AN: Welcome to the next chapter; sorry i havent updated in awhile thing is, the more reviews I get, the faster i update i had actually forgptten about this story until the amazing Kuro-tsuki reminded me with a comment that it did, in fact, exist! So, five plus reviews equals one chapter, keel them coming, lowyal readers!

AN (this is what i was thinking when planning this chapter before publishing the story): AN: YAY! Loki's not dead! I just now decided that! ...yeah... My plot isn't exactly written in stone... Or even written... OH! I'm gonna make it a Harry Potter and Avengers crossover now!

DISCLAIMER: Don't own either of them.

Chapter Three:

The first thing Loki saw when he opened his eyes was the bright light from the medical lamps. The second thing he noticed was the three children sound asleep on the chairs next to him. Loki watches as Steve, Clint, and Thor rest, occasionally twitching and murmuring in their slumber. "L-Loki..." murmurs Thor, and Loki watches in shock as a tear escapes his sleeping brother. Loki strains to hear what Thor says next, and his shock is visible when he does hear it. "Sorry... jealous... failed you... sorry... brother... no... No... NO!" Thor wakes up with a shout and causes Loki to jump back in fright and the other two shoot up, alarmed. Thor simply stays in his seat, breathing heavily. Sweat plasters his hair to his forehead and his blue eyes are dull and tired.

"Th-Thor?" whispers Loki, staring up at his brother worth wide, frightened eyes.

"Sorry, Loki. I... I guess I'll be leaving now," apologizes Thor as he makes to stand. However, Loki's hand shoots out and grabs Thor's wrist loosely.

"I-If you want to, yo-you can s-stay." stutters Loki, his ears burning with embarrassment. "I-I mean, you d-don't have to..." Loki trails off and removes his hand from Thor's wrist, clamping them together in his lap. However, Thor simply beams at his younger brother and sits next to him on the edge of the hospital bed. "What happened?"

"You died and then came back to life," says Clint matter-of-factly, and Loki cant help but raise one eyebrow and smirk slightly. Clint smirks back, too, and soon all of the children are giggling and having a smirking contest. Loki ended up winning, and when they others congratulate him, he beams back and compliments them. When they returned to talking, Loki began to grow uneasy. He knew he had to tell them... but he didn't want to ruin their newfound friendship.

"Um... I-I have so-something to t-tell you," stutters Loki, and the guilty spark in his downcast eyes bring back plenty of unpleasant memories. "I-I didn't e-escape on m-my own. These wi-wizards called Death Eaters helped me eacape... for a price. They used to ser-serve a truly evil wizard called Voldemort," mutters Loki, and the other three boys share a look.

"Just how evil we talking here?" yawns Clint, and Loki bangs his head against the wall in frustration.

"He makes me look like a sparkly kitten wearing a hot pink tutu and dancing on rainbows," growls Loki, and everyone stares in shock. "They have these... creatures... called dementors. The price for my freedom was that these creature could eat the soul of a child god." At these words, Thor freezes and looks up at Loki, tears in his eyes. "Don't worry Thor, that's not going to happen. I was planning to double-cross them anyway," growls Loki as the shadows that seemed to have been thickening in the far corner of the room dissipated into nothingness.

The other boys step back as the frost giant's body grows and turns into an eleven year old boy, scrawny and bookish, with bags under his eyes and the too-pale skin of someone who hides in the libraries to escape the horrors that lurk outside its' doors. "Of course," hisses Loki suddenly, and he leaps up from the medical bed and begins pacing up and down the room. "On a side topic, the spell appears to be tied to our emotions. Wen we are feeling particularly angry and determined, we will age. Apparently, the process doesn't go backwards, only forwards..." here Loki trails off and he punches a metal wall, denting it and letting out a curse.

"Brother! What is the meaning of this?!" cries Thor, and Loki turns and gives him THAT look, and Thor shrinks back, terrified that his brother would betray him now that he was the younger. Terrified that his brother would leave him alone again. Thor curls against a wall and sobs, his new, young mind unable to provide sufficient logic as to why Loki wouldn't cast him off and be done with it. Thor's sobs begin to quiet as he feels thin, but wiry arms wrap around his torso and a long-fingered hand strokes his tangled blond hair.

"Hush Thor, it's alright brother. Just tell me what's wrong and I'll try to fix it," murmurs Loki, heartbroken at seeing his once older brother standing before him as a terrified young boy.

"Why?" all the anguish that Thor holds put into that one word. "In our... other... childhood, I abused you. Taunted you, teased you, cast you off, blamed you for my shortcomings when really it was only thanks to you that I was alive at the end of the day. Why help me now?" asks Thor, and Loki gives him a cocky grin and a wink.

"Because you're my little brother, and I'll never stop loving you," grins Loki, repeating back one of Thor's (now old) favorite phrases. The god of thunder lets out a roaring laugh and ages just a little bit, so now emerald green eyes meet the nine-year old sparkling blue ones. "Yes! I'm still older!" laughs Loki as he swings Thor on top of his shoulders and stalks over to Steve and Clint, whom are hiding their smirks and giggles behind their hands. "What's so funny?" The two simply shake their head, and Loki shrugs, nearly toppling off Thor, who promptly berates him. "Hey, this is harder than it looks!" whines the demigod, and everyone smiles, the tension draining out of the room.

"Sirs, Director Fury has overheard your discussion and would like to know if there are any precautionary measures or possible safe houses for everyone until the spells wear off," informs JARVIS, and Loki nods, frowning in concentration before snapping his fingers in realization, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Well, there is this marvelous school for young wizards and witches in London. Hmm... If I remember correctly, which I always do, it was called Hogwarts. Ever heard of it?"