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After Seraphina's comprehensive explanation, Harry's expression softened considerably—as long as Gemini wasn't the prophecy's primary figure, he could accept the situation. Seraphina also provided assurances that her family would guarantee Gemini's safety in America, and when necessary, she would request Britain's assistance to ensure Tony's secure integration into the magical world.
This orchestrated the dramatic scene at MACUSA. Even before Seraphina had visited the All-Purpose Shop, she'd already contacted Harry and his companions, urging them to arrive with all possible speed. Their perfectly timed interruption of the "inquiry" served its purpose—once Tony officially registered at the Woolworth Building, even the most radical factions would be legally powerless against a properly documented wizard, regardless of their personal objections.
These Byzantine political maneuvers left Gemini with a pounding headache, though Tony nodded with the understanding of someone well-versed in corporate intrigue.
"Honestly, from the moment you two stepped off the plane at Heathrow, we were shadowing your every move," Hermione revealed with fond amusement. "Don't underestimate the power of Harry's Invisibility Cloak. He knew that if he appeared before you directly, you'd bolt like a startled doe, so he maintained surveillance until you departed Diagon Alley and boarded your return flight."
Gemini huffed with wounded dignity. "I never requested his protection! I'm perfectly capable of managing my own affairs!"
Hermione smiled warmly, reaching out to ruffle Gemini's hair with sisterly affection. "Ever since the incident at school, Harry immediately coordinated with the Daily Prophet to manage public perception. If you returned to Hogwarts now, you'd receive a hero's welcome—no one would dare speak against you. So... would you consider coming home?"
"No." Gemini's response came without hesitation, though her voice carried thoughtful conviction. "I've found genuine purpose here. I've helped countless people, earned substantial income—enough to restore the Black family's former glory. This place... it feels right."
"You heard everything, didn't you?" Hermione suddenly addressed someone behind Gemini.
Gemini whirled around, her heart stopping as she recognized the figure in the doorway—her guardian, Harry Potter, watching with those unmistakable emerald eyes.
"Every word," Harry confirmed quietly, stepping forward with careful deliberation. He knelt to meet Gemini's gaze at eye level, his expression carrying years of hard-won wisdom. "I owe you an apology. Our personalities may indeed be fundamentally incompatible—I'm learning that guardianship isn't about control, it's about trust. I wanted you safe and happy, but I failed to achieve either goal through my methods."
He paused, gathering his thoughts with the same careful precision he'd once used to face Voldemort. "Since you've found genuine happiness here, I respect that choice. I won't interfere with your decisions anymore. But I need three promises: regular correspondence, the two-way mirror stays with you always, and your personal safety takes absolute priority over everything else. Can you give me that?"
Gemini's lips trembled as emotions she'd suppressed for months finally surfaced. Harry opened his arms with infinite patience, and she collapsed into his embrace like a dam finally bursting.
"I'm sorry!" she sobbed against his chest. "Thank you for understanding! I promise—all of it!"
Harry held her tightly, one hand stroking her hair with the gentleness of someone who understood abandonment intimately. "We're family, Gemini. That means we figure things out together, even when we disagree." He glanced meaningfully at Tony, who'd been observing this reunion with respectful silence. "Your friend is waiting, and we still have business to conclude."
Gemini buried her face deeper into Harry's robes, nodding wordlessly as the last of her defensive walls crumbled.
"Mr. Stark, I presume?" Harry rose gracefully, extending his hand while Hermione guided Gemini away to compose herself. "Thank you for protecting her. I'm Harry Potter—her guardian and, apparently, a work in progress."
"The pleasure's entirely mine," Tony replied, accepting the handshake with uncharacteristic humility. Something about Harry's presence—the quiet authority, the weight of legend made flesh—left him feeling oddly adolescent despite his decades of experience. "Just Tony, please."
They exchanged pleasantries until Gemini emerged, her composure restored but her eyes still bright with unshed tears.
This time they bypassed magical transportation entirely, taking a mundane taxi to the Woolworth Building. Harry seemed to prefer keeping Tony grounded in familiar territory.
"See the doorman on the right?" Harry indicated a middle-aged wizard in perfectly ordinary business attire. "Flash your wand—just the tip—and he'll grant access to the magical floors."
Harry demonstrated with practiced ease, revealing barely an inch of holly wood from his sleeve. The doorman's subtle nod preceded his gesture toward the glass entrance, which they entered in single file.
Tony absorbed every detail with the hunger of an engineer encountering revolutionary technology—the massive clock suspended impossibly in the atrium's center, house-elves meticulously polishing wands in shadowed alcoves, the incredible diversity of witches and wizards conducting business with casual mastery of the impossible.
At the hall's center, Minister Quahog waited with a carefully curated assembly of officials and journalists. Tony recognized the choreographed nature of the event immediately—this was political theater designed for maximum public impact.
"Welcome home, Mr. Anthony Stark," Quahog declared with practiced warmth, extending his hand for the cameras. "The magical world has waited far too long for your return."
Tony matched the Minister's smile with his own media-trained perfection. Their handshake triggered enthusiastic applause and a barrage of camera flashes. Both men instinctively angled toward the photographers—politicians and celebrities shared certain survival instincts.
Under Quahog's guidance and the journalists' watchful documentation, Tony toured MACUSA's public areas with appropriate expressions of wonder and respect. The culmination came in a blaze of flashbulbs as he formally received his wand registration certificate, officially joining the ranks of MACUSA's supervised magical citizens.
The subsequent reception proved more relaxed. Seraphina, resplendent in her role as family matriarch, introduced Tony to various Picquery relatives and political allies. Gemini moved through the crowd with practiced grace, her Hogwarts training evident in every diplomatic smile and perfectly timed conversation.
Harry and Hermione's departure came too soon—international obligations waited for no one, even heroes. After emotional farewells at the Floo network, Gemini returned to her shop and collapsed onto her bed, emotionally drained but oddly satisfied.
Dawn brought Tony's phone call, jolting her from deep sleep with news of the previous day's negotiations. The final agreement allowed Tony to maintain his No-Maj lifestyle—another sudden disappearance would raise too many questions among his business associates and government contacts.
The complication lay in Tony's rudimentary magical abilities. Despite possessing a wand, any competent second-year student could overwhelm him in magical combat. His insistence on self-directed learning met resistance from safety-conscious MACUSA officials—magic carried inherent dangers that textbooks couldn't safely contain.
The compromise required Tony to conduct all magical practice within Gemini's shop, under her direct supervision. Only spells she personally approved could be used independently. This necessitated converting a section of her basement into an impromptu training facility—a development that promised to complicate her already chaotic schedule considerably.
Still, watching Tony's childlike excitement as he contemplated formal magical education, Gemini found herself looking forward to the challenge. Teaching magic to a genius inventor? What could possibly go wrong?
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