A/N: Hey guys, here's the bonus chapter! Hope you like it! Just a heads up, I'm considering Loki an Avenger by the loose definition and we're rolling like Loki's made up with everybody like he pretty much has with Thor. We're also working like Thanos never happened (because screw that guy) so Thor's still got Mjolnir.
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"So Tony, where's Alexa?"
I'd been trying to escape that question since I dropped Alexa off in September. I'd avoided going back to Avenger's Tower after getting back from England, but I couldn't stall or dodge the question all year. After almost two months of "dedicating myself to my research" and avoiding contact with anyone who would ask questions, I had to go back. Boarding school was the established cover story, but I really didn't think anyone would buy that.
I was tweaking my latest creation (a portable, hidden suit for Alexa), when Bruce of all people came into the lab and cornered me with the question.
"Uh... she's at boarding school." Normally I'd just tell the truth, but apparently this wizard thing being a secret was intensely enforced.
"Tony. You seriously expect me to believe that?" asked Bruce, stepping around my work counter to come closer and lowering his voice. "You told me what it did to you when your dad sent you to boarding school. You swore like your life depended on it that you weren't going to do that to her."
I paused, trying to decide what to do. It didn't take long for me to decide.
"It's magic school. Apparently she's a wizard, and she wanted to go." I started putting my tools away. Bruce wasn't going to be the only one asking this question, and I might as well save us all some time by getting it out of the way now.
Besides, the extended Avengers counted as her family. We wouldn't technically be breaking any laws by telling them.
"Wait, magic? Tony what did you just say?"
"Magic school. It's called Hogwarts. Terrible name if you ask me, but of course nobody did."
"Tony... do you have a fever? Maybe I should call Strange..."
"Bruce, I'm fine." I looked up from putting everything away held up my hands to prove it. "Just get everybody together in about an hour. If we're telling people, we're going all the way, and I'm not explaining this more than once."
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Just over an hour later, anyone who loosely fit the definition of an Avenger was gathered in the main room of the tower.
I waited until just after everybody took their seats to come down the stairs. Everybody looked up, and I had the full attention of the room.
"You wanna tell us why we're here instead of still asleep?" called Barton, arms crossed as he leaned back in the couch.
"You sure you ever woke up?" I asked. He just snorted, clearly too tired to respond. I ignored him and continued. "Alright, I called our biggest official meeting today to talk about Alexa. Rhodey and Strange, you already know everything I'm about to say, so you don't need to stay."
"I'll stay," Rhodey decided. "You need somebody to back up your crazy ass story."
"I'll stay, too," Strange said lazily. "I enjoy the company."
I rolled my eyes at that, but he didn't comment.
"Why do they get to know everything about Alexa and we don't?" asked Pietro.
"Okay, the whole point of this meeting is that you do get to know," I said, waving my hands to indicate the room. "And the sooner you all stop talking and let me explain, the sooner you'll stop having questions."
I paused, and grudgingly the noise in the room came to a stop. Everyone was looking at me.
"Good. So, you've all been wondering where Alexa went. I've avoided you and that question until now, so here's the truth: she's at a magical boarding school for wizards in England because she is one."
I stopped, and no one said anything.
"A wizard, that is. She is a wizard."
If anything, the room looked more shocked. I thought about asking Jarvis to take a picture, since it was the first time I'd seen genuine surprise and shock on the Black Widow's face, but I decided she would kill me if I tried.
"Tony. Do you seriously expect us to believe all this?" asked Steve, giving me that parenting look he sometimes gave Alexa.
"I don't really care if you believe it, as long as you don't keep asking me questions about where she went. I told you the truth, and it's up to you what you want to do with that information." I paused, then spoke again before anyone else could. "Actually, that's not true, you can't tell anyone outside this room about the wizard thing. They have some law about it, some Statute of Secrecy nonsense."
"I know this sounds like his usual bs, but he's actually telling the truth," said Rhodey, stepping in.
"It's true, I've been to the school," Strange agreed, pushing off from where he was leaning to the side of the room. Stepping in, late as usual. "She had a robe and a wand and everything."
"Didn't you also say you saw Gandalf?" asked Rhodey.
"Yes. I did."
"Okay, well, I got one question answered and now I have about a thousand more," said Bruce, shifting in his seat.
"Like the most important one: where is this school so that I may visit?" Thor interrupted, adjusting his grip on his hammer.
"Or more important: why haven't I heard of these people?" Loki added.
"Okay, look, if this is going to turn into a full-on press conference I need to be more comfortable than I am right now. Jarvis! Can we pull up my swivel chair from the lab?"
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We didn't finish with questions until almost twelve hours later. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for everyone to believe the story. I guess in a world of crazy aliens and magic, hidden wizards didn't seem that much crazier. The rest of my day was spent answering questions about the school, and about when Alexa would be home again.
Almost an hour was spent solely on convincing Thor that he couldn't go visit her, no matter what he wanted to try.
Finally, I answered all the questions and we got to sit down and eat some dinner.
We didn't all get together often, but whenever we did team-bonding dinners were basically mandatory. Alexa had started the trend a few years ago, and none of us had the heart to say no to her.
"I can't wait until Alexa gets back!" said Peter excitedly, pulling out a chair at the table next to Shuri. The two had become good friends since T'Challa and I introduced them, and I was starting to regret the choice just a little bit. "She's gonna be able to do actual magic!"
"Imagine everything we're going to be able to do with that!" agreed Shuri. They high-fived, and I made a mental note to have Jarvis on high alert for anything out of the ordinary as soon as Alexa came home.
"Imagine..." agreed Loki, staring off into the distance like he was lost imagining the possibilities. Much to my dismay, he'd become good friends with Alexa, Peter, and Shuri. Whenever I tried to say anything, the three of them just yelled at me or defended him.
On the bright side, I had no doubt that he really would murder anyone who messed with my kids.
"Alright, let's keep the mischief to a minimum," I said. "Alexa's not allowed to use her magic outside of the school until she's older."
Peter, Shuri, and Loki all looked disappointed.
"What constitutes older?" asked Wanda, reaching for a bread roll.
"Seventeen. Apparently that's the cutoff for a legal adult in the wizarding world."
"Good. It will be nice to have another type of magic user around." She smiled, using her powers to butter her bread and shooting a sly smile at Strange. I just shook my head. I'd dealt with enough stress so far today without thinking about all the trouble Alexa could suddenly be dragged into.
I was going to have to keep a close eye on her as soon as she got home.
We got about halfway through dinner without anything too weird happening. I was just starting to think about desert when an owl landed in front of me on the table.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." I reached out to take the letter from its claws, ignoring the storm of noise and incredulity around me and instead starting to read.
Dear Mr. Stark
We are writing to inform you of a recent event that has happened at the school. There was a break-in by a man named Sirius Black, who has not yet been caught. Rest assured we have heightened security to better protect your child, and everyone at Hogwarts is safe. We are confident Black is no longer in the castle, and it is unfathomable that he will manage to get on the grounds again without being caught immediately.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore
"What the hell?" I reread the letter twice before Clint reached across the table and ripped it out of my hands to read for himself.
"Who the hell is this Sirius Black guy?" asked Clint.
"I don't know, but I'm about to find out. Strange, let's go. Make your little portal. You're going back to that magic school and you're taking me with you," I decided, standing up from the table.
"We're coming too," decided Natasha, standing up with Clint, Thor, Steve, and Rhodey.
"She's going to kill all of us on the spot," announced Strange, getting his sling portal ready.
"Wait. We're not going to visit Alexa first. I'm going with Strange, and nobody else, to talk to that headmaster and find out exactly what the hell is going on. He said the school was safe, and I'm getting the feeling that was a bald-faced lie. I'm going to deal with that first, and then we'll all talk to Alexa."
Everyone around the table nodded and reluctantly sat back down.
"Alright, but hurry up. It's been too long since I last saw her," said Clint. I ignored him.
Unless Sirius Black was some professional tester of security systems, I was going to rip that headmaster apart for lying to me about the safety of my daughter.