Loki and Tony appeared in Snape's office in a flash of green.
"This guy needs some light in here. No wonder he looks like a bat." Tony said as he looked around the dark room. "Everyone knows natural light is the way to go these days."
"He does not look like the type of man who enjoys your way of life." Loki said.
"My way of life is perfect" Tony huffed.
Loki grinned. He turned to look at the third person of their party; a tall man with long brown hair and grey eyes. He wore all black except for his left arm, which was made out of shiny metal. The man's eyes shifted uncertainly around the room.
"Why, again did we bring him here?" Loki asked.
"Because, according to Remus, Snape is the best mind person in this world." Tony answered as he examined several small jars across the walls.
"And yet you know a perfectly powerful telepath who can do a better job." Loki said.
"I already asked Charles remember? The conditioning is too strong. We need someone with a little more oomph."
"oomph?" Loki raised a brow.
"Yeah, oomph." Tony smiled. "Just to get all the words out of his head and the memories flowing. Once we have that, we can take him back to Charles and get him a therapist and he'll be good as new, right Barnes?"
The man didn't answer, but he looked at Tony before quickly looking away.
Loki sighed, "I do not like this man."
"I think you'll like him once you get to know him. You're both the broody silent type."
Loki scowled at his husband, but was interrupted by Snape walking into the office.
"What are you doing here?" Snape asked coolly.
"We need a favor" Tony said, bouncing slightly.
"I have no reason to grant you favors." Snape asked.
Loki smirked, "You will assist us or perish mortal" two daggers appeared in his hands.
Snape tensed, but didn't move.
Tony rolled his eyes, "Drama Queen" he muttered. "Look, Remus says you are a talented mind reader which is why you are helping Harry defend against Ol' Snakey. We have someone here" He gestured to Barnes, "who needs your help."
"There is no such thing as a mind reader you Muggle" Snape sneered. "The mind is not a book to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched into our skulls. The mind is a complex and many layered thing…at least, most minds are." He smirked.
Loki bristled while Tony rolled his eyes, "They don't just give out the title of 'genius' to anybody. My mind is layered enough thank you very much. And Loki's mind is more layered than anyone's. And as for reading a mind like a book, you have obviously never met a telepath before. Pretty sure they can read thoughts at their leisure."
Snape crossed his arms.
Tony sighed, "Anyway, this over here is Sergeant James Barnes. He's been held captive by a Nazi organization for 70 years and turned into the perfect killing machine through torture. His mind is a complete mess. We need your help to unlock his memories and start taking away the trigger words."
"And you think I can do that?" Snape asked.
"Well, from what we gathered you can rifle through memories and bring them to the fore-front." Tony said. "We have someone who can organize them so all you need to worry about is unlocking them. There are also trigger words that awaken the 'Winter Soldier' so those also need to be identified and unconditioned."
"And who is this 'Winter Soldier'?" Snape asked.
"It's what they made me into" Barnes said.
"He speaks!" Tony cheered. Loki elbowed him.
"Sergeant Barnes had his mind wiped using a crude machine called The Chair. Hydra used several conditioning methods and training to turn him into a highly skilled assassin."
"I only followed orders, no questions asked. I was known as the Asset, no name, no feelings, just missions." Barnes said.
Snape raised an eyebrow.
"So, will you help or not?" Tony asked.
"I suppose I could take a look." Snape said. "But I make no promises to help in the future."
"Works for me!" Tony cheered. "I will get out of your hair while Lokes here keeps an eye on things."
"I would rather work in peace." Snape said.
"Barnes' head has already been tampered with enough, we don't need it messed up even more. Besides, if something triggers him, there is no way you would be able to restrain him. It's for your protection as much as it is for Barnes. So have fun!" Tony quickly kissed Loki on the cheek and gave Barnes a short glance before quickly leaving.
/
After being in the dark and dreary dungeon, Tony decided that a walk outside wasn't a bad idea.
He walked the perimeter of the castle before heading toward the large lake. The memory of Jormangundr popping out of it last year brought a smile to his face.
He frowned when he saw Harry rush towards the lake and fall gracelessly to the ground at the lake's shore.
"Why the long face Harry?"
Harry's head snapped up, eyes wide as he stared back at Tony, "Dad?"
Tony smiled and sat down next to the boy. "Hi Harry"
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"We managed to find the Winter Soldier, who happens to be Cap's long lost best friend, and brought him here."
"Why?"
"We thought Snape would be a good person to go in Barnes' head and free his memories. Then we can take him to Charles so that he can organize them and get the therapy he needs."
"You trust Snape with something like that?" Harry asked.
Tony snorted "Loki said something like that too."
"More reason to not trust him"
"Loki is with him, nothing bad will happen." Tony said. "So how are your lessons with the big bat?"
Harry shrugged, "Fine, I've finished them."
Tony's eyebrows raised, "Oh really"
Harry refused to look at him.
"I have a feeling something else happened."
There was a tense silence before Harry gave up, "I got mad at him for not giving me a break. The next time he tried to enter my mind, I used a protection spell that launched me into his. Once I was out, I ran and haven't gone back."
"Why don't you apologize?"
"Why should I?"
"You need those classes Harry" Tony said.
"WHY?!" Harry snapped. "I still have those dreams! They aren't helping!"
"Maybe if you practiced more –"
"I WAS!" Harry shouted. "But, for some reason I can't focus. My mind would always go back to those dreams."
Tony sighed, "You'll get it Harry. Now that Snape is helping us, perhaps Loki could continue your meditations."
"Maybe" Harry replied softly.
"There's something else bothering you. You wouldn't look so put out over a mistake with Snape."
Harry sighed heavily, "I saw a memory of my father when I was inside Snape's head."
"What was it about?"
"He and his friends were bullying him. They suspended him in the air by his legs and laughed at him."
"Ah"
"I always thought my dad was a good man. I was told by everyone how brave and kind-hearted he was. That he and my mom got together in school and they loved each other a lot. But, after watching that memory…"
"You're having doubts." Tony finished.
Harry nodded. "I never knew him, I only have stories. Snape has always hated me, and now I know why…because my father was nothing more than a bully. He's no better than Malfoy! What did my mom even see in him?"
"Something obviously" Tony said.
"I've looked up to my dad, I've always wanted to be like him. Now, not so much."
"Hey now" Tony quickly wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Just because your dad was a bully in school doesn't mean he was a terrible person."
Harry huffed.
"You told us that you were able to hear your parents when you got close to the dementors right?"
Harry nodded.
"What did you hear?"
"My dad told my mom to run because Voldemort was coming, that he would hold him off. My mom was pleading with Voldemort not to kill me."
Tony nodded, "Sounds like two very brave people to me."
"That just because they're Gryffindors. Pettigrew was one as well, doesn't make him a good person." Harry sighed.
"Look, Harry" Tony turned Harry so that they faced each other. "People can change. Just because your father messed around as a kid doesn't mean he was the same as an adult. He was a teenager Harry, they're stupid. They think they know everything and don't listen when they should."
"But that's not an excuse for bullying." Harry said.
"No, it's not." Tony replied. "But he grew up. He became a good person. The only thing he didn't do was apologize for his past. Still, that doesn't make him a bad person. You have every right to look up to him Harry."
Harry sighed, and looked back towards the lake.
"Do you know how I became Iron Man?" Tony asked after some silence.
Harry shook his head.
"Well, there is a reason I am known as Tony Stark Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist. I drank every day, I had a new girl in my room about every night, and I did what I wanted because I had enough money to get my way. I was a war monger, even though I didn't really see it that way. I hated being CEO so I allowed my business partner to take care of things. I was young and didn't care. Until it all came back to bite me in the ass."
"What happened?"
"I went to Afghanistan for a weapons demonstration for my new missile. When I was on my way back to the base, we were attacked. I ran for cover, but I was caught by a missile. It was one of mine. It blew up and that's how I got this" He tapped the arc reactor. "Shrapnel embedded itself too close to my heart so an electro magnet keeps the shards from shredding it."
Harry paled.
"I was captured for three months before I escaped. They were a terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. They had a hoard of my weapons, I had no idea how they got them. They wanted me to build the new missile I had presented earlier using whatever I needed from my old weapons."
"You didn't right?"
Tony shook his head, "Instead, I built the first Iron Man suit. I blew up the camp and all my weapons with it. When I got home I shut down the weapons program and tracked down all of my weapons, destroying them. I learned that my business partner was dealing under the table for years. Giving my weapons to the highest bidder and then paid the Ten Rings to kill me. I realized that I spent so much time not caring about anything that I was killing people. The moniker 'Merchant of Death' was earned and I needed to right my wrong. I became Iron Man to help with that, but I also put more effort into charity. Stark Industries is the leader in clean energy and the Maria Stark Foundation is helping people across the globe. It will never erase what I have done, and people still hate me for it, but I'm trying to make up for everything."
"But that's different" Harry said. "You didn't know about your weapons. Sure you were the CEO at the time, but you weren't the one selling them to bad people."
Tony was silent for a moment, "Alright, how about this. I just found out that my parents were murdered, and the man who killed them is here right now."
"What?"
A dark smirk appeared on Tony's face, "For 25 years (I think I'm messing with times here) I thought my parents were killed in a car accident. That my dad was drunk and wrapped the car around a tree, killing him and my mother. It turns out, Howard was carrying a version of the Super Soldier Serum in the trunk and HYDRA wanted it. They sent the Winter Soldier to kill them and make it look like an accident."
"The Winter Soldier that you brought here" Harry said.
"Yup, the Winter Soldier who is actually James Buchanan Barnes, Cap's old war buddy."
"He killed your parents and you're helping him?" Harry asked incredulously.
Tony chuckled, "I haven't forgiven him yet if that's what you're thinking. I wanted to hurt him when I first found out, but after a bit of thought, I realized that he was merely the gun used to kill my parents. HYDRA ordered it. It may take a while, but I think one day I will be able to forgive him. Rogers, however, I don't know about."
"Steve? What did Steve do?" Harry asked.
"Rogers knew about my parent's death, months before I did. The only reason I found out was because Barnes told me, All the while, Rogers was there talking over him about how 'Bucky is innocent', 'It was HYDRA, not Bucky'. If it wasn't for Barnes, I would still be in the dark, Rogers was never going to tell me."
"But- It's Steve, how could he keep something like that from you?"
Tony shrugged, "I'm not speaking to him at the moment, and Loki's really close to killing him so we've been taking a bit of a vacation from the tower."
Harry looked down, "Should I avoid him too?"
Tony squeezed his shoulder, "If that's what you want to do, you can. But don't do it just because of me, this is my problem and I wouldn't want to come between you and Rogers."
Harry nodded.
Tony smiled. "While the two situations might not be exactly the same, there are some similarities. While your father wasn't brainwashed to do bad things, he was a dumb teenager like everyone else, doing stupid teenager stuff."
Harry nodded glumly, "He still never apologized"
Tony nodded, "Your father was only alive for a few years after graduating and in that time, he was busy fighting a war right?"
Harry nodded.
"So he probably wasn't really thinking about making up for his days at school. Especially since Snape was apparently in league with Snake Face."
"Dumbledore doesn't think so"
"Yeah, well, that old coot can think a lot of things."
Harry snorted.
Tony smiled softly, "I can't tell you how to view your dad Harry, but you can't just go off of Snape's opinion. The man has apparently been holding onto that grudge for a long time if he still compares you to your dad. I would try talking to Remus about it, he will probably have a different side to tell."
"And if he doesn't?" Harry asked.
"Then you think about the information you have and form your own opinion. If you still see him as a bad man, then that's fine. If you go back to your original opinion that's okay too.
People change, Harry. I did, Loki did, even Thor did. Everyone has to grow up some time." With a last squeeze to Harry's shoulder and left.
Sorry if this is a bit choppy and maybe forced, I had to rewrite parts of it since my file got deleted from my computer.
Hope you enjoy it all the same.