Harry woke up the next morning from a restless sleep. It was the day of his hearing and he was nervous. When he arrived at the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was making breakfast.
"Good morning Harry dear." She greeted warmly.
"Hello Mrs. Weasley."
"Breakfast?" She asked. "Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?"
"Just toast please" He replied and sat at the table.
When she set the plate in front of him, Remus, Mr. Weasley, and Tonks entered the room. "Good morning Harry" They greeted.
He greeted them quietly before returning to his toast.
"Are you ready for today?" Remus asked.
Harry shook his head. Anxiety began to fill his stomach again.
"Don't worry Harry." Mr. Weasley assured. "It will all be over soon."
Once he was finished, everyone else joined them for breakfast. Mrs. Weasley placed plates full of eggs and meat and toast on the table for everyone to eat.
"Do you have any coffee?" Tony asked.
Mrs. Weasley nodded and quickly made him a cup.
"Thank you" Tony said and quickly drank a mouthful and immediately chocked and spit it back into the cup.
"Something wrong?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, this coffee." Tony grimaced and used his napkin to wipe his mouth.
"What's wrong with it?" Ron asked.
"It's a latte" Tony replied.
"What's wrong with that?" Tonks asked.
"I only drink black coffee. None of that frou-frou stuff that people go to Starbucks for."
"That's really all they have in the Wizarding world" Hermione said. "We have black tea."
"I don't understand how you Brits can have tea all the time. Give me coffee over tea any day."
"Bruce drinks a lot of tea" Harry said.
"Doesn't make it any better" Tony grumbled.
Harry chuckled.
Tony turned to Mr. Weasley. "How exactly are we getting to this Ministry of Magic?"
"Oh, we will have to go in the Visitor's Entrance since you both are coming with me. We have to take a train to get there."
"Excellent, I can get my coffee on the way." He pulled out his phone. "Jarvis, give me some good coffee shops between here and the nearest Underground stop."
"There appear to be several coffee shops with good reviews on your way to the Underground." Jarvis said.
"Awesome!" Tony cheered.
"When are we leaving?" Harry asked.
"Right after breakfast. I would go get dressed now." Mr. Weasley instructed.
Harry nodded and he and Tony went to get ready.
Harry changed into a blue button down with a brown jacket. He wore a pair of light wash jeans and brown shoes (It's what he wears in the movie). He attempted to comb his hair flat but gave up half-way; it has never behaved before, why should it now.
He walked downstairs and into the dining room, everyone was still sitting around the table.
"Ready to go then?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Is my dad here?" Harry asked.
"Right here" Tony said as he entered the room. He wore a charcoal grey three-piece suit with a white shirt and dark red tie. A pair of simple black tennis shoes finished off his look (what he wore in the beginning of CA Civil War).
"Do you own a pair of dress shoes?" Harry smirked.
"Of course, my personal stylist made me buy a bunch of them. I only wear them for black tie events." Tony replied as he put on a pair of black sunglasses with red shades. "You're coming to the next one of course. We'll have to take you shopping."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Come along now, we can't be late." Mr. Weasley said.
"We'll see you soon Harry" Hermione smiled.
Harry tried to smile back, but he was sure it came out as more of a grimace. It didn't matter that he was within his right to protect himself or that his dad was representing him, he still feared expulsion.
They followed Mr. Weasley up the stairs and down the hall. They crept quietly past Mrs. Black's painting and to the door. Mr. Weasley unbolted the door and they stepped out into the cold, grey dawn.
"You don't normally walk do you Mr. Weasley." Harry said.
"Quite right, I usually Apparate. But since neither of you can, we will walk."
Harry nodded and looked around along the deserted streets. It wasn't until they reached the center of town that they actually saw people.
They made a quick stop at a coffee shop where Tony bought a large cup of coffee, before heading to the Underground station. They got on the escalator and Mr. Weasley went into a small crouch position.
"Arthur, what on earth are you doing?" Tony asked.
"Riding this machine." Mr. Weasley said excitedly.
Tony rolled his eyes and sighed, "You can ride it just as well standing up I'm sure."
So Mr. Weasley stood straight and smiled, "Amazing things Muggle creations." He whispered to them.
They got off the escalator with little drama and continued on through the station. As ever when he found himself in close proximity to Muggles going about their daily business, Mr. Weasley was hard put to contain his enthusiasm. "How fascinating." He said as he admired the automatic ticket machines.
"They're out of order" Harry pointed to the small sign.
"Pathetic" Tony grumbled and stood in line for the ticket booth. Once they had their tickets, they made their way to the gate.
Mr. Weasley smiled at the people around him, moving through the gates with ease. Unfortunately, when he swiped his hand over the reader, the gates didn't open. He repeated this a few times, before Harry was able to get the ticket into the machine. "Ah" Arthur smiled at them as he walked through the open gates.
Luckily their train was on time. "Trains, underground. Ingenious these Muggles." Mr. Weasley smiled as they boarded the tube. They managed to find seats and made themselves comfortable. "We have four stops till London." Mr. Weasley announced.
Harry nodded.
The train moved quickly down the track. Each time they came to a new stop, Mr. Weasley would look at the map and say "Three stops…two stops…"
Before they got to London, a young girl shyly approached the trio. "Excuse me" She said quietly.
The three looked down at her and smiled. She couldn't have been older than seven. She had curly blonde hair and was wearing a simple red dress.
"Are you Iron Man?" She asked.
"Why yes I am" Tony smiled.
She smiled brightly, "I knew it! My mom didn't believe me when I told her it was you."
Tony chuckled, "Well you found me. Anything I can do for you?"
She nodded eagerly and quickly retrieved a small notebook and pen from her small purse. She turned to a page with a hand drawn picture of Iron Man on it. "Could you sign this please?"
"And who shall I make this out to Curly?" Tony asked as he took the notebook and pen.
The girl giggled, "Anna"
"Well Anna, I hope this is enough proof to your mom that I'm real." He said and signed the corner of the picture along with a few short messages before handing it back.
She smiled, "Thank you Iron Man" She carefully made her way back to where her mother was sitting. She showed her mother the signature; the woman's eyes widened and they both turned to look at the trio, the girl waved excitedly.
Tony smirked and waved back at her.
"Does that happen a lot?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"You bet. It's what happens when you're a genius, billionaire, ex-playboy, philanthropist on top of being a famous super hero." Tony said.
Harry chuckled at Mr. Weasley's face.
When they finally reached their destination, they were quickly swept into the sea of business men and women going to work. They made their way up without incident and into the busy city that was London.
"Where are we?" Mr. Weasley said. Harry's heart stopped at that, but then he said, "Oh right, it's this way." And they started walking.
"You sure you know where we're going?" Tony asked.
Mr. Weasley smiled sheepishly, "Sorry 'bout that. I never come by train and it all looks rather different from a Muggle perspective. I've actually never used the visitor's entrance before."
Tony and Harry shared a look as they followed Mr. Weasley through the city.
After a few turns, they came to a short street with a single red phone box. Mr. Weasley checked their surroundings before opening the door and ushering the two inside. "In we get"
"Are all three of us really going to fit inside?" Tony asked.
"It'll be a bit of a squeeze, but it won't be for long." Mr. Weasley smiled. Tony huffed, but stepped inside the phone box.
"Now, I'll just get my muggle money out." Mr. Weasley grabbed a few coins from his pocket and pushed them inside the telephone apparatus and began dialing.
"This must be a wizard phone booth. Who still has a turn dial phone?" Tony said.
Harry laughed, "I can't believe your offended by a turn dial phone."
"Out dated tech is offensive Harry, very offensive." Tony replied.
Once Mr. Weasley was finished dialing a female voice sounded inside the telephone box and not from the receiver in Mr. Weasley's hand. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."
Mr. Weasley looked uncertainly between the receiver in his hand and the ceiling. "Arthur Weasley, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, here to escort Harry Potter, who has been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing and Tony Stark his –"
"Thank you" The voice said. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."
There was a click, and Harry saw two badges slide out of the chute where returned coins usually appeared. Harry took the badges and handed one to Tony while he put his on the lapel of his jacket.
"How attractive" Tony said dryly as he examined his badge. It was a simple silver square with his name and reason for visiting on it.
"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium." The female voice said.
Then the floor of the telephone box shook. Harry watched as the pavement rose above them until the box was enclosed in darkness. A few moments later light filled the telephone box, and they stopped moving.
"The Ministry wishes you a pleasant day." The female voice said and the door opened. Mr. Weasley walked out closely followed by Tony and Harry.
Harry looked around in amazement. They had arrived at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board. The walls on each side were paneled in shiny black tile and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces; on the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart.
Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The last three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and each of the house-elf's ears.
Tony snorted when he looked at the statue of the wizard. "And they say I have a large ego." He turned to Harry, "What do you think Harry, should I add a statue of Loki and me in the living room; encased in gold, with the rest of the Avengers kneeling around us?"
Harry laughed, "I think Papa would adore it, but everyone else would probably kill you."
They arrived at a desk to the left of the large golden Ministry gates. A poorly shaven wizard sat at the desk in his bright blue robes. He set down his copy of the Daily Prophet when they approached.
"I'm escorting some visitors" Mr. Weasley motioned to Harry and Tony.
"Step up here" The wizard instructed in a bored tone. Harry stepped closer to the desk and the wizard held up a long golden rod and passed it up and down Harry's front and back. He did the same thing to Tony.
"Wand" The wizard said. Harry handed his wand to the man who placed it on a gold scale. A small piece of parchment slid out of a slit at the base. The wizard took it out and read it, "Eleven inches, phoenix-feather core, been in use four years. That correct?"
Harry nodded.
The wizard nodded and handed him his wand. "Now you" He looked to Tony.
"Here ya go." Tony handed over a wand. A wand that looked just like Mr. Weasley's.
The man placed it on the scale and read its properties before giving it back. "Thanks" Tony turned to leave.
"Just a minute now." The wizard tried, but Tony had already pulled Harry and Mr. Weasley through the gates.
"Here you are Arthur. Thanks for letting me borrow it." Tony said as he handed Mr. Weasley his wand. Judging by the look Mr. Weasley gave his dad, Harry assumed the wand wasn't borrowed.
They followed Mr. Weasley to a hallway filled with several lifts. The three squeezed into one, a few patrons greeting Mr. Weasley. Harry could see his dad eying a smoking box the man next to him was holding with interest. The grilles slid shut with a loud crash and the lift moved with a forceful lurch. Tony and Harry seemed to be the only ones who were thrown off their feet.
When the lift came to a stop, the same female voice from the phone box was heard, "Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office."
"Fun place" Tony whispered to him as they looked down a dirty corridor, there were posters on every wall. A man exited the lift, the brooms he carried made his exit difficult.
At the next stop, several paper airplanes flew inside and hovered over their heads. "Awesome" Tony whispered in awe.
Mr. Weasley looked up and smiled, "Interdepartmental memos." He said. "We used to use owls…the mess was unbelievable."
Tony chuckled.
There were several more stops where witches and wizards and memos would enter and exit before they finally arrived at their destination. "Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services." The voice said.
"This way" Mr. Weasley said and exited the lift. He led them down a corridor of doors. One of the doors had a sign that said "Auror Headquarters". Harry was able to get a glimpse of wanted signs and family photos lining every available surface.
Kingsley came through the door and handed Mr. Weasley a file, "Arthur, I need that report on flying Muggle vehicle sightings."
"I'm afraid you will have to wait for information on motorcycles, we're busy at the moment." Mr. Weasley replied calmly and handed the file to Harry.
Harry looked at Kingsley who winked at him before returning inside the office.
They left the area and after a few more turns, they came to a door labeled 'Misuse of Muggle Artifacts'
Tony snorted as they entered the room. To say the office was small would be an understatement. It had about as much space as a broom cupboard. Two desks had been crammed inside it and there was barely room to move around them because of all the overflowing filing cabinets lining the walls, on top of which were tottering piles of files. Sitting atop Mr. Weasley's desk was a toaster that seemed to be hiccupping and a pair of empty gloves twiddling their thumbs.
"Feel free to have a seat, it doesn't look like Perkins is here yet." Mr. Weasley said.
"You need a new office Arthur. This place is atrocious." Tony said as he maneuvered around the room.
"We've asked, but the Ministry doesn't think we need it." He shoved the toaster and the gloves away so he could sit. The toaster apparently didn't like being shoved and proceeded to cry fat tears of oil. Shrill chirping filled the office.
"Oh poor baby" Tony cooed and quickly took a nearby towel and wrapped the wailing toaster in it. "Don't cry baby, you're okay." The toaster seemed to enjoy the affection; cries turned to hiccups, which turned to content chirping. Tony looked up to see Harry and Arthur looking at him strangely.
"What?"
"You just comforted a toaster Dad" Harry replied.
Tony scoffed, "I respect my tech. This little guy may not be your typical AI, but he obviously has feelings if he's crying. I've comforted Dummy plenty of times."
"You're not keeping him are you?" Harry asked.
"Don't tempt me" Tony smirked, tossing the toaster in the air and laughing as it let out several high pitched chirps.
"Wizards do this kind of thing all the time." Mr. Weasley said. "We call them Anti-Muggle pranksters. Why just last week we had some regurgitating toilets."
Both Harry's and Tony's nose wrinkled.
"The poor things keep calling those – those pumbles."
"I think you mean plumbers" Tony said.
"Exactly, but of course they're flummoxed as to what the problem is. I just hope we can catch whoever these pranksters are."
"Wizards could learn a thing or two from Muggles. At least we aren't living in the Dark Ages." Tony grumbled, still rocking the chirping toaster.
Harry smiled and opened the file Mr. Weasley had given him.
"Oh, it looks like Kingsley has given you The Quibbler." Mr. Weasley said.
Harry looked down at a colorful magazine.
"It's one of the only magazines that aren't controlled by the Ministry." Mr. Weasley said.
Before Harry could look through it, a man burst through the door.
"Ah Perkins, there you are." Mr. Weasley said.
"Oh Arthur!" he said desperately, without looking at Harry. "Thank goodness, I didn't know what to do for the best, whether to wait here for you or not, I've just sent an owl to your home but you've obviously missed it — an urgent message came ten minutes ago — it's about Potter's hearing – they've changed the time and venue — it starts at eight o'clock now and it's down in old Courtroom Ten —"
"Courtroom ten?" Mr. Weasley asked. "But they told me – Merlin's beard!" He looked at his watch and yelped. "Come along, we are late!" Mr. Weasley rushed out the door.
Tony gently set the toaster down on the desk and followed Mr. Weasley out. They ran up a corridor; unlike the first one, there were no doors, no magic windows, or even artwork. Mr. Weasley led them down a flight of stairs, "The lifts don't even go down this far. Why would they even…" He muttered.
They came to the bottom of the steps into a long, dark hallway. The walls were lined in black tile and black doors with gold handles. "Courtroom ten…here" Mr. Weasley panted. Harry stumbled to a halt in front of the large door. "Go on then, get in there." Mr. Weasley said.
"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked.
"No, I'm not allowed in. Good luck Harry" He said.
"Show time" Tony said. He placed his glasses on and walked confidently into the courtroom. Harry swallowed and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his beating heart. With one last look at Mr. Weasley, he followed his dad inside the courtroom.
I saw the toaster part in the book and just had to write about it and Tony. Anyway…trial is next ^-^