Note: Wow, the response from you all is so wonderful - I love all the comments and speculation! Thanks so much! OK, I have good news and bad news. Bad news: the next update will be Wednesday. Good news: extra long chapter today! and the meeting between Tony and Harry will be Friday. Hope it makes up for it :) In this chapter, Harry works out how he will approach Tony. Please enjoy!
Chapter Seven
The next day, Harry found himself in his new, formal robes sitting his study. He was waiting for the arrival of his solicitor Mr. Barnaby Balderdash of Balderdash and Balderdash. When Harry had asked Draco for help on how to move forward in contacting his father, Draco smirked and had produced a parchment with an address for his top pick of solicitor for Harry to contact.
At first Harry protested, stating that he should just go in person, but Draco reminded him of his father's place in the world. It was unlikely that some teenage ragamuffin – "Seriously, Potter, you're not on the run anymore, no reason to look like some street-rat!" – claiming to be the son of Tony Stark would even be let into the building, let alone meet with the man. No, this had to be done through official channels. Harry conceded for the moment, but he denied the accusation he looked ratty. Draco merely raised an eyebrow.
So, Harry contacted the solicitor about meeting, and Draco decided to give him a makeover. By the time they returned from shopping, Harry's wardrobe had quintupled, and he owned a variety of nice wizarding and muggle garb. Harry had to admit the experience was a lot more fun than he thought it would be. Draco would go through racks, piling them into Harry's arms for the Gryffindor to try on. The best part was Draco very seriously judging the fashions Harry had changed into while he wore the front-side baby sling with Teddy in awe of the new places they went to.
Upon their return to Grimmauld, Balderdash had replied, agreeing to meet at Harry's residence in the morning. Harry was surprised the solicitor would agree to a meeting so quickly, which, yet again, Draco rolled his eyes at – "You are Harry Potter you idiot! Of course he would accommodate you." Harry, being in a playful mood, responded by stealthily turning Draco's hair red. The former blonde did not notice until Andromeda burst out laughing when she came to pick up Teddy. That had led to Harry being chased around the house.
Harry had laughed so hard when Draco tackled him. He had not had that much fun in too long and felt much lighter. Even Draco looked like he almost regretted they had to stop horse playing around and work on what Harry would speak with the solicitor about. Draco informed Harry he would not be attending the meeting, as it was not proper; but he would make a list of topics he should broach and how to act within the meeting.
A knock on the door broke Harry out of his reverie. He stood and welcomed his visitor.
Barnaby Balderdash was an old man who was probably close to Dumbledore's age before his death. However, unlike the former Headmaster, he was clean-shaven with a crown of salt-and-pepper hair. Mechanically, he struggled with walking, his feet moving wider than maybe they should in a stride, and used a cane to compensate. Despite this, he had an air of confidence that made you forget his malady (1). He nodded to Harry and shook his hand.
"Barnaby Balderdash at your service, Mr. Potter," the man said, smiling, and then gestured to the chair across from Harry's own. "If you don't mind I sit? My knees aren't what they used to be." Before Harry opened his mouth to reply that he did not mind, the solicitor took it upon himself to sit down. Harry sat down as well. "Now, Mr. Potter, I am quite interested in what you would like my services for. Your letter was rather vague."
"First I want you to take this," Harry said, and just as he and Draco spoke about, pulled a pouch of 50 galleons out of his pocket and passed it to the man. "In compensation for meeting with me today, whether or not you agree to take me on as a client."
Balderdash accepted the pouch with a wry smile and pocketed it.
"Very smart, Mr. Potter, very smart," he said and leant back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "By paying me for this meeting, solicitor-client confidentiality magic is in place, so even if I choose not to take you on, I cannot speak of the contents of this meeting. Colour me impressed. So, what is the subject of this meeting?"
Slightly blushing at the praise, Harry recounted the events of the past few days, learning about the truth of his conception and wanting to contact his biological father. Balderdash nodded along the way, his face never giving anything away. Once Harry finished, the solicitor looked away in thought for a few minutes and then asked something that threw Harry off completely.
"Mr. Potter, do you want to get away from the Wizarding World for a few months?"
Harry looked blankly at the older man, "I don't understand –"
"I think I have come up with an idea that could be beneficial for you, in more than just you meeting your father," Balderdash interrupted.
"First, let me say that I am disappointed at the disservice our society has done to you," Balderdash continued, and held up his withered hand in a gesture for silence when Harry was about to dismiss the topic. "Hear me out for a moment, Mr. Potter. I have been on this Earth for 147 years last December, and never have I seen a figure more used and discarded without regard than yourself.
"I fear that when the 'hype' dies down about the war's end, the tides may turn again, in fear that someone with your power could become another formidable opposition to the Ministry –"
"But I don't plan to do anything!" Harry interjected, throwing his hands up in frustration. "All I want is to live my life in peace, no fuss or pomp circumstance."
"That may be so," Balderdash said with a touch of regret, "but the people of our society are scared sheep, willing to see a wolf where there is none in order meet their purpose. At the moment you have the political capital to challenge the Ministry, and the Ministry does not take challenges well. Your friend Miss Granger is not helping your case by trying to rally supporters for change."
"I told Hermione I wanted nothing to do with politics," Harry exasperated. "She just won't listen. But talking about the Ministry, do I really have much to worry about? Kingsley – Minister Shaklebolt told me I had nothing to worry about."
"Mr. Potter, do you know how many Ministers I have seen in my lifetime?" Balderdash asked. "Too many to count. Sometimes they stay on for years, other times for months, and one time it was mere days before the dunderhead was sacked. The point is this: political winds change – and quickly. Just because this administration, such as it is, promised you freedom, another may want to try you for war crimes as you acted outside of Ministry control.a I have an idea that can help you."
"And this has to do with my father, sir?" Harry asked, slightly dazed by the warning he received from the man.
"Yes," Balderdash affirmed. "What do you know about American Magical Society?"
When Harry revealed he knew nothing, Balderdash explained that in America it was much different. The American Magical Government was completely separate from the United States Federal Government, having signed an ironclad treaty with the muggles during the revolution that, on the founding of the nation, magical society would be an independent entity - the magicals had used the Salem Witch Trials as a prime example why they could not trust the new nation to treat them fairly. In return, the wizards aided the Americans in helping defeat the British.
As they were independent, the American Magical Government had a completely different reputation than their muggle counterpart these days. Instead of being the 'policemen' of the world, they were quite the isolationists. Their culture resisted interference from muggle society or other countries. They rarely dealt with other countries unless it came to trade and domestically had a very limited government. They had firm laws protecting the individual from the government's intrusion into their lives.
"Given your father is American," Balderdash continued, "you can apply for dual citizenship. This way, you would be protected should the Ministry change its mind, as it is wont to do. Now, there are several ways of going about this.
"Option one, you would not even need to contact your father for. You just apply for citizenship based off the evidence you have and the Department of Magical Immigration will investigate the matter. The downside is that this can take years because he is a muggle, and thus they would have to coordinate with the muggle government which they are not fond of doing, and just plain government bureaucracy.
"Option two, you meet the man and at the very least he acknowledges you as his son. This would speed up the process, as there would be no muggle cooperation needed. It could still take more than a year – again, bureaucracy.
"Option three, you meet the man and he declares you his son and adopts or takes custody of you as a minor. This would expedite the process, as it would be a matter of simple paperwork and verification, no investigation needed. It shouldn't take more than three months.
"What do you think of these options, Harry?"
Harry contemplated the options and noticed one flaw.
"In option three, you stated that he would need to adopt me as a minor," Harry pointed out. "I am of age, so wouldn't that be out of the question, sir?"
"Intelligent question, Mr. Potter," Balderdash replied. "The thing is, in America, the age of majority is eighteen. So, if we moved quickly, we could potentially see that one through."
"At the moment, it seems that option three is best route for me to both meet him and gain citizenship, quickly," Harry said, after a moment thinking.
"Then that is the option we will pursue," Balderdash replied, summoning a self-writing quill to start making a list of things that needed to be done.
"Does this mean you will take me as a client?" Harry asked.
"Yes," the solicitor agreed and waved his wand, a contract forming. He passed the parchment to Harry. "This is my standard contract. 500 Galleon yearly retainer fee and 50 Galleons per hour. I will advise you in legal and technical matters, but I will always follow your direction unless it involves breaking the law. Only with your permission or upon your death am I allowed to speak of you and the work I do for you."
Harry read the contract carefully, and it stated just as he said, no loopholes or extra clauses. Also, from his crash course from Draco last night, those fees were fair for the caliber of work Barnaby Balderdash was known for.
Harry picked up his quill and signed the parchment. It immediately rolled up and disappeared.
"This will be so exciting!" Balderdash said, and his eyes began to twinkle. For a moment he looked youthful, maybe 90 years old instead of 147. "Oh I haven't done something like this in years! You see, before the first war I did this often enough, connecting people who had been blood-adopted to their biological families. Don't look so surprised, Mr. Potter," he said as he saw Harry's flash of surprise. "Many of the old families have trouble with fertility, and the ritual was one way to ensure the transference of family magicks even if they weren't of the same blood. During the war, it was banned as dark magic, because it involved blood magic, so I haven't seen a case in almost three decades. But I digress."
Balderdash calmed down and studied the list carefully.
"I will speak with my contacts in New York about drawing up citizenship papers," the solicitor said after a moment. "The only thing that we both need to do is come up with a story for you that separates you from Harry Potter – 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' –and a custody contract for you and your father."
"What do you mean by a custody contract?" Harry asked, bewildered. Draco had not mentioned this.
"Well, you don't have to, but I would advise you provide your father with an adoption contract," Balderdash replied bluntly. "Think of it as a muggle pre-nuptial agreement: if he were to adopt you, he would have no obligation of making you his heir; and it would go the other way where he as your guardian would not have access to your monetary and physical assets without your permission. This way you are both protected. Also, it could do well, psychologically speaking, in your favour. From his reputation, I assume Mr. Stark has paternity suits constantly from gold diggers, so it would give you more credibility that you are not asking for his money."
"You know of him, sir?" Harry asked quickly, and then blushed. Merlin, he sounded desperate.
"My mother was muggle, Mr. Potter," Balderdash replied and smiled. "I still keep in contact with that part of my heritage, and you would have to live under a rock to not know about Ironman. But, back to business, there is one thing I want to make sure you understand."
Balderdash hesitated and suddenly looked his 147 years.
"I must prepare you for the possibility that your father does not accept you," he said, rubbing his hands. "It is no matter with the claim for citizenship, as I said, we could still go on without his aide, though it will take more time. You could even live in the United States as the process takes place as a resident alien – But, emotionally, Harry – you need to be prepared for this potential outcome. There is not telling how he will respond. You will be disrupting his world with this information."
Harry was silent, thinking rapidly. He had been so wrapped up on whether he should contact and potentially accept his father; it truly had not crossed his mind that his father could reject him. As he thought, he felt righteous anger well up within him.
Screw Tony Stark. If his father did not want to meet him, then Harry would go about it his own way. He had fought in a war and won: he could track down the bastard and at the very least give him a piece of his mind. He nodded to himself and sat up straight in his chair.
"Yes, I am prepared to move forward," Harry said finally. "He disrupted my world. He deserves a bit of disruption in his."
~Time Skip~(AN: Yes, I almost left the chapter there, but that would be mean)
After Balderdash left, Harry sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. They had created a plan for Harry contacting Tony. In the next few days, Balderdash would make the arrangements, and by the end of the week Harry would be in America. Balderdash's grandson would come with Harry to America and approach Tony as Harry's lawyer. Balderdash insisted on being cautious and not revealing magic to the muggle immediately, which Harry had no problem with. As such, certain things had to be taken care of.
Harry's muggle records were abysmal, and any man with the amount of wealth as Tony Stark would insist on a background check. It would be highly suspicious that his schooling stopped at 11. For this reason and to separate himself from 'The Boy-Who-Lived,' they created a new identity based on the identity his mother had assumed undercover at the Stark Expo. He was Harrison John Patterson whose mother and stepfather had died in a gas explosion that Harry survived when he was a year old. He was sent to live with his relatives who were killed recently in a car accident while he was in a private boarding school for the arts in Edinburgh. As Harry was a minor, he needed someone to take custody of him until his eighteenth birthday or else he would be a ward of the state. When the solicitors were searching through past documents, they saw that John Patterson had adopted him, and with investigation determined Tony Stark was the father. All of these records would be created within the next few days and the school would be notified that someone in witness protection (Balderdash's idea) would be claiming to have attended that school and to make sure if they were contacted to confirm it. On the whole, unless someone physically checked everything out, which was highly unlikely, his new identity was ironclad.
Everything was moving so fast. A week ago, he was Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter; now he knew the truth and would be attempting to meet his birth father Tony Stark by the end of the week. He felt a headache coming on.
"So, what's the deal then?"
Harry opened his eyes to see Draco walking in and sitting in the chair Balderdash had vacated.
"Don't pretend you weren't eavesdropping, Dray, it's not your style," Harry said, rolling his eyes but smiling.
"Fine, so I did, but only to make sure you didn't screw it all up," Draco grumbled but then turned serious. "I'm glad you're moving forward. It all sounds fine from my end. You go and meet the guy, see how it goes. Worst comes to worst, you'll know he knows about you and you can come back here. I'll come back to help you then, if you need it."
"Wait – come back? What do you mean?" Harry demanded, leaning forward in his chair.
"Well, you won't be here anymore will you?" Draco replied, not meeting Harry's eyes. "I'll be finding myself a flat. I have enough money from what was left."
Harry knew that it would still be difficult for the blonde. A large portion of the Malfoy properties and monetary assets were seized by the Ministry for reparations from the family's involvement in the war.
"Draco, you can stay here," Harry said.
"I don't need charity, Potter," Draco sneered, his cheeks reddening. "I will make do."
"It's not charity Draco –" Harry started to insist then stopped at Draco's stubborn face. He thought quickly and changed strategies. "I need you to stay here to help take care of the house. I was actually going to speak to you about that, if I could employ you to take care of the Potter and Black investments. With all of this going on and me going to America, I need someone to look after things. I looked at the papers Griphook gave me, and I couldn't make head or tails of it. You're good at it, a great advisor. Would you do that for me while I'm gone?"
Draco looked skeptical, but eventually he nodded and his shoulders seemed less tense.
"Okay, but I want a 15% commission and the official title of your steward," Draco said. "And you will still make final decisions – you will not be lazy and shirk your duties, Potter. And, this is not permanent, I'm only doing this until you return, understand? I have enough to do without holding your hand for the rest of your life."
Harry smiled and agreed. He then hesitated and brought up another issue that was pressing on his mind.
"As my steward, will you make sure Teddy and Andromeda are doing OK and comfortable?" Harry asked. "I wish everything that I had that I could take Teddy with me, but I couldn't do that to Andromeda – and I wouldn't want to bring Teddy into an unknown situation."
Draco nodded, and Harry let a sigh of relief, but he was still tense. That was one of the things he was most worried about, leaving Teddy behind. He could not help but feel guilty about abandoning his Godson
"Stop that thinking, Potter," Draco scowled as if he read Harry's mind, and then Draco softened. "Harry, you are not abandoning the squirt. You are just taking some time for yourself, and there is nothing wrong with that. Do you think that Teddy would want you to continue as you are? You need to face your demons, Harry. You need to heal, we all do." Draco's eyes started to shine, but no tears fell. "Our lives have been filled with hurt, especially the past two years. We need time to rebuild. You just may need to rebuild in New York."
Harry nodded, not able to speak. Draco cleared his throat.
"Good, now that that is handled, you and I will go over what you should say to everyone about your leaving, review all of the Potter and Black investments, and make it official I am your steward," Draco said and stood, and Harry followed suit. "The last thing I need is for Weasel and Granger to claim I killed you and took over your accounts."
(1) Think the lawyer from The Aristocats
AN: Hope you enjoyed! This is the last chapter from strictly Harry's POV. Next chapter will be from Tony's. On another note, the poll decided that the next crossover will be Harry Potter/Supernatural! New poll up on what theme you would like to see. Love you lots and see you Wednesday!