5 YEARS EARLIER
Harry stumbled around in a daze. It felt as if he was only going through the motions of living. Because really, he wasn't living at this point was he? He existed but he wasn't truly living. So many had died because of him. Cedric, His own mother, and now his father. He tripped on some rubble and flew onto the floor. He narrowly avoided smashing his face on a large stone. Rolling onto his back he stared into the sky. Through the crumbled one thousand year old stone he could see the stars. They were like jewels that were blanketed by a navy blue sky. He remembered sitting with Pepper on hot summer nights as a child learning constellation after constellation. He was never able to find the dog star his uncle Sirius was named after but he never cared. It wasn't about finding them but the fun he had doing it.
Wait. Pepper…Oh god he needed to talk to Pepper! She was probably flipping out with dad gone and him not responding. Harry had never jumped to his feet faster. He may have stumbled but he didn't care. He ignored the small cuts on his hands forming as the jagged rocks and stone cut in to his hands when he caught himself. The pain the still clung to his bones from the finale battle but it didn't matter. Not when Pepper and Rhodey needed him. Not when he needed them. He needed his godparents. They shouldn't be alone. Not now. Not when the world was crumbling more than the building around him.
He was lucky to have been near the Gryffindor tower. Harry's legs were shaking and as much as he needed to talk to Pepper he knew had it been much farther he wouldn't have made it. As it was anyone within 100 yards could hear his stomping loud and clear. Because at this point who cared? Everyone had lost someone. Hearing someone running around was nothing to care about. But it was times like these Harry loved the magical stairs. Moving for him and proving just that extra bit of support as he gripped the railing. At least something worked as it should have.
Getting to his room was no easy feat. There were holes everywhere. The floor resembled Swiss cheese more than a castle that had housed thousands of children in its halls. If one looked closely you could see the floors below. You could catch a glimpse of the death and devastation as if it was just a dream. Like if you moved from the hole and looked up everything would be normal again. But that was just a dream in and of its self. And as Harry stared the fat lady down and muttered the password, a small part of him hoped and prayed it was just a dream.
TONY P.O.V. PRESENT DAY
Tony never did figure out how exactly Natasha knew about his boy. Fury knew only because he didn't know when to quit. Natasha was smart but she wasn't that smart. Fury hadn't said anything. The threat of Tony pulling any and all Stark Inc. Funding and weapon supply was enough to shut the man up. Because as much as he wanted information he knew when to back down. At least where Tony was concerned. Jarvis could easily defend himself against all of Shield. Those amateurs were a joke. And had Tony cared enough he would laugh at their feeble attempts to hack the AI's mainframe. So as of now it continued to be a mystery. But it wouldn't stay that way for long. There was no way Tony would let information like that become leaked to the public.
The floor was dark. Just as it always was. Tony didn't like his personal floor lit to bright. Not because he had migraines. That would be a blessing. It was always dimly lit because of the memory's it held. He could look in the kitchen and have flashbacks of Harry sitting and doing his Muggle work along with his Hogwarts work. He and pepper would spend an hour or two every couple days to help him. The boy was smart enough to do it on his own but they liked the bonding time. It was rare and they took it whenever they could. Tony could also look in the living room and imagine the boy asleep on the couch. Some weird British show playing lowly in the background. Tony hated the floor. Harry was a messy kid. His coat was still on the arm of the couch and his muggle textbooks open to the last pages he was studying. Both were dusted and looked as if they were just placed there. As if the owner would be right back. But that would never happen and Tony couldn't bring himself to move them. So there they stayed. And the longer they stayed the more Tony hated the floor.
5 years ago
Harry didn't realize how weak he really was. It was all he could do to muster up the strength to walk up the stairs to his room. The room which housed his two way mirror, because try as he might his dad was still trying to make technology work with magic. While he worked on that they had the mirror. It was linked directly to his dad's. Just say blueberry ("Come one Harry, blueberry is a great password") and you could call the other. No magic needed. He had it hidden deep within his trunk. Underneath the pictures of him and his family. Harry didn't know how much it would hurt to open it and see his dad smiling at him while waving to the camera. To see the dead man to happy, healthy, and alive. It hurt so bad.
But the mirror wasn't there. Why wasn't the mirror there?! It couldn't have walked away. But alas, no amount of rummaging and searching resulted in the mirror. Harry could only stare in disbelief at his trunk. The was just no way. It wasn't possible. How cou-the door creaked open. Harry's head snapped around. Gripping his wand tightly he pointed it at the door just to see Dumbledore staring back at him.
The Phoenix feather wand fell to the floor as the boy stared at the man. Tears in his eyes.
"Headmaster! It's gone! The mirror is gone!" he wailed. His hands found their way back into the trunk shuffling papers and pictures in hopes it had escaped his search the first three searches.
"Harry m'boy. You won't find it there" Dumbledore was quiet. His voice softer than Harry had ever heard it. He could only stare the man in question.
"What? Of course it's here! I just haven't found it yet! I need to find it. I need to talk to my godmum professor" Dumbledore slowly reached into his pocket. The child's back was turned and in his panic paid no attention to him at all.
"Harry" Harry turned to look at his mentor. Only to see a want pointed at his face and a regretful looking Dumbledore.
"mutare animum" Harrys mind went blank as a white light filled his vision.
Tony p.o.v. 5 Years ago
It hurt so bad. When his parents had died Tony didn't cry. Stark men were made of iron. It was a saying Howard had lived by. He had drilled it into his son that there was no place for emotions in their line of work. Tony just thought he used it as an excuse to be a crappy father. But as much as it was drilled into him to never show what you feel he didn't do that to his boy. Not to his Harrison. Emotion was something that was natural. It should never be taken away.
It was at times like these Tony wished Howards lessons had stuck. Feelings anything other than what he felt right now would be a welcome relief. Anything other than the all consuming anger and guilt. The devastation and hatred. Because as Tony drank himself into a near coma the only thought in his mind was " I really fucking hate magic"
HARRY 5 YEARS BEFORE
All Harry could do was cry to Ginny. She had been his rock when his father and friends couldn't be. She knew things no one else did. She knew what to say and do to make it hurt a little less. But as Harry sobbed out his heartbreak, she felt at a loss. She had meet Pepper and Rhodey before. They adored Harry. It seemed odd that they blamed Harry for Tony's death. Even stranger still was them threatening Harrys life should they even hear of him again. There was no way. Was there? In the end Ginny as curious as she was, squashed the curiosity down.
So many change sides in times of hard ship. People get blamed despite their innocence, based on nothing more than prejudice. Ginny knew Tony wasn't a fan of magic. Lilly had been killed by magic after all. But he at least made an effort to understand it. If only for Harry's sake. But with their best friend gone Rhodey and pepper could easily blame magic. And at the same time Harry for having it. It wasn't unheard of. Harry was lucky to have a father like Tony. The man always strived to know more. Determined to understand why. Most people were not like that. It seems as if Pepper and Rhodey were some of those people.
Ginny held onto Harry tighter. Her finance trembling in her hold. She wished she could have done more to ease the pain. Sometimes though…pain is necessary in order to process the reality. She gently rubbed his back. Looking at the fire roaring in the fireplace she let her mind wander. What would they do now?