A/N: The idea for this was born in the aftermath of Civil War, while wearing a 'Quidditch' t-shirt. I do not own anything but the headcanon of my favourite Marvel characters turning the home of Harry Potter on its head.
It was October and the breathtaking castle that was Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry somehow seemed to appear in a more golden light than usual.
Steve Rogers strolled through the school corridors, wearing his yellow and black Quidditch sweater. Last weekend Hufflepuff house surprisingly had won their first Quidditch match this year. Surprisingly, because neither the Hufflepuff team itself nor the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, Thor Odinson, had expected this outcome.
As Steve passed by one classroom after another, casually carrying his school books under one arm, he realized he was holding his head high. He was proud of their team and happy he had been able to prevent quite a few of the Quaffels Thor had thrown from scoring. Therefore a satisfied smile appeared on his face for a split second, when two boys dressed in Ravenclaw robes crossed his path.
The slightly smaller one of them both smirked at Steve, calling, "Hey Rogers, how's the black eye?"
Yup, Steve had caught the last Quaffel with his head and had therefore spent the last minute of the match on the ground before Clint had caught the Snitch, setting the game with a loudly celebrated win for Hufflepuff.
"Next month versus Ravenclaw. Be prepared. We're gonna take care of the other eye, too", the lad added.
"I can't remember you being on the team, Stark", Steve replied, quickly continuing his way, trying not to think of the smirk and the repartees of Tony Stark. Tony always hung out with the boy who was accompanying him. His name was Bruce, he had curly hair and wore glasses. Without Tony Stark as his 'bro', how Sam liked to put it, Bruce might have been a friendless nerd, for his social skills were lacking the forthrightness and wit Tony Stark definitely did have.
But Steve tried hard not to think of this topic right now. He tried to concentrate on flaming pudding so hard, he nearly ran into a ginger Slytherin girl. She simply shot him a pissed off look and then hurried in the same direction Tony and Bruce did. A few seconds later Steve could hear Tony whistle at her before he took the stairs to meet Sam in the library.
"The black eye's looking good", Sam greeted him. "But I still don't understand why you wanted me to come to the library now. Look at them. All the other ones are going down to the Great Hall for lunch", Sam complained, pointing at the corridor where a younger Hufflepuff student just fixed his shoelaces, dropping all of his belongings in the process. Then an athletic Slytherin student was appearing in the doorway of the library, hiding his hands in his pockets.
"Steve, what are we doing in the library when not even studious Ravenclaw girls are here for us to stare at them?", Bucky asked before he saw Sam, sitting at the table. Then he froze.
"What is he doing here?", Sam asked and if looks could kill, Steve would have been hit by a Killing Curse from two sides. Steve actually hadn't expected a different reaction from his two best friends. After Hufflepuff's victory over Gryffindor he had felt a lot of joy but since Sam and Bucky had decided to start a quarrel in the summer holidays he couldn't share his joy with them. At least not with both of them at the same time. The three of them had fought about Quidditch countless of times in the past, which was inevitable when playing in three different teams, but this year Bucky and Sam already hadn't spoken a word to each other on the Hogwarts Train. After the last weekend Steve's euphoria was big enough to try an intervention.
Shortly after that when they finally joined dinner in the Great Hall there weren't as many students as Sam has expected. Most were enjoying the last bit of sunlight they would get this year. This only made it easier for Loki to observe how Bucky entered the hall, approaching Natasha at their house table in order to discuss something with her. Strangely, Sam was doing the exact same thing when he entered, with the small difference that he was approaching Peggy Carter at the Gryffindor table. As for Steve, he went directly to his house table and began to load fish and chips on his plate.
"Your run-out in the match was legendary. And no worries about the black eye. I think it gives you a daredevil look", the boy, that had fixed his shoelaces in the corridor before, told Steve who wasn't sure whether he was flattered but he probably was. "Thanks, Parker", he said, clapping Peter on the back so vigorously, the poor boy had trouble to stay in his seat.
The rest of the week was a fine line between the disillusionment caused by the homework their teachers gave them and the anticipation for what Steve and his friends had planned for Friday evening.
On Friday morning Steve got up early to have enough time to speak to Sam and Bucky before his Transfiguration class. As he arrived in the Great Hall, back in his Hogwarts robes instead of his yellow sweater, only very few students were having their fried eggs, toast and pumpkin juice already, Tony and his friends surprisingly being some of them. Steve sat down on the opposite side of the gate between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table.
Tony ate the last bite of his whole-grain toast and cleared his throat. Then he made his best imitation of his father's tone when he was giving an interview for the Daily Prophet. "As you might know, I spent the last days, working on a challenge someone well challenged me to", he announced, looking at Bruce.
"Of course we know because you kept reminding us every single day", Pepper observed, crossing her arms in front of her chest where a neatly tied silver-blue tie disappeared in her uniform's cardigan. Tony looked at her, loosing his cool for a moment. "Anyways, if I'm right – and I usually am – the jinx has worked. We'll see when the mail arrives."
Steve was hoping Sam and Bucky would take their time, so he could stay where he was to find out what jinx Tony had tried out. Slowly, the Great Hall became louder and fuller as more and more students arrived. Clint Barton, Hufflepuff's Seeker, joined Steve, followed by Sharon, a fourth-year from their house. Then the morning mail arrived with the wing beat of four dozen owls at the hall's high and cloudless ceiling. Steve pretended to look for Bucky at the Slytherin table to have an excuse for turning around.
A barn owl brought Tony a letter. When it landed on the table in front of him, Tony politely said, "Thanks, Jarvis." Whereupon the owl responded in a staccato speech, "You're welcome, Mr Stark."
"You jinxed your owl", stated Pepper, "Why am I not surprised?" But Steve was surprised. And amazed. He didn't think he would have it in him to produce such a spell and admired the students who did.
"What a jerk", Sam commented, making Steve jump. "Who needs a talking bird. I certainly don't. Redwing doesn't need these frills to be the best owl in England. You coming, or what?", he added as Steve didn't show a sign of movement. "Sure", he mumbled, following Sam to the entrance of the hall where Bucky leaned at one of the posts.
"Tonight after dinner in the empty classroom on the third floor", Bucky informed Sam and Steve. "No unwanted visitors, no joke articles from Zonko's. Any questions?", Sam asked. He and Bucky had kept their conversations short this week, so this was already a lot of words. The three of them looked at each other, shaking their heads. Everything was clear.
"I have Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws now", Steve told his friends, heading for the classroom while Bucky and Sam went to the dungeons where Gryffindor and Slytherin had Potions together.
Steve and Clint sat next to each other in nearly all of the classes because every time the lessons got boring, they knew they had at least one thing to talk about: Quidditch. But in Transfiguration class they sat together even though they knew there would probably not be a chance to discuss the training or new tactics because Professor Hill was one of the strictest teachers at Hogwarts and the deputy headmaster in case Professor Fury had more important things to manage.
Today they were supposed to transfigure their own arms which was a start of human transfiguration in order to gain extra powers. In Classroom 1B all the students tried to transfigure their arms to reach the top of the cupboards, standing on walls of the room, which Steve found ridiculous since he was able to reach them without effort. It required a lot of concentration and skill to transfigure the own body and nearly every student, even most of the Ravenclaws, had problems to be as precise as possible. Except for one, who didn't even try but was still swaggering about his talking owl.
"Mr Rogers, please explain to me what could be more important for you to focus on than class", Professor Hill insisted, giving a more than unamused look as she noticed Steve's inactivity. Just in this moment laughter rose in the classroom, Tony Stark laughing the loudest. Clint's left arm was hanging down at the side of his body, his hand lying on the floor. He was obviously embarrassed by it and blushed while Tony was making one joke after another. "Well, at least you don't have to bend down now in case you want to pick something up from the ground."
Steve couldn't understand how nobody made an attempt to help Clint out. It was so unfair. "Gulping Gargoyles, Stark. That's enough", Steve cursed. "Language", Clint grinned and Tony turned around to Steve.
"Well well, Rogers. You're playing the hero now. Do you want me to tell Peggy about your heroic act. You reckon she would be impressed by the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain standing up for his friend?", Tony suggested with a grimace. The Stark family was friends with the Carters for generations already which meant Tony's family spent Christmas and similar holidays with Peggy's and they knew each other quite well. Last year Steve had invited Peggy to a school ball held at Hogwarts and Tony ever since delighted in teasing him about Peggy and his bad dancing skills. But Steve had enough of Tony always making fun of him and his friends. He took one threatening step forward, when Professor Hill's bossy voice declared, "Silence. One more word from either of you and I'll await you for detention tonight after dinner."
Steve thought about his, hoping Tony would for once listen to what he was told, because he had no interest in detention. Not today. Tony fell silent and even endured Pepper's deprecating stare without another comment.
When the lesson was over Steve left in relief, accompanied by Clint, whose arm was back in normal shape. Steve breathed out heavily, whispering, "I'm glad Hill didn't go through with the detention. Sam, Bucky and I have plans for tonight after dinner." Then the Ravenclaws hurried past them for their Herbology classes with the Slytherins.
Lunch, dinner and the lessons in between passed by less unnerving than Friday morning. Steve just hoped their plan would end the strife between Sam and Bucky. At dinner he gulped down his chips, peas and meat, drinking his butterbeer in one go to swallow everything. He waited until Sam and Bucky left their tables, accompanied by Peggy and Natasha, before he joined them at the Great Hall's entrance. Subtly they sneaked off to the empty classroom. Inside it was jet black and Steve accidentally stepped on someone's toes. "Ouch", Peggy exclaimed, slapping his upper arm. "Sorry."
Once all of them were inside the room they enacted their wandlights and started whispering. "Welcome to the duel of your lifetime", Sam reported, grinning brightly.
"I can't believe we let you drag us into this crazy idea", Natasha said, rolling her eyes. "Well, this is a duel", Bucky explained, "so we needed seconds. Even though I still find one of us should be impartial."
"I am", Steve protested, as he saw himself caught in the middle. "I think Barnes is right. You're more my friend than his", Sam said. "Are you kidding me, Wilson? I've known Steve since he was born", Bucky talked back.
"Oh c'mon guys. We don't have all night", Peggy sighed. "Alright, alright." Sam and Bucky took off their pullovers and ties. Then the five of them magically put the tables out of the way. The duelists positioned themselves in the middle of the room, when suddenly the door opened, revealing no other than Tony Stark.
"Merlin's beard! We said no unwanted visitors", Sam exclaimed. "What are you doing here, Stark?"
"A little owl told me you and your friends had planned something. So I followed you after dinner", Tony beamed. He had to laugh about the new meaning this turn of speech had gained due to his jinx on Jarvis. That it wasn't an owl but the simple fact he had eavesdropped what Steve had been telling Clint earlier no one had to know.
"Go eat slugs, Tony", Bucky ordered. "No", Steve interrupted, "I'm gonna duel him."
"Steve-", Peggy let out. "Sold", Tony chuckled, rolling up his sleeves, adding "Peg, I need a second." "Why me?", she wanted to know.
"Stark doesn't trust me farther than he could throw me", Natasha explained, making eye contact with Steve to tell him she would serve as his second. "Wonderful. Now that we settled that, could we please start this duel already", Sam insisted, not even trying to hide his impatience.
Bucky and Sam engaged in a hilarious conflict. Making each other dance, jump and all kinds of other ridiculous things, the others had trouble not laugh, which would have given away their location. In the end both of them were in each other's arms, their bodies jerking in silent laughters that brought tears to their eyes. It looked like they were getting on with one another.
Steve didn't realize this immediately as he was thinking about his duel with Tony. Mechanically he moved to the centre of the room in order to face Tony before they would take a few steps back. Tony smirked as they bowed but Steve kept a straight face. He breathed heavily but when he turned around, the door opened once again.
Promptly the six students in the room stood upright. Professor Coulson looked at them, making the lot of them feel guilty without saying a word. "Professor Coulson", Steve addressed his head of house, "before you punish anyone, let me explain that this was m-", he continued but he was interrupted by Tony. "This was my fault. I know we aren't supposed to be here and I am sorry."
"Taking the blame is very noble of you, Mr Stark, but you can't deny the fact that your classmates are here with you. Your individual punishment depends on the head of your houses. I have to inform Professor Hill, Professor Selvig and Professor Raina and I'm taking fifty points from each of your houses. Please return to your common rooms now."
Silently one after another they headed for their common rooms. "Miss Carter, I'm surprised to see you here", Coulson said, as Peggy passed by him. "That makes two of us, Professor", she reasoned dryly.
When everyone else was gone Professor Coulson addressed Steve once more. "Mr Rogers, I'm surprised to encounter you at the scene of what apparently was a duel between students. That better won't happen again." "Of course not, Sir", Steve replied, turning to leave. "And, Mr Rogers, make our team win the next Quidditch match, too. At the moment we're playing one of the best terms ever," Professor Coulson smiled. "Yes, sir."
Steve had trouble finding sleep that night. Why had Tony taken the blame? Would the others be mad because they wouldn't have been there for so long if he hadn't challenged Tony? And how had Tony really found out about their meet-up? He decided to ask all these questions tomorrow and then he was finally able to settle in an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning all of the night.
On Saturday morning he woke up, seeing that he was the last one in his dorm. Since there were no classes today he was happily choosing a blue hoodie to wear with his dark trousers. On his way to the Great Hall he encountered Sam, Bucky, Tony and Natasha in the hallway, wearing casual outfits as well. Nat always took advantage of any occasion that allowed her to wear trousers instead of the uniforms' skirts.
"Morning, guys", Steve greeted his friends, nervously shifting from one foot to another, his hands buried deep in his trousers. But the others included him in their discussion without a word of rage. "Okay Stevie, what's your opinion on last night?"
"Um", Steve stuttered. He didn't expect the question but then the questions that kept him up half the night came to his mind. "Why did you stand up for us when Coulson caught us, anyway, Tony?"
"I thought you'd never ask", he chuckled, "Here's my brilliant theory: Someone ratted on us. Well on you all but I joined your super secret duelist circle and whoever it was didn't figure on me, so I tried to queer their plan."
"You think someone ratted on us? It could've been coincidence that Coulson busted us", Natasha reasoned matter-of-factly. Tony simply looked at her the You don't actually believe this, do you way. "Let's say, you're right, Stark. What's your plan?", Sam asked.
"Avenge ourselves, of course."
"Where's Peggy? She's been part of this", Steve wondered aloud. Tony knew the answer. "She's in the Owlery with her cousin, Sharon. Aside from that I've already told Peggy of my plan and she said, quote, 'You already got me into detention. I do not wish to be a part of your infantile endeavour'. Which is funny because that's exactly what Pepper tells me at least twice a week."
"Understandable", Natasha muttered. "Anyways, you in, Avengers?", Tony questioned.
"Avengers?", the others repeated with one voice.
"That's what we call ourselves; we're sort of like a team", Tony gave as an explanation.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. The second part will be up in a few days.