13 August 2013
Tony Stark wiped the last bit of lasagna from his lips and put his napkin aside. He and his companions - his son, Harry; Harry's friend, Hermione Granger; her parents, Drs. Wendell and Monica Granger; and Steve Rogers - had escaped the reporters at the airport and made their way to Stark Tower over an hour ago. Now, freshly showered and full of cafeteria-provided lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and a selection of cookies for dessert, they could set about planning their trip.
Neither the Grangers nor Harry had ever been to New York before, so as they ate, they'd talked about the sights they wanted to see before the Doctors Granger had to fly back to England next week.
Tony barely paid attention until there was a break in the conversation, one of those silences that naturally occurred every so often.
"Something else to think about," he said, and the others turned to him curiously. "Harry and Hermione have been at Hogwarts for two years, right?" He barely waited for confirmation before continuing. "And Hogwarts doesn't cover traditional education. We'll need to see where they are with that, and then make a plan to include traditional education in their tutoring."
"But why?" Hermione asked. "We're magical, Harry and I. We need a magical education."
"Never said you don't," Tony replied. "I'm saying that you also need a mundane education."
"But-!"
Tony glared at Hermione and she fell silent. He pointed at her with his wine glass. "You love magic - and the magical world - now. But that might not always be the case. Or some freak accident could happen and cost you your magic. Better to keep as current as you can than try to catch up later all at once."
"He's got a point, Hermione," Harry put in, and Tony offered silent thanks that he had. Hermione would listen to a peer before she'd listen to an adult - Tony knew that because he'd been the same way when he was her age.
"Well, yes," Hermione said. "Accidents do happen, I suppose - but rarely."
"And we might not want to stay in the magical world," Harry said. "Regardless of whether we lose magic or not."
She looked scandalized. "Harry!"
Harry only shrugged and stuffed the last of his garlic bread into his mouth. "You've got to admit," he said after he'd swallowed, "that the magical world has its drawbacks."
"Of course! Nothing's perfect-"
"Mudblood."
Harry's flat delivery stunned them all. After only a heartbeat, Hermione had flushed with anger.
"Harry Potter! How dare you call me that?!"
A glance toward her parents told Tony that Steve was keeping them silent simply by holding up a hand.
Huh. Even Brits responded to Captain America.
"I'm not," Harry answered. "I'm making a point. Malfoy called you that, remember? Twice."
"But that's Malfoy-"
"And nobody protested," Harry said relentlessly.
"The Quidditch team did," Hermione objected. "It was almost an all-out fight."
"Fair point," Harry allowed. "But that was just the first time. The second time, nobody objected - not other students, not the staff, nobody. Malfoy wasn't punished for either one. You're worth a hundred Malfoys - a thousand, even - and just because of an accident of birth, he and others like him will always think you're less than they are."
"What are you saying, Harry?" Wendell Granger asked.
Harry met the older man's gaze. "I'm saying that prejudice like that doesn't go away overnight. No matter how smart you are - and Hermione's scary smart, as Ron would say - no matter how good you are, they'll always be holding you back."
"Maybe." Hermione's chin lifted. "But I'll show them all they're stupidly prejudiced."
The snort, surprisingly, came from Steve Rogers.
"Sorry," he said when Hermione glared at him. "But remember I fought the Nazis. No matter how smart, how competent, how capable any Jew was, the Nazis hated them - put them in camps and exterminated them. Everything I've heard about the magical world's view of blood status reminds me uncomfortably of the Nazis."
"But-" Hermione protested again, more quietly this time.
"Maybe you're right," Harry said softly. "Maybe you can show them all. But if not, don't you want to be able to walk away from them and into a job, a career, that you choose, that isn't forced on you through lack of education?"
"I-" Hermione began, then stopped, blowing out a breath. "I hate it when you're right."
"It doesn't happen often," Harry offered, teasing. "I'm sure you'll cope."
Monica cleared her throat. "Getting back on topic - when do you think the assessment could take place?"
"Couple of days, probably," Tony said. "Today's Tuesday - how about we plan for Saturday?"
"The weekend?" Hermione looked somewhere between surprised and horrified. "But - there's so much to do in New York-"
"And you'll be doing it this week," Wendell said. "Weekdays are less busy at tourist spots, at least a little, so we can avoid the crowds."
"No," Hermione said. "I can't go being a tourist. I have to revise!"
Tony blinked. "Revise what?"
"Study," Harry said. "Or review, maybe - I'm not sure which."
"Ah," Tony nodded. "Another instance of two countries separated by a common language. But, no - you don't need to study, or revise, or whatever."
"But-!"
"Because this is an assessment, to see what you know," Tony continued as if she hadn't interrupted. "So your tutors know where to start."
"Besides," Wendell put it, "it's not as if we won't be getting a bit of history and arts exposure at the museums."
"Great," Tony said. "And Saturday night, we'll go to a show on Broadway. JARVIS, find out what's playing that's suitable for the kids, and get us tickets. Party of six."
"We couldn't-"
"Tony-"
Tony held up a hand. "We interrupted your vacation in France. Only fair to make up for that. And you," he added sternly to Steve, "are not going to protest. Think of it as phase one of getting you acquainted with modern popular culture."
"I thought phase one was the movies we've been watching?" Steve countered.
"Fine. Broadway is phase two."
"Sir," JARVIS broke in. "I have secured tickets for six to Saturday's performance of Let It Be."
"Beatles tribute, right?" Tony asked.
"A celebration, according to their promotional materials."
Tony looked back at Steve. "Two for one, then - a modern look back at the most popular group of the 60s."
Steve held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. But I can give a tour of historic Brooklyn neighborhoods - at least the ones that were historic when I lived here."
Which, Tony thought, was certainly a polite way to refer to his missing 70 years. "Great, that's settled, then."
"When?" Hermione said, having produced a planner of some sort from the bookbag at her feet.
"Tomorrow?" Steve suggested.
"Make it Thursday," Tony said. "You and I have business tomorrow."
Steve frowned. "We do?"
"Avengers business."