Chapter 6
Fourth Year
When Harry leaves the avengers facility to head off to school the mood deflates. Everybody feels Harry's absence, none more so than Tony. With Remus no longer at Hogwarts, he doesn't even have their phone calls to look forward to anymore and instead relies on a steady stream of letters. He appreciates them, but it's not the same as the back and forth of a real conversation.
He and Pepper keep themselves busy moving into their new house and preparing for their new baby, which they have recently discovered is a girl. However, no amount of distractions keep them from feeling Harry's absence acutely.
Summer 2023
Harry and Peter end up sitting together on the bus ride from Venice to Prague. In the light of day the conversation, the night before seems miles away and Harry is content to look towards lighter conversation topics.
As they are both exhausted from their late-night escapades they both sleep through the first few hours of the trip drifting in and out of sleep. In between bouts of sleep, Harry takes time to admire the lush rolling hills that they pass on the way.
At one point in the trip, when both he and Peter are awake, Peter asks him about his wand.
"I didn't get the chance to ask you yesterday, but what was that stick thing you brought out when we were fighting the water elemental?"
Harry considers the statue of secrecy, the amount of times he's broken it over the last year and how much significance it has considering the stuff he knows Peter is aware of. In the end, he remembers how much his Dad trusted Peter and how much Pepper wanted them to be friends and decides to go with the truth.
---
After Harry finishes explaining everything Peter considers him, "and you use a wand? Because Dr strange is kind of a wizard and he doesn't use a wand."
"Yeah doesn't use Dr Strange as a reference, the dude makes no fucking sense. Like wandless magic is a thing but it's nothing like what he gets up to. If anybody from the ministry got wind of what he could do they would study him, murder him or both.
"Harsh"
Harry shrugs, "they'd have probably killed me if I hadn't fucked off to America, they don't enjoy threats to their power."
"Why you?" Peter asks
Harry does his best impression of Dumbledore's mysterious face, "a story for another time."
---
Fourth Year
Dear Pepper and Tony,
How is everything with the new home? I hope you guys are settling okay and that Pepper is doing well.
Things with me are okay. Ron and I disagreed about the whole tournament thingy I wrote about in my last letter, he's in a right snit. I sort of feel bad because he's mostly been hanging around his brothers- Fred and George- because with Hermione gone he doesn't have that many people to hang out with. Well, there's Neville and Dean but they've mostly been hanging with me.
I don't feel that bad though, it's his own fault for being a berk about things I have no control over.
In better news, I went to visit Hagrid and he was having tea with Ron's brother Charlie (the one that works on the reserve in Romania) and they told me what the first task is.
In worse news, it's dragons and I'm at a bit of a loss on how to approach it. This whole thing makes me miss Hermione more than ever, she'd certainly be more helpful than Pansy freaking Parkinson who takes a lot of pleasure in predicting my death in divination. I can't believe I got stuck with her as a partner after Ron's breakdown last year, she's the worst.
Slightly more promisingly, I told Cedric that the first task was dragons (it's only fair as Viktor and Fleur knew too) and he took pity on me. Which is slightly insulting but beggars can't be choosers and all that so I'm mostly just grateful that he's agreed to work on finding a solution together.
He's three years older than me, so I was a bit intimidated at first but he's actually been really kind. He told me he's been a bit lonely since his Childhood friend Cho Chang disappeared in the blip last year. Apparently, she was a bit like Hermione in that she was one of the brightest witches of her year but not like Hermione because she was absolutely obsessed with quidditch.
It's nice talking to Cedric about Quidditch now that Ron isn't talking to me, we're going to try and convince Viktor Krum (who is on the National team for Bulgaria) to have a game with us, maybe teach us a few things. I think he'll go for it, he's seemed pretty lonely. It must be hard being so far away from home. Hopefully, he will help me with his Russian. Clint and Natasha will be pleased.
Anyway, give my love to everybody back home.
Harry.
----
Summer 2023
Some time into the trip Harry wakes to find Peter fiddling with a pair of odd-looking glasses. He would almost find it funny watching Peter test things, tongue stuck out in concentration if it weren't for the fact that he seemed to be whispering to himself.
He leans over "you know they say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness," he whispers.
Harry smirks to himself as Peter jumps about a foot into the air.
Peter glares at him before reluctantly sliding the glasses off his face. "You know Friday?"
"As in the day of the week?"
Peter wrinkles his nose, "As in the A.I"
"Oh, yeah, like the red dude that Tony accidentally gave life to."
"Uh, not exactly how I would describe Vision but sure. Anyway, the point is last night Fury gave me these," he motions to the glasses, "and they have an A. I but this one is called E.D.I.T.H."
Harry snatches the glasses from Peter, "My Dad made these, I found the case file with the stupid acronym. He wouldn't tell me what it was so I told on him to Pepper and then she had a go at him for being too morbid."
He looks to Peter, narrowing his eyes, "why did he leave them to you?"
Peter puts his hands up in surrender, "beats me,"
Before Harry gets to question him further they stop at a toilet stop.
---
Winter year 4
When Harry goes to America in the winter of his fourth year, he is a bit of a nervous wreck. Without Lupin to facilitate phone calls Harry has been relying on letters to communicate all year and the lack of tangible communication has left him wrong-footed. Not to mention with a new house to visit and a new sister on the way he knows that this summer will be nothing like the one before.
He calls Tony as soon as he lands on American soil and is informed rather frantically that Pepper is in labour and that Happy is waiting outside to take him to the hospital.
---
When he gets to the hospital he's greeted by Natasha and Steve. Steve ruffles his hair and Natasha pulls him into an embrace.
"How are you doing kiddo?" Nat greets.
Harry smiles, "Better, now you're here."
Nat rolls her eyes but puts her arm around his shoulder and pulls him into her side, "you're definitely Stark's kid. Let's hope you're sister has a little less cheek"
Steve laughs, "Pepper has been in there for quite a few hours but it might be a few more before we know anything. Your're Dad might come out and say hi but he's understandably a bit caught up."
---
Tony does, indeed, come out to say hi. His face is flushed with stress and anticipation but he still manages a grin when he sees Harry. "Hey kiddo, it's good to see you. Seems your sister couldn't wait to see you either."
Harry smiles, "Hi Dad, everything okay?"
Tony rubs the back of his head, "Everybody's healthy so far, although Pepper has threatened my life and my balls one too many times for my liking and it's dead weird being in a room with Pepper's mother. Her Dad's gone to get coffee, if you see him be sure to introduce yourself, apparently, he's been dying to meet you. "
"To meet me?"
"You're a superstar kid, everyone wants to meet you."
Harry rolls his eyes.
"In all seriousness when Pepper told him about you he told us he considers you his grandson, so make sure you say hi, look for a blonde man so tall you can’t miss. "
---
Richard Potts is so tall and wide in the shoulders it is intimidating, but his rounded belly and kind smile do a lot to soften the effect.
When he introduces himself to Harry, he does so with a warmth reminiscent of Mrs Weasley and the barest hint of an accent Harry doesn't recognize.
Harry offers his hand but Richard bats it away, "If it's alright with you lad, I usually greet the family with a hug,"
So Harry finds himself swallowed in a hug.
---
"Are you excited to be an older brother, lad? Catherine and I were over the moon when we heard. Two grandkids in one day, Catherine almost fainted.
Harry, feeling more than a little overwhelmed merely smiles.
Richard seems content to fill in the silence, "If I'm honest with you, I haven't always been the biggest fan of your da', took him a while to get his priorities straight but he's got his head on straight now and he's made my daughter happy so all's well that ends well."
----
Summer 2023
Stung about the whole thing with EDITH, Harry decides to sit with Flash for the rest of the journey to Prague. Peter seems to have got into something with Brad and they both keep shooting each other twitchy looks but Harry can not pay too much attention to him because he's too busy feigning interest in pictures of flashes' yacht.
By the time they reach Prague it's dark and Harry's limbs feel heavy from hours of inaction. They get given some time to wander around the hotel and settle in. However, Harry's hopes of chilling out and chatting with the other kids as Dimitri, the agent Fury left with them, tap them on the shoulder and brings them to a meeting location.
---
The new meeting location is a far sight better than the last. Although Nick's penchant for mystique comes through in the form of an unnecessary absence of light. It seems almost like a fancy mess hall, with carved wood floors and marble floors. It would almost remind him of Hogwarts if Nick hadn't decked the place out with fancy computers.
They spend some time establishing specifics, noting how the creature or fire demon is expected to appear in a matter of hours and that it feeds on metal.
There is some back and forth about the plan and people's role in it until eventually, Nick asks Harry if he wants to be involved.
"I could set up some runes" Harry offers, shrinking slightly as everybody turns to stare at him.
"Thor and Loki taught me some stuff when I stayed with my mother over the summers. If you guys can usher him into a specific area I can trap him there."
Mysterio looks at him, " Thor and Loki, as in the Gods?"
Harry squints "Did you learn Norse mythology on your earth?
Mysterio shrugged, "the multiverse is not as different as you might think. How exactly did you come into contact with them?"
"As I said I am a friend of Nick's"
To his left, Peter huffs, "Just tell the truth, Harry, I don't understand why you insist on lying to him when he's helping us."
Harry's jaw twitches in frustration, " I have no idea what you're talking about," he bites out.
Peter rolls his eyes and turns to face Mysterio "His dad was this superhero, Iron Man, and he worked with Thor as part of a team called the Avengers which dealt with… above-average threats."
Harry, feeling trapped and cornered, shoots a stinging hex at Peter before promptly disapparating. See if he offers to help again.
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Winter 4th Year
In the end, Pepper and Tony are the proud parents of Morgan Stark, a healthy baby girl. Whose Godparents include her Grandparents- who Harry learns are Irish Catholics- and Natasha.
Harry stays with Natasha for a few nights so that Tony and Pepper can spend some time getting used to the new baby.
He knows that it's necessary, that new babies can be a nightmare and that a house full of sleepless people isn't a pleasant place to be.
It still stings.
---
They stay at the avenger's facility, Nat's base of operations and whilst it's not the same as staying with Pepper and Tony it's still pretty fun. They continue their game of sneak and Harry actually manages to startle Nat one night when he wakes up early from nightmares and falls asleep outside her door. It's less triumphant than he would've hoped- he's still asleep at the time- but he still counts it as a win.
The first night he stays there he asks if he's allowed some chocolate and she shrugs her shoulders "I'm not your parent-kid," and he proceeds to make himself sick from eating as many sweets as he can find.
Harry cajoles her into doing some ballet for him and is utterly mesmerized as she spins and spins and spins.
They play snap (not the exploding kind because it makes Nat flinch) and Uno and Nat show him how to use ninja stars.
Thor comes over for dinner one night and he and Harry play video games.
Steve drops by enough for Harry to suspect that something might be going on with him and Nat.
He asks her about it and she says, "not that it's any of your business Harry but it's not like that. I'm not like that. Sex and romance aren't really my thing but if I was going to spend the rest of my life with somebody I think it would be him. It used to be Clint but then he got himself a wife and a family, which hurt because he wasn't with me as much but I knew it was what was best for him.
"and now?"
"Now it's like he isn't himself at all."
She says it the way she says everything, logically and to the point but he can tell that it's really distressing her.
Clint has folded into himself in the time that Harry has been at school.
Where before he had looked exhausted, he now has an off-putting blankness about him. He reminds him of Tom from the chamber, bitter and poised to strike.
Harry thinks about Nat and he thinks about Sirius and Remus and Ron and he thinks that he's had enough of people making each other miserable.
----
"I don't know if you know this but Sirius lost everything the night my parents were murdered. Two of his closest friends were murdered, another of his friends betrayed him and he was sentenced to prison for crimes he didn't commit. Twelve years later and he turned up at my school hell-bent on revenge. His violence, his bloodlust almost put me off of him completely, almost ruined any chance of happiness he had.
Clint rubs his face looking thoroughly irritated, "listen, kid whatever this is I don't want to hear it. I'm sure you can find one of the others to unload on."
Anger sears through him, "I'm fourteen years old and I'm trying to tell you about my dead parents. In what universe is it remotely okay for you to speak to me like that."
Clint stares for a bit clearly taken aback before his expression clouds, "Like ain't always fair."
"Really? You're going with the life ain't fair bullshit. You're not the only person who lost people two years ago. I risked my life saving my best friend’s sister only for her to literally evaporate before her parents had the chance to pick her up from the hospital wing. At my school, they started a club for all the kids who were orphaned. It was an above-average amount because heaps of kids had already lost a parent in the first war. My friend's parents? Tortured into insanity."
"What's your point, kid?"
"My point is sitting here and stewing in your grief doesn't help anybody. I had a professor who Sirius tells me was gone on my Mother. When she didn't love her back and later when she died he let it twist everything good about him. He's notionally the best potions master in the country but he spent his days bullying children instead of teaching him. When he evaporated into dust people actually sighed in relief because they didn't need to live in terror anymore.
I know what you're doing, how violent you're becoming. I overheard Nat on the phone talking about how she's worried you'll disappear and go on some kind of killing spree. Before you do maybe you should think about the kind of person you're becoming and think about the people you have left rather than the people you lost."
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