As the story is slowly approaching the end I'll be closing the poll soon so I can get started on actually writing the first chapter [I want to be able to post the final chapter of 'Mischief Managed' and the first chapter of whatever wins at the same time]. What I really need is for you all to help me come up with a title for either the Naruto/DC or the Thor/Justice League ideas as it'll be one of them that will win. Any similarities between this and 'Dark Defence' are done with Kyugan's knowledge and permission. Don't think I have anything else to add so, on with the show!
Harry Potter belongs to J K Rowling.
The Norse Gods belong to, em the Norse?
XXX
If there was anything to convince Loki that the High Inquisitor had spies all over the school, it was that she'd banned all clubs that did not have her direct approval less then two days after Darren and his friends had formed their little club. It was another of the reasons he'd given the notes to Hermione, to make things easier for the students and harder for Umbridge. Of course that wasn't the only thing he'd been doing. Supplying the Weasley twins with equipment to cause trouble, discreetly of course, and dropping hints around Peevees about pranks to pull on her were all he could do while both were guests of Dumbledore in the castle.
"Stupid rules." Loki muttered as he once again tried to gain entry to wherever it was Riddle had hidden the horcrux. "Stupid, stupid. Shouldn't of given my word! Could of gotten rid of her ages ago if I hadn't."
As he was on the verge of quitting and going to bed Loki spotted one of the elves enter the corridor and stand off to the side politely, as if waiting it's turn. Loki stared at the elf who was watching the bare patch of wall he'd been trying to open a secret entrance on for weeks now.
"Elf... This may sound strange but do you know how to enter any hidden rooms here?" Loki asked.
"Yessir." The elf squeaked. "You's looking for Come and Go Room. You's must walk by three times thinking what you's want and it there. Very useful when we's be needing supplies."
"Right." Loki said, stepping aside. "Give a demonstration and be on your way."
The elf walked up and down the hall three times and then an ornate door seemed to form out of the wall. The elf entered and emerged several minutes later carrying several cleaning products. It nodded to him and set off to do whatever cleaning it needed to do. The doorway faded back into the wall afterwards.
"Mortals make some weird things." Loki muttered while pinching the bridge of his nose. He then started pacing up and down the hall thinking about how he wanted to find whatever Tom Riddle had hidden. As the door formed Loki quickly entered and found himself at the entrance to a maze of junk. Fishing out his trusty crystal Loki set off into the heart of the maze, burning marks into the ground on occasion to leave a trail. After what felt like hours Loki found himself in front of a chipped old bust of an ugly wizard, sitting on which was an ornate crown shaped like a bird with it's wings spread wide. Set in the centre was a large sapphire.
"So, you're what I'm looking for." Loki said as he dispelled the enchantments Riddle had left to defend the container for his foul soul. Setting his crystal aside Loki reached into his coat and removed a leather Diary, another of Riddle's phylacteries. He conjured a pen and wrote a quick note to the soul fragment still inside.
Hello Tom,
would you like to know a secret?
Loki watched as the ink was absorbed into the page only to be replaced by another's hand writing.
And what secret would that be?
Loki smiled as he removed a small leather bound case, inside was the syringe he'd ordered from those vile dwarves. Picking up his pen Loki replied.
How Darren Potter lived!
As he waited for Tom to reply Loki removed the syringe and a small vial of Basilisk venom. Being as careful as he could Loki filled the syringe and removed the crown from the bust. Slowly, Tom's reply formed on the page.
How? How did he do it?
Loki laughed as he looked for the ideal spot to inject the venom. He didn't want to damage the containers too much, they were to be trophies or gifts for his return to Asgard. When he found the spot to inject Loki lined up the syringe with one hand and picked up the pen with the other. He wrote his reply, finally giving the fragment the information he'd tormented it with for over two years.
Me.
As the ink was absorbed Loki plunged the syringe into the diary, through pages and into the spine of the book itself. The book released a loud wail and puff of black smoke as the acid ate away at the soul inside. As Loki put the diary back into his coat pocket and discarded the needle from the syringe Loki stared at the crown.
"Will I give you to Sigyn or Sif?" He asked it. He put the syringe and vial back into the case, pocketing the case when finished. "Sigyn it is. Sif will get the locket... Can't give her any gifts she'd wear openly, Thor might get angry."
Loki stored the crown in another of the pockets he'd added to his coat and began to retrace his steps through the maze of junk. Using his map he ensured he had a straight run back to his office and retired for the night.
X
Loki spent the next few weeks repeating a simple pattern. He'd teach from that worthless book the ministry wanted him to use, set homework from his own books and regularly sent the 'Educational Decrees' Umbridge posted near his office to Jotunheimr. He always acted surprised when they disappeared, although he suspected Dumbledore knew he was doing something to them. The Headmaster had asked him to stop enchanting the other postings to contain extracts from Muggle science fiction novels. He'd stopped enchanting most to quote those novels. Now he was drawing from 'The King in Yellow' and the 'Cthulhu Mythos', much to the confusion and terror of some students who thought that the Ministry felt the need to ban interaction which the creatures Lovecraft had imagined.
"So Lokke." Professor McGonagall said over breakfast one morning. "Will you be attending tomorrow's Quidditch match?"
"I'd rather not." Loki answered as he added several spoons of sugar to his tea. "I have little interest in the game. I understand there has been some trouble with the teams, eh Severus?"
"Staff should not show preferential treatment." Snape snapped back, showing himself to be a hypocrite as well as childish, foolish and generally unpleasant "That you put Slytherin's Keeper on detention every day this week means he will be unable to play tomorrow."
"Yes well, perhaps he shouldn't of jinxed another student in the halls." Was Loki's reply. It took a lot of Loki's self control not to rage at the Headmaster for Snape still teaching but there was no real way for Lyesmith to know when Lockhart had promised to keep quite about the deal.
"Please, Spinnet most likely attempted a Hair-thickening Charm and messed it up. Why you chose to victimise Slytherin is beyond me?"
"I think the fourteen eye-witnesses, and myself, know what happened there far better then you do 'Professor'." Loki made sure to stress the man's title. "Maybe you should start teaching your students that you can't always be there to cover up their acts of stupidity. Actually Minerva, I think I will go tomorrow... I'm sure Argus will find some work for Betchley. Though I'll need a change of outfit, this one seems very pro-Gryffindor."
Loki smirked into his tea and the look of outrage on Snape's face. Loki finished up his breakfast and set off towards his classroom, stopping only to inform Argus Fitch and Betchley of the change in plans. The rest of the day passed without incident, although he did get several dirty looks from many Slytherins when they thought he could not see them. The next day found Loki settling down next to Auroro, in what a quick check revealed was the same seat he'd watched his first Quidditch match in, for the opening game of the Quidditch season. Wondering if the match would be anything like the last time he'd seen Darren play Loki removed a bag of jelly babies from his pocket and began to watch the match. As the match began the Slytherin supporters began to chant.
'Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win:
Weasley is our King.'
"Clever." Loki noted. "Pretty clever."
"What? Those lyrics? They are cruel and mean." Auroro said, turning to face him.
"Not the song, but the idea behind it." Loki countered. "They know they can't win normally so they target Weasley and undermine his confidence in the hope that he makes a mistake. As I said, pretty clever."
As the match went on Loki kept an eye on Ron and saw how the Slytherin's chant was affecting him. He let in four goals, all of which could of been blocked easily. The match thankfully ended quickly after Darren snatched the Snitch a mere second before Draco Malfoy could. Loki was up and out of his seat, planning to return to the castle and take a nap, before most of the crowd even knew the match was over.
X
"-But you like the Weasleys, don't you Potter?" Malfoy sneered, "Spend holidays there and everything don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by blood traitors and mudbloods, even the Weasley's hovel smells ok."
Darren had planted himself in front of George in order to hold the beater off, Angelina, Alicia and Katie managing the same with Fred, the twins striving to get close to the laughing Slytherin seeker with murder in their eyes.
"Or perhaps," Malfoy began, leering at Darren as he backed away, knowing full well that Hooch was occupied with Crabbe "That's why you like it? Does their stench remind you of your filthy mother?
Darren released George and spun around, seeing red. But he and George prepared to lunge at the arrogant prick only to freeze as Professor Lyesmith loomed behind him. It was only now that Darren noticed just how tall their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was. While the man was shorter then Hagrid he only ever needed to raise his head a faction to address the half giant comfortably. He also realised just how strong the man must be when his hand came clamping down on Malfoy's shoulder, causing the platinum haired teenager's knees to buckle slightly.
"I think you have said enough boy!" Lyesmith ground out through his teeth. "And I doubt you are in any position to say someone's parent stinks. The smell of corruption and cowardice hanging over your father is so great I nearly passed out at the World Cup! It seems to come from his forearm, the place he took his master's mark... I wonder why?"
Darren saw Malfoy claw at the Professor's hand and whimper in pain as the red-clad man squeezed tighter.
"Now, as you know throwing around petty insults is not something we can punish students for." Lyesmith said, his voice cold and unnerving. "But poor sportsmanship and attempting to instigate a riot are punishable. A one match ban for poor sportsmanship and thirty points from Slytherin for the attempted riot. It will be up to Madam Hooch if the instigation warrants any further punishment as it occurred on the Quidditch Pitch. Oh and well played Gryffindor. Well played."
With that Professor Lyesmith released Malfoy and moved to speak with Hooch. While Darren still wanted to hit Malfoy for the things he'd said about Mrs Weasley and his mother but he remembered Professor Lockhart's words, 'you need to learn when to fight with your fists and when to fight with your tongue' and decided to fight with his tongue.
"Ha, you know I wondered why Malfoy's mother looked like she always smelled something horrible." He joked the Gryffindor team. "I always thought it was because of Malfoy himself but I guess it was his dad."
The whole team broke into laughter while Malfoy could do nothing but quiver in rage and pain.
X
Loki found the dirty looks from the Slytherins occurring even when he could see them now. Deciding to sow a little discord and have some fun he decided to address this in his next DADA class with Slytherins, which just happened to be the Fifth Years.
"Right class, you all have your work for the week." He told the assembled Slytherins and Ravenclaws. "But I sense some of you aren't happy with me."
One or two of the Slytherins actually answered yes, the rest just glared at him. Several of the Ravenclaws adjusted themselves in their seats so that they weren't between him and any of the Slytherins.
"But am I to blame for your loss of points at the Quidditch match, or is the fool who openly broke school rules in front of witnesses?" Loki continued. "Had he been smart and only mocked them after they'd left the pitch no one would of seen it. Their word against his, nothing we teachers could do... But instead he acted without thinking or showing anything resembling cunning. He made your entire house look like a bunch of spoiled brats who throw tantrums if they loss and not as the cunning and resourceful group you are meant to be... So am I, who is bound by the rules of the school, to blame? Or is it your fellow Snake who showed himself devoid of cunning or ability?"
While most of the group were still focusing their glares at him, Loki saw three students who'd turned their attention on Malfoy. It wasn't much, but those three would speak with other Slytherins and spread the doubt throughout the house. The Ravenclaws all seemed to be in agreement that Malfoy messed up and not him. While not as important they to would spread it throughout their house and even to the others. Loki and learned long ago to weaponize lies, he was almost as good at using the truth as well. With that He sent the students on their way and set out planning the next wave of mischief targeting Umbridge.
XXX
Right another chapter done. Counting out the events left I'd imagine there is about six chapters left, maybe seven depending on how descriptive I get with some scenes. I'll shut the poll shortly, so if you haven't voted please do, and start writing the first chapter of the winner within the week. Oh, I only just found out a major screw up I made with this story. Back in chapter three I said the HP goblins were also known as Dwarves, well I'd forgotten HP had dwarves [they appear in CoS as the things Lockhart got to deliver messages on St. Valentine's Day.], my bad.
Anyway here's this chapter's glossary:
+ Sif – Thor's wife and a goddess linked with the earth. She may of been linked to Wheat and the harvest as well. According to the Lokasenna she and Loki had an affair.
I'm dyslexic, so please point out any mistakes in spelling or grammar. Feedback via review or pm most welcome and needed, the more I hear back about my writing or the story the more I can improve. Well, I think that's everything I've gotta say so, hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Thanks for reading.