Severus Snape
Severus Snape did not care for Tony Stark. The man had all the inflated confidence of James Potter and the chaotic nature of Sirius Black. When you added in the mix that the man was, in fact, a certified genius, Severus found him to be utterly unbearable. His constant sarcasm and less-than-intelligent quips were a pain to hear and he had only been around the man for a scant few hours.
Yet, watching the man having a small breakdown over finding out his former lover was the same God who tried to kill him a few years prior was bringing a bit of joy to the Potion Masters's life.
“Okay Greasy the Great and Powerful, explain it to me one more time. Cause I’ve created an entirely new element and it was less confusing than hearing you talk,”
Severus deepened his scowl at yet another nickname from the so-called superhero. All of them had been references to some Muggle entertainment or another. The most confusing one was when Tony called him ‘Magical Mr. White’ once he had explained that he was a professor that taught students how to craft Potions. Not a shred of his clothing was white, so the name was utterly inane.
“For someone who has claimed to be one of the smartest men alive, you do a horrible job of actually listening to information,” drawled Snape, even though Tony seemed utterly unphased by it.
“Yeah, yeah. Just make with the explanation before I have my friend in the vent shoot you with an arrow for wasting my time,”
“Oh, we are friends now,” a new voice came from somewhere in the ceiling. Severus made a move to grab his wand, only for an arrow to wedge itself between his fingers before he could so much as swish the thing.
“Nice try Mister Magic, but none of that around here,” the voice called out
Severus looked over at Tony, he merely responded with a gesture of his glass of coffee and his free hand motioning for him to continue.
Yes, he could easily see how Potter and he were related.
“Right. When you meet Loki, or rather Laci as you got to know him, the Wizarding World was in the midst of a second war,”
“Yeah, you said that. With the scary snake guy that wanted to kill, what did you call us, Muggles? That so doesn’t sound PC to me,”
“Yes,” Severus seethed, counting to ten in his mind to re-center himself, “ He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was seeking to create a wizarding world that was pure. Only those with direct magical descendants, Pure Bloods, were fit to be in control of everything in his eyes. James, Lily, Sirius, Lupin, and Laci were a part of this war,
“When you met them in London, they had just gotten out of Hogwarts and were already on the front lines, battling Death Eaters and seeing some of the loved ones from school die next to them. The war was not kind and the idea of having a future beyond it was not on any of their minds. Hell, it wasn’t on anyone's mind who graduated from Hogwarts that year. We just wanted to survive. On both sides of the war,”
“I fail to see what the thoughts and feelings of those who fought for a genocidal madman have to do with anything,”
Severus visibly clinched at Tony’s words but pressed on regardless
“You, Stark, were merely a distraction for them. Someone who was far removed from the War that they all thought they could live freely for just a few moments while around you. When my memories came back I remembered Lily saying that being around you was the last time she and the rest of her collection of misfits ever felt free of the war,
“After the month you spent together they were called back to the front lines, that is why they all up and vanished on you. I have no idea of knowing if they ever planned on seeking you out, but they all died before they could. At least that is what the majority of us thought,”
“I’m guessing Lucky Laci still being alive is what cast doubt onto things,” Tony added, looking wistfully in the middle distance, “That sounds about right for the chaotic little demon,”
“You are correct. Laci was always an odd one in the group. He came to Hogwarts far later than most, about his fifth year. Sorted into Slytherin, which seeing as he is the God of Trickery, it makes sense. We had become something of acquittances. He had this pull to him as if he could command a room with merely a bat of his eyelashes. Most thought he was the second coming of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,”
“Well he did try to take over the world, so maybe you magic folks weren’t too far off the mark,”
“Are you going to continue to interrupt what I am trying to tell you with your trollish prattling? I have First Years that do not interject with side comments as much as you do,” Severus snapped
“Only when you get to the part that actually matters, Laci, sorry, Loki somehow having my kid,”
“Fine. Dumbledore was the first one to notice that Laci was far more powerful than most of the other students that walked the halls of Hogwarts. One night, Laci comes back to the dorm during the Seventh year and pulls me aside. He tells me Dumbledore broke into his mind and dug up all of his secrets, including ones he had hidden away from himself. Among them, the truth of who he actually was,
“He swore me to secrecy, looking away the truth not within his mind, but within mine. He said he didn’t wish to return back to Asgard. That he wanted to get as far away from the place as possible. When he offered me the ability to hide away one's secrets and memories in my mind in exchange for holding onto his, I didn’t hesitate. A few days later, Loki was gone and Laci was back.
“This lasted up until he met you, Stark. We were…not conversational at the time, but he did occasionally owl me with updates. One of which was the information that he was pregnant,”
“And that was completely normal to you,” Tony asked, shocking Severus by keeping any sort of derogatory tone from his voice,
“It is not uncommon for males within the Wixen World to become with child. Rare, but not unheard of. Magic is often unpredictable when it comes to things such as this, which is why the influx of magic from his pregnancy broke the blocks on his memory once more. Seeing as he didn’t wish to raise a child amongst the magical war taking place on Earth, nor on Asgard where Odin would surely attempt to mold his child in his image, Loki did the one thing he thought safe, gave the child away,
“It was his last act before vanishing. He cast a powerful spell, transferring the still-unborn Harry into Lily weaving spells to hide the boy’s true parentage as much as possible. He knew that if Dumbledore ever got the idea that the child was his son that the man would seek to use him in some way. He then locked away his memories of being on Earth and left to return to Asgard,”
Severus finished his tale, looking over at Tony who had his fingers steepled in thought. It was a pose that he had seen Harry use many times when a particular potion had been giving him trouble. It was so odd seeing the similarities between the boy and his father. Ones he had always thought were from Potter.
“This doesn’t explain why I didn’t recognize Loki. I mean, now that I know who he is I can see that it was clearly Laci, but at the time,” Tony popped his lips and flicked the side of his head, “Nothing about Laci was rattling around in here,”
“Loki hid his entire history on Earth from even himself. Perhaps his magic was working to blind those that may know of him as Laci to the real truth. In Hogwarts, his magic was always so…erratic. Acting on his emotions as opposed to his own will. The same could be said here,”
Severus was merely guessing, but considering the evidence presented so far, it seemed the most likely case. When the hold on the memories came crashing down, all it took was one look at Loki terrorizing New York to see his classmate Laci. The magic of Gods was far more powerful than that of Wixen’s.
“Okay then. So, where’s my kid? That’s the entire reason you are here right, to show bring me the magical fruit of my loins,”
“Disgusting Stark,” came a shout from the Vent Voice, Severus shooting a grimace at the vent in commiseration.
“Yes, it seems Loki tied the memory to the safety of your child. The moment I knew Harry was in danger it broke,” Severus stepped in, once more ignoring the Vent Voice
“And you just left my kid where the danger was? Not winning any points with me right now Copperfield,”
“Severus Snape,” Snape suddenly shouted, standing to his full height
“My name is Severus Snape. Not Copperfield, or ‘Magical Mr. White’ or any other of the imbecilic names and phrases that rattle around in that skull of yours. You may be smart, but clearly, you are too much of a dunderhead to call someone by their proper name,”
If Tony was afraid of Severus and his outburst, he surely didn’t show. Instead, the man merely sucked his teeth before putting down his cup of coffee,
“Fine then. Severus," he drawled, "where is my son? And what sort of danger did her land himself end that broke whatever whammy Loki did to your mind? Trust me when I say I’ve seen that getting out of those is no easy task,”
There was a noise that came from the person in the vent, though Severus did his best to pay it no mind.
“The Dark Lord returned, and your son played a part in his revival. While he was scant on details, Potter did inform us that he had seen the Dark Lord return and dueled him before his escape. Considering the nature of their connection, it seems the magic deemed that reason enough to break its hold on the memories,”
Severus watched the gears turning in Tony’s head before the man leaped out of his chair, his eyes gleaming with energy.
"Right, Legolass I’mma need you and Shrinking Violet to get the Quinjet warmed up. FRIDAY can you do me a favor sweetie and pull up any and all information SHEILD totally has hidden away on Wixen, Hogwarts, and this Dark Lord guy? Send it all to me the moment you have it on hand. Throw in there anything you may have on Harry Potter. Even if it is just a screenshot from a security camera I want it,”
“Sure, thing Boss. Do you want me to alert the rest of the team that you are heading out?" FRIDAY questioned, the A.I. ready to call in the team if it called for it.
“Nope, but if you can see if Jane Foster can get a hold of Thor that would be great,”
Severus stood there as Tony commanded about with ease. His ears picked up the sound of the man in the vent retreating and looked back at Tony as he began to fiddle around with a glass screen of some kind.
“And just what are you planning to do Stark,” Severus questioned, not liking the fact he was being ignored after telling this man a secret that had the potential to change the Wixen world.
“Going to go get my kid, duh. If there are evil Wizards running around I am not going out there without backup. You coming along,”
“And where is it you would be asking me to come along too,” Severus asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
“That magic school you were talking about. I’m guessing my kid is still there and I am way behind on Parent/Teacher conferences,”
“While you may be a genius in your world, all of your gadgets wouldn’t work within the walls of Hogwarts. Not only that, but school is out for the Summer Hols. Your son is currently with his relatives,”
“Ugh, don’t tell me you mean Petunia,” Tony mimed gagging as he walked away from the table, not bothering to see if Severus was beside him
“The very same. I take it you have had the misfortune of meeting her as well,”
“Yep. Lily wanted us all to get to know her family. Her mom was great but that sister was something else. Can’t imagine she got any better in the past few years,”
“No,” Severus muttered darkly as he caught up to Stark who was getting into a lift, “If anything she has gotten worse. Either way, I fail to see why you would require my assistance. I have done the job of letting you know about Potter. I am done here,”
Severus watched as Tony gave him a small quirked smile as the lift moved below ground, taking them Merlin knew where.
“Uh huh, well if you are so sure that my tech isn’t going to work against this Dark Lord guy, I’d rather have a bit of magical muscle on my side. Though don’t think you’re getting an outfit or anything. Even if those robes already look like a costume,”
Severus bit his lip, trying really hard not to hex Tony at that very moment.
“You can keep your colorful clothing for the rest of your cavalcade of clowns. I have no doubt that Dumbledore has watchers keeping an eye on Harry as we speak, so if you require magical intervention, then it shall not be from me. I have potions to brew and I do not have a single intention of leaving them for you, Stark,”
The lift came to a stop and Tony pushed his way past Severus, earning him yet another rueful glare from the Potions Master.
“Well, I guess this is where you take your leave. I’m sure you can just magic your way back home. Hopefully, the next time we meet it will be at a conference cause I really want to know what type of school allows kids to participate in dangerous tournaments like the one my son was in. So, guess you got that to look forward to. Anyway, fly away Glenda,”
Severus glared at the retreating figure of Tony Stark for a moment, wondering if he could get off a sneaky hex before deciding against it. He was pretty sure he had already broken a few Statues just by talking about the school. However, seeing as it was done on American grounds and the American Magical Government was a bit lax, he wasn’t too worried. Instead, he pulled out a broken cellphone and was whisked away as the Portkey recognized his intent.
The moment Severus touched down on the lawn of Spinners End, the man only had the need for a strong spirit of some kind on his mind. He thought dealing with Potter was a handful, but the boys’ father was somehow far more aggravating. Potter, while a snarky teenager, at least held a tiny bit of respect for his Professor. Himself notwithstanding of course. Tony seemed to think everything was a joke or the setup to a joke. How the man had managed to save the world, if his research before going there was to be believed, was truly beyond him. It was no wonder that many saw him as just the one with all the money as opposed to a true leader of their group.
And what sort of name was ‘The Avengers’ anyway? Though it wasn’t any worse than Dumbledore and his ‘Order of the Phoenix’.
Walking into his home, Severus summoned a tumbler filled with Ogden’s and collapsed into a well-used recliner happy to be at home. Taking a sip, he savored the slight burn the spirit lit within, letting it rush down into his stomach to warm him. In this moment of peace, Severus began to catalog all the information that he had available to him. The situation with Potter, Stark, and Loki was one that would need to be handled with far more caution than before.
More to the point, it had to handle enough to where Dumbledore never caught wind of it.
The Headmaster, by Severus’ metric, wasn’t an awful person. At least when compared to the Dark Lord and Grindelwald. The man truly believed in his schemes as being for the betterment of all people. Yet, such thoughts seemed to give him the idea that he was infallible and the only one who could be trusted with safeguarding the future. The man spent more time trying to cultivate students that caught his eye into pawns for later use. That was what happened to him. That was what took Lily away ultimately.
Severus may have told the Dark Lord a fragment of a prophecy, but if Dumbledore had never convinced Lily to join the Order, then she wouldn’t have been in Voldemort’s path in the first place.
If Dumbledore knew of Potter’s parentage, especially the fact he was the son of Loki, then there was no doubt he would use the boy far more than he already was. Severus had no clue as to what the headmaster's end game was, but the way he kept setting up challenges for Harry to confront spoke to the idea that he was grooming the boy into being a hero.
One that would be willing to set his life aside if it meant finally killing Voldemort.
Neither can live while the other survives.
Only fourteen and the boy seemed to have a death date hanging over his head. Severus took another sip of Ogdens’ at the thought.
All he could do was hope that with one father a superhero and the other an actual God, there was a chance that Potter’s death could be avoided at all costs. Besides, prophecies didn’t always come true. Considering that Lily and James were not even his true parentage, there were already doubts about its validity. Yet that would do little to dissuade the Dark Lord.
Absently, Severus looked down at his arm, right where the Dark Mark was etched into his skin. Despite the man being back, the mark had yet to flare up at all. That, in it itself, was very worrisome. During the height of his power, The Dark Lord was constantly calling his followers, almost as if he took glee in the pain he was causing with his summons. Since his return, there wasn’t a single peep from the mark. Not even a twinge. Something Dumbledore pressed that he should be made aware of the moment it happened.
An active Dark Lord was scary. A silent one was downright terrifying. There was no telling just what he was plotting behind the scenes.
As if summoned by his thoughts alone, his floo soddenly roared to life. From the flames appeared the face of Albus Dumbledore.
“Severus, my boy,” the man began, as always ignoring how much Severus hated being called ‘my boy’, “I need you to come to Grimuald Place, there has been a development that I fear requires our attention,”
“I am sure there are other members of the Order that you can summon Albus. I have had a trying day as it is,”
“Sadly, I cannot as the matter at hand concerns Harry Potter,”
Of. Fucking. Course. He just finished with the father and now it seemed it was time to deal with the son.
“And what has Potter gotten himself into now? Is he aware that the world outside of Hogwarts does not take kindly to troublemaking?”
“It seems Harry has run afoul of the Ministry and they are on the verge of arresting him,”
The way Albus spoke didn’t give any weight to the enormity of his words.
“What reason are they arresting him? I was under the impression Potter was under close watch by the Order this summer,”
“Yes, well it seems he used a considerable bit of magic in front of one of his relatives. Specifically, he cast his Patronus. Several times it seems,”
“Was he showing off or do you think he had just cause,”
Dumbledore looked askance as he mulled over his words
“While the Ministry has informed me that there were no sanctioned Dementors sent to Surrey, I am not so sure we can trust them at the moment. For now, I need you to come to Number 12, we must ready this place for Harry’s arrival,”
A deep sense of foreboding began to settle in the pit of Severus’s stomach.
“Why must we ready Number 12 for Harry,” he asked plainly, keeping any emotion out of his voice
“I fear the boy may be in danger outside of our control. If the Ministry is seeking to gain some control over Harry then we can no longer count on just the wards around Privet Drive to protect him,”
Severus was well-versed in Dumbledore and his machinations. The man did nothing without finding a way to ensure his causes would benefit in some way, shape, or form. This situation with Potter and the Ministry was surely going to be no different.
“So, you wish for the boy to remain at Number 12 until the end of the Summer Hols,” Severus drawled, keeping up the ploy of being uninterested in Potter’s fate.
“Not quite. If things go the way I foresee them going, then Harry will regrettably be spending his remaining schooling years at Number 12. We cannot run the risk of the Ministry or Voldemort getting a hold of Harry,”
Isolation. Dumbledore was talking about isolating Potter. Keeping him in a place where only he and the Order could access him. Could influence him. Could train him.
Albus, what are you thinking? The thought raged across his mind before he schooled his features once more.
“Well, while I do not foresee the brat enjoying this, I will help you with whatever you have planned for the boy. If it keeps Lily’s son safe, I’ll do what I can,”
“Of course, you will my boy. I’ll be waiting for you here. I think Molly has prepared a wonderful stew for the rest of the Order that I have called in,”
Severus waited until he was sure Dumbledore had broken the connection to the floo to let out the breath he had been holding. The man was planning on locking Harry away, no doubt until he was needed for some task or mission that Dumbledore wanted him to be a part of. The man was willing to ruin yet another child’s life in his quest for the greater good.
All Severus could do was hope that his actions with Stark could throw a wrench in whatever plans Albus had running in his mind.
If there was anyone who seemed suitable and crazy enough to upset the delicate plans of Albus Dumbledore, it would be Tony Stark.