KEYnote: I don't know if anyone has seen the Fullmetal Alchemist movies (not my fav, still-) the trade of lives between worlds and magic is similar to the trades Loki and Lily made.

AN: there are five mammals in the world, four of them echidnas and one is a playtapy, the male's of which are venomous :D

P.s. I do apologize for how emo Harry was, but given the circumstances, it felt very unrealistic if Harry had been unaffected, in the fifth book he was a hot mess. I didn't go into depth with that because, well, I have other stories that explore that. Thankfully though, unlike in Order of the Phoenix, he has both friends and family to really hold him up :D

Chapter 7 - Son of the Gods

Harry woke up in his own bed, not his bed at Hogwarts, not the dingy bed at the Dursleys, but his bed in his dads' apartment.

Funny how it took almost dying, almost dying again, to realize everything he had. He still didn't like school, he still didn't know Loki well nor trust him fully, but he did trust Bucky.

Harry had never truly trusted an adult before, at least not for long. Whenever he was that foolish, he always regretted it, from the librarian at his elementary school who had been so kind to him until Dudley ruined one of his books and she blamed Harry, to McGonagall not listening to him, to Dumbledore sending him back to the Dursleys, to having a godfather who by typical fashion of his life, he couldn't be with.

Every adult in his life failed him.

But Bucky was different, or Harry had hope that he would be different. Because he listened, really listened to him, both he and Loki seemed to have reshaped their lives around Harry's wellbeing and asked for nothing in return.

Sure, Loki was weird, and Harry resented the school Loki had enrolled him in (though he wasn't certain he could have asked for a better friend in this new life than MJ, Ned, and Peter), Loki hadn't done so without offering a lifeline.

Strangely, Harry had begun looking forward to studying with Loki. He was eccentric, swift tongued, and genius; and Harry was amazed that he could somewhat follow. He'd never had one on one tutoring before, except for that time with Professor Lupin but that had only been because he was in mortal peril and had been incredibly awkward sometimes -not least because he was supposedly a close family friend and had never once in all of Harry's life reached out, not even when he re-entered the wizarding world.

Things were different with Loki and Bucky, they just wanted to be his dads, not because Harry was famous or because a Dark Lord and his followers were after him, but just because he was theirs, he belonged with them.

They were family.

A very strange family, but when had Harry's life ever been normal?

To the point where, he wasn't really phased about by getting stabbed nearly through the heart, or surviving it, but he was surprised by the gentle hand that covered his, "Harry?"

Harry sighed, bracing himself for disappointment, but when he opened his eyes, it was Bucky sitting beside his bed.

Bucky gave him that half smile, "Morning, kiddo, how are you feeling?"

Harry took in a deep breath, then frowned, because it didn't hurt.

"What is it?" Bucky asked with a note of steel, like he would stab anything that was hurting Harry.

He wondered how Bucky and Loki would have responded to his adventures at Hogwarts?

Probably not well.

The thought made him want to smile, having adults actually care about him for him was a novelty.

Harry sat up, touching his chest, "I- it doesn't hurt- how-" he was about to ask how he had been healed, but asked instead, "how long have I been out?"

"Almost twelve hours, you had a bad reaction to the drugs they gave you. I don't know if you remember-"

Harry shuddered. Oh, he remembered. He remembered the terror that this life might be nothing but an illusion and he would be sent back to the Dursleys as some type of cosmic jake. He remembered the fever dream, Loki holding onto him, in his dreams he appeared as a magical being, a god wreathed in green light, Bucky at his side like a seintalinal, an unstoppable force of nature, a soldier.

Loki had sung to him, an ancient song that had pierced through the veil of the drugs and the fear and made Harry realize that this life and all it's potential was something he was willing to fight for, to live for.

"I remember, where's Loki-"

Just then the door burst open and a large blonde man came into the room, eating up the space as his voice boomed, "Son of Loki! You have awoken!"

Loki pushed in beside him a moment later, nearly shoving the giant of a man into the wall, "Would you shut up, you idiot."

Harry did a double take, "Wait, aren't you like one of those Avenger people?"

Thor grinned, his blue eyes glimmering, "Aye, I am Thor, God of Thunder, son of Odin."

Harry turned to Loki, "Odinson?"

Loki grimaced, "I'm the God of Mischief, I am Odin's son through both adoption and his magic, as you are my son through my magic and adoption."

Having only just realized that magic was a thing in this universe, having not tried overly hard to access his magic, his mind spun, "Wait, wait, Odin, Thor, Loki- gods, you are gods? Norse gods?" He saw the truth of it on Loki's expresion, "That song, it was Norweigin?"

"The closest to old Norse, yes," Loki confirmed.

How is this my life? Harry thought.

Thor sat on the bed, "You are taking this very well, most people can't speak clearly when they meet someone famous."

Harry leveled 'the God of Thunder' with a look, "I've been famous and I hated it. But gods? That's like-"

"They are thousands of years old," Bucky supplied, "and they are both still children."

Loki pouted at him, "I thought we were going to ease him into it."

"He's not stupid," Bucky said, "He already made the Norse myth connection."

Harry tried not to preen a bit at Bucky's compliment.

"But you're not really gods, you're what, aliens?" Harry asked, looking between the three men.

"As in not from Midgard, your Earth, yes," Thor said, "Loki and myself are from Asgard. Our father is the King of Asgard and protector of the Nine Realms. As such, you are now an Asgardian Prince."

"A what?" Harry squeaked, completely horrified.

Loki summoned a knife from nowhere and tried to stab Thor in the kidney, Thor rolled off the bed laughing, as if his brother trying to stab him was an everyday occurrence.

"Thor, leave," Loki snarled at him.

"Would someone explain to me what the bloody hell is going on?" Harry asked.

Magic was real, he had survived the killing curse -again, had been stabbed through the chest, been healed, and now, a Norse god was his dorky adoptive father.

One of his adoptive fathers.

What the actual hell.

Loki looked pained, "Yes, you're a prince, and would be considered royalty on another planet, but that's not something you have to worry about. Bucky and I are raising you on Midgard where you don't have to worry about Odin or the rest. Not until you want to."

Harry just stared at him, his mind spinning.

You're a wizard, Harry.

That had been a transformative moment of his life.

You're a prince of an Alien planet and your adoptive father is a mythical thousand year old alien from said other planet.

Harry wasn't even sure how to respond to any of that.

Bucky, who was still holding his hand, turned his palm up and put a glass of water in his hand. Harry drank the water gratefully.

Thor grinned and said again, "He's taking this well."

Bucky took the empty glass from him, his metal hand clinking on a bit, as he returned it to the side table.

Harry breathed in deeply and tried to think logically.

Magic was real.

Aliens were real.

Time travel was real.

Everyone he had ever known before wasn't real aside from historical events from the muggle world like World War II and Norse Mythology.

But some things were very different.

Like Captain American and aliens.

Harry exhaled and refocused, if time travel was real, then maybe… he asked, "Am I from another universe, or am I crazy?"

Loki smiled slightly, "You are not crazy. Your mother, Lily Potter, made a bargain with me. I'm not sure she knew what she was doing when she invoked my name, my powers, in her ritual to save your life, but I did."

"Is it possible to go back?" Harry asked, because he had to know, he had to.

The mild humour and warmth died on Loki's face as he said seriously, "Travelling between universes is not only difficult but dangerous. It is possible, but I couldn't tell you how long it would take to find a way. But even if you did return, Harri, the nature of the ritual… it was one of sacrifice. The killing curse required your mother's passing, as the second curse required your passing from that reality, essentially your death."

"But I'm not dead," Harry pointed out.

"But you are changed, you were reborn through your mother's magic and mine," Loki explained.

"And if I returned?" Harry asked.

"It would mean my death," Loki said evenly. "But if returning is what you truly want, I will not stop you."

Harry felt his eyes widen and he didn't miss the look Thor gave his brother, how his grin fell in open mouthed shock.

"Why would you do that for me?" Harry asked.

Loki shrugged, "Why does anyone decide to have children?"

"Most people don't trade their lives," Harry insisted, he knew enough about magic, about rituals that if anything went wrong it could be distratious. It's why rituals weren't taught at Hogwarts.

Loki tilted his head, "Don't they? Childbirth, even for Asgardian women, involves risks."

Harry shook his head, putting his hand over his heart, where there was no bandage. He glanced down at his chest, the skin was only slightly pink, a mostly healed cut, no stitches. "Did you heal me?"

Loki shook his head, "You healed yourself, your current chemistry had a harder time dealing with human medicines they gave you than the wound itself."

"We removed the stitches," Bucky added.

Harry paled, "Am I human?"

"Not as human as you were," Loki said, a note of true seriousness in his tone.

Thor raised a hand slowly to Harry's forehead and when he didn't flinch away, the God of Thunder brushed aside his bangs on his forehead, "This symbol marks you as kin."

Harry swallowed hard, "Dumbledore said it was given to me by a Dark Lord."

"No, it was a mark of a bargain fulfilled, a binding of our fates," Loki corrected.

"He's known for cheating death," Thor said with a smirk.

"Did you know about the killing curse and Voldemort?" Harry asked Loki.

Loki shrugged, "I saw a prophecy, I saw that your future was tied to others, predestined fate. It went against everything I believe in; I had the power and opportunity to change that. So I tied my fate to yours."

Harry's gaze dropped to his hands, "They called me the Boy Who Lived, but it wasn't me," he looked up into Loki's dazzling blue eyes, "it was you and my mom."

Loki was watching him carefully, "You wanted to be the one to save your world."

Harry shook his head, "No, I mean, I'll always help if I can but… but I never wanted to be celebrated for something I didn't do. I was a baby, I didn't kill the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord wasn't even fully dead. I never wanted… I just wanted to be myself and for the people I care about to be safe."

Bucky touched his shoulder, "Harry, that's all any of us want you to be."

Harry kept his gaze on Loki, "I don't want to be a Prince or an alien."

Loki sat down on the bed and touched Harry's knee under the covers, "My magic is a part of you, we are truly related in that way. But as a prince, that just means you are a part of our family, not that you will ever be asked to rule our people."

"But I am an alien, not human," Harry pressed.

Loki's mouth thinned, "I gave you my name, because you will be as I am."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked.

"Longevity, advanced healing, and as you age, advanced strength," Bucky answered in plain English.

"I- I'm going to outlive everyone on Earth," Harry stated numbly.

MJ, Peter, Ned, and Bucky…

Bucky squeezed his shoulder, "I have some longevity, it will be a century at least till we say goodbye."

Harry swallowed hard, "I- my father, James Potter-"

"Is still your father," Loki said then added with a grin, "so you have three now."

Harry shook his head, "I… I have more questions, but I think this is enough-"

Thor laughed, "Then let us eat, nephew."

"Thor!" Bucky shouted after him, "Don't touch my stove!"

Harry rubbed at his eyes, what even was his life?

Bucky squeezed his shoulder before following the thunder god out of the room, leaving Harry with Loki.

There was an awkward silence, before Harry asked, "Why me?"

Loki was quiet for a long time before saying, "I was adopted, a prince that could never be king, not just because I was younger but because of what I am. When Lily Potter reached out to me through my magic, invoking my name, I saw you, I saw what would become of you, what you were destined for. The ritual was powerful enough to work without my consent, but I saw you… I saw you sacrifice again and again for everyone without gaining anything in return."

"I gained the safety and futures of my friends and my people," Harry argued.

Loki stared at him, "But they sacrificed you, over and over again, I saw so many possibilities for you and they all ended the same way, predestined. It was infuriating. I am a selfish being, Harri, I know that, but you aren't. That I suffer makes a cruel cosmic sense, it makes no sense that you must. I saw an opportunity to defy fate, and I saw in you an opportunity to have a family of my own."

"Why not have a child naturally?" Harry asked, hoping he wasn't over stepping.

Loki shrugged, "I never found anyone I would want such a life with."

"Except for Bucky."

Loki smiled sadly, "You and I will out live him, but he is the first mortal I have liked well enough to-"

"Endure losing him," Harry finished for him with an odd sense of clarity. Yes, he was still a kid, but he had faced death one too many times to not understand what it was to imagine everyone he had ever known dying in his place.

Harry would rather die than live through any of his friends dying.

Loki nodded, watching him carefully.

"Why send me to a science and math school?" Harry questioned, wanting to know why someone who claimed to not want him to suffer would push Harry to go to such a school.

Loki sighed, gesturing to the door through which his brother and Bucky had left, "Thor is an idiot, but even he could out-test any of the public schools in this country. If you ever wish to go to Asgard, I would prefer it if you weren't mocked for having a human education."

"But I'm still attending a human school," Harry pointed out.

Loki smiled, "But I have more to teach you. School allows you to be socialized, and well, I've never been good with kids so this way you have a more rudimentary understanding of such subjects before we go into advanced studies."

"Are you going to make me go to university?" Harry asked.

Loki shook his head, "If you want to go, then you will go, but if you don't, well, I would rather you continue your magical studies."

Harry blinked, "You're going to teach me magic?"

Loki grinned, "I'm one Asgards finest magic users, all that I know I would pass on to you if you wish it."

He wasn't sure what possessed him, maybe it was that this man, god, alien, creature -whatever, had wanted Harry as family, or the fact that Loki had sent him to a school he was terrible at for a logic reason, or maybe because Loki seemed ready to lay down his life for him, but Harry kicked back the covers and scooted to the edge of the bed to give Loki a hug.

The God of Mischief hugged Harry back.

When they parted it was a bit awkward, but Loki patted his back and said, "Let's go see if Bucky has killed my fool of a brother yet."

Harry frowned, a little uncertain, "Isn't Bucky's patience near infinite?"

Loki stood with a smirk, "Yes, but this is Thor."

Soon after entering the main room, Harry discovered what Loki had meant. Although, having been a Gryffindor himself, Harry found Thor's antics more amusing than annoying.

Bucky clearly didn't think the same as he slammed the mixer near millimeters from Thor's fingers when he tried to help.

Harry didn't offer to help this morning, one, because he was exhausted and two, because he had never seen Bucky angry and Harry feared that anger might get directed at him. Though an instinctual part of him knew that part of Bucky's irritability this morning came from Harry having put himself in danger.

"So, young Lokison," Thor said, finally taking the hints (and threats of violence) to leave Bucky alone to finish cooking breakfast, "How have you been enjoying your time on this universe's Midgard?"

Harry shrugged, "It's been… I mean kind of hard to transition but otherwise it's been good. Aside from being stabbed, no one has been actively hunting me, so that's been nice."

Thor's smile faded some, "Hunted?"

Both Loki and Bucky had turned to watch Harry closely.

Harry swallowed hard, there was no reason to keep secrets anymore but… He still felt reluctant, but he pushed past the feeling, "Recently, there was this tournament…"

"Were you victorious!?" Thor boomed, leaning forward in his seat.

Harry shrugged, trying not to think of Cedric's lifeless gaze, "I mean technically? But then, you know, I was murdered by a Dark Lord, so, er, short lived I guess?"

Thor looked to Loki who merely shrugged and sipped the tea Bucky had passed to him before explaining, "That's how Harry got to this universe, brother."

Thor huffed, eying Harry, "I am not the magician my brother is, but may I ask if there were any great stories before you're…" He trailed off.

Harry took pity on the blonde would-be god, "In the First Task, I had to steal an egg from a mother horntail dragon."

Bucky raised a brow, before turning back to the stove, the sweet smell of turkey bacon filling the apartment.

Thor's look of childish delight made Harry grin and he began the story. A story he realized that none of the people he was telling had any point of reference to -which was completely novel for him. Anyone Harry could have told stories to had their own perspectives and more often than not, had more information than Harry himself had.

So as he talked, he realized for the first time he wasn't defending himself, nor was he feeding into any hero worship gossip. He was just sharing a story, a part of his history and a part of himself.

Sure, Harry might have been magical, but so were Thor and Loki who were apparently thousands of years old to boot.

Thor was very into the story while Loki asked more pointed questions about Harry's grasp of magic. Bucky just listened while laying out food before taking the other seat beside Harry.

Thor, who was sitting across the table from Harry, inhaled the food at a rate that put Ron to shame.

Once he paused to take a drink, Harry asked, "What was it like with the two of you growing up on Asgard? You seem really different."

Though to be fair, how Thor was acting seemed to be what Loki had been trying to mimic when Harry first arrived in New York. But now that the immortal cats were out of the bag, Loki had settled into a more reserved, sarcastic, and sharp witted sort of person. Harry knew Loki could be just as bright as Thor when he got truly excited about something.

But Loki's mind was always working while Thor…

"It was exhausting," Loki groused, "I was constantly getting Thor out of trouble as he attempted to start wars and poke ancient monsters from their slumber across the Nine Realms."

Thor pouted, "Hardly fair brother, you're the God of Mischief after all, I saved you from quite a few scrapes as well."

"Don't be absurd, I might have pulled a few pranks but nothing compared to, I don't know, starting a war with Jontann?"

Thor glared at Loki fiercely, clearly Loki had hit a topic that Thor wouldn't want to re-examine, at least not in front of his new nephew.

Harry glanced at Bucky for a clue but the man seemed absorbed in the swirls of his coffee, ignoring the bickering brothers.

Thor's glare didn't last long as he flashed a grin at Harry and began, "There was one time my brother transformed himself into a snake because he knows how much I like snakes, and so I picked the snake up to admire it, but then he turned back and went 'AAHH! It's me!' And then he stabbed me."

Harry snorted his juice laughing, they were so weird.

And a part of him loved them for it.

Harry had never been normal, not in the muggle or magical world, but this little forming family may just be their perfect sort of absurdity for him to belong to.

AN: Short scene, but writer's block is a bitch, Natasha is the next chapter. Thoughts, reactions, snakes, or feedback, pretty please?