TITLE: Spellbound
DISCLAIMER: All things Harry Potter belong J K Rowling. Tony Stark, SHIELD, Nick Fury, and everyone else belong to Marvel Comics / Marvel studios, as does any of the characters in the MCU that get dragged kicking and screaming into this... basically, if you recognise it, it isn't mine… I'm just here for the fun.
"Arthur," Tony smiled as he stepped out of the elevator. "Molly, didn't expect you both to come." He said, catching sight of the entire group of them that were standing awkwardly in the lobby of the Stark building looking rather conspicuous in clothes that definitely stood out against the business suits of people milling around them.
"Hope you don't mind, Molly just wanted to talk with Ginny and Hermione, make sure everything's alright." Arthur explained.
"Of course," Tony smiled openly. "Happy to have you, like I said, come by any time." He said with a nod. "Professor..." Tony frowned, stumbling over the name he couldn't remember.
"McGonagall," Minerva said with professional smile and a nod. "Minerva if you prefer."
"Tony then," Tony smiled, holding out his hand for Minerva to shake.
"I think we should head somewhere a bit quieter before we go any further," Minerva hinted, seeing how Pius and Percy both looked as uncomfortable as she felt standing in the muggle business lobby.
"Right, sorry." Tony nodded, gesturing for them all to follow him back to the elevator. "The girls are upstairs already waiting for us." He explained as the elevator doors opened for him to walk in.
"They're both doing fine?" Molly asked as she followed him through, looking around a bit nervously at the muggle lift.
"Just finished breakfast," Tony nodded over as everyone fit into the elevator. "Everyone in?" He asked, making sure he hadn't left anyone out. "JARVIS, up to the event floor." He ordered before the elevator doors closed and the elevator started moving upwards.
"Breakfast?" Molly asked, not wanting to ask exactly who Mr Stark had been talking to to make the lift start moving. "A late start?"
"Something like that," Tony nodded. "Hermione had a bad night, so I let them sleep in." He explained with a shrug. "Of course, then we were interrupted by two big birds flying in with letters for Hermione, so that kinda went out the window." He said with a laugh.
"Good lord, really?" Arthur chuckled. "Owl post that late? Normally it's here by breakfast."
"Hawks I think?" Tony shrugged.
"Ah, letters from Ilvermorny and Salem perhaps?" Minerva asked curiously. She'd expected the schools to be in touch with Hermione but hadn't actually thought of how they would actually do so.
"She hasn't opened them yet," Tony explained.
"Introductions then." Minerva announced after a moment of quiet. "Pius Thicknesse, Department of Magical Education." She explained, introducing him. "And Percy Weasley, Department of International Magical Cooperation." She explained, gesturing to the younger Weasley male in the lift.
"Tony Stark," Tony nodded at them both. "Though guess you already got that." He said in amusement, shaking his head as the elevator doors opened to let them out.
The event floor was the same for most Stark Office layouts, a darker area with tinted windows, a large bar area along one side that was set up ready for any event at a moment's notice, with lights that could be controlled for colour and brightness easily, letting the hall be set up for all sorts of events from business functions, to parties, or seated dinners.
"Mum!" Ginny exclaimed as soon as she saw her mum and dad come out of the lift.
"Ginny dear, how are you?" Molly smiled, rushing over to where Ginny and Hermione had been stood looking over the large hall.
"We're fine," Ginny smiled happily. "It's fun here." She explained with a grin. "Have you seen out the windows? We're so high up!"
"We're not all mad about heights like you," Hermione laughed over as Tony led the rest of the group over.
"JARVIS, bring up the lights and drop the window tint." Tony announced, causing the lights to brighten instantly and the windows to fall back to their normal see through appearance. "Events are normally in the evening," He explained as the four adults in the group all looked at him in shock as the area brightened up drastically at his words.
"It's not magic," Hermione explained quickly, seeing the puzzled look on everyone's faces.
"Right, no," Tony explained, catching on and realising that everyone in the group was just like Ginny and didn't know anything about modern technology or how he'd done what he'd just done.
"JARVIS is..." Hermione tried to explain but trailed off. "Oh, he's like a house elf, or a ghost." She explained, catching onto the idea. "But a muggle version." She said, seeing how everyone looked a bit more appeased at that idea.
"An elf or a ghost?" Tony asked, looking at Hermione in amusement. "Ok, whatever works." He laughed with a shrug. "Shall we?" He asked, gesturing to one of the scattered tables around, specifically a round table with a few chairs they could all fit around comfortably.
"Don't worry mum," Ginny smiled as she fell into step with her mother.
"I'm not worrying," Molly whispered, admonishing her daughter gently. "It's just… I feel rather out of place here, I think we all do." She explained, thinking that even Arthur must feel a bit out of place in this extraordinary muggle environment.
"Grab a seat," Tony said as they all reached the table. "Anyone want anything to drink?" He asked, gesturing to the bar before walking over and heading behind the bar, grabbing a can of coke for himself.
"Is there any water?" Hermione asked quickly. "We... fizzy drinks have a bit too much sugar in them... we... witches and wizards I mean, we don't drink a lot of it."
"Huh," Tony mused, pondering that for a second. "Sure thing." He said, grabbing some bottles of water and putting them onto the bar top as he counted them out.
"Oh, here dear, let me." Molly smiled, flicking her wand and levitating the bottles of water over to the table.
"Handy," Tony nodded with a smile as he followed the bottles of water, opening his can of coke as he walked and waited for everyone to sit down.
"Tony tells us you received some letters from American schools this morning dear?" Molly asked as she sat down, making sure she sat next to Ginny and close to Hermione.
"I haven't read them yet," Hermione answered nervously as she sat down.
"Why ever not?" Molly asked.
"I... I wanted to know what was going on first," Hermione explained. "With... with everything." She said quietly. "It just... everything's happening so fast." She said with a sigh.
"Ok," Tony said loudly as he sat down, waiting for everyone else to sit down as well. "I'm sensing there's an elephant in the room here." He quipped with a smirk, causing both Arthur and Pius to laugh at him. "I'm the only person who… how do you say it?" He asked, looking to Hermione.
"Muggle," Hermione smiled. "You haven't got magic."
"That," Tony said, pointing to her. "Ok, is that a problem?"
"Ordinarily," Pius nodded, looking at Mr Stark. "The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy is in place to prevent muggles from finding out about magic, the exceptions obviously are when a muggle or muggle born joins the magical community."
"Why?" Tony asked flippantly, enjoying a mouthful of his coke. "No, seriously, why? Why hide away?" He asked, honestly curious.
"Our history... with muggles, hasn't been pleasant." Pius admitted. "As an American, are you more familiar with events like the Salem witch trials?"
"Point," Tony conceded with a nod. "That was... ok, I've got no clue when that was, but we're taking centuries ago right?" He asked with a frown. "JARVIS, Salem witch trials?" He asked aloud.
"Sixteen ninety-two to sixteen ninety-three sir," JARVIS responded, shocking everyone in the room. "The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, fourteen women and six men."
"Ok, over three hundred years ago." Tony said easily, ignoring the shocked looked on the faces around him, only Hermione and Ginny seemed to take it in their stride. "Three hundred years and nothing's changed?"
"MACUSA laws would be more apt for the discussion here," Percy said, clearing his throat to draw attention to him. "MACUSA President Emily Rappaport enacted Rappaport's Law in Seventeen Ninety, in response to a breach of the International Statute of Secrecy when twenty-six muggles were shot and killed by a Scourer hunting witches and wizards due to information he received from a witch."
"MACUSA? Scourer?" Tony asked, grabbing two words he wasn't familiar with there.
"The Magical Congress of the United States of America," Percy clarified with a nod. "Scourers are..." He frowned, trying to describe things in terms everyone at the table would understand. "Witches and wizards who turned on their own kind, hunting witches for muggles in exchange for money."
"Gotcha," Tony nodded. "That... Rapper's law?"
"Rappaport's Law," Percy corrected automatically. "It was repealed in nineteen sixty-five, but for nearly three hundred years the law prohibited witches and wizards marrying or interacting with muggles."
"Damn," Tony breathed out, taking that on board. "Ok, so I get why there was all the secrecy over this stuff," He said, nodding thoughtfully. "And I'm still kinda taking it all on board myself." He admitted. "But the world's changed, in pretty big ways since all that happened."
"We're aware," Pius nodded over. "Our communities may be separate from muggle cities, but we do keep abreast of muggle situations and how things are going."
"You just don't want to be part of it," Tony said with a sigh. "I don't get that." He said, frowning around the table. "But... ok, let's start with this. What can you actually do? With magic? I got the whole transforming thing, that's pretty neat. But what else?"
"I don't think..." Minerva started to say but Tony interrupted.
"Flying on brooms?" Tony asked with a shrug. "Ok, I can fly to. No big deal."
"You can fly?" Ginny asked excitedly, grabbing this bit of information. "How?" She asked quickly before anyone else could derail the topic.
"The metal gauntlet you saw me working on?" Tony asked, watching as Ginny flushed at the memory of what had happened that afternoon. "Flight stabiliser, yes, I can fly." He said firmly. "So, what else?"
"Mr Stark, I don't think comparing what we can do with magic to your muggle toys is why we are here." Minerva said firmly.
"Maybe," Tony shrugged. "Look, you want me to understand this so I'm not freaking out with Hermione, right?" He asked before continuing. "Look, not freaking out." He said firmly. "Now look at it from my side. You're telling me my daughter is part of this group that hides away from everyone else, and you don't expect me to want to understand or have part of it I can talk about it with her?" He demanded, looking around the table. "What happens with other..." He trailed off before remembering the word Hermione had used. "Muggle born kids? After school, what do they do?"
"Jobs, obviously." Minerva answered as if Tony was asking something stupid.
"Doing what?" Tony asked. "You keep them in the community?"
"Why would a witch or wizard want to do anything else?" Minerva asked doubtfully. "You mean to ask do wizards or witches live and interact with muggles meaningfully?"
"Yes," Tony nodded back. "Hermione could do anything, literally." He said, pointing to her. "Pilot, business, teaching, engineering, hell, she could be an astronaut if she wanted."
"Astro..." Ginny frowned at the strange word.
"Someone who goes into space." Tony waved off the quick explanation, drawing more shocked looks from everyone at the table. "What?"
"Muggles, in space?" Percy snorted out.
"JARVIS, pull up footage." Tony ordered, watching the windows dim again as the usual interface was projected onto the windows, showing various clips from the Apollo missions and moon landing. "Space." He said, pointing to the footage for everyone to see.
"Good lord, really?" Arthur asked in shock, torn between seeing this amazing muggle technology and looking at Tony for more information. "Muggles, fascinating."
"That," Tony said, pointing to the footage of the moon landing. "Was Apollo Eleven in nineteen sixty-nine. Over forty years ago."
"I read books about it in schools before... before Hogwarts I mean." Hermione explained.
"I... I had no idea." Minerva stammered out in shock.
"That's my point," Tony said. "JARVIS, enough." He said, causing the display to vanish and the window tint to go back to transparent. "Isolating yourselves away from everything that's happened, you've got no idea what's going on in the world around you." He said with a snort. "Civil rights movement, same sex marriage, the moon landings, planes that can travel faster than sound, the internet for crying out loud." He explained agitatedly. "Ok... Ginny tells me you don't even use fridges? Refrigerators, to keep food cold. Why?"
"It's simpler to use charms," Ginny shrugged.
"So, you just use magic for everything?" Tony asked, looking around the table. "Like using birds to send letters?"
"A rather efficient method," Pius spoke up for the first time.
"Hardly," Tony snorted. "Phones, email?" Tony asked. "If I wanted to send a letter to a friend in America, how long would that take? To send one and get a reply?"
"Three, maybe four days." Pius nodded happily.
"I could do it in seconds." Tony explained, bringing out his phone from his pocket. "Video call, I could talk to them face to face, from America." He said, waving his phone around. "Or just send a letter on this, they reply, it's with me in seconds."
"Like a muggle version of a fire call?" Ginny asked, looking to her mum who nodded back thoughtfully.
"Fire call?" Tony asked. "Right, you guys travel in fireplaces?" He asked curiously.
"The floo network, yes." Arthur nodded happily. "Step in one fireplace, and out the other." He simplified it down to muggle explanations.
"Range?" Tony asked, actually impressed with that piece of magic.
"The floo network covers the entire country," Minerva said firmly. "But we are far off topic here." She said urgently, bringing things back to what she had come here to discuss. "You accept that Miss Granger needs to learn her magic?"
"I'm supporting her whatever she wants to do." Tony said firmly. "If that's magic, or business school, dentistry, or engineering." He said with a shrug.
"Then you have no objections to her returning to Hogwarts to finish her education?" Minerva asked, inwardly happy that Mr Stark was supporting Hermione like that.
"If that's what she wants to do," Tony nodded over, looking at Hermione. "Or she can go to Salem, or... whatever, that other school."
"Ilvermorny I'd believe, but yes, that is the question isn't it." Pius interrupted thoughtfully. "Typically, the students education is decided by where they live." He explained. "Only rarely are exceptions made and students transfer between schools."
"I just want Hermione to have the best education she can get." Tony said simply, finishing off his can of coke. "Magical or whatever else she wants." He explained. "We can visit Salem and that other one, or you can show me around Hogwarts and explain why she should go there?"
"Quite out of the question," Minerva shook her head. "Hogwarts is for witches and wizards, muggles cannot find or enter the grounds. It is only under the most dire circumstances that the wards around the castle are lifted." She explained, knowing of only two times in her entire tenure at Hogwarts when muggles had been allowed to enter the castle, and both of those times had included the student in question being injured so severely that their parents had to be notified and the child left the school with them to recover.
"You ask parents to send their children to a school without letting them visit or appraise the school for themselves?" Tony asked in awe of the stupidity. "What about these other schools, in America? You seem to know all about the American stuff?" He asked, turning to Percy.
"Ilvermorny does allow muggle visits for parents of muggle born students before term starts," Percy admitted, causing a shocked look to draw on Minerva's face. "It's actually a rather fascinating history, Ilvermorny was founded by Isolt Sayre and her muggle husband James Steward in the sixteen..." He paused, trailing off when he saw the looks of everyone around him, which aside from Hermione, all bore impatient and irritated frowns. "The Salem institute..." He continued on, coughing to clear his throat before continuing. "Offers the same and has nights for parent teacher conferences when muggle born parents can visit and discuss the witches magical and muggle education to get ahead in the world."
"So, it's just Hogwarts that doesn't let us anywhere near it?" Tony asked, checking he'd got that right, then turning to look around the table when Percy nodded back. "Let me see if I've got this right, you want me to sign off on Hermione going to a school I've never heard of, can never visit or see that she's safe and being taught to the best of her abilities, in a community that secrets themselves away from everyone else..." He frowned, trailing off. "When there are schools in America that not only allow me to visit and see them, but allow me to meet the teachers and see what's going on?"
He trailed off, looking around the table as that sunk in.
"I... I never thought about it from mum and dad's point of view." Hermione admitted. "My... dad," She whispered, wiping some tears away. "He was angry about me going to Hogwarts... I just thought it was about the magic and that he didn't understand what it was like."
"He let you go because it made you happy," Tony said softly, reassuring Hermione. "Even if they all kept him away from you, he wanted you to be happy." He explained. "He wasn't angry at you, he was angry that he couldn't make sure you were getting the best education." He said, seeing the look on Hermione's face as it changed when she understood things more now.
"Good lord, I'd never thought of it like that before." Arthur announced. "Must be hard for muggles to send their children off without knowing anything at all about where they're being sent to." He mused aloud to himself.
"Would you send Ginny off to somewhere you've never been or wouldn't be allowed to see? Somewhere you know nothing about?" Tony asked curiously, looking between Arthur and Molly.
"Of course not!" Molly said quickly, feeling instinctively protective over her youngest daughter.
"So why ask me to do the same thing for Hermione?" Tony asked, looking at Molly and Arthur, and then around the table for any of the others that would answer him, not surprisingly the other two adults at the table looked away from him and refused to answer. "Do you want to visit these other schools?" He asked hopefully, looking at Hermione. "If they invited you?"
"Um," Hermione blinked, seeing everyone on the table look around to her.
"Do it," Ginny whispered excitedly, nudging from beside her. "Can you imagine seeing Salem or Ilvermorny? I'd love to see the Salem grounds and their quidditch…"
"Shhh," Molly hissed from beside her. "Let Hermione decide for herself." She said firmly.
"I think you should." Minerva spoke out after a few moments silence, surprising everyone at the table as they turned to her. "If I may speak with Miss Granger alone for a few moments?" She asked, looking to Mr Stark.
"If she wants," Tony said with a shrug, looking to Hermione who nodded back. "Go for it." He said before heading back to the bar. "More drinks?" He asked, looking around but noticing that nobody else had even bothered opening their bottles of water yet, let alone drunk anything from them. Shaking his head in amusement he continued off to the bar to fetch himself a drink, watching as Hermione and Minerva moved away from the table to talk in private further down the side of the hall.
"Professor?" Hermione asked, watching as Professor McGonagall flicked her wand around and cast some privacy charms around them. "Mr Stark… He's… he's just… it's a lot to accept." She said, trying to understand and explain his behaviour.
"I feel as though I am the one who should apologise." Minerva admitted. "I haven't had the facts laid out like that for me before, and facing them paints our current situation in a rather bad light I have to admit."
"Is… is that why you think I should visit the other schools?" Hermione asked curiously.
"You will be welcome back at Hogwarts regardless Miss Granger," Minerva said firstly, making sure Hermione knew that before she continued. "No, the reasons I cannot go into much detail with you, but I will say that things at Hogwarts this year will not be the same as they were before, things are changing and I do not believe they are for the better."
"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked quickly. "With Harry?"
"Mr Potter is fine," Minerva said reassuringly. "There are… Well, after the tournament last year, The Ministry has decided to take a more active role in managing Hogwarts." She explained coldly. "I don't think I need to explain to you further how this changes things."
"No Professor," Hermione said, shaking her head as she remembered how Minister Fudge had been at the end of the tournament and his argument with Professor Dumbledore.
"While I could appeal to The Board of Governors and The Ministry for permission to allow Mr Stark visiting time to Hogwarts, I feel that it would simply be a waste of time given the current situation." Minerva explained. "I'm telling you this in private, and while I expect you to use this information to help your decision, I also expect you to treat my confidence with the respect you are known for." She said firmly before continuing. "Professor Dumbledore has been asked to step down from the Wizengamot, and I fully expect to hear of more overt changes to the Hogwarts staff by the Ministry within the next few days."
"They can't do that!" Hermione frowned over in disbelief, unable to believe that Minister Fudge would do such a thing.
"Miss Granger, both you and I know that... you-know-who has returned." Minerva explained. "While Minister Fudge does not believe this, it does not change the facts." She said. "Given how things are progressing, I cannot in good conscience say that Hogwarts will be safe for half-blood and muggle born children in the upcoming year."
"You know something," Hermione said before she could stop herself.
"Of course," Minerva said, smiling over her glasses. "I would not suggest something like this otherwise." She explained.
"Thank you, for telling me." Hermione said softly. "I didn't know things were that bad." She admitted.
"Nobody ever does," Minerva admitted. "If things change, I assure you that I will inform you as soon as possible so you can return if you so wish."
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said with a smile as she watched Professor McGonagall clear the privacy charms so they could move back to the table and re-join everyone else.
Tony sighed as he opened his can of coke while walking back to the table, today's meeting had definitely not gone as expected or hoped, but had been side-tracked with his usual flare that he'd promised himself he would keep under control. He glanced down the hall to where Hermione was talking with her Professor, and while he'd heard her suggest that it would be good for her to visit the other schools, he somehow doubted that the Professor was saying anything good about him to Hermione now after his little tirade.
"Hey," Tony said as he came back to the table, looking to both Arthur and Molly. "Mind if we talk for a moment?" He asked, hoping they would both leave the table and join him.
"I think that would be a good idea." Molly nodded in agreement, standing up with Arthur to follow Tony back to the bar with Ginny following them.
"Ok, first off, I should apologise." Tony said simply, holding up his hands. "I didn't mean for any of that to come out like that. You've all done so much for Hermione, I understand if you're angry at everything I said back then, but..."
"Quite the opposite dear," Molly smiled over at him, the look of shock on Tony's face surprising her as well. "I admit, our... my... I acted in a rather poor manner to Hermione earlier in the year when I read some... Well, it's in the past now dear, but I feel that this is my way to make up for how I acted." She explained with a bashful look. "You showed us all how much you care about Hermione's future, nobody could be angry at you for that." She finished proudly.
"Thanks," Tony said, surprised that anyone felt that way, and now curious about what had happened between Hermione and Molly. "I... I just... I hope Hermione sees it the same way."
"I'm sure she does," Ginny said with a smile from where she was stood next to her mum. "You'll visit Salem and Ilvermorny with her?"
"If she wants me to," Tony nodded. "She'll probably have to explain all of it to me as we go, and I've got no idea how any of this stuff is taught or..." Tony trailed off, ruffling his hair as he thought of more and more problems and how out of his depth he really was here. "Ok, Salem," He said, looking at Ginny. "You thought that was a good school, right?" He asked hopefully, trying to put a plan together in his head.
"It's amazing," Ginny nodded fervently. "Their quidditch team..."
"Enough dear," Molly cut her off quickly. "You were saying?" She asked, looking back to Tony.
"Why don't you come with me?" Tony asked hopefully. "You can help Hermione look around and be there when she needs to talk girl stuff." He explained, looking at Ginny. "And you two can help me understand all of this and give me your thoughts on it." He explained his plan. "I can talk with Hermione about all of this stuff, but let's face it, I'm never going to understand it because..."
"Because you can't do magic." Ginny finished for him.
"Right," Tony nodded in agreement. "This'll give her someone to talk to who understands it, I'll pay for your flights and hotel, in return, you be my guide to everything and help me find the best school for Hermione." He explained. "Does that sound like a deal?" He asked, looking to Arthur and then to Molly.
"Good lord, I think I'm rather jealous now," Arthur chuckled as he looked at Molly. "I don't have enough time off at work to do something like this so soon." He explained when Tony looked at him.
"Mum?" Ginny asked hopefully, looking at her thinking about it.
"How long would it be for?" Molly asked hesitantly, wanting to help Hermione when she could but uneasy at the thought of being away from her family for any length of time.
"Visiting the schools then back again." Tony shrugged. "Whatever Hermione wants, it's her choice."
"If... if Hermione would like us to join her," Molly conceded. "Then I will discuss it with the boys." She said with a small smile.
"Thank you," Tony beamed, happy that Molly seemed to see that he was doing his best here to make sure Hermione got the best that she could have. "Actually, that reminds me." He said, looking down at Ginny this time. "You said... Hermione's wand broke?"
"In the car crash," Ginny said quietly with a nod.
"Where does she get a new one from?" Tony whispered back. "She needs one, right? I don't think she's ready for me to start asking twenty questions about stuff like this, especially if its things that she lost with her parents."
"Diagon Alley dear," Molly smiled patiently. "We could go today if you'd like, I know it would do Hermione the world of good to get outside again."
"Done and done!" Tony nodded enthusiastically. "Can I come? Or is this another magical only thing?" He asked hesitantly.
"Muggles can come," Molly laughed at his expression.
"Fantastic!" Tony grinned happily as he caught sight of Hermione and Minerva approaching the table from where they'd finished talking. "I'll mention it to her later on." He said with a smile. "And... thanks." He said, feeling that it was enough for how the Weasley family were helping him at the moment.
"Don't mention it dear," Molly smiled over, squeezing his arm reassuringly as they all made their way back to the table.
"So?" Tony asked, watching as Hermione came back with a far more thoughtful expression on her face than she'd had when she'd left.
"I... I think I'd like to see the other schools." Hermione admitted. "If that's alright?" She asked, looking to Tony.
"Great!" Tony grinned happily.
"I had expected as much," Percy nodded from his seat. "Very well, I will inform the MACUSA department of International Magical Cooperation that you will be visiting schools there. If you let me know the dates of your travel arrangements I will see to it that your wand permits are filled in and waiting for you along with your Magical International Stay Admission forms."
"Sounds good," Tony nodded back, catching sight of how Hermione's face fell when the wand permit was mentioned.
"Well, I believe we have covered everything here." Minerva said from where she was stood, not having bothered to sit down yet. "I would think than Miss Granger and Miss Weasley can answer any further questions you have Mr Stark."
"Probably," Tony admitted, catching onto the fact that she'd called him Mr Stark and was probably still upset with him for his little outburst earlier on.
"Then I shall take my leave," Minerva said with a nod. "I have a rather busy day, I shall have your letter from Hogwarts sent here at the next opportunity," She explained, looking to Hermione. "I understand this is a difficult time for you, but exceptions to the cut-off date cannot be made, and for that I do apologise."
"I understand Professor," Hermione smiled across the table to her.
"Very well." Minerva offered a small smile back.
"Think that's it for us too," Pius nodded as he stood up with Percy. "Back to work this afternoon Arthur?" He asked.
"I'll follow on," Arthur nodded with a smile. "Quiet day in the department, you know how it is."
"Of course," Pius chuckled good naturedly at him.
"Sorry, do you need someone to show you down?" Tony asked, clapping his hands together now that the unofficial 'meeting' was over. "I don't have a fireplace here for you to... do whatever it is you do with them." He admitted with a shrug.
"You... you'd offer a fireplace even though you don't have magic of your own?" Pius asked with a small amount of shock on his face.
"Well, yeah." Tony shrugged. "If you guys want to leave however you normally do, go for it." He explained. "Really, do whatever you normally do. I guess since Hermione uses them, I'll probably end up setting one up somewhere for her anyway, if I can do that? Can I do that? Or can she do that I mean?" He asked, frowning to himself as he tried to get the thought straight in his head.
"Remarkable muggle," Pius said, shaking his head. "Well then, the Ministry then?" He asked, looking to Percy and nodding. "Good to see you again Minerva." He said with a smile. "Nice to meet you all." He said, nodding to the table where everyone was sat before turning his hand on the spot and vanishing with a twist and a crack, Percy following a second behind him with Minerva.
"Ok, what was that?" Tony asked, staring in awe to what he'd just witnessed, where the three people looked like they'd twisted in on themselves and vanished with a loud noise.
"Apparating," Hermione explained. "It's pretty difficult to do, we're going to get lessons when we're seventeen." She said with a smile.
"That was cool!" Tony grinned happily at what he'd just witnessed. "Shall we go downstairs?" He offered, looking to Molly and Arthur. "I bet you want to check on where the girls are staying and make sure everything's fine?" He asked with a laugh when he saw Molly's knowing face. "Come on." He grinned, walking ahead so he could lead the way and then jumping away from the bar quickly when he saw that Hermione had left her Evil Book of Doom on the edge near the staircase down. "Still twisted!" He said, glaring at the book as he walked past, doing his best to ignore the muffled laughter coming from the two girls behind him.
"My word!" Arthur breathed out as he followed the steps down the spiral staircase behind Hermione and Ginny where they were following Mr Stark. The sight as they walked down was truly breath-taking with a view that looked out over almost the entire city.
"Right dad?" Ginny beamed as she reached the bottom of the staircase with Hermione, automatically stepping aside and walking to the window to stare out at the view as she tried to angle herself to look down at the smaller buildings below.
"Ginny, get away from there!" Molly said quickly, a bit fearful for how high up they were in the muggle building now.
"It's fine," Tony explained with a grin. "Really, bullet proof glass." He explained. "I could throw a chair at it and it wouldn't break." He simplified for them.
"Remarkable, truly remarkable." Arthur smiled as he reached the bottom of the stairs, coming last of the group. "I must say, the view is rather better during the day, I don't think I noticed it before." He explained.
"Probably not," Tony nodded, trying to remember if he'd had the windows dimmed when Arthur had visited or not. "Did you want to have a look at those letters now? See what Arthur and Molly make of them?" He asked, looking over to Hermione.
"That's a good idea I think." Molly smiled.
"I left them in the bedroom," Hermione nodded. "I'll get them."
"May I?" Molly asked curiously.
"Go on, give her the tour." Tony laughed as Hermione looked at him. "Leave the office alone though, Pepper's still in there I think." He explained as Hermione and Ginny led Molly off towards the bedroom.
"Tony?" Pepper asked, opening the office door and coming out. "You called?"
"No, but come on out." Tony said, waving her over into the living room. "Pepper, this is Arthur." He said as Pepper came over. "Ginny's dad." He explained.
"Oh, nice to meet you." Pepper smiled, shaking Arthur's hand.
"And you," Arthur smiled pleasantly. "Remarkable building, really."
"Don't get him started," Pepper laughed. "Tony will talk about his buildings all day if you let him." She said with a small smirk. "I was thinking about heading out for some lunch soon." She explained, turning to Tony.
"Actually, we might have plans." Tony said with a hesitant shrug. "Hermione and Ginny are showing her mom around at the moment, she needs to get some shopping, so we could all go out together?" He offered. "There's probably some stuff we should talk about first though," He said with a wince.
"What have you done now?" Pepper demanded, fixing Tony with a glare.
"Not me, nothing to do with me!" Tony said quickly. "It... Hermione, it's her stuff really."
"Like that book and how she managed to heal a broken leg and arm in an afternoon? And the birds that flew in to deliver letters on rolled up parchment?" Pepper demanded. "You think I didn't notice all these things?"
"Remarkably observant," Arthur smiled happily, ignoring the glaring that was going on between the two muggles.
"Oh, hello."
Tony span around as he heard Molly's voice come over. "Molly, this is Pepper." He introduced her quickly, deflecting the ire he could feel building up in Pepper already. "I was just going to try to explain to her about Hermione." He explained hesitantly.
"Your... partner was it?" Molly asked curiously, looking at the obviously expensive clothes and styled hair the woman had that seemed very much at odds with Tony's dressed down jeans and t-shirt look.
"Nice to meet you," Pepper smiled, stepping forward to shake Molly's hand. "Sorry, we were just... I've been noticing little things and Tony hasn't explained anything."
"Men never do dear," Molly chuckled drawing a laugh from Pepper at the same time.
"Can you?" Pepper asked with a wry smile at Molly's comment.
"Hermione dear?" Molly asked, looking to her to check first.
"It might be better," Hermione admitted with a nod. "If you don't mind?"
"Of course not dear," Molly beamed, happy that Hermione trusted her with something like this. "Well, it's rather complicated."
"She's a witch," Tony said simply, drawing looks from everyone around the room. "What? That's not complicated." He said with a shrug.
"Tony," Pepper muttered, fixing Tony with a glare again, in no mood for his jokes now. "Sorry about him, go on." She said, gesturing for Molly to continue her explanation without Tony's smart-ass comments.
"No dear, he was right." Molly smiled patiently. "Hermione, just like Ginny and myself, is a witch." She explained.
Pepper blinked at that, then blinked again. "Did Tony put you up to this?" She asked with a sigh.
"Bunny me!" Tony grinned excitedly, bouncing on the spot before walking over. "You can do that right? Like Professor Whatshername did?"
"Professor McGonagall," Hermione corrected quickly.
"Her," Tony nodded, silently thanking Hermione for the name again. "Or another animal? Elephant? Eagle! Eagle me up!" He grinned happily.
"You're sure?" Molly asked, staring in confusion at Mr Stark's eagerness to have magic used on him like this.
"You might as well," Hermione said with a small smile. "This is how he is, Merlin forbid we ever let him stay with Fred and George." She said with a laugh.
"Hey!" Tony frowned mockingly. "Wait, the twins?" He asked, checking to make sure they were talking about who he thought they were. "They were funny!" He smiled when Hermione nodded back.
"Very well, if you think it's best," Molly shook her head in amusement as she brought her wand up, flicking it towards Mr Stark and saying "Vulpuluis."
Pepper flinched as the orange light shot out from the stick Molly had been holding, impacting Tony with a flash and causing him to twist and shrink for a second before turning into a fox that was sat where he'd been stood and staring at them all.
"You... you turned him into a fox?!" Pepper stammered out, looking between the fox and Molly in shock.
The fox at this yelped in surprise then whined a bit before yapping twice quickly.
"Just temporary," Hermione explained quickly, seeing the shocked look on Pepper's face. "Mrs Weasley can turn him back any time." She said as Pepper turned to look at him.
"You... a witch?" Pepper asked, looking around the group in shock.
"Nothing to worry about dear," Molly smiled reassuringly, flicking her wand back to the fox and transforming it back to Tony in a flash of orange light.
"That was not an eagle," Tony said quickly as he stood up from where he'd transformed back and been in a crouching position.
"I need a drink," Pepper muttered, shaking her head at what was going on.
"Cup of tea dear, think we could all do with one." Molly said with a smile.
Pepper nodded along at that, inwardly thinking that she meant something a lot stronger than tea. "You knew about this?" She asked, looking at Tony.
"Only since Saturday," Tony said quickly. "I didn't want to say anything without the girls, and... you wouldn't believe me." He said with a shrug.
"Right," Pepper snorted but then actually thought about it, realising that if Tony had said all this then she probably would have believed he was just pulling a prank or was drunk. "Witches, really?"
"Wizard if you don't mind," Arthur said proudly from where he'd been stood watching everything.
"Right," Pepper sighed. "Why is it always you Tony?" She asked, breathing out in exasperation.
"Hey, this wasn't my fault!" Tony laughed despite the situation. "Ok, so it's a bit weird. Hermione can do the magic stuff? So, what?" He said with a shrug.
"So what?" Pepper asked firmly. "Tony, they just turned you into a fox!"
"Only because I asked them to!" Tony shot back. "How else was I going to prove all this to you? I don't even know what Hermione can or can't do yet, let alone anything else." He argued.
"Perhaps we should go," Molly said, not wanting to start an argument between the two muggles.
"No," Tony shook his head firmly. "Look, Pepper, this is part of Hermione, she's been learning it, using it, going to school for it her entire life." He said firmly. "I've accepted it, ok, I'm trying to accept it." He amended in his head. "The logic of it is still screwing with me, but that aside, it's Hermione's life, and if I want to be in her life, then I have to accept that." He explained, pleading with Pepper to understand this with him.
"You can really do that?" Pepper asked, looking over to Hermione.
"Not that," Hermione said softly, shaking her head. "Trans-Species transfiguration is really advanced magic, we don't start learning until sixth year." She explained.
"Oh," Pepper whispered, opening and closing her mouth a bit at that.
"Their professor turned me into a rabbit to prove it to me." Tony explained with a grin. "I still want to do the eagle thing though, flying would be amazing!" He said with a laugh.
"You have teachers for that?" Pepper asked in awe, looking around the room.
"Professor McGonagall," Hermione nodded. "She teaches Transfiguration." She explained. "We just finished switching-spells this year."
"Switching spells?" Tony asked, curiously.
"A drink dear?" Molly asked, looking at the still shell-shocked face Pepper was looking around the room with. "Cup of tea perhaps?"
"I... yes," Pepper stammered out, trying to get her brain back into gear.
"Let me help you," Molly smiled. "Where's the kitchen?"
"This... this way," Pepper said before leading Molly off towards the kitchen.
"So, switching spells?" Tony asked, moving over to one of the couches and flopping down on it, gesturing to everyone else to do the same. "Come on, I've been bursting to ask these questions all weekend." He grinned happily as Hermione and Ginny took one couch while Arthur sat on the black leather couch next to him.
"Cross species switching, we... we were learning how to switch part of an animal for another." Hermione explained. "I used a hedgehog and switched its spines with feathers."
"A duck hedgehog," Tony laughed at the mental image that brought up.
"I can't wait to study that!" Ginny smiled excitedly.
"What were you studying this year?" Tony asked, looking at the younger girl. "The same stuff? Trans... forming?"
"Transfiguration," Hermione smiled over with a nod.
"Right, that?" Tony nodded back, thanking her for giving him the right word.
"Most of the end of year was the Draconifors Spell," Ginny admitted. "It's pretty difficult."
"I had trouble with that one too," Hermione admitted, making Ginny smile a bit knowing that Hermione had had trouble with it too.
"What's that one do?" Tony asked, looking between the two girls.
"Transforms an object into a dragon," Hermione explained, watching Tony's eyes go wide at that bit of information.
"Show me!" Tony grinned excitedly.
"The girls can't do magic outside of school," Arthur said with a chuckle, seeing Tony's excited face drop at the news. "Witches and wizards under seventeen can only use magic while they're at Hogwarts." He explained.
"Damn," Tony sighed. "Ok, a year and a bit to go then." He said with a smile to Hermione.
"And I don't have a wand anymore," Hermione explained, wiping her eyes as a few tears started to build up thinking about the car crash and everything that had happened.
"Right, about that..." Tony smiled hesitantly. "Molly said we could go shopping today? If you want?" He asked hopefully. "Somewhere where you can get a new wand?" He asked.
"Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked. "We could go today?" She asked with a small smile.
"That's the place," Tony nodded. "If you want to, you know, get out of the house a bit? Show me a bit of your world?" He asked hopefully.
"I... yes," Hermione nodded. "I'd have to get some money changed first though." She explained.
"I've got money," Tony waved that thought away. "I'm guessing they don't take American Express?" He asked with a sigh. "Right, you'll have to show me where to exchange money then, or where I can transfer some money to your account, either way, both?" He asked, thinking that if Hermione was going to be shopping more in the magical world then it probably made more sense for him to transfer her trust fund into the magical world rather than keeping it with his normal bank.
"Gringotts," Hermione smiled over. "Our bank." She explained. "They can change muggle money for wizarding money."
"First stop then," Tony nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you alright dear?" Molly asked as she followed Pepper through to the kitchen, blinking in surprise and looking around the kitchen area for anything that she could vaguely recognise aside from the sink.
"I'm..." Pepper answered, shaking her head. "I don't know?" She answered honestly.
"I know it's a lot to take in," Molly smiled patiently. "Come on, tell me where the kettle is and I'll get the tea started."
"Oh, sorry." Pepper said, shaking her head. "I can do it, really." She said, moving through and grabbing the kettle from its place on the electric stand and filling it up with water. "We're normally coffee drinkers, I don't know if we've got tea." She admitted, putting the kettle back on its stand and opening a cupboard to look through.
"Let me dear," Molly smiled, staring to look through cupboards herself and following Pepper's technique to look through them. "You relax, it's been a big day for you."
"You could say that," Pepper barked out a laugh, leaning up against the fridge and stepping out of Molly's way. "First two big birds flew in the office window, scared me half to death." She admitted. "Bringing letters for Hermione?"
"Quite normal," Molly smiled patiently as she continued to look through cupboards.
"Then... all this... magic?" Pepper whispered. "Could you use magic to find the tea?" She asked hesitantly.
"If you don't mind?" Molly asked, looking over to her then stepping back when she shook her head. "Accio tea." She said with a flick of her wand, causing one of the cupboard doors to rattle slightly before it flung itself open and a box of tea bags came out and shot across into Molly's waiting hand.
"I wish I could do that," Pepper laughed in spite of herself, not knowing what else to do in the situation.
"I must admit..." Molly said in a hushed voice. "I don't know how your kettle is doing that?" She asked with a bashful look.
"Boiling?" Pepper asked curiously. "Oh, you have an old stove top kettle?" She caught on. "No, we're all electric here. Tony insists on it." She explained.
"Electric kettles?" Molly asked in surprise. "We don't use electricity at all really." She explained. "A heating charm for the kettle if we need it in a hurry normally does the trick just fine." She said with a smile.
"Magic," Pepper sighed. "No electricity? Really?" She asked in shock. "And Tony visited?" She asked before letting out a laugh. "Sorry, that wasn't meant at you." She explained, trying to clamp a hand over her mouth. "It's... it's just Tony, the most high-tech man I know, he can't even look at a book without thinking about how to make it fit in with his lifestyle."
"He settled in just fine," Molly smiled over. "The cups?" She asked, looking around the kitchen.
"In here," Pepper said, reaching up to one of the taller cupboards that might have been out of Molly's reach before bringing some mugs down. "Sugar? Milk?" She asked, moving to another cupboard to find the bag of sugar she'd seen earlier before getting the milk out of the fridge.
"My word, what is that?" Molly asked in shock, looking towards the large cupboard looking appliance Pepper had just opened.
"The fridge?" Pepper asked, looking around in confusion. "You don't use those?" She asked, trying to figure out what Molly was talking about.
"No," Molly shook her head, eyeing the strange cupboard. "Arthur would love to learn all about it I'm sure," Molly laughed at the thought. "He always says muggles are rather ingenious with things like this."
"Muggles?" Pepper asked at the curious word.
"People without magic dear," Molly smiled as she explained. "Arthur works at the Ministry, Head of the he Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office." She said proudly.
"What's that?" Pepper asked, wanting to know more now.
"Well, it's complicated," Molly smiled while she got her thoughts together. "He deals with objects that have been enchanted or charmed to do certain things, and tries to keep them away from muggle households where they could be dangerous."
"Ok, I can understand that." Pepper nodded, thinking it through.
"He's rather proud of what he does," Molly explained happily. "I know only a few weeks ago he was dealing with some dancing socks that had been sold to muggles by pranking wizards, not our sons thankfully, though it sounded enough like something they would do that Arthur came home in the middle of the day to check." She explained with a small laugh.
"Dancing... socks?" Pepper asked curiously.
"Sorry dear," Molly shook her head, forgetting that she was speaking to a muggle. "Socks that were enchanted to force the wearer to dance whenever they put them on, the only way they could stop dancing was to take the socks off."
"That's... crazy," Pepper exclaimed, not really knowing what else to say about that.
"Of course," Molly chuckled. "Arthur had a few days rounding up all the pairs that had been sold and tracking down the wizard responsible. Got a hefty fine from what I've heard as well."
Pepper simply shook her head at that, unable to really say anything else as she moved to the counter as the kettle boiled, pouring out three mugs of tea with the bags Molly had set aside for them to use. "Shall we take these through?" She asked, holding two of the mugs.
"Let me dear," Molly nodded, flicking her wand to levitate the mugs up into the air and out of Pepper's hands, the milk and sugar floating up next to them. "Shall we?" She asked, waiting for Pepper to lead the way so she could follow with the drinks alongside.
"This is a really weird day," Pepper whispered to herself, eyeing the floating mugs before turning around and heading back towards the living room.