STARK EXPO – MAIN FLOOR – LATER THAT NIGHT
The Expo was in full swing. Displays of tech wonders buzzed, hovered, or glowed in every direction. The crowd milled about, dazzled by robotics demos, holograms, and sleek prototypes.
Harry stood between Rhodey and Amelia, his eyes wide as he took in a hovering car demo. But his head kept turning toward the main stage and the crowd beyond, clearly searching for someone.
Then he saw him — Tony Stark, cutting through the crowd like a rockstar in a sea of admiring onlookers.
Tony spotted him almost immediately, his cocky smirk softening just a bit. He quickened his pace and raised his hand. "There's my favorite troublemaker and my honey bear!"
Harry grinned and waved, stepping forward just as Tony reached them. Without hesitation, Tony pulled him into a quick one-armed hug. "You okay?"
"Yeah. It's… loud. But cool."
"Good. You'll get used to it. And if you don't, I'll build you noise-canceling headphones or something."
As they stepped aside from the main flow of the crowd, Tony gave a subtle signal. Happy, standing discreetly nearby, began quietly rerouting any press or over-curious guests away from their location. JARVIS activated localized crowd filters — anyone without high clearance or authorization would be rerouted around them without even realizing it.
Amelia noticed and gave Tony a small approving nod.
Tony tease his all but blood brother: "So, Rhodes. You brought a date to my party and didn't tell me?"
Rhodey rolled his eyes. "She's not my date."
Amelia dryly says "If I were, I'd have better taste."
Rohedy made a face while Harry cover his mouth to hide his smile seeing the look on his face.
Tony placed a hand over his heart, grinning. "Wow. First Hedwig gives me attitude, now you? I'm losing ground here."
Harry chuckled quietly, clearly enjoying the banter.
As the group began walking slowly toward a nearby prototype demo (something flashy with lasers and hover tech), Tony leaned down slightly to speak quietly to Harry. "You're doing good, kid. Stay close. And if anyone weird even looks at you, let me know."
"Weird like magic weird or tech weird?"
"Weird like… breathing-too-much-near-my-kid weird."
Harry blinked at that, surprised, then gave a tiny smile. "I let you know"
"Good boy, come, I show you my badass hovering car that our father made and later It blow up on its own"
STARK EXPO – A FEW MINUTES LATER
Unseen by the guests, on a rooftop above the Expo, A shadow moved. A figure in a dark cloak stood still, almost blending into the shadows. A faint pop in the air hinted at Apparition. The figure watched the Expo floor below, eyes narrowing as they scanned for something—or someone.
Back below, a flicker passed through JARVIS's detection field. Immediately, he contact Tony. "Sir, I've detected a disturbance above the Expo. Magical in nature."
Tony's easy smile didn't waver, but his tone in the comms dropped an octave. "How close?"
"One hundred twenty-three meters. Stationary. Watching."
Tony casually placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Hey Harry, how about we check out the Iron Man drone demo?"
"There's a drone version of you?"
"There was. They blew up a lot. We don't talk about it."
As the group moved toward the next area, Tony sent a silent signal to Happy, Amelia and Rhodey — eyes up.
Whatever was out there... they weren't alone tonight.
STARK EXPO – ROOFTOP – SAME TIME
Amelia Bones quietly stepped through a concealed access exit, wand drawn but tucked against her arm, her eyes scanning the rooftop and the area around it. The disturbance JARVIS reported was faint, but unmistakable—magical.
She narrowed her eyes, detecting magical residue still shimmering in the air. "Apparition. Recently. Someone was watching…"
With a flick of her wand, she sent a tracking spell into the night sky, her expression hardening. "Well then. Let's see who thinks they're clever"
STARK EXPO – MAIN HALL – SAME TIME
Tony walked Harry through the floor, talking fast, proudly showing off holographic displays and prototype suits. Rhodey kept a casual but watchful eye, occasionally steering Harry slightly if too many guests came close.
"And this beauty? Briefcase armor. Collapsible. Portable. Terrible for TSA."
Harry laughed, sticking close but eyes constantly flicking around. People were definitely looking—some out of curiosity, others as if trying to place him.
That's when some people approached them and start talking to Tony.
Feeling out of place, Harry leaned toward Rhodey. "I'm gonna walk back to Happy… don't wanna be in the way."
Rohedy chuckle. "You're not. But yeah, go ahead. He's over near the press bar. I'll keep my eye out."
Harry nodded and began walking toward the far side, toward where Happy was watching from a distance. Just as he turned a corner near one of the catering stations—
WHUMP! He bumped into someone.
"Sorry! I wasn't—"
"Ah, no, no, my fault. I had one too many of those 'Arc Cocktails.' Should've known a glowing drink was a bad idea."
The man chuckled as he steadied his glass, brushing a hand through his dark hair. He was in a sharp suit, loosened at the collar. A little disheveled. His eyes, though… even with a bit of alcohol in him, they were piercing and intelligent.
Doctor Stephen Strange. Only... not the man Harry would know years from now. This was pre-Kamar-Taj. Still arrogant. Still brilliant. Just not yet awakened.
Harry asked in concerned noticing him looking little dizzy. "Are you… okay?"
Stephen wave his hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just slightly embarrassed. Wasn't watching where I was going." Then he pauses, looking at Harry kinda confused. "You're… not someone I've seen around before. You what? A genius kid inventor or something?"
Harry shakes his head. "No. I'm with Mr. Stark."
Stephen raising a brow. "Oh, Stark's bringing protégés now. Guess the world really is shifting. What's your name, kid?"
"Harry. Harry… Potter."
The name gave Strange pause. A beat of silence. "Harry, huh? Well, my name is Doctor Stephen Strange... I remember my uncle's name was used to be harry too... Damn, I should make a call sometimes to check on him..."
Harry gave a polite smile.
"Well, Harry—careful around the big names here. They smile a lot, but they're sharks in suits." He gave him a wink and then stepped aside. "Nice bumping into you. Stay outta trouble."
As he moved on, Harry watched him go, feeling something oddly heavy about that brief encounter—like a pebble tossed into a lake that would ripple far down the line.
Just then, Tony walked over, wiping his hands after shaking a few too many people's hands. "Who was that?" he was briefly got worried when he didn't saw him with Happy, He looked around and found him speaking with someone who look oddly familiar.
"Just a doctor. Bit odd."
Tony look at the direction where said doctor went and blink. "Wait, was that Stephen Strange?"
"Yeah. That's what he said...You know him?"
"Yeah, kind of. Ego with a PhD. Neurosurgeon. Arrogant even when he's wrong—which is rare. Keep your distance."
"He was decent though"
"...Then he was drunk. Anyway, come on, I wanna show you something"