Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Avengers.

.

.

Candy-coated Bugs

Steve was about to say a greeting of some sorts, albeit awkwardly but the lights begun to flickered. That does not usually happen at the SHIELD headquarters, but before he or Clint could even say something strange, the electricity broke sending the whole place under the dark.

"Uh… I'm sorry?"

"How can this happen?" Harry heard the blonde worry about the blackout his magic caused. It was quiet as well and Harry can't hear anything aside from their breathing and conversation. "I thought SHIELD never runs out of power."

"True. Generators usually start the second there's power outage." Barton grunted. Even though they were in a room with zero visibility, he can sense the spy closing the distance between them as if afraid he might lose his charge when the electricity comes back in. "Place like this needs a lot of electricity."

"So something's wrong then?" Steve asked, Harry may not be able to see Steve but he can hear his anxiousness on the way he speaks. Barton, on the other hand, snorted in derision, "Obviously Captain. Fury must've been paranoid and at the same that livid his generators, reserve generators and back-up generators aren't working."

Harry silently puffed out a breath. While his knowledge couldn't par with Barton's regarding this spy organization, the wizard a slight inkling why electrical power was important – however, blondie here seemed to see power outage a normal, regular-occurrence thing, like this happened to him every single day. Harry would consider it normal too if it weren't for the absence of heavy rains and raging blizzards.

Teddy, who was comfortable being carried on Harry's arms, whispered on his uncle's ear, "Where were you." His voice sounded scared, as expected when you all get to see strangers with armours and weapons for hours. So Harry soothed his nephew. Patting the child's back, he ignored the feeling of someone staring at him and whispered back.

"I got holed up with some business I had to handle."

The lied tasted like dirt in his mouth and Harry felt like no matter how many times he brushed his teeth it would still be there. There was no business sitting on a glass prison apart from staring, observing and monitoring anyone who passed the room just like how he was scrutinized by the cameras stationed at every corner. But he didn't need Teddy hearing how he was treated while away from him, so Harry lied and immediately asked a mundane question, "Are you hungry?"

Before Teddy could reply, Steve answered exasperatedly, "I've given him dinner and some snacks but he won't touch any of it."

The lights crackled and buzzed for a moment, but it was enough for Harry to notice Clint visibly relaxing. A mutter of 'thank goodness' was heard from the spy before the electricity officially returned masking the whole room – possibly the whole headquarters – in brightness. Harry had to shut his eyes at the sudden bright glare so he wasn't able to see Steve handing his nephew a chocolate bar.

As soon as the power returned, a rough voice from the speaker hummed and commanded, "Agent Barton and Captain Rogers, please escort Mr. Evans to my office." The call ended with a static. There was no word as to whom it was from but Harry will bet his magic it was their stern director: Fury.

Maybe it was time for the head to address the problem – meaning, him.

"I won't leave Teddy anywhere. He is coming with me." Harry said glaring at the two who dared to oppose him.

"Sir." Steve started politely. "There might be some topics unappropriate for a child which needs to be discussed. I don't think it's wise for your nephew to come along."

His emerald eyes narrowed and gleamed with warning, "I don't think it's wise for a child to be left alone with nothing but strangers." Harry replied as calmly as he can manage, hugging Teddy tighter in the process.

"He'll be with someone who'll take care of him."

"And who, pray tell, is this someone?"

"Natasha Romanoff." Harry raised an eyebrow at Steve's response. Romanoff. That was the name of the red-headed woman with Barton and Steve seemed to trust her greatly.

He doubt that anyone here in this building was capable of babysitting a child especially when most of them handle assassination, undercover work and such. He was busy challenging the blonde that he didn't realize Barton sighing in frustration.

"Are we seriously arguing about this now?"

Both Harry and Steve half-heartedly conceded with whatever they were supposed to say, but the latter seemed…concerned with Teddy that he was willing to continue this argument. Either it was about his nephew hearing confidential business/spy work information or about the child being near that manipulative pirate was making the blonde captain bothered.

Harry supposed the captain was all right looking after Teddy. However, the thought of seeing his nephew separated from him among SHIELD's huge resources of machinery and technology made Harry want to grimace at another bout of accidental magic. Who know what might happen this time…

So no. Teddy will not be away from him. Whatever magic might happen inside this building, whether it was Teddy's or his, Harry could easily take the blame and the attention far from his child.

Barton took the lead in escorting them towards Fury's office. Steve was at the back ensuring Harry won't escape with Teddy. There was no ill intent with Steve's persona but Harry wasn't about to let himself trust him. After all, Harry could see the underlying suspicion behind the captain's visage – the latter wouldn't trust him easily as well.

They passed several hallways and corridors. Some were filled with agents in different colours of blue suit carrying some type of guns Harry's mind couldn't comprehend. The complexity of the weapon was too complicated for the wizard to understand unlike his wand. But weapons are weapons, appearance wouldn't matter as long as it can inflict damage.

Barton went towards the lift and Harry followed. The elevator was just like the interior of the building but instead of metal walls encasing the passengers inside, it was glass making them able to see the streets of Washington D.C.

Teddy was absolutely fascinated with childish wonder. His wide, bright brown eyes gazed at the outside, completely at awe at the beauty of the lights illuminating the night, and Harry couldn't help the smile growing on his face. As the lift was hoisted up, more places were there for them to view. Both haven't seen much of the muggle world apart from the usual and this scenery was refreshing to the wizards.

There was a soft 'ding' alerting them that they have arrived at the topmost floor. After the fiasco Harry created, he was sure the director itched to tell him how much damage he had done. Fury was probably waiting impatiently for them to appear behind the elevator doors.

But Harry wasn't expecting the other members of the Avengers also waiting for them.

Putting Teddy down to hide his tension at their sharp, eagle-like eyesight, Harry begun to compose himself as he clutch his nephew's hand and followed the two towards a long table where Director Fury sat at the head. The director had his hands clasped in front of his face and was glaring at the raven haired with his only functioning eye. There was a manila folder sitting innocently at the table. It most likely contained his agents' reports concerning Harry.

He wanted to acknowledge all of them, a gesture of civility but he stopped at the pointed looks he was receiving. Harry took a seat beside Steve, far away from the director because there was this sudden feeling within him that made him imagine Fury hurling a grenade at his direction just to end the stress he somehow committed. It was another good thing Teddy was beside him or else he'd be sandwiched between Steve's tall form and Tony Stark's impressive figure.

"Do you have any idea what two-minutes of power outage would cause in this facility?" Fury, unmoving from his position, asked Harry. But the director wasn't finished, and continued, "Hundreds of classified data could have been stolen right under our very nose. Do you know what this information entails?"

Harry thought for a short moment, he had an answer but he wasn't exactly certain. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on how one would think of it, Fury pressed on keeping his aggression at minimum, "Secret identities of my agents. Nuclear reserve weapons. Equations. Formulas."

Oh. Harry knew nothing about those equations and formulas but Fury made it sound like SHIELD considered it very important. And as a wizard with limited intelligence regarding any field of science, Harry wisely kept his mouth shut so as not to aggravate the man further. But the threat of gaining knowledge about a person's secret identity caused the colour of his face to pale. He must've looked pathetic similar to how a child was after being scolded. And Harry had nothing to say except for 'I'm sorry'. Because he literally was sorry for the unintentional burst of magic that had reacted quite badly from the machinery and technology this building offered.

"James!" Tony interrupted as if he planned to divert Harry's attention from their menacing, furious director who lived up to his namesake. Offering a hand in greeting, which Harry took reluctantly, Tony cheerfully said, "My name is Tony Stark. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. And this," Pointing his thumb at a scientist brunette beside him, "Is Doctor Bruce Banner. God of thunder is absent though so our band of misfits aren't complete."

The salutations weren't what Harry expected. He had heard Stark from the telly and listened to his co-workers complain how celebrities' fake everything in front of TV. But the genius just proved his workmates wrong. So Harry didn't exactly know how to react at the overly merry greeting in a serious meeting.

Harry gave Bruce an awkward wave while the later tried to return it with a smile, both feeling a mixture of embarrassment and discomfort at Stark's antics.

"Hey kid. Nice hair." Tony said, dumbfounded at Teddy's now bright pink locks. Teddy didn't reply, instead he hid his head under Harry's arm, quite shy at the attention he was getting.

"As much as I'd like to continue this get-to-know party, I need to address this huge ass problem SHIELD encountered." Aside from Harry, both Steve and Bruce appeared somewhat disappointed and unimpressed with their director's choice of language, especially when there was a kid present. Only Tony found their situation amusing.

Fury opened the folder skimming through the pages. It was a record of him and the one-eyed director begun to read, "James Harrison Evans, born in England. Parents dead. Twenty three years old. High school graduate with high hopes of becoming a police but didn't pursue a college degree in favour of taking care of his nephew: Theodore Evans."It wasn't all of it, but the director couldn't bring himself to care more of the insignificant little details.

"I don't know how you got your powers and the only logical explanation tells me you're a test subject, Harry James Potter."

The documents he bought were forged by a muggle with a promise that no authorities could track anything wrong with it. It was a good deal considering how he wanted to fit in among non-wizarding folks with no police after his tail, but with how SHIELD operated using their advanced technologies, their thorough investigations and massive intelligence resources, almost nothing could pass under the organization's watch. This flimsy documents Harry had were probably too obvious Fury didn't need a machine to tell it was fake.

"Father was an unknown entity, with no records or anything at all. Mother's name is Lily Evans, sister of Petunia Evans Dursley who took care of you when you were almost two-years old. Both you and your mother had elementary school records until eleven, and after that it looked like you simply vanished from the face of the earth appearing back only six years ago with–" Fury said, pointing at Teddy who was occupying himself with the hem of his shirt. The unspoken question was suspended in the air, only increasing the tension from before.

Harry debated with himself. He could apparate with Teddy leaving SHIELD with a bout of magic which could destroy the organization's power system again or worse. But that would give SHIELD the incentive to go all out and search for him because he had just verified himself a dangerous entity in their eyes. Fury would no doubt send a member or two of the Avengers to ensue his capture. Not only will he endanger himself but also his nephew who caught SHIELD's interest with his metamorphmagus ability – or shapeshifting according to them.

He could also treat Fury's idea of him as a human experiment true and lie about it. However, he knew nothing about this concept and these master spies would certainly recognize his false claims.

The truth would only jeopardize the whole wizarding whole. Judging from the way people here in this building handle individuals with power, not to mention Captain America being a human test subject, Harry almost made him consider apparating to somewhere isolated and away from SHIELD's surveillance.

The thought of him (and Teddy) being experimented, especially with what happened at the med bay, and utilized as a living weapon was more than enough from the raven-haired wizard to glare warningly at the director.

"I was in boarding school at Scotland, the same one my mum attended." Harry said in low voice. " And I can assure you I'm no test subject, director."

Fury seemed to accept his first statement but the challenged the last one, "Enlighten us how you managed to destroy a part of my facility." His one eye observing his movements, but with Harry's mental shields raised, the director won't be able to see much.

He had decided bending truths with carefully placed lies would suffice to provide everyone's curiosity. "Like I told Barton, my magic is innate." He wasn't about to tell anyone he was a wizard to put the Statute of Secrecy at risk that would only alert the aurors he was here. But he was born with magic running in his veins, so was his mother, that, he could tell.

Someone snorted. It was Tony. Ah, so the man of science found it hard to believe in magic.

"Magic? What are you a wand-waving witch in a hat and robes?"

Harry internally fumed and silently corrected Stark with his mistake. He was short no matter how much he hated to admit it, but he was no petite to be considered and mistaken as a female! He was a wizard! "You have a Norse god of thunder."

"Your point?"

"Myths are very much considered as fairy tales and both are seen as fiction. But the fact at you associated yourselves with a god and fought with beings from another world had me believe it was easier for you band of misfits, as you aptly stated, to deem magic as… fine."

"I wasn't fine knowing there are powerful beings out there that could threaten us." Fury growled, emphasizing the word 'fine', as if Thor's involvement was the whole reason of the director's stress.

"But! Come on!" Tony childishly complained, "Magic is hocus pocus, Houdini."

"So..." Steve muttered, looking rather unsure. "Teddy is a magical being like you?" Hearing his name, Teddy perked up from whatever he was doing with his shirt and stared at Harry. The child was obviously trying to control his ability and stop his bright pink hair from changing to another colour.

"Yes but different." Harry confirmed and he saw Barton taking an interest at them. The talk he had with the spy was not forgotten.

"I wouldn't say it's magical." Barton started and shrugged, "You obviously have telekinesis with the way you blasted the whole east wing med bay. Your nephew, on the other hand… shapeshifting maybe?" Harry wanted to smirk, but that would make the other occupants in the room suspicious so he kept it to himself. The idea coming from Barton wasn't what he anticipated but he'll let them think of what they want.

"A mild form of human morphing if the only thing the kid could do is changing his hair colour and some of his body parts." Natasha said. The woman almost escaped from Harry's mind since this was the first time the wizard heard her talk. She had been silent at the start of this assembly and even though her fiery red-hard wasn't that difficult to notice made Harry dismiss her easily.

Bruce had an apprehensive look plastered on his face, but that did not stop him from commenting, "If your… magic… is naturally born then that would make you what? A mutant?"

"Most likely." Fury agreed. Okay… Harry expected Barton to say something like that but it was Fury. "But that doesn't change reality. Mr. Potter, you are still considered a dangerous individual until further notice."

Harry tensed, his shoulder muscles tightened at Fury's next words, "You and your nephew's powers, just like Super Serum injected at Captain Roger's, were wanted by the wrong kinds of people. Many would want to take you." Not only Harry seemed anxious, but also Steve and Bruce. He didn't know any of their background story, however, seeing them act similar to him put him on edge. So it wasn't only SHIELD operating like this but there were others also, probably more sinister and ruthless.

"I need to have you and your child confined."

Slamming his hands down on the table, Harry stood up, his chair falling on the floor. His eyes blazed in anger and Harry felt the need to unleash his magic. "You need to? Or you want to?"

"Mr. Potter, you have to calm down."

Harry ignored what Fury said and exclaimed, "I'm not letting you put myself and my nephew in that bloody glass prison just so you could study us! We are not hamsters!" His shouts vibrated the whole table and Harry couldn't care anymore of Stark's mutter of alarm.

"SHIELD can't let you wander around when you can't even control your power." Fury said with a stern voice. Harry can control his magic thank you very much, but without a wand was difficult, especially when his mental shields lowered and rage unsuppressed.

There was a small tug on his sleeves and Harry glanced down to see Teddy, his hair now yellow in nervousness and his eyes a lighter shade of violet in hysteria. His nephew was pointing up with his forefinger. The ceiling, with its metallic gray covering, gradually begun to crunch from the invisible pressure his magic seemed to emit.

Harry paid it no mind, and breathed in to continue arguing with Fury but the Avengers had a say to it.

"Well, you can't just imprison them like what you did to me." It was Bruce who spoke. And Harry didn't know if he should be thankful for supporting him or confused by what he just said. The scientist appeared innocent and harmless, but the green tinge on Bruce's eyes brought Harry in slight distress. "He's not gunning for world domination like Loki so I don't see why you should put him in the same place intended for me."

Stark sharply whistled and nonchalantly pointed at Harry, "I don't smell crazy on this guy so I'm with Brucie."

"With all due respect director," Steve started, staring at his superior with a hard look, his eyebrows furrowing, "I won't let you take a child away in a cell even with his guardian."

The lights flickered once again but this time the power wasn't cut off but it was enough to alert the Avengers what might happen. Fury didn't want another blackout so he gave up listening from Bruce and Steve's indignant complains and conceded, "Take a seat Mr. Potter, and we shall discuss your living arrangements at the Avenger's Tower."

"It's Stark Tower, don't listen to Fury." Stark said to Harry, who took his seat, "The other letters were just taken down."

Fury ignored Stark, so had Harry and the other members. "As of this day, you will be under the Avenger's surveillance not only will they keep you safe from the enemies, but also from the civilians with that power you just displayed."

.

.

Harry's Age: Canon Harry's birth year is 1980, but in this story I've changed it to 1992 so he'll be 23 years old currently (2015). Almost the same age with my love, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver).

American Ministry: I have no memories reading something about the American Ministry in the HP books. I'm sorry! I feel like I've failed myself as a potterhead because I did a research and there's really a Ministry of Magic in the US, also Salem school for wizards and witches, and Quadpot! I already have a story without the American wizards' involvement so I won't include it in this fic. Again, I'm sorry.

Mutant: X-men will not be involved, just the idea of mutants.

Other reviewers, readers who put this on alert and favourite: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

To All: I have replied to some of the reviewers through PM but some didn't reply. I don't know if they saw it or they have elected to ignore it. Anyways, keep suggesting ideas and titles!

Next Chapter: Slappy Jackies (Fluffyspid3r)