Chapter 2
NINE YEARS LATER
Harry Stark-Potter has lived far from an average life. Being the son of Tony Stark doesn't even scrape the surface of what is different about him. If one were to look around his room he would find moving pictures of a man that looks very much like him and a red head with his eyes. There are also pictures of him and his dad on outings, at major life events, and even at a Quidditch match. Harry's dad, Tony Stark, may be a muggle, but he did is damnedest to make sure that Harry knew all about his wizarding heritage and knowing that he was accepted and loved for anything and everything he is.
Harry went to muggle school, but kept a continuous routine of studying magical books. He helped his dad in the garage to create new toys for both the company and each other or he would sit on the couch and read, sometimes to himself and sometimes out loud. His dad is as fascinated by the magical world as Harry is. When Harry was three he was having multiple bursts of accidental magic, clearly just wanting to tease and have fun with his dad, Tony found out that electricity and magic don't work well together; Tony then made it his mission to rectify that. It took until Harry was six and multiple visits form Harry's magical guardian, Andromeda Tonks, but the two managed to make it so that magic and electronics can coincide peacefully.
One day that Harry and Tony walk back into the house after they were practicing soccer together, a common occurrence the two do together, they are stopped by JARVIS's voice.
"Sir, you have a visitor."
"Since when do we have visitors?" Harry asks as he stretches his arms.
"I don't know, Raven. Go upstairs and clean up while I go see who it is." Tony says. Harry raises an eyebrow before doing as he's told. Tony sighs. He hates it when his son does that. It reminds him so much of James that his chest hurts. He would never tell his son that; he wants Harry to be himself no matter what.
Tony walks to the door and opens it to see a strict looking woman dressed in emerald green robes and hair in a tight grey bun.
"You're here for Harry. You can't have him." Tony says, immediately pegging the woman as a witch. She gives him a soft smile.
"You must be the man that took him from the muggles."
"Lily's sister hated her. Harry had no business being there. Besides, he's mine." Tony says possessively. McGonagall looks at Tony appraisingly. "Who are you anyway?"
"Minerva McGonagall. I am a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She introduces. Tony swears.
"He turns eleven in a month." Tony whispers.
"Perhaps we can speak in side. There are plenty of people loitering at your gate, attempting to get a picture of your front door."
"Right. Come on in." Tony says, stepping aside for the professor. "Harry's upstairs at the moment, washing up."
Professor McGonagall looks around the living room to see both muggle and magical picture on the walls and mantel of this man and Harry Potter. There is even a trophy case full of awards for academics, sports, and other achievements. She can see by the door, two pairs of very nice sneakers and a soccer ball.
"These are all Potters?" McGonagall asks as she looks at the trophies and awards.
"Every last one of them. He's a mini-genius and athlete." Tony says, pride in his voice. "So, this is about Hogwarts?"
"Indeed. What do you know of it?"
"A wizarding school in Scotland that steals children from their parents for nine months out of the year for seven years." Tony says. McGonagall looks at him over her spectacles. "He's just a baby."
"I'm not a baby. I'm almost 11." Harry opposes as he comes down the stairs in clean clothes and a wet head.
"You're my baby." Tony argues back. McGonagall's lips twitch but her eyes soften at the interaction.
"I knew your parents, Mr. Potter. I taught them."
"You knew my mothers?" Harry asks with wide eyes. McGonagall's eyebrows shoot up.
"James was a carrier." Tony says and McGonagall nods her head in understanding. "This tiny terror is also a carrier, but we are not having intercourse with anyone at all until we are much older. Right?"
"Right." Harry confirms.
"You're a muggle. How do you know that Mr. Potter is a carrier?"
"Stark-Potter." Tony corrects and McGonagall swiftly apologies before asking again. "His magical guardian is around often enough and her husband is a Healer."
"May I ask who his guardian is? It was my understanding that Mr. Pot-Mr. Stark-Potter is an orphan therefore Albus Dumbledore would be his magical guardian."
"By James and Lily's will it is Andromeda Tonks seeing as she used to be a Black and James' mother was a Black."
"She made me learn how to dance." Harry cuts in.
"And what did you say after the last gala Pepper dragged us to?" Tony challenges and Harry sighs.
"I'm glad Aunt Andy taught me how to dance because otherwise that would have been more of a nightmare than usual." Harry grumbles.
"That's right. And Harry isn't an orphan. Lily was like my little sister, but James...he said that each wizard could have two soulmates-"
"And you were one of his, Harry completing him." McGonagall says, nodding her head in understanding. "I apologize for the prodding. I was quite fond of Lily and James and I was there when Albus left Harry on the Dursley's doorstep. I warned him that they would be terrible, but I suppose it all worked out in the end."
"Thank you." Tony says with a nod of his head, having hated how much the woman was poking at his personal life.
"I am here to officially invite Mr. H Stark-Potter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." McGonagall says, handing Harry his Hogwarts letter.
Harry opens the letter and begins to read it out loud. Tony sighs.
"His accidental magic is becoming more sporadic and frequent. He needs help." He concedes.
"I'm sorry." Harry says quietly.
"It's not your fault, Raven. You just have so much magic within you and no control over it." Tony quickly reassures his son.
"Hogwarts will help with that. We will train you in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts amongst many other subjects. It will calm the accidental magic significantly." McGonagall assures him. Harry looks at the letter thoughtfully.
"I will be with other 11 year olds?" Harry asks and Tony flinches.
"Of course."
"I've never been in classes with people my age." Harry says excitedly. McGonagall is now staring Tony down. He puts his hands up in defense.
"He graduated high school last month." Tony says quickly. McGonagall, aware of the muggle schooling system looks at Harry in shock. Neither of her past students had done that. She looks at Tony questioningly and he nods his head in confirmation, knowing what she was asking: yes, he did the same. "Well, little genius, it seems a trip to England is in order. We need to go to Diagon Alley to get all of your school supplies."
"You'll write to me?"
"Absolutely. You read about those international mail boxes in one of your books. We'll grab some while we're there." Tony promises and Harry smiles widely at his words.
" I have a portkey to get us to London to do so if you would both get ready."
"Of course." The boys say in unison and run to get their shoes on.
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The second that the Starks step into the Leaky Cauldron they are swamped by people, determined to shake Harry's hand. What they didn't count on was Tony's instance to bring Happy and the ex-wrestler's determination to protect the young boy.
"BACK UP! KEEP AWAY!"
"Who are you?" Someone demands of Happy.
"I'm Mr. Stark-Potter's bodyguard. Who are you?" Happy snaps back.
"You failed to mention, professor, that my son is famous in the wizarding world." Tony says in a flat voice.
"You had so many magical items around your home, I thought you already knew." McGonagall defends.
"Aunt Andy was getting them for us." Harry says in a small voice and Tony tightens his arm around his son.
"And now I know why." Tony says with a tired sigh. All this while ignoring Happy's arguing and physically pushing back the people of the pub, determined to see and speak to Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.
Slowly the group manages to escape the pub with Happy and Tom's help and then enter Diagon Alley.
"Whoa!" Harry says, eyes wide as they all taken in the magic around them.
"We shall first need to go to Gringotts Bank to gather some of your gold." McGonagall instructs.
"I have gold?"
"Of course. You are a Potter, one of the most wealthy wizarding families in the wizarding world." McGonagall explains.
As the group walk through the alley Harry and the muggles wish that they had a couple down more eyes just wanting to see everything.
"Be careful in here. It is run by goblins. Be polite." McGonagall warns.
The four of them walk up to a free teller just to be stared down.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Potter would like to enter his vault." McGonagall says.
"Does Mr. Potter have his key?" The goblin asks. The professor looks confused.
"I apologize for my ignorance, but Mr. Potter has never entered his vault before. Should there not be an inheritance test done before allowed entrance into his vault?" McGonagall asks. The goblins bushy eyebrows raise.
"It states on my records that Mr. Potter already preformed an inheritance test. Are you inferring that someone else has been illegally entering and withdrawing gold from Mr. Potter's vault?"
"As Mr. Potter has been living in the muggle world with his muggle father for the last nine years, yes." McGonagall says.
"Remain here." The goblin says.
"I thought you said to be polite." Happy says.
"They will be as angry as me if what is happening is true. They will ignore my tone. The goblins are very proud of their security."
"You think people are stealing from my son?" Tony demands.
"Yes. Once a witch or wizard dies their vault key is immediately magically returned to Gringotts only to be given out to the next of kin or heir upon an inheritance test being done. You have already stated that both yourself and Mr. Stark-Potter have never entered the wizarding world. Had you done one so Mrs. Tonks could get you things?"
"No. I just gave her muggle money to change over and use." Tony answers, anger in his voice. He looks down to his son to see his fists clenched in his pockets. Tony kneels down and carefully removes the fists before messaging the fists into being flat. "No need to worry, Raven. It will all be straightened out. None of this is your fault."
"How could this be your fault, Mr. Stark-Potter?" McGonagall asks. Harry shrugs.
"Children don't like extremely intelligent younger children beating them academically and with sports amongst many other ways. They tore down my poor Raven's self-esteem. It doesn't help that he's a Stark and constantly on the cover of the next magazine. We're working on it." Tony answers for him and McGonagall frowns.
"People don't like people who are different." Happy says in a bitter voice.
"I'm used to it." Harry says with a shrug and McGonagall huffs. Before she can say anything else the goblin is back and beckoning them to follow them.
"This is Silverhook. He will help you from here." The goblin says before bowing to them and leaving.
"Hello. I have been told that you believe Mr. Potter is being stolen from." Silverhook says.
"I do, yes." McGonagall says with a nod of her head. The goblin hums.
"There is a quick way to determine this: the inheritance test. It will state if one has been run already. If one has not then a full audit will be pursued."
"Thank you." McGonagall says with a nod her head.
"First, who are you all and why are you here?" Silverhook demands of Tony and Happy.
"I am Harry's biological father. James Potter was a carrier and mothered my son before Lily Potter blood adopted him. This is Happy Hogan, my bodyguard. Already needed due to the leeches back at the pub who were determined to get at my boy." Tony explains and Silverhook nods his head. He then produces a piece of parchment and a silver knife.
"The test only requires three drops of blood." He instructs.
Harry picks up the dagger and does as directed, dropping the needed blood on the parchment. Soon the parchment is filled and Silverhook looks furious.
"Please wait here." He says, handing Harry the inheritance test.
"This is a lot of people." Harry says, looking over the family tree, blood adoption by Lily Potter, stated godparents and potential magical guardians, extra magical abilities, and magical issues. "What's parseltounge?"
"What?" McGonagall all but snaps and Tony throws her a warning look.
"Parseltounge gained from the Peverell line."
"I'm more concerned with the magical block you have." Tony says, reading over Harry's shoulder.
"What's a horcrux?" Happy asks, doing the same.
"Parseltounge is the ability to speak to snakes. It is quite help when collecting potions ingredients and can also be used to do rare spells. Parselmouths are thought to be dark wizards in Britain, but are very common in places such as Brazil. A horcrux is a piece of a dark wizard's soul that had been placed into another object. It is a disgusting ritual that even makes us goblin sick to our stomachs and horrified. The one in question holds the signature of the one that attempted to kill him nine years ago. We would like to do a cleansing ceremony to destroy the horcrux."
"Absolutely. Get the thing out of him." Tony almost demands, paling at the goblin's words.
"We will also remove the bind while doing so. Once that is finished then you may retrieve gold from your vault. I will hand you, Mr. Stark, the key to said vault as Mr. Stark-Potter's legal guardian. You may share that key with Mrs. Tonks if you wish, but you need to give her a letter stating as much if you do. Until such time, the Potter vaults will be locked down."
"Where has Harry's money been going?"
"A Mr. and Mrs. Dursley." Silverhook answers.
"He only lived with them for a week nine years ago!" Tony says in shock.
"They have been receiving a heft sum monthly since Halloween night." Silverhook says. Tony's face darkens. "The money will be returned to Mr. Stark-Potter."
"Thank you, Silverhook." Tony says gratefully.
Thirty minutes later the group leaves Gringotts together, Harry feeling lighter than he ever had before and Tony with a migraine. He didn't know who authorized those withdrawals, but he would make them pay for stealing from his baby boy.