My Dad, the Boy (*Man) Who Lives

1989

For the past few years of living in America, Harry realized that his popularity in the wizarding community wasn’t as elevated as it was in Britain (mostly just among scholars, government officials and the MACUSA’s staffs). It was rather late in the making, but Merlin’s beard... Britain wizarding didn’t even reached out to the other wizarding community in the world to ask for help about Voldemort. So much for the so called Ministry of magic.

Moving on…

What was wonderful about Americans’ magic community was their cultures. Contrast to their neighboring country from across the pond, the American wizards accepted the changes made around them and blended in with their mugg... no-maj society, in terms of fashion and techs.

It’s quite rare seeing wizards in robes and the use of typewriter or pens were more accepted in the United States. Finishing his bank papers were so much easier done with pens rather than the old quills and ink pots.

And not just the society, even the wizarding school have certain differences, even if one of the founders, Isolt Sayre of the North-American wizarding school was the descendant of Salazar Slytherin.

It was interesting to find out that Ilvermony was a democratic wizarding school. Apparently, one of the founders was a mug… no-maj named James Steward and none other than Isolt Sayre’s husband.

Therefore, there were not many discrimination between pure-blooded, half-blooded or muggle-born wizards in this school. Even their four houses presented more unity than Hogwarts’.

Then again, Harry has been finishing his seventh year in the school (probably, three days a week for the past two years), so he knew what it was like studying in there. The Brit enjoyed the anonymity of being a regular wizard since none of his classmates knew about his fame. The professors and headmaster, whom knew, did not show any favoritism or worshiping towards him. It was sort of refreshing to say the least.

Fame was probably one of Harry’s biggest concern when his son pestered him about going to a wizarding school. But after attending the school himself, it gave him the courage to put Anthony’s real name upon registering him in Ilvermony.

There was a sense of joy mixed with pride when he was able to acknowledge Tony as his son, Anthony Orion Potter.

On the other hand, the part where he had to register his son’s name before he was eleven wasn’t entirely his idea (blimey, he’s too young). Since founding about his magic inheritance, Harry has been letting Tony read all of his old school books. His excitement reminded him so much of Hermione that he couldn’t help but encourage him by buying books about the magical community in America.

That was how he found out about Ilvermony.

Once he knew about Hogwart’s counterpart in America, he wouldn’t stop talking about it with Harry. Then his son rooted Howard (Harry’s father figure and best friend in America) towards his cause. Still, Harry couldn’t be relented.

And of course, mom (Maria) has to find out about magic, just a few months before the start of the new school year. The wizard has always had a soft spot for the woman he dubbed his American mom in his mind.

The three of them succeeded in making Harry pulled some of his connections to have Tony entered the school younger than the appropriate age. Combined together, Harry would rather face Voldemort one more time.

Naturally, his fame was not exactly unappreciated at his second alma mater, along with his being an unofficial advisor to both the President and the Director of MACUSA on a few occasions. Combined with his recent completion in healer’s training (as the American saying, he worked his ass off to get an E on Potions’ NEWT), the headmaster agreed to have Tony into their school for certain terms and conditions.

Firstly, the school wanted him to help madam Geller ran the hospital wing of the school as a healer. Secondly, he would also be given a position to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts to seventh year students. Lastly, they wanted Tony to do a special admission test prepared by the professors at Ilvermony.

It’s a good thing that Tony was a very intelligent boy and a full year of absence from schooling to read and study magic. His efforts let him passed the test with flying colors.

On the matter of his identity as Anthony Edward Stark, Tony was staggeringly well-known in the community because of the blending cultures. He was as popular as the royal family. Luckily, Harry found a solution for that by lending his ring.

His ring has been created and charmed with some of the most complicated spells. It helped the user not to be noticed by most people and alternate their appearance in their eyes. This ring was given to him by the director of MACUSA after he helped him on a delicate classified case.

But even with this ring, Tony still stood out among his peers. For the past year, his loud personality coupled with his intelligent and smart mouth had most students his age distancing themselves from him. On the other hand, all the professors couldn’t stop praising him. This made it hard for him to make friends.

Thankfully, Harry has managed to convince Andromeda to move to America the previous year. He never lost touch with Andromeda and little Teddy ever since he left his home country 10 years ago. They’ve been in contact through letters and when Tony caught him writing letters to them, he found out about Teddy as well. Since then, the boy tried to send his letters to his godson every chance he could.

Harry was happy that his son and godson got along so well, that he invited Tony to join him in his annual visit to England for a few days. Let’s just said that they were like quill and ink. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stay for long because of Tony’s school. Though, Andromeda wasn’t blind enough to see that being in England too long was uncomfortable for Harry.

Thank Merlin, Andromeda finally moved to America. He could still remember Tony’s excitement each time he had a play date or sleepover with the metamorphogus boy. And this year, Tony would be reunited with his best friend.

Overall, it was a great start to a new school term.

***

As might be expected of a school part-founded by a No-Maj, Ilvermorny has the reputation of being one of the most democratic, least elitist of all the great wizarding schools.

Marble statues of Isolt and James flanked the front doors of Ilvermorny Castle. The doors opened onto a circular room topped by a glass cupola. A wooden balcony ran around the room one floor above. Otherwise the space was empty except for four enormous wooden carvings representing the houses: the Horned Serpent, the panther Wampus, the Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie.

It is sometimes said of the Ilvermorny houses that they represented the whole witch or wizard: the mind is represented by Horned Serpent; the body, Wampus; the heart, Pukwudgie and the soul, Thunderbird. Others said that Horned Serpent favours scholars, Wampus, warriors, Pukwudgie, healers and Thunderbird, adventurers.

While the rest of the school watched from the circular balcony overhead, new students would file into the round entrance hall. They stood around the walls and, one by one, were called to stand on the symbol of the Gordian Knot set into the middle of the stone floor. In silence the school then waited for the enchanted carvings to react. If the Horned Serpent wanted the student, the crystal set into its forehead will light up. If the Wampus wanted the student, it roars. The Thunderbird signified its approval by beating its wings, and the Pukwudgie would raise its arrow into the air. (excerpts of Ilvermony from Pottermore)

That was the tradition in Ilvermony each year.

Harry had volunteered to guide the first-year students to the round entrance hall, where they would be sorted into their houses. At the moment, they were all waiting for the rest of the older students, including Tony whom was a second-year now, to gather at the balcony.

The man who was once dubbed the boy who lived, was suddenly pulled aside, away from the rest of the first year students. It was his godson, Teddy Lupin. His hair was grey at the moment with matching eye color.

“Harry, what if I were to be sorted to the Horned Serpent house?” Teddy asked nervously.

A year ago…

“What if I am put in Horned Serpent?”

The question startled Harry for a second before he kneeled on one knee in front of his son and smiled. “Anthony Orion Potter. I knew for a fact that you have read the history of Ilvermony.”

“Yeah, dad,” he gave him an eye roll. “The horned-serpent is the house of scholars, like Ravenclaw in Hogwarts. But, Isolt was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin and…”

“Isolt is a great witch.” Harry cut in his argument. “She was kind and she was married to a mugg… No-maj.” He put his hand on top of Tony’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “And you do remember Professor Severus Snape, don’t you?”

Tony gave a nod in answer.

“He was a Slytherin and was probably the bravest man I ever knew.” The healer smiled warmly at his son. “And Tony, whichever house you get into, they will be lucky to have you."

A brilliant smile came into his face and after, he gave Harry a fast hug. “Thank you, Da.”

“Teddy,” he paused, searching for the right words. “Anthony is in Horned-Serpent. Have you ever think less of him?”

“No.” The now red-haired boy refuted loudly. “Tony is the greatest. Even though he is younger than me by a year, he is a second-year now. He is kind, brave and smart. That’s why he was picked by both Wampus and Horned-Serpent.”

“And as I said before. Tony chose to be a Horned-Serpent.”

The boy came to a dead stop and Harry could see it all came back to him. His neck was reddened with embarrassment, even his hair color changes into pink because of the impact on his mood. “Oh.”

“It’s alright that you forgot.” Harry said softly, his eyes focused on the boy. “And if you were sorted into the same house, you could always see Tony.”

His hair turned bright yellow for a second before changing into black, Harry sighed. “What if I’m sorted into a different house?”

“Teddy, you and Tony have been like brothers for years.” Harry soothed the boy while glancing towards the other new students, who were pretending not to eavesdrop on them or watched the different colors changing on his godson’s hair. “He wouldn’t let anything, even a different dormitory or class schedule from being with you.”

The boy slowly grinned at him under his shiny gold bangs. Six colors in two minutes, that’s a new record, mused Harry. “Thank you Harry. You’re the best.”

“Anytime, Teddy.” He patted his head gently. “Anytime.”

They had just walked back to the front of the line when the doors opened. Harry took a minor glanced down at Teddy. The boy was calm now and happiness shone through him (or maybe it was just the golden colored hair?)

“Alright students,” he instructed them clearly in a loud voice. “Follow me.”

The second they passed the doors, he heard his son shouting from the balcony. “Teddy!” he even waved his hand in glee with a wide grin. “I’m here!”

Harry was relieved when to see Professor Holloway, the head of Horned-Serpent pulled him by the back of his robe. “Quiet down, Potter!”

Harry could feel his lips pulling into a tiny smile. Somethings just never changed.

***