Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Avengers.

AN: The last chapter was still what I consider an introduction or prolog-but not discountable because it brings more characters into the story, this chapter is still Character Introductionish, and PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE THE FIRST 8 CHAPTERS HANDWRITTEN, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME ON THE COMPUTER TYPING THEM UP.

Spells

:Parseltongue:

Chapter 3

The aftermath of the battle was overseen by both SHIELD and the American MOM, during that time Harry was introduced to Nick Fury, the Director of SHIELD, who without hearing the teen's name, age, or nationality, proceeded to inform said teen that he would be joining the Avengers. Once Harry heard the order he gave a snort of disbelief. "I am only 14, I can't join your program." He interrupted Fury's speech.

"What do you mean, you're only 14!" Nick demanded causing the British wizard to chuckle.

"Underage, British, wizard." Harry stated slowly, as if to an infant, laughing at the looks of shock on the Avenger's faces.

:Master, why do you shake?: Zarena asked from her place, wrapped around the teen's wrist.

"SNAKE! Kill it!" Fury shrieked, much to Harry's amusement.

"Don't even try it, she won't harm anyone without orders from me." Harry warned, placing a protective hand over his familiar's head. :Zarena, keep your head down.: He advised her in a hiss.

"You can understand it?" Fury asked sharply, his tone holding a note of awe at the teen's talent.

"Yes, and speak HER language." Harry answered, putting emphasis on the her.

"Good, just keep her away from me." The SHIELD Director ordered the black-haired wizard gruffly.

"No problem." Harry assured, turning his mind and head to other matters. "Mr. Stark, have you managed to locate my Uncle and cousin?"

"No, I am sorry Kid, but the only record I found was on a Mrs. Petunia Dursley, and she has been confirmed dead." Tony answered gently.

"I know, I saw her die." Harry informed the group, his eyes dry. "Don't mistake my asking after them as if I actually like them or they cared even an iota about me, I was abused in their care." He admitted bluntly.

"Then why did you ask about them?" Hawkeye demanded sharply, shock filling his tone.

"They are my Muggle guardians, if they die, I have no choice who gets custody of me." Harry answered honestly.

"Muggles?" Thor asked, confused by the new word.

"Non-magical mortal humans." Harry stated, still in awe that a God was taking interest in him.

"So everyone here is considered Muggles?" Captain America asked, hoping to get the matter clarified.

"The only ones here that wouldn't be considered Muggles would be Thor, Loki, and myself." Harry responded, finishing his explaination when JARVIS spoke up.

"Sir, I have found both a Vernon and Dudley Dursley, they boarded a flight from JFK to Heathrow 3 hours ago." The AI told his creator.

"WHAT!?" Nick snapped sharply.

"There is also a note from them at the office of the Hotel they were staying at addressed to a Mr. Potter." It continued, causing Harry to groan aloud.

"Not again." He muttered, before growling in anger. "I will be back once I get that note." He told the group, turning to leave STARK Tower.

"Not alone, you aren't!" Captain America stated in a no-argueing tone.

"Captain America, I have survived much worse than walking alone, 3 blocks." Harry informed the man in a half-strangled voice.

"My name is Steve Rodgers, and who knows what the crazy fan-like people will do to you if you go alone." The soldier spoke in a softer tone this time.

"Mr. Rodgers, I have had crazy fans wanting to follow me since I was 15 months old, I will be fine." Harry snapped out in his anger.

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me this young man is HARRY POTTER!" Fury whined to everyone's shock, the confused expressions drawing more of an explaination from the normally tight-lipped man. "Wizarding World's Savior? The Boy-Who-Lived? Ring any bells?"

"And you wanted to hire me, despite knowing little to nothing about me. Also the newest name is Chosen One." Harry snickered at the man.

"You are going back to England, preferably soon, and I won't accept no as an answer on that matter." He warned the man.

"Kiddo, what's all this about?" Tony asked, wondering why the kid's identity was such a big deal.

"Well, you see, my name is-"Harry began his explanation when a pop of someone apperating had him spinning, crouched with his wand out, poised for an attack.

"Mr. Potter, the Headmaster wishes to see you. Now!" The wizard who popped in growled out, glaring at teen he hates so badly.

"Professor Snape, I am sorry, Sir, but until I get my stuff, and my guardians approve it, I am going nowhere." Harry answered his Potion's Professor in a distinctly rude tone.

"Potter, are you bleeding?" Snape demanded, worry flickering through his eyes before his normal mask of hate returned.

"I have no doubt I am injured, Sir, I just fought in a battle against Aliens." Harry snarked at the man. Snape's wand was out and casting diagnostic scans over the boy before the sentence was completed.

"Potter, don't lie to me! The majority of your injuries are over a 12 hour period old. A broken leg, 3 shattered ribs, cuts and severe scarring up and down your back and chest, a concussion, and a black eye; those are from before 12 hours ago. Since then you have gotten shards of glass into your scalp, and a few small cuts, plus a snake bite." Snape informed the teen, his complexion going even paler than normal. "Explain. This. Now!" Came the dark man's order.

"My male guardian, Uncle Vernon Dursley, is highly abusive towards anyone he considers freaks. He thinks that he can 'beat the freakishness out' of me. My scars are from school and the 10 years I spent in their care, being the equvilent of a house-elf, cooking 2-5 meals for groups of 5-10 people-but rarely getting to eat any of it, cleaning everything spotless-including the floors-with-a-toothbrush method, making me malnourished and short-obvious signs of abuse." Harry informed his least favorite professor in a dead tone. "If I failed to complete anything on a list of chores that would make Polyjuice Potion Ingredients and instructions look like a sentence, I would be starved, beaten, and locked either in Dudley's second bedroom or my cupboard under the stairs. I lived in the small cupboard under the stairs until my 4 ot 5 Hogwarts letter during the summer before my first year at school." His eyes and tone dead and no sign of any emotions was visable.

"So your saying that during the course of our entire battle you only got a few cuts?" Tony stated, shock causing him to blurt his thinking out.

"4 hours shooting spells is the least of my concerns, I have faced far worse." Harry assured the muggle blandly.

"Lily would kill anyone who dared to harm you so badly." Severus whispered, not realizing that the teen could hear him speaking.

"How did you know my mum, Professor?" He asked the stoic man.

"I grew up down the street from the Evans, I knew your aunt Petunia as Tunie." Snape admitted, eyes dropping in shame.

"She died earlier, I saw it happen." Harry informed the man, his face blank.

:He smells good, Master.: Zarena hissed, raising her head as she spoke while keeping her second lids closed as to not kill anyone.

"Zarena likes your scent, Professor." Harry told his Potions Professor, attempting to keep the smirk off his face.

"Probably the potions I work with daily. What breed is she?" He asked Potter, his tone admiring the serpent.

"Basilisk, she is my new bonded familiar." Harry answered bluntly to the suddenly scared wizard, his words not really helping belay the man's fears.

:Why does he scent of fear now, I will do him no harm unless he attacks you or me.: She hissed sadly, turning towards her bonded for an answer.

:He worries because you are a very deadly serpent, it would be easy for you to kill anyone who upsets you.: Harry hissed as an explanation to his new friend.

"What are you two talking about?" Severus asked, wonder and curiosity obvious to everyone.

"I was just reassuring her that she is safe." Harry lied to them, getting a hiss of anger from Zarena.

"Don't lie to me, Potter." Snape ordered leveling a light glare at the teen, amusement filling his eyes at his tattle-tale familiar.

"She asked why you suddenly smelled of fear, and I explained one possible reason." Harry bit out quietly, more upset at the words than having to truly answer his least favorite professor.

"Oh, I see."

"Sir I took the liberty to have Mr. Potter's things delivered by the manager, along with the note. She is currently in the elevator on her way up." JARVIS interrupted the two wizard's conversation, and shocking Severus with his voice echoing from no human.

"Humano Revelo!" The elder wizard cast the spell, trying to locate the source of the voice. All the humans began to glow due to the spell. "Show yourself!" He demanded sharply, pulling Harry closer to him in a protective reaction. He leveled a dark glare at Stark when the muggle began to laugh.

"JARVIS is an AI created by myself, a supercomputer that runs any Stark building or house. An electronic butler, if you will." Tony explained to the wizards, rolling his eyes at the elder wizard's glaring at everyone laughing at him. "Thank you, JARVIS."

"Of course, Sir, I am happy to help." The AI answered as the doors of the elevator opened, allowing a woman holding a small bag and an envelope to enter the room.

"Which of you is Mr. Potter?" She asked, her expression hard, only to become full of shock when Harry stepped forward. "I have your bag and a note from who you were staying with." She informed the teen, offering both to him as he moved to stand before her.

"Thank you, Ma'am, sorry for all the trouble I've caused for you." Harry spoke to the woman in a quiet but still polite voice.

"I also notified both the police and Social Services of your curcomstances, so you should expect a response from them eventually." The manager informed the teen sadly, her smile lacking any happiness. "And you should know that nothing you did caused your abandonment, it isn't your fault." She assured the wizard gently before turning and returning to work.

"Would you care to explain what is going on here, Mr. Potter?" Severus Snape requested shortly.

"I believe all of us are in the dark here, in some manner." Nick Fury pointed out to the older wizard.

"Well when my relatives picked me up from the Train Station..." Harry began his unexaggerated telling of the last day and a half, he told the group everything, not once embellishing or hiding the truth. Once he stopped speaking, having finished his explanation, the entire group looked like they wished to hunt down Vernon and Dudley for their treatment of the teen.

"Does Headmaster Dumbledore know how bad your life is with them?" The Potion's Master questioned in a deceptively calm voice.

"I have told him several times and things that should have at least resulted with him checking in on me personally, but I have never seen him at the Dursley Home." Harry answered to Snape's dismay and disgust.

"How long have you been treated in that manner?" Nick Fury demanded, absolutely appalled and infuriated with the information presented by the 14 year old.

"That was them going easy on me due to the unfamiliar people and laws. It usually is much worse then that." Harry admitted to the anger and shock of everyone, some of the reactions due to the blatant honesty from the teen.

"What do you mean by worse?" Natasha Romanoff whispered, unintentionally speaking her question aloud.

"I was only fed a slice of bread once a week, along with only 1 glass of water a day; I have been cooking breakfast and dinner everyday since I was 4, the only exception is during Hogwarts school year; I was cleaning the house top to bottom to OCD perfection since I was 3; I started the outdoors work when I was 5, from gardening to painting, cutting the grass to weedwacking/trimming bushes; and any attempt to go against their wishes, or that wasn't considered 'normal' got me beaten, kicked, hit, punched, chased around, and locked up in either my cupboard or Dudley's second bedroom." Harry informed them bluntly.

"How could a family treat one of their blood like that?" Thor asked in absolute horror.

"Because to them I am not family, I am their unwanted freakish burden; one forced upon them by my Headmaster." Came the grim answer, the response spoken in a dead-like tone.

"You're not a freak, Kid." Tony stated in a quiet, gentle, yet no-nonsense tone. "You are a brave, talented person, one who saved hundreds of people-including me- today alone." He added, slowly moving towards Harry. "You are a hero." His softly spoken words rang with honesty as he wrapped the teen up in his arms, the hug was meant as a comforting motion. "No one deserves to be treated like you have been." He assured Harry in the same tone.

At those words, Harry lost his battle against his tears. "Thank you." He whispered with a heart-wrenching sob. As he broke down in tears, Snape remembered that even though Harry looked like his father, the teen was his own person.

"Harry, Professor Dumbledore still is waiting on our arrival." The Professor reminded the now silently sobbing student. Harry lifted his head from Tony Stark's shoulder, having unintentionally buried his face in the multi-millionaire's shirt, with a sigh and walked towards his professor, dragging his jacket sleeves across his face as he moved away from the Muggle-based group.

"I will try to write you once I find out where I will be placed." Harry offered the group as he reached Professor Snape's side.

"You do that, Kiddo." Tony answered with a light smile.

"How are we returning to Hogwarts, Sir?" The teen asked, his entire being letting off waves of dejection.

"Fawkes." Came the predictable answer from the adult wizard. "Expecto Patronum! Headmaster Dumbledore, I have the boy, we are ready." Severus cast his patronus, a doe, to send the message. Less than 5 minutes passed before the Pheonix flamed into the room, both wizards reached out and took ahold of the tail feathers. The Magical Creature then flamed them away with a happy trill, transporting the three of them into the Headmaster's Office.