Chapter 39
*The next day-- morning of the trial*
The night had been restless. Everyone had tossed and turned, barely getting any sleep as they worried about what the trial would bring.
For Tony, it wasn't so much the results of the trial he was afraid of- though it did scare him to no end thinking about the worst case scenarios- but it was more the fear of his past being brought up, and having Harry hear as his name and reputation was drug through the mud.
But he had changed- he wasn't the same person he had been years ago, before he became Iron Man. He had settled down, and found the woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He had changed the ways of his company, and he had welcomed the rest of the Avengers into the Tower with open arms.
Harry found himself unable to sleep as well, knowing that Tony was only a few feet away from him in the bed with Pepper, awake as well. He was terrified that Petunia would pull something out of her ass, and would somehow win custody of him once more. But he was even more terrified about sharing his story in front of so many people.
It was such a private thing, that he wasn't comfortable with people knowing. He knew that Tony had demanded that no reporters be allowed in the courtroom, but he knew that the press always had a way of sneaking their way into things. In disguises, with secret recording devices locked and ready to catch their victims in the most vulnerable moments.
Morning somehow came all too quickly, though the night had seemed to drag on forever. The alarm buzzed at 5:30 a.m, signaling that it was time to get up and get ready.
The entire team resembled zombies as they all got ready in the apartment style hotel room, meeting in the connected living room area when they were finished.
"The trial starts at 9, but we've got a meeting with the lawyer in an hour," Tony announced, the last to walk into the living room. His facial hair was freshly manicured, meticulously trimmed in an attempt to make himself seem more put together than he was feeling inside. His tie was draped around his neck, the sides both hanging down limply, as his hands had been too shaky to mess with it.
Without saying anything, Pepper stepped over to him and calmly began to tie it, planting a kiss on his cheek when she finished. Tony's hand found hers, and his intertwined his fingers with her own and held her hand at his side.
Even a blind person could see how nervous everyone was.
"This is happening. Is everyone ready?" Tony took a deep breath. Looking around the room, everyone bowed their heads and looked to where their hands were folded in their laps.
Letting out a slow sigh, Tony nodded sadly.
"Yeah. Me neither."
*
Harry hadn't expected it to be this loud. Every time he had seen a courtroom on TV shows or movies that he had watched with the team or Peter, every courtroom had been so silent that you could hear the drop of a pin.
But now, everyone was chatting, talking amongst their selves casually, as if today wasn't a life changing day for him.
"This is probably a loaded question, but how are you doing?" Steve asked, reaching over the divider between where he sat on a wooden bench, and Harry sat in a padded chair at a table. He grasped Harry's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as Harry gave him a panicked look.
"Hey, everything's going to be okay. You're going to be alright, we aren't going to let anything happen to you," Steve said, the words 'I promise' dancing dangerously on the tip of his tongue, ready to escape. But Steve knew that even he couldn't be sure that it was a promise he would be able to keep.
"All rise, this court is now in session. The honorable Judge Morgan presiding."
Harry couldn't help but let out a small, inaudible sigh of relief as he realized that the judge was female. He knew that it wouldn't make a difference in the verdict, but telling his story to a female judge would be a lot less intimidating than telling a male judge.
"Everyone but the jury, you may be seated," Judge Morgan announced, and everyone except for the jury resumed their seats. Beside Harry, Tony discreetly grasped his hand and began rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of Harry's hand, something that always seemed to calm Harry down when he was panicked.
Harry found himself not paying attention as the jury was sworn in, and the Judge began presenting the case. Instead, his eyes were glued straight ahead to the witness stand.
He could feel eyes from across the courtroom, boring holes into him. He didn't have to look up to know that it was Petunia staring at him.
"Mr. Stark, would you like to state your case?" The judge asked, directing her attention to Tony. Harry's head snapped up and his eyes widened as he realized that Tony had to get up and leave him.
"It's alright buddy, you're safe," Steve murmured from behind him as Tony rose to his feet and made his way up to the stand. Harry's heart raced as Tony placed his hand on the Bible, and was sworn in.
"Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do," Tony stated confidently.
Harry felt like he couldn't breathe, and he instantly regretted the decision to wear a tie. It felt as though he was being suffocated, but he couldn't make a big scene. Not now, in the middle of a courtroom, with his every move being observed.
"I met Harry on June 2nd of this year, while I was walking to a street market in Little Whinging, Surrey, before I was scheduled to attend a work conference. I saw Harry, walking down the street in the almost 80 degree weather, wearing oversized sweatpants and a sweatshirt. While curious, I didn't think too much about it until I was much closer to him and I could see how thin and bruised he was. When he passed out, I pulled him into the shade of a nearby building. He passed out several times, and while conscious, begged me to take him home rather than a hospital. I called my fiancé, Pepper, and against our better judgement, we took him home like he insisted, rather than to the hospital.
"Once we arrived at Harry's residence, I decided that his family should know that he had experienced several fainting spells in a short period of time, because I knew that I would want to know if something like that had happened to my kid."
Tony gave Harry a small, loving smile, one side of his mouth going up in a smirk, making the skin around his eyes crinkle before the grin disappeared and he returned to his story.
"However, when Ms. Dursley answered the door, she seemed nervous and disgusted by Harry's behavior. That was when Vernon Dursley appeared, asking who was at the door, and they both addressed Harry as 'the boy.'"
Harry couldn't help but shudder, his breath catching as he remembered all the times Vernon called him that.
"Even now, I can see that Harry is still upset by the usage of the term. Pepper and I, after talking with the couple for even just a moment, could tell that something was wrong. The way they treated Harry, brushing off his fainting as just head trauma from a car accident when he was a baby- which never happened, by the way- and then told him that they would 'deal with him in a minute'. Pepper and I knew that he was in trouble, so we decided that we would go back to the market, get the rest of Harry's groceries that he had left there, and return to see if Harry had any new, fresh marks on him when we returned to give them the groceries.
"When we returned, I was on the front stoop when I heard a loud crashing noise inside, and so I quickly knocked at the door. Vernon answered the door, and he was out of breath. He tried to close the door on me, but Harry had heard my voice and called for help. Vernon was adamant about not letting us in, but Harry called my name and I knew something was wrong. I had just met the kid an hour ago, and he trusted me enough to call for help rather than remaining silent like his uncle had instructed him to."
Harry closed his eyes, remembering the day that it all had happened, and Tony continued his testimony, describing the trip back to New York and all of Harry's injuries. How he had coded twice and had to be resuscitated, how he had needed a kidney because both of his had been failing after an infection had ravaged his body. How Natasha had been the closest match, and had selflessly donated her kidney.
Harry didn't realize that he had zoned out until he became aware that Tony's lawyer had just retaken his seat, apparently having finished asking Tony about why he believed that Petunia should not retake custody of Harry. He cringed, realizing that he should have paid attention, but took a deep breath to tell himself that he was just trying to do everything he could not to have a panic attack in the middle of an active courtroom- even if it meant disassociating for a few minutes.
Not the ideal solution to a problem, but it worked in a pinch.
"Mr. Stark," Petunia's lawyer began, rising and positioning himself in front of the bench where Tony was seated. "How long was it that you've known Harry?"
"It will be five months in two weeks, on the 2nd of October," Tony replied coolly. He knew that it was just the lawyer's job to defend his client, but he had a hard time separating the lawyers attempted defenses from his personal beliefs of what is right and wrong.
"Four and a half months. Your Honor," the lawyer turned to address Judge Morgan. "My client has known Harry since he was fifteen months, and she raised him until he was 15. Wouldn't you think that someone who had known harry for just under 14 years of his life, would know him better than someone who only just met him four and a half months ago?"
Harry's breathing sped up, realizing how brutal this was going to get. He had known that the lawyer would jump right in and begin making his case about how Harry should be taken back into custody by his aunt, but he hadn't realized that he was going to be so blunt and to the point about it.
Noises around him became a dull, monotonous buzz that grew louder and louder, and a lump in Harry's throat grew tighter and tighter, making it more difficult for him to catch a breath.
"-in your past, you were described as a playboy, who hosted extravagant parties and would become publicly drunk? I must ask you, do you really think this is the best environment for a teenager to be raised in?"
"That's not me anymore!" Tony exclaimed, trying his hardest not to let his temper get the best of him. The more level headed he could remain, the better it would be later on. He couldn't let his temper cause him to lose Harry. Taking a deep breath, he tried again.
"I don't drink anymore. I stopped once we began the Avengers Initiative. I haven't thrown a party like that in over three years. I've changed, for the better. I'll admit, my past doesn't look great, but I've tried my best to change, and you can ask anyone on the team, I've changed. I've grown as a person, and credit them with everything. Harry is the one who has helped me grow the most. He's my kid, and I love him more than words can even express. In everything but blood, he's my son."
"Is it true, Mr. Stark, that Harry attempted suicide only a month into his stay with you?" The lawyer countered, barely even acknowledging Tony's previous statement.
Harry's throat seized, and his breathing became strenuous. Through the buzzing, he could hear cries of outrage, and an objection called. Tears burned at his eyes, and he reached his hand out at the table, tapping it four times, hoping that it gave the same message as the hand squeezing.
"Harry?" Tony's lawyer asked, looking between a seething Tony who was obviously trying to bite back a nasty response, and Harry, who looked like he was suffocating.
"Your Honor, I would like to request a short recess," Tony's lawyer spoke, and Harry could hear the rap of a gavel against wood.
And then Tony's face appeared before his, only a few inches away.
"Shh, breathe bud. You're alright, just deep breaths. In and out," Tony hushed, hands on Harry's upper arms, rubbing up and down gently.
"Hey, think of that game we do. Five things you can..."
"See," Harry wheezed, grasped at his tie and tugging at it. Tony's steady fingers appeared on top of Harry's shaky ones, and he easily undid the tie, and unbuttoned the top button of Harry's shirt. Instantly, Harry began scratching at his neck, like he did when he was nervous.
"Hey now, none of that," Tony gently took Harry's hand and pulled it away from the reddening skin on his kid's neck. "What are five things you can see? Can you tell me?"
Harry looked around, his vision tunneling and blurred.
"Chair," Harry choked, voice hoarse and strained. "You. Um."
"Deep breaths. Think about it, and go slow. Take your time," Tony reassured, his hand returning to their spot of Harry's arms as he gently rubbed his thumbs up and down soothingly.
Harry let out a choked cough before his eyes swept the room, darting all over as he tried to focus on something. Anything.
"Bench. Table. Paper," Harry wheezed.
"Alright, and what's next? Four things you can..."
"Touch," Harry nodded, though he wasn't sure what he was nodding at.
"Good, that's right. Four things you can touch."
"Shirt," Harry extended his hands. "Pants. You."
His hand clumsily found its way to Tony's head, "Hair."
"Good, you're doing great. Take a deep breath with me," Tony placed Harry's hand on his own chest, and took a deep breath, before moving it Harry's chest and letting him feel his own deep breath.
"Yup, just like me, that's good," Tony repeated this process a few more times before a bit of color appeared in Harry's pale face.
"How about three things you can..."
"Hear," Harry panted, the tightening in his chest beginning to subside, but the panic still enveloped his mind.
"That's right, good job buddy. What are three things you can hear?"
Harry paused for a moment, willing the buzzing to go away. Even as he managed to push his way through the buzzing, everything sounded muted and far away, as if he were listening to everyday noises from underwater.
"Your voice," Harry began. "My voice. Um..."
He listened carefully some more. "Voices. Other people's."
"That's really good, Harry. You're doing really well."
"Two things... I can smell?" Harry asked, his voice breathy and wobbly, but he was beginning to come around and become more aware.
"Yes! Yeah, that's great bud! Good job," Tony exclaimed softly, careful not to startle Harry.
"Coffee," Harry inhaled, though the breath was shallow and rattling. "And... wood. Stain. Stain you put on wood."
Tony smiled as Harry became more and more coherent.
"And taste?" He asked, and Harry gave him a small smile.
"My gum," he replied. His face was flushed and tear streaked, but he could feel his racing heart begin to slow, and his tensed muscles relax.
"Are you alright? Bucky just went to get you some more water. Do you need to go to the restroom and clean up?"
Harry shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the courtroom and face a bunch of reporters while looking like this.
A tap on the desk alerted Harry that someone else was there. Looking up, he wanted to melt into a puddle with embarrassment, as his eyes met Judge Morgan's.
"Hey hon, I'm just checking to see if you're doing alright now. Do you need anything?"
"Is there any way we could go somewhere private to get him cleaned up without any reporters seeing him?" Tony questioned, already knowing that it was Harry's number one concern.
"Of course, I'll have a bailiff lead you back to my personal chambers and you can use the restroom there. I've scheduled a 15 minute recess, but let me know if you need more time, alright?"
Harry's ears burned with embarrassment. Judge Morgan was nice, but he knew that this wasn't protocol at all. It wasn't supposed to be this way. He hadn't meant to make a scene, and now he worried that everyone would think he did it just for attention.
"Hey now, don't go getting yourself all worked up again. This isn't your fault," Tony hushed, brushing a lock of hair out of Harry's face.
Letting out a small cry, Harry let himself fall out of his chair and into Tony's arms.
"I've got you, you're alright," Tony hushed, rocking him back and forth.
"Hey there, champ," a new voice said, and both Harry and Tony looked up to see a bailiff bending down, a gentle smile on her face. "Why don't you come with me, and let's get you cleaned up a bit, yeah?"
Harry looked at Tony, who nodded encouragingly.
"Can my dad come?" Harry asked, his voice timid like the kindness the bailiff was treating him with was only a façade that would fade as soon as he irked her.
The bailiff's eyes darted to Tony's who gave her a barely noticeable nod that indicated 'yes, that's me'.
"Of course," smiling, she offered her hand to Harry and helped him up.
Legs feeling like JELLO, Harry leaned against Tony and they followed the bailiff through a door and into a small office.
"You've got ten minutes, but let us know if you need more time, alright?" The bailiff declared, shutting the door behind her. "I'm just going to stay here, let me know if you need anything."
"Thank you," Tony told her genuinely. "It means a lot."
The bailiff bit her lip, like she was trying to decide whether she should say anything or not. She wanted to be professional, but something about Harry and Tony struck a chord within her.
"It's no problem. It's clear to me that you care for him much more than his aunt. But I'm sorry, I should keep my thoughts to myself. I could get in trouble for sharing that with you," she sheepishly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Tony gave her a small smile, before taking a step back towards the bathroom where Harry was running the sink, splashing the cool water on to his face.
"My lips are sealed."
"Court is back in session," Judge Morgan declared. "We will now hear from Petunia Dursley."
Harry watched as his aunt was sworn in under oath, knowing that whatever she said would not be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He knew that she was going to do what she had continued to do over the past fourteen years- convince herself and everyone else that wasn't there to see how she treated him, that she was innocent.
"Whenever you're ready Ms. Dursley," his aunt's lawyer stated.
"When my sister and her husband died, they left Harry to me as next of kin. Lily knew that she could trust me with her son, and she knew that since Vernon and I had..." she sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Since Vernon and I had... a son of our own, that she could trust us."
Harry's face reddened. He wasn't left to her because she was next of kin. It was because Dumbledore had made an executive decision and decided that he would be safer with the Dursley's than with Sirius and Remus, his godfathers.
"...We raised him the best we could, but he just wasn't as... well behaved as Dudley," Petunia dabbed at her eyes some more. It was all Harry could do to not scoff. If they considered Dudley to have been 'well behaved' then they would also consider a cheetah a good house cat.
"I'll admit, there would be times where Vernon would lose his temper a bit, or needed to punish Harry using a bit of force, but it was never malicious. We just needed to find a way to get our point across to Harry that his misbehavior was not okay, and we ran out of options."
Harry was seeing red by the time Petunia was finished with her testimony and answering questions from both her and Tony's lawyer. She had lied through her enormous teeth about everything. Punishments, Harry's behavior, how they treated Harry, how they treated Dudley (she had the audacity to even say that Dudley had been a humble child who had been raised to appreciate what he had).
"Mr. Potter, would you like to make a statement?" Judge Morgan turned to Harry, who gave a small nod. Suddenly, he felt as if he had just run 50 miles. His limbs were shaky, and his breath was quick. He could feel his face growing warm as he stood and made his way to the witness stand.
Being sworn in under oath was like an out of body experience. He felt as though he could see himself and the rest of the courtroom.
And then he was just Harry.
A microphone was angled towards him, protruding from the stand and sitting about even with his collarbone. Harry could see Tony sitting at the table with his lawyer, Pepper, Steve, Bucky, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint all sitting behind the half wall that divided the courtroom, watching from a bench. In the very back of the courtroom were two men, one wearing a full suit, and the other wearing an eyepatch and all black.
Harry wasn't sure who they were, but somehow, he felt as though he could trust them.
Everyone in the courtroom was watching, their undivided attention on him.
"I want to begin with saying that I've only told my story a handful of times," Harry began, voice slow and careful. "And so there is a high probability that I will cry. I'm not crying because I want your sympathy, and I'm not crying because I think it will help my case. I'm crying because I've survived all of these horrible things that keep happening to me, and I'm here, today, because I survived. Because I finally found a family who, instead of giving up on me, or leaving me to die, saved me. They built me back up after I was torn down to the lowest I've ever been. Which leads me to here, and now, wondering, where do I even begin?"
Judge Morgan gave him a small smile.
"I find, Mr. Potter, that the beginning is often the best place to begin."