A/N: This is a crossover between essentially the Marvel Universe\Harry Potter. It takes place about five years before Iron Man 1. I hope you enjoy it, please read and remember to review at the end.
Alexandra Stark walked into a London orphanage with a wince of pain. The place was small and dusty. Obviously on its last leg. As she walked she saw faces of children turn to look at her hopefully. She stopped as a little hand grabbed her pants leg. When she looked down, her heart lurched in her chest. Big green eyes looked up at her own ice blue one, brimming with pain. She bent down and looked at the child, who winced back at close contact.
Lexi's eyes widened in shock at the bruise showing through the baggy clothes. "Child, who did this to you?" She asked softly, keen eyes not missing the flinch. An older lady came up behind her and frowned, "He came in a few days ago, left here by his abusive relatives. I have hopes that a family will adopt him before they are ordered to come back." The last half of the sentence was muttered. "What's his name?" Lexi asked, standing back up, but keeping close to the scared kid.
"Harry Potter. Apparently his parents were killed in a car crash and his aunt and uncle took him in." The worker sighed, "I'm Mrs Kline by the way." Lexi smiled at her and ran a hand through her dark red hair, while her mind was spinning, "Alexandra Stark." Mrs Kline's eyes widened and Lexi nodded in answer to the unvoiced question. Lexi looked back down at Harry in shock, this was her friends' son? Now that she looked closer, Harry did look a lot like James, even if his eyes were Lily's.
It was then that she made a decision, "Mrs. Kline, could I perhaps adopt little Harry please?" Mrs Kline's eyes filled with tears as she realized that one of the most powerful women in the world wanted to adopt Harry Potter. "Yes, of course dear, come with me." With that she led Lexi through the short hall and into her personal office.
"I am inclined to tell you a personal secret if you are to adopt Harry, Ms Stark." Lexi smiled at the graying woman, "I have no care of what you could tell me about him. I just want to give my friends' kid a nice home." Again she managed to cause Mrs Kline's eyes to widen. "You knew the Potter's?" Kline's voice was quiet and Lexi nodded. "Very well Ms Stark, I shall retrieve the adoption papers." Mrs Kline stated, seriousness entering her voice. Lexi watched as she placed papers in front of her.
A very short time later Lexi had just put up the pen and finished signing the papers when she sighed. She had officially (at least in the Mundane world) changed Harry's name from Harry James Potter, to James Sirius-Anthony Stark. Now all she had to do was change it in the Wizarding world. She stood up and handed the papers to Mrs. Kline, who only nodded and waved her on to get her now adopted son.
Harry-now James- was sitting in the same spot as when she left him. She got down on her knees and looked the small child in the eyes. "Do you know your name?" She asked, picking at a hunch. When he shook his head she smiled at him gently, "Well, I'm Lexi Stark. Would you like to come home with me?" She asked the four-year-old, who looked at her in shock and numbly nodded. She grinned at him and held out her hand, which he took hesitantly, "Do you have anything you need to take, anyone you want to say goodbye to?" She asked and frowned sadly when he shook his head.
"Okay, lets go then and I'll explain some things." She smiled down at her adoptive son and led him out of the building and towards her car. Once they were settled in the car she looked at James with a small smile, "Firstly, your name was Harry James Potter, although from today on, you will be known as James Sirius-Anthony Stark." She watched him in the rear-view mirror for a response. James's eyes widened in realization of the last name, which was the same as Lexi's and looked up in happy shock, meeting her icy blue eyes.
"Y-you ado- adopted me?" He asked, stuttering from lack of speaking and age. When she nodded, James smiled and hugged the bag of her seat. "I also need to inform you that we will have to make a quick stop before we head back to New York." She watched in amusement as he repeated the words 'New York'. She grinned at his nod and sped down the street.
Her car pulled into a space across from an almost rundown bar called The Leaky Cauldron, and she and James got out and crossed the street. As they entered Lexi slowly brushed James's hair across the scar so that it wouldn't be seen. Then she walked over to the doorway nearly hidden in a dark corner. She nodded at the old bartender as she and James entered the small room. "Um, Lexi? Did we come into the wrong room?" He asked her and looked confused as she just smiled.
"You can call me Mom if you want. And for the question, watch this." She used her fist to tap on certain tiles. Lexi grinned at James' gasp as the brick wall moved aside and revealed a bustling street full of colors and cloaked people. "James, I would like to welcome you to Diagon Alley. When we get to America I'll take you to a similar alley, but from here on out what you need to know is, YOU are a wizard James. One that will be very powerful." James looked up at his new mom with wide eyes, "I'm a w-wizard?" When Lexi nodded, James smiled up at her, "Now we need to go to Gringotts. I have a feeling what the goblins have to say will severely tick me off." James looked up, "Goblins?"
"Yep, goblins. They watch over all the Wizard Banks of this world. Since your biological parents are originally from over here, they probably have a vault at Gringotts." Lexi explained as they walked up the marble steps and into the huge building. James looked around in wonder at the high ceiling and designs as he followed his mom over to the counter. "Excuse me sir? Is there anyway my adoptive son here can figure out whether or not his has a vault here?" The goblin at the counter looked over at the dark red head, then down at the raven-haired boy and said, "Follow me please." The goblin then jumped down and led them to a office-like room, where he sat down behind the large desk.
"State your names and ages." He said, looking over the papers on the desk. Lexi stepped up, "My name is Alexandra Theo Stark and my son's name is James Sirius-Anthony Stark." She then lowered her voice, "It was changed from Harry James Potter." The goblin looked up in shock, "I'm sorry Ms Stark, but will you excuse me for a moment?" She nodded and followed the goblin's form as he hurried out of the room. "That was... interesting." She muttered, pulling James closer and looking down at him. He opened his mouth in a yawn and Lexi smiled, "You tired kiddo?" When he nodded she pulled him up in her lap and let him rest his head on her shoulder, laughing lightly as he curled into her arms and looked up at her.
'He's so small... Smaller than he should be at his age. What did those bastards do?' She thought watching his green eyes shut and smiled when his breathing evened. Her attention was drawn to the door when the previous goblin returned with another. She watched as the talked quietly and the new goblin nodded and waved the other away. He then entered and looked at the sleeping boy in Lexi's arms, "Ah, Ms Stark? My name is Griphook, I am the goblin in control of the Potter's account and vault here at Gringotts."
Lexi smiled, "Pleasure to meet you Griphook, and please, call me Lexi. I'm not important enough for 'Ms'." Griphook spared her a goblin grin and pulled out a box. "This, Ms. Lexi, is the Potter's Will." Lexi sat up straighter in shock, "They left a will?" She asked and Griphook nodded. "Before they went under the Fidelius Charm, they wrote a will marking those they wanted to receive certain things if they died. Would you like me to read it?" When Lexi nodded Griphook unfurled the parchment and began.
The Potter's Will
Being of sound mind, magic and heart, we Lord and Lady, James and Lily Potter declare our last will and testament.
First, if we should die before our son, Harry's 17th birthday, we leave him in the custody of Sirius Black, and if he is not available, Alexandra Stark, and so followed by our good friend Remus Lupin. Harry should by NO means be left in the hands of the Dursley's.
Second, to our good friends Remus, Lexi and Sirius we leave,
To Remus- the Potter family cottage in Aberdeen and 100,000 Galleons
To Lexi- the flat you helped us pick in upper New York City(you know the one), the advanced magic books in the Potter Vault and 100,000 Galleons
To Sirius- The lake house in Ayr, all our notes on Animagi and 100,000 Galleons
To our son Harry we leave the rest of our possessions and money, the main vaults are not to be used until he comes of age.
Lastly, the placement of 'magical guardian' should go to one of our three friends: Sirius Black, Alexandra Stark, or Remus Lupin.
Signed, Lily and James Potter Witnessed, Albus Dumbledore
Lexi shook in silent anger at the contents, "He was never supposed to go to those bastards. Griphook? Where is Sirius Black?" The goblin looked over the paper at her, "Sirius Black is in Azkaban for murdering Peter Pettigrew and blowing up a street of Muggles." Lexi sat back in shock, "May I ask a favor of you?" When the goblin nodded she sighed, "Could your medics look over James? I have a feeling that something else happened the night Lily and James died."
Griphook looked at the woman and nodded slowly, "If you will follow me, I will show you the way." Lexi shifted James's weight and stood to follow him. She was led through the maze of hallways and into a dimly lit room. What looked like a nurse came over, "This the boy? Set him here." He said, before nodding over to the table. Lexi nodded mutely and set her new son on the table. James shifted but didn't wake.
"Ms Stark, if we could speak over here, I here that you have changed his name in the Muggle world. Would you like to do so in the Wizard one as well?" Lexi smiled, "Yes sir." Griphook nodded and handed her a sheet of paper, "Then you need only to write your name and his new name of this paper. Be warned, the quill you are using is a Blood-Ink Quill*, it siphons your blood to use as ink." Lexi nodded and quickly signed the parchment. She stood, feeling a little light headed and moved over to her son.
"Is something the matter?" She asked, noticing the goblin's horrified look. "This boy has a Horcrux implanted in him." Lexi's eyes widened, "can you remove it without hurting him?" She asked with urgency, sighing in relief when the goblin nodded. "It will take about fifteen minutes." Lexi watched and waited as the nurse waved and instrument over James's head and a black mist slowly rose out of the scar on his brow. Thankfully it was over in the next few minutes and the nurse came back over, "Ms Stark, while I was extracting the Horcrux we found a magic block on your son's magical core. I succeeded in removing it as well, but unfortunately I have no idea as to what has been uncovered, I trust that you will be able to figure it out though." Lexi nodded and thanked the nurse.
With that Griphook led them down to James's trust vault, where Lexi took out a few Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. She also asked for a Mundane passport for James, and soon they were done and Lexi was setting her sleeping son down in the back of her car. With a quick safety charm and a Not-Notice-Me charm, she was driving towards the airport with a speed that would probably rival that of the Night Bus. She sighed and spared a look back at her newly acquired son and smiled. At least now James would have the life he should have.
*Blood-Ink Quill- It differs from the one that Dumbridge uses in OoP because it directly siphons the blood with out drawing it to skin.
And on a quick note, Alexandra Stark's Notes:
/Younger half-sister of Tony Stark(obviously)
Witch- attended Salem Magic Academy for six years and then transferred to Hogwarts
Friends with James, Lily, Sirius and Remus.
Has a small amount of Metamorphogus ability (mainly only changing her hair color and eye color)
Is about as powerful as Lily, if not less- she only makes up for it by also being a mutant with pyrokinesis and telekinesis
Was part of the OoP but quit after breaking a Loyalty Charm that was placed on her.
Has dark red,, almost black, hair and ice blue eyes
Fiery temper when it comes to her friends and family
Is different than her brother in the way that she sometimes thinks before she acts or speaks (unless it comes to her family)/
Thank you to those who read this first chapter and I hope to see you again when I write the next one and so forth. Please remember to review!