I'm working with first graders now, and the teacher started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to the class on Friday. Apparently we're going to have a Harry Potter day later in the year.
Even seeing Stark's fame as Iron Man, James is surprised by how sought after the Avengers and X-Men are by various news sources. Weeks have passed since the Chitauri attack, and there has been a lot of new news about the existence of magic, Sirius's trial, and more convictions of HYDRA agents.
Steve, however, is not. "I was paraded around selling war bonds before I did anything. And we made all those war propaganda movies… I'm guessing you don't remember those?"
You kept looking at the camera, Bucky's voice sounds amused and exasperated.
THE ASSET LOOKED AT THE CAMERA WHEN IT ELIMINATED-
James clenches his jaw as his prosthesis whirs. He knows what he did when he was sent after the Starks, and he doesn't want to relive it now. He can see the roadside camera, see his fist aiming the gun, after it beat Howard and strangled Maria and-
James blinks. Tony Stark's face is in front of him, concerned but not nearly as scared as his father's and mother's had been. "You okay?"
"You had a flashback," Harry looks up at James guilelessly. "Why don't they flash like a camera?"
James clenches his teeth, and Harry grabs his phone from the table. The phone James has taken dozens of photographs and videos with. Watching this camera keeps him from thinking about the other one.
Harry takes six photos of his own foot.
"Back in our day, they used film, so you could only take a certain number of pictures." Steve tells Harry. "And you needed different cameras to take videos and photos. Not that either of us ever had a camera."
"Yeah, yeah, and you had to grow up without TV." Stark rolls his eyes. "We get it, gramps."
"We had movies," Steve says defensively. "And radio."
James knows, intellectually, that televisions had not existed when Bucky had, but not even the Bucky voice has many memories of listening to baseball games or radio dramas.
"You made a movie here," Harry shares, as if Steve doesn't remember back when he was first thawed and was given a starring role in the students' amateur documentary.
"Ooh, do you remember the song?" Stark grins and begins to sing, "Who's strong and brave here to save the American way?"
Steve groans as Stark continues to sing.
"You should be proud to have a ballad written in your honor, Steven," Thor claps a hand on Steve's shoulder, and Steve is one of the few who doesn't stagger under the force of Thor's hand.
Thor turns to Loki and James, his gaze heavy and sincere. "Soon the bards will write ballads about you, and your triumphant escapes from the malevolence gripping your minds."
James hopes not, but Harry starts to sing the Batman tune at the top of his lungs, changing the lyrics to "da da da da da da da da…. Batdad!"
Harry must think it's brilliant, because he belts it continuously. James films it once with his camera, but the charm wears off after the dozenth rendition at the top of Harry's lungs.
Jarvis finds several songs created by fans on the internet, and either sends them the links or plays them on the nearest screen. Stark only encourages Jarvis, and finds amateur stories about them online. "It's called Fanfiction," Jubilee informs them, and another student tells them that it's real person fiction.
Some of the stories are rather like Harry's drawings and showcase the team fighting various villains, but many are far more romantic in nature. Stark is far more amused that people write stories about himself and Steve in a relationship than Steve is.
Thor's reaction to learning about people writing him having incestuous relations with Loki is far more explosive.
"It matters not that Loki and I are not brothers by blood," Thor booms as thunder crashes outside. "He is my BROTHER- we would NEVER-"
"At least you wouldn't have to worry about the usual complications of inbreeding-" Stark ignores Thor's stormy gaze, and James' glare. James covers Harry's hair and ears with his hands.
Stark is usually somewhat adept at censoring himself for Harry's ears, but he's scrolling on his phone with a look of growing astonished amusement. "Looks like some people are taking the knowledge of Loki birthing a mutant horse and running with it, with all eight-"
"That was something you mortals added to the tale." Loki snarls. "I am quite capable of shapeshifting, but-"
James leads Harry from the room, still shielding Harry's ears. He hears Stark start placing bets on if the fictional Asgardian offspring will have extra limbs, and if anyone has written a story about an eight legged Romanoff.
Jarvis blocks Stark and Thor from accessing the so-called fanfiction.
Fans on the internet are far from the only parties enamored with the heroes. The Avengers and X-Men are called to various talk shows and other entertainment that James did not know existed.
James is content to stay behind, unknown. Steve clearly wants to stay behind, but attends out of a sense of obligation.
Logan feels no such obligation, regularly kicking back with a beer while his team interviews on various shows. Attendance hardly seems necessary for game shows. James, Sirius, Logan and Harry are able to guess the answers in front of the television.
The shows are surprisingly entertaining. One has the team split and face off in a "Family Feud", guessing the most popular responses to public surveys. Loki gets far too competitive when he and Thor are placed on opposite teams. Loki even declares himself team leader, but his teammates are having none of it, and Barton scowls from behind the other set of podiums. The mutiny begins before the game even starts.
Jarvis reports that the internet is blowing up with reactions and the channel's viewership is at an all-time high.
Harry watches with apprehension. "We're still all a family, right?"
"Yes," James says. As the Soldier, the concept of a family had been almost unfamiliar to him, besides something targets had that could be used as leverage against them. The idea that an asset might acquire a family was unfathomable.
Even if the Soldier had been able to imagine a family for itself, it never would have imagined… this.
James watches the chaos on the screen as Loki calms and somehow proceeds to dominate the game despite being from another realm. Loki has never been to a movie theater, yet is able to guess the most common things people do in them other than watching the movie.
At Barton's disbelief, Loki scoffs. "We have theater in Asgard, and it is not uncommon for uncultured brutes like my brother to fall asleep during performances. Thor's snores sound like thunder."
Thor laughs, unoffended.
Steve remarks that things in theaters haven't changed all that much from the forties.
Says the guy who got beat up in an alley before the cartoons started. Bucky says, long suffering. Do theaters still show newsreels and cartoons?
Even Sirius, who didn't know movie theaters existed, guesses that people kiss in the back from the couch.
"Eew," Harry scrunches his face.
"We're really missing out, not having television." Sirius says as they watch the team arguing what powers people would most like to have.
"The telly's right there," Harry points. "Did you forget?"
Sirius laughs and ruffles Harry's hair. Harry stands on the couch to ruffle Sirius's hair back.
The press has been clamoring for interviews with Sirius as well, but somehow no owls have arrived at the Institute.
Although James is persistent about staying out of the public eye, he has to push his reservations aside to accompany Harry and Jubilee on a shopping excursion to the mall with the money they'd won betting on the trial.
Stark thrusts a credit card at James, telling him to go wild. James has never used one before but, unlike Sirius, knows what it is.
Neither James nor Sirius have ever been to a shopping mall.
"They sell everything," Jubilee explains as James drives them over with a forged Driver's License, courtesy of Stark. "Clothes, toys, games, food-"
"We're going to Tesco!" Harry cheers. "Dad, remember when we went there?"
"I could have teleported us there," says Loki, who is only coming along to shield them from unwanted attention. Thor admits that he would have been unable to fly them all in one trip, and Loki sounds extremely smug.
The shopping mall is not like Tesco. The mall is a collection of smaller shops and kiosks rather than one large store that sells everything.
And we thought Tesco had too many choices, Bucky says, taken aback. Now we have to decide which store to visit.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR SUPPLIES.
James does not need to acquire anything here. His eyes dart around, watching passerbys warily. Sirius seems slightly unsettled whenever anyone in a black robe passes.
"Wow, this place has changed," Jubilee remarks. A store selling potions ingredients contains a display of blenders and self-cooking cauldrons.
"We already had those without magic," Jubilee rolls her eyes. "They're called pressure cookers."
Signs on the stores announce they accept both magical and mundane currency, as well as credit cards, which seem magical to the Bucky voice. Sirius seems equally baffled by any form of currency in the United States.
Not all of the shoppers seem happy about these adjustments. Some look as suspicious as James.
As they walk through the mall, Sirius reminisces about a place called Diagon Alley, which makes Jubilee snort.
Sirius tells them about Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. "And there's a town near Hogwarts called Hogsmeade. They have the best sweet shop, Honeydukes."
"We were there," James says. At the time, the Asset had not been aware of candy and thought the sweets were interrogation tools.
Jubilee drags them to one of several clothing stores.
"You need new clothes, you've grown so much." Jubilee says, and Harry stands as talk as he can with pride.
Then he glowers when Jubilee adds "Besides, little kid clothes are so cute."
The store sells current fashions alongside robes. Jubilee gestures to her yellow coat and says she could "totally pull off a robe."
"I don't want a robe." Harry folds his arms. "I don't want to buy clothes. I want to buy quidditch balls."
James is glad that Harry is secure, knowing his necessities are provided for. At their Tesco visit, he'd treated new clothes as an unimaginable gift.
They were a gift back in my day, Bucky grouses. Are we starting to spoil him?
"We can just ask Jarvis to get clothes," Harry huffs as Jubilee pulls him towards the brightly colored children's section. "Jarvis, can you, please?"
Jarvis speaks quietly from the phone in James' pocket. "It would be my pleasure, Master Harry. Currently, Avengers clothing is quite popular."
James eyes a nearby display of Avengers and X-Men sweatshirts. There are even photos of the real heroes modeling the clothing designed after their costumes. Well, some of them. Steve had reluctantly agreed to model Captain America clothing, but Bruce hadn't been comfortable modeling anything representing the Hulk.
Even Loki has merchandise, which the real Loki is very smug about.
"Why isn't there one of you, Dad?" Harry frowns at the display.
Loki flicks his fingers and the large picture of Thor smiling broadly in a fake Asgardian armor sweatshirt shifts so Thor is making a particularly dumb expression. The mannequins adopt awkward, uncomfortable poses.
Jubilee reluctantly concedes that Jarvis can shop for Harry but begins to browse for herself.
Harry grows impatient quickly, tugging on Jubilee's coat as she inspects another rack of shirts.
"If you rip it, you're buying me a new one," she tells him. Harry looks guilty before Jubilee slaps her forehead. "We have magic now. One of you could fix it in a blink. But still, don't rip it."
Sirius leans against a wall, arms crossed and foot tapping. "You don't even have to wait for a tailor like at Madam Malkin's"
Loki makes the mannequins dance horribly, and they leave before they can be kicked out.
Harry runs to look for the sports store, and James holds his hand firmly so he won't get lost. The crowds make James wary, but the crowd seems to be giving their group a wide berth.
The sports store sells quidditch supplies alongside supplies for baseball, soccer, tennis and more. Some people in robes seem just as fascinated by tennis rackets as non-magical people are by broomsticks.
One group of people wearing robes laugh at the non-magical supplies. "No-maj sports are so lame. The balls can't even fly."
Sirius says nothing, but appears to agree.
"You're lame," Harry tells the robed group, and James is suddenly overwhelmed with images of Steve, before the serum, standing up to bullies. "Basketball is great! So's hockey. And muggles have the Olympics! My best friends are muggles! Me and Lila and Cooper like bikes and brooms."
The group stares at Harry's short, ranting form, and James wonders if they'll realize that Harry Potter is here with Thor and Loki, but Loki's disguises are clearly quite effective.
The group rolls their eyes at Harry and walks away.
"If I can come to accept even magicless mortals, surely your fellow humans could do the same." Loki sneers after them.
Jubilee blinks at him. "...Thanks, I guess?"
Despite his eagerness to get a set of quidditch balls, Harry picks out a tennis racket, and is especially intrigued by roller blades.
James helps him try on a pair. Unlike his natural grace on a broomstick, Harry clings to James' metal arm desperately as his feet roll under him.
Once his feet are safely back in shoes, Harry inspects a pair of boxing gloves, talking about playing Wii for real, until he remembers the Hulk fists his friend at the park had.
This leads them to a toy store, where superhero toys dominate the shelves. There are costumes for kids to dress up as their favorite hero or heroine. One shelf holds a small army of Captain Ameribears and Bucky Bears made to look like the old fashioned, comic book sidekick version of Bucky.
Now, there are bears for all the heroes and heroines.
Harry watches a grown woman hug a Hulk bear, which is almost sold out. "See, they're not just for babies," Jubilee whispers. Harry still doesn't seem very impressed with the old-fashioned Bucky Bears, but James picks out a pair for Steve.
The most popular toys in the store are clearly a line of figurines that incorporate magic. Children and adults gasp as figures of Iron Man, Thor and Storm fly above their heads, shooting harmless repulsors and lightning. Even Thor is delighted.
A toy Wolverine can really pop its claws, and the Bruce figure actually transforms into the Hulk.
Several Loki figures appear and disappear throughout the room, apparently encouraging children to play hide-and-seek.
Harry seems remarkably unimpressed, and clearly has no urge to upgrade his beloved Batman-turned-Wolverine toy with a newer, magical model.
Harry shows much more enthusiasm over the Hulk fists. He hugs the large green fists before putting his hands in them and punching the air. "Like the fist of Harry!"
"I thought that was me," James' lips curl wryly.
"You have to wear gloves in boxing, Dad," Harry's tone is exasperated as he swings his Hulk hands, and James levels him with a look. James puts on a pair of Hulk fists, and Harry pretends to box him.
Steve's turnin' him into a little punk, Bucky laughs in James' mind.
Even though Bucky's voice had worried about spoiling Harry, he suggests picking up several toys that he and Steve hadn't had growing up. Xavier's Institute already has an impressive collection of games, but James picks several intended for young children. Go Fish has been a success, perhaps a little too much. Yesterday, Loki had taken to actually summoning fish, which stank up the kitchen until Sirius transformed them into fish-shaped crackers.
Harry thrusts Candy Land at Sirius and shakes the box. "Look, it's like Honeydukes. And you can make real candy."
Sirius picks a wizard's chess set, undoubtedly having seen the elegant chess set in Professor X's office during his own recent therapy sessions. He's eager to show Harry magical games like Exploding Snap and Gobstones, and James has a flash of a memory of boys playing marbles in the dirt, from back in Bucky's day.
"Exploding Snap is harmless," he assures James as James inspects the packs of cards like he would a live grenade.
James pays with the credit card from Stark, and is about to pick up their purchases when Sirius makes them levitate.
As he walks wearing his new Hulk fists, Harry stares at the bags and asks "Can you teach me how to do that?"
I missed the opportunity to have Loki summon fish during Go Fish last chapter.
I've been bad at keeping track of the story's timeline and accidentally skipped several holidays, like Halloween, Christmas, and James's birthday… whoops.
Also, I mean no offense to RPF writers, but I imagine it'd be very awkward for the celebrities to find.