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Chapter 9

"I want to come with you," Ana said, struggling to keep up with Loki's long strides as he headed for the stables. It had been several hours since they had spoken with Ullr, and those hours had been spent making any preparations needed for the trip to the ancient castle.

"Anastasia, you are still recovering. Eir said you are not to use magic yet. If we reach a confrontation then, how will you defend yourself? Were you in good health I would not dream of stopping you, but this could push your recovery back," he stopped and cupped her cheek, his thumb running over her smooth skin lightly. "I do not want to see you hurt again. You would be defenceless against them, and you have to admit, even with your magic, you have a limited knowledge on how to use it due to your removal from your education. When you are recovered fully, I will train you to defend yourself in any way you ask me to, and if something like this comes up again, you will be free to come. But this time, I want you to remain here."

"When you throw those reasons out there, I can hardly argue, can I?" Ana asked, sighing. "Fine, I'll stay here- but I want to know everything that happens."

"You have my word, you will have the truth of the matter."

"If I may speak with your soul mate, Loki?" A voice interrupted.

They turned round to see an old man with white hair, armour and a gold eye patch. "Of course, Father. We should not be long," he said returning his attention to Anastasia, kissing her briefly. "I will see you soon." With that, he walked away.

"Come, Anastasia, walk with me."

Anastasia complied, once again at a loss for words. She had once again been sort out, and she had no idea on the why. Odin's reasons were anyone's guess. She would not know until he chose to tell her.

"I have no doubt that you have noticed the surprise some people have greeted you with?"

"Do you mean the stares?"

"That would probably be one aspect of it, yes. There is a reason they stare however. Your nature is a shock to them. In all of history there has never been a phoenix that has been anything other than a being that has fully represented all that is good and pure within the universe, as you, as a witch prior to your changes, would know. Many believed that should Loki ever find his soul mate, there would at the very least be leeway for her to become very dark so you are a surprise to them indeed."

"But not to you?"

"No. Who do you think sent that phoenix to you in your hour of need?"

"That was you?"

"It was. Had you survived that night through any other means, you would have been tainted irrevocably. Had you died, again the realms fortune would have hung in the balance. I had to act. My son is destined to end all things unless the right person is there to stop him. Only you have that power, and the only certain way of ensuring you also did not tread the same destructive path as he would have, was to ensure the path was barred to you. There were a number of options open to me that night which included either simply healing you or allowing you to die. My duties include protecting my people as well as my family. The option I chose allowed me to do both."

"So you knew I was there?"

"I did. You were also young at the time- too young to be brought here. I believed that had been why we had not been alerted to you at first. I believed your parents were going to send the alert once you came of age, though I soon realised that was never their intention. Two things held me back from interfering. Loki had already started down a dark path. I doubted he would believe you were not some trick unless he found you for himself. With the right nudge here and there that was easily arranged in due time. The other was the situation with Ullr. No doubt Loki would have had many supporters here had he confined his invasion to the magical world. There were many who thought the peace treaty was not enough and that the magical population of Midgard should have been brought to heel forcefully for their attempt at disregarding the bond of soul mates as inconsequential compared to their own petty alliances. I could not allow open warfare upon mortals, be they magical or not, over one person. Now they have repeated themselves- and in a worse way too. They would have bound you in such a way that you would have been a slave. Upon your marriage to my son you will become a part of my daughter and a princess of the realm. By disregarding the treaty, especially with you, is a sufficient declaration of war on their part- especially if they have committed further crimes against Helena Ravenclaw. Many have wanted blood in return for what was done centuries ago. Now I have reason to allow them to have it."

"I am an excuse to start a war?"

"At least once a year I am petitioned by the court, led by Ullr, to declare war on those who have wronged him. We have long memories to match our long lives and as a warrior race we have a rather harsh culture and response to these matters. If they found out about how you had been treated as a child and how your parents had not contacted us and I had not allowed them to retaliate, there would be unrest here- unrest I cannot allow. Of course, I was obliged to wait until at least your seventeenth, when you became an adult within your society, but then you left it and of course, as I said earlier, Loki had started down that dark path. While yes, your treatment will be the last reason to allow war to be declared upon the magical community, at least the British magical community, your role is far more important and has further reaching consequences than that. Ragnarok would see destruction on a far wider scale," by this point they had reached a more occupied area of the palace. "You should go and get some rest, Anastasia. Lady Eir is a formidable woman. You would not want her angry at you."

With that, he left her by a large window that overlooked the training fields, leaving Ana to think over the things he had told her. Revelations that shocked her to her core.

"Anastasia told me that she prefers to remain within Ravenclaw Tower. We should find her there. If not, it could be a long search," Loki said as they headed through the darkened corridors.

"Will we not be disturbed there? By the students?" Ullr asked.

"Possibly, which is why when we find her, we will be heading somewhere more secluded for her to tell us what happened and why she is still here."

They reached the tower after several minutes of silent walking and Loki reached out and knocked on the door knocker. The knocker spoke then. "A man in prison has a visitor. Afterward a guard asks the inmate who the visitor was to him. The inmate replies: 'brothers and sisters, I have none, but that man's father is my father's son.' Who was the visitor to the inmate?"

"The inmate's son." Loki answered without hesitation.

"Correct." The door swung open and they entered the common room. Both their eyes were immediately drawn to the silver spirit of a woman who was undoubtedly beautiful.

"Helena," Ullr said, stepping forward.

She looked round and her eyes widened, she opened her mouth as if to speak and then seemed to choke on her words, her hands coming up to her throat as she began to silently cry.

"Why can she not speak?" Ullr demanded.

Loki's eyes were narrowed. "There is an enchantment on her. Several in fact. They are so clumsily placed they are easy to see. The one preventing her from speaking to us, and undoubtedly to anyone she would have told about this is the simplest to break," Loki responded. To Ullr it appeared as if all it took was a flick of Loki's wrist and a small flash of light.

With that, Helena Ravenclaw's voice returned. "Oh thank you!" She said. "That spell was placed on me by the Baron so I would be unable to speak with any of you, and only tell his version of events. He knew I would never marry him, so when my mother sent him after me he found me, and killed me, before binding my spirit so I could not move on and was stuck in Hogwarts. He killed himself. He tells people it was out of grief for his actions- that killing me was something he did in a fit of rage that he now regrets, but that is not true. He killed himself to torment me throughout the centuries, not content with trapping me here."

Ullr reached out as if to cup her cheek but then withdrew, realising he would be unable to touch her. "We will be able to free you. You can be reborn- I promise you that."

"Was this the work of simply the Baron?" Loki asked. "We need to know everything, Helena."

She shook her head. "At the beginning it was, but every Headmaster knows the true story behind each of the ghosts in the castle. They all had the power to free me, but my knowledge was just too valuable to me. Each minister also knows my story. The power the headmaster has over the castle means they can force us to tell them whatever they wish to know. Many ministers have had the Headmaster make me and the others teach them old spells, or forgotten historical facts that they can use to sway public opinion on one matter or another, so it is important the ministers know our stories too, to know who would be best to consult with. Headmaster Dumbledore put another spell on me a few years ago, to add to my silence. When Anastasia came to the school, I found myself unable to teach her a spell to communicate with you, Prince Loki. He is playing a game of chess with people's lives, and the Potters are some of the main pieces."

Loki felt rage run through him. Even then the old fool had been planning to use her somehow. He would see him pay, along with the others. "Come, we will head somewhere more secluded and then free you," he said.

"Thank you," Helena said. "Come I will show you to somewhere we will not be disturbed."

"I swear to you Helena, I will avenge the wrongs they have committed against you," Ullr said.

She smiled at him sadly. "I will be happy simply being free again."

"You will be, soon," he promised.

They reached a small alcove that was easily looked over and Loki began circling Helena, carefully weaving a spell that would unbind her spirit, releasing her. It took ten minutes of work before the chain like spells were dissolved and she gasped.

"What is it?"

"A part of my soul is already born. I have a body waiting for me already!"

"I will see you soon, Helena, I promise."

She smiled, brightly this time. "I do not doubt your word, my love," she said to Ullr, before turning to Loki. "Thank you." With that, she became a fist sized ball of silvery light before shooting off through the walls.

"We must leave. I will have Heimdal search for her. Then, we will bring this matter before the court. With everything that has happened, the wizards will have to answer for what they have done."

Ullr nodded. "I look forward to it," He growled.

It was dark by the time Loki entered the warriors lounge. "Anastasia informed us of what was going on, brother!" Thor greeted. "Did you free Lady Helena?"

"We did. And I have Heimdal looking for her now, and Ullr and I have just informed father of what has been going on."

Thor nodded. "Good. What was his response?"

"He wants to wait a bit longer until Helena can be found and then he will convene the court to her full story, Anastasia's and Jane's part in it."

"He wants us to testify or something?" Jane asked.

"That is exactly what he wants," Loki nodded. He knew it would be hard for Anastasia, but he would be there to help her. He placed an arm around her shoulders, she seemed to have drawn in on herself slightly at the revelation. "Once you have said everything you need to say, it will be all that is needed of you. He also wants one more thing before he acts however."

"What?" Thor asked. "What more could he need?"

"The British Minister for Magic. He wants to hear him speak on the matter, and why he failed to uphold the treaty. No doubt that is to simply cover all bases and simply a last measure. There is too much pent up frustration on this matter for anything else to happen."

"When do we go find the Minister?" Sif asked, leaning forward, a predatory gleam in her eyes. Ullr was her son, and she had been right beside him each time he had petitioned the king to seek justice.

"Tomorrow morning. An hour before dawn. We will catch the minister while he is still in be, before he has a chance to alert any of their Aurors. Hopefully, the ministry will put it down to a Death Eater attack."

"They won't. Not unless you cast the Dark Mark," Ana said, speaking up. If they were going to do this, they had to do it properly.

"The dark mark?" Fandral asked.

"Whenever they attack, more specifically, when they kill, the Death Eaters place the Dark Mark in the sky where they've killed. It's a way to inspire terror. Imagine coming home and seeing the mark, already knowing what's inside. They also have it branded on their left arms. It's a skull with a serpent twisting out of its mouth."

"Could you draw it?" Loki asked.

She nodded. "Of course. I'll draw it later on tonight."

"It will confuse them, no doubt," Thor said. "The wizards will not know what is coming."

"You won't have long after it appears in the sky to get out of there. The Aurors will turn up pretty soon afterwards."

"Won't they be suspicious if he's not there?" Jane asked.

"They'll assume that with no body that he'd been dragged off and killed and then dumped. They have done it before," Ana said, slightly unable to comprehend she was helping plan to abduct the minister for magic, which would be the prelude to war.

"Sir, there is a small ball of unknown energy heading this way," JARVIS said, startling every one.

"Can you tell if it's dangerous, JARVIS?" Tony asked.

"No, sir," the AI responded. Just then, a silver ball of light shot through the window, as if it wasn't even there and leaving no damage, only to hit Hermione, throwing her forcefully over her seat and she hit the floor behind it heavily. The others rushed to her, but she was already unconscious. Sirius began running scans on her, but could find nothing wrong.

"Err, guys, her trouser leg is smouldering," Clint said.

It was, and they lifted it up to see a blue tattoo appearing from nowhere on her ankle. When it was complete it looked like a misshapen 'n'. The first straight line was longer than the second one, and instead of the usual connecting arch, there was a vertical line. Sirius and the twins groaned in union.

"What is it?" Pepper asked.

"It's the Norse rune Uruz, which stands for Aurochs, or wild ox, basically representing strength, speed, courage etcetera," Sirius answered her. "It's like Anastasia's and Jane's runes. I'm a bit concerned about why it's only happening now though. It should have been there since birth."

"What about that orb thing?" Tony asked.

"It may have something to do with it. We'll have to wait until she wakes up. Let's get her to her room."

Ana had her head on Loki's chest, her arm over his torso as they lay in bed. He had fallen completely silent after she had told him what his father had wanted to talk to her about and hadn't spoken for ten minutes.

"Loki? Are you alright?"

"No. I am furious. I am furious that he would use you like this. Once you had been saved he should have intervened then. What they put you through before would have been enough for the court."

Her arm tightened around him and she kissed his shoulder. "It was a shock to me too. I didn't even know anyone had sent the other phoenix."

"You should have been brought here. One of the members of court could have looked after you until you were of age. You could have been taught how to use your powers properly."

"It is done now. I just want to forget that part of my life as much as possible and move on. This war is worrying enough, and I know you will fight in it. That worries me enough."

His arm tightened around her. "They will not be able to touch me. They are not powerful enough. Especially since I will also have fully trained warriors with me as well, including my brother."

"I'm still allowed to worry. What if you get hurt anyway?"

"I will not be seriously injured, I can promise you that. I promised you those that hurt you would pay. This is a part of it."

"When do you think it will start?"

"It will not be long now. I doubt it will last long either. Well, not long where we are concerned. Immortality has a way of making even ten years seem short."

"Yes well, I haven't lived long enough to look at it like that. You just be sure to come back to me, and remember your promise to train me. If I'm ready and this war you're planning is still going, I want a part of it."

He nodded. "Very well, my lady," he said, before rolling over so he was leaning over her. His smirk was wicked. "On one condition."

"What?"

"We open the bond before you step foot on the battle field. We will be able to keep an eye on each other better that way."

"Hmm, on one condition," she replied, turning his words back on him.

"What condition would that be?"

"You've told me that most activate the bond on their wedding night, and something tells me this is one tradition you don't intend to break. I want a proper proposal."

"I can do that easily, so long as you do not think I am going to ask your father's permission for our hand in marriage."

"I don't care about that."

"What do you care about?"

"Oh you aren't getting off that easily. It's up to you to figure out how to do this on your own," Ana replied, before leaning up and kissing him.

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think!