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Harry gathered his files on his desk, placing them in his desk drawer before magically locking it. He stood up, stretching, before transfiguring his outer robe into a rain jacket. He was meeting his friends for Neville and his joint birthday party in muggle London, and he was walking there.
He made his way towards the exit, accepting various well-wishes. Near the door, he saw Amelia and Curtis, and internally groaned. They only stood there at shift change when they were pulling people for overtime. He furtively hoped he could slip by unnoticed. Alas, Amelia called out to him.
“Harry, can we speak to you for a moment?”
“Hello, Amelia, Curtis. What can I do for you? I have a party to get to.”
“Please come with us,” Amelia began. “There is a time-sensitive issue and we need you.” Amelia and Curtis walked away, and Harry quickly followed them. They entered a small office typically used for witness statements.
“You’re needed in America. Your portkey leaves in 15 minutes,” Curtis said.
“What am I doing in the States?”
“I know you were raised by your muggle relatives. Have you ever heard of Tony Stark?” Amelia asked.
Harry thought for a moment. “I think so. He’s a tech billionaire, right? He has his hands in a bit of everything: personal communication devices, clean energy, biomedics, and a bunch of other things.”
“He also has an 18 year old son. He was kidnapped earlier today after lunch with his boyfriend.”
“That’s sad that he was kidnapped, but what does that have to do with me?”
“Harry Stark has an uncanny resemblance to you, and we have reason to believe he was kidnapped because his captors thought they got you. The Aurors in America have a plant in a local Death Eater sympathizer group. He received a message demanding that Harry Potter appear at an undisclosed location by 3pm local time.”
“What time is it now?”
“It’s just after 1pm there.”
“Do they know where I’m supposed to meet the Death Eaters?”
“Yes. They’ll be able to give you more of a debrief once you arrive.”
So much for a birthday party. He hoped his friends forgave him.
*****
Harry arrived at the American auror’s office and was immediately whisked away to a private room. The Chief Auror, Margo, was there, along with someone named Doctor Strange.
“We know exactly were Mr. Stark is being held. The only issue is making sure that Yaxley and his co-conspirators believe you’ve come alone.”
“Yaxley isn’t dumb enough to think I’d go by myself.”
“Of course,” the Doctor said, “that’s why you’ll come in with a group of mine.”
“And what’s your group?”
“The Avengers. They are a team of superheroes, and each has a special ability. Tony Stark, who’s son Harry is currently kidnapped, is the leader. He has a mechanical suit that can fly.”
“And what do you do?”
Strange held out his hand and drew a circle into the air. London appeared on the other side.
“I’ve never seen a portkey like that before!” Harry exclaimed.
“It’s not a portkey, but a portal.” He waved his arm and the portal disappeared. “I’m the Sorcerer Supreme. I can do magic that’s different than yours, but just as powerful.”
“MACUSA believes that he will be helpful and serve as a liaison between your magic and the Avengers,” Margo stated. “We hope that having the Avengers help extract Mr. Stark will lead to enough of a distraction so that our ward setters have enough time to set up traps around the building and finally apprehend Yaxley and his associates.
“Your goal is to work with the Avengers and come up with a plan to rescue Harry Stark. If all goes well, you should be able to make it back in time to get a few rounds in with your mates for your birthday.”
Harry smiled at Margo. “Thanks.” He then turned to Strange. “Where are we meeting the Avengers?”
“We’re going by portal.”
*****
Tony was stressed out ever since Happy called him an hour ago and told him that Harry had literally disappeared in broad daylight. Based on his cell and wallet being left at the scene, t appeared to be a kidnapping. At least that’s what the cops said. Of course, that was made worse by a ransom note appearing in the kitchen, as if by magic, demanding for a person named Harry Potter, along with $250,000 in cash by 3pm.
The money was easy to collect. The person, not so much. Asking FRIDAY to search for a Harry Potter yielded way too many results to even attempt to figure out which one was the one the kidnappers wanted. The note also didn’t state where his son was being held, nor where the money should go.
One of the first things he did was assemble the Avengers to help him coordinate and track down any leads. Peter, Harry’s boyfriend, also arrived as soon as he heard the news. He was understandably distraught, being the last person to see Harry. Tony sent him with Natasha and Bruce to look for leads, if only so he could feel useful.
He was about to ask FRIDAY to do yet another cursory search when a portal opened up in his living room. Out tumbled Strange and Harry. Strange looked regal as ever, and his son was getting up off the floor.
“Harry!” he yelled, racing over to him. “Are you okay? Strange, how did you find–” Tony stopped when he saw that the other person was not his son, but someone who looked remarkably similar to him. Same short stature, messy black hair, and green eyes. The only real differences between this person and his own son was the scar on the guy’s forehead (laying vertically instead of horizontally) and his skin tone being closer to olive. “Who are you?”
“Hello, Mr. Stark. My name is Harry Potter, and I’m here to get your son back,” he said, holding his arm out for a handshake.
“What the fuck?” The Harry in front of him had an uncanny resemblance to his own son, and shared the same name. This one just so happened to be British.
“I’m sorry?” the man politely asked.
“You look just like my son, except you’re British. How did that even happen?”
“I don’t know,” British Harry said, sounding awkward and confused.
Strange cut in. “Mr. Potter is highly trained. He knows where your son is being held, and will be able to safely rescue him for you.”
“I’m going to help rescue my own son, Strange. What kind of father would I be if I didn’t?”
“Er, yes, I was told you have some sort of group that can help with the rescue operation. What can everyone do? I don’t think we’ll need everyone, but it would be good to take a few key people with us.”
“Why do you get to be in charge of this? Harry is my son!”
“Because I’ve dealt with Yaxley and his associates before. I defeated his leader when I was 17. Plus, I know their fighting style. Anyone who isn’t quick on their feet is out. So is anyone who relies on technology. It tends to stop working fairly quickly around them. Someone who has superstrength is also unhelpful. After taking all of these things into account, who are the potential candidates for this mission?”
“Will magic work on them?”
Harry laughed and cracked a smile. “That’s what both them and I will be using.”
It killed Tony to be sidelined for saving his own kid. But if they could stop tech from working, he didn’t want to be 500 feet up in the air when his suit stopped. “I suggest Doctor Strange, Natasha, Wanda, and Peter.
“Doctor Strange is Sorcerer Supreme and can do magic. Wanda can also do magic. She can create things with a thought and give people nightmares or dreams with just a suggestion.”
“She sounds like a natural legilimens. That’s someone who can read minds.”
Lovely. That’s just what Tony needed. Another person to see all of his dark thoughts.
As if reading his mind, British Harry said, “I can’t do that. I can barely defend myself from it, though not for lack of trying.”
“Nat was a spy and is good at staying in the shadows until you need her. And Peter can sense when he’s in danger, among other things. It’s easier to let him explain his abilities.”
“Got it. We have just over an hour before the deadline. Let me meet the team so we can strategize.”
*****
Peter perched out the outside of an abandoned warehouse along the Harlem River, awaiting Harry’s signal to burst in. His job was to grab his boyfriend and take him out of the building while everyone else dealt with Yaxley and the other kidnappers. Peter kind of wished he was fighting the guys who kidnapped the love of his life, but he also understood why he wasn’t fighting. He was the least experienced out of the entire team. Plus, he wanted to make sure that his Harry was okay. He couldn’t do that properly if he was busy fighting.
Currently, Wanda was using her magic to make Yaxley’s two co-conspirators, Grant Harris and Brutus Gallagher think there was no one else in the building other than them, Yaxley, and Harry. Once the British Harry made his appearance, she would make them sleep. Peter could then web them up to prevent them from being able to join the fray. Natasha was laying out the room optics for British Harry so he knew what he was walking into. And Doctor Strange waited outside, ready to make a portal back to the Tower at any time.
British Harry walked through the door and greeted the kidnappers. “Yaxley, long time no see! How have you been?” A red light raced towards him but with a wave it bounced off before it could hit him. “Is that really any way to greet an old acquaintance?”
“Things would be much better for me if you were dead,” Yaxley shot back.
“Well, that’s not going to happen any time soon. I’m here, so you can release your poor hostage.”
“I don’t know. Gallagher and Harris wanted to practice some spells on him.”
“I thought you were done killing people, Yaxley.”
“I never said they would kill him, only torture him a little. He survived round one after all.”
Peter quickly scanned his Harry over, looking to see any visible sign of torture. He saw no blood or bruises, but supposed that people with magic could also get rid of such unsightly things if they really wanted to. He was alive and alert, and that’s all that mattered.
“Pigs may fly, but nothing rhymes with orange, Yaxley. We had a deal. Me for him.” He pointed towards his Harry, who was still tied to a chair.
That was his cue! Yaxley was staring at the other Harry. Peter quickly lifted himself into the window, and Wanda followed him. Harris and Gallagher were slowly falling towards the floor, well on their way to sleep. Peter quickly webbed them up so they wouldn’t hit the ground, making sure to wrap their hands so they couldn’t hold a wand even if they wanted to. He then scaled the wall and began weaving along the ceiling.
British Harry, meanwhile, started arguing with Yaxley, goading him and calling him a Death Eater has-been, among other things. All the while, he slowly guided Yaxley away from his Harry.
“When I’m done with you, you’ll no longer have the Boy-Who-Lived moniker!” Yaxley threatened.
British Harry let out an exaggerated yawn. “Do you not read the newspapers while on the run? I’ve been upgraded to Vanquisher of Voldemort, Defender of the Light. Yet there’s still Fugitive next to your name whenever you’re mentioned.”
“You would think dying would humble you, but it appears to have done the opposite.”
“I can finally live my best life. It’s a shame you’re living your worst.”
Peter decided that the two wizards were far enough away from his Harry that he could safely free him. He dropped down from the ceiling and landed softly right in front of him. “Hi, babe,” he said in greeting. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Harry nodded. “Yes, please. I don’t know how they tied me to the chair, but there is absolutely non give.” He tugged on his one arm to prove it.”
“I see.” Peter studied the ropes that trapped his boyfriend to the chair. He saw no knots that he could untie, so brute force it was. “This might take a bit, but I will free you.”
“Or you can use this.” Natasha appeared beside him, holding a knife.
“Oh, yes. That’ll be much faster.” He took the knife and began to saw through the rope. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better.”
“I bet. But at least you’ll have a cool story to share once you work through all the trauma.”
“Oh yes, because everyone is going to believe I was kidnapped by wizards, on my birthday, no less, due to me looking exactly like a wizard that brought down their leader,” Harry sarcastically said. “That sounds like a poorly written fanfic.”
“If you had Scott write it, then it would be well-written. Or at least better than what you or I could write,” Peter joked, smiling behind his mask. “And… there! Your left arm should be free!”
“Thank you! If you start on my right arm, once you get through the first bit, I should be able to unwind the rest.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
Of course, things couldn’t be that easy. Yaxley finally noticed that Harris and Gallager weren’t doing anything, and turned away from British Harry. Upon seeing his partners webbed up, he immediately zeroed in on Peter and Harry. With his Spidey Senses tingling, he threw the chair and himself onto the ground, and a sickly yellow light whizzed above them. British Harry immediately began attacking Yaxley, and soon Latin and various colors of light were being volleyed between the two of them.
Peter, meanwhile, picked up his Harry and the chair and ran towards the nearest pillar. It happened to be farther from the windows, but cover was much more important at the moment than the escape route. Once he was sure that Harry was outside the others' sightlines, he resumed attacking the ropes with the knife. Harry worked on unraveling his arm, and Peter worked on freeing his legs.
Other than occasionally glancing around the pillar towards the battle on the other side of the room, Peter remained focused on freeing his boyfriend. Finally, after a few minutes, he was free. Harry immediately fell to the floor.
“Did they curse you with something? Can you not walk?”
“Yes, they hit me with something. It felt like I was burning from the inside out. I currently have pins and needles in my legs, making it hard to walk. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”
“We don’t really have the time. I’m supposed to bring you outside as soon as possible. You you mind getting a piggyback ride?”
“Not when it’s you.”
“Good.” He knelt down so Harry could wrap his arms around his neck and his legs around his torso. Harry positioned himself and Peter stood up.
“Ready to blow this popsicle stand?”
“Do you have to be so cheesy while rescuing people?”
“Dad jokes make people think I’m older than I actually am, so it works in my favor.”
“Sure, Jan.”
“Okay, are you holding on tight?”
“Yep!”
“Let’s make a break for it!” Peter ran around the pillar, aiming for the windows he came in from. He zigzagged across the room, hoping to throw off Yaxley and his spells. So far it was working. The windows loomed, closer and closer still. “You’re holding on tight, right?”
Harry responded by tightening his grip around his neck. “Yes!”
“Okay, it may feel like we’re falling, but it’ll only be for a moment. Then we’ll be flying. It’ll repeat until we reach the ground.” He leapt out of the window.
Usually, he enjoyed swinging around the city. He found it quite relaxing, to be honest. Not this time. With his boyfriend yelling in his ear, he found it hard to concentrate. Swinging wasn’t for everyone. He had rescued enough people to know that it was an acquired enjoyment. Sadly, it appeared that taking Harry out for a date while swinging wasn’t in the cards.
Within a minute, they were safely on the ground. He made his way towards Doctor Strange, and he opened a portal to the Tower. “Look, Harry, we’re going home!” He stepped through the portal with Harry, and they landed in Mr. Stark’s living room.
“Harry!” his father yelled, rushing towards him. “Are you okay?” He was eagerly scanning his son for any injuries.
“Do you want me to set you down here, or on the couch?”
“Couch, please.” Peter walked over towards Harry’s favorite couch before unceremoniously dumping him onto it. “Thank you for flying Spider Air. Please fly with us again.”
Mr. Stark enveloped Harry in a hug. “Dad, I’ll be fine. They cursed me with something that made me feel like I was burning, but otherwise I’m okay.”
“I’ll have Helen check you over just to be sure.”
“I probably need to sleep it off. I’ll be as good as new tomorrow.”
“Where’s Magic Boy at? I want to thank him for coordinating your safe return.”
“He’s still fighting the kidnapper named Yaxley. Apparently they have some history and have fought each other before.”
“Well, while we wait for the other Harry to return, would you like some cake? I know it’s meant for tonight, but sugar makes everything better.” Mr. Stark’s smile was just a bit too wide.
“I think Harry and I would both love a piece. Thank you.” While the older man went to serve some cake, Peter turned to his boyfriend. “Scoot over. I want to cuddle you.”
Harry obliged and made room for Peter. “Do you think I could get him to cancel the party tonight?”
“Definitely. I bet your dad wants something low key after all the excitement today.”
Harry looked up at Peter. “Thank you for saving me today.”
He leaned down and gave Harry a tender kiss. “Always.”