"This is Daredevil," Harry said, introducing the man in the dark red suit who merely nodded at the boy.
"That's Spider-man," Harry continued, his arm draped over Teddy's shoulder, as he gestured towards the last male of the group.
"Hey, Teddy. Nice to finally meet you. Heard a lot of stories," Spider-man said.
"You have?" a wide-eyed Teddy asked.
"Sure. Can't stop old Mage here from talking about you. Gotta say, some of those pranks he's told us about," Spider-man thumbed his chest twice. "Respect, man."
"And I'm Squirrel Girl," the only girl said, bouncing forward to give Teddy a brief hug.
Minerva was sure that she whispered something in Teddy's ear, at least judging by the way he gave a quick nod.
"Nice to meet you, Squirrel Girl," Teddy laughed when she pulled back.
"I hear you're coming to the Big Apple next summer," Tony said.
"As long as Grandmother says I can," Teddy replied.
"She has," Harry replied, eliciting another huge smile from the boy.
"Great. Well, you get bored hanging out with him," Tony continued, cocking a thumb at Harry, "you can bunk with the cool people in the Tower."
"Really?" Teddy asked, sounding disbelieving.
Any response to the question was cut off as a silvery ferret ghosted into the Entrance Hall to stop in front of Minerva.
"Headmistress," the patronus began and Harry burst out laughing.
"Malfoy's patronus is a ferret!" he exclaimed, before instantly cutting off and sobering as the patronus continued.
"Thirty-two of your students and two of your professors are currently being held at our … pleasure. They will remain safe for the time being. Their safe return is dependent on a simple exchange. One student for a person of our choosing currently being held at the Ministry's … pleasure. The names of the first six persons that we wish in exchange will be sent to you in one hour."
With that, the patronus, faded from view.
A concussive blast was needed from Minerva's wand to restore order to the panicking students that had heard the demand. A quick sonorous was applied to the Headmistress' voice.
"All students report to their common rooms immediately. Heads of Houses please do a head count and report to me any missing students."
"I take it you know that voice?" Clint asked Harry.
"Draco Malfoy," Harry spat. "We went to school at the same time. For most of the war, he worked for the other side but switched just before the final battle. I thought that he'd reformed after his family's property and vaults were seized. He's been working as an Auror, a magical policeman, for the last eight or nine years, trying to change his image. Guess he was just biding his time."
"It is fair to say that this Draco Malfoy and his accomplices are the ones controlling the Dark Elves," Thor guessed.
"Could they have gone far?" Daredevil asked. "Moving that many children would not be an easy task."
"With magic, it is," Harry replied, "but the wards around Hogwarts would mean that they would have had to walk out. If I had to guess, I'd say that they're holed up in the Forbidden Forest."
"Now that doesn't sound creepy at all, does it?" Spider-man stated sarcastically.
Harry gave him a pointed look. "It's named that for a reason. There're a lot of creatures in there that are incredibly dangerous. Not that that ever stopped me from going in there."
"No, it didn't," Minerva replied as she turned away from four silvery animals. "It is confirmed that thirty-two students are missing. It sounds like the second year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Herbology class and the third year Care of Magical Creatures class."
"Neville!" Harry gasped.
"I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but yes, Professor Longbottom is one of the two professors missing; the other being Duncan O'Grady, our OWL COMC professor," Minerva confirmed.
Harry instantly got a very determined look on his face.
"I'll be back as soon as I find them," he said, taking a couple of steps towards the doors.
"Hey!" Clint said, grabbing Harry's shoulder. "Reconnaissance only. We're here as a team, remember?"
"That was all I had in mind," Harry assured him before running at the door, his body shrinking and changing as he went until, with a mighty flap of his wings, he soared through the doors and away.
"What?" Spider-man exclaimed. "I've never seen him do that before!"
"Was that?" Tony asked, spinning towards the Headmistress. "Please. Please, tell me that was what I thought it was."
"Mister Potter's Animagus form," Minerva said with a smile. "An impressive piece of magic that he's not long mastered."
"Yes, yes," Tony waved off. "But the type of bird!"
"Oh. Yes. He's a sparrowhawk," Minerva confirmed.
"YES!" Tony exulted, pumping both fists in the air. "I knew it! He is so never going to live this down."
Tony looked like all his Christmases and birthdays had come at once – it was no wonder that Harry had been appalled at his form. Minerva grinned like she hadn't in years: it was about time one of the Marauders was paid back for all the mischief that they'd caused.
ooo00ooo
Ged – and that being his Animagus name, Harry knew, was going to take a whole lot of time to get used to – sat high in the branches of an ancient oak, surveying the hollow below him.
Really, it hadn't been all that difficult to find where Malfoy, his cronies, their controlled Dark Elves and the hostages were – there wasn't exactly that many places within the Forbidden Forest with a clearing large enough to hold them all. Not to mention far enough away from the centaurs who wouldn't take kindly to intruders, especially intruders with ill-intent towards the young.
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