i.
Tony is ready to reopen Stark Industries' weapons department and wage war on Magical Britain when he finds out that he cannot pull Hermione out of Hogwarts until she passes her Ordinary Wizarding Level exams in her fifth year of school. If she does leave, the Ministry will step in and literally mind-erase them of her time at Hogwarts because it will count as breaking their Statute of Secrecy.
Regent Dagworth-Granger has a field day in the Wizengamot over that. He's long since managed to get the big-name players in Magical Britain wrapped around his thumb.
Money talks.
Regardless, Tony is forced to send Hermione and Harry back for their third year. They had been able to take the rest of their spring semester from home thanks to a medical leave of absence, but the option did not extend past their second year.
He begins to seriously rethink the decision when the news comes out about mass murderer Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban.
The news breaks first in the Daily Prophet, which makes matters worse when the same story runs on the nightly televised news in the nonmagical world. And then Regent Dagworth-Granger receives a summons to an emergency Wizengamot meeting, and Tony knows that this is something he cannot ignore.
He returns from the meeting with a pale face, asks Edwin for a brandy while directing Ana to wake Hermione and Harry, and downs the entire glass of amber liquid in the time it takes them to join him in the living room.
"I'm gonna cut to the chase," Tony starts abruptly, drumming his fingers against his knees nervously. "You both saw the news about Sirius Black?"
The two kids in front of him nod hesitantly.
"Right. Good. Well…" Tony sighs, rubbing his fingers against his forehead. "Ah, fuck. Harry, Sirius Black is your sworn godfather. He allegedly is the one who told that Voldemort terrorist where you and your parents were hiding and was a secret member of the Death Eaters the entire time."
Harry's expression grows more closed off the entire time Tony speaks, although by the end his eyes sparkle with fresh tears. He stares back at Tony in horror, and Tony hates himself for having to tell him of such news.
"I… I don't understand," Harry stammers. "How could he do such a thing? He… he must've been their friend, right?"
"I think so," Tony affirms. He would not lie to Harry, not over this.
"I need to go," Harry says, and stands up to try and bolt away, but Tony stops him with a raised hand.
"There's more," he sighs again and waits for Harry to sit down. "The Ministry thinks Black broke out of prison to get you, Harry. Apparently, he's been asking the guards about you since the whole Chamber of Secrets incident went public. They wanted you personally to be under guard, but we managed to negotiate it so that the perimeter of the school grounds is instead."
One of Hermione's hands now covered her mouth in shock, while she clutched Harry's hand in her other. Both of their knuckles were white from the strength of their grips.
"God, Harry…" His sister murmurs, her voice wobbly.
"Why did nobody tell me this before?" Harry interrupts.
Tony gives him a grim smile. "Because it's easier for them to treat you like a storybook savior instead of a real person. Trust me, we know."
ii.
Tony Stark is not a fan of Arthur Weasley.
From the moment they enter the Leaky Cauldron and Hermione introduces him as her older brother, the Weasley patriarch hounds after him for details on the smallest, most mundane nonmagical things.
Quite frankly, it's insulting. Arthur Weasley seems incapable of completely accepting that nonmagicals have created impressive technology that, in some instances, can challenge its magical counterparts. Everything he asks Tony about, he speaks of patronizingly, as if a child had been the one to make it.
Tony would almost rather be called a derogatory name to his face than deal with bigotry disguised by well-meaningness. (Almost.)
By the way he can see his sister's eye twitch when Mr. Weasley asks her of the function of a toothbrush, Tony gathers she might feel the same.
iii.
He nearly causes a scene when Harry darts out to him from behind some of the columns in the mess hall of the Leaky Cauldron, casting his gaze back suspiciously at Mr. Weasley.
"He tried to tell me about Sirius Black," Harry mutters.
Tony levels a glare at the other man until he turns on his heel and heads back towards the table his family is gathered around. "Stick next to me, kid."
Harry nods and slides a bit closer to Tony.
iv.
Tony sits up with Hermione and Harry the night before they leave. He forces his way into the middle of the large bed they'd both been sitting on to complete their homework, ignoring their shouts of protest as he sends their work flying off the bed. Their surprise gives him the opportunity to pull on their arms and send them careening into his sides.
His baby sister and his most-recent adoptee. He wished they had more time together outside of scattered holidays throughout the year.
Instead, he has them regale him with happier tales of their times at Hogwarts.
(If he records the conversation to play it back during his late nights in the lab, well… what they don't know won't hurt them.)
v.
On September 1, 1993, Tony Stark once again watches his little sister board the scarlet train at Platform 9 ¾. This time, however, he also waves goodbye to a thirteen-year-old boy with messy black hair and emerald green eyes.
vi.
The letter that arrives late that evening has Tony leap to his feet in outrage.
"What do you mean, a dementor broke into the Hogwarts Express?!"
vii.
The whole school stares as Regent Dagworth-Granger storms into the Great Hall, flanked on either side by Lucius Malfoy, Augusta Longbottom, and a score of other Wizengamot parents.
The sight has Dumbledore turning the same shade of plum as his robes.
The Wizengamot factions do not agree on many things, but one thing that will always take precedence is the safety of their children.
It certainly helps that dementors do not discriminate between houses or factions when preying on victims.
viii.
The dementors are banished back to Azkaban, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is officially placed on probation, and the Minister of Magic's name is dragged through the mud in the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. He's sure to regret claiming all the credit for that decision now.
Tony raises a glass to celebrate.
ix.
As part of the deal with Professor McGonagall, Hermione and Tony had been required to keep the knowledge of his sister having a time turner a secret. Thanks to the dementor incident and a year's worth of receipts showing Harry Potter had been living with them outside of school, the stern Head of House allows them to inform Harry.
By the way Harry's eyes shimmer with unshed tears as he easily agrees to keep Hermione's secret safe, Tony wonders if the boy had ever been entrusted before with a secret simply because he was their friend , and not because he was Harry Potter.
"I won't tell anyone, Hermione," he promises.
"I know," she replies.
Tony can't help but be proud of his kids.
He wonders when he started thinking of them as his.
x.
When the owl comes weeks later with the information that Sirius Black had broken into Hogwarts– that Ron Weasley had awoken to see the escapee standing above his bed with a knife– Tony begins to work on a faster method of communication that will work within the walls of the ancient castle. It is simply ludicrous that he must wait nearly a day to hear about Hermione and Harry's safety.
The Wizengamot is more than willing to let Tony be one of the lords to spearhead the search into his past. He is not afraid of the same ghosts that Wizarding Britain is. The man can't simply be vanishing into thin air between these sightings– unless he has a wand, of course, but even Tony admits it seems unlikely. He is convinced there is something they can discover by researching the man: where he's likely to hide, what regions of the isles he feels safe in, what skills he has at his disposal.
Tony has no idea how anyone overlooked the act that Black's best friend was a werewolf .
xi.
Severus Snape is a bitter man. It's clear he holds anger towards Tony, though whether it is because he's technically a "Muggle" or because he is close to Harry Potter, Tony has no idea. That said, Snape isn't necessarily subtle about why he feels such hatred towards a child, not after Tony has heard many stories about his school time years with Sirius Black, James Potter… and Lily Evans.
Tony didn't think it was possible, but the man's face pales even further once her name is mentioned.
"What does she have to do with anything?" The professor snaps. (And really, a man with this temperament is responsible for teaching teenagers about potions? No wonder so many failed.)
Tony doesn't stop from rolling his eyes. "Apparently, a lot."
Augusta Longbottom is so irate at this point that she doesn't even chide Tony for his lack of manners. "Really, Severus. I remember hearing so many stories about your year group from Alice."
"Hardly the least biased source of information," Severus sneered, but quickly blanched as the room crackled with electricity. His quick glance towards Lucius Malfoy was met with an unimpressed stare.
"You called the girl a 'mudblood' in full public, Severus," Lucius sighed tiredly. "Nothing I can say will change that fact."
"And insulting my daughter-in-law is hardly the best way to endear yourself to this inquisition," Madame Longbottom added with a scowl. Tony had to agree, now that he too knew Alice Longbottom suffered from long-term brain damage thanks to a curse attack.
They needed to get back on track, so Tony quickly interrupted as Severus opened his mouth to reply. "We're here to ask you about the night of the final full moon during your fifth year."
The potions master pursed his lips. "It sounds like you already are aware."
Tony gave him his 'I have to smile for the paparazzi but I hate you' smile. "Humor us."
xii.
It's a good thing that Tony had already gone over his "innocent until proven guilty" stance because Severus Snape's story caused a whirlwind of drama.
It was clear that Sirius Black had the capability to be vicious, but only towards those he deemed had hurt his friends. Both Lucius and Severus had begrudgingly admitted that it was incredibly unlikely that Black had been a Death Eater, like the post-war Ministry had claimed. And it was already known the Severus Snape had been a Death Eater. Tony found it near impossible that Black would have joined sides with his enemies.
That was all before the request for the records of Sirius Black's trial came up empty .
The records simply did not exist. There was an arrest record, and an admittance into Azkaban report, but no trial.
When Tony hands over the news for Rita Seeker to report in the Daily Prophet, he swears he's never seen such a ferocious smile. She is someone to keep an eye on. Better to have her doing his work than someone else's.
He frames the first edition that comes out with her headline:
SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT? – United Inquisition Uncovers Ministry Conspiracy!
Old feuds, magical life debts, shapeshifters and government conspiracies. Tony couldn't have predicted life would get so interesting.
xiii.
Azkaban's first escapee turns himself in to Head Auror Amelia Bones the very next day.
Tony winks at him as the gaunt man is guided down to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to be questioned and processed in advance of his very overdue trial.
A/N: I moved a few thousand miles and just started a job. If you're new, welcome :) My stories get updated when I have a new chapter written lol. Hope y'all liked this one.
Tony Stark is a inquisitive person. He asks questions to try and find out how things work or why something is. So right now, it's not that Tony is fixing everything. Lucius Malfoy has plans swirling around. Barty Jr. is still out there. He can't necessarily stop Umbridge because she uses the same system that Tony is. But some of these earlier things, since Tony has a proxy lordship and no ties to either faction? He gets more headway than others could.