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Chapter Text

Jack scowled at the glass, wiping away jagged lines of frost which crawled across the window pane. Some protection this was. The couple spoiled their own toddler rotten while ignoring little Harry in the other room until he screamed himself to sleep. Not a single parcel under the tree bore the letter H, and Jack was certain that Lily's baby boy should've been changed hours ago. He ought to chase these people to the nearest lake and let them drown, but then their spoiled, fat kid would be in the system and that wouldn't do anyone any good.

The man, Vernon, came over to open the window and Jack took the opportunity which presented itself. Slipping inside, he ran through the open door to his dearest friend's baby. Tiny green eyes opened, and Harry's lower lip began to tremble. Shit. "Shh, shh." Jack soothed, reaching out tentatively. His hand met soft black hair, and he nearly sighed in relief. Of course the kid had magic, he was Lily's boy. He'd sat at the window and listened to her rock Harry at 2 in the morning, telling him stories of all the Guardians.

He stroked Harry's hair, humming one of the tunes Lily had taught him, and an idea came to him. Wild, careless, quite possibly dangerous to Harry if he failed but doubtless a better life in store if he succeeded. Wrapping the litter Potter's blanket tighter around his too-thin body, Jack lifted Harry from the basket. The people hadn't even bothered to get him a cradle, they'd just let him keep sleeping in the basket!

Harry burbled happily at being lifted, and when Jack prised open the window the toddler's eyes shone. "You're gonna be okay." Jack murmured as he slid the panel down again, balancing Harry in one arm. "I promise, I'm gonna take you to the best place for a kid to grow up."

Harry burbled again, and Jack smiled. Picking the fastest wind he could find, he clutched Harry to his chest and shot north, towards the Pole.

---

Phil scowled at the approaching blue and brown stick of a spirit. How many times did he have to boot the idiot away before he got it through his thick head that the boss didn't take visitors? The Yeti was still scowling when the winter sprite landed clumsily, and almost swung a meaty fist at the boy before noticing the bundle in his arms had a face. The pale face of a child underfed who'd been out in the cold too long. Of all the things he'd seen Jack do in a bid for attention from the boss, this was by far the most egregious. Putting a child in harm's way? He'd have to skip the conciliatory orange this time.

"Please, Phil. He needs to get warm. I brought him as fast as I could."

Phil sighed and opened the door, taking Jack by the arm and dragging him through the least busy hallways to North's office. Raising one large, furry fist, he glared threateningly at Jack as he knocked. The winter sprite didn't even notice, so absorbed was he in tapping the child's cheek and making sure the poor thing hadn't expired en-route from wherever he picked it up.

North opened the door and Phil grunted at him, gesturing to Jack. The Guardian's eyes went wide, and before Jack could do anything the baby was in North's hands. "Jack Frost, who let you hold child?"

Phil rolled his eyes and nudged Jack into North's office, shutting the door behind him. Jack held up his hands half defensively, half reaching for the bundled toddler. "His mom." the story invented itself on the spot, and he stuck it in his head for later telling.

North raised an eyebrow, laying Harry down on the desk and beginning to unwrap him. "A mother trusted her son to you?"

Jack nodded grimly, the story practically clamouring to be told. "She was a witch, British. There was this crazy guy after Harry, he broke into the house and killed his dad, and she told me to take him somewhere safe."

North looked equal parts impressed, disgusted, and pitying. "Voldemort is killing Wizard children now? Bah, is good reason Riddle was always on Naughty List."

Jack watched as North deftly changed Harry's diaper, pinning the new rectangle of cloth shut in the front. "So, you'll keep him?"

North looked from Jack's hopeful, anxious face to the slumbering child before him. Some colour was seeping back into Harry's cheeks, and North put him on the rug by the fire so he'd warm up faster. "On two conditions."

Jack nodded. "Anything."

North smiled. "One, you must help raise him. I am much too busy to take full care of child, and Yetis are not so delicate with their little ones as with toys."

Jack nodded, cringing internally at the thought of Lily's boy battered and bruised. "Of course. I trust you can figure a way for us to keep in touch, so both of us can do our jobs?"

North nodded and clapped Jack on the shoulder. "Second condition, you will take me to see house where Harry lived."

Jack swallowed, blinking back the budding tears with ease. It had been nearly two months, thinking of Lily and Jame's house in ruins shouldn't still hurt so much. "Okay. After Christmas, right?"

North nodded, picking Harry up before he began to turn pink. "Come, we must make ready the boy's room."

Jack beamed and let the wind carry him in North's wake, down a hallway which was nearly deserted towards a pair of deep red double doors with white gold inlay. The doors swung open as they approached, and North grinned at Jack's obvious awe. "A touch of magic. Yetis think is tacky, but I like."

Jack nodded, running his fingers down the painted wood. "It's pretty cool."

North beamed and led Jack into the room. "Harry will stay here until bedroom is finished." the large Russian announced, sweeping his arm about to indicate the king size bed, small sitting room, and paper-covered desk.

Jack openly gaped, and North laughed loudly. It was lucky Harry was a heavy sleeper or he'd be screaming by now.

"Wow. This is," Jack turned on his heel, beaming. "Harry's gonna love it here."

Chapter Text

Jack dove through the open rectangle in the wall of the Workshop, coming to a quick stop before he ran into one of the tiny ante-chamber's walls. Harry called it the airlock room, and North had encouraged him by putting little glow-in-the-dark space stickers all over the wall with the glass-less window. The heavy oak door was shut, as always, and the shiny brass doorknob frosted over as Jack touched it.

"Harry?"

Lily's boy spent a lot of his time in his room, playing with the numerous toys North made for him so he wouldn't disturb the Yetis, but quite frequently Jack would arrive to find Harry in the library, or North's office, or, most recently, zipping around on his toy broomstick. Today, thankfully, the six year old was lying on the floor playing with his army men. His head whipped around when he was called, and the immortal teen beamed as familiar green eyes lit up with joy.

"Jack!"

"Hey, kiddo." he laughed, reaching into his hoodie pocket. "I was cruising around in the South when I saw this, and since it's practically Easter, well..."

Harry sat up, smile widening. "You got me a present?"

Jack laughed. Even living with the most gift-happy man on the planet, Harry was always surprised when the spirit brought him something. "You still asking silly questions?"

Harry shook his head, smile brightening. "What is it?" he asked, bouncing over.

Jack tousled the ever-untamable black hair and pulled the newspaper-wrapped item out. Harry caught it in mid-air, and it began to struggle. he yelped, and Jack laughed merrily. "Don't worry, it won't bite." he'd learnt not to give the boy pets after a snake had become an elf-herder.

The newspaper fell away, and Harry stared open-mouthed at the tiny golden ball. The silver wings hung limp, but as the pair watched they began to buzz again.

"I heard some girls on brooms calling it a Snitch. This one's just a practice dummy, and I had North reprogramme it to not leave the Workshop so you can chase it all you want."

Harry looked up at him, eyes wide and shining. "Can I try it now?"

Jack laughed and glance at the doors, both firmly shut. "Sure. Want me to time you?"

Harry grinned and released the Snitch, which promptly flew up to hide in the upper corner of the room. Harry pouted. "Not fair!"

Jack pursed his lips and jumped up, snagging the enchanted orb with ease. Icing the wings down to the body, he handed it over to Harry. "C'mon, let's get North to fix it up a bit. Take down the speed and limit it to a certain height above the floor, ya think?"

Harry nodded, gripping his present in both hands as he followed Jack out into the hallway. His da's room was just to his left, and Jack's was on his right, but the Russian's office wasn't in this hallway. The mismatched duo trotted down the corridor, turning and taking stairs as needed, until the familiar door appeared. Harry knocked, and the door swung open of its own accord.

There was a creepy laugh from behind them, in the centre of the Workshop where the Globe resided, and the hairs on Jack's neck prickled. Harry whimpered and clutched at Jack's arm.

"Scary." he muttered, eyes tracking the black sand silhouette until it disappeared with a poof that made both of them jump slightly. Jack chuckled, and Harry followed his lead. after a moment. "We're silly." he stated with a grin, earning a bop on the nose from Jack.

"Yeah, we are." the winter sprite agreed. "Hey, you wait in North's office with that Snitch. I'll go ask him what that was all about."

Harry nodded, and Jack tousled Lilly's boy's hair again. "And you know the drill, right?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "If you're not back in an hour, go to my room and wait for someone to come and get me."

Jack nodded. "Exactly." kneeling, he gave Harry a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "Be a good boy, stay safe."

"I will." Harry grinned, hugging Jack quickly before watching the spirit go. As soon as Jack was out of view, however, he dropped the Snitch in his da's workshop and closed the door. His favourite window was only a little bit down the hall, and as he boosted himself into the sill his mouth fell open. Da had said he never used the Aurora unless there was a very important problem.

Clambering down from his perch, the boy ran over to the balcony overlooking the Globe Room. His father and brother were having what looked like an argument, complete with large arm gestures and ice glittering on the flagstone floor. Harry watched in open-mouthed awe as the other Guardians appeared, and when Uncle Sandy showed up his face split into a wide grin. Letting go of the railing, he ran for the stairs.

He came out in the back of the room, and all five immortals were looking away from him. Jack's eyes were screwed shut and he was whispering something to himself, and North's hand was tight on the spirit's shoulder. The crystal they were staring at formed an image, and Harry ran forward heedlessly to hug Jack. "You made it!"

"Wha, Harry, didn't I tell you to stay put?"

The boy just smiled and hugged Jack's knees tighter. "Nuh-uh." he insisted, grinning up at the teen's pale face.

North sighed fondly and pulled the child off of Jack's legs, placing Harry on his shoulders. "Jack, will you accept?"

Jack nodded fervently, grinning wide. Harry knew that his da had been working to help kids see his big brother, and that a few times it had worked, but surely having Manny's blessing would help immensely. Right?

Jack looked from the Guardians' faces to Harry's green eyes, wide with apprehension. The boy leaned forward slightly, as if anxious to hear Jack's decision. Jack smiled at the kid and nodded. "It'd be an honour, Nicholas."

As if he'd ever had a choice in the matter, Harry would've been crushed had he said no, and explaining why would've taken the longest time.

North's laugh boomed through the workshop, and he clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder as Harry clapped and beamed. "Now, we celebrate!" the Guardian of Wonder declared, gesturing to the Yetis.

Jack's face went even paler than normal, while Harry whooped in joy. "Whoa, North, we've gotta stop Pitch. There's no time for a party."

The Yetis stopped their bustling, and every eye in the cavernous hall was trained on Jack. "Uh, I mean, shouldn't we be locking down the others' bases? The Island, Palace, and Warren are all totally undefended."

Harry pouted. "No party?"

Jack sighed and pulled Lily's boy down from North's shoulders. "Not today, kiddo. But as soon as that meanie is put back in his place, I promise we'll have a party."

Harry beamed. "With cake?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Only if you help the Yetis make it."

The boy's eyes sparkled with mischief, and as he scampered off Jack felt a twinge of unease. "And leave the Elves out of it this time!"

"No promises!" the boy laughed, and North sighed heavily.

"Jack, you are best suited for this. Where would Pitch go first?"

The winter sprite rolled his eyes internally. Just because he'd spent a while pestering the grey-skinned spirit, he was their expert? Looking at Bunny, Sandy, and Tooth, he thought for a minute. "Tooth Palace." he said firmly. "If I can't find a way into the Warren, I doubt he could. Plus North warded it, right Kangaroo?"

Bunny bristled. "Yes."

Jack nodded, grinning slightly smugly. "And Sandy, you told me your place is like poison to him or something?"

Sandy shrugged, a tilting hand appearing over his head. More or less.

Jack nodded resolutely. "North, I think we'd best skip the sleigh this time."

The bearded Guardian pouted as Jack snagged a snowglobe from a nearby shelf, where it'd been serving as a bookend, "Sorry, big guy." he said with a shrug. "But we gotta get to the Tooth Palace pronto."

North nodded in resignation, and Jack smashed the glass orb against the floor. A whirling circle appeared, and Jack held an arm out in mock-gentlemanly fashion. "Ladies first." he smirked at Bunny.

The Pooka punched him in the shoulder as he leapt through, Tooth hot on his tail. North passed through as well, and Jack hesitated for a moment. Looking back, he spotted a familiar fuzzy face in the throng. "Hilda, make sure Harry stays out of trouble."

The female Yeti grunted an affirmation, and Jack let the magic portal suck him through to a vaguely familiar golden platform. The column which held his teeth was off to his right, and everything bustled with an urgency unlike the usual frantic collection. Tooth flitted between ever-changing clusters of fairies, relaying orders and receiving notices of tasks completed, and the hair on Jack's neck prickled.

"He's coming." he whispered, clothing crusting over with ice until it became a suit of armour.

There was a ringing as North drew his swords, and the sound of the fairies' wings became lower-pitched. In his peripheral vision Jack noted that Bunny was poised to throw either of his boomerangs, and Jack gave thanks to the Moon that Lily's boy wasn't here to see this.

Of course, the very next instant every shadow in sight exploded.

Chapter Text

Harry sat curled in Jack's lap, clutching Sandy's last gift to his chest tightly. Even the bells on the elves' hats were sad, and the elves were never sad. He sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, tears streaming down his chest. They were seated in the window well behind the Yetis, so the candle smoke wouldn't irritate his lungs.

"North is a wizard, right?" he sniffled.

"Yeah, and so are you, little man." Jack said back in a hushed voice, as if speaking normally would violate the sanctity of Sandy's memorial.

Harry's face went hard, his eyes narrowing. "I wanna help."

Jack made a sound of sympathy. "Harry, you-"

"Can't cuz I'm too little?" the child snapped, crossing his arms.

"Don't know any spells that could help." Jack finished, stroking the boy's raven hair. "Not to mention your mom would bury me alive if I let you anywhere near Pitch."

Harry giggled a bit at that, and Jack smiled sadly. North walked up and sat on the other end of the window seat. Harry crawled into his lap immediately, burrowing into the big red coat. The Russian picked him up with a weary grin and set him on the floor. "Go, help yeti with elves."

The boy nodded, and as he scampered off North turned his attention to Jack, whose eyes were fixed on that shock of black hair.

"Jack, you are alright?"

The teen lost sight of Harry in a cluster of yetis, and turned to face North with a heavy sigh. "I just, I wish I could've done something."

"Done something?" North repeated disbelievingly. "Jack, you stood up to Pitch. You saved us."

"But Sandy wou-"

"Would be proud of what you did." the large Russian finished, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder.

Jack pulled down his hood, glancing around for Harry's location. "If I can't protect my own friend, how can I be trusted to protect Lily's kid?"

North smiled. "In last life you were Guardian for your sister, in this life you are Guardian for Harry and many others. It is what you are meant to do. I feel it, in my belly."

Jack chuckled, standing and twirling the staff to rest on his shoulder as they rejoined the other Guardians at the Globe Balcony. "Always with the belly."

"Has not been wrong yet."

Jack rolled his eyes, but all traces of levity vanished as he caught sight of the Globe itself.

"Look how fast they're going out." Tooth whispered, worrying her hands together.

Jack hopped on a slip of breeze and floated up to get a good look at the British Isles. "It's fear." he said in horror, the enormity of their predicament dawning on him. "He's tipped the balance."

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Bunny spoke. "Hey, buck up ya sad-sacks."

Jack turned around, almost ready to scream at the pooka to be serious or possibly shoot a bolt of ice at him, but Harry had clambered up onto the taller Guardian's back when he wasn't looking.

"Come on! We can still turn this around! Easter is tomorrow and I need your help. I say we pull out all the stops and we get those little lights flickering again!"

"I wanna help!" Harry chirped, bouncing his sock feet on Bunny's chest.

They all chuckled at that, and Jack plucked his most important charge from the furry Guardian's shoulders before he built up enough static to zap someone. "Alright." he beamed, settling Harry on his back like a koala bear. "When do we leave?"

"Now!" Harry shouted, punching the air as Jack set down on the floor to follow the other three out the door.

"As much as it pains me to say, old friend," North muttered to nobody in particular, possibly the elevator taking them down to the factory floor, "This time Easter is more important than Christmas!"

Bunny gaped, speechless for a moment before a triumphant smirk spread across his face. "Hey! Did everyone hear that?"

"I did!" Harry laughed.

"We must hurry to the Warren." North boomed. "Everyone, to the sleigh!"

Bunny stopped and chuckled, bringing the others to a halt around him. "Ohh no, mate. My Warren, my rules." he smirked at North. "Buckle up."

There was one awful second when Jack felt the ground opening up beneath him, and then Harry was in his arms and shrieking with delight as they fell down a mossy tunnel. It sloped and curved like a tube slide, and when they were deposited into a bright atrium-like space Jack stumbled forward a few steps before setting the black-haired terror on his feet.

"Buckle up." North chuckled, pushing himself to his feet. "Is very funny."

Bunny hopped in front of them, smiling with undeniable pride. "Welcome, to the Warren."

His ears twitched, and he turned to sniff the air as his ears flicked towards the tunnel. "Something's up."

Jack hooked his staff around Harry's waist and pulled the boy behind him. Tiny hands rested on the backs of his legs, and he glanced down to see Harry peeking out from behind him.

A faint scream begins to echo from one of the tunnels, and a small swarm of egglets come scurrying out. Bunny and North grab their weapons as booming footsteps and rustling foliage join the screams, and Jack looks at Harry as he shifts his hold on the staff. "You stay right here."

The boy nods, and when Bunny gives a war cry Jack doesn't hesitate to charge with the others. And then, abruptly, two things happened. The ominous noises ceased, and Sophie Bennett came running out of the tunnel.

"Sophie?" Jack stated disbelievingly as all weapons were quickly sheathed and battle stances relaxed.

"Sophie?!" Harry shouted, running up from the mouth of the tunnel-slide.

"Elf!" she squealed, grabbing the red-hatted nuisance which had come along with them. "Elf, elf, elf." she laughed, dragging it in circles.

"What is she doing here?" Bunny wailed.

"Sophie!" Harry shouted, skidding to a halt.

The toddler lit up, dropping the elf to greet her playmate with a hug. "Hawwy!"

"Oops." North said sheepishly, patting a pocket of his coat. "Snowglobe."

Jack grabbed Harry by the backs of his shirt before he could run off. "Oh, no you don't."

The boy squirmed, giving the youngest Guardian a baleful look. "But Jaaaaaack."

"I can have North send you right back home." Jack threatened. Harry crossed his arms and sat down with a pout. "Once we've got Soph under control, you can help us with the eggs okay?"

That seemed to placate the boy, and Jack ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. Sophie, thinking Harry was ignoring her, had begun playing peek-a-boo with the terrified egglets. Bunny was practically pulling his fur out in distress.

"Crikey, somebody do something!"

Chapter Text

Jack set Sophie carefully in her bed, tucking her in with ease. Harry was much more resistant to bedtime, despite knowing that he'd have amazing dreams. Tucking a pink fluffy stuffed animal under her chin, he gave the sleeping blonde a smile and shut the window silently. holding up a finger, he high-fived with Baby Tooth for a job well done. "C'mon, we should get back."

"JACK!"

He tensed up at the scream, faint but desperate. He'd been so careful, and the Guardians had promised to watch him while he was taking Sophie home. Ignoring Baby Tooth's warning chirps, he leapt onto the fastest wind he could muster and shot off towards Harry's voice. He was crying now, and Jack could practically see the tears rolling down his charge's cheeks. Murmuring a prayer that Lily would forgive his carelessness, he landed hard by an ancient looking bedframe. Beneath the bed was a deep hole, just big enough for a person to fall down.

Had it not reeked of magic, he would've assumed Harry had simply fallen in somehow. But this was unmistakably an entrance to Pitch's Realm, and that meant Lily's boy was in the clutches of the Boogieman.

The slats were half rotted away already, and after a few strikes with the butt of his staff the broke off entirely and fell down the hole. Turning to Baby Tooth, he locked gazes with her mismatched eyes. "Tell the Guardians what I'm doing, and where I am. Pitch probably has your sisters down here too."

She nodded and gave him a tiny salute before flitting off, leaving him alone with the hole and the broken bed. He leapt down feet first, and raised his staff to a defensive position as soon as the tunnel he'd landed in widened enough. "Harry? Where are you?"

"Up here! Jack, I'm scared."

Jack looked up, and swore under his breath. Harry hated dark, small spaces without exit. It was one of the few things he was afraid of, and Pitch had put him in one of the dozens of covered bird cages. "Just keep talking, kiddo. I'm gonna get you out. Did you have fun wrangling Sophie?"

Two cages uncovered and unlatched, but no Harry.

"Um, yeah. I like playing with her. She's good at scaring the eggs into the river, but I had to keep her from falling in a few times. And she made Bunny smile! He doesn't smile enough. It's like he's always angry."

Now he was almost half done, and the Fairies were helping to free their sisters. Still no Harry. The damn ceiling bounced all the noise around until he couldn't tell if Lily's boy was even above or below him any more. "Well, he is a grump. How do you think we could fix that?"

Harry chuckled, and Jack spun around. There, that cage nestled snugly between two others.

"Maybe we could make him Sophie's babysitter."

Jack whipped the heavy cloth off, and his heart sank like a stone. There was a ball of shadow roughly the size of his fist hanging in the air, and Harry's voice was coming out of that. "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm in a box, I think. The walls are really smooth." he seemed to realise what the question meant, and his voice tinged with panic. "Jack? Where are you? Get me out of here, plea-"

The ball vanished, and with all the Fairies evacuated there were a few seconds of absolute silence.

"So simple, but so effective." Pitch chuckled, stepping out of a shadow onto the top of one of the cages.

Jack spun around, raising his staff so an ice blast would hit Pitch's heart. "You have ten seconds to tell me exactly where Harry is before I turn you into a Pitchsicle."

"Oh, he's nearby. You may want to hurry, though. He'll be running out of air in a few minutes."

Jack stiffened at that, glancing down at the floor. Pitch hadn't gotten even half of the tooth boxes, but they were mounded in such a way that they could conceivably hide a box large enough for a small child.

"Of course, if you leave to help the Guardians, he'll be perfectly safe until you return."

"Is he in this room?" Jack asked quickly, wishing he'd asked Harry more about where he was trapped.

"One minute left."

"IS HARRY IN THIS ROOM." he roared, slamming the butt of his staff on the cage.

"Fifty seven seconds."

Abruptly, there was a colossal explosion beneath them. Jack looked down, and dropped from the cage when he saw a familiar shock of black hair. The floor around him was completely cleared of boxes, and Jack muttered a prayer of thanks for small blessings as he pulled his most important charge into his arms.

"Are you hurt?"

Harry shook his head, clinging tight to Jack's hoodie. He was still shaking with sobs, and Jack shot Pitch a dirty look as he took off. A Tooth Fairy waiting just outside the hole informed him that Tooth was in England, and Jack held Harry tight to his chest as she lead them across the ocean.