Chapter 11
Tony wandered into the living room to find Newt’s battered briefcase sitting next to the coffee table, and immediately went over to knock on the top of it.
There was no answer right away, but he knew better than to think that meant nobody was inside. He sat down next to it to wait.
A few moments later, the lid opened up, and a familiar red head poked out.
“Oh, Tony, hello, is there something I can help you with?” As he didn’t step all the way out, Tony knew it was probably because he was in the middle of something.
“Is Harry in there?”
Newt shook his head, frown in place.
“No, should he be?”
“Nah, just can’t find him.”
“Have you asked Jarvis?”
“Nope, but I was trying to get out of the lab anyways.”
“I see. Well, is it something I can help with instead?”
Tony almost said no, but he looked at Newt and realized the man genuinely meant it, and wasn’t just offering to be nice.
“Actually, yes. I’m trying to figure out a way to create a ward with both magic and technology. Usually Harry helps me with the magic aspect.”
At his explanation, Newt’s eyes lit up.
“That’s brilliant. I’d be happy to help. If you could just give me 10 minutes to finish up with the feeding and then I’ll be right along.”
Tony nodded, pushing to his feet.
“Works for me. Meet me in the lab.”
>>>
Tony watched as Newt disappeared and reappeared along the line of the wards, barely a snap of sound following the action, unlike the usual crack. They’d pretty much managed the wards between the two of them, and he was proud of the fact that Newt was comfortable enough around him to be unembarrassed to mutter calculations under his breath and toss out ideas that honestly had Tony floored. In the best way possible of course. He supposed it did pay to have lived the life Newt had, in gaining the invaluable experience that could allow him to think in such ways.
“You know, I think we’ve got it.” Newt admitted the moment he reappeared at Tony’s side. The genius smirked, tossing an arm around Newt.
“Of course we do. We’re brilliant.” He said easily, pleased as punch when Newt didn’t pull away, just huffed in amusement.
“Yes, well, brilliant or not, this is an incredible discovery. I can’t imagine anything short of a veritable army getting through this.”
The words sent a shiver along Tony’s spine, one of foreboding. He could feel something was coming, and Newt’s words only intensified that worry.
It seemed he wasn’t the only one, because Newt sighed, glancing at Tony out of the corner of his eye.
“You feel it too.”
Tony dropped his arm, moving over to where the ward was, feeling the hum of energy as the hairs of his arm stood on end but didn’t stop him from passing. When he didn’t answer right away, Newt spoke up again.
“I can feel it too. As do my creatures. They’ve been acting odd, as of late, and they always know before we do, don’t they? When something is stirring.”
He looked directly at Tony when the engineer turned back, and Tony could only nod.
“I don’t like not knowing.” He gave a humourless laugh. “I don’t like that the danger we all know is coming isn’t coming for any of us, it’s coming for him.” All the fury bubbled up for a moment, flashing through his eyes. “He’s a child but for some reason the whole God-damned world thinks he’s the only one who can stop a man 4 times his age.”
Despite his outburst, Newt smiled at him, and Tony found himself blinking, almost embarrassed by the words as he cleared his throat.
“You know, I pay attention to the muggle news.” Newt admitted out of the blue, but Tony still winced. He knew what the media said about him, even now. “It’s funny how the portray you, considering the truth.” His tone made the words a sure compliment. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who’s cared so much about others. Not that people don’t care, about others, that is. But you care more.” Newt shrugged then, and the warmth in his gaze shifted, a worry bleeding through.
“The problem is, you’re absolutely right to be worried. With the Triwizard Tournament happening once more, there’s no telling what will happen. The fact that they’re allowing such a barbaric practice to return - it concerns me far more than any dark lord.”
Tony was reminded, quite suddenly, that Newt had a hand in the defeat of the last dark lord, credited or not.
“Why?”
With a wave of his wand, a shining cup shimmered into existence between them, the sound of cheers ringing over the lawn.
“This cups purpose is superiority through death. It has never been won without bloodshed.”
“You think that’s the point.” Tony couldn’t believe it, but there was a sincerity to Newt’s words, and Tony knew he wasn’t one to exaggerate - in fact, he understated things if anything. It only had the nervous energy on Tony’s skin buzzing louder.
“I think there are things at work we don’t understand, and I think it requires some form of blood ritual. Why else bring back something akin to human sacrifice?”