Trains and Panic Attacks
The morning of September 1st was a hectic one, as it always was when the Starks had to be somewhere important on a time crunch. Poor Harry got caught up in the chaos of it all. Iris was up at the crack of dawn and had everyone else up as well. She had gone between the other two hotel rooms and banged on them until a little woman smoking a pipe came and told her to shut up. Iris had stuck her tongue out when the woman threatened to hex her.
When the boys had finally emerged Iris was already dressed, but then she couldn't find her shoe. And she refused to wear her new ones because she hadn't worn them in yet. There was a frantic search for the missing shoe when Harry found it walking away by itself down the hall.
When that was returned they took breakfast in the dining room of the hotel. Iris was still amazed by all the magic. The feather dusters cleaned by themselves and the piano playing without a musician and the cups with spoons stirred themselves.
Disaster ensued when Iris spilt jam on her top and needed to go change, despite the fact a wizard was offering to use a cleaning spell for her. She was in just such a panic that using magic had not occurred to her and Tony had huffed when she ran off, despite his calls that they could fix it.
Tony had then forgotten his owl, Maria, and neither Starks knew how to get to the train station. And poor Harry was so stressed by their stressing that he had them take a bus instead of a taxi which would have been much quicker, and less conspicuous.
Because of that, they got lots of stares due to the many trunks they had with them, not to mention the three owls. Because of this Iris had begun to feel incredibly anxious. Especially when Harry had panically announced that they were on the wrong bus when they turned the wrong corner.
They got to Kings Cross in the end, but by that point so much had gone wrong that Iris was a bundle of nerves. And it didn't help that the platform they were apparently looking for was non-existent. They had been looking for a while, but it wasn't there and no one could point them in the right direction. Iris could feel herself trembling and started to panic. Tony was trying to keep her calm and Harry was muttering about Hagrid when he swung around.
He was looking at a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair like Iris'. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of them - and they had an owl.
Harry pushed his trolley after them and Tony dragged Iris along as well. They stopped and so did the trio, just close enough to hear what they were saying.
''Now what's the platform number?'' said the boy's mother.
''Nine and three-quarters!'' piped a small girl also redheaded, holding her mother's hand.
''Alright Percy, you go first.''
What looked like the oldest boy marched towards platforms nine and ten. They watched just as the boy reached the divide between the two platforms and ran right through it.
''Fred, you next,'' the plump woman said.
''I'm not Fred, I'm George,'' said the boy. ''Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?''
''Sorry, George dear.''
''Only joking I am Fred,'' said the boy and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and a second later he was gone as well.
''Excuse me,'' Tony called to the plump lady.
''Oh hello dears,'' she said. ''First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too.''
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin and with freckles, big hands and feet and a long nose.
''Yes, they are, but see I'm a muggle, so I don't know how
to-"
''How to get on the platform?'' She asked kindly.
''Not to worry,'' she said. ''All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared to crash into it, that's very important. Go on, go now before Ron. Oh, best say your goodbyes, I'm afraid muggles can't get on the platform.''
Tony thanked the woman before he turned toward the two kids.
''Harry I better be seeing you at Christmas. You're Iris' brother, that means your family. Be good kids, and make sure to have fun. Kay?''
He pulled Harry in for a hug then turned to Iris and held her cheek.
''Have fun princess, yeah?'' Iris nodded, looking pale.
''you'll be fine, I promise. I love you little girl alright?''
She swallowed hard and nodded.
''I love you too Daddy.''
She turned towards the border and started walking towards it with her cart in front of her. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she was trembling all over. She felt incredibly scared the closer she got to the border. Just as she was about to reach it she stopped and turned back to her dad. She was really shaking now and there were tears in her eyes. She was pale as snow and her eyes were moving about in panic. Tony came rushing forward and pulled her into a hug whilst Harry and the redheads looked on curiously.
Tony kneeled before his panicking daughter and smoothed her hair back from her face.
''Hey princess, look at me, breathe, come on, you'll be fine ok? Come on look at me.''
Iris was struggling to hear him over the beating of her own heart, she felt like she couldn't breathe.
''I don't want to go, Daddy,'' she got out through her tears that were quickly becoming sobs.
She couldn't breathe!
''What do you mean you don't want to go, hey? You've been excited about this all week! Come on copy me, breathe. You have to breathe Iris.'' He said softly, going through the breathing motions they had practised.
Harry and the plump woman came over, Harry started rubbing her back, having recognised the panic attack. Iris wasn't very aware of what was going on, but she felt so cold so suddenly. She was trying to copy her dad, but she just couldn't focus on him. Her head was spinning and she felt very dizzy.
Tony, realising she wasn't copying him switched tactics.
''Alright Iris, Princess, tell me five things you can see.''
Iris still wasn't responding and that was when the plump woman pulled out her wand. She turned to Tony.
''I know a spell that can make breathing easier for her, that might help if you want me to use it.''
Tony nodded at her, then she turned to Iris and crouched down. She pointed her wand at Iris, wincing at her very visible flinch.
''Anapneo''
Iris found it easier to breathe suddenly, and the pressure on her chest slowly vanished. Now that she was a little bit more calmer and aware, Tony tried the five things tactic again.
''Five things you can see, princess?''
Iris took a moment before she replied, still shakily.
''Th-the trains, the people, that bin, a- a pigeon, an-and a bench.''
''Four things you can hear?''
She put a trembling hand on her chest to try and steady herself.
''The tr- trains, the people, t-the announcements, and the pigeons.''
''Three things you can smell?''
Iris took a deep breath in, and let it out shakily, no longer crying.
''The train smoke,'' she answered her hands still shaking. Harry was still rubbing her arms. ''Your cologne, and coffee.''
''Good girl,'' Tony smiled. ''Two things you can feel. We're almost done.''
''Harry and my heartbeat,'' She replied.
''Alright one thing you can taste, this one is the hardest baby girl, can you do it?'' Iris nodded.
''The pumpkin juice I had this morning for breakfast.''
Tony smiled at her and pulled her in for a hug. She was still trembling, but it was better than before. When she pulled back Tony wiped her eyes and kissed her nose.
''Now you're going to be super brave and you're going to go get in that train and you're going to learn loads of stuff that you can show me alright?'' He asked Iris, standing back up and holding onto the cart with her stuff. Iris nodded at him.
''And Harry's going to be there with you, you'll make loads of other friends. And you can call, or write to me yeah? And Chiron is going to call every two weeks. You'll be ok.'' Tony told her.
''You promise?'' she asked. Tony smiled and squatted in front of her.
'Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,' He said in a singsong tone, doing the crossing actions that went along with the words.
Iris chuckled and nodded.
The plump woman came up to her then.
''Would you like for me to see you and your brother onto the train dear?''
Iris looked between the two adults and nodded when her father smiled and nodded.
''I love you, princess. You'll be ok. But you have to go now, it's starting to get late, don't want to miss the train mh?''
Iris nodded and took the cart off of him.
''I love you too dad, I'll see you at Christmas?'' she asked.
Tony nodded and gave Harry another quick hug.
Iris closed her eyes and walked through the barrier trying to not let more tears form. It had only really hit her that this was an entirely different country, and Tony was going back to America.
When she opened her eyes she was faced with a scarlet steam engine. There was a sign overhead that read Hogwarts Express 11 o'clock.
This was it.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted at each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and scraping of heavy trunks. She was vaguely aware of Harry coming to stand next to her to look at the sights.
Harry pressed on through the crowd in search of an empty compartment, and Iris followed behind. They found one towards the end of the train, and Harry put Hedwig, his owl on first. Iris put Mable, her owl on after him. Her brother then started trying to put his heavy trunk into the compartment, but he could hardly raise one end. Iris tried to help, but they only managed to get it up one step.
''Want a hand?'' It was one of the redheaded twins.
''Yes please,'' Harry panted.
''Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!''
With the twin's help, both trunks were safely on the train.
''Thanks,'' Harry said, pushing his sweaty hair out of his forehead. When the twins saw his scar they gawped at him and Iris rolled her eyes. They asked if the two of them were really the Potter siblings, and Iris showed them the scar on the back of her neck. Luckily they were saved by the boy's mother calling them.
The siblings sat down and Harry watched the redhead family from the train window.
''You could probably pass for one of their kids you know,'' Harry joked.
''Yeah probably.'' Iris snorted.
''Ron, you've got something on your nose.''
Iris couldn't see them, but she could hear them.
'Mum - geroff,'' Ron whined.
''Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?'' one of the twins said. Iris snorted.
''Shut up,'' said Ron.
The family carried on talking for a while but Iris zoned out. She didn't like feeling so far away from her dad. He hadn't even gone back to America yet and he still felt so far away. He was her safety net. Dad would make it all better, but how could he do that if he was so far?
She zoned back in when she saw Harry leaning back into his seat. She heard the twins.
''The Potter siblings,'' one of them said.
she heard the little girl next.
''Oh, mum, can I go on the train and see them please.....''
''You've already seen them, Ginny, and the poor children aren't something you goggle at in a zoo. And how do you know Fred?''
''Asked them. Saw their scars. It's really there - like lightning.''
''Poor dears, look out for them children, the little girl had a panic attack before she came through. I don't reckon either one has had it easy.''
After that Iris decided not to listen, so she got a book out and hoped to distract herself by decoding it. Reading with dyslexia was always fun because it was a challenge. However, not everyone agreed with her.
At some point, she fell asleep, but when she woke up she and Harry weren't the only ones in the compartment. And she was surrounded by sweets.
''Did you buy the whole sweets trolley or what?'' She asked Harry with a raised brow after she stretched. Harry jumped and turned to look at her, as did Ron and a girl who was sitting in their compartment as well.
Harry and Ron blushed at her question and she rolled her eyes. She then turned toward the other girl.
''Hello, I'm Iris Stark, who are you?''
''I'm Hermione Granger. Stark did you say? Like Tony Stark?''
''Yes, Tony is my dad.''
Ron looked confused and held up a finger.
''But I thought you were Harry's sister, you know Iris Potter?"
Iris sighed. Hermione looked interested and wanted to know this story as well.
''I was adopted by Tony Stark instead of going to live with my aunt and uncle like Harry.''
Ron nodded in understanding.
''Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms Stark, I'm a big fan of your fathers.'' Hermione said holding her hand out to shake.
She reminded Iris of Annabeth.
''Why? Is her dad famous or something?'' Ron asked. Iris snorted and both girls ignored him.
''I was just telling the boys that they had better change into their school robes as I imagine we will be there soon.'' Hermione continued before she left the compartment.
''We're almost there? How?'' Iris asked.
''You slept most of the trip, Iris,'' Harry said with a fond smile.
Iris nodded and got up to get her robes whilst the boys continued to talk about the houses. There were no questions for Iris about what house she would be in. Gryffindor was her only option, the house of the brave. If she didn't get into that house Ares would just see her as weak again.
She was heading back to her compartment after having gotten dressed when she realised there were three more people there. She recognised the blonde from the shop, the Malfoy boy. She planned to just slip in around him and sit down when he said something that made her blood boil.
''Better be careful, Potter,'' the blonde bitch said. ''Unless you're a bit politer you'll go down the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang aroun-'' Iris didn't let him finish his sentence before she pushed him to the floor from behind.
She sat on his back before he could get up and threw a leg locker curse at his two bodyguards. Then she turned back to the Malfoy boy who was whimpering under her. She grabbed a fist full of his hair and pulled his head back.
''You take that back right now or I'm going to bash your head so hard into the floor that that pretty little nose of yours is going to be broken and bleeding. Is that what you want?'' Iris hissed at him through her teeth.
The boy whimpered again and shook his head, saying he was sorry repeatedly. Iris begrudgingly got up and let the blonde bitch righten himself.
She would have let him be, except the idiot turned around and called her a no-good Blood Traitor
So she charged him again and threw him to the floor. Ron and Harry were trying to pull her up, and they almost managed it, but she managed to smash the gits head into the floor. There was a sickening crunch sound that filled the compartment, and Iris smirked. Draco was crying when she got up, and he had blood running down his nose.
Iris grinned widely, the sight of the blood making her body hum, and she wanted to see more. Unfortunately, Hermione walked back in, and the boys still had hold of her, so there was no way Iris could lunge again.
Draco scampered off when Hermione opened the door, and his friends hopped offer him, flailing about pathetically, filling Iris with glee at their fear.
"That was awesome!'' Exclaimed Ron.
"What happened?" Asked Hermione.
"Malfoy was being a git," Harry answered with a shrug, half eyeing his sister who was lounging on the chairs without a care in the world, as if she hadn't just broken someone's nose moments before.
"Better hope he doesn't go and tell the teachers," Ron said to her.
"Not likely," she shrugged unconcerned. "He wouldn't want anyone knowing he got beat up by a girl. And even if he does, I don't care, what are the teachers gonna do?"
Hermione rolled her eyes huffing, and crossed her arms.
"Oh, I don't know. They could put you in detention, take away house points, or worse yet, expel you!"
Ron gauffed. "Who would be stupid enough to expel Iris bloody Potter, the Girl Who Lived, over a broken nose."
Iris smirked smugly. "Exactly. And even if my name doesn't hold weight, no one would get expelled for something as small as a broken nose. Anyway," she said, sitting up and crossing her arms. "Hogwarts: A History states that students do not become officially recognised until they are sorted into their house. So no one will be expelling me when at this moment in time I'm not even a student."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, her face growing a little red.
"That's not true," she insisted.
"Yes it is, I could quote the book for you? In case you need a refresher, I can tell you it all, right here right now. I have it memorised see, word for word."
The girl went even redder. "Liar," she hissed.
Iris was about to answer when she was interrupted by Harry who had tilted his chin up in pride and puffed out his chest.
''My sister is super smart, like Tony Stark-level smart! She can remember everything!'' He spoke with a big grin on his face as if he found that fact to be the coolest thing ever.
''I highly doubt that,'' said Hermione snottily.
''Tell them, Iris!'' Harry turned to his sister.
Iris rolled her eyes and sat next to Ron.
''I have a memory condition called Hyperthymesia. It means I remember every day of my life almost perfectly. You can look that up,'' She said to Hermione with a raised eyebrow.
''Everything?'' Asked Ron. ''Even what You-Know-Who looked like?''
Iris sniffed, narrowing her eyes at the floor. The compartment was silent for a moment as Harry did a shush motion to Ron then Hermione hurriedly started talking again.
''Anyway, I've just been and asked Professor Backburn and he says we're nearly at the castle. He's one of the maths teachers if you didn't know.''
''There are professors on the train,'' asked Ron.
Iris rolled her eyes at the boy, looking back up.
''Yes Ron, there are teachers on board. It's a train full of magical children that can make things explode. Who else would keep an eye on things?''
Hermione stood up and turned to Ron.
''You've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?''
Iris left the compartment with Hermione to let them get changed as a teacher came around to make sure everyone was ready. When the trains started to slow she got off and looked around for Harry. Her attention was caught by Hagrid shouting.
''Firs'- years! Firs'- years! Over here! All right there Harry?''
She found Harry standing near Hagrid and she came over and clutched his hand, looking around her at the big crowds. Harry looked back at her and smiled, rubbing her hand with his thumb.
''C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind your step now!''
They followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep narrow path. It was rather dark.
''Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,'' Hagrid called around his shoulder.
There was a loud 'Oooooh!'
The narrow path had opened onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
Iris didn't think it was all that pretty. She had been to Olympus once and had travelled all over with her dad. She had seen better. Tony had once taken Iris, Annabeth, Luke and Grover on a tour of the wonders of the world.
''No more'n four to a boat!'' Hagrid called, gesturing to a fleet of little boats. Harry Ron and Iris were followed by Hermione into one of them.
They moved forward on Hagrid's command and Ron turned to Iris.
''How come you're with us? You're a year older, shouldn't you be in the second year?''
Hermione turned to her in interest as well.
''I started a year late because I was in America, so they couldn't find me in time for my first year.''
Ron was about to ask something else when they reached the underground harbour, so he stopped to look around.
They clambered up a passageway in the rock after the boy, Neville, found his toad. The passageway led them out onto smoother, damp grass under the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of steps and crowded around the huge oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.