Chapter Text
For most it was over, The Dark Lord was defeated. By a mere toddler nonetheless, so for those people they did what most would in their situation. They celebrated the end of a great evil.
Though perhaps they celebrated a bit too hard, for the Ministry of Magic was already stretched thin dealing with the aftermath. Adding to their worries, they had to deploy departments to clean up any muggle mishaps that the over partying caused.
It was frankly exhausting for all involved.
Trials had to be set, arrests made, people processed in a timely and orderly fashion as was normally done. They just didn't have the manpower to do it all, some corners needed to be cut. So they were.
Many mistakes made over said cut corners would have lasting effects that would span years.
One such was that of an innocent man locked away without a trial.
Another mistake would be a significantly happier one.
-
Albus Dumbledore was a very busy man. He held a prominent position on the Wizengamot and he ran a secret group founded to oppose The Dark Lord Voldemort known as The Order of the Phoenix. He did both of those things all the while being Headmaster of Hogwarts, a premier wizarding school. One that was very much still in session at the time of Voldemort's defeat.
The headmaster was also now responsible for the placement of a baby.
That being the case he had sent out the school's deputy head Minerva McGonagall to await his arrival at the young wizard's muggle relatives' house. At least that was what he had done originally. But it was not meant to be, ultimately the old wizard was focused to recall her early to deal with some school related business.
As he himself was called away to handle another matter at the Ministry, he could not afford to dally.
That was when he decided to hand off the task of transporting the babe who brought about the great evil's downfall to his long-time trusted friend, Rubeus Hagrid.
The man had been keeping a watchful eye on the toddler since he was released from the medical ward by Madam Pomfrey. The two got along well enough that Dumbledore felt reasonably reassured of his decision to send him in their stead.
The aging Headmaster knew that Hagrid was good at following orders, just not at keeping them secret. But as this was not a job that required one to withhold information he would do fine.
Dumbledore gave the man both verbal instructions and a handwritten note with the boy's new address written on it. Hagrid barley glanced at said note before accepting it with a nod to the older man.
He carefully picked up a sleeping bundle safely wrapped up within a blanket bound basket. Then the half-giant made his way out of the Headmasters office. It was late so the corridors were mostly empty but a few perfects and professors roamed the halls doing their usual rounds.
A pair of perfects passed, one of them waved at the bigger man and kept on after receiving a friendly smile and wave in return. Turning down another hall and walking for a bit found another student also wearing a perfect badge. Only this one was leaning against the wall reading a newspaper, he snapped to attention when he noticed Hagrid's presence.
The teenager looked sheepish making Hagrid chuckle.
Suddenly the newspaper flew out of the slacking perfect's hand, "Wha?" The teenager startled noticing for the first time that the gatekeeper wasn't alone.
The paper hovered briefly above the basket until a little hand reached up to grip it with a happy noise, "Bit 'oung ta be readin' tha papers, ain't ya?" Hagrid asked hoisting up the basket to eye level.
The boy giggled and clutched at the paper as if to say, 'it's mine now.'
"Is that?" The teenager asked coming out of his shock, "Ay, this is 'Arry Potter."
"Wow… the Boy-Who-Lived… stole my newspaper." The boy looked star-struck and like he half wanted to run off and announce the event to the whole school. Hagrid was unaware of the student's sudden giddiness and simply asked, "Ya' want it back?"
Harry's fist clutched it tighter in response, "Oh no, that's okay he can keep it."
"Al'right, best be on our way then." He said with a tilt of his head lowering the basket back down to his side.
The teenager stared after the retreating figure for a moment before rushing off to tell all his friends about what just occurred.
The loss of his paper wasn't a big deal, he'd just get his muggle aunt to send him another paper. After all this was The-Boy-Who-Lived that he just met. Much more interesting than a mysterious crime fighting man from American who dressed as a bat would ever be. That's for sure.
At least he knew the Boy-Who-Lived was real.
Baby Harry proceeded to stare up at the half-giant man as they walked, eyeing him to make sure he didn't try to take his prize. The big man was silly and made him laugh but he didn't know who he was.
Only that he was the biggest person Harry had ever seen and probably the biggest ever.
Still, he missed his mum, da, Uncas Pads and Moony.
Grasping the paper tighter as he remembered how important these papers seemed to be to his family. They always hurriedly grabbed them when the birdies called 'ows' brought them, it was a weird name for birdies the toddler thought. Then they'd all hover over them and just look at them.
It wasn't fun so Harry didn't understand but he figured if he held onto it then his parents would find him quicker.
Eventually the two made their way outside the castle and to the hut Harry had stayed at all day. However, instead of going back inside the cozy little home the half-giant man loaded the baby on board his borrowed flying motorbike.
Harry made a questioning noise gaining the big man's attention.
Hagrid looked down into bright blinking green eyes before coming to a decision. He dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a single white envelope holding an important letter explaining the events of the previous night to the boy's muggle family. He didn't notice a smaller note with an address fluttering to the ground as he did so.
"Why don't ya' hold onta' this fer' me so I don't fer'get ta' leave it fer' ya' aunt." The man grinned as he held out the letter for the boy to take. Harry looked at it for a moment before deeming the task acceptable. One hand firmly holding the paper his other reached out and snatched up the envelope.
So with the letter and newspaper gripped tightly in his little hand the bike revved up as the Hogwarts' gatekeeper left to deliver the precious bundle.
Not long after beginning their flight the half-wizard realized he'd forgotten the address that was told to him.
"No worries, that's why I got it in writin'." He told the boy who just yawned tiredly from his basket, the wind rustling his hair felt nice and soothing. Kinda like how his mum would run her fingers through it to get him to fall asleep.
Hagrid's hand wriggled around in his pocket trying to find it before he switched hands and tried his other pocket. "W'here is it, I know I had it." While paying more attention to his search than his flying the bike lost momentum and swerved before he yanked his hand out of his pocket and back on the handle to straighten them back up.
"Whoaa, 'hat was a close one." He eyed the tree he nearly clipped before his ears picked up on a giggle for the newly wide awake toddler.
"T'hink it w'as a game I'll recon."
Harry smiled and waved the newspaper at him, the man laughed in response to the babe's enthusiasm not noticing a certain missing letter that had slipped from the toddler's grip just seconds before as he dozed.
Hagrid decided to land shortly after the incident to better search his pockets for the note.
Harry watched the big man as he turned his pockets inside out obviously looking for something, the boy didn't like how distressed the nice man was getting and wanted to help him.
"Now, where'd 'hat ad'dress run'off ta?"
Harry's accidental magic had normally heeded him when he wanted something enough. The boy knew this on some level and while wishing for his parents hadn't yielded the results the young wizard had wanted, this time he was successful.
A piece of paper fluttered to the ground in front of the man just as he was about to give up and accept that he would have to return to Hogwarts to ask for a replacement.
"Ah ha' I found it! 'New it wasn't lost." He exclaimed as he scooped up the scrap of paper, not noticing the different texture or that the handwriting was entirely different. Instead he read the address before tightly gripping the paper and mounting the bike to head off for the boy's new home.
Harry meanwhile had fallen fast asleep already tired before his magic had used parts of the muggle newspaper to give the giant man what he wanted. An address. One that had been printed on the muggle paper and selected by Harry's developing magic and his slight understanding of what the man had asked for.
It wasn't uncommon that Gotham Tymes didn't have anything better to print than stories about a certain bat-like vigilante or a well-known play-boy billionaire.
Most of the time both made the paper, such was the case this time. A charity event held at Wayne Manor took up a decent portion of the paper, it was that part of the paper that Harry's hand had been touching when his magic needed to find an address for Hagrid.
-
Hagrid was exhausted after such a long distance flight, why didn't Dumbledore get a Portkey made? Maybe the Ministry was too busy, but for The-Boy-Who-Lived the half-giant thought they should have found the time.
It could be that Dumbledore hadn't wanted anyone to know where Harry was. After all, there were still Death Eaters on the loose. All the more reason for the boy to be far away from those who would do him harm but who knew that the Boy-Who-Live's muggle relatives lived outside of the country?
At least the house or castle rather looked like a place the half-giant figured a young powerful wizard like Harry Potter would grow up in.
Parking the bike near the steps he looked up at the manor, it felt foreboding late at night like it was.
"It's a 'bit dark 'hough, but it's late and t'here just muggles." He reasoned.
Grabbing the basket with the sleeping wizard inside he carefully tucked the little boy's arms back inside the blanket to keep him warm, doing so made the newspaper slip. Hagrid grabbed it and rolled it up laying it on the bike before carrying the precious bundle up the stairs and setting down the basket.
"'ake care, 'Arry." He whispered with a gentle pat to the boy's head before hurrying away. The gamekeeper wished he could knock on the door or at least wait with him until his relatives awoke but Dumbledore was very clear about giving the muggles their privacy.
-
It was half past three am on November 2nd and Alfred Pennyworth was awake getting things ready for the day. It was a Monday therefore a school day for the youngest member of the household, but he wasn't the only one of their little family awake at this hour.
Bruce Wayne was also awake on the other side of the city doing a final sweep before turning in for the night.
All in all it seemed to be a rather uneventful night, Alfred preferred those to the alternative.
However, the butler knew how quickly an uneventful night can turn into an eventful one at a moment's notice. Having lived as long as he had the older man wasn't easy to faze so when the front porch alarm was tripped without the gate sensors having notified him of a potential breach he didn't panic.
But it was odd for sure.
There weren't any strong winds to bring about any fallen branches or debris tonight and the sensors had a weight limit. They had one to many false alarms triggered by a squirrel not to have made that upgrade.
Alfred went into the pantry and turned off the silent alarm, then the man calmly and quickly armed himself. While his Master Bruce didn't approve of them it didn't mean that the butler didn't have his own firearms for emergencies.
With his young master fast asleep upstairs he wasn't taking any chances, while he knew the teenager could handle himself it didn't mean that he should always have to.
There was no sound indicating that someone had broken inside as of yet but he was prepared for the inevitability. The elder man made his way carefully to the door with all weapons concealed in his amicable uniform.
Alfred was conscious of his surroundings but seeing nothing out of place he opened the front door.
At first sight there was nothing out of the norm, but the man's eyes fell on the basket within seconds of scanning the area. No sign of anyone at present, only a basket.
Odd indeed.
He moved carefully in case of it being a trap. While it wasn't likely that any of Bruce's enemies knew who he was it was always wise to air on the side of caution.
Bending down he peered into the basket seeing a small face with groggy green eyes gazing up at him.
The old man wasn't easily taken aback, but he could honestly say that the sight flabbergasted him.
Who had gotten past the gate security only to trip the one on the stairs to then leave a baby. Or did they trip the alarm on purpose so that the baby would be found? Too many questions and the butler didn't think the sleepy toddler could answer them.
-
Dick Grayson reached out to smack the alarm clock tiredly as it rang out an annoying tone, yawning widely he sat up and ran a hand over his face and into his ruffled hair, "Too early…"
It was safe to complain to the empty room but if he was anything but wide eyed and bushy tailed when Bruce saw him he'd suffer the consequences. In this case the consequences being that he'd have to turn in even earlier on school nights from now on.
That just wouldn't do, he already hated that he couldn't be out there backing up Bruce the whole night. Arguing that he was eighteen and was technically considered an adult got him nowhere with the older man because he was still in high school.
Dick pulled himself from the bed and went about his morning routine, it woke him up just enough that the teenager thought he could risk a run in with the other man.
It wasn't surprising that Dick made it downstairs before the dark-haired teen saw signs of life. After all, the manor was big enough to live in and never cross paths with the other residents that lived there. It also wasn't a surprise that he'd see Alfred first, either Bruce would be asleep or in the Batcave still. He didn't always remember to see him before the boy left for school but more than not he'd try to have breakfast with the teen before crashing for a few hours before work.
What was surprising was the other person that was most definitely not Bruce in the kitchen with Alfred.
"Am I still dreaming or is there a baby in our kitchen?" Not that babies ever appeared in his dreams.
He may be an adult now but he wasn't ready for fatherhood. Hell the Boy Wonder knew if Kory were pregnant he wouldn't have to worry about being a dad she'd likely kill him. Or have his balls and not in a fun or kicky way. Yeah, death would be preferable in that instance.
Alfred barely looked over from where he was cleaning the boy's face from whatever he ate or missed his mouth eating before Dick had entered.
He was seated in a highchair that Dick was sure must've been Bruce's as a baby, how the elder man found something that ancient was beyond the teenger's grasp.
"Astute observation Master Dick." The little boy observes the two of them silently with a look of concentration in his bright green eyes.
"So not dreaming then…" He pulls out a chair at the counter and plops down into it before proceeding to stare at the unusual sight. "Did Bruce bring home a baby?" Gaining his appetite back and noting the lack of ready-made breakfast he reaches for an apple from the fruit jar before stopping short, "No wait, that's not Bruce's kid is it?"
Alfred ignores the teenager's mumbled rant as he bites into his apple, 'He drilled the necessity for protection into my head but looks like he doesn't practice what he preaches.'
"I can't say for sure," He looked over the small cleaned face as if searching for any spot he may have missed all the while not missing a beat, "he was left on the porch this morning."
"The porch?" Dick asked, turning his head in the direction where the front door was located though unable to see it from his current place in the kitchen.
"Do not speak with food in your mouth." The butler chided.
Dick swallowed, "Sorry," he grinned sheepishly at the back of the older man's head before tossing the apple core into the garbage.
The toddler reaches out to Dick as the teen hovers nearby the two of them, he eyes the smaller human unsurely.
"Does Bruce know?" He asked before finding the courage to stick his pointer finger out, the boy grabs it and makes a delighted sound.
The two watch as the little boy moves his arm up and down doing the same with Dick's captured hand. The older boy is amazed that the child is so amused by such a thing.
"He isn't back-" Alfred halted momentarily before continuing, "Correction: Master Bruce is now in the cave."
Dick doesn't question how the butler knows that because he's Alfred and all knowing clearly.
"I'm glad he's back. I wouldn't want to miss this on account of having to leave for school before he got home."
Just picturing Bruce's reaction is enough to tickle the dark-haired teen.
Harry was happy to shake the hand of the one that kinda looked like his 'da' and wondered if every time he napped he'd wake up to new people. It was shocking having only ever known his parents and uncles before a couple of days ago but he decided to take all the new people in his life in stride.
Besides the one scary monster man they all seemed nice.
However, that did mean that he needed something to call them. He'd dubbed the really big one as simply 'big' in his mind. The other one with the long hair sticking out from his mouth as 'hair' of course trying to say it came out as 'air' but it was close enough for the toddler. But now Harry wondered what to call the two with him now.
Names were important so he had to choose good ones for them, while he did that the two talked about something but they weren't talking to him so he didn't pay their words much mind.
"Well if you wish to be present to what Master Bruce's reaction will be you might have to go and drag him out of his cave lest you be late for school."
Blue eyes shot over the clock hanging on the kitchen wall, "It's already that late? Yeah you're right, okay be back in a minute." He went to leave, taking his finger back with him which the toddler didn't approve of at all, tears welled up in his eyes.
Dick's own eyes widened in response, "Oh um Alfred what did I do?" Had he pulled away too hard and hurt him somehow?
The older man chuckled and waved him off, "He's fine, likely just testing you. Those are crocodile tears if I ever saw them, go get Bruce."
The raven haired toddler huffed and crossed his arms once the teen bolted off and gave the stink eye to the butler. He just smiled and shook his head, "I helped raise Master Bruce, if I survived his temper tantrums I can weather yours."
The boy stared at him and while he didn't understand everything the old man had said he felt like a challenge was just issued. When that happened at home his mum, da, and Uncas would play one of his favorite games.
The grown ups called it 'prank' and Harry knew he was good at that game, they told him so. He was still kind of tired though so maybe he'd play with them after a nap.
-
Dick bounced down the stairs leading to the Batcave and found Bruce in full Batman attire behind the computer scene and rolled his eyes at the older man. It figured.
"Think whatever it is could wait until after breakfast?"
Bruce didn't tense or startle.
Dick was known to be extremely light on his feet and knew he hadn't made his presence known. Still Batman wasn't an easy person to sneak up behind, Dick could count the times he'd succeeded in doing so with one finger.
The resulting toss over the shoulder and onto the ground still made his teeth rattle just recalling it so it was probably a good thing he hadn't managed it again. It didn't stop him from trying. One day he mused.
"I have to finish-" Dick cut him off, "Then I'll be gone for a whole eight hours and you'll be gone before I get home and I won't see you until tonight if at all." The Boy Wonder pouted.
He didn't normally guilt trip the man because he knew how important and serious the work was. But he also knew if he went to school without knowing what Bruce would say or do about the newly acquired bundle of joy in the kitchen that he'd be unable to concentrate all day.
Batman paused and looked over his shoulder and right into Dick's eyes, he could read people really well. Dick even more so most days, for someone so good at that it was strange that he was so bad at human interaction. Or even understanding just what he was picking up on. The man was one big ball of contradiction.
Still, whatever he saw must have convinced him. Either that or he was too tired and hungry to put up his usual resistance because he said, "...Alright, this can wait until after breakfast."
Dick grinned and clapped with a small, 'yay!' thrown in for good measure.
Once changed into comfortable gym clothes that he had left in the cave Bruce followed his overly energetic ward up the stairs and into the house.
The teen was always energetic but something about it was suspicious this time.
"What has got you so excited?" Bruce finally asked, the boy shrugged.
"Nothing in particular…" He paused and glanced back over his shoulder, "Well okay there was a delivery this morning." He grinned with a twinkle in his eyes making Bruce's own narrow.
"A delivery? I didn't order anything."
Dick could hear the suspicion levels suddenly increase in Bruce's voice even when he sounded almost the same as he did whenever they talked. The teenager was just that aware of his mentor's tone.
"Yeah I kind of figured, it's not really something that's in a catalog."
Bruce stopped just short of the kitchen and eyed his side-kick, "Dick-" He started.
"Come on," Dick hurried into the room before Bruce could use his Batman tone to order him to tell him what was going on.
Steeling himself he followed after his ward, having raised Dick for so many years he was prepared for anything.
Except for Alfred standing in the kitchen holding something small and human shaped.
For a minute it didn't register what his butler was holding and then it did, "Alfred, what is a baby doing in our kitchen?"
Dick should have expected it but he'd been hoping for a more shocked expression or exclamation from the man. Something he could hold over his head would've been nice but it wasn't to be. Was it too much to see a stuttering Bruce, yeah probably. But it wasn't like he was asking to see him faint, not that it wouldn't be hilarious.
"He was left on the porch at half past three this morning." Alfred informed and nodded his head to a basket laying innocently in the corner of the room.
"Maybe it's one of your numerous one-night stands, guess you should be more careful huh?" Dick teased.
Bruce shot the boy a look but otherwise didn't say anything as he approached the basket and proceeded to inspect it. The basket didn't appear to be anything special. However, the baby blue blanket inside of it was a different story; it was clearly made from more expensive material. This led Bruce to believe that the blanket and basket were provided by different people.
Why spend this kind of money on a quality baby blanket only to turn around and have a cheaply made hand baket labeled 'Made in China'.
Not expecting any more clues for the basket he lifted the blanket. It was soft and delicate, great fabric for a toddler to cuddle into.
Bruce found nothing else inside of the basket, however further examination showed that the blanket wasn't only expensive it was embroidered with a name.
"Harry."
"Pardon?" Alfred asked.
"The name on the blanket." Bruce held it up for the two to see while running his thumb over the embroidery, while not well versed in fabrics he was now certain that it was of even better quality than he'd first assumed even.
Alfred could admit to himself that once he saw that it was a baby that that there was nothing threatening inside of the basket he'd focused all his attention on the babe and not on further investigation like he probably should have done.
"He has a name but where does he come from and why was he left here?" Alfred asked, still holding onto the dozing child.
Dick watched Bruce getting ready to go full fledged detective mode so he asked what was obviously the most important question of them all, "Are we keeping him?"
As if the boy knew they were talking about him his eyes fluttered open and his head turned to the direction of the new voice.
It wasn't exactly the same but he was really sleepy so in his half asleep mind it made sense to reach out to the man and say, "Da…"
Bruce's eyes briefly looked toward the toddler as his ever present frown grew even more. Then he turned back to the investigation at hand and Dick sighed.
He knew what that meant.
It was up to him. The boy- no Harry was left on their porch. In the dark, in November, and in Gotham of all places. Whatever they may or may not find it was clear to Dick what needed to happen.
He was the Boy Wonder and if anyone could convince Bruce Wayne to go along with something it'd be his Robin.