Chapter 37: This was the Initial Trick

When Loki landed, Harry let go of him so he could look around properly. He saw with amazement that they had ended up next to what seemed to be a huge Asian market that obviously was magical. It was still dark and obviously very early in the morning there, but the red paper lanterns that were floating over the entire market lit it up quite well.

Everywhere stood small booths and even in some cases only a cart with a tarpaulin above it to keep the objects being sold dry during rain. In the middle was a huge fountain depicting a dragon that spewed water. Surrounding that was the large area with houses containing shops, cafés and whatever else needed a house and not just a booth or cart.

Though, despite the earliness, it was still quite full. People were bustling in between the booths and carts. Harry could even spot dwarves, goblins and several other races. It was a bit like the shopping mall in America and yet completely different, more like those middle-age markets than a modern one.

"You know all the nice places, don't you?" Harry asked turning towards Loki with a beaming smile.

"Of course I know the good places, anything less wouldn't do after all," Loki snorted and set into motion. "I guess you'll want to buy some souvenirs?"

"You're right it would be rude not buying something for our friends," Harry mused, missing the surprised look from Loki.

It had been such a long time that he had let anyone close to him not only in fear of something happening like it had with his family, but also because he knew very well that the lifetime of a human was limited and he wanted to spare himself the pain of losing a good friend. Breaking into heaven (or possibly hell) would only be a pain in the ass not to mention that it brokered a considerable risk. Now it seemed that he had gained a large circle of friends without even trying and he also got one of his brothers back – okay it was the typically stern elder brother who liked to scold him for his pranks, but at this point, he was just glad to have him back. If only Lucifer would be that reasonable.

Somehow, he had a feeling that the future wouldn't be as bleak as he had feared it would be. No, he was actually looking forward to what was to come for the first time in a very long time.

Throwing an arm over Harry's shoulder – which was thanks to him being an adult again a fairly easy thing to do – he led him towards the first stall.

"Then let's see what they have!" he piped happily walking towards the closest stall, which was selling charms.

Loki and Harry strolled all over the market for quite some time buying something here and there that they thought their friends would appreciate when Harry's stomach began to rumble.

"Looks like someone is in need of something to eat," Loki laughed.

Harry blushed slightly but nodded. "Haven't eaten anything since we left heaven," he muttered.

"Wait…what? Why didn't you say anything?" Loki questioned shocked, but Harry only shrugged.

"It's nothing…I'm used to it…well, I was before I went to Hogwarts and I didn't want to bother anyone," he mumbled looking at his feet.

"Not anymore!" Loki exclaimed. "I want you to tell me when you're hungry tired or whatever else. I'm not those…those…."

Loki growled in exasperation. It seemed that a few issues still were left from the treatment Harry got before he came to Hogwarts, but Loki was confident that he could help him overcome them. Considering that Harry now not only had him but also his parents, Sirius, Severus…hell, probably even his brother Michael, it was a given that he would learn to be a normal, if not a little bit spoiled, child with time.

"Listen," he said crouching down before Harry so that they were on the same eye level. "I want you to be a happy and healthy boy. There is nothing wrong with telling me when something bothers you or you need anything, okay?"

Harry nodded tentatively. "I'm also getting tired," he admitted slowly.

Loki smiled at him. "Okay, I suggest we get something to eat and afterwards we'll check into a hotel so that you can get some sleep."

"Sounds good," Harry smiled.

They both set off again walking towards a building a bit to the side that looked a bit like a Chinese palace. When they stepped inside, they were presented with a large entrance hall with a reception and to the left was a restaurant for which Loki now aimed. Inside a waiter greeted them and led them to a table before taking their order for drinks.

"Say how comes it that I can understand everyone? I guess they are speaking Chinese or something like that," Harry wondered once the waiter was gone to prepare their drinks.

"Japanese actually but I took the liberty to cast a charm over you that would translate everything for you, I hope you don't mind," Loki explained with a sheepish smile, he hadn't even thought about asking Harry for his consent.

"Nifty," Harry grinned. "And no I don't mind."

They both watched the waiter approaching them with their drinks and two menus for them to choose their dinner or from.

"So you have been the Archangel Gabriel once?" Harry asked conversationally while reading the menu.

Loki looked up at the boy, carefully examining his reaction. "Yes, though when the fight between Michael and Lucifer got too much, I left and not soon later I became Loki. Now I'm quite happy with living on earth, much more fun," he added the last part with a huge grin. "You don't seem to be overly surprised by that."

Harry shrugged. "I already knew that there was more to you than was obvious, but only when I learned who impersonated Dumbledore I knew you had to be an angel."

"How come?"

Now Harry looked up and at Loki. "Your aura…it is very well hidden, but there is a slight white sheen to it as if it's glowing. It also explains why you got into heaven that easily," he explained with a chuckle.

"Why did you never say anything?" Loki wondered. Anyone else would surely have questioned him about it but not Harry.

"Why should I? Honestly, I don't care who you've been it is what you do that counts for me. Moreover, everyone has his or her secrets, and it is yours to tell and not for me to pester you about," he shrugged again.

Right at that moment, the waiter came back to take their orders. Harry, wanting to try it, ordered sushi while Loki went with Okonomiyaki.

"You're quite wise for your age."

"The Dursleys managed to teach me at least one thing then, actions speak louder than words. To the outside, they were the perfectly normal family but behind closed curtains…," Harry sighed.

Loki sighed, this conversation went down a route he didn't want to go. "On another note, is there something you'd like to do?" he asked trying to get back to some less dour conversation.

Harry smiled, thankful for the switch of topic. "I don't know, never been to Japan," he replied amusedly.

"Brilliant, I know a few good places to visit once you're well rested," the pagan replied with a mischievous grin.

They fell into a comfortable silence when their food arrived. Harry hummed lowly when he tried the sushi.

"This is brilliant, it is a shame that Hogwarts doesn't offer something like it. Maybe I can convince the elves to make some from time to time."

"True, the food at Hogwarts is actually quite one-sided. I don't doubt that the elves would love to make you some if you ask nicely," Loki said while offering Harry a piece of his Okonomiyaki, wanting him to try many things so that he could find out what he liked and what not.

Harry carefully took and tried it. "Also not bad but I like the sushi more I think," he mused.

Once again, they fell into a comfortable silence while they ate, watching the people walking past the window they were sitting in front of. When they were done, they talked about different things until Harry stifled a yawn.

"I think we should get you into a bed," Loki snickered.

"Agreed," Harry said while trying to stifle another yawn. Despite him wanting to explore the market a bit more, he was too tired to appreciate it properly.

Loki paid for their meal before he led Harry back to the atrium they came through earlier and over to the reception desk. There he booked a room for two days. They quickly retired to the room. After changing and brushing his teeth, Harry went to bed and was asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow.

Loki waited a few minutes to ensure that Harry was alright and sleeping he vanished after casting a quick charm over the boy that would alert him if something was wrong.

Michael was sitting in the headmaster's office and taking care of the thrice-damned paperwork, that came with being not only headmaster of a magical school but also being Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Fortunately, he had resigned as Supreme Mugwump two weeks into impersonating Dumbledore because it was too much. He honestly wondered how Dumbledore had managed the work of all three positions, but Michael would be damned had he to deal with it, he wanted to enjoy life a bit and not work day in and day out, thank you very much.

He was in the midst of signing an application he actually found quite ingenious when he was startled by the sudden arrival of another man.

"Loki! I thought you were on holiday with Harry," he greeted him with his new name respecting his wishes, once he realised who it was.

"Hey brother, yes I am but after everything that happened Harry was tired out and so I booked a room where he's currently sleeping. Don't worry, I have a spell on him that alerts me should something happen," he replied with a cheerful wave of his hand.

"So you thought you'd come by and pester me instead?" Michael sternly stated, but the amused glint in his eyes betrayed him.

"Oi, I haven't seen you for a long time so forgive me that I'm happy to finally have you back as my brother," Loki exclaimed.

Michael chuckled lowly. "True, I only wish that Lucifer would be that adaptable."

Loki hummed lowly. "Why did he even start this…I don't know how to call it…temper tantrum?"

"When father made the humans and told us to bow to them and love them more than him Lucifer disagreed and said that he wouldn't be able to love humanity, whom he didn't even know at that point, more than his own father. Did you know that I actually agreed with him?" Michael explained earning himself a shocked look from Loki. "Yes, I mean how were we supposed to suddenly love someone we don't know more than our own father? However, everyone expected me to abide by father's orders because I was the oh so good son. Then father ordered me to throw Lucifer out of heaven…."

By now Michael had closed his eyes, but his face clearly told Loki how much the past weighed on his brother.

"He'll probably never forgive me for that."

Loki blinked a few times before he stood up, walked around the desk and sat down on the armrest of Michaels chair before pulling him into a sideways hug.

"I have a feeling that things are not as they seem to be. When I arranged for the recovery of the Longbottoms, three different seers pretty much said that it would be a good thing when Lucifer finally got out of his cage," Loki chuckled lowly upon recalling the memory. "The first time I heard that, I actually called the woman insane but when a second and then a third said the same…I don't know why but I began to believe that it might be true. Or it might be my hopeless optimism."

That actually made Michael laugh and look at his brother against whom he was currently leaning.

"You always have been the most optimistic one of us and the most mischievous. So you believe that Lucifer won't be out for revenge?" he questioned.

"I believe…" Loki began carefully slowly standing up and sitting on the desk so that he could see Michael better. "That we should worry about Lucifer when the time comes, when he is out. Until then it is a moot point to muse about what he wants and if I have to prank him to hell and back to get him to see reason…I will."

"Of that I'm sure," the thought alone made Michael laugh even more. "So you're Loki now…how come?"

"It was about two centuries after I left, that Odin found me fighting against a horde of Vikings and was so impressed that he invited me to Asgard. When he asked me for my name, I said it was Loki. The first time I met his wife Frigga she all but adopted me," Loki chuckled, yes Frigga, or Frea as she was also known in the Langobardic region, had been completely smitten with him. "She was so happy to finally have someone around with more brain than muscles. And well that's how the pagan god Loki was born. I stayed with them for quite some time until that thing between Odin and my…children happened."

Loki swallowed hard, clenching and unclenching his right hand in an attempt to calm down.

"You have children?" Michael asked surprised.

"Uhm…," Loki suddenly looked warily. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to admit that little detail, quite a few in heaven would run amok should they learn that several Nephilim were running around free. However, from the look of it, Michael was more surprised than angry, so he took a leap of faith. "Four actually, Hel, Fenrir, Jǫrmungandr and Sleipnir."

"What happened?" his brother inquired carefully not knowing how Loki would react to the question.

Loki sighed deeply. "Some idiotic completely drunken seer one day exclaimed that my children and I would be the end of the Æsir when Ragnarök comes. Completely bollocks if you ask me, but Odin went ballistic when he heard it. He banned Hel to hell and forced the other three into their animal form and bound them in it."

Michael placed a hand reassuringly on Loki's arm. "Are they alright?"

"Hel and Fenrir yes. Hel most of the time stays in hell but visits from time to time and Fenrir is currently with Kali, hiding from Odin most of the time. However, Jor and Sleipnir? I have no idea where or how they are…."

Michael couldn't help but stand up and embrace his younger brother in a hug.

"I promise you, that we'll find them, and then we'll give Odin a piece of our mind for what he'd done," he told him.

"So you're not mad with me?" Loki tentatively asked.

"What for?" Michael was confused but then it clicked and he knew what Loki's problem was. "Brother, why would I care whether you have children or not? If father didn't want us to have children, he surely would have made it impossible for us to have them in the first place and for those who fear Nephilim…those are ignorant idiots who fear what they don't know or understand. Actually, now that I think about it, we're not all that different from humans in that regard," that was definitely something he would think about when he was alone again.

Loki chuckled lowly and just wanted to retort something to that when he felt a presence suddenly appearing in the room behind him. When he recognised the signature, he went rigid. Michael, who was standing in front of him didn't fare any better.

"Zachariah, what do you want?" Michael asked the man that had appeared in his office tensely.

"Hello Dumbledore," the man said in a soft tone stroking with his hand over the table he passed upon, looking at the many little devices that stood upon it with a small smile.

"I thought we had a deal? You get fame, power and entry to heaven after your death while I in return get the soul of Riddle. Now I learn that you resigned one of your positions of power and that the family of your little…chess piece went to hell. What happened?"

Michael had to withhold a snort. "The position as Supreme Mugwump wasn't worth the hassle and what happened to the Dursleys was an unforeseen problem but nothing that I couldn't handle. I already have an alternative plan, don't worry, Riddle's soul will be delivered," he said with a grandfatherly smile and the customary twinkle in his eyes, playing the role of Dumbledore to perfection.

Loki, hadn't he known the truth, would have thought that it was really Dumbledore who sat in the headmaster's chair, but he couldn't keep from staring at him anyway. That was until Zachariah's gaze fell upon the archangel turned pagan god.

"What is he doing here?" the man asked with a frowned.

That finally brought Loki out of his stupor. "I'm working here, feather duster," he snapped at the angel.

"Ah yes, you know I would be careful to whom I insult if I were you," Zachariah sauntered over to Loki.

"Or what?" Loki asked challengingly.

"Or Hogwarts will be in need of a new…," here he looked at Dumbledore/Michael.

"History of Magic," Michael supplied.

"Yes, History of Magic professor," Zachariah finished. With a flick of his wrist, he had his angel blade in hand and pointed it straight at Loki's heart.

Loki only laughed and took a step forward until the blade was firmly pressing against his chest. "Go on! I don't fear you…feather duster," he teased him with a determined face that suddenly morphed into shock and surprise.

When Loki looked down, he saw the angel blade sticking out of his chest. Shoving Loki backwards Zachariah drew out the blade with a squelching sound. Loki's lifeless body fell back right onto Michael's desk.

On the other side of the world, Harry suddenly woke up from a restless slumber with an uneasy feeling that could mean one of two things. Either Loki was about to pull a massive prank, or something had gone horribly wrong. He hoped for the first but feared for the latter.

A/N: 'til next chapter!