Loki couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the wizarding newspaper. The boy looked remarkably like him, but the boy was not the one he found himself staring as. It was the girl. The girl with the mane of glorious brown curls. The title proclaimed them the saviours of the wizarding world. Apparently they had defeated some dark lord. But Loki couldn't care less, that girl, woman, the same one who he loved with all his heart, the same one who he had believed to be dead. Someone had drastically altered her appearance, but she retained that air of fierceness and compassion that he loved. Loki put down the newspaper, he had some questioning to do.
The headmasters office had not had anyone step foot in it since the death of one Severus Snape. Therefore, the happily dozing portraits were rather started by the arrival of an imposing figure. His piercing green eyes swept over the portraits until he found the one he was looking for. "Dumbledore! Finally got knocked off did you? Pity." The man stated without any trace of sympathy.
"Mister Potter," replied the aged portrait," what a surprise to see you here after all these years."
"Knock it off you old coot, you know why I'm here. The woman with my son. When were you going to inform me that my wife lives?" He was livid and the other portraits cowered into their frames at his outburst, in equal parts curious and afraid.
"Miss Evans? Why, she died in the attack on your house."
"Do not test me old man, you know I am not one to check my temper, especially when it comes to my family. I have been informed that you not only neglected to inform me of my wife and sons' continued existence, but you raised my son like a lamb to slaughter. You foolish mortal. You do not know what you have done."
"Now now Mr Potter, you must reign in that temper of yours, you do not know the entire story." Dumbledore chided with a twinkle in his eye. But that did not deter the god.
"Then enlighten me mortal," Loki replied, overly sweetly, "inform me of why you did not tell us of the prophecy, why you did not tell me that my wife and son lived when I left in the mourning, why you let the godfather of my son be imprisoned," the other portraits were trembling and Dumbledore was starting to pale as his voice grew colder with every word, "why you left my son with my wife's awful adopted sister, why you de-aged my wife and left her with muggle, why you let the two of them be bullied, harassed, attacked and did NOTHING to help them!" Dumbledore's portrait was trembling now. "What was it I heard about Riddle teaching here their first year, and a basilisk? Horcruxes? My wife and son saved my best friend from death, my other best friend has been grieving just as much as I! The triwizard tournament? You forced my son to participate in that horrid tournament, Voldemort came back and Sirius died because of you, my son and wife were tortured! Dementors! And finally, they went on the run for a year, with nothing but your word," he spat, "to guide them. They killed Voldemort. But at what cost? EVERYTHING you insipid MORON! And now you look at me, thinking that you could actually stop me from doing as I wish. Oh how you disgust me." With one more scathing glance, Loki turned and exited the office leaving the portrait of the once revered headmaster cowered in the corner of his portrait and all the other previous heads feeling very glad that they weren't in Dumbledore's place.
Harry and Hermione were sitting curled up on the couch in Grimmauld Place when the door burst open. They jumped up from the couch to face the man coming through, wands ready. Both gasped as they took in his appearance. He was the spitting image of all the pictures of James Potter they had seen.
"Who are you?" Harry demanded.
"And how did you find this place?" Hermione asked.
Loki smiled, "My son, by the all-father you resemble your mother, your uncle will be very pleased." He turned to Hermione, "My love, I believed you dead. That fool of a headmaster shall be dealt with." He saw the confusion plain on Hermione's face and chuckled. "My Lillian, the old coot placed memory, glamour and de-aging charms. The memory and glamour charms will naturally break on your 18th birthday, however you will continue ageing from this point normally. I wish to break the memory and glamour charms now instead of waiting."
"Hold it right there Mister!" Hermione's wand arm didn't falter, "I don't believe a word you have said, you could be a Death Eater in disguise for all we know. Prove yourself to be who you say you are and I won't incapacitate you where you stand."
Loki chuckled again at her moxie, "My love, I expected nothing less of you, do you wish to use legilimancy or veritiserum?"
"Both." Hermione answered promptly. Loki grinned.
"Let us begin."
"Harry, there is veritiserum in my beaded bag, could you get it please?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes or wand off the grinning god. Harry accioed the small vial from the bag. "Now, please give this man a single dose. I don't want him able to tell a single lie, but I don't want to kill him either."
Loki drank the veritiserum and looked expectantly at Hermione. "What is your name?" She asked.
"I am known as both Loki Odinson of Asgard and James Charles Potter of Midgard."
"Why are you here?"
"I came to find my brother and thought I would check up on the wizarding world to see what had happened in the time I have been away. I saw the two of you in the Daily Prophet and found out all I could before going to Dumbledore then coming straight here."
"Why did you do that?"
"You are my wife and Harry is our son, I believed the two of you to be dead. When I saw your picture I immediately contacted all of my sources in the wizarding world and went to Dumbledore to confirm it. Then I came here."
"What happened the day that you left?"
"It was Halloween, we were playing with Harry when Voldemort broke in to our house and shot me with and killing curse, as a god the curse did me no damage but stunned me long enough that by the time I had awoken, you and Harry were gone. I went to Dumbledore and he informed me that you were dead. I demanded to see the body, but he said that you had been destroyed utterly in an attempt to save Harry. He told me that neither of you made it. I sent Sirius an owl before leaving to Asgard in grief."
"What has happened in the time between then and now?"
"I stayed in Asgard and secluded myself, becoming depressed and bitter. My brother tried to pull me out of it by taking me on many quests, but they left me unfulfilled. We grew more and more reckless until the All-Father decreed no more - he sent my brother to Earth in exile until he may grow up a bit. I came to push him into fighting me, I thought that might help ease the anger and emptiness inside of me when I came across you."
Hermione looked at Harry who was in a state of shock. She turned back to Loki, "Now legilimancy." He nodded and she cast legilimens.
Images flashed through her mind of a young child watching his brother get all the attention, then to a sullen teen, a warrior, a magician, she followed his as history was made, to the point when he left Asgard for Midgard, de-aging himself in the process and being adopted by a magical couple. Flashes of his life with them, happiness being the recurring theme, them meeting Frigga, Odin and Thor, love - to Hogwarts, his first glance at the train, full of wonder, then something caught his eye - a flash of red hair, a girl, pulling a skinny black haired boy behind her - pointing and laughing in exhilaration at the train. The hat shouting "GRYFFINDOR", first lesson, first quidditch match, first argument with girl over pranks - Sirius, Remus, Peter - finding out Remus was a Werewolf, becoming an animagus, highs, lows, highs again. Winning the house cup, winning the quidditch cup, flying, friendship, love, the girl finally looking at him with love shining in her eyes, asking her out and her saying yes, a first date, first kiss, happiness, love, taking her to meet his family - in both worlds - a wedding, Loki beaming and the beautiful red-head who was in turn beaming back at him as she walked towards him down the aisle, his best men Sirius and Remus - Peter was sick - the honeymoon, finding out she was pregnant, a baby, elation - then Dumbledore - fear, dread, Voldemort, "Lily, take Harry and RUN" a flash of green light and blackness... Waking up in a burning house, running upstairs to look for Lily and Harry, no one there, apparating to Dumbledore - terror, despair, hopelessness, emptiness. Going through the motions, Thor, family, support, grief, so much grief. Darkness creeping in, Anger, despair, emptiness, apathy.. Frost giants, Thor being exiled, a reckless decision, coming to Earth, checking the Prophet on a whim, seeing Harry and Hermione, a flare of hope an longing - all consuming, crushing - contacting everyone, finding out everything that had happened, despair, anger, rushing to Hogwarts, confronting Dumbledore, immediately coming to Grimmauld place - relief, love, happiness, extraordinary. Hermione pulled out and sat down.
Hermione reached for Harry who immediately went to her, she held her hand out for the veritiserum and he gave it to her. She took a quick swig and looked Harry in the eye, "Ask me what my name is." She commanded. Harry complied.
"What is your name?"
"Hermi - Lillian Potter nee Evans." Hermione was struggling.
"What year were you born?"
"198 - 1960." She was starting to tremble now and Harry was concerned.
"What is happening to her?"
"It's because she has had her memories repressed. The old coot attempted to obliviate her, but it didn't take. I can remove the barrier blocking her memories if she wants. I already told you that it will wear off naturally on the anniversary marking her 18th year in this body, but I am giving her the chance to have it removed earlier." Harry looked at Hermione who had a dark frown on her face and was clearly paying no attention, too busy attempting to say facts she knew about herself and growling when she couldn't say them.
"Do it." He said. Loki was stunned.
"What?"
"She," Harry said, pointing at Hermione, "is my best friend in the entire world, and now it turns out that she isn't who she thought she was, besides the fact that she is apparently my mum and I want nothing more than family, look at her, she is so distressed not knowing what is happening. Help her, please."
Loki nodded slowly, surprised by his son, but then again, with parents like himself and Lillian, it wasn't all that surprising. "Ok." He took a deep breath and walked over to Hermione. Before she could ask what he was doing, he placed his hands in either side of her face and closed his eyes. He was a picture of calm, whereas Hermione was the opposite. Her eyes wide, mouth open in a soundless scream, facing the ceiling she convulsed in his arms before crashing to the ground.
It took only 3 minutes before her eyes snapped open and she leapt up, wand out, eyes trained on Loki.
"Voldemort, where is he?" She demanded.
"'Mione," Harry said, "he's gone, remember, we won."
Hermione looked at him and startled, "You, who are you," she shook her head, "wait, you look familiar," she moved closer to him, "Harry? My baby? Why are you grown up?" Loki stepped forward. "James, why is Harry grown up?" Hermione asked, getting more panicked.
"Lils, stop, calm down, you need to remember the last 17 years. You were changed, but it's still you my love." Loki placed a hand on her arm.
She blinked, then stared at Harry without seeing him. The men were worried, she was just staring at Harry without moving. Then she shook her head and ran forward to give Harry a hug.
"I have spent so much time over the last 7 years wondering why it seemed to right to be with you and look after you, but never have any romantic interest in you, now I remember everything. I'm so sad that I wasn't there while you grew up, and I am furious at Petunia and the whale, but I had you and you had me for the last 7 years, even though I wasn't exactly myself. I love you Harry, and I am so, so proud of you." Hermione, or Lily, (Harry was a bit confused) wept openly while holding him in a comforting embrace.
Loki looked on, silent tears trickling down his face. Then Hermione motioned for him to join and he strode forward and collected his family in his arms. By now, all three were sobbing. For all the time they lost, for the people they lost, for the family they had gained, and for the love that two of the huddle had rarely ever experienced other than from the witch who was being crushed in between them.
Two hours and multiple group hugs later and the trio were headed to the ministry. Hermione Granger was to be no more, and Harry Potter was to return to his family.
"Dad," Harry asked as they were preparing to flop, "Why is my last name Potter, and why does everyone remember you as James Potter?"
"Well Harry, as your mother already knows, it's not that often that we of Asgard come to Midgard, and when we do, we tend to make a mark. The last time I was here, the Vikings were worshipping my brother and I as gods. This time, I had decided to come down for an extended period of time, and when I landed, I was in Hogsmede, and upon sensing the magic and witnessing some of the inhabitants of the village, I turned myself into a child and decided to wonder around. In Norse times, the villagers would show you around,thinking you were just one of the ones they had overlooked. Turns out, when people see a young child walking around in this time, they ask for parents and if none are present, send the child to the nearest orphanage. It just so happened that Charlus and Dorea Potter were looking to adopt that day and they took a liking to me. Even after I explained to them who I was and what I was doing, they were happy to adopt me, they changed my name to James Charlus Potter and three weeks later I received my Hogwarts letter."
"Who do you want to be now though? James Potter or Loki Odinson?"
"Well, I married Lily as James Potter in a magical marriage, and Loki Odinson in an Asgardian marriage, so either is fine for me. Lils calls me by both of my names, interchanging one for the other randomly. we grew up with her knowing me by my Midgardian name, but she has always respected my Asgardian side as well and will often call me Loki."
"Do you want me to be Potter or Louison?"
"Both mean a lot to me. While I have my family on Asgard and am proud of my past, culture and traditions, the Potters took me in and raised me as their own. It is up to you I guess, but know that whatever you choose, I will be proud of you."
"What is my birth name?"
"Harry James Lokison is your Asgardian birth name, and Harry James Potter is your Midgardian name. You can leave it as it is if you want."
"Dad, what's going to happen now?" Harry asked timidly.
"Now, we go and settle a few scores, then return to Asgard. Unless you wish for us to stay."
"Well I for one," interjected Hermione, "wish to go to Asgard, it has been far too long since I have seen Frigga and there is a lot we need to catch up on."
The men looked at each other and smiled, "Let us be off then." Loki proclaimed. "Just a few short pit-stops along the way then on to Asgard!"