Chapter Text
June 17, 1997- Hog’s Head Inn
The air inside the Hog’s Head was thick with pipe smoke and the scent of stale ale. The place had always been a haven for the secretive and strange and tonight Albus Dumbledore had come seeking both.
He sat in the dim corner opposite a trembling woman in layers of shawls and beads, Sybil Trelawney, the last living descendant of the Seer Cassandra Trelwaney herself wrung wer hands nervously aroudn her shot glass.
“So you are the Headmaster of Hogwarts?”
“Indeed,” Dumbledore said kindly “I am seeking a Divination teacher and was told your possess the sight.”
Trelwaney nodded uncertainly, her eyes darting through the bar as if someone would jump them at any moment.
“My great-great-grandmother’s gift runs thin in our bloodline now, I’m afraid my talents are… temperamental.”
Dumbledore smiled “Even temperamental gifts are rare, please tell me what you see.”
Trelwaney straightened her back, drawing in a slow, shaking breath, her fingers trembled then stilled as the air shifted.
The smoke seemed to freeze mid air, the candlelight flickering low as though afraid to burn, her voice, when she spoke again was not her own “The one with the power to destroy the dark lord approaches, born of iron and light as the seven months dies, born beyond the reach of the magical world yet bound to it by fate, the child shall be taken from the hands of the muggles and raised among our own, to parents who have thrice defied the Dark Lord shall he be given, and the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but one must strike down the other as neither can live while the other survives, One shall rise to save the entire world or cast it into endless flame.”
The candles flickered out, a glass shattered on the counter and somewhere the wind howled as it picked up speed.
Trelwaney gasped and blinked, confused “Oh forgive me Headmaster did I dirft off? I often do that after-”
“No my dear, you’ve done splendidly, I think you will make a wonderful Divination Teacher.” Dumbledore said, thinking of the prophecy. He had heard of only two in his lifetime and both had changed the world
-
July 31, 1997- Malibu, California
The soft ocean breeze could be heard outside the walls of the Stark residence as Pepper Potts, now Pepper Stark, lay half-asleep, one hand resting against the swell of her belly, the faintest flutter beneath her skin made her shift, and then she froze as her eyes shot open, the bedding underneath her suddenly felt warm and wet “Oh no… oh, no no no…”
She turned, groaning, to find her husband face-down on his side of the bed, snoring softly into his pillow, one arms hanging off the mattress.
“Tony.”
No answer, just a louder snore.
“Tony.”
She shoved his shoulder, nothing.
Finally with an angry glare she kicked him off the bed, Tony hitting the floor with a grunt “Ow-what the hell- Pepper?” Tony demanded, looking up disoriented, hair a mess as he blinked through the dim light “Is it morning already? Did I sleep through-”
“You didn’t sleep through anything and you’re not sleeping through this! My water just broke!” she shouted, clutching her abdomen as another cramp rolled through her.
“What like broke broke?” Tony asks, his voice rising as he got to his feet “As in the baby is coming now?!”
“YES NOW!” Pepper snapped through gritted teeth, gripping the bedframe as another contraction hit her.
Tony spun around the room “Ok, ok, uh Jarvis! Call a doctor! Or an Ambulance! Or hell call Rhodey! He’s good under pressure!”
“NOT RHODEY!” Pepper yelled, voice cracking between a laugh and groan “A DOCTOR TONY!”
“Right, right, doctor. Jarvis, you heard the lady, let’s move stat!”
“At once, sir” came the AI’s calm voice as Tony ran toward the door, still in only his pajama pants “Don’t move, I mean, move if you have to but uh- don’t…”
“TONY!”
“RIGHT! GOING NOW!”
The next few hours blurred together in a haze of motion, voices, and pain.
Tony tried pacing, holding her hand and not fainting, all in rapid succession,. Pepper alternated between clenching his hand so tightly his knuckles went whiter and threatening to kill him if he made one more bad joke.
“You’re doing amazing, Pep-”
“DON’T. TALK!”
“Ok, no talking, silent support mode, Jarvis remind me to patent that-”
“TONY!”
By the time the doctor arrived, surrounded by a team of nurses and a portable monitor, Pepper was in deep labor, hours passed as contractions came like waves, and then a single cry split the air.
Tony froze as the doctor smiled beneath his mask, “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Stark, it’s a boy.”
Pepper’s tears came unbidden as they placed the small, wrinkled bundle in her arms.
The baby’s cries softened as he nestled against her, tiny fingers curling instinctively against her chest, Tony stood at her side, utterly still, his world reduced to the quite rise and fall of his wife’s breathing and the sounds of his son.
“He’s perfect.” Pepper whispered.
Tony swallowed hard, trying to smile though the lump in his throat “He… really is.”
The doctor glanced between them “Have you thought of a name?”
“Henry, Henry Anthony Stark.” Pepper whispered as she brushed a stray curl from the baby’s forehead.
Tony nodded slowly, “Henry it is.” he reached down, one trembling finger brushing over his son’s hand “Hey there little guy, welcome to the world. Sorry it’s a bit… complicated.”
The doctor cleared his throat “I recommend we get Mrs. Stark and the baby to the hospital for a proper check-up, just to make sure everything is how it should be.”
Pepper nodded, smiling tiredly “That sounds fine.”
Tony looked down at her, the baby sleeping soundly against her shoulder and for the first time Tony felt very small.
Two hours later Rhodey and Happy would arrive at the Hospital, expecting to meet the newest Stark, only to hear Tony yelling “WHERE IS HE!? WHERE’S MY SON?”
-
The Doctor that had helped delivered the baby and a nurse walked through the parking lot under an invisibility cloak, no one heard them, no one saw them.
They reached the far end of the lot and turned into an empty alley, the two switching from the muggle scrubs into their auror uniforms “Portkey ready.” the man said as the woman nodded and with a crack! They disappeared into the night air.
Days later, Lily and James Potter were cooing over their newborn son, they had both wanted children for a long time but had been informed James was sterile after a battle against a group of Death Eaters in Diagon Alley.
-
November 1, 1998
Dumbledore walked down the road, using a spell to keep himself and the newly orphaned Harry Potter dry, pausing as he saw the name ‘Hawthorn and Otters’ on the mailbox, as he let out a small smile.
The door opened almost at once, a tall witch with chestnut hair and green eyes met him, wand in hand but softening as she saw him.
“Headmaster, you made it through this weather, Please come in.”
“Thank you, Katherine,” Dumbledore smiled, adjusting Harry as he followed her, the sounds of a child’s laughter could be heard somewhere from above, Katherine’s son Caleb no doubt.
Katherine’s gaze fell to the bundle in Dumbledore’s arms, her smile fading, replaced by a sad smile “So it’s true then…” she whispered “Lily and James…”
Dumbledore’s eyes closed briefly “Gone, Voldemort as well though not destroyed I suspect.”
He moved the baby’s bangs, revealing a lightning bolt on his forehead “Merlin…” Katherine whispered.
“He will need a home,” Dumbledore said softly “A safe one, Lily and James trusted few and you were among them.”
Katherine nodded slowly, eyes misting “We’ll take him, of course we will. Winter and I talked about it when heard the news.”
She took Harry from Dumbledore’s arms, cradling him with ease as Harry whimpered once then settled against her shoulder, tiny fingers curling against her robe.
“Shhh little one, you’re safe now.” Katherine whispered as she headed down the hall, Dumbledore following her as they stepped into a child’s nursery, a woman with white hair and purple eyes playing with a little baby in the middle of the room, Dumbledore noting with amusement that half the room was decorated in blue and silver eagles and the other side was decorated in green and silver little snakes, the eagles and snakes moving around the wallpaper.
Two sturdy cribs were on opposite sides, both decorated in Ravenclaw and Slytherin colors, Winter Otters standing up as she adjusted Caleb on her hip “She insisted on splitting the room,” Katherine said, a small smile on her face “Blue and bronze for my house, Green and Silver for hers.”
Winter shrugged, smiling as she watched Katherine lay Harry in one of the cribs, the boy yawning as he snuggled into the blankets.
“Caleb, this is your brother.” Katherine told the boy, Caleb’s purple eyes lighting up as he stared at the new boy in the crib “Ha’y” he babbled.
Winter laughed softly “Close enough.”
Dumbledore watched the interactions, eyes misting as he turned to Katherine “Thank you, I can think of no better place for him.”
“You did the right thing bringing him here, He’ll have a home, a family, and a brother and hopefully many other siblings who will adore him.”
Dumbledore inclined his head “Then my work tonight is done.”
And with one last look at the two boys, Albus Dumbledore left the house.
Two days later, he watched as Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband and brother-in-law were sentenced to death alongside Barty Crouch Jr. for the attack on Alice and Frank Longbottom, Bellatrix declaring that the dark lord would return and that she was carrying his child to the shock of them all. The two Lestrange brothers and Barty Crouch Jr was executed a few hours later via being thrown through the Veil of Death, but Bellatrix’s execution would be held off until after she gave birth to a boy, Bellatrixwas thrown through the Veil as Dumbledore vowed to take the baby in, he wouldn’t allow him to follow his father’s footsteps.
-
August 13, 2001
Obadiah Stane was not a happy man, he was less than pleased that Tony had wasted so many resources and money on finding that little brat of his, and now the man was tied between looking for his firstborn and helping with the newborn Stark Twins Harley and Peter.
No, Obadiah decided that Tony’s time was up, he would get rid of him before long.
Just like he got rid of Howard and Maria Stark all those years ago.
-
July 9, 2002
“The truth is,” Tony paused, seeing Pepper, Rhodey and Happy watching him, Harley and Peter curled in their mother’s arms, “I am Iron Man!” Tony announced to the crowd, pictures snapping as reporters jumped out of their chairs, shouting for him to answer their questions.
-
February 8, 2003
Tony stared at the footage of the Stark Drone. He had sent it there when he had detected a large anomaly froze in the ice, and to his shock the anomaly was none other than an airplane from around the 40’s by the look of it, and beside the plane was a faint life signature, Tony seeing a man frozen by the plane.
And beside the man was a familiar red, white and blue Shield with a star in the middle of it.
-
May 9, 2005- Hawthorn-Otters Household
Katherine hummed to herself as she worked, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, flicking her wand as she levitated a bucket of feed to the Mooncalves who nuzzled her affectionately as she filled their trough.
Inside the house she could hear Winter reading to Caleb, Samuel and Olivia, the sound of Olivia’s laugh drifting through the windows bringing a smile to her face, thinking of the small family that had slowly grown over the last seven years.
Katherine turned to fetch another bucket and froze, across the field, just beyond the low garden wall she spotted a flash of movement where Harry was currently playing, thinking it was just a toy that Harry had drug out before she realized what it was.
A snake.
A very, very big snake that was curling around Harry.
“Sweet Merlin.” Katherine muttered, wand in her hand as she walked to her son who looked up with a smile, but what stopped her wasn’t the snake but the sounds Harry was making, soft hisses coming from the boy as he giggled and hugged the snake as he locked eyes with his mother, Katherine realizing with a start the boy was speaking Parseltongue.
“MAMA LOOK! HIS NAME’S NERRIS! HE WAS HIDING UNDER THE SHED ‘CAUSE IT GETS TOO COLD DOWN THERE!” Harry said excitedly as Katherine forced a smile and knelt down “Oh, does he? That’s very nice of you to help him dear,”
Harry beamed “He said he likes me and I sound like one of them!”
Katherine’s throat tightened “That’s very special Harry, not many people can talk to snakes.”
Harry’s eyes widened “Really? But it’s so easy! You just talk and they listen.”
The snake uncoiled slightly, almost nuzzling the boy in an affectionate manner.
“Do you talk to animals a lot sweetie?” Katherine asks, staring at the massive snake as it locked eyes with her.
Harry shook his head “No, just Nerris. The other animals don’t talk like him.”
Katherine reaching out, brushing his bangs back “I see… well Nerris seems like a very good friend.”
Harry nodded enthusiastically, “He says he likes this place… Mama why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something bad?”
Katherine felt her heart twist as she stared into his eyes “No, darling it’s not bad, just very rare and very special, but maybe don’t show it to everyone alright, not everyone understands special things.”
Harry nodded as Katherine smiled “Good boy, now how about we bring you both inside and introduce Nerris to your Mommy?”
Harry cheered and took her hand, Nerris following as they entered the house.