A/N:: I'm sorry this took so long to write...I have plenty of ideas but not enough time these days. I'll try to shoot for two weeks from now for the next update. REVIEW!

ASGARD

The Realm Eternal always glittered during the day. Even when she'd been a girl and the Aesir had lived in mud and wooden houses with straw roofs. It wasn't the golden buildings that sparkled blindingly (though they did sparkle) but the very plane itself. The colorful trees, flawless water, snow-capped mountains, and rolling hills shined as if divine in their own right. Maybe they were.

She knew for certain that there was a sentinent flair to the place that was beyond explanation. The magic, the life force that bound the realm together was so old, so well used, so long host to powerful beings that it had a mind of its own. It was a loyal, protective, and loving force.

It welcomed her home with its blinding smile radiating from the very dirt that made the ground. Its power hugged her own. Her own connection with the forces of death and life attached seamlessly before she'd even fully stepped foot in Heimdall's observatory. Asgard's gatekeeper welcomed her with a sweeping bow and a smile that was only visible in his eyes. His mouth remained a stoic line.

"The King and Queen are waiting for you," he told her.

"I shall make haste then," she murmured.

She was not even wearing armor as she glided out of the dome (Harry had done a wonderful job on it this past summer and it amazed her every time she saw it). Her green gown swept behind her and her hair was done in a low ponytail. She could have been confused for a commoner save for the intrinsic details of her dress and the way she carried herself. Like a Queen or a Goddess. Or both.

There was a transport boat waiting for her.

She received increasingly warm greetings as the years wore on from the Asgardians she passed on her ride up to the palace. She waved and nodded as she flew by.

She went straight to her parents when she arrived. Odin was on his throne and Frigga stood next to him.

"Greetings, my daughter," Odin boomed as soon as he caught sight of her.

She smiled, "Hello, father, mother."

"Hello dear," said Frigga.

"Why was I summoned here?" Hela asked, never one for small talk.

Frigga gave her an exasperated smile while Odin simply let it go. "The Kree and Xandarian peace talks have stalled," said Odin.

"And…?" Hela prompted. "I heard something like that, but the number of dead I am receiving is still much less than it used to be."

"That is good to hear," said Odin. "Nevertheless, I think it would be for the best that you join our delegation to help mediate yourself. You would certainly dissuade any tricks."

She didn't say anything as she mulled the proposal in her head. She couldn't really say no, but if she really haggled she could probably get out of it. She didn't want to leave Niflheim, she'd just gotten back from dealing with the Kree and Skrulls. She'd be closer to Midgard though. Closer to Harry. She'd be leaving Fenris alone. She could leave him with Hades and Cereberus.

It would help her reputation. Did she really want to be around all those Kree though? And the self-righteousness of Xandarians would get on her nerves pretty quickly. Ah, why not?

"I'd be honored to represent you, father," she said.

He smiled at her, clearly pleased to not have to argue with her about it. "Thank you, Hela."

"Of course," she said.

"Will you be staying for supper?" He asked her, "your mother and I would enjoy your company."

Frigga nodded and smiled at her again. Not her mother, but perhaps just as good as. The mother of her brother, the wife of her father, and the one who had been there her entire life. Supported and forgiven her no matter what.

"I shall then," said Hela.

"Excellent," said Odin.

He stood and with nods to the leading ladies in his life, he walked back towards his office. Frigga descended the steps from the throne to join her.

"Where is Thor?" Hela enquired once they fell into step, headed wherever Frigga wanted to go.

"He is trying to get his mind off Loki," said Frigga.

"I imagine that has been difficult for him," said Hela, knowing how close her younger brothers had been.

"It has," Frigga admitted.

"How has Harry been?" Hela asked, "you say you get no news up here but it's worse down in Niflheim."

"Even for its Queen?"

"Says Asgard's Queen," Hela retorted quickly.

"So much fight in you," said Frigga.

"My mother was a Valkyrie," said Hela unapologetically. "Not a goddess of undying loyalty to family, it's not in my DNA."

"I had hoped age would have mellowed you a little," said Frigga teasingly.

"I'm not old!" Hela exclaimed indignantly.

"Nearly 2,000," Frigga said, "the same age as Jesus."

"I'm several decades younger than him," said Hela with a haughty sniff.

"I'm a millennium younger than your father but nobody seems to care about that," Frigga pointed out idly.

"Well, who cares whether it's 10 or 11 thousand?" Hela wasn't even sure how accurate that number was. It was entirely possible they were twice that old. Or half. Probably closer to half.

"Blasphemy!" Frigga exclaimed indignantly.

Hela laughed and Frigga joined her a moment later.

"Harry is fine," Frigga said once they entered her outer office and ensured nobody would bother them. "He even snuck up to visit his poor old mother and brought something quite interesting back with him."

Hela blinked her surprise. Her baby brother sneaking out of school to come to visit mummy? That was both incredibly in character and out of character for him. Something she'd expect Loki to have been guilty of at some point in the past (and therefore Thor was guilty because Thor would never let Loki go on such an adventure without him). Maybe Harry was getting more rebellious.

"What did he bring?" She asked, deciding to just take the bait. Finally, Frigga would tell her why she had summoned her as well.

"He brought this," she said, summoning a small black book out of a pocket dimension. She handed it to her.

As soon as her hand made contact with the book she hissed. Feeling as though her hand had been burned, Hela yanked her arm away and had to shake it out. "That's foul!"

"It is," Frigga agreed. Hela took it much more carefully. Turning it over a few times.

"Is… is there a soul in here?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Frigga said, "but not just any soul. It is a shard of that mortal—Voldemort—'s soul."

Shock seized her like a jolt of adrenaline, rage-fueled adrenaline, coursed up her body. "Truly?"

"Yes," Frigga said.

The mortal who had foolishly tried to murder her brother had left a portion of his soul in this book? Well...she certainly had a few ideas for what she could do with it. A blood lust that never quite abandoned her crept into her mind as she looked at it. It seemed so innocent. A shame that it had ended up in the hands of the two most powerful goddesses in Asgard. Two goddesses who happened to have a grudge against this very soul. Unfortunate and unlucky...for him.

"Are you giving it to me?"

"Yes," said Frigga. "I want you to take it to Niflheim. Do whatever you want with it."

"Why?"

"As long as the shard remains amongst the living it provides a tether to life for the abomination," Frigga explained.

"Why not destroy it completely?" Hela shot back.

"And put it out of its misery?"

Hela smiled a very bloodthirsty smile. "Why mother, I think you might be onto something. What is it called, this perversion of nature?"

"The Midgardians call it a Horcrux."

A goddess of family indeed.

MIDGARD- HOGWARTS

He was pretty sure Dumbledore, now that he was paying attention, was aware that he'd defeated Nessa somehow but seemed to be staying away for the moment. Besides awarding Gryffindor 200 points for no reason. Apparently, the appearance of random favoritism didn't matter to him that much.

Harry felt he owed the man a trick of his own, which is why he nursed a now free, clear-minded, and embarrassed Nessa back to health. And now he was bringing her to Asgard to hang out in the forests around their palace. No one would ever know what happened to her.

He had her in a special box he'd made in the past few days while helping her get back to full health. The enchantment allowed the massive beast to fit into a shoebox he'd enchanted. To procure said shoebox, he'd snuck down the Hogsmeade again and purchased a nice pair of boots for his cousin Sigrun which he'd wrap up properly once her birthday came around in a few weeks. Once he'd made a few improvements, of course.

The enchantment itself was quite complex, and a work of art if he did say so himself. The main issue was not fitting Nessa in the box nor was it making the box weightless, it was getting her in the box. A shoebox lid, even for boots, was not big enough for a fully grown basilisk to fit through.

Sneaking out of the school, now that he'd learned the way, was easy. He was tempted to teleport but figured that it would be more trouble than it was worth. Plus, the old-fashioned way was fun.

Sometimes he wondered what Hogesmeade's residents thought of the mysterious boys who showed up every once in a while. He always wore a different disguise for the sake of anonymity. Between his trip to Asgard and now, he'd had to visit several more times (for the boots, obviously, but also medical supplies and candy).

Thankfully, he'd never been stopped and today hadn't changed that. He thought the village looked even more brilliant through the rainbow tint of the Bifrost, even if he was several kilometers away.

His arrival in Asgard was an ideal amount of fanfare, that is to say, he managed to slip in nearly unnoticed. Heimdall always noticed.

"Good day, Heimdall," said Harry as he touched his feet to the Observatory floor.

"Welcome home, my prince," said Heimdall with the tiniest hint of a smile.

"Can you please not mention any of this to my parents?" Harry said, not beating around the bush. He vaguely waved the boot box turned basilisk carrier.

"Mention what my prince?" Heimdall winked at him and Harry grinned widely.

"Thanks, Heimdall!"

He immediately tore off towards Asgard's slums in search of Kari and Gunnar. He'd spent a long time trying to figure out who he should entrust Nessa to but it had been more complicated than he'd thought it would. He wasn't entirely sure how legal what he was doing was, for one thing, and for another, basilisks were huge and potentially high matinence to keep separate from people. Finally and most importantly, this couldn't get back to his parents.

The list of people who met these requirements was quite short. Anyone with parents who reported to his dad was out, as was anyone who had other responsibilities and no one to help them. Finally, it was probably best that they live near a forest.

That pretty much eliminated most of the adults he knew as well as Sig, Leif, and Rolfe. Thus, Gunnar and Kari seemed like the best option.

He emerged through the hole that served as a door to what sometimes felt like an alternate reality; on one side stood the majestic and powerful capital city of the home of the gods of Asgard and the other a backwater camp on the edge of the woods for a bunch of homeless kids.

His guilt complex over the lives of his friends, who hadn't won the lottery of what family are you born into, had faded a bit over time and getting to know them. Though they had to be careful, lest they be caught by his father's soldiers, because they spent most of their days stealing food and being menaces, they lived simpler lives that he sometimes envied. They didn't have to worry about intergalactic politics or the success of the harvest season three planets over or negotiations with the Shi'ar Empire or their public image. They just spent their days taking and making enough food and supplies to survive, practicing with the weapons he gifted them and playing games. It was idyllic in a lot of ways his would never be.

"Harry!"

His head snapped towards the cheery voice and his eyes settled on Kari, who flounced over to him with a delighted grin. "What are you doing here?"

"I need a big favor," he said.

"How big?" She asked teasingly.

"About 20 meters," said Harry sheepishly. He presented the boot box to her with a half-smile.

She took it from him cautiously, "what is it?"

"A basilisk," he said, "I need you guys to take care of it."

"What's a basilisk?" She asked.

"A massive snake with nearly instantly deadly venom and if a mortal makes eye contact with it, it will kill them. I removed her from Midgard a few days ago."

"You need us to do your dirty work for you?" She echoed, sounding surprised and a little smug. "Can't kill it on your own?"

"I don't want you to kill it!" Harry said quickly, "I need you to take care of it, ya know, feed it and stuff. Not take "care" of it euphemistically."

"Oh," said Kari, looking a lot more serious now.

"Yeah," said Harry.

"How exactly are we supposed to take care of it?"

"Well apparently snakes have a language called Parseltongue so you should be able to understand her," he said.

"Do they?" Kari sounded surprised. "I didn't know animals could talk."

"Most can't but snakes can," said Harry. "I didn't know about this until recently either. There aren't exactly many snakes on Asgard."

"I won't make a Loki joke," said Kari solemnly.

Harry snorted, "I love him but you'd have a point."

Kari laughed, "alright, what does it eat?"

"Her name is Nessa and she's about 1,000 years old," said Harry. "She eats whatever she kills so just let her hunt in the forest and don't let anyone see her…"

Kari eyed him suspiciously, "you're leaving her with us because it's not legal to have her here, is it?"

"Well, technically you have to get a permit to bring in foreign species to Asgard, especially permanently."

"But of course you princes are above the law," Kari said, mostly teasing.

"Not so much above as good at getting around it," said Harry with a troublemaker's grin.

"Does...Nessa know if this plan?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Just open up the lid and introduce yourself."

"Alrighty then," said Kari, placing the box on the ground. "Are you sticking around?"

"I have to drop something off at the palace and then get back to school," said Harry sheepishly. "I sort of snuck out. My parents don't know I'm here yet."

Kari shook her head, laughing.

THE OUTER REACHES

"Are you ready to take my offer?" A now-familiar tone crackled from just beyond his blurred vision.

Loki ground his teeth together, harder than they had been when he'd merely been clenching his jaw. He could feel his gums straining as his whole skull throbbed. The pressure averted some of the pain from everywhere else at least. He was beyond trying to break out at this point.

"I will not assist you in your quest Mad Titan," he said. His mouth felt like sandpaper and his voice was no more than a rasp.

The strange metallic chains dug into his skin while he hung suspended in the middle of the room. Like a caged and chained zoo animal, he thought cynically. Or maybe like a captured frost giant, another voice whispered. Just like he deserved. Just as Odin's family would've done had he stayed, now that they knew the truth of what he was.

STOP!

That was not true. He was a Prince of Asgard. He was Loki, a god. He was above this.

"No, but yes," the titan whispered as if he could hear his thoughts.

He wondered how much harder he could clench his jaw before his teeth cracked. Did he mention that every single one of his nerves was on fire? Not literally, but maybe so. He was being held in steaming water, his only reprieve being the cold, frozen chains that forced his frost giant skin to emerge against his will. Only his head was spared.

"I—WILL—NOT—HELP—YOU!" He roared desperately.

The titan—what was his name again? He could hardly think—sighed in mock exasperation. "I tried to persuade you, I really did. You simply don't have a vision of what could be. I am disappointed after all the things I've heard about you. But then again, I had been told you were a member of Asgard's royal family."

Loki wanted to smash that smug purple face, which he could finally see, to pieces with Thor's hammer.

"If that were true, I would not have found you where I did nor would I have been able to hold you with so little resistance," the monstrosity mused. "Frankly, I'm surprised that I have yet to meet the whole might of Asgard."

"I am no Asgardian," said Loki. Anger swelled inside him as he thought about the golden halls he'd lived in for most of his life.

"No, Frost Giant," Thanos agreed, "you are mine."

Loki watched with trepidation as a purple arm rose in front of him, a strange glowing scepter in hand. For a moment he feared he was about to be beheaded, he closed his eyelids tightly over his emerald orbs.

He was surprised, briefly, to feel a soft tap on his forehead and he was no more. When his eyes opened again, they were a shining blue.