I do not attempt to claim ownership of Marvel Comics or the Harry Potter series.

FORGED IN FIRE

Issue #8

'In The Heat of the Moment'

Afghanistan

Raza clawed himself away from the cave mouth, one side of his face burnt and charred.

Ranting in his native tongue, Raza reached out to grab at sand, only for his hand to land on something more solid.

Pushing himself to his knees, Raza lifted up the object, revealing it to be the Riddle Diary, the hole in the center leaking black ink.

Hello, Raza.

"Malfoy?"

You may have failed me, but you can still be of use.

A black spirit rose from the damaged book, enveloping Raza and consuming him as he screamed.

The black smoke faded, revealing Raza once again, his eyes a malevolent red and his face gaunt and demonic.

Raza raised his hand, flicking it, but to no effect.

Raza sighed. "No magic, but we can fix that."

Turning around, Raza stared at a sixteen-year old version of Tom Riddle.

Riddle nodded, before falling to one knee. "That we shall, Master."

Stark Mansion, Malibu / 06.05.2009

"Let's be honest, Stark Industries is screwed," spoke a commenter on the TV.

"The only way this can be pulled back is if the Board of Directors kicks Stark out and revokes the freeze on trading," argued another person.

"This is a move that independent organisations have been protesting and pleading for for years," added a third interviewee. "This is step towards accountability and-"

Pepper sighed, shutting the TV off.

Picking up the mail, Pepper walked down the stairs, reaching the door to Tony's workshop, inputting the keycode and opening the door.

"Pepper, good timing."

Walking further into the workshop, Pepper stopped at the sight of Tony lying on a reclining chair, Yinsen holding his miniaturised ARC reactor, a thick cable leading into Tony's chest.

"What the hell is this?" questioned Pepper, taking in the sight, as well as two teenagers leaning on a workbench.

"The ARC reactor I built in a cave isn't exactly the most reliable," admitted Tony. "The new one's got a built in electromagnet, so the electromagnet in my chest needs removing, and your the only one with small enough hands."

Pepper stared at Tony, her face giving the clear answer of 'no, god no'.

"Don't worry, I'll guide you through it," assured Yinsen.

Pepper stared at Tony for a few seconds. "Fine. But you tell me why you have two teenagers if what can be legally defined as a basement."

Tony nodded, leaning back. "Sure, let's do that, Pinky and the Brain, tell us your life stories."

Draco and Harry looked at each other.

"Okay, where to start?" murmured Harry. "Ah, my birthday, July 31st, last year, I was staying a pub, the Leaky Cauldron, it was late at night…"

Harry Potter was no ordinary thirteen year-old.

After all, how many thirteen year-olds would spend the early hours of their birthday pouring over books of spells and potions hungrily, desperately searching for answers…

…the feed to Stark Industries cut, the conversation moving back the newsroom, presenters arguing over every insane topic that came to mind, was Tony Stark crazy? Was he a terrorist now? Why wouldn't he do his patriotic duty?

Harry turned the TV off. "Now this is where the fun starts."

Two hours, one cardiac arrest and many questions later Pepper Potts was caught up on the full story, not only of Tony's imprisonment, but the stories of Harry, Draco and the wider wizarding world.

"So, you're immortal?" questioned Pepper, cleaning her hands as Yinsen finished fitting the new ARC reactor.

Harry shrugged, "I think so."

"And you have a portion of the soul of the Dark Wizard who killed your parents in your head?" queried Pepper, receiving a nod in agreement. "And he allowed you a portion of his skills and memories so he could convince you to allow him possess you, is that right?"

"Pretty much."

"Do you just attract this weirdness, or do you go looking for it?" questioned Pepper, turning to Tony as he stood up, pulling on a tank top.

"Honestly, a bit of both," smirked Tony. "Anyway, Pepper, would be so kind to show our guests to their rooms."

Pepper looked at Tony for a few seconds. "This way…"

"Not you," spoke Tony quietly, grabbing Draco's arm as he moved to follow Yinsen and Harry, stopping him. "We're going to have a chat."

Draco shrugged, pulling his arm free and leaning against a workbench.

"I don't trust you," stated Tony, sitting on his chair and sliding over to a workbench.

"Good, you're not an idiot," replied Draco, examining his nails, his face the picture of boredom.

"Why did you come here?" asked Tony, absentmindedly playing with a screwdriver.

Draco raised one perfectly-sculpted eyebrow. "To keep an eye on Potter."

Tony snorted, "I didn't want the lie you're telling the world, I want the truth."

Draco regarded Tony, a new respect in his eyes. "Fine, I want revenge on the Dark Lord, and Potter is the only one who can stop him."

"Why?"

Draco sighed. "My father was never a good man, I know that now, but he was a good father, a caring father, he fixed anything I asked to be fix."

"But that diary, it corrupted him, made him cruel, a caricature of the man he was," admitted Draco. "He started hitting my mother, she wanted to leave him after that, but she wouldn't leave me, that's why I agreed to train with my grandfather."

"So she would leave," realised Tony.

"I don't care about muggles or blood-traitors, but one thing I do care about, is family," continued Draco. "The Dark Lord, no, Voldemort, destroyed my family, and I will do anything to get my revenge, even teaming up with Potter."

With that, Draco pushed off from the workbench and left the workshop.

Tony sighed, before spinning around in his chair.

"That went well."

Harry sat on the bed, looking around at the room he would be staying in for the foreseeable future.

Clicking his fingers, a flickering flames sprung from Harry's hand.

"When did things get so weird?"

All he'd wanted to do was escape from the Dursleys for 10 months of the year.

Harry sighed, pushing himself to his feet and entering the bathroom.

Running water at the sink, Harry splashed it on his face and straightened up, looking in the mirror to see his reflection.

"How am I supposed to be the hero everyone wants?" questioned Harry.

"You're no hero."

Harry blinked, his reflection had changed, resembling a thirteen-year old Tom Riddle.

"You never were, when Dudley and his friends came you would run, and hide," hissed the reflection. "You went after the Philosopher's Stone to save your own skin, and the only reason you went down into the Chamber was to stop Hogwarts closing, it was never about saving Ginny."

"Shut up," stated Harry.

"You're nothing but a coward," sneered the reflection. "You should be happy to be here, hidden away, Stark can be the hero, and you can cower behind him."

"Shut up!"

"What do you even have to fight for?"

"SHUT UP!"

Harry punched the mirror, a spider-web of cracks covering the surface.

Breathing heavily as he slowly calmed, Harry stared at the broken mirror, numerous reflections of his face staring back at him, returned to normal.

"I won't become him," spoke Harry. "I can't."

Taking a deep breath, Harry turned and exited the bathroom, grabbing his trunk and dropping it onto his bed.

Opening the lid, Harry grabbed a bundle of clothing and Quidditch gear, dumping them on his bed.

Grabbing his beige Quidditch trousers, Harry pulled them on, followed by the worn and baggy blue hoodie.

Moving over to the mirror, Harry grabbed his Quidditch pads and his Gauntlet, pulling the latter onto his right arm, pulling the pads on over his knees and left forearm.

Staring at his reflection, Harry flicked his Gauntlet, changing the trousers black and his hoodie orange. Taking the potion satchel from his truck, Harry charmed in indestructible and threaded it into his belt, resting at the left side of his waist.

Flicking his gauntlet at a old scrap of parchment, Harry transfigured it into a black domino mask and fitted it to his face, his eyes turning a blank white.

"I won't become like Riddle," stated Harry as he stepped backwards. "I will be a hero, in spite of him."

Tightening his fists, Harry focused as hard as he could, before he was suddenly engulfed in flames and vanished.

Downtown LA

"Tell me where the papers are!" demanded a woman, her face partially covered by a black goggles, holding a suited man up by his hair, his face bloodied and bruised.

The suited man spat a glob of blood at the woman. "Screw you, Kalkofen."

The masked men surrounding them moved forwards, itching to beat the suited man.

Kalkofen held up her hand, stopping her goons. "Now, now, Mendez, there's no need for such rudeness."

"There's no way I'm telling you where the papers are," spat Mendez. "But I will tell you that you'll never find them."

Mendez pushed himself up to his knees, a hollow laugh echoing from him lips, "go on, kill me! But you won't win."

Kalkofen face hardened, drawing a knife. "So be it."

Tossing the knife up, Kalkofen caught it in a different grip, before bringing it down towards Mendez when a flash of scarlet struck her hand, the knife spinning out of her grip.

"Who's there?" demanded Kalkofen, turning towards the darkness, her goons lining up behind her.

Orange flames lit up the shadows, revealing Harry, his arms covered in fire.

"Who the fuck are you?" demanded Kalkofen.

Harry glared at her, not saying a word, preparing himself.

Kalkofen face twisted into frustration at the lack of response. "Get him!"

Harry readied himself, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

Five-year old Harry Potter ran down the hallway of Number 4, charging out the door as Vernon chased him, his face a dangerous purple, Harry's end-of-term report in his meaty grip.

Eight-year old Harry Potter raced across the school playground avoiding Piers Polkiss, and dodging another of Dudley's goons.

Ten-year old Harry Potter ran across the living room of Number 4, Hogwarts letter in his grip.

Eleven-year old Harry Potter made a break to escape the Mirror Room, Philosopher's Stone in his pocket, Quirrelmort stood in front of the Mirror of Erised.

Twelve-year old Harry Potter ran down the Chamber, away from the Basilisk of Slytherin.

Thirteen-year old Harry Potter charged at the goons, gathering a ball of flames in his hand and throwing it at the first of his attackers, slamming him into the wall.

Ducking the swing of a metal pipe, Harry span around and caught it with his gauntlet, before he heated up his hand, melting the pipe.

Another goon yelled, pulling a gun and firing repeatedly at Harry's back, shot after shot thudding into him, blood beginning to soak his hoodie.

Turning to face the goon, Harry slowly walked towards him as he dropped the gun and fell to his knees.

"Please, please don't kill me!" begged the man.

Harry stared at the goon for a few seconds, before lashing out, hitting him in the head and knocking him out.

Reaching into his potions satchel, Harry grabbed a Bulgeye Potion, tossing the vial of green liquid at two of the goons. Raising his gauntlet, Harry fired a repulsor blast at the vial, shattering the vial and vaporising the potion.

The two goons screamed and clutched their head as their eyes swelled up, collapsing to their knees.

Turning to face Kalkofen and the three remaining goons, Harry charged, ducking under the punch of one of the goons and aiming his gauntlet at him.

"Carpe Retractum!"

An orange jet of light fired from the palm of Harry's gauntlet, latching onto the goon's forehead. Gripping the rope of energy, Harry pulled with all of his enhanced strength and stepped to one side, slamming the goon into the wall of the alley.

A punch struck Harry, dazing him before he recovered to see the final two goons standing over him.

Raising his gauntlet, Harry placed his thumb over the ARC reactor in his palm and cast a stunner, splitting the beam and sending both the goons flying in opposite directions.

Pushing himself to his feet, Harry brushed himself off and looked towards Kalkofen.

"What are you? Some kind of freak?" spat Kalkofen. "This isn't your fight, you don't need to play the hero, leave now and I'll let you live."

Harry chuckled, before tensing up his arms and gathering a ball of flames over his chest before releasing it, slamming into Kalkofen's chest and blasting her back, landing further down the alley, unconscious with a phoenix-shape burnt into her chest.

Releasing a deep breath, Harry cleaned the blood from his hoodie and repaired the bullet holes, before turning to walk away.

"What are you?" questioned Mendez as he clambered to his feet.

Harry turned his head to look back. "Like she said, I'm just a freak, a freak trying to be a hero."

Gathering orange flames over his entire body, Harry propelled himself into the air, shooting off into the sky in blaze of fire.

Releasing a whoop of joy, Harry shot through the sky, rolling and looping, even flying on a broom wasn't as good as this.

Edwards Air Force Base, California

"Sir! Major!"

Major John Allen looked up from his command post, hearing a technician calling for him, before striding over to her.

"What's the matter?" questioned Allen.

"We've got an unidentified object moving at incredible speeds," explained the technician, pointing to her screen, "and the energy readings are off the charts."

Allen studied the energy readings. "Report this to Division M and SHIELD, we have an 084."

Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts / 12.05.2009

The fireplace flashed green, Ignis stepping out of the flames to find Albus in the process of vanishing a destroyed mannequin and several severed vines.

Seeing only Albus in the office, Ignis reached up and removed her hood, allowing her red hair to spill out.

"Ah, Lily, how lovely to see you," greeted Albus, as he finished tidying up his office.

"Albus," replied Lily, taking a seat in a conjured armchair, as Albus took a seat in another. "Any reason your office looked like a warzone?"

Albus chuckled. "I have taken young Neville on as an apprentice, he has shown a prodigious ability for Herbomancy."

"An apprentice?" queried Lily. "After the last time?"

Albus inclined his head, "I swore I wouldn't take another apprentice after the unfortunate events in 1994, but Neville is a different story, he is a child of prophecy, he needs to be trained."

"You never trained Harry," responded Lily.

"I was wrong not to, that was a mistake," admitted Albus. "How is Harry doing, is he recovering after his rescue?"

"Physically, he's fine," answered Lily. "Mentally, not so much, the effects of torture have taken a toll on him."

"Is he safe?" queried Albus.

"He is," nodded Lily.

"How is he coping with, well, your return?"

Lily looked down. "He doesn't know."

Albus frowned. "Where is he?"

"Los Angeles," admitted Lily. "The bond between him and the soul fragment has been strengthened by the torture inflicted to him, the more he embraces negative emotions, the more Voldemort controls him. He will hate me, I bound him to that monster."

"I'm impressed," spoke Albus, making Lily look up in surprise. "Every single world you just said was spectacularly incorrect."

"Wait, what?"

"Harry is an orphan who has spent his entire life longing for his parents," answered Albus. "He has a capacity for forgiveness that is frankly, astonishing considering his upbringing."

Albus took a deep breath. "As for the fragment of Voldemort soul, that is a different matter."

Los Angeles / 14.05.2009

"You can't do this to me, this is an outrage!" shouted a man as he was dragged kicking and screaming from the Criminal Courts Building.

"Sure we can," retorted one of the arresting officers. "Embezzlement is a dangerous game to play when you're the DA."

Yelling in rage, the DA continued to struggle as he was lead to a waiting police car.

"Mendez!"

Detective John Mendez smiled from where he leant against the police cruiser. "Sir."

"You bastard!" roared the DA. "I'll kill you for this!"

"You can try," retorted Mendez, before addressing the arresting officers. "Take him the precinct, I'll meet you there."

The two officers nodded, forcing the DA into the back seat and climbing in the cruiser.

Mendez glanced around as the cruiser set off, quickly crossing the road and slipping into an alley.

"I know you're watching."

A thud sounded behind Mendez.

"Detective," greeted Harry.

"I wanted to thank you," spoke Mendez. "If you hadn't stepped in when you did, the papers proving DA Johnson's guilt would have been lost, no-one would have known where I left them."

"I didn't do this for thanks," replied Harry.

Mendez shrugged his shoulders. "Why did you do it?"

"Where I'm from, I'm called a hero for something that happened when I was a baby," admitted Harry.

"So you want to prove you can be a hero in your own right," realised Mendez.

"Something like that."

Mendez chuckled and turned to face Harry, only to find the alley empty.

"Damn, that's cool," grinned Mendez.

Kalkofen raced past pedestrians, uniformed officers chasing after her.

Seeing more officers coming from in front of her, Kalkofen cursed, she should have known that the DA would give her up in a heartbeat.

Turning right, Kalkofen charged down an alley, taking turn after turn in the hopes of confusing her pursuers.

Skidding to a halt, Kalkofen cursed at the sight of a dead end, a wall blocking her escape.

"Damn it!" yelled Kalkofen, punching the wall in anger as the sound of pounding feet got closer.

"I can help you."

Kalkofen span around, taking in the sight of a Pakistani man with a burnt face and a cultured British accent.

"Who the hell are you?" spat Kalkofen.

"Someone who wants revenge," answered Lucius calmly, spinning an ornate key around on his finger. "On the same person who gave you that burn."

Kalkofen reflexively pulled her jacket tighter around her, hiding the head of the phoenix burnt into her chest that peeked over the top of her t-shirt.

"How can you help me?" questioned Kalkofen. "They'll be here any second."

"All you have to do, is take my hand," instructed Lucius, holding out the hand with the key in it.

Kalkofen glanced from Lucius' hand to the direction of her pursuers and back to Lucius' hand.

"Screw it."

Kalkofen took Lucius' hand, before they both vanished in a whirl of light, the Portkey activating.

Rounding the corner, the police officers came to a halt at the sight of the dead end, their perp nowhere in sight.

Just to let you guys know, I've made a DeviantArt account where I am posting both the chapters of FiF and pixel art of my version of the Iron Man Mark I and Harry's makeshift suit. The link is in my bio if you want to check it out.