Harry was too engrossed in his book to notice the other boy next to him start to move about but he did hear the loud whimper that Loki gave. It had been an hour or two since Harry and Madam Pomfrey had tended to Loki's wounds. Harry put his book down on the side table and carefully slid off of the bed and back to the chair that he had used then sat down and watched as Loki's eyes fluttered open. Loki's light green eyes were beautiful but they were wide with fear and confusion.

"Where… Who… are you?"

"You're at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Harry replied, loosening his shoulders a little in an attempt to appear unthreatening. "You're safe here. I'm Harry."

Loki stared at him, lifting his right leg a little only to moan.

"It's best not to move too much," Harry said, wanting to touch the other boy but instinctively knowing that his touch would probably not be welcome right now.

"Hogwarts? Is that in Alfheim?" Loki asked, voice hoarse. "Is this another trap? Am I still being punished?"

Harry immediately got up and went over to the main table by the bed and picked up a glass and poured some water into it from the pitcher. "Trap? What do you mean by that? And what's an alfheim? Madam Pomfrey said you were a norse god?"

Loki watched him as he came closer with narrowed, apprehensive eyes. He watched as Harry came up to his bed and Loki quickly realized that he was in a bed. In a bed that was comfortable and soft, not like where he had been for the last few weeks. "I… am a god, yes."

Harry eyed him then gingerly sat in the small space between Loki and the edge of the bed. "May I help you up? I'm not going to hurt you."

Loki stared at Harry and looked into the other boy's darker green eyes and finally seeing the lighting bolt scar on his forehead. He carefully reached the arm that hurt the least and touched Harry's scar. "This means sun in our language. I haven't… seen the sun in a few weeks."

Harry narrowed his eyes and reached out one of his hands to gently grab Loki's. "What happened to you? Our healer said you had been… assaulted."

Loki winced. "You can touch me, just go gently."

Harry nodded and cautiously slipped an arm around Loki's back, lifting him up to lean against pillows that Loki could have sworn hadn't been there a minute ago. But the pillows were soft and Harry had not even touched him unnecessarily, hadn't even tightened his hands around him. "Are… you..."

Loki trailed off, unsure how to ask his question. The people who had held him for three weeks had not let him ask or say anything.

"What?" Harry asked, as he brought the ready and waiting glass of water over towards Loki.

Loki gladly took the water with shaking hands and Harry once again aided him, gently cupping his hand enough for Loki to drink. The water flowed down his parched throat and he closed his eyes at the small bliss that gave him. He gave Harry back the glass of water just as soon as he started coughing, his system reacting to having the first gulps of water since three weeks ago. "Are you a sorcerer?"

"Yes? Aren't you? Or wizard? Or are those your god powers?" Harry asked. "I hadn't gotten to the Loki and Thor chapters yet in that book."

Loki shook his head. "I'm a sorcerer. You said we're at a school?"

"Yeah, school for magic… on Earth. Where'd you learn about magic?"

"From my mother and eventually Amora," Loki said. "Magic is not…

Our prince is a woman! You works magic, knives your enemies in his back, likes to bottom in sex! You are nothing! You're just a Jotun monster!

"Loki?!"

Harry watched as Loki shuddered and writhed on the bed, curling and uncurling his body when it hurt too much. Harry tentatively reached out and the minute his fingers made contact with Loki's skin, the other boy flinched, eyes closing tightly. "Loki..."

Dobby popped in and Harry dimly heard the house elf as Loki screamed and the boy's magic flared around them. "Does Master Harry want me to go get Madam Pomfrey?"

"Uh, yes please, Dobby. Hurry."

Dobby didn't even reply, he just popped back out and reappeared with the mediwitch. Madam Pomfrey immediately took stock of the situation and hurried to go get a potion.

"Harry, what did you say to him?!" Poppy asked as she came back in a minute later with a potion vial held in her left hand and her wand held in her right hand.

"I just asked him where he had learned magic," Harry said, his voice shaking. His eyes were wide and he was staring at Loki, transfixed and wanting to help but not wanting to overload him with another person's presence.

"Harry, you need to get him to calm down," Poppy said, raising her voice a little to be heard over the sound of Loki's magic whirling around. It was loud and cold, like Loki himself. "The magic… He's going to exhaust himself!"

"Madam Pomfrey! How do I get him to calm down?" Harry retorted, gesturing to where Loki was twitching and writhing in the bed. He wasn't screaming anymore though which made Harry breath a sigh of relief. "He flinches when I touch him."

"Here, give him this," Poppy said. "Just do what I've taught you this summer and magically transfer the potion into his system."

Harry nodded, still shaken, but carefully sat down on the bed again and took the potion from Madam Pomfrey. "Loki, can you take a deep breath for me? You're safe. No one's going to hurt you here."

"I..." Loki tried to talk, opening his eyes and attempting to sit up.

"If you would like, I can give you something to help you calm down," Harry quietly said.

"It won't put me to sleep?" Loki asked, taking a shuddering deep breath.

"No, it'll just help to calm you down, ease your breathing," Madam Pomfrey said.

Loki finally turned to look at Harry, who smiled reassuringly. "Okay."

Harry nodded then whispered the spell to transfer the potion to Loki's body. The potion, a light lavender color, flew from the open vial right into Loki's stomach and Loki could feel the effects instantly. His breathing slowed and steadied and his mind slowed. His magic slowly withdrew back into his body and he took a deep breath, sighing in relief. He almost slumped into Harry's arms but wasn't sure that would be welcome. His captors had hit him more when they had come into unnecessary contact with him.

"You use magic yourself?" Loki finally asked a few minutes later.

Harry raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"It's not just women who learn magic?"

"No, of course not. What do the norse gods think of magic?" Harry questioned.

"They think it's just a women's thing," Loki replied quietly.

"Oh, that's bullshit," Harry remarked, frowning.

"Mr Potter, language," Madam Pomfrey said, smiling. "It's different here in Midgard, Loki. There's whole communities of wizards and witches."

"We teach everyone, regardless of gender," Harry added then he sighed. "Everyone, despite what some people may think."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"That's a whole other story," Harry murmured. "You..."

The healer woman, Loki had heard her name was Poppy, sighed. "Loki, sweetheart, do you feel up to telling us what happened to you?"

"I…"

Loki shuddered at hearing someone call him sweetheart. It had been a while since he had heard that kind of gentle talk. Thor hadn't even spoken any reassuring or even attempted to ask why Loki had attempted to kill him. Thor hadn't asked why Loki had tried to hold his place on the throne, why he had tried to destroy Jotunheim. Thor didn't even know that his brother was a Frost Giant. A monster...

"You don't have to," Harry whispered, green eyes going soft, understanding. "You must be exhausted."

"I am a little tired," Loki conceded, taking a deep breath. Whatever was in that potion had greatly calmed his system, his body. But for his steadily growling stomach, he felt more relaxed than when he had first met his captors. "I-"

His stomach growled noisily, interrupting him. It had gotten dark since he had fallen on Midgard; the sun had set and the stars had come out.

Harry looked at him then smiled slightly. "You feel up to eating something before you get some more rest?"

Loki returned Harry's smile tentatively, for first time in a month feeling safe. "Yeah, I think I could stomach some food."

Loki watched as Harry called for someone named Dobby and then a small creature appeared. The creature was small and brown and all wrinkly but the creature's eyes were looking up at Harry with adoration.

"What can Dobby do for Master Harry?"

Harry grinned. "Dinner for the two of us?"

Poppy turned to look at the creature and added something. "Dobby, have Loki's dinner consist of soft foods. Soft, easily chewable foods."

Dobby nodded. "We house elves will see to it. Master Loki?"

Loki's eyes widened at being addressed that way. Harry snorted at his look and leaned a little further towards him. "Just roll with it. That's how they address everyone they like."

"Yes?" Loki asked, unsure what the small creature was going to ask or tell him.

"Master Loki is being protected by Hogwarts," Dobby said with a nod and a bow then with a crack, the creature vanished.

Loki stared at where the creature had been. "What did he mean? I thought Hogwarts was just a castle?"

"Just a castle?" Madam Pomfrey repeated. "Hogwarts is alive with magic. It surrounds the castle and it is what built it. If Hogwarts is shielding you, like it is Harry, then if anyone tries to find you magically, it won't work."

"It can do that?" Loki questioned.

"Yes, dear," Poppy replied, turning to see Minerva McGonagall walk into the hospital wing. "Boys, I will be right back. I need to make sure you will be able to stay here. If you want, that is."

Harry stood up off of the bed and sat back down on the chair. He saw Poppy put up a warding spell around the two professors to hide their words from the two boys then he turned back to Loki.

"I can stay?" Loki asked, making sure he had heard correctly.

"Yes, if you want. If you fear someone coming after you," Harry started. "Hogwarts is shielding you after all."

"I… am not exactly human," Loki remarked wearily as Dobby appeared again. This time, with trays of food levitating in front of him.

"I saw," Harry responded. "You turned blue right when I scooped you up. And I think your eyes were red? Is that what a Frost Giant looks like?"

"You're not scared of me?" Loki hesitantly asked, wanting to burrow into the pillows and blankets to make himself smaller.

"No, of course not. I've seen scarier," Harry said with a grimace. "It may get a little… tough here though while you're here. We're in the middle of a war, more or less."

"Dobby has brought food," the elf said as he floated one of the trays to hover right over Loki's lap and the other landed on a small, portable table that Dobby summoned. "Master Loki should be able to eat what we have provided for him."

Loki peered down at the tray of delicious smelling foods. There was a bowl of soup and some good looking bread along with a glass of… "What manner of juice is that?"

"Pumpkin juice," Harry said. "It's weird at first but it'll grow on you."

Loki nodded and slowly reached out to grasp the glass and took a sip.

"He's what?" Minerva exclaimed, turning to look over at Harry and the new boy. Harry had snorted at something, probably at the other boy's expression.

"He's the Norse god of mischief," Poppy said, narrowing her eyes. "I know he looks young, about Harry's age, but he is far older than that. His magic… It deaged him, made him look younger than he is to protect him."

"Gods?" Minerva repeated. "Norse gods?"

"Minerva, magic is real and yet you don't believe that what I'm telling you is the truth?" Poppy asked. "Loki is a frost giant, a Jotun."

Minerva's blue eyes widened. "I know what those are. Aren't they suppose to be monsters?"

Poppy narrowed her eyes even more and glared at Minerva, who winced. "For Merlin's sake, you know better. That is a boy who is hurting and was… violated more than once. If he chooses to stay, we should accommodate him. Hogwarts is already shielding him."

Minerva turned to look at Loki and saw Harry staring at the other boy. Harry's eyes were lit up with interest and more than a little protectiveness. "You say Harry found the boy?"

"Yes. Firenze found him first then Harry brought him here," Poppy explained.

"Alright," Minerva finally said, after she had studied the two boys for a few minutes. "He can stay if he wants. We can say he was home schooled in the years leading up and his family wanted him to learn here. Isn't his father… Odin and Frigga, his mother?"

Poppy nodded. "And his brother is Thor, god of thunder. I don't know how this happened to him. Loki hasn't said anything to either Harry or I but I will ask Harry to keep an eye on him."

"School begins in two weeks," Minerva said. "Are you suggesting Loki be sorted and join a house?"

"If he wants to stay then yes."

"I will talk with Albus when he gets back from his latest trip," Minerva replied.

"Thank you."