Hello. Its been a while hasn't it. I truly have a bad track record for abandoning stories but this one is close to my heart and I do wish to see this through. However I cannot consistently update as I have a very busy schedule without fanfiction. But enough of my whining. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows. Keep it up and I'll try to keep updating this story. Onwards then.
* * *
Bruce watched in rapt fascination as the beds his patients had been lying on slowly lifted off the ground and floated after the squad of Mediwizards, as Harry had called them, who directed each bed with their wands out into the hall and down the stairs.
He followed after them with Harry and Ron at his heels. Both the wizards looked tense and uncomfortable in each others presence the agitation was getting to him so he sped up to talk with the healers on how exactly they were going to fix the injured Aurors' femur within a couple of minutes.
The silence got deafening as Bruce rounded the corner and left Harry and Ron facing each other.
"Say it." Ron let out his voice but a whisper.
"What?" asked Harry even though he had heard the redhead.
"You've got something you want to say to me. Say it and get it over with."
Harry's jaw twitched as he stared at his former friend. The defiant stance Ron took reminding him of their innocent days. Days that didn't last. Then he blinked and saw a man who had let his own life slip from him in a moment. A man who had lost but still wasn't repentant.
"We're not children anymore Ron." Harry replied, his anger carefully hidden. "Your actions have consequences. I've said all that needed to be said. This isn't something that can be fixed by jokes or a punch in the face. I'm here to do my job, as long as you do yours we'll be fine."
Harry turned and headed after Dr Banner hoping to regain his composure before reaching him.
He found Banner at the entrance hall conversing with one of the healers and watching as one by one the Mediwizards exited with their patients via the Floo.
"So just with a wave of your wand, you can heal broken bone?" asked a fascinated Bruce.
"Not quite so, Doctor," answered a patient Healer Cerys as the older woman had introduced herself. "on observation yes it will seem like I would wave my wand and the bone will be healed but the process behind this healing procedure is very involved and requires years of training."
"How exactly...?" Banner coerced.
Cerys sighed but answered nonetheless. "Our healing spells require not only our magic but the magic of the patient to work. I can trigger the spell but it is the bone of the patient that is mending so I am essentially making the patients magic make him heal. This requires specific training as commanding a person's magic to turn on itself is considered a Dark Art unless used in healing."
Bruce's excited countenance dropped a little. "So this means if I were to get injured...?" he trailed off expectantly.
"The spell would not work," replied the healer grimly. "There are spells which can heal No-majs but they require extreme caution and a continuous flow of magic from the healer to the patient. It's draining on our core so not recommended unless done to preserve the Statute."
"And the Statute is -?"
"Statute of Secrecy Doctor," Harry replied nodding at the healer. "thank you Healer Cerys for indulging Dr Banner but I'm sure you have patients to attend to."
Bruce flushed and stammered out an apology for holding her up.
"No need Doctor, my underlings are more than capable of handling the minor injuries and I must say I do enjoy an intellectual conversation with a fellow acedemic."
Bruce if possible flushed even deeper and offered his thanks.
"Its no problem Dr Banner, I must stay and supervise the removal of the fallen dignitaries anyway." Cerys smiled at the stumbling scientist.
It was then though that the orb that had been recording the previous days events blinked out its light and fell heavily onto the tiled floor of the MACUSA Atrium.
Harry hurried forward and picked it up. Turning to the learned pair he halted their conversation.
"Unfortunately we will have to go," at Bruce's enquiring look he elaborated. "Hermione needs to see this and report to our Minister back home." he held up the orb in explanation then pocketed it.
Banners shoulder slumped which caused the healer to smile wider. "Don't worry Dr Banner. You can owl me with anymore questions you might have."
"Owl?" asked Banner confused but Harry ushered him out of the hole in the wall he had made and over to the door all the while explaining to him about owl post.
Bruce took a last glance at Healer Cerys who looked back at them with that smile and as Harry pushed him out she waved at him as he exited.
* * *
The revelation that there was going to be a UN meeting was in some ways reassuring but in other ways quite daunting. Indeed Tony didn't really have a good track record against governments types, Romanoff and Barton were spies so they didn't really think much of the UN knowing that far more powerful parties than them pulled the strings to make the world go round. Thor was unconcerned as he didn't believe any Midgardian ruling party had power over him.
Captain Rogers was concerned. Tony had explained to him on their trek back up Stark Tower after the battle about the World Security Council and that they had been the ones to order the nuke strike on Manhattan. The general public didn't even know that they existed. Surely they would have a stake in this? And judging by their previous behaviour he didn't trust them one bit not to influence the UN.
Professor Padma Patil was also worried as she knew that this could result in the end of the Magical World. Their magic could be seen as a serious threat and looking around at all the destruction that lay around her she couldn't help but think that if it came down to war then the wizards wouldn't have a chance.
While people in Starks penthouse were worrying about the future, two of the members were secluded in a corner furiously discussing something. It only could be described as something because all they could here of the conversation was a soft buzzing in their ears and nothing more. Even the super spies didn't have any idea what Fury and Granger were talking about.
Fifteen minutes of this and Tony was preparing to have JARVIS open a trapdoor under Fury's feet when the buzzing stopped and both Fury and Granger walked to the centre of the room.
"After much debate, we have come to a decision," said Fury meeting all of them in eye.
"You and Mary Poppins over here?" asked Tony carelessly. Before seperating from them he had seen Granger reach into a fairly small pouch up to her armpits and come up with a notepad and marker. She had been scribbling in it constantly while talking to Fury.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the nickname but could see Tony eyeing her pouch with interest. "Yes," she replied. "I understand that you have a prisoner of war."
Tony winced as he caught the almost imperceptible movement of Bartons fingers at the mention of Loki, but other than that he remained silent.
"We did," the billionaire replied. "We handed him over to him," he nodded towards Fury. "Til Goldilocks here can take him back home."
Thor stepped forward. "What is it that you require of my brother?" he asked his voice booming as usual.
Hermione regarded him upraisingly. "Yes, Thor," she paused. "Can I call you Thor?"
Thor's countenance mellowed and he let a smile show. "It is my name," he boomed. "Please do not stand on ceremony."
Hermione returned the smile and continued. "Thor, I have been told that you are the actual Norse God; Thor Odinson? Son of Odin and Frigga? Brother of Loki? Weilder of Mjolnir? God of Thunder and Lightning? Am I getting any of this right?"
Thor nodded enthusiastically pleased that this mortal knew so much about his world. "Just about all of it Lady Granger," he replied.
She blushed at the Lady part but kept going. "Well is it also true that Loki had a few children all of whom were banished by the Allfather for fear of bringing about the end of the Nine Realms?"
At this all the people in the room straightened up and Thor's smile dropped from his face. When Thor spoke it was with a measured control in his voice.
"It happened a long time ago. We were sworn upon Odin Oath never to speak of it. My brother was distraught but the Allfather had a hard decision to make. In the end he chose to save Asgard and banished my nephews and niece to the darkest corners of the Nine Realms to live out their lives with no contact from their father."
The pain in Thor's eyes was apparant and even Tony couldn't believe he was feeling kind of sorry for Loki.
"How do you know of this?" asked Thor his voice hoarse with emotion.
Hermione was calm, she had dealt with Harry's anger Thor's wasn't much of a difference. "I read about it a few years into my schooling," she said carefully. "I don't put much stock into Divination but Astronomy is the art of reading the stars. When we learnt of Ygdrasil we were taught about your lives. I'm sorry."
"No. No Lady Granger, it is not you who should be sorry but me, me and my family who ripped away from Loki his children in fear of a prophecy that may never come to pass and bound ourselves to never speak of the event so that we couldn't even mourn them.
Thor looked away from his newly made friends ashamed of this part of his past that he had tried to forget but never could.
"Loki's hatred of the Allfather's decree may well have been the cause of his treason and subsequent invasion of Midgard. The Allfathers word is law but we were wrong to follow it."
"Maybe," said Hermione softly. "But Loki may be our only hope to resolving this brewing conflict between us magicals and normals. Thor you said you had a niece, was her name Hela by chance?"
Thor nodded. "She was named after our older sister who had died a hero long before we were born. It was when all our realms were constantly on war with each other. Tales of her tell her to be the greatest warrior of the Nine Realms. She was named the Goddess of Death because of her prowess in battle and when little Hela, my niece, was born we gave her the same title knowing that she would do her family and her Aunts legacy proud."
Hermione nodded. "Yes, Hela the Goddess of Death. That was what I needed to know, because if that is true than maybe I can get Loki to talk."
Everyone in the room turned to her incredulously. "How," Thor was the one who finally managed to ask.
Hermione smiled. "Well it's not me, exactly. It's my friend Harry, who you, Thor and Captain Rogers, met," she smiled tentatively at them. "He has a very special relationship with Death and he might be able to get Loki to talk."
Stunned silence greeted her until the elevator doors opened and in walked Bruce Banner and tailing him, looking around the penthouse with obvious fascination was the man in question Harry Potter.
He went to the window and smiled down below. "Wow. How high is this floor Bruce?" he asked. When nobody answered he turned around and saw all eyes on him.
"Hey guys," Harry said waving at the Avengers. "What'd we miss?"
* * *
Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair and looked at the people gathered around him. Hermione had given them the basics, never mentioning the Hallows as he trusted her not to, but he could see that these people weren't your average bunch of superheroes.
The two Agents he had been introduced to were sharp and alert and they both shifted imperceptibly when they spotted either Hermione or him hedging around a subject.
The man lounging on one of the couches seemingly without a care in the world, who Harry immediately recognised at the owner of the building they were in simply because of the amount of billboards he had seen on his way to the tower proclaiming Stark Industries to be the leading name in Technology and Tony Stark as being one of the richest men in America. He seemed careless but Harry could see the intelligence behind his eyes.
Nick Fury may be half blind but seemed to see twice as much. Bruce's intelligence he had already established.
As for Thor and Steve, one might see them as having more muscles than brains but even from his brief interaction with Captain America Harry could tell that he was sharp as a tack and a hundred times more dangerous as your enemy. Thor was supposedly a God as confirmed by Hermione's idea to use his Mastery of Death against his brother, so who knows what he was capable of.
Then there was the presence of an old classmate in Padma Patil, how she got here Harry didn't have a chance to ask, but he knew that she was no slouch, a former Ravenclaw and best in their year aside from Hermione, she had gotten into teaching the last he had heard and now was waiting with the rest of them for his response.
He sighed and looked around the destruction wrought by the invading Alien army, wrought by Loki himself. His eyes darkened and he nodded. In the end there was no choice for him. If using the Hallows allowed them to avoid the horrors of war, then he was going to do it. No matter the cost.
Hermione smiled at him sympathetically, she alone knew what he went through when using the Hallows, the toll it took but it was necessary.
"So wait a minute," said Tony, finally sitting up straight. "Let me get this right. You think you can do what all of us," he pointed all around them at the Avengers, "his own brother, and a super secret spy agency couldn't pull off?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted readily. "but Hermione seems to have a hunch it will work and knowing her how I do, her hunches usually seem to be right."
Hermione beamed her thanks at him even as Padma nodded her agreement.
Tony eyed her shrewdly before settling back down, no more objections on his lips.
Fury looked around at the assembled group. "Anymore questions?" When no one answered he continued. "Barton prepare for take off, Stark, Miss Patil, Doctor Banner, you are welcome to sit this one out."
Tony didn't even bother to scoff at Fury. "Jay?"
'The Mark VII is ready for deployment, sir. Only test runs left.'
"This trip will be its test run, get it ready," he said getting up to put his suit on. "Pepper might call soon, tell her I'm okay and to come to New York as soon as she can. Oh and since we skipped Shwarma I ordered some pizza, keep them warm till we get back."
He said all of this while his suit assembled around him with his mask finally clunking down over his face at the last words. Harry could only stare as first a disembodied voice answered Starks questions then as a full metal armor surrounded his body encasing him in metal.
He felt Padma's hand on his arm and looked up to see her smiling down at him. "I'll explain Tony on the way there," she said patting his arm, turning to Fury she added. "I intend to see this through, Director. If there's space on the jet then I want in."
Fury nodded and turned to Bruce who shrugged. "I didn't wreck Tony's penthouse just to see Loki get away again. You might need me if Loki's got something up his sleeve."
Fury scowled at them. "Fine," he said after a moment then turned on his heel to walk out of the broken window and back onto the roof.
Before Harry could even step to follow him Tony blasted his way off of a launch platform his hand and feet shooting cones of flames propelling him forward at amazing speeds.
Thor was next he swung his Hammer around in circles gathering momentum then hung on to it as it shot forwards taking him with it matching Stark speed for speed. Wishing he could take out his broom and see how it held up to the two Avengers speeds, instead he followed the rest of them out and over to the jet waiting for them.
* * *
Loki paced inside his new cell, it was a struggle to do so since his arms were strapped to his sides and an annoying muzzle was placed on his lower face to stop him from talking.
The indecency of it burned at the former Prince's pride but deep down he knew that he deserved it. Fighting Thanos' war for him was not one of his best decisions but one does not say no to someone like Thanos and lives to tell the tale.
He had been angry, hurting and defeated when he fell through that wormhole from Azgard and ended up on the Chitauri planet. When he met Thanos he was all but a shell of his former self.
The Mad Titan heard his story and had him healed. Then he tasked Loki with an impossible mission. To find and bring to him the Infinity Stone that could control space. His incredulity at this task was not met well and he didnt question the Titan again as he was handed the scepter and sent through yet another portal.
Loki still was not remorseful of the lives he had taken whilst on earth. He was a God, his life mattered more than these fleeting beings that were intent on killing one another anyways. They needed a ruler to bring them to heel. Not a fickle protector like Thor or the Avengers who themselves had so much blood on their hands. But alas his vision and his ruling was rejected and here he stood in this godforsaken cell made of who knows what material that even Loki could not penetrate.
His musings were interrupped by the far door opening. Loki stilled as Thor walked in a slight limp to his gait that made Loki smile inside his mask. Asgardian steel hurt like hell, he would know.
Surprisingly his brother brandished a key. Moving to the jawline of the contraption on his face, with a slight whine the thing fell down from his face and finally freed his jaw.
Loki stood still for a moment looking at the thing on the floor in contempt before grinning his signature grin at Thor. "Brother! It's been a while," he said cheerfully. "It's been awfully quiet without you."
"It's barely been a day and the consequences of your actions are already cropping up," replied Thor, his jaw tense and his eyes frosty. Looking every bit like the formidable Allfather.
Loki contemplated this before his smile grew even wider. "The sidhe? They have been discovered then? Have the Midgardians already started to bomb them as they are wont to do?" The leer on Loki's face was clearly getting to Thor and he was enjoying every minute of it.
The door to the darkened room opened once again and this time the person walking in did not fill the doorway like his brother had. It was the stature of a slight man who held himself confidently but not arrogantly.
He paused inside for a second then spoke. "Awfully dark in here, is it not?" There was a flash of energy that only Loki registered as familiar, then the room was filled with soft glowing light that didn't seem to have a particular source but still illimuniated the entire room.
The unknown man's features were thrown in sharp relief revealing him to be someone shorter than both Loki and Thor. He was, as proven by his silhouette, of slight built wearing loose fitting robe style clothing that was reminiscent of Asgardian battle mage garb yet modernised. He had dark messy hair and arresting emerald green eyes that shone in a way that Loki recognised as not entirely natural. Whoever this man was, Loki knew he possessed a formidable amount of power, despite his diminutive stature.
"That's much better," he said cheerfully and strode into the room. Walking up to the two Azgardians he came to a stop next to Thor. "Thor? If you would do the honors?"
Thor looked between Loki and the man who had locked eyes with each other and seemed to be engaged in a battle of wills. He shook his head. 'Mages,' he thought to himself. Warriors either punched each other or shared a drink, sometimes both. This silent exchange unnerved him. Nevertheless he introduced the two.
"Loki. This is Head Auror Harry Potter of the British Ministry of Magic," said Thor surprising Harry that he actually remembered who the wizard was aside from his name, even as he nodded at the slowly smirking Loki.
"Harry. This is my brother, the Trickster God of Mischief, Prince of Asgard, Loki."
Lokie scowled at Thor. "I am none of those things, brother." he spat the word brother out like it was a curse word, turning back to the wizard he said. "I am Loki, I have no title and no home, I am not a Prince of any Kingdom nor am I anybody's brother."
Each word seemed to hit Thor like a blow and at the last declaration the God of Thunder's shoulders slumped.
"I had thought..."
"Thought what?" asked Loki viciously. "That your shallow defeat of my army would temper my anger? Would endear me to you? Would make me think better of that liar whom you call King? No, brother. My hatred for you and Him grows only stronger the longer I breathe. Be wary brother, for I may lay in your dungeons for an eternity but I will never swear fealty to Odin, ever again."
Loki's words rang true in Thor's heart and it felt like losing his brother all over again.
Harry observed all this silently and felt Loki's pain. Indeed mere hours ago he had given the same piece of mind to someone who he had once thought of as a brother.
Despite this familiarity there was also a few differences. Harry had not yet attempted to take over the world and it wasn't quite Thor's fault that his Father had lied to Loki.
Yet Loki's grievences with Odin was a parallel to his own with his former Headmaster, who hadn't quite been as honest with him as he could have been. The circumstances were regrettable but it was not why he was here.
Clearing his throat in the tense silence he felt both sets of eyes on him.
"Thor I don't mean to be rude, but I believe we came here for a reason?"
Pale green eyes narrowed at him. "And what pray tell, young mortal, is the reason you are here. I can sense some power in you, not much but enough to tell that you are sidhe but your mind is silent to me."
"I had enough of people poking around in my head, so I took measures to make sure it never happens again, as I assume you did as well seeing as your shields are just as formidable as mine."
"Odin sports as preferring warriors as sons but he himself is a Battlemage. I learned to block my mind from him the first time he caught one of my lies."
"And you have had a thousand years to perfect it."
Loki smiled. "Indeed," he agreed. "it's commendable that you have accomplished the same in a fraction of the time."
Thor observed this by-play between the two magic users with no small amount of surprise. He himself couldn't remember the last time he had such a civil discussion with his brother. And these two had just met.
Harry sighed. "Unfortunately, as much a I admire you're mental prowess and by association your skills as a magic user, we find ourselves on different sides."
Loki nodded thoughtfully. "This is true."
"So how about we drop the pretenses and talk about the real problem."
"Problem?" asked Loki in mock confusion. And now Thor cottoned on, they weren't being friendly but actually testing each other.
"Yes. You see as much as you would deny it, we know that you didn't just decide to come here on your own. Nor could you have ammassed such a grand Alien army in the two years that Thor told us you had been missing. So this begs the question, Who sent you?"
Loki's smile got sinister. "You think I will reveal that to you just because you ask? You think you will succeed where everyone else has failed? Why?"
"Because of what you said earlier. You claim to not be a Prince, or a brother? But I have it on good authority that you are a father? Being a father myself I can't imagine what it must feel like to not be able to see your daughter for a week much less a millenia?"
Loki's eyes sharpened and he glanced accusatorily at Thor. "Really brother? Have you sunk so low as to use my children against me?"
"You know well Loki that I would never do that?!"
"Do I?" asked Loki sarcastically. "There was a time when I knew that my brother would never aid in separating my children from me. I was wrong then. So no, brother. I do not know."
"You know I am bound by Odin Oath not to speak of it," Thor toned out his eyes flashing electricity in anger.
"He speaks the Truth, Loki." said Harry interrupting them. "Our norse legends speak of your children and their fate. Thor merely confirmed the facts when my friend asked him."
Loki turned fiery eyes on him. "Whether thats true or not, it still says that you wish to use my children against me!" screamed Loki in fury.
And this time it was Harry's anger which spiked. Not caring one whit about safety he got into the self proclaimed Gods face.
"And your army murdered half of our children! Do not think for one minute Loki of Asgard that this a negotiation. This is me offering you a chance."
Loki met Harry's eyes and the fire in them tempered his own. "A chance for what."
"A chance for you to meet someone who you haven't seen for a millenia."
At his confused look Harry closed his eyes for a moment and called on himself the power of the Deathly Hallows. When he opened his eyes again it was to wide eyes as he was now covered in a ghostly green cloak, on his left ring finger glowed a ghostly green ring and in his right hand he held a ghostly green wand.
"The Master of Death," intoned Thor, shocked by this development as he met the eyes of the young man he had led into the room, now those eyes once bright emerald shone dull sickly green that pulsed slowly in time with his breath.
"How is this possible?" asked Loki his breath caught in his chest. The last witnessed Master of Death was well before his time. Well before Odins as well. No one had been able to unite the Deathly Hallows for millennium and now in front of them he stood.
"I united the Hallows," said Harry but gone was his quiet measured tone. What came out was a deep gravely voice that chilled them to the bone. "I now can command death. And, " at this those dull eyes locked onto Loki's, "by association the Goddess."
Loki's gave a shuddering gasp as the light left Harry's eyes and he stumbled in place. The ghostly artifacts on his person disappeared but the darkness swirling around him was still present enough to caution the two Asgardians.
"So there's the deal," gasped Harry. "You tell us what we want to know and we will reunite you with your daughter."
