Loki's abrupt departure had worried his mother and brother, but experience, had taught Hermione to be pragmatic.
"He's been through a lot this afternoon – all good, but a lot of emotion nonetheless. He'll be alright, he just needs to be quiet, to process everything."
Frigga took her hand. "Professor Granger – may I call you Hermione? My son has been through so much, both physically and mentally, and I cannot begin to tell you the change I have seen in him today. I realise from what you said earlier, and his behaviour just now, that he has a long way to go still. But the difference now, is that he is showing his feelings - for the first time that I can remember.
My son is only 1046 years old – still a very young man by Asgardian standards. As a child he was affectionate and open. He and Thor were the closest of friends. But as he grew, I watched them change from friends to rivals, and gradually the barriers came down. Over the centuries that followed every emotion and vulnerability was hidden behind a mask. A perfect beautiful royal mask. Cold, bitingly intelligent and sarcastic. As I said to Professor McGonagall earlier, I have not truly seen my son for many long centuries. I had not heard a true honest laugh from him in even longer – before today.
Then I saw him with you, putting your supplies away. He was a young man again. Not a Prince of Asgard, not a warrior or a mage. A young man, happy and confident in his own skin, spending time - with the woman he loves."
Frigga stopped, overcome. Unable to continue.
After a moment of silence, Professor McGonagall leaned forward. "I was not aware of Loki's ongoing issues. Does he have these moments of panic often?"
"He has nightmares two or three times a week on average. Sometimes I can coax him out of them without waking him up, but not always. He's had two panic attacks to date. The first was on the Underground in London, the second last week was more serious. We had to go down to the dock to receive the potion supplies." She looked up at Thor and Frigga. "Traditionally the first year students travel to the castle by boat when they arrive for the first time. They disembark at an underground dock. It's also where any deliveries that can't arrive by magic tend to come in. Some of my potions ingredients are highly explosive, and may be unstable when exposed to the forces of magical transportation.
We walked down through the corridors onto the dock. By the time we got there he was green, shaking and unable to breath. I couldn't talk him out of this one. I had to call Kreacher to transport us out of there." She shook her head "I should never have taken him down there. I should have known what would happen."
"Why?" asked Frigga. Having been in The Cave himself, Thor had already put two and two together.
"Because the dock is in a cave. To make matters worse, there is a small stream that runs through the cave and into the lake." Frigga looked puzzled, not understanding the significance.
Loki was chained alone in The Cave for almost a week. In the dark. Unable to see when the next drop of venom would fall. During this time, the only sounds he would have heard were his own voice, and the sound of a stream just outside."
Frigga's face was blanched. She had been aware of The Cave – the ultimate punishment, reserved for the worst of Asgardian traitors, but to truly understand what her youngest son had gone through in there was almost too much for her to bear.
"As you saw this afternoon, he can't even walk into my potions store. It's a good thing that the rooms in Hogwarts are large or we could have real problems.
I have been in touch with Saint Mungo's Hospital – that's the main magical hospital in London. There is a healer there that specialises in mind trauma – he helped a number of my friends after the Battle of Hogwarts, ten years ago. I had a couple of sessions with him myself. Don't mention it to Loki though plese, I have a feeling he may still be resistant to the idea. I will talk to him when he has a little less on his mind."
Thor frowned. "A healer of the mind. We do not have such things on Asgard."
Frigga looked thoughtful. "Perhaps if we did, much of this could have been averted. On Asgard many still regard such troubles as a sign of weakness. Clearly there are many things that Asgard can learn from Midgard on these matters."
Thor rose slowly. "Hermione, I believe that my brother and I have things that we need to discuss, and I need to reassure myself that he is now well. Do you have any idea where he may have gone?"
Hermione smiled. "Follow the path down to the lake. When you get to the lake, bear left. I would expect that you will find him under the big oak tree...
And Thor..."
The King of Asgard stopped and looked back.
"DON'T upset him or you will answer to me!"
Thor's face paled slightly, and he made a swift exit. King he may be, but Hermione was like his mother, and had the capacity to terrify him...