three large SUVs waited on the private airstrip as the airplane rolled to a stop at the end of the runway. As the door opened, Steve and Bucky stepped out first, followed by Tony, who instantly recognized his California security detail. Another man jogged up the foot of the stairs, cap pulled low over his head, his grin taking up most of his face.

"Platypus!" Tony cried in surprise, flinging his arms out as he ran down. "You escaped from the dull drudgery of your military overlords!"

Rhodey gave him a hug, before both Harry and Peter threw themselves at him. "I got done early, so I flew in this morning. Left the armor on your helipad and JARVIS had the team swing by and pick me up."

Tony watched fondly as Rhodey hoisted both boys and hauled them over to the first SUV, helping them into the vehicle.

"I'm taking the kiddos with me!"

Rhodey called over his shoulder and Tony wasn't surprised to see Bucky pivot toward to follow them. It turned out he and Pepper enjoyed a solo ride to the house, with Happy driving them himself. JARVIS played them the feed from the in-car camera of the lead vehicle, so he was able to see the wonder on his sons' faces as they headed up the Pacific Coast Highway. It was a perfect California winter morning, a touch of fog swirling around the hills, the air a bit crisp, and the sun glittering off the deep blue waters of the ocean. By noon, the fog would be gone and the temperature in the low 70s.

The vehicles pulled up to the front of the house and Tony rolled his eyes as he saw the War Machine armor standing sentinel at the top of the stair at the helipad. He had a ball showing the boys the mansion, with the soldiers tagging along, although they lost Bucky in the garage among the cars and motorcycles. Lost Steve in the gym, where he could pound on a bag and still stare out the window at the ocean. Harry and Peter were wide-eyed as he pointed out where various things had happened in the house: falling through the roof, crushed his favorite muscle car, etc.

The others were gathered in the upper living room as Tony brought the boys up, stopping his monologue as soon as the view from the back of the house was visible. Synchronized jaw-dropping was amazing to watch and Tony grinned as he ushered them out to the deck. They just stood silently for a long moment, taking in the
ocean waves, the rock cliffs, and the quietness. A cool breeze blew off the water, ruffling the boys' hair, and both looked at him with wide eyes.

"Can I just sleep here, Dad?" Harry asked softly. "This is beautiful."

Grinning, Tony patted his son's shoulder. "It gets a little chilly when the fog comes in, bambino, and your room has almost the same view—"

"Breakfast is here," Rhodey chimed in from the doorway. "And I found the lost boys! Better get in here before they eat all the waffles!"

"You can eat it out here," Tony told the boys, pointing at the group of tables and chairs around the pool.

The remainder of the day was dedicated to relaxation; a much-needed bit of downtime for all of them. Tony and Rhodey played in the pool with the boys for a while, before taking naps on the shaded chairs. Even Pepper dozed off on her chaise where she'd been reading a book. Steve and Bucky did a perimeter check around the property, before joining the afternoon siesta by the pool. Happy had disappeared, no doubt to the television in his room and his favorite college football team.

It was late afternoon when Sirius, Mariah, and Remus Portkeyed to the front of the house next to the fountain, bringing with them lasagna and pizza from Tony's favorite Italian restaurant. After dinner, Harry, Peter, Bucky, and Steve took over the kitchen to make bread and dinner rolls for the next day. Tony sat on a stool at the island, proclaiming himself the official taste-tester for the evening. He had to smile at the grin on Harry's face as he listened to Steve and Bucky bantering back and forth.

When Harry and Peter came out of their room later, after successfully washing the flour out of their hair, Tony stood from where he sat beside Pepper. The documentary on the Apollo space program was playing, with Steve, Bucky, Mariah, and Sirius glued to the large screen in the upper living room. Grabbing a throw from the back of the couch, Tony beckoned the boys to follow him.

"Where are we going, Dad?" Peter asked, rubbing his eyes, clearing dealing with some jetlag.

"To show you something you will never see in New York City," Tony assured him, as Harry brought up the rear.

They headed up the walkway towards the helipad and the grassy lawn area beside it. Tony shook his head again at the armor that Rhodey had refused to move into the garage, not that he was worried about a hostile helicopter trying to land. Laying the throw on the grass near the tennis courts, Tony sat on it.

"JARVIS, kill all the outside lighting and darken the windows," Tony instructed as Harry and Peter laid on either side of him.

"Look up," Tony told them softly.

Both boys gasped as they saw the millions of galaxies visible in the night sky. The light pollution in most cities like NYC hid the stars from view. Here, on this section of shoreline north of Malibu, it was pitch black when the security lights were off. He gave his sons a moment for their eyes to acclimate to the darkness, his own eyes searching out familiar points of light – something he hadn't done for decades. It had been Edwin Jarvis who had taught him the common constellations when he was a boy, telling him how Howard used the North star to navigate when he'd flown Captain America behind enemy lines to rescue the 107th.

"I can see the Big Dipper!" Peter said excitedly, pointing upward to trace his finger along the lines. "And that's the North Star, with the Little Dipper."

"What's that bright star over there?" Harry pointed toward the southeast.

"That's Sirius," Tony laughed. "The dog star, in Canus Major, and just over there is Orion's Belt."

"Like Sirius' name?" Harry asked.

"Yup," Tony smirked. "Black family's tradition was to name their kids after celestial landmarks. And you lucked out, Harry, when your paternal grandmother decided not to follow the tradition or James might have been named Canopus or Procyon."

"Really?" Harry asked, trying not to snicker.

Tony gave him a smug look. "James told me himself; Sirius' uncles were Arcturus and Alphard, his grandfather Orion, and his bother Regulus."

"No!" Peter and Harry exclaimed together.

"He's not kidding," a new voice spoke, Sirius. "Budge up, boys, and give me some room; I'll tell you all about it."

Despite the stargazing, everyone was up early the next morning. Tony was able to extricate Peter from the chaos of the kitchen to settle in for the Thanksgiving parade. Harry joined them just as the giant ballons appeared, shooed out of the kitchen by Rhodey, who was the only one who had actually roasted a turkey before. Happy appeared as soon as the parade was over to watch his football game, dressed down, for him, in dark trousers and a button-up shirt.

It was particularly hilarious to watch Happy trying to explain all the rules of the game to Bucky, Steve, and Harry. Peter's helping just made it more confusing, though Tony was pretty sure the Brooklyn duo were trolling poor Happy. Football had been around even when they had been growing up, Harry winced at every tackle initially, but his reaction lessened as the game went on. Pepper rolled her eyes at the shouting from where she sat going through emails, as Happy's team scored another touchdown.

Dinner itself was amazing, Tony thought, even if the turkey was a little dry and the mashed potatoes a bit lumpy. There was a hum of conversation and the scrap of cutlery on the Lenox plates – worlds apart from the stiff, silent, and always tense Thanksgiving dinners he'd endured during his childhood. When all he wanted was to eat in the kitchen with Ana and Jarvis. This dinner was more reminiscent of the couple times Rhodey had dragged him to his family's Thanksgiving gatherings when they were in MIT. Mama Rhodes had always been genuinely happy to see him and his little sister cordial, if curious. In the years between, Tony had usually spent the holiday in his lab or drinking.

He greatly preferred this Thanksgiving dinner.

Tony had actually helped clear the table but was kicked out of the kitchen as Pepper organized the clean-up. He slumped down on the couch, one hand on his very full stomach, idly watching the headlines on the muted screen, when Harry joined him. His son sat as close as he could, leaning heavily against Tony, who threw an arm around his shoulders.

"This was brilliant, Dad!" he said, snuggling close. "I've never eaten anything so good, only smelled it from my cupboard."

Tony stiffened, but forced himself to relax as Harry gave him a sleepy grin. "Kick off you shoes, bambino, and stretch out on the couch."

He helped Harry arrange himself, his head in Tony's lap, before he was asleep. Peter had gone back to his aunt and uncle, Happy had disappeared, and Bucky was doing a perimeter check. The fog had lingered a bit, but had finally burned off, leaving a warm, clear day.

Seemed perfect for an afternoon nap for everyone.