AN: Yeah, this story is finally starting to kick off! Unfortunately,this is a filler chapter. The sorting takes place next chapter!
Also... I AM SO SORRY THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG! I've just been really sick, I've got a back injury, and real life has been insane, and I haven't been able to access the documents for the chapters... I'm especially sorry to you, Flying Chrissy, for breaking my updating promise. Here, have some chapters.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
Chapter Four - School Shopping
THIS IS A TIME SKIP. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT LOKI SPENT MANY HOURS EXPLAINING HOGWARTS AND DUE TO THE RESULTING ARGUMENTS, EVERYONE IS NOW AGE 11. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT HOGWARTS IS, WHY ARE YOU READING THIS?!
"This way! Diagon Alley is just past here!" calls Loki, waving the young Avengers over.
"What are you talking about? There's just a brick wall," scoffs Tony, and Loki raises an eyebrow skeptically before turning to the wall. His hand glows green as he taps a sequence of bricks, and the wall vanishes. "JARVIS?" says a stunned Tony. "Remind me to figure out how to do that with the tower!" Loki laughs at that and Tony just shrugs. "What?"
"Nothing. Come on, first things first, Gringotts. I should have an account from the last time I was a student here..." explains Loki, guiding them out of the alley as everyone stares around in shock. People and creatures of all shapes and sizes walk past, carts brimming with strange plants and wares.
"Last time?" questions Thor, and Loki pauses, suddenly hesitant.
"The... first time my lips got sown shut. When I got you your hammer, Odin his spear, and Frigga her ship? Right after I cut Sif's hair? Remember how I went missing for a while and didn't come back for seven mortal years?" reminds Loki, and Thor nods in realization before hanging his head in shame. "Stop looking like a kicked puppy. It's weird." Thor grins wryly at his brother as they stop in front of a magnificent and huge building.
Everyone stares at the building in awe (even Tony, though he'll never admit it) while Loki smirks and pulls open the huge door. "Knuckley!" calls Loki, and a small creature with pointed, yellowed fangs and punted ears glances up disinterestedly. "Hello, my mini goblin friend!" chuckles Loki, and the goblin's eyes bug out in realization as he topples from his stool. "Wingardium Leviosa!" says Loki, and a green glow appears around the goblin, catching his fall.
"L-LOKI? Loki Drahkon?" shouts Knuckley, and Loki winks and bows in reply.
"The one and only. These are my... acquaintances. Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark. This is my foster brother, Thor Odinson," introduces Loki, and the goblin glares at them all before turning to Loki.
"Spell gone wrong?" asks the goblin, and Loki points to Thor, mouthing 'his fault.' "Ah, understandable. Shall I take you all to vault 713?" Loki nods again and follows Knuckley into a cavernous tunnel. "Keep all hands and feet inside of the cart, don't fall off." The Avengers scream as they shoot off, and are still dazed by the time they are back in Diagon Alley.
"That... was... awesome!" shouts Tony, and the assassins nod in agreement.
"Are you crazy?" moans Bruce, who appears to be tinged with a mixture of green.
"I'm still having trouble believing Loki is that rich..." mutters Clint, and Loki simply shrugs.
"Well, now all of us are rich in the wizarding world," grins Loki as he pulls out six bags bulging with the currencies Loki had explained to the Avengers earlier. The trickster distributes the money bags before turning on his heel and continuing to head down the alley. "Alright, follow me," orders Loki as they enter 'Ollivander's Wand Shop.' "Ollivander!" calls Loki, and an older man with grey hair and robes pops out and nearly drops the boxes he's holding.
"LOKI?!" he cries, and laughs, winking.
"It's good to see you, old friend. My acquaintances and I are in need of wands," explains Loki, and Ollivander nods before pausing, a crease forming between his brow.
"What happened to your wand?" asks Ollivander, and Loki immediately saddens.
"My... foster father did not approve. He snapped it," mutters Loki, and Ollivander sighs.
"All right, young one. Shall I find you a new wand first to show the others how it's done?" questions Ollivander and Loki smiles lopsidedly and nods. "Let's see here... Ah, here we go. Let's see if this one works! It has dragon-heart string core and is made from Rowan, same as your old wand," explains Ollivander, handing Loki a brown stick. It immediately burst into flame, and Loki quickly snuffs it out with a muttered spell.
"Unbelievable..." breathes Ollivander. "It was a good match, but your magic was simply too powerful. Hmm... I think... just perhaps..." Ollivander trails off as he heads to the back and pulls a black, stone box from the very bottom of the pile. "This wand is very powerful, and very ancient. No one has been able to bond with it. The wand is made from Elder wood, and it supposedly has a dual core of Sleipnir's and Hel's hair in Norse mythology, and it's 12 inches," explains Ollivander, and Loki's breath hitches in his throat and the mention of two of his children.
The new wand is black as night, save for green designs that twist up around it like flames. Loki tentatively reaches for it and curls his fingers around the edge. Immediately the wand emits a silver light and Loki's eyes glow a brilliant green, even more so than usual. "I'll take it," he whispers, looking up at Ollivander with sparkling eyes.
"Very good, Loki. This wand is an even better match than your last. Oh, and did I mention that it can't be broken?" laughs Ollivander and Loki smiles even greater.
"Perfect!" he exclaims one more time before passing over the required amount for his wand and motioning for Thor to come over. "Alright, Ollivander. You are now faced with the greatest challenge of all time... finding a wand my brother can't break, lose, or stick in his eye," teases. Loki, and Ollivander grins.
"Let's see here... hmmm... Yes, here we go," exclaims Ollivander as he pulls out a bright red box. "Eleven inches, redwood, dragon heart string." Thor picks up the reddish-brown wand and flicks it in the air. It glows a bright yellow and small lightning bolts form on the handle. "Marvelous!" shouts Ollivander, and Thor beams while twirling the wand in his hands.
"All right, me next!" declaims Tony, strutting up to the front desk. Clint groans and Natasha shakes her head.
"Hmmm..." Ollivander dashes into the back before returning with a plain black box and pulls out a black wand with gold swirls on the handle. "Ten inches, maple, Phoenix feather," Tony picks up the wand and smiles as it emits a red light.
The rest of the Avengers go up and choose their wands. Natasha has a black wand with red web-like markings, eight inches, Rowan wood, dragon heart string. Clint has a clay brown wand with feathery designs etched across the handle, nine inches, willow, pheonix feather. Bruce has a green-brown wand with waves etched on the handle, ten inches, ivy, dual core of unicorn hair and dragon heart string. Steve has a brown wand with stars patterned around the base, ten inches, sequoia, dual core of unicorn hair and hypogriff feather. Loki pays for the wands and the group leaves the shop and continues to buy their school supplies.
"Hey, Lokes," says Tony, and Loki turns to him, an eyebrow raised expectantly. "We aren't real wizards and witches, so how is this supposed to work?"
"It's a side-effect of the spell's backfire," explains Loki, and all of the Avengers turn to him. "From now on, all six of you will have magical abilities. I, however, have lost quite a bit of magic."
At this, Thor turns worriedly to his brother. "Loki, you're magic is a part of you. Does that mean that you're weaker, or..."
"Yes, Thor. I have lost six centuries of my life. Not a big deal for our kind, of course," replies Loki carelessly.
"Brother..." whispers Thor as he crushes his little brother in a giant hug. "I'm so sorry," he mutters before finally releasing the trickster. Loki leans forward with his hands on his knees, trying to retain his breath. Everyone brushes off the incident and continues to investigate Diagon alley until the sun begins to set and it's time to return.
"Hey, has anybody seen Tony?" asks Steve suddenly, and everyone freezes as the sun sets below the horizon. Suddenly, a child's yell pierces the air in the direction of Knockturn Alley.
Loki races towards the sound and the others follow him, flying down cobble-stone streets. Loki raises a hand for everyone to halt as they approach a darkened alley. "Romanoff, Barton, I'll be needing you're help. The rest of you, wait here and get ready to run," orders Loki, and the Avengers nod in agreement. Loki leads the way down the alley, and motions for the two spies to stay close. "Don't let yourself be seen. You are untrained in magic, and chances are Tony ran into experienced Death Eater. If you can, knock them out. Leave the rest to me." Hawkeye and Black Widow nod before melting into the shadows and racing ahead.
Loki creeps forward, peering around a corner. He gasps at what he find. Tony is tied up and hyperventilating on the floor of the alley, and the Death Eaters surrounding him are casting painful hexes, crucio being the main one. "Petrificus Totalus!" shouts Loki, stunning one of the Death Eaters. "Stupify!" he casts, taking down another of the five Death Eaters, leaving only three standing. Suddenly, two rocks come out of the darkness, taking down another two Death Eaters. The last one whirls around and grabs Tony, raising his wand to the boy's neck.
"Come out!" he cries, whirling around. Loki steps slowly and surely out of the shadows, recognizing the voice immediately.
"Malfoy, get your hands off him," Loki growls, and the Death Eater drops Tony in shock. Natasha and Clint grab the boy and run, Natasha cutting the bonds as they run. "Lumos!" mutters the trickster, and he forces the light out of his wand to shine as bright as the sun, blinding the Death Eaters. Turning, he races down the alley, easily catching up with the Avengers and into Hogsmeade, where he had rented rooms for the night.
Once everyone is in, Loki slams the door shut and places protective charms around the room. The other Avengers crowd around Tony, asking him if he was alright.
"He broke it," whispers Tony, and Loki freezes in his spot across the room. "He took my wand and broke it," the young boy curls up on himself, shaking as he cries.
"Where is it?" asks Loki, and Tony pulls out the two pieces. "Hand it over," Loki demands, and snatches it from Tony when the genius hesitates. Ignoring the protests of the others, Loki waves his wand over Tony's, muttering, "Repairo." The wand's pieces snap together and Tony watches in shock as his wand repairs itself.
"You probably think I'm a wimp, huh?" murmurs Tony as Loki passes him his wand.
"Hardly. I remember what it felt like when I lost my wand. It's a part of you, and you realize something is missing once it's gone," says Loki, a self-depreciating smile on his features.
"Why did Father snap your wand?" asks Thor, and Loki shrugs and sighs.
"He broke it because I beat you in that public tournament a couple weeks after my return," explains Loki, and Thor sits down in shock. "My 'imagined slights' weren't always so imagined, and I do have the scars to prove it, even at this age," mutters Loki. "Tomorrow we are heading off to Hogwarts. I've received a post as an assistant Animagus and Transfiguration teacher, but I'll be living in my house with the rest of the students. The houses are Ravenclaw for those that thirst for knowledge, Slytherin for the cunning and ambitious, Gryffindor for the brave and proud, and Hufflepuff for the kind and/or loyal. We will be sorted first thing tomorrow," yawns Loki as he counts the beds and sighs. "Alright, well, either two of us a sharing a bed and one on the floor, or three of us are on the floor."
"I call bed," says Natasha, Clint, Tony, and Bruce.
"I'll sleep on the floor," says Steve, and Thor nods in agreement. Loki nods and pulls out three sleeping bags from his inter dimensional pocket of space.
"Alright, see all of you in the morning," says Loki, and the Avengers say goodnight. When Loki wakes up in the morning, he finds a silver coin with 'Thank You' written on it under his pillow, and Tony's money bag lies open by his bed.