AUGUST 4

All in all, Tony thought, the visit to the British Museum was going well. He'd never forget Harry's wide-eyed expression as he took in everything from decorated Ancient Greek amphorae to Ancient Egyptian sarcophagai, from the Lewis Chessmen to the Parthenon Marbles.

"I'm old enough to remember when they were called the Elgin Marbles," Steve murmured as they watched Harry pace the length of the gallery where the incredibly lifelike, even vibrant, sculptures were displayed.

Tony snorted. "I am, too - not setting a real high bar, there, Capsicle."

Steve chuckled, then as Harry threaded his way back through the crowds - sparser than Tony expected on a Sunday in August, but then again, what did he know of museums in general, let alone this one? - pulled a sketch pad from the messenger bag he'd slung over one shoulder.

"Think I'm going to stay here a while," he said. "I never thought I'd get a grand tour, and maybe I won't ever, and maybe London wasn't on the typical itinerary, but I'm here now, and I'm going to make the most of it."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked, and Steve smiled down at him.

"Copying the works of the great masters is a time-honored way of honing your own artistic skills," he said. "But I prefer drawing to painting, so I'm going to draw some of the sculptures and work on realism and shading."

"Oh." Harry sounded - disappointed, maybe? - that Steve wasn't coming with them, and Tony tried not to take it personally.

"How about we meet in the Court Café for tea at three-thirty?" Steve asked, and Tony winced internally.

Three-thirty? Seriously? But Harry was grinning again.

"Sounds great!"

So Tony gave in with as much grace as he could muster. "Okay, then - see you at the café. What next, Harry?"

"The Rosetta Stone!"

Which, Tony thought wryly as he followed his son, probably should've been their first stop, not just to avoid as much of the crowd as possible but also because it was closer to the entrance than the marbles.

So Tony followed Harry from exhibit to exhibit, and wasn't as bored as he'd expected - but then, he doubted he could get bored watching Harry explore things that clearly fascinated him.

But as they were passing yet another classical painting - this one of satyrs - Harry's expression turned somber. Tony started to ask him what was bothering him, but before he could find the words, Harry was off again.

It wasn't until they'd joined Steve at the Court Café and taken their seats that Tony could finally ask, "Something wrong, Harry? You looked a little odd back there by that painting of the satyrs."

Harry shook his head. "Not here. I had an idea about-" he glanced around and lowered his voice before saying "-how to help Sirius and us in the magical world."

Tony flicked a glance at Steve, who looked just as interested as he felt. Focusing on Harry once more, Tony asked, "Should we head back now?"

"Well-" Harry ducked his head. "We can finish tea."

Which made Steve laugh. Tony chuckled, too, but sobered quickly. "Is it dangerous to you or any of us?"

"I don't think so," Harry replied immediately. "Maybe just a little? But certainly not as dangerous as a professor possessed by Voldemort or a basilisk as thick as an oak tree."

Tony blinked. He'd heard the stories before, of course, but, "That's not exactly reassuring."

To his surprise, Harry burst out laughing. And laughed and laughed some more. Tony glanced again at Steve who smiled, but the expression was more bemusement than amusement.

Finally, Harry got his laughter down to gasping sniggers. "Your expression-"

And now Steve chuckled, and Tony couldn't help smiling, too. "Fine. You got me. Seriously, though - is it dangerous?"

"I really don't think so," Harry answered seriously, though a smile still played around his mouth.

"Okay, then," Tony said, his decision made. "When we get home."

Sirius met them at the lift when they finally got back to Stark Docklands Tower, looking happier than Harry had ever seen him before. Not, of course, that he'd spent that much time with the man (or dog, as the case might be), but his godfather's expression was just … light, as though some burden had been lifted.

"Have a good day?" Tony asked as he, Harry, and Sirius settled at the table. Steve headed on into the kitchen.

"Very good," Sirius replied, grinning widely. "I talked to my favorite cousin. Turns out she and her husband are both solicitors, magical and Muggle, and they're willing to take my case."

"Great!" Harry said. "I just - I didn't know you had family. Shouldn't you be with them?"

Sirius snorted. "Most of my family's not worth hanging around with."

"They're - what do you call it? dark?" Tony asked.

"Some of them," Sirius said. "And remember, dark doesn't equal evil. There's a big overlap, but it's not a hundred percent. Andromeda was disowned for marrying Ted. He's Muggle-born, and my family takes excessive pride in being pure-blood." Sirius shook his head, and his expression cleared. "Andi never thought I'd betrayed James and Lily, but there wasn't anything she could do about it."

"Because she was disowned?" Steve asked from the kitchen. "That doesn't make sense."

"It does if you realize that the remainder of the Black family wouldn't have supported her," Sirius said. "One lone person against a flood? That only worked out well once, as I recall."

Tony snorted, and Harry wondered what reference he was missing. Before he could ask, Tony said, "What can we do to help? Pay her fees? Provide testimony on your behalf?"

"She's willing to work pro bono for now, against a portion of whatever she recovers," Sirius said. "Or, failing that, being reinstated into the family - which I can do as the eldest surviving male of the family. Either way, I'll see to her fees, if she gets me a trial."

Harry cleared his throat. "Would having Peter Pettigrew alive and in custody help?"

"Of course," Sirius said. "But that won't happen anytime soon, will it?"

"End of the month," Tony said. "When that family gets back from Egypt or wherever."

"I think, maybe, we can get him sooner," Harry said, reviewing once again the thought he'd had staring at the painting of the satyrs in the museum.

"How?" Tony asked.

"Well," Harry began, "Remember that house-elf I met last summer?"

"The one you tricked Lucius Malfoy into freeing?" Sirius said, grinning. "Yeah, we remember."

Harry grinned briefly before continuing, "He's a bit barmy, but he kept calling me sir, and he was fanatically devoted to trying to save my life. Not very good at it, but devoted."

"We never did finish talking about that," Steve said. "Aren't they … slaves?"

Tony held up a hand. "I'm with you on this," he said, "but first things first. Harry, what does a house-elf have to do with Peter Pettigrew?"

Harry couldn't help ducking his head again, and he spoke more to the table than to the others. "I thought, if he's still willing to help, maybe he could get the rat from Ron before the end of the month. He's pretty powerful."

"House-elves are," Sirius agreed. "Or they can be, within certain limits."

"So you think he can do this? Capture the rat?" Tony asked.

"It's worth asking him," Sirius said. "I'd ask my family's elf, but he's - well, as I said, my family was dark in general and some of them were evil in particular. I wouldn't trust Kreacher with anything important."

"So how do I ask him to help? I mean, I don't even know where he is," Harry said.

"Call him by name," Sirius said. "If he likes you that much, he'll come. You'll probably want to ask a few questions, like where he's working now, who for, that sort of thing. Make sure he can work for you. Then get into specifics of what you want him to do."

"Okay." Harry took a breath and focused his concentration on the elf. "Dobby!"

After a few seconds, the elf popped into being in front of him. In place of the pillowcase Dobby had worn at their earlier meetings, now Dobby wore a tea cozy on his head, a pair of children's short trousers, and oddly mismatched socks.

To their credit, Tony and Steve barely flinched. Sirius simply sat back to watch.

"Harry Potter, sir, calls for Dobby?" the elf said, his ears quivering.

"Hello, Dobby," Harry said. "How are you?"

And that was the wrong thing to say, as Dobby's eyes filled with tears. "Harry Potter asks how Dobby is?"

"Well, yes," Harry said awkwardly. "Since you're not with the Malfoys anymore…what have you been doing? Don't cry, please?" he added desperately

"Dobby has been looking for work, Harry Potter, sir," the elf replied, wiping tears from his eyes. "But it being difficult, sir. Nobody is wanting to hire an elf."

Harry flicked a glance at Sirius, and his godfather nodded encouragingly. With a deep breath, Harry smiled at Dobby.

"I have a job for you, if you're interested."

Harry didn't think Dobby's eyes could've gotten any wider, but apparently they could. "Harry Potter, sir, has a job for Dobby? Dobby is being very happy to work for Harry Potter, sir. What job does Harry Potter, sir, have for Dobby?"

This was the real test, and Harry met Dobby's wide eyes with as serious a look as he could summon. "I need you to go somewhere and get something for me, without being seen, and without ever telling anyone what you did. Can you do that, Dobby? Can you keep this secret?"

"Harry Potter asks Dobby to keep his secret? Dobby can. Dobby will!" The elf bounced on his toes. "Where does Harry Potter, sir, need Dobby to go? And what does Dobby need to get when he gets there?"

"Egypt," Harry said, only to watch Dobby's ears droop.

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, sir," the elf said, tears welling in his protuberant eyes again. "But Dobby has never been to Egypt, sir, and doesn't know where it is. Dobby will punish himself, sir."

The elf took a moment to orient himself before running straight at the nearest wall.

"Dobby, no!" Harry shouted, and the elf stopped so quickly he tripped over his feet and fell flat on his front. Harry scrambled out of his seat and over to the elf who lay prone on the floor, sobs wracking his small body. "Don't cry, Dobby, it's all right."

He patted the elf's back, not sure what else to do, and looked up at the three men sitting at the table, desperately hoping one of them might have an idea.

But Tony and Steve just looked somewhat baffled and absolutely horrified, respectively, so they weren't going to be any help. Sirius, though - Sirius sat forward.

"Dobby?" he said, and when the elf didn't respond, he repeated it more firmly. "Dobby!"

With an exaggerated sniffle of an inhale, Dobby climbed to his feet and stood before Sirius, his head bowed and his ears drooping so they almost touched the floor. "Yes, sir, Harry Potter's friend, sir? How may Dobby serve?"

"I've been to Egypt. I can apparate us there," Sirius said. "I won't be able to do much else, but I can get us there and back."

"True?" Dobby asked, finally looking up. At Sirius' nod, Dobby jumped in place and clapped his hands. "Dobby should not be surprised that Harry Potter, sir, has friends as great as he is." Then he turned to Harry. "What does Dobby need to get once Harry Potter, sir's friend is taking us to Egypt?"

"A rat," Harry replied, and was only a little surprised when the Daily Prophet with the story of the Weasley family sailed into his hand. He spread it on the floor and pointed to Scabbers. "That rat. You need to take him without anyone knowing, and you need to be very careful, because he's a wizard."

Dobby looked at the photo dubiously. "Begging Harry Potter's pardon, sir, but why does Harry Potter want Harry Potter's Wheezy's wizard who is looking like a rat?"

"Because he's evil," Harry said. "He did an evil thing, and he hasn't been punished for it. If you bring him back to me, I can make sure he's punished for what he did."

"Dobby can do this," Dobby said. "If Harry Potter, sir's friend will take Dobby to Egypt."

"Sure can." Sirius rose to his feet, only to pause when Tony held up a hand. "What?"

"Don't leave yet," Tony said. "If you wait until the morning, I'm almost done with the cage."

Sirius looked skeptical, and Harry couldn't blame him. Tony didn't have magic, after all, so how could he possibly make a cage a wizard couldn't escape?

Tony grinned and said, "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. But it's a nickel-chromium superalloy, strong enough not to break if he changes back to his human form. And it's got a fifty-thousand-volt taser built in to render him unconscious if he tries."

Dobby looked between Sirius and Tony and finally settled his gaze on Harry once again. "Dobby does not understand what Harry Potter, sir's father be saying. What does Harry Potter, sir, want Dobby to do?"

Harry didn't even look at Tony. "Can you come back tomorrow morning, Dobby? Say around nine? You can have breakfast with us and then- bugger," he added under his breath, seeing the tears forming in Dobby's eyes once again.

"Harry Potter, sir, invites Dobby to have breakfast with him?" Dobby's voice was barely above a whisper. "Dobby knew Harry Potter was a great wizard. Never has Dobby been asked to have breakfast with any wizard."

Harry summoned a smile. "Well, now you have. See you tomorrow morning?"

"At nine o'clock, Harry Potter, sir." Dobby nodded vigorously as he spoke and then vanished.

Sirius finally broke the silence. "You're wrong, Harry. That elf's not a bit barmy. He's completely mad."

Harry could only shrug. Sirius wasn't wrong, after all.

"You said you freed him?" Steve said.

"Elves are bound to a wizard or a family," Sirius said. "They'll do the tasks the wizards don't want to do. Most of them seem quite content with the arrangement, though in all fairness, not all families treat their house-elves with respect."

Steve blew out a breath. "Well. I don't like it, but there's nothing we can do about it right now."

"No offense," Sirius said, "but there's not much you can do about it at all. You're Muggles. Nobody would listen to you."

"Money talks," Tony said with a shrug. "And I've got a lot of it."

Which was very definitely true, Harry thought, but another thought eclipsed it. "I'm not a Muggle. Maybe I can do something about it."

"We can do something about it together," Tony said. "My money, your fame…" he trailed off with a shrug. "I've done more with less."

Sirius laughed. "You have the spirit of a Marauder." He sobered quickly, though. "It'd be best if we had something besides a Stunning Spell to knock out the Rat. Dobby!"

The elf popped back into view so quickly Harry wondered if he'd actually left.

"Can you go to Gringotts and get money from my vault?" Sirius asked

Dobby tugged at his ears, pulling their tips down past his shoulders. "Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter sir's friend, but Dobby not being able to do that. Dobby not bound to Harry Potter sir's friend or his family."

"How much do you need?" Tony asked.

Sirius thought about it. "It was fifty Galleons before, so maybe sixty now?"

"Just take what we have leftover from our shopping trip," Tony said. "It's a couple of hundred. Use whatever you need."