Chapter 27
Harry turned to Peter, searching his face for any trace of an opinion. But Peter was just looking at Harry with comforting and encouraging big, brown eyes.
And Harry knew what he was going to do.
"I want to stay with you. I want to go home to America and move past this part of my life. I want to live my happily ever after with the team. I want to get married and have a family in New York. I want to get a job, maybe open a bakery. I don't want to return to Hogwarts. I want to go home."
*
Silence filled the room for a moment while everyone processed what Harry had just said.
"Alright, Mr. Potter. We will respect your wishes. Merlin knows we owe you that much," Minerva replied quietly, bowing her head. As much as she hated letting such a powerful young wizard slip through her grasp, she knew that forcing Harry to do anything would make him feel trapped and full of resentment.
"Minerva, he cannot just leave the wizarding world on his own. He needs to be emancipated!" Poppy whispered from behind her.
"Well than it's a good thing tomorrow is Mr. Potter's sixteenth birthday," Minerva's eyes twinkled brightly as she gave Harry a small smile. "He'll be an adult, and will legally be emancipated."
Harry's jaw dropped. He had completely forgotten about his birthday! His birthday had never been celebrated, at least not to the best of his memory. His parents may have thrown him a first birthday party, but they would have been in hiding at the time so it was possible that they hadn't. Either way, his birthday was something he always secretly looked forwards to regardless.
Although this year, he doubted there would be any owls at the window, weighed down with parcels and letters that wished him a happy birthday.
"Tomorrow's your birthday?!" Peter exclaimed, turning to Harry with his mouth open in surprise. "You didn't say anything!"
"I suppose I forgot. Or lost track of time. It's not really a big deal," Harry shrugged, reigning in his previous thoughts and shock about his birthday and putting on a neutral expression.
"It is too a big deal!" Tony cried, standing up. "You're going to be sixteen! That's a big milestone!"
"Tony's right," Steve nodded, and Tony whirled around in mock-shock.
"Did you just agree with me?" He gasped, clutching at his chest.
"It happens occasionally," Steve sighed. "But sixteen is a big deal! We threw Peter a surprise birthday party for his sixteenth!"
"Please no surprise parties," Harry quickly said, eyes widening at the thought.
"Fine, no surprise parties. But you have to let us help you celebrate!" Pepper rose to her feet and walked over to stand next to Tony.
"I'm fine, really. There's no need to make a fuss over me," Harry shook his head, face flushing bright red.
"Oh hush, Mr. Potter. Really, you should let them throw you a party. Humor them, and me," McGonagall teased, winking at her favorite student. "I'll owl you the paperwork from Gringotts and once you sign, you'll cut all legal ties to the wizarding world. But that doesn't mean you're not still welcome. I expect you to visit me occasionally, yes?"
"Okay Professor," Harry gave her a small smile, and she reached out to pat the back of his hand fondly.
"You stay safe, and I do wish you the best of luck with your new family," she gave him one final smile before turning around linking arms with Ginny and Poppy, both of who gave him one last wave and small, sad smiles, before pulling out her wand.
And with a soft pop! they were gone.
*
"Romanoff!" A voice called.
Natasha looked up from where she sat on the cot in her cell.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Nick Fury asked, an officer unlocking the cell door and sliding it open.
"I could ask you the same question," Nat smirked, but inside she was filled with relief. If Fury was here, she knew that he would be able to help her.
"I came to rescue your dumb ass," Fury replied, looking her up and down with a sigh. "Are you alright?"
Natasha couldn't help but chuckle. "I spend one night in a small jail in England, and you're worried about me? Really Nick, I'm disappointed in you. You're getting soft on me!"
"The same could be said about you," Fury scoffed, before glancing around and lowering his voice. "Really, Romanoff, you've pulled off better kills in your sleep. What's going on?"
"I'll tell you in the car. Not here," she whispered, standing up taller when they passed an officer who scowled at her.
"How did you get me out on bail? I thought they didn't usually offer that for possible 'murderers,'" she questioned, finger quoting around the word 'murderers'.
"I pulled some strings. Besides, yours was hardly murder. He was a wanted felon and he was about to shoot you. It was simple self defense. Wasn't even your gun. Pretty boring and basic level case if you ask me."
"Fair enough."
The two made their way out of the police station and outside. Even though the sky was overcast and evening was nearing, Natasha still squinted when the natural light hit her eyes- a stark contrast from the dull, fluorescent lighting inside the station.
The black Cadillac's doors unlocked with a click, and both agents slid into their seats wordlessly. It wasn't until Fury had locked the doors, turned the key over in the ignition, and began backing up before either of them spoke.
"He was raping him. Did they tell you that?" Natasha spat the words out, not even trying to hide the expression of disgust and horror that painted her face.
Fury glanced over at her in surprise, uncovered eye wide, before returning his gaze on the road.
"We thought the house was empty, and Harry was taking too long to grab his stuff. At first I thought we were just being impatient and paranoid, but then Tony pointed out that it wouldn't take twenty minutes to grab a trunk from a closet on the first floor of the house. So we decided to go inside and find him.
"When we entered the house, we heard a scream from upstairs, and that was when we realized that something was truly wrong. Tony and I ran up the stairs and the bedroom door was locked, so I kicked the door in and..."
Fury looked over at Natasha, who was the most rattled he had ever seen her. Tears were swarming her eyes, and she was letting out a long, shaky breath through her mouth.
"He was raping Harry, who was borderline unconscious. He had already whipped him and smashed his head against the headboard. Instinct kicked in, and I tackled him. He reached for a gun and aimed it at me, and I flipped it around and..."
"Boom. He's dead," Fury finished.
"Yeah. Boom, he's dead," Natasha was staring out her window, watching as street signs whizzed by.
It was weird for Fury to see his most ruthless agent so unnerved by something. But even he was horrified. If there was one thing he despised the most, it was others hurting innocent people, especially those who were children. It was a majority of the reason he had chosen to go into the military and begin S.H.I.E.L.D- there were bad people out there, and someone had to help keep the innocent safe.
"Are we going back to the hospital or the hotel?" Fury asked, knuckles gripping the steering wheel as he seethed silently. What kind of sick person did that to a kid? And why did one of his best agents have to pay for it?
"Can we go back to the hotel for a few minutes? I need to shower and change," Natasha sighed, resting her head against the seat. She was exhausted, but she desperately needed to see Harry. It had been three days since the last time she had seen him, and she didn't know how much the team had told him.
He had enough to worry about already without having to worry about her any more.
"I'll get this squared away, alright? Tony's already on it, but I can pull some strings, and get the charges dropped. You'll be home in no time," Fury assured her, noticing how tired the spy looked.
Glancing back up at him through lashes that for once were void of mascara, Natasha's brows furrowed and, in a rare moment of vulnerability, the assassin looked worried.
"I just hope 'no time' comes soon."
*
"Pep," Tony motioned his fiancé over to where he was sitting, a Stark Pad balanced in his lap. Harry and Peter had fallen asleep a few minutes ago in the bed, curled together in an adorable manner that reminded Tony all too much of two puppies cuddling.
Pepper took a seat on the arm of the chair, leaning against Tony's shoulder and resting her cheek on top of his head.
"What're you looking at?" She asked, watching as Tony excitedly scrolled.
"What do you think?" He asked, sliding his hand across the surface of the tablet and throwing the image from the screen to project as a holographic photo in front of him.
"It's a building..." Pepper began, unsure of what she was supposed to take from the photo.
"Yeah, but what else do you notice?" Tony goaded excitedly.
"...It's a small building?"
"No!" Tony exclaimed in a hushed voice, flicking his hand and making the holographic image 3D. "I was thinking about buying it."
"Why do you need a building in Greenwich Village?" Pepper asked, growing more confused by the moment.
"Harry mentioned opening a bakery yesterday. He's amazing at it, and he always seems so happy when he's cooking. I was thinking, I could buy this and we could get it fixed up for him."
Tony glanced up at Pepper, who was gazing down at him, eyes soft and filled with love and admiration.
"I love you, did you know that? You're an amazing man Mr. Anthony Stark," she spoke, voice low and gentle, but filled with emotion.
"Why, I love you too Ms. Virginia Potts," Tony gave her a lopsided grin, eyes crinkling in the corners.
Resting her cheek against the top of Tony's head once more, Pepper looked at the image in front of them. It was a simple brick building, a corner shop on a street full of apartments and other local shops. Both of the outside walls had large windows, perfect for displays and perfect natural lighting, with a view overlooking a park right across the street.
Harry would love it.
"I think it's perfect," Pepper whispered, wrapping her arms around Tony's shoulders and hugging him. Tony swiped the image away, pressed a few buttons before turning off the tablet and placing it on the table.
"Then consider it ours."
*
Natasha groaned, glancing at the clock as she was toweling her hair dry.
Fury was downstairs, waiting for her in the lobby of the hotel while she showered and changed, but she was running slower than normal. Days of little-to-no sleep were catching up with her, and she could feel herself becoming sluggish and disassociated.
A knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She set down the towel that she was using to dry her hair, and grabbed a shirt, pulling it over the camisole she was wearing, before padding to the door cautiously.
There was another knock at the door, this one sounding more persistent, whoever it was not stopping this time.
"Natasha?" A man's voice said, and without looking through the peephole, Natasha threw open the door to reveal a disheveled Clint standing there.
"Oh God, Tasha," Clint breathed, pulling her into a hug. At first, she tensed, surprised by the unexpected action, but she quickly found herself melting into the embrace.
"Are you okay?" Clint's hands found their way to the sides of her head as he pulled away, looking her up and down. "I'm so sorry, I tried to get you out of there sooner, but-"
"Clint," Natasha placed her hands on his forearms, leaning into him. He placed a chaste kiss against her forehead, holding her close to him.
"It's okay. I'm okay. It doesn't matter who got me out, or when, it just matters that I'm out, and I'm here... legally, I should add."
Clint pulled away, giving a short, tired bark of laughter, but relief flooded his face. "You would not believe everything that's gone down."
"I can only imagine," Nat replied, shaking her head. "How are things with Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb?"
Clint raised his eyebrows, and Natasha couldn't help but chuckle at the dumbfounded look on his face.
"Loki and Thor," she explained, and Clint snorted.
"That's amazing, oh God. Have you told those to Tony yet?"
"I do not see what is so 'amazing' about them," a silky voice drawled from behind them.
Clint rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw, turned around slowly to face Loki.
"That's because we weren't talking to you, Reindeer Games," he growled.
"It is not kind to speak of people behind their backs," Loki smirked, and Clint grabbed at the door frame, knuckles turning white.
"Clint," Natasha spoke, voice low and warning. "I just got out of jail, I would prefer you not take my place."
"That's assuming they find the body," Clint muttered.
"Now, that's no way to speak to your acquaintances," Loki tsked. "And as I remember, we did get quite close, isn't that right?"
"Fuck off," Clint snarled, Natasha's hand on his bicep the only thing grounding him.
"Loki, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Natasha questioned, growing increasingly annoyed by the second. She was too tired for this shit.
"No, actually, I do not. Your Hulk has put us under 'hotel arrest,' if you will, since we returned from the hospital the other day. I do not understand why you called us here if you do not require our help."
Natasha sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Okay fine," she conceded, and Clint turned to face her. "Against all better judgement, I'm bringing you to the hospital with us. Fury is downstairs, waiting on me, and we're going to go to the hospital to check on Harry and talk to Tony. You and Thor may come, but you have to listen to everything we say. One wrong move, and you're property of S.H.I.E.L.D's, got it?"
"Do you really think my brother in a hospital room with a traumatized child is the best plan?" Loki raised an eyebrow.
"No, I don't. But he's the only one around here that you seem to listen to from time to time," Natasha spat before shifting her gaze to Clint.
"I'm sorry, I'm too tired and fed up with everyone's shit to deal with him taunting us right now. Besides, if we take him now, the sooner he can help Tony, and the sooner they can go home," she sighed, lowering her voice as Clint tensed at the idea of bringing the God of Mischief and the God of Thunder to the hospital with them.
"It's fine. I'll call Tony and let him know," Clint said, voice short and tight. But he gave Nat's hand a small squeeze. "Meet you downstairs."
"Alright. Let me find some shoes and I'll be ready to go."
*
"Shit," Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, and Pepper stirred from the chair beside him.
She was just beginning to doze off when she heard Tony swear and stand, beginning to pace back and forth.
"What?" She asked groggily, sitting up and dragging her index fingers below her eyes to rid herself of any sleep or makeup that had collected.
"Fury managed to get Nat out, and she's on her way here now with Clint, but they're bringing Thor and Loki," Tony hissed. He was glad that his call to Fury had succeeded in freeing Nat, but he wasn't ready to deal with the Asgardians yet.
Turning his head, he glanced towards Harry and Peter who were still cuddled up together on the hospital bed, sleeping peacefully.
"It'll be alright Tone," Pepper assured, collecting her hair into a ponytail and tying it back. "I'm sure they just want to talk and figure out why you called them here."
She paused for a moment, before continuing on. "Why did you call them here?"
Tony shook his head. He didn't really know either. When Harry told them that he had magic, Tony was so taken aback and knew that this was uncharted territory, even for him. So he thought that maybe calling Thor and Loki would be the best option, because they were the most familiar with it. But now, after remembering how much of a handful the gods could be when left unsupervised, Tony was beginning to regret his decisions.
"I wanted Harry to feel accepted. I wanted him to know that he's not alone to deal with his magic. As much as I hate Loki- and I really do- I knew that Harry would open up to him about his magic more than he would us. I just... I think it's going to take some time."
Pepper nodded. "You're right. It is going to take time. But that's assuming Harry even wants him here. I mean, just look at what happened last time he and Harry talked. He offered to erase his memories, Tony!"
Tony's head bobbed up and down, knowing that once again, Pepper is right.
"So should I give him another chance with Harry, or should I just send them home?"
Pepper made her way over to her fiancé, and placed a hand on his cheek lovingly. With a soft smile, she shook her head sadly.
"I think that ultimately, the choice isn't ours. It's up to Harry to decide what he wants."
"What am I deciding?" A voice behind them asked, still sounding half asleep.
"Hey buddy," Tony gave him a small, tight lipped smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. Bit sore, but I'm okay. What are you guys talking about?" Harry responded, looking back and forth between Tony and Pepper. Tony glanced at Pepper, who gave him a reassuring nod, before looking back at Harry with a sigh.
"Natasha, Clint, Loki and Thor are on their way over. We were trying to decide whether we send Thor and Loki back to Asgard, or..." Tony took a deep breath. Behind him, Pepper placed an encouraging hand on his back. He didn't like Loki, and the last thing he wanted was the god's magic around his kid, but he knew that it wasn't up to him to decide what Harry wanted.
"Would you like to talk to Loki about your magic? I know you want to forget, and let go of your past, but this is still a big part of you and we don't want you to regret anything. You don't have to go back to Hogwarts, but we can find someone to tutor you privately. From what I hear, you're a pretty powerful little wizard, kid. Loki could help you manage it, if you want. Or, if you don't want to talk to him at all, that's fine too. You don't even have to see him. It's up to you kid."
Harry bit his lip, soaking up the weight of the offer. Loki could help him with his magic. He didn't have to go back to Hogwarts, he could stay in New York with Tony, and Pepper and Peter, and the rest of the team. He didn't have to go back, and he could keep his magic.
Opening his mouth before he could overthink it and change his mind, Harry spoke.
"I want to talk to Loki."