Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Harry’s life had done a complete 180 in a matter of weeks, and it was taking some getting used to for the five-year-old boy.
There were lots of new things, sensations, and experiences to get accustomed to in his new day-to-day life.
Harry was getting to sleep in a bed, with its soft feeling sheets, warm blanket and the plushest mattress Harry had ever felt.
The small boy was getting comfortable with the feeling of being full and not the constant ache he had before from lack of food, it was a new experience to be able to eat food provided for him, a well-balanced meal that didn’t leave him nauseous and aching after he ate it. It was good food, not the stuff Aunt Petunia gave him that was expiring or just expired, no more stale bread and rotting leftovers for him.
It was like living in a dream, Harry didn’t know if it was real yet, he hoped it was real, but if it was a dream then he hoped he also never woke up from it.
Another new sensation Harry was slowly getting used to, was the affection freely given by the adults around him. It was hard to not flinch away when an adult came near or reached out slowly. Harry loved the feeling of being hugged by Steve or tucked under Bucky’s arm while they read books.
Being picked up and held like he was actually their child and wanted. It made Harry sad that he was only just getting to feel this way like he was loved by his parents the way Dudley was. It was new and a little scary at times, but Harry was going to cling to it and never let it go.
He wanted Steve to be his daddy, love and care for him like Vernon did for Dudley and he knew he had a daddy once, but he didn’t remember anything about his parents, not a single memory to look back onto.
If Steve would be his new daddy, Harry would be the happiest he had ever been. He was coming to love the man like he was his parent. He treated Harry better than anyone ever did. He looked after Harry’s needs and wants. He was there to comfort him when he was scared or sad or help him when he didn’t understand.
And with Steve came his friend Bucky, he was quickly coming to love both men just as much, and if he was lucky to have two new dads, then he would never need anything else in the world. When Steve was at work, Bucky was always there for him, eating meals together, playing games, and reading, Bucky had some of the best stories.
Both men were kind and gentle with Harry, it made him feel very loved and safe.
Harry was given his own room, and it was bigger than all four of the bedrooms at his aunt’s house, it was wide and open and bright, so different from his little dark cupboard under the stairs. Harry’s room was close to Steve’s, and he often found himself hobbling to the man’s room late at night when he couldn’t sleep, due to nightmares.
Steve and Bucky were still awake in Steve’s room just talking or enjoying the quiet company of each other.
Harry was always told he could call for someone in the ceiling called Friday, to get either of them when he needed something, especially as he shouldn’t be walking on his leg, but he was hesitant to talk to someone he couldn’t see. The voice with nobody was hard to get used to.
When he was snuggled up in Steve’s bed with both men sitting around and talking quietly, Harry felt safe and was able to get more sleep, luckily without the nightmares that he was always plagued with. It was always nice to wake up and not be afraid, Steve was usually away and ready for the day before him, and Bucky was typically sound asleep still. It felt nice, he felt like part of a family finally.
Today Harry was sitting on a bed in the medical wing of the compound, after having another X-ray of his arm and leg again. The two doctors and Tony were discussing his rapid healing abilities.
Harry always knew he healed fast after his uncle or cousin hurt him, he would sometimes heal overnight or if it was really bad over a week. His relatives would call him Freak for it, Harry had no idea how it happened, it just happened to him as if by magic.
Steve was off talking to someone Tony called Patches, so Bucky was with him, sitting silently in the chair next to the bed and waiting.
He wasn’t as accustomed to the other people in the room, the lady Dr seemed nice, she used a calm voice and even gave him a lolly after his X-ray.
The other Dr seemed shy, Harry thought he also appeared to be scared of Harry. The small boy didn’t think he had done anything to scare the man and he hoped Steve and Bucky wouldn’t let him get hurt if he had angered him in some way, angry adults seemed to lash out at Harry.
“Alright Harry, we can remove the casts today, but it doesn’t mean you can start running around and overdoing it.” The nice Dr, lady told him, she had said it was ok for him to call her Helen when they were first introduced by an excited Tony, but he wasn’t yet overly comfortable talking to anyone besides Steve and Bucky yet.
It didn’t take long to remove the casts, he was scared of the medical saw, but Buck held his hand and calmed him, letting him know it wasn’t going to cut his leg.
Once the casts were removed, Dr Helen began to test his movement and help him stretch, showing him some exercises, he should do in the morning when he woke up before he began his day.
He was happy when it was all over, Bucky carried him out to the lounge room so they could sit and read together.
They had started reading the Hobbit, Bucky told him it was an excellent book, and it was good so far.
Harry could even read a lot of the words himself as he took turns reading pages with the quiet man.
Harry was having the best time, here he wasn’t a Freak, he didn’t have an endless, impossible list of chores to do, and he was fed when hungry. No one had hurt him either and for Harry, it was the best he had felt in his living memory.
Harry hoped he could stay; he liked it with Steve and Bucky and Tony, who was the owner of the building and had given him his room and nice clothes that fit better than his cousins. His life was finally better, and Harry was not going to let anyone take it from him now that he has it.
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It was well known that Albus Dumbledor was a very busy man, his days were full of running the most prestigious school Hogwarts, corresponding with members of the ICW and Wizengamot, Albus was often called away on urgent business for the Ministry, that could see him spending days in London.
It was such a time of year that he found himself incredibly busy, he hadn't set foot in his office at Hogwarts for almost a month now, going from his chambers to the Great Hall for meals only to leave the school in his Deputy Headmistress capable hands as he flooed to the Ministry to assist in delicate matters.
Today he finally returned to the school to continue his busy days and sat at his desk so he could reply to the mass of letters that had accumulated. After hours of writing away Albus had only just gotten through the most recent of letters, oh how he wished there was a faster way, but he was unable to delegate to a house elf such important matters.
Hours went by, as the pile was finally getting to the bottom. Albus finally was able to see an end in sight.
He come across a letter delivered a little more than a month ago now from one Arabella Figg.
It was unusual to get a letter from the woman as she didn't typically see a need to report anything to Albus.
‘Just what has happened to have dear Arabella writing to me?’ queried Albus as he gazed at the sleeping Phoenix on his perch.
Albus read the letter, his eyes widening with shock as he got through the worrying words.
‘Oh dear, this is not good’ thought Albus, he hastily got up and ran surprisingly fast for his old age, to his Floo, throwing the powder down he called for his destination before he stepped on through.
"My Goodness! Albus, you frightened me half to death” screeched the woman on the lounge, hand over her heart as if to slow its rapid beating.
“I'm terribly sorry my dear, but your letter was most distressing” Albus soothed using his grandfatherly persona.
“I sent that over a month ago Albus” Arabella Figg stated, not at all pleased to have her evening interrupted so abruptly.
“Yes, well I am quite busy these days, what can you tell me that has come up since your letter?” The old wizard queried.
"Not much is known, the boy disappeared so I wrote you to let you know, he wasn't out gardening, and I wasn't asked to watch him for them when they went out,” Arabella reported.
“Then the police came and took all three of the Dursleys away, I, of course, enquired about the boy but the police said no one else was in the house, and couldn't comment further, it was actually in the paper last week that Petunia Dursley was to that women’s detention center in Brighton, and her son went into Foster care, as the aunt was deemed unsuitable, nothing was said for the husband, and there was never a mention of the boy,” she continued as if spreading the most scandalous of gossip.
It was all a little hush, hush really, but she didn't want to get involved in such a mess, all she wanted to do was spend her days with her precious cats, with no interruptions. She did what she could though, by sending a letter to the headmaster, she had completed any action she could take regarding the situation.
“I see, this is very troubling, Harry needs to remain with his mother’s family, he needs to be found." Albus mused stroking his beard as he thought of his next move. The boy should have been safe with his mother’s blood, Albus didn't believe Death Eaters were behind this, No... this had to be merely the work of the Dursleys themselves.
Albus would need to visit Petunia and find out her side of things, find out if Harry was merely placed in foster care as well, like the Dursley boy, and make the move to collect him, a few Obliviates would do the trick and then Albus can leave Harry Potter safe behind the blood wards once again with his aunt.
“Thank you for your time, Arabella, I’ll just pop by the house to see what I can make of it before my departure." The aged wizard said.
“It was no trouble, Albus,” was the Squib's reply, the sooner the wizard left, the sooner she could get back to her show.
Albus exited through the front door of Arabella’s house and made his way down the street toward Private Drive.
Upon reaching number 4, Albus was beside himself with worry.
Everything was so wrong with the home.
The wards were gone, ‘How could this be?’ Albus had set them himself, he knew they would last years to come.
Right now, it felt like the house had never had any wards placed.
After much pondering the old wizard could not understand why, so he returned his gaze across the home, things were looking grim. Across the front window was painted ‘Child Abusers’ in Blood red paint.
On the door in white was written ‘You’re going to Hell', Albus should have inquired about what Petunia was in prison for.
Was it a few too many spankings? perhaps a missed meal after a tantrum? Albus was sure the woman was doing her best, after all, it was James Potters child, spoilt and attention-seeking were family traits of theirs and mischief and mayhem were sure to happen around the young Potter boy.
Some people these days just didn't understand that some children needed to be taught early with a heavy hand of discipline, otherwise they turn out like those who are of the Slytherin traits and they were better reared with the heaviest of discipline, it was too bad the parents never saw it that way, and as time went on the best forms of punishment were outlawed and seen as unethical and barbaric.
Petunia was probably doing what Albus instructed in his letter and not letting the darkness left by the Dark Lord take hold. They could not have a Slytherin for a hero, and tough love and strict discipline was the key to ensuring another Voldemort didn’t rise to power.
Albus needed a meek child he could mould, someone who saw him as their savior from the tough love of his family members, someone wonderful who introduced him to the magical world. This was such a mess that Albus was going to have to clean up soon, he might have to enlist Severus to deal with the muggle side of things and locate where the Potter boy ended up, it was looking to be another busy few weeks.
After inspecting the property one last time and casting numerous detection charms, only to come up with no answers. Albus decided to call it a night, he would send out his faithful potion master tomorrow morning, luckily it was a weekend, and with that thought, Albus apparated away.
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The test results had been in Tony's hand for a few days now, he was trying to find the perfect time to tell the tiny child that he, Tony Stark was his father.
After discussions with Bruce, it wouldn’t be as easy as walking up to him and blurting it out in his usual fashion.
He had to do it with care and be gentle with his explanation as much as he possibly could while keeping the facts strictly kid friendly.
The kid was wary of adults around him, and he was only open to Capsical and his sidekick looking after him or being close enough to touch.
Bruce informed him to tone it down around the kid and approach him like he would a scared wounded animal. It was difficult as he didn’t like putting on that kind of a show and he didn’t think he could keep it up around the munchkin for long. He was a very direct kind of person, with a jump-in-head-first attitude.
Subtle was not something he could do. He also didn’t want his first impression the kid noticed… his kid to be something he isn’t. he wanted to be himself so there weren’t any surprises later when he was himself around Harry. Kids were preceptive, especially abuse victims, Harry would pick up the behavior change and be wary of it, wary and untrusting of him.
So doing his own research was what led him to choose a small intermit family dinner for four. Tony would make sure there would be no pressure on Harry to accept him, and he would have Steve and Bucky there for support.
God how he wished Pepper was here to support him, he hated her being away right now. Phone calls were just not enough.
He wanted to be held by his long-time partner and vent and rage at the world while she soothed his worries and gave sound advice that he most likely would have ignored under any other circumstances, but Pepper Potts gave good advice and even better hugs. She will love Harry, and Tony wished Harry would grow to love him and Pepper as his parents.
Even if Steve and Bucky are going to be big parts of this hodgepodge family they are creating, for Harry he was going to have to get used to it now.
So, he had decided to reveal all tonight with dinner, Steve and Bucky would bring Harry to his rooms and they would try to have a relaxing night, full of life-changing revelations.
Tony just hoped it didn’t blow up in his face. He wasn’t sure he could survive rejection.