Chapter Text
Tony sighed in relief when JARVIS sent him a message, announcing Harry and Peter had made it safely into their school. He, Sirius, and Steve were back in Geneva for the second week of the trail, having bit the bullet, and taken the international Portkey Sirius had gotten for them. Despite the discomfort and almost losing his breakfast, it was worth it to spend the weekend with their family.
Turning his attention back to the lead prosecutor, Tony listened to the man summing up the evidence and case against Dumblefuck. They had sat through the pain of viewing Harry's Pensieve memories, as well as the healers and Aurors reports on his life with the Dursleys. It had had a huge impact on the members of the ICW, but nothing like the revelation of the Horcrux sealed in a fifteen-month-old's scar; the horrified gasps had resonated through the chamber.
Dumbledore had sat through the maelstrom with his usual serene demeanor and Tony was sure it wasn't just him who want to plant his fist in the man's face.
When the prosecutor had sat down, Doge jumped up immediately, and called Tony back to the stand, having already testified the same day Steve had. Standing, Tony straightened his red over-robe and the labels of his black suit before walking over to seat himself.
"Mr. Stark, you claim to have sired the child known as Harry Potter, however you have not shown us definitive proof of the fact."
Tony blinked and stared at the idiot. They had provided the both sides Harry and Tony's Heritage tests, as well as the DNA test Berg had done while trying to figure out Peter's parentage.
"If I may, Supreme Mugwump?" Liam O'Connor stood and waited to be acknowledged. "The appropriate documents were entered into evidence last week and verified by Gringotts Account Manager Ironjaw."
Babajide Akingbade nodded. "Barrister Doge, what is the point of this questioning? Mr. Stark has already been proven to be the father of the child."
Doge shook his head, his face determined. "The child must be returned to his mother's Muggle relatives, in order to be protected. This man can not have fathered Harry Potter."
Tony narrowed his eyes and knew this was Dumbledore's plan. "That would be very difficult as Vernon and Petunia Dursley are incarcerated and facing charges for child abuse and neglect."
The Supreme Mugwump's voice was even more biting than Tony's had been. "Discontinue this line of questioning, Doge, or you'll be in the cell next to your client."
Doge turned and walked back to where Dumbledore sat. "Mr. Stark is excused and I call Albus Dumbledore to the stand."
Babajide Akingbade looked at Doge as Tony slipped out of the seat and returned to his own. Sirius bumped shoulders with him as he settled back. They exchanged a glance, Tony trying to keep his anger at bay so it didn't bleed through to Harry. Steve sat straight in his seat, his face the picture of profound disappointment as he watched Dumbledore stand leisurely from his chair.
"I think not, Barrister Doge. Your client can testify tomorrow, it's too late in the day to start now." The Supreme Mugwump decided and dismissed the proceedings untoil the next morning.
Tony remained seated as the ICW and the court officers filed out, watching as the Aurors quickly and efficiently removed Dumbledore from the chamber. Steve stood first, arching his back to stretch his spine after the long hours of sitting. Suddenly, Tony jumped as Steve stiffened and spun toward the back of the room, his shield in one hand and wand in the other. Sirius slid sideways out of the row in a crouch, his wand also in hand, as a figure separated itself from the shadows. Tony's watch gauntlet had form around his left hand as he moved to stand next to Sirius.
"Identify yourself," Steve snapped out, in full Captain America mode.
"Still no sense of humor, blondie?" The figure stepped toward them with a distinctly unusual gait. "And hanging out with the likes of Sirius Bloody Black!"
Sirius groaned but lowered his wand. "Bloody hell, Moody! Overdramatic son of a bitch!"
Tony watched a tall man step into the light, wearing a calf-length worn brown leather duster over trousers and a shirt, with what looked like pirate's peg leg. The magical left eye rolled around, seemingly independent of the right eye, and, appeared to have the ability to look right through Tony, as he retracted his gauntlet. Alastor Moody was the wizard Howard had mentioned in his letter.
Steve relaxed his stance, reattaching his shield to the back of his suit, as he watched Moody. "Are you sure it's him, Sirius? This guy looks old and a bit worse for the wear."
"Can't all be bloody Super Soldiers, can we, Captain Fancypants?"
Sirius greeted the old wizard affectionately, one hand pounding him on the back as Steve joined them in the aisle to shake his hand. Tony hung back, allowing the men to insult each other for several minutes as he watched.
"And this is the man James and Lily were so enamored of?" Moody looked him up and down.
Sirius stretched out a hand to Tony and drew him forward. "Tony, I’d like you to meet one of James and my old Auror trainers, Alastair Moody. Mad-Eye, this is Tony Stark, son of Howard and father of Harry."
As Tony extended his hand, Moody stared at him in shock before taking his hand. "Pleasure is mine, lad. Have to say, you do favor your da a bit."
Doing his best not to roll his eyes, Tony gave the grizzled old man a nod. "Thank you," he said in a neutral voice.
Moody grinned, flashing a look at Steve. "Truth be told, I punched your father the first time I met him, actually."
Tony blinked before he threw his head back and laughed. "I think I like you!" He quipped as Sirius bumped his shoulder. "I also understand you were the one who told Howard he was magical."
"That I did—"
A noise from outside the chamber interrupted Moody and he turned toward it. "Why don’t we go find a pub for dinner, lads?"
They followed Moody out toward the atrium, watching as Moody paused near a man in British Auror robes for a moment and then rejoining them.
"What’s going on, Alastair?" Steve asked quietly. "Anything we can help with?"
Moody shook his head. "Missing person report on a reporter, who was last seen at Black’s trial, actually."
"Anyone I know? Sirius inquired with a frown.
"Rita Skeeter," Moody told him. "Although I use the term reporter loosely."
"Any leads?"
"None, she was last seen following you and Stark out of the chamber, hasn’t been seen since."
Harry carried the tray with their afterschool snacks up to the table in the roof top garden where he and Peter were doing their homework. The day had been sunny and warm, and, as soon as they were done, Uncle Ben was coming up to watch them as they swam in the pool for a while. Peter looked up with a smile as Harry set a small bowl of cut-up fruit and plate of cookies beside him. Harry groaned as he saw Peter had pulled out their biology textbook to start with.
"Suck it up, Harry!" Peter teased him, grabbing a shortbread cookie from the pile.
"Easy for you to say, shortie!"
Peter gaped at him before narrowing his eyes. "Just you wait until I hit my growth spurt! I’ll show you who’s short!"
Laughing at Peter’s indignant face, Harry grabbed a cookie for himself and sat down next to him. A five-foot tall, four-inch-thick translucent steel fence looked out over Park Avenue below and beyond. Harry found the garden, adjacent to the swimming pool, was one of his favorite places in the Tower. The fence protected them from the worst of the wind found a thousand feet in the air, it also muted the noise from the street level, but still gave Harry the feeling of being in his own yard. He knew the protective Shielding Charm the goblins had erected kept out anything that would harm them. Unfortunately, it didn’t hide their presence, which meant they could be seen by anyone in a helicopter, but it would not be able to land or shoot at them.
Idly eating pieces of fruit, Harry read through the chapter on plant cell structure they had been assigned. After Peter’s lessons, this was more review than anything, but it didn’t make the textbook any less boring. Harry’s eyes were growing heavy as he struggled to get to the end of the page, when the feeling of being watched struck him again. Glad for the sunglasses his dad had made for both he and Peter, Harry flicked his eyes around the immediate area and couldn’t see anyone on the roof.
"JARVIS?" He asked quietly, knowing Peter would hear him. "Is there anyone else on the roof, or above us on the upper roof?"
"No, Master Harry, there are no other humans on the roof of the Tower."
Peter looked at him out of the corner of his eye, but kept his head bent over his textbook. "Can you tell which direction it’s coming from?"
Harry shook his head, eyes searching the buildings around them tall enough and close enough for someone to be able to see them. "JARVIS, from where Peter and I are sitting, which building has the best vantage point, within the range of high-powered binoculars, to be able to see us?"
"The Chase Building under construction at 270 Park Avenue, would be on likely vantage point. As is the Bank of America Tower on 6th Avenue. The Chrysler Building on Lexington has the height, however only in the top three floors."
"So, if there is someone watching us, they are far enough away that a spell or bullet couldn't hit up, correct?"
"That is correct, Master Harry," JARVIS tone was matter of fact and not his have-to report-to-Sir voice. "I suspect there may be a paparazzi attempting to get a photo, which they aren't permitted to do. It has happened before."
"Thank you, JARVIS."
Peter looked up at him, a serious expression on his face. "Is it a magic thing?" he asked.
Harry nodded, trying to casually pop a blueberry in his mouth. "I think so," he answered quietly. "I mean, I always able to tell where my cousin was, so he didn't blindside me with a punch, but it really started last year at Hogwarts. I could, uh, sense when anyone cast magic around me or there was someone watching me."
Peter's eyes grew wide. "That would be a cool ability to have! Like a special sense, or something!"
Laughing at his brother's enthusiasm, Harry nodded. "It did save me from a couple of nasty jinxes last year."
Peter's wide-eyed admiration soothed something in a place deep inside him; a place where Harry had been carrying his Dursley based trauma. A place where he had convinced himself of his own unworthiness for love. His dad's immediate and unconditional love had started the healing process and Peter was helping it progress. Harry's whole outlook had transformed in the past few months, his chest warming with the love he felt.
Even his magic seemed to sing whenever Harry used it, a reassuring energy under his skin. While MACUSA laws allowed children to perform magic outside of school, there had to be an adult magical in attendance when they did. Sirius was usually around and Harry had gotten used to doing wand magic, and had to be careful when everyone was gone. Reaching into his messenger bag, which was draped over the back of his chair, Harry silently Summoned the notebook he used for class notes, wandlessly, before settling in to finish the chapter.
The boys mentioned Harry's feeling when Uncle Ben had come up half-an-hour later, a frown furrowing his forehead as he did a check of the perimeter of the deck, before sending them to change into their swim suits. Putting aside his worry, Harry practiced his swimming and played with Peter in the pool as Uncle Ben sat under an umbrella, watching. It was a warm September afternoon and Harry floated lazily on his back until Peter tried to dunk him, again. By the time Uncle Ben called them out, Harry was hungry and pleasantly tired.
Harry had just gotten out of the shower when his phone rang. Wrapping his towel around his waist, Harry picked up his phone and frowned, answering immediately.
"Dad? Is everything okay?" Worry spiked through him.
What little he could see of his dad's shadowed face looked tired. "Everything is fine, bambino. I, uh, just wanted to see your face."
"JARVIS, can you put the call on the screen, please?" Harry asked as he dropped the towel and reached for his sweat pants. "What are you doing up? It's like 2am there."
"Can't I just want to speak to my wonderful son?"
As soon as the call switched, Harry could see Tony was in a darkened bedroom, his face pinched with tiredness and something else. "Let me guess – a nightmare?"
His dad rubbed his hand over his face before nodding. "Dumbledore's grand scheme is starting come out – he challenged my paternity this afternoon and then tried to insist you had to go back—"
"I won't!" Harry's heart was in his throat, his hands wrapped in his clean tee shirt.
His dad put his hands up in a placating gesture. "Never, son! They would have to kill me first!"
Both Harry and Tony took a deep breath to ease the panic both were feeling.
"It will never happen, son, I promise you that!" Tony said fiercely. "But it makes for lovely nightmare fuel."
Harry tilted his head. "I have my rings, the runic bracelet, and both Peter and I have the subdermal transponders, Dad. They can’t hide us from you."
"And I wouldn’t put it past Sirius to have cast Tracking Charms on both of you, Harry," Tony told him with a nod.
Harry gave him a smile. "Do you want me to get Pete for you, or maybe Uncle Steve to cuddle you?"
His dad laughed softly. "Would be like hugging a giant teddy bear!" He was still smiling when he next spoke. "Go have dinner with your brother, Harry, and I’m going to see if I can get some more sleep. We’ll call you in a few hours."
"All right, Dad. I love you," Harry reminded him.
"Love you, too, munchkin."
Peter and Ben both looked up as Harry as he hurried into the kitchen, dragging his tee shirt over his head. "Sorry!" He told them. "Dad called just as I got out of the shower—"
"Is he okay?" Peter asked anxiously.
Nodding, Harry settled in his chair and took the plate Uncle Ben handed him. "He'd had a nightmare about Dumbledore forcing me to return to the—those people."
Peter gasped and looked horrified; Ben just looked murderous. A tendril of warmth swirled in Harry's chest and he gave them a smile.
"I think he just needed to see that I was here and okay. Reminded me to wear the runic bracelet and heir rings." He took a bite of the chicken and pasta casserole, savoring the flavors and creamy sauce. "He said they'd call before we went to bed, as usual."
Uncle Ben paused, fork halfway to his mouth and gave Harry a knowing look. "And you didn't tell him about this afternoon."
Harry separated a piece of chicken from the noodles and speared it with his fork. "I just didn't want to add to his fear, Uncle Ben. They all know about the last time and they know we are being even more careful now—"
Ben held up his hand and Harry snapped his mouth close. "It's fine, Harry, but promise me you will tell them about it when the trial is over and they are home."
"I will." Harry decided it was time to change the subject. "Peter, tell Uncle Ben about your chemistry project!"
Peter's head popped up and Ben gestured at him with his fork. That was all his brother needed to launched into his explanation. "Well, I want to try and make a adhesive with a higher tensile strength—"
Harry let Peter's voice wash over him as he turned his attention to his dinner. Chemistry was just never going to be his thing.
"Officer Parker?" JARVIS' voice interrupted several minutes later. "Colonel Rhodes is on the line."
Ben exchanged a look with Harry. "Put him through, please, JARVIS."
"Ben – are the boys with you?"
Harry's head snapped up at Uncle Rhodey's brisk tone. "We're here, Uncle Rhodey."
"Harry! Good!" Rhodey took a deep breath. "I've already fed all the information to JARVIS, but I wanted to warn all of you. JARVIS?"
A holographic screen dropped down to the side of the table with arial footage playing. They all watched as a black town car stopped at the back of a tall brick building and a man in a tailored gray suit stepped out.
"This is the Ideal Federal Savings Bank in DC at about 7am this morning. That is Pierce who entered through a back door, spent about twenty minutes inside and then left in the car. The FBI, utilizing a special Grand Jury search warrant, served in on the location within forty-five minutes of Pierce entering the building. However, this is what happened as they approached. "
They all watched was a convoy of tactical vehicles approached, about two blocks away from the brick building, as the unmarked Quinjet landed on the roof. Two men dressed in black tactical gear, half carried, half-dragged another figure whose silver arm gleamed in the sun. They all but threw the man into the jet, before entering and taking off.
"The Winter Soldier," Harry whispered, his eyes following the plane as it disappeared.
"What did the FBI find, Rhodey?" Ben asked in a grim voice.
"Cryostasis tube, a torture chair which apparently uses electricity to wipe memories, a tiny cell, scientific labs, and a ton of HYDRA documents." Rhodey's disgust was evident. "Along with files on their experimentation."
"Jesus!" Ben wiped a hand across his face. "How the hell are we going to tell Steve?"
"I'm on my way to you now, so I can talk to them when they call later. And then I'm going to stay until they get home from Geneva as we have no idea where the jet went."
Harry's thoughts churned in his mind, thinking about the experimentation HYDRA might have done, about who split multiple DNA to created his brother, and what they had done to Uncle Steve's best friend. He truly believed there was true evil in the world and he hated that they had all been touched by it. His appetite gone, Harry pushed his plate away, noticing Peter did the same.
"I should be there in about thirty minutes, Ben."
"We'll save you some dinner. Fly safe, Rhodey."
JARVIS disconnected the call and Ben looked from Peter to Harry, and sighed. "Come on, boys. Help me with the clean-up and we'll pile on the couch, see what Disney movie we haven't watched."
Aunt May joined them soon after, grabbing a plate for herself, while they caught her up on the newest events. Rhodey arrived and ate as well, before joining the group on the couch to cuddle as A Goofy Movie played.
Tony had actually been able to go back to sleep after talking to Harry, despite his nightmare. He hummed under his breath as he walked out of his bedroom, draping his tie, jacket, and over robe on the back of a chair in the living room. The smell of bacon drew him into the kitchen, smiling as Steve pushed a cup of coffee toward him. Steve gave him a hard look as he took a deep swallow.
"Good morning, Tony. Did you sleep okay?"
Tony shrugged. "Had a bit of a nightmare, but I was able to go back to sleep."
"Which means you called Harry," Steven guessed as he slid a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs to Tony. "Is Sirius up?"
"I am!" Sirius walked into the room, accepting a cup from Steve with a murmured thanks. "You didn't think I'd miss the call to the kids, did you?"
The large screen on the wall lit up at his words and Tony laughed at the amazed expression on his friend's face. His laugh choked off as Rhodey’s face filled the frame instead of his sons. Tony was on his feet instantly, even as his best friend tried to wave him back. Harry stuck his face into view in front of Rhodey's chest and waved.
"Peter and I are here, too!"
Exhaling on the spike of anxiety, Tony sat back down and attempted another smile. "Honey bear! What are you doing there?"
Rhodey lifted his arms and allowed the boys to slide under each of them. "I flew up this evening to tell you about the new developments out of Washington."
Steve dropped into the chair beside him as Sirius stood behind them, as Rhodey filled them in on what happened that morning. Tony shuddered at the description of what the FBI had found in the basement of the building, knowing what it felt like to be tortured, but his was nothing near what they had done to Bucky. When Rhodey described the chair, Tony grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed it, closing his eyes as he filled in what Rhodey hadn’t said.
"Pierce never showed up at either his Triskelion or WSC offices after the search, but we were able to apprehend Sitwell, and most of the Delta STRIKE team. Rumlow and Rollins are outstanding but the FBI believes they were on the Quinjet with Barnes."
"And they already had Bucky suited up as the Winter Soldier?" Steve asked quietly.
Rhodey nodded. "Looked mission ready but not quite awake yet, Cap – sorry."
Steve gave a short nod, his face a stoic mask. "They could be anywhere, which means we need to be even more careful. It may be a standard HYDRA mission, or they sent the Winter Soldier to another base if they were forewarned."
"Or they may still be searching for the scepter," Sirius reminded them.
"And there may be an informant inside the FBI," Rhodey bit out, "as Pierce’s arrival was awfully coincidental."
"Or the Aurors," Mariah Proudfoot’s angry voice filtered over the connection. "Although, I have a feeling HYDRA is deeply entrenched in all of the intelligence agencies, magical and mundane,
"Well, the only person I know who can track the scepter’s energy is Bruce and he’s safe on his floor of the Tower," Tony assured them.
"I’ll be staying at the Tower, Tones, until the trial is over."
"As will I," Mariah announced.
JARVIS zoomed the screen out, allowing them to see Ben, May, and Mariah behind Rhodey and the boys. Tony felt better with the additions to the Tower, especially Mariah. He shot Rhodey a knowing smirk as he realized they would both be staying in Rhodey's room in the penthouse. Pepper and Happy should be back by the next weekend as well.
"Have you filled Bruce in?" Steve asked, ever the strategist.
Rhodey nodded. "I spoke to him earlier, so he's aware, and JARVIS will keep him updated with any new information. Bruce did ask me to tell you not to worry about anything else."
Tony nodded, knowing the scepter was secure – Harry may have hidden it after the battle, but Tony had the goblins create the impenetrable vault embedded in concrete below the Tower. The energy of the large Arc reactor nearby would mask the gamma signature of the scepter, if any was able to leak out of the vault. He sincerely hoped HYDRA wasn't stupid enough to try and kidnap Bruce, as the Hulk might not like that.
"All right, everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings and don't take any chances!" Steve's face was serious and he looked at each of the boys. "While we have no information suggesting HYDRA is a threat to any of us specifically, we still need to act like they are."
Both boys nodded, their faces pale. He learned forward and paused for a moment, letting all eyes focus on him.
"So, tell us how your day was?"
Peter launched into a description of his chemistry class and how he'd managed to add his ingredients too fast, creating another kind of slime. Both Tony and Steve groaned at that, before laughing at Harry's deadpan expression. The boys wrapped up their retelling of their day with being able to swim in the pool. Tony knew Steve was keeping an eye on the clock for them, allowing himself to just enjoy the prattling of his two boys. There was still tension across his shoulders, but he'd deal with that later.
"All right, children," Steve interjected, winking at Harry and Peter. "We need to go – say goodbye."
The boys giggled as Tony realized Steve was talking to he and Sirius. "Bedtime for munchkins!" He blew them all kisses as a chorus of "love yous" flew back and forth.
JARVIS cut the video feed and Tony felt his face fall into a frown, as he looked at his companions. "Someone is orchestrating all of this, and I'm not sure it's Pierce."
"If I hadn't seen Schmidt sucked into the Tesseract myself, I might believe he was still out there," Steve admitted, shaking his head.
"And it could be anyone, magical or not." Sirius rubbed his forehead.
Tony nodded, thinking hard. "We haven't heard from Fury since you moved into the Tower, Steve, and I can't help but wonder why."
Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he does think I'm exploring the country."
"Hmmm," Tony didn't buy it. "JARVIS, hack into the SHIELD database and dig deep. I want to know if they have a HYDRA infection as Howard thought and how deep it goes." Tony glanced at Steve. "And don't utilize the hack points they're already familiar with."
"Understood, Sir."
They were just sliding into their seats as the Supreme Mugwump gaveled the conference to order. Doge immediately called Dumbledore to the stand and didn't even quibble over the lead prosecutor's demand for Veritaserum. An ICW Potions Mistress oversaw the dosing and verified the potion had taken effect before she left.
Doge opened up by asking Dumbledore to explain his actions regarding the Potter family since he had witnessed the Prophecy being given. The man waxed poetically about the deeper meaning of the words which were said and how he had become convinced the Potter's unborn baby was the child of the Prophecy. He admitted to the crimes he'd been charged with, relaying how he'd had Harry retrieved from Sirius and left on the Dursleys' doorstep, ignoring the Potters' wills, and knowing Harry was going to be treated poorly. He admitted he had cast the Fidelius Charm on the Potter's cottage and knew Sirius was not the secret keeper, allowing the man to be sent to Azkaban. Both Tony and Steve had grabbed Sirius' arms as his magic began to swirl around him, grounding him.
Ian had taken the preventative measure of using a Sticking Charm on both Tony and Sirius at the beginning of the session and made sure Steve sat between them. It was a struggle for Tony to keep his anger from filtering through to Harry, which would undoubtably wake his son up. Ian slipped a small vial into his hand as Dumbledore continued to speak and Tony took it without question, the taste telling him it was a Calming Draught. It settled Tony's riotous emotions and he sat back, determined to maintain a neutral mask no matter what was said.
Doge led his client through the events of Harry's first year and the wraith possessing one of his professors. For Dumbledore it had been the validation of his belief that Voldemort was still alive and why he sealed a soul piece into a baby's forehead. The Supreme Mugwump had called a recess for the day at that point as the chamber exploded in disbelief.
Dumbledore continued his testimony for the next day and a half, allowing Liam O'Connor to finally question the wizard Thursday afternoon. The prosecutor confirmed several details with Dumbledore, mainly asking the wizard to readmit his guilt on the charges, before getting to the questions he wanted answered.
"Mr. Dumbledore, you seem to believe you will be exonerated by this distinguished body as all your action were taken for the greater good, but I don't understand how you can believe you will be able to take Harry away from his father and gain his cooperation."
Dumbledore lifted a hand and waved it lazily. "With the use of Memory and Compulsion Charms, of course. Although, I believe I will Obliviate the father, he seems particularly strong willed for a Muggle."
O’Connor nodded as if in understanding. "It sounds like you have done that before," he said lightly.
Dumbledore’s creepy smile sent a chill down Tony’s spine. "One does what it must for The Greater Good, Mr. O’Connor. Harry is the only one who can defeat Lord Voldemort."
"Are you say that Harry Stark must also die, Mr. Dumbledore, as you believe he is still a Horcrux?" O’Connor’s voice was steely, and Tony’s heart was in his throat.
"Unfortunately, yes, but in dying, the soul piece will die as well."
Steve had an arm wrapped around Tony’s waist as he tried to control the murderous rage filling him. The looks of horror on the faces of ICW members and officials were lost to him as Tony worked on sucking in a breath, trying to stave off the panic attack he felt building as he contemplated the extent of Dumbledore’s plans for his son. The bastard!
"You truly believe you will be permitted to leave here with no ramifications for your actions?"
"Of course," the man answered, standing up and clapping his bound hands over his head.
"Fawkes!"
In a dramatic burst of flames, a crimson and gold phoenix appeared over Dumbledore’s head, trilling softly. Something about the birdsong eased the pain and rage in Tony’s chest, but Steve’s face lit up, as though he’d seen the bird before. Sirius had frozen, his eyes following the phoenix as it flew in a circle over Dumbledore’s head.
"Fawkes! Take me away!" Dumbledore commanded.
The phoenix just flew higher, the song he was singing turned sad to Tony’s ears. He flew another circle before disappearing in a spectacular burst of flame, leaving Dumbledore sputtering with rage. While Tony was glad Dumbledore’s plan had failed, he was disappointed the phoenix had left. He watched as the ICW Aurors hauled Dumbledore out of the room and the session was ended for the day.
Ian stood and stretched before ending the Sticking Charm on Tony and Sirius. Steve shot to his feet, hands balled into fists, and Tony laid a hand on his arm as he stood. With his other hand, he rubbed his chest to the left side of the reactor, where there was a knot of tightness. Both Steve and Sirius took several deep breaths, their faces pale as they all followed Ian out of the row. By unspoken agreement, no one spoke until they were walking through the atrium.
"Ian, is there a way to know whether any of those charms have been used on us?" Steve asked quietly.
"The goblins removed Compulsion Charms from most of us," Sirius interjected grimly. "It's the Obliviates that are harder to find, as you usually need someone skilled in Legilimency to find them."
"Although…" Tony muttered, tapping a finger on his chin. "Wouldn't the serum repair any damage that would do in your brain?"
"Probably, but it might not return the memory it was used on," Ian told them.
Steve narrowed his eyes, his expression turning suspicious. "I think Dumbledore used those against the Howling Commandos, as some of us remembered missions with the wizards completely different than others."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Sirius agreed with a sigh. "The more I think of it, the more I believe he used Memory Charms on those of us in the Order of the Phoenix during the first rise of Voldemort."
"Would not surprise me with him speaking so casually about altering everybody's memories to get Harry back under his control," Tony added, carefully keeping his anger under control.
Ian led them to the Portkey reception room. "At least we should have a verdict tomorrow, as O'Connor just had his whole case handed to him, neatly wrapped."
"I am so ready for this to be done," Tony muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. "I just want him dealt with so he can't destroy any more lives."
Ian nodded his head. "I'm actually relieved you talked Harry into recording a victim impact statement, as I don't think it would be good for him to even be in the same room as that man."
Both Steve and Sirius nodded their heads and Tony couldn't help but tighten his hands into fists. "Harry will never be subjected to that man again, if I have anything to do with it."
Harry met up with Peter and Ned at their lockers, just before their last class of the day. AP algebra was an easy one for all three of the boys and they liked sitting together. Dropping off everything but their mathematics textbooks, Harry led the way toward the classroom, only to stop just outside the door as he saw the head of their security team, Mr. Johnson, standing there.
"Mr. Johnson?" Harry asked quietly. "Is there anything wrong?"
"We need to go." His voice was sharp and clipped.
Harry frowned at the tone. The security supervisor always had a serious expression on his face, but Harry couldn't see any tension or outward signs of stress. Peter stepped closer to Harry as Ned gave them an uncertain look, only to be waved off by Johnson. Harry's instincts were to demand to talk to his dad or Sirius, but Johnson had started walking towards the back door of the school. Harry and Peter exchanged looks, both clearly having reservation about leaving. They were both quiet as they filed out the door in front of Johnson, Harry looking around for Happy or one of the other guards, but there wasn't anyone waiting.
"Mr. Johnson, aren't we going home the usual way?" Harry asked, as they had been Portkeying all week.
Johnson ignored him, urging them to move faster, until Peter stumbled into him. Harry watched in horror as the man backhanded his brother into the brick wall of the school. Harry's wand slipped into his hand, just as a fist hit his temple and he went down next to Peter. Before he could get up, Harry heard several soft thwacks and saw Johnson, along with two other unfamiliar men dressed in black robes, fall to the ground. Harry pushed himself up to his hands and knees, trying to get his head to stop spinning, and reached for Peter.
A large figure dressed in black tactical gear ran past him and scooped Peter up in his arms, before turning to kneel in front of Harry.
"Get on my back," a voice growled at him as Harry heard someone yell from a distance, and the red spell light hit the ground beside him.
His instincts urged him to do as he was told and Harry closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around the man's neck with his legs encircling his waist. His head was pounding and Harry hoped they stopped moving before the waves of nausea churning in his stomach decided to rebel. Harry had no idea how long the man ran; but it seemed like an hour as he held on and tried not to throw-up. Peter groaned but didn't wake up.
It felt like a long time before movement stopped and Harry was eased down onto something hard and cold. His head was still pounding as he forced his eyes open and saw that they were in the what looked like a concrete basement. There was a dampness in the air and Harry shivered as he wrapped an arm around Peter, who was set down beside him. The man who had taken them crouched down, a fierce looking black mask on his face and black stuff smeared around his eyes. The only thing that stopped Harry from dragging Peter away from the man, was the look in the blue eyes – pain, confusion, and fear.
A glove-covered hand gently cupped Harry's chin and lilted his head to the side. "You're bleeding." The voice was soft, in complete contrast to the man's appearance.
Peter stirred and whimpered, his hand coming up to grab onto Harry's arm.
"If you could take that thing off your face, you would be less scary," he said quietly, tightening his hold on Peter.
The man was examining Peter's rapidly swelling eye as Harry spoke and his eyes darted over for a moment, before he reached up with his left hand to unhook the mask. As the arm made a soft whirling sound, Harry gasped, realizing it was made of metal. Just then, the man bent over, coughing harshly, and Harry was terrified when he saw the man was coughing up blood.
"You're hurt, too!" he cried, leaning toward him, Peter sitting up shakily as he groaned again.
Peter's eyes shifted to the man and he gasped, huddling back against Harry. "Are you gonna hurt us, mister?"
The man was breathing heavily as he straightened up, wiping his mouth on the back of his gloved hand. "The Asset won't…won't hurt you, but you were my mission—" The man shook his head, metal hand pressing against his chest.
Harry's eyes widened as his mind put the clues together. "Are you—are you Bucky?"
Looking up, the blue eyes narrowed at him. "Who the hell is Bucky?"
"James Buchanan Barnes," Peter told him, staring at the metal arm. "Steve Rodger's best friend and a wizard. Do you have magic, Mister Bucky?"
"Are you the Winter Soldier?" Harry asked softly; as, apparently, Bucky Barnes, sat down heavily on the concrete floor.
Bucky nodded once, before he was hit with another coughing fit. Peter pushed himself up and moved over to kneel beside the man, putting a hand tentatively on his back.
"Harry! We need to get him some help, fast!"
Harry frowned as he pulled his phone out of bag still strapped securely at his side and had no signal. "I'm not sure who we can trust, Pete! Johnson was in on this!"
"But he needs help—"
A bright orange and gold fire ball appeared in the air above them, leaving behind a large red and gold bird. Both boys gasped at the sight, while Bucky was hit with another coughing spell, his breathing growing more ragged. The bird, he was pretty sure it was a phoenix, hovered over Harry and started to sing. The sound was reassuring, and as he watched, the bird lowered down, rubbing its head against Harry's temple. He was surprised when his head felt instantly better.
"Thank you," he told the bird softly as it flew to hover over Peter.
Bucky collapsed back onto the floor and Harry crawled over to him, horrified by the two bullet holes he could see in Bucky's upper chest. He immediately began to undo the buckles and zippers of the jacket, glad that he had a bit of enhanced strength himself, as he was able to rip open the leather to expose Bucky's chest. He threw aside the ammo holders and knives he found strapped to a harness, as Peter came closer to help him. The bird hovered for a moment, before landing on Bucky's chest, its large wings gently pushing the boys back.
Harry watched, his arm protectively around Peter, as the bird bent his head over the prone man, two tears slipped down, one splashing on his chest and one into his mouth.
"He cried on my face, too," Peter whispered while they watched. "That one book I read said phoenix tears have incredible healing properties."
Harry's thoughts were spinning. "I wonder if you have to be magical for them to work," he wondered aloud. "I'm pretty sure this is Pops' Bucky."
Nodding, Peter glanced at Harry as he pressed harder into his side. "He still needs a healer, doesn't he? How are we going to get home, Harry?"
Bucky groaned and tried to sit up, Harry and Peter moving to help him. The phoenix hopped off his chest, on to his metal arm, and walked up to his shoulder. Bucky watched the bird closely, scowling for a moment before gasping and shaking his head. Harry grabbed Peter and moved them both back out of arm's reach. The phoenix seemed to be examining the area where the metal arm was attached to the shoulder, Harry's efforts to pull the leather jacket off leaving it exposed.
"Are you feeling better, mister?" Peter asked him quietly.
"Bucky," the man told them, opening his eyes to look at them. "I…I remember now – I was Bucky, before they made me the Winter Soldier."
Both boys perked up, grinning at each other and then at the man.
"You're our Pops' Bucky!"
Peter practically vibrated and Harry rolled his eyes. "He was also sent to grab us, Pete!"
"But he said he wouldn't hurt us!" Peter whispered in a hiss.
Bucky snorted, his eyes now watching as the phoenix continued examining his shoulder. "Your brother is right, kid, I'm not sure what is going on, but I was sent to kidnap you." He held his right hand out to forestall any reaction. "But I couldn't after I saw you two and then that man was hurting you. I just knew I needed to get you away and to somewhere safe."
He shook his head, his long hair falling into his face. "The bullets shouldn't have penetrated the leather, and even if they did, my body heals really fast, but it wasn't."
The phoenix trilled at him and cried another tear onto his shoulder where the metal met flesh and Bucky gasped. Peter eased away from Harry and slowly walked over to stand by Bucky, reaching his hand toward the bird. It leaned toward him and bumped it's head against his fingers, Peter gingerly smoothing down its feathers.
"It's warm!" Peter exclaimed, an awed look on his face. "Harry, you have to feel this!"
Curious, Harry moved slowly toward them with mixed emotions. He wasn't sure what had happened, either at the school and in this concrete basement, but he was still worried about getting his brother home safely. The phoenix trilled softly again and Harry felt himself calm as he reached the others. As his hand tentatively touched the warm feathers of the wing the bird stretched out, Harry felt a spike of panic in his chest.
Just as Harry tried to step back, the phoenix wrapped it's wings around all three of them and, in a flash of flame, they all disappeared.
They had all been sitting in the living room, winding down from the day. Tony had actually been able to catch up on emails and work on upgrading the operating system of StarkPads that Pepper wanted. Sirius and Steve had started going through the information Rhodey sent them, as well as what JARVIS was pulling out of files found buried in a sub-level of SHIELDs databases. It was almost as if there was a parallel information network, several levels deeper than the normal SHIELD information, where missions ' reports, personnel records, and asset information was stored. It had a heavier encryption, but once the code was cracked, JARVIS was able to delve deep into the servers. This is where they had found the first file on experimentation with the Super Soldier serum.
The crackling fire was soothing, Geneva colder than New York at the start of fall, and Tony knew the boys would love it. He couldn't wait for the holidays and to share them with the family they were gathering around them. He'd give them the kind of Christmas he'd always longed for when he was a child. Full of light and laughter, giving, baking, and love.
A sharp feeling of surprise twinged in his chest, followed by panic, before it was muted by pain. Tony gasped and doubled over, knowing something was wrong with Harry. Nausea and terror spiked as Steve and Sirius grabbed Tony's arms. He found himself on his knees in front of the couch, trying to take a deep breath. He didn't want his own panic to add to what Harry was already dealing with. Tony hoped that Peter was safe somewhere else…
"Sir! Colonel Rhodes is calling!"
JARVIS' voice had an undertone that made all of them sit up. "Put him through, J."
"Tony!" Rhodey sounded panicked. "The boys have been taken from school!"
"Send me what video you have, JARVIS! Rhodey, what do you know?"
"I'm flying there now, Tones," Rhodey told them, repulsors sounding in the background. "Started as an alarm because they didn't make it into their last class, then the security supervisor and several others were reported outside the school."
"The video feed from the back door and the fence line, Sir, and in your HUD, Colonel."
They all watched as the screen turned on, showing Johnson pushing the door open and Peter, then Harry stepping out. Johnson began leading them away from where the car would usually be waiting and it was obvious that Harry was questioning what was going on. Johnson seemed agitated, his head swiveling like he was looking for something or someone, when he whirled around and backhanded Peter into the brick wall of the school. Two wizards appeared behind Harry and he was blindsided by a punch to the side of his face. Before Johnson or the two accomplices could do anything else, they were downed by precise headshots, even with spell light flashing around them.
Tony held his breath as a man, dressed in black tactical gear ran into the frame, scooping an unconscious Peter in his arms and crouched down to have Harry climb on his back. The man looked over his shoulder briefly and Tony gasped at the muzzle-like mask and black smeared around the man's eyes. The blue eyes narrowed at something behind him and Tony watched as he swung around, lowering Peter as he took two shots to his upper chest, before taking off at a run.
The camera switched to the fence view and they could see several men dress like a SHIELD Strike team and another in black robes shooting at the man. He hurtled the fence easily and disappeared down the street. The others didn't even try to chase after, Tony noticed.
"Definitely enhanced," Steve muttered, his face pale hands balled into fists.
"Trackers!" Tony suddenly realized. "Show the boys' trackers! Rhodey, divert towards the northeast of the school!"
A map of the midtown area appeared on the screen and the trackers the boys had were moving at an enhanced pace. The panic had dulled a bit in his chest, but Tony put that down to the pain he knew Harry was feeling. A smaller window opened in a corner of the screen, showing CCTV footage in the area of the trackers. Mostly showing them Harry hanging onto the back of a man with shoulder length brown hair. Light glinted off the man's left arm as he turned slightly to check behind them.
"Holy fuck! It's the Winter Soldier!" Tony whispered, his heart in his throat.
"Bucky?" Steve gasped, grabbing Tony's arm. "Oh God, please don't hurt the boys. Please—"
"Sir, the trackers have stopped transmitting. Also, the MACUSA Aurors have found Rumlow and Rollins dead, along with security supervisor Johnson, all outside the school, along with two unknown wizards."
Barely suppressing the rage at the news, Tony focused on the red blinking X on the screen, the last verified position before the trackers stopped transmitting. "Rhodey! Can you concentrate on the buildings near that intersection? The only reason the tracers would blink out is if they are being blocked by lead or concrete."
"Rhodes!" Sirius shouted, coming closer to where Tony was standing. "Get Mariah there and have her cast for the tracking spells on both boys!"
"She's on her way, Sirius," Rhodey confirmed, his camera showing him flying through the underground garage of one of the buildings. "Mark this area cleared, JARVIS."
Tony stood tensely, one hand rubbing over the arc reactor in his chest, the other wrapped around Steve's bicep. He'd never felt so helpless in his life, even though the panic he was sensing had eased, but there was worry and concern coming through. While Tony was reassured Harry wasn't badly hurt, he was worried about Peter. A brief spike of wonderment and then surprise served to befuddle Tony, as it disappeared again, replaced by concern.
"What is it, Tony?" Steve asked, watching his face.
He shook his head. "I'm not sure, really, Harry's emotions keep bouncing around: panic, concern, awe, surprise, and then concern again."
Steve blew out a breath. "I haven't felt this fucking useless since Bucky fell from that train!"
"Damn!" Sirius exclaimed, turning to Steve. "That file I was reading earlier described how HYDRA, er, replaced a badly damaged arm caused by a fall. I think it might have been Bucky."
Steve went still and Tony was concerned he wasn't even breathing. "I need to read—"
"No!" Sirius cut across what Steve was going to say. "Let's concentrate on getting the boys back first and then you can—"
"Sirius!" Mariah Fontaine's voice came through the open line JARVIS was keeping for Rhodey. "What type of tracking spell did you use?"
"A blood based one especially designed for the Black family," Sirius answered immediately.
"Merlin, Sirius," Mariah huffed, "It's a good thing I’m related!"
Sirius' face lit up. "Bloody hell! You know what to do then!"
Mariah gave a sharp nod and flicked her wand in a sharp move. Tony watched as a jet of orange spell light flashed, disappearing into the parking facility in the building across the street from where Rhodey and Mariah were standing. Rhodey took off and grabbed Mariah under the arms, following behind the light. War Machine's camera feed, showed them flying downward in another parking structure.
A loud whoosh behind them had the three men turning as one, Sirius and Steve both holding their wands and Tony a gold-titanium glove with the repulsor in the palm energizing. A huge ball of flame hovered over the floor in the living room before lowering slowly to the floor and flared brightly, before disappearing. Tony had to blink his eyes several times before he could see his sons standing over a man clad in black.
"Harry! Peter!" Tony's heart was in his throat as he took in how close they were standing to the HYDRA assassin, Dumbledore's phoenix sitting on Bucky's shoulder. "Please get away—"
"Dad," Harry beseeched him. "Bucky saved us from the kidnappers and he's hurt!"
He heard Steve take a deep breath and Tony did the same before he answered. "All right, but can you put us out of our misery and come give us a hug?"
As Harry quickly covered the distance between them, Tony saw Sirius' Patronus out of the corner of his eye and knew he'd summoned a healer. Wrapping Harry in his arms for several long minutes, Tony loosened them to exchange for Peter and an equally hard hug. They both sent the boys toward Sirius before Steve carefully knelt down next to Bucky, the phoenix still sitting on his shoulder, trilling softly.
"I'll let everyone in the Tower know the boys are safe, Tones," Rhodey told him. "We'll let you know what we find here."
Tony threw an arm up to acknowledge his friend as he moved toward Steve. It wasn't until Tony stepped closer, that he could see the raw emotion on Bucky's face as his eyes were riveted to Steve. As Steve reached a hand toward him, Bucky's blue eyes followed it as Steve grabbed the hand Bucky tentatively reached toward him.
"Is it really you, Steve? They—they told me you were dead…" Bucky's voice broke and Tony lowered his hand, allowing the glove to retract into his watch.
"Is this the same phoenix from the courtroom, Sirius?" Tony asked as the bird lifted off Bucky's shoulder and moved to the arm Tony held out.
Steve helped Bucky to his feet and wrapped his arms around him tightly, backing off immediately as Bucky winced in pain. The phoenix on Tony's shoulder leaned down, seeming fascinated by the arc reactor under his shirt, studying the ring of lights intently.
"Yes, Fawkes is his name," Sirius told him as he held onto the boys. "He may be looking for someone else to bond to."
"Well," Tony smiled at Fawkes as the bird raised his head, "you are welcome to stay with us anytime. Thank you for saving my sons and bringing them to me."
"And helping Mr. Bucky!" Peter called as Fawkes lifted up and disappeared in a flash of light.
Harry leaned against Sirius. "He cried on Peter and I – we were hurt by Mr. Johnson – and then he cried on Mr. Bucky's chest and face."
Tony walked back over and took Peter from Sirius, helping him over to the love seat in the living room. Steve had already guided Bucky to the couch and was stripping him down to his underwear, easing him down onto the couch. Harry dropped his bag onto the floor as Tony had him lay beside Peter, taking their shoes off. Tony grabbed a throw off the back of the love seat and draped it over the boys, as Steve sat on the edge of the couch, looking over Bucky. Tony could see the half-healed bullet wounds in the man's upper chest, but it was the scars extending from the metal implant in his shoulder that made Tony realize the hell Steve's best friend had been through.
"I just have one question," Sirius came to stand next to where the boys were. "Why didn't either of you think to use your Portkeys?"