I'M BAAACCKKK!
I know it's been forever since I've posted…this process takes me a while. I have to watch the movie/read the book. I have to figure out what I want to do and then motivate myself to write it…long process. Anyway, here is a long chapter for you…didn't know how to cut it so you get one long chapter.
I am also messing with the marvel timeline a bunch so that a lot happens pretty much at the same time. Winter Soldier happened last story so now I'm getting rid of Ultron and Civil War…or more condensing it all so that it happens at the same time…mostly…I'm giving an overview in this chapter so hopefully it all makes sense. Wanda and Pietro are Magneto's children in this, so they get sent to the school for them to deal with ;)
As always, I don't own anything. Especially the quotes I have stolen from the movie and book.
I'm sorry for all this exposition…Enjoy!
It was the beginning of August and New York was hot and sunny. The tower was quiet, unusual for this time of day. Harry knew things were going to be different when he arrived home, but he didn't realize how much things had changed, and how fast.
The Winter Soldier, after getting his memories unlocked by Snape, was sent to Professor Xavier at his school. To keep Steve from barging into the school, the Avengers began to focus on finding Loki's scepter that SHIELD had lost.
Harry doesn't know how one can lose something so powerful, but their information was released onto the internet by Natasha and Steve, so maybe things were lost in the chaos.
Luckily, they had found it. Unluckily, it was in a Hydra base.
Harry was still confused how all these secret organizations could even exist without anyone finding out.
Along with the scepter, they found twin mutants. They were being experimented on using the scepter's power. Loki quickly incapacitated them and they were carted off to Xavier's school. They had the scepter, which apparently contained the Mind Stone; one of six infinity stones.
Harry was very glad that Voldemort hated everything muggle. He didn't even want to imagine what it would be like if Voldemort got his hands on one of those stones.
Loki, Tony, and Bruce separated the stone from the scepter and began creating a container for it. Unfortunately, there was a kind of presence inside the stone that attempted to escape through internet. Jarvis was able to contain it, nearly killing himself, and destroying it before it could escape.
That was how Friday was introduced. Harry loved her, she was a snarky teenager and yet so young. Aileen loved her too, happy to have another girl in the family.
With her help, the container was finished. The stone was protected using Arc Reactor technology, Seidr, Celestial magic, and even Sirius and Remus contributed. The stone was secure…or as secure as they could get it.
Tony, Loki, and Thor decided that Loki would keep it safe. While the other Avengers thought it best to keep it with them.
Harry didn't understand that. It was a powerful magical item. Why wouldn't it go to the most powerful sorcerer on the team? As if a bunch of regular people could keep an infinity stone safe. SHIELD couldn't even keep them safe. They lost both of the ones they had, if he remembered correctly.
Of course, there was a fight. Friday had showed Harry the small battle in the tower. Loki and Thor were fighting Sam, Clint, and Steve while Tony took on Natasha. The stone was held in the air with Tony's magic behind him. Harry was impressed with his dad, he seemed to handle his own against Natasha. Harry could tell that Loki and Thor were holding back, not using any magic, the other side didn't seem to get the memo. He froze when Steve threw his shield at a distracted Tony. The mechanic had managed a weak shield, but the momentum pushed him into the wall, knocking him out. It reminded Harry of Aileen being pushed into the veil at the Department of Mysteries. Harry wished he was there, so he could hex the super soldier. He smiled vindictively when Loki, kid gloves off, quickly immobilized everyone. Thor and Bruce got Tony to the med-bay while Loki kicked the rest out of the tower. The team was officially split.
A part of Harry missed his family, and yet, the other part never wanted to see them again. He thought the team trusted his papa after all this time, but apparently not.
Something zoomed past his face, leaving a stinging sensation on his cheek. Harry hissed and looked down at a brown and white cat.
"I hate when you do that" He touched his cheek and looked down at a few drops of blood on his fingers. "Do you have to make me bleed?"
The cat meowed innocently.
"That doesn't work Aileen" Harry said, wiping his cheek with a tissue.
"Then you should pay attention" The cat said.
Harry rolled his eyes.
Aileen had decided, instead of popping in and out of Hogwarts for his lessons, she would turn into a cat and follow him around. He doesn't exactly know what she's teaching him, but she takes great joy out of scratching him up.
"If you weren't so cute, I would have kicked you by now." He said.
Her eyes seemed to get bigger as she pouted, "But I'm just a defenseless little kitty."
"Defenseless my arse" He muttered.
She hopped into his lap and rubbed her head on his chin, "Come on Harry, I'm training your magical senses. If you end up in another fire fight, you should be able to sense your surroundings and dodge accordingly."
Harry sighed, "Fine, but you're getting way too much enjoyment in slicing me."
"All injuries heal quickly" Aileen said. "As if I would actually injure you" She sniffed.
Harry smiled.
"Master Harry, there is a man wanting to speak with you." Jarvis said.
"He's old and dressed strangely" Friday added.
"Who is it?"
"It is Headmaster Dumbledore" Jarvis said.
"Oh, you can let him up."
The elevator chimed a few minutes later and Dumbledore entered the room.
"Hey Professor, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"I needed your help with something Harry. I thought it best I ask permission to enter after my last visit." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.
Harry chuckled awkwardly, "Yeah, probably best."
He motioned for Dumbledore to sit, "How have you been Professor?"
"I have been well" The older man smiled.
Harry noticed the other's black hand. "That doesn't look well, Sir."
"No, I imagine it doesn't. It's quite a thrilling tale I assure you. Though, it looks like you have one yourself" He looked around the room, "It's rather quiet."
"Yeah. Papa took Erik to Asgard to visit his mother. Uncle Thor is out looking for infinity stones. The other Avengers don't really live here anymore. Dad is down in his lab. So, just me right now."
Dumbledore nodded, "So tell me, Harry, your scar…has it been hurting at all?"
Harry raised a hand unconsciously to his forehead and rubbed the lightning-shaped mark. "No, and I've been wondering about that. I thought it would be burning all the time now Voldemort's getting so powerful again." He glanced up at Dumbledore and saw that he was wearing a satisfied expression.
"I, on the other hand, thought otherwise. Lord Voldemort has finally realized the dangerous access to his thoughts and feelings you have been enjoying. It appears that he is now employing Occlumency against you."
"Well, I'm not complaining," Harry sighed. He didn't miss the disturbing dreams nor the startling flashes of insight into Voldemort's mind.
Dumbledore nodded, "Since you have no other plans, I assume you are free to help me?"
"I guess so, what do you need?"
"For you to come with me" Dumbledore stood and held out his hand.
"Um" He glanced around, looking for Aileen.
"It's alright Master Harry. The situation has been explained with Sir and you have permission to leave." Jarvis said.
"Okay, I'll see you guys later then." He grabbed Dumbledore's hand and was overcome with a sucking sensation. The next thing he knew, he was in front of a gazebo.
"What was that?" Harry gasped. He bent over, forcing down the contents of his stomach.
"Apparition. It allows a witch or wizard to disappear from one location and appear in another." Dumbledore explained. "You did very well for your first time, Harry. Most people vomit."
"Can't imagine why" Harry grumbled. "Where are we Sir?"
"The Ministry of Magic in New York. We can get transportation back to England here."
Harry never knew there was an American Ministry, but he really shouldn't be surprised. Every other country seemed to have one, why not here?
Harry followed Dumbledore into the ministry. It was much lighter than the one in London. Harry found he liked the gold a lot better than the black tile walls.
They took a portkey to London. This time, Harry landed a bit more gracefully.
Harry looked around the sleeping town. "Where are we Professor?"
"A charming village known as Budleigh Babberton" Dumbledore said as they walked down a dimly lit street.
"And what are we doing here?"
"Well, I have lost count of the number of times I have said this in recent years, but we are, once again, one member of staff short. We are here to persuade an old colleague of mine to come out of retirement and return to Hogwarts."
"How can I help with that, Sir?"
"Oh, I think we'll find a use for you," Dumbledore replied vaguely.
They walked down several streets, Harry looking around at the dark houses. "Professor, Ron sent me a leaflet he received, about security measures we should all take against the Death Eaters."
"Yes, I received one myself," Dumbledore replied, still smiling. "Did you find it useful?"
"Not really."
"No, I thought not. You have not asked me, for instance, what is my favorite flavor of jam, to check that I am indeed Professor Dumbledore and not an impostor."
"Well, I highly doubt Death Eaters would be willing to travel across the Atlantic to kidnap me." Harry replied.
"There is that, but for future reference, it's raspberry." Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded, "The leaflet spoke of Inferi, what are they?"
"They are corpses," Dumbledore said calmly. "Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a dark wizard's bidding. Inferi have not been seen for a long time, however, not since Voldemort was last powerful…He killed enough people to make an army of them, of course."
"Of course" Harry muttered.
They came up to a small cottage. The windows dark, like its neighbors; but something felt off. Dumbledore must have felt it as well, instructing Harry to take out his wand. He opened the gate and walked swiftly and silently up the garden path, Harry at his heels, then pushed the front door very slowly, his wand raised and at the ready.
"Lumos"
Dumbledore's wand tip ignited, casting its light up a narrow hallway. To the left, another door stood open. Holding his illuminated wand aloft, Dumbledore walked into the sitting room with Harry right behind him.
A scene of total devastation met their eyes. A grandfather clock lay splintered at their feet. A piano was on its side. The wreckage of a fallen chandelier glittered nearby. Cushions lay deflated, feathers oozing from slashes in their sides; fragments of glass and china lay like powder over everything. There even seemed to be blood splattered on the wall.
Dumbledore moved carefully into the middle of the room, scrutinizing the wreckage at his feet. Harry followed, gazing around for any sign of a body.
"Meow"
Harry jumped, scream at the back of his throat. He and Dumbledore whipped around to see a brown and white cat, sitting innocently on the overturned piano.
"Aileen, that's not funny" Harry hissed. His sister ran over to him and started winding between his legs, purring.
"Aileen, I believe that is the name of your sister" Dumbledore said.
"Yeah, this is her way of teaching me. She likes to sneak up on me, claims it's training."
Dumbledore chuckled.
Aileen weaved her way through the wreckage, toward an overstuffed armchair. She turned back to them and raised her paw, claws gleaming in the light. She then plunged them into the chair, which let out a pained, "Ouch"
Harry gaped as a balding head appeared from the chair, quickly followed by a rotund body.
"Ah, there you are Horace" Dumbledore greeted cheerfully.
"There was no need to draw blood" The man whined. Harry looked at the man's leg, and there was indeed a sluggishly bleeding wound on his leg.
"You know how cats can be Horace" Dumbledore smiled. "They see something, they have to scratch"
The man heaved a great sigh that made the ends of his mustache flutter.
"Would you like my assistance clearing up?" Dumbledore asked politely.
"Please," He replied.
They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round one, and waved their wands in one identical sweeping motion. The furniture flew back to its original places; ornaments reformed in midair, feathers zoomed into their cushions; torn books repaired themselves as they landed upon their shelves; oil lanterns soared onto side tables and reignited; a vast collection of splintered silver picture frames flew glittering across the room and alighted, whole and untarnished, upon a desk; rips, cracks, and holes healed everywhere, and the walls wiped themselves clean.
"I must commend your dedication. It was quite the mess you made." Dumbledore said.
"Yes well, one has to go to these extreme measures these days." He gathered a vial of blood and, giving Aileen a wide berth, set it on a table.
His gaze then fell on Harry. "Oho," he said, his large round eyes flying to Harry's forehead and the lightning-shaped scar it bore. "Oho!"
"Yes, Horace. May I introduce Harry Potter." Dumbledore said. "Harry, this is an old colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn."
"Hi, Sir" Harry greeted softly.
"Yes Hello." Slughorn smiled brightly.
"So, all these precautions against intruders, Horace…are they for the Death Eaters' benefit, or mine?" Dumbledore asked.
"What would the Death Eaters want with a poor broken-down old buffer like me?" Slughorn asked.
"I imagine that they would want you to turn your considerable talents to coercion, torture, and murder," Dumbledore said. "Are you really telling me that they haven't come recruiting yet?"
Slughorn eyed Dumbledore balefully for a moment, then muttered, "I haven't given them the chance. I've been on the move for a year. Never stay in one place more than a week. Move from Muggle house to Muggle house — the owners of this place are on holiday in the Canary Islands — it's been very pleasant; I'll be sorry to leave."
"Ingenious," Dumbledore said. "And you must have moved fairly quickly to prepare such a welcome for us at such short notice," said Dumbledore. "You can't have had more than three minutes' warning?"
Slughorn huffed, "Two. Didn't hear my Intruder Charm go off, I was taking a bath. Still, the fact remains that I'm an old man, Albus. A tired old man who's earned the right to a quiet life and a few creature comforts."
"If you were to come to Hogwarts –" Dumbledore asked.
"If you say I will be safer, you can save your breath. Everyone knows Death Eaters are constantly trying to find a way into the school. One day they will." Slughorn said.
Dumbledore sighed and stood up.
"Are you leaving?" Slughorn asked hopefully.
"No, I was wondering if I could use the loo?"
"Oh…yes. Second on the left, down the hall" Slughorn replied.
Dumbledore strode from the room. Once the door had closed behind him, there was silence.
"Don't think I don't know why he's brought you," Slughorn said abruptly.
Harry merely looked at Slughorn. Slughorn's watery eyes slid over Harry's scar, this time taking in the rest of his face.
"You look very like your father. Except for your eyes. You've got —"
"My mother's eyes, yeah." Harry had heard it so often he found it a bit wearing.
"Yes, well. You shouldn't have favorites as a teacher, of course, but she was one of mine. Lily Evans. One of the brightest I ever taught. Vivacious, you know." He ushered Harry to a large shelving unit full of picture frames. He took the middle frame and handed it to Harry. He immediately recognized his mother center frame. She was smiling and holding a goblet, toasting along with the rest of the group.
"All ex-students of mine" Slughorn said proudly. "You'll notice Barnabas Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet, he's always interested to hear my take on the day's news. And Ambrosius Flume, of Honeydukes — a hamper every birthday. And at the back — you'll see her if you just crane your neck — that's Gwenog Jones, who of course captains the Holyhead Harpies, free tickets whenever I want them!"
Harry picked up another frame, this one of the Slytherin quidditch team.
"Ah yes, Regulus Black. You no doubt know his older brother Sirius. He was a good friend of your father's when they went to school." Slughorn said. "I taught the whole Black family, except Sirius. Shame really, I would have liked the set."
Dumbledore reentered the room and Slughorn jumped as though he had forgotten he was in the house.
"Oh, there you are, Albus," he said. "You've been a very long time. Upset stomach?"
"No, I was merely reading this Muggle magazines," Dumbledore held it up. "I do love knitting patterns."
Harry quickly moved over to stand behind Dumbledore. Aileen jumped into his arms from her place on the piano.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes, indeed. I think I know a lost cause when I see one."
"Lost?" Slughorn seemed agitated.
"Well, I'm sorry you don't want the job, Horace," Dumbledore said, raising his uninjured hand in a farewell salute. "Hogwarts would have been glad to see you back again. Our greatly increased security notwithstanding, you will always be welcome to visit, should you wish to."
"Yes...well…very gracious…as I say…"
"Good-bye, then." Dumbledore went for the door.
Harry nodded quickly and followed Dumbledore out. They were nearing the front gate when they heard a shout, "All right, all right, I'll do it!"
Dumbledore turned to see Slughorn standing breathless in the doorway.
"I'll want a pay rise, Dumbledore!" Slughorn demanded. "And a new office, not that old water closet I had before."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement and they parted ways.
"Sir, what exactly was all that about?" Harry asked as they made their way out of the village.
"You are talented, famous, and powerful. Everything Horace values. Professor Slughorn is going to try and collect you, Harry. You would be his crowning jewel. That's why he's returning to Hogwarts. And it's crucial he should return."
They came to the outskirts of the village and Dumbledore stopped. "Now, please take my arm."
Harry hesitated, "Are we going home Professor?"
"No, I will be dropping you off at the Burrow."
"But…Hedwig…and my trunk?"
"All waiting for you" Dumbledore held his arm out.
Harry took a steadying breath and grabbed Dumbledore's arm; the squeezing sensation returned only to be washed away by very cold water.
Harry sat up to find himself surrounded by water. In the distance was the Burrow, windows still lit. "Thanks a lot Professor" he sighed and quickly made his way out of the field.
And there ya have it…first chapter. Don't expect anything for a bit. I want to write a good chunk of this before I post again. I have some things planned but haven't yet figured out how to go about it so I would like the ability to go back and change things if needed.
Promise I'll finish though.