An Earthborn Asgardian

This is a Harry Potter, The Avengers Crossover by Kefalion aka. Frida. This is a story with focus on Harry Potter and Loki, but also on the relation between the wizards of earth and the Asgardians. This is Loki/Harry.

As you very well know I don't own the plot or the characters that you recognize.

Part 7: The Road
Words: 4 214

Fury had shown up around the time Harry had conjured the drinks and the Director had expressed his exasperation with the wizard, not that there was much he could do about it, the damage had already been done and all things considered it had not gone as bad as it could have. No one had been maimed and the Avengers seemed to accept him. All he could do was to confirm what he knew about the man from their past interactions, being able to assure the members of the team that Harry could be trusted, defusing the bomb before it could even be assembled.

Harry had been quick to leave after that, glad that he could part on amicable terms with the group of powerful and resourceful individuals. He left knowing that he had a lot that needed to be done in under twenty-four hours. Before he left he had just made sure to tell Fury that he would indeed be going to Asgard, as he understood that it was necessary for a number of reasons, and that he would do his best to represent the human race in a respectable way when he was not forced to represent himself and his actions. Having him represent humanity in relations to an advanced civilisation was perhaps not ideal, yet it was what it was and Fury had grudgingly admitted that Harry was not the worst man possible for the job, even with this new development and the uncertainty surrounding it. This had pleased Harry and added to his determination.

Harry had additionally asked the leader of SHIELD to inform their mutual contacts of his upcoming absence, making him able to cross a few people of the list of people he had to tell himself.

He'd visited Minister Shacklebolt again, a visit that went fairly easy as the man had already been briefed about the situation and all Harry had to do was fill in the rest of the gaps. He left the Ministry feeling fairly confident about the situation he was leaving behind. Shacklebolt had proved to be a competent statesman; leading the community out of the war and into a better future and this would be no different. Harry didn't fancy himself such a big player that he was indispensible; that none withstanding it was a comfort to know that he was leaving things in good hands.

Next he'd gone to the Supreme Mugwump and told him what was going on, once more forced to reveal what he was and what that meant, though only for wizarding kind at large, choosing not to focus much on how it affected him personally.

Luckily the man trusted him after having known him for a handful of years and he said that in coming meetings a team dedicated to finding out about the ancient magical civilisation that had existed would be put together. Some sites of interest were already known, but no recourses had been put to it in documented history as is it was deemed unprofitable and of little immediate importance as well as very dangerous. With the expansion of their known world things would be changing and as a faction of people on Earth who were intimately linked to it all, it was crucial that they be prepared.

The Supreme Mugwump also confirmed that as needed Harry was allowed to represent the International Confederation of Wizards. The magical people of Earth trusted him after his services to them and although the man was alone at making the decision at this point, he felt confident that had it been put to a vote the outcome would have been the same.

Harry had also reported to his contacts in MI5, MI6 and other various agencies he had a foot in. All in all he had been forced to flick back and forth across the globe for the better part of the day informing everyone who had to know about his prolonged absence. In the end though, it was saying goodbye to his friends and family that had proved to be the hardest.

It was the hardest because Ron and Hermione were the people he had always been able to depend on, the people who had stood by his side for the majority of his life. They were what he would miss most about his home on Earth, both now when he would leave for a brief time, at least that what he was hoping for, and later when time, aging and ultimately death would separate them.

Saying farewell to them was also the hardest because they were unwilling to see him go, being the ones who knew most about the current situation. They had met Loki, they knew him somewhat and they had worried about both him and Harry during his year long absence. They had lived through great tension when things went down in New York and Harry remained impossible to contact. They would be among the few people to know the full truth about where he was going and why, they were also the only people who really knew why it could and would be dangerous for him to go. Loki had all along been reluctant to have him go to Asgard for several reasons and with the younger Prince in disfavour and Harry connected to him it could prove to be more dangerous than it would have been before.

They had made him promise to not do anything stupid, to try and accept what he would meet in the new realm so that he could find a home in Asgard, as they knew that it wouldn't be good for him to remain on Earth once the people he had grown up with where gone. In turn they had promised to do everything they could about the situation from Earth.

Hermione decided that she would be joining the team researching the ancient wizards when she heard from Harry that such a project would be started. It was granted that her application would be accepted as she was one of the people on Earth who were the most knowledgeable about contemporary Asgard and she had a brilliant mind which would be useful to any scientific investigation all that none withstanding.

When Harry protested saying that she shouldn't give up what he was working with for him she had just shaken her head with a fond smile, telling him that she would always be ready to drop anything to help a friend, especially such an old and close friend and this research might be the most important thing she could currently spend her time on to contribute to their society, as it was crucial that they learn more about the other realms now when contact was being re-established and looking to history was always a wise move as you can learn from past mistakes and besides that, she was curious. Ron through his capacity as Head Auror of the British Ministry would also do everything he could to keep the peace and inform others of what they needed to know. The two of them would be able to keep the standings should anything go sideways and they would gather any and all relevant information Harry might need upon his return.

Harry had left them after sharing hugs and tense smiles, waving at the young Rose and Hugo who were held in their parents' arms, exiting their garden and apparating away to the gates of Hogwarts where his greatest challenge yet waited.

Saying goodbye to Teddy was what had cost him the most. He felt responsible for the boy. He was responsible for him and had been so ever since he petitioned to get full custody over him from Andromeda when Teddy was six years old. It had perhaps not been the smartest thing to do what with all that was changing in his life, and with Loki becoming a part of it. Now it was the boy who would pay the price, yet Harry couldn't regret it. He tried telling himself that he was doing the best he could and it had been more than anyone had ever done for him. He had been there through his godson's childhood, and though he had wanted to continue to be a part of Teddy's life for many years to come, it was at least something. Because of the responsibility he felt towards Teddy he also knew that he had true reason to not do anything foolish as he needed to return for the boy's sake.

When the time to depart for Asgard arrived Harry hadn't had a moment of rest. He had not slept since before he called Director Fury, demanding to know where Loki was kept. It was only because he was no longer human that he was able to go on like this, his changed body requiring much less sleep and food than he had needed before the Hallows came into his possession, finding him to be worthy of his Asgardian heritage and their creator's respect.

His mind was also able to deal with much more which was how he wasn't breaking down from heartbreak at leaving his family and friends behind, and it was the reason as to why he wasn't letting anxiety and the stirring excitement he was feeling at the prospect of at last being allowed to see Asgard get the better of him.

Harry arrived back in New York appearing by the spot they had agreed on the previous day. He took care to use the form of transportation Loki had taught him as it didn't make any sound, though he did prefer apparition as it to this day was more familiar and also came easier to him. It was the first time in a long time that he had used this way of travelling, luckily it went well, though it did grate a bit on his mind. He had taken to falling back on the wizarding way of travel after Loki's disappearance the previous year for some hidden reason he wasn't going to explore, and he was a bit rusty which didn't help when he had never truly grasped the concept to begin with. Nevertheless he had made it across the Atlantic in one piece without drawing any unwanted attention.

Shrouded in an illusion rendering him invisible he walked up on the bridge from where they would be departing and took a stand by the edge. He leant against the stone railing, looking out over the scene in front of him and just trying to appreciate his last moments on Earth for who knows how long.

The sun was shining brilliantly in the sky, the trees were green, the water was playing in the fountain that was nearby, a lake filled with rowboats behind it and people were walking around enjoying the day, the horror of the attacks already forgotten to them. It was strange that life could go on, but he had seen it before so it did not surprise him as much and in its own way it was a comfort to know that people still lived their lives, that what had passed had not been worse than that it was possible for normalcy to continue.

He was once more wearing his Asgardian armour, leather boots, billowing cloak and all. Had he been visible the attire would surely have earned him a fair number of strange looks, not that he would have cared much as he no longer got fazed by small scale attention. The armour might stand out on Earth, but it was only practical for him to wear it as soon enough anything else would look as strange as the armour did now. It also made him feel better, because it was a confirmation to that he did belong in the realm he was going to, he only hoped that the people there would feel the same way. Thor's reaction to his existence had been better than he could have hoped for and if he had read the situation right he would have the Odinson's support which had to count for something.

He had everything he would need in form of personal items shrunk down and stored on his person. It wasn't that he didn't believe any essentials needed would be provided to him on Asgard, but he felt comfortable knowing that he had things covered. He knew how vital it could be from the war when they had been dependent on what was kept in Hermione's beaded purse and it never hurt to be prepared.

Not long after he had arrived, a couple of sleek black cars with the SHIELD logo printed on the doors drove up. Men in generic, black suits stepped outside and looked around the area, not being able to see him they proceeded to clear and secure the perimeter leaving him alone.

Soon after that the Avengers arrived. The Captain astride a motorbike, Stark in a wine red sport car, and the rest in additional SHIELD-issued, black cars. Harry held in a small gasp at seeing Loki fold out from the backseat of one of them. It was a surreal image, much like seeing him in, for want of a better word, normal clothing for the first time some six years prior when they had ventured out into the muggle world together for the first time. In the wizarding world casual Asgardian clothing didn't stand out much so it had been some time before Loki had been required to wear normal clothing which had looked rather out of place on him, but that might have more to do with Harry's complete lack of fashion sense than anything else as Loki had soon managed to attain more formal muggle attire which fitted him much better.

However it wasn't seeing two godly beings fold out of a small car that truly got to Harry. It was the addition to the shackles around Loki's wrists. When he had visited him in the holding cell the previous day there had been the magic inhibitors, looking similar to normal handcuffs, sitting around his wrists with the chain holding them together, now though, a muzzle had been added. It sat across his face, hiding his mouth from view and it hurt to see the man like that, not that he couldn't understand the need for precaution. Even after giving a promise to him of betterment and change Loki should not be trusted; it was too soon to say if he could be relied upon. Harry wanted to believe that he was the same man he'd known, but even though he had proclaimed his love he didn't feel sure. It was too soon to say. And he would never ask that the other parties involved take his word for that Loki would not betray them again.

Loki had changed, that much he did know, something within him had broken following the revelation of his birth, his actions since that moment showed as much and only time would be able to tell how much he had changed. Harry would not give up on him though, not yet, but some small part of him was beginning to prepare for an eventual fall out, no matter how much he wanted to deny thinking of such things, he had to protect himself and the rest of the people he cared about.

As Loki was led forth by Thor, the Trickster's gaze roamed and his eyes found Harry's, the illusion unable to fool him. Harry gave him a sympathetic smile and allowed himself to become visible again. The Agents, Banner and the Captain tensed up at his sudden appearance while Thor was unfazed by the action. "Son of James," he greeted loudly.

"My Prince," Harry called back, tilting his upper body down in a shallow bow. There wasn't enough familiarity between them yet to let go of formal address, and a more strict protocol had to be followed after Harry's show of submission the previous day. In time if things went well they would give up titles, exchanging them for first names, when the situation did not demand otherwise, for now though they were stuck like this and though Loki made no audible protest his eyes narrowed at hearing Harry defer to Thor and Harry felt certain that there would be a discussion about that at a later date.

"Woah! You were there all along? Maybe magic does have a few uses after all," Tony said walking towards Harry.

"Did you doubt that?" Steve muttered to himself though Harry had no problem catching it.

"How does that invisibility work?" Tony asked, managing to sound both eager and completely uncaring at the same time in a way he seemed to have going for him, something Harry had encountered in people of his sort, people with money.

"Mr. Stark," Harry began, "yes, I arrived here a short while ago, before any of you showed up. This was an illusion, manipulating photons to show what I wish."

"Are there other ways of staying invisible?"

"Of course."

"Tell me about them?"

"I don't think now's the time, Stark," Natasha interrupted.

"If not now, then when? They're going to a different dimension full of demigod like people, and who knows when any of them will be back, if they'll be back at all."

Harry's face twitched. He didn't like being reminded of the risks he was taking and the unknown time he would be gone should everything go well. He was dealing with the situation, but hearing Stark talk about it in such a flippant tone wasn't aiding his resolve. "I can give you the quick version," he said, wanting to keep the conversation going and indulging Stark could prove to be a good thing. It would help build up a bond and the man was a brilliant engineer who Harry would bet to be the one discovering where the lines between magic and science went, once and for all showing that they were the same thing.

"We have illusions, which are accomplished by manipulating photons. Then there is transfiguration which is what the discipline about turning something into something else is called, you more or less changing the properties of the materials themselves by manipulating the structure of the atoms. When concerning invisibility transfiguration is used by altering the way the object you want to keep hidden so that the surface reflects light differently. The final way I know of uses the mind arts. You make things invisible by affecting the perception of the person who is watching, tricking their brain to see whatever you want."

"Sure we don't have time for the long explanation?" Stark asked eagerly, eyes shining with excitement that he no longer cared to hide.

"Not at this time, friend Tony," Thor said. "Go assist Erik."

"Fine."

From there on everyone's attention was on getting things into position and ready for departure. Tony had a metal briefcase with the Tesseract. He, Bruce and Dr. Erik Selvig, who Harry recognized because he had studied up on what had happened before he got to New York the first time around worked on preparing the device. The remaining Avengers kept their vigil; mostly looking suspiciously at Loki, though Harry got a few assessing glances from them as well. Agent Barton especially seemed to not like him, which was understandable from what Loki had done to him and the man wouldn't like anyone associated as intimately with the trickster as Harry was.

They worked effectively and within a couple of minutes the device which had been build over the last couple of weeks to utilize the Tesseract energy was ready. To Harry it looked rather flimsy, but he was sure that it was a deceptive appearance. Alloys gleaming both golden and silver made up the ends. Between the metal sat a glass cylinder containing the energy cube.

There were only two handles as the original plan had been for two passengers, but it would work just as well for three, the energy of the blue cube being massive enough to handle that and plenty more.

Thor held it steady in one hand, his hammer Mjolnir in the other, waiting for Loki to grab on. The prisoner was not looking like he wanted to though and Harry stepped forward taking a grip, assuming that it would prompt Loki to do the same. Contrary to that assumption it made him hesitate more.

He stepped so that he was facing Harry and seemed to speak with his eyes. Feeling a prod against his mind Harry kept his face carefully blank and allowed Loki's mental voice to be heard. It surprised him that the man was able to use magic as it was with his hands bound and abilities bound, as well as exhaustion playing in. Still, if anyone could get past such obstacles it would be Loki.

"I know I agreed to this," he said, words soft yet full of intent as they were channelled into Harry's mind, "but I must state again that I do not think it to be wise. We may be walking towards your end as well as mine."

"I'm aware," Harry answered him tensely.

"Then you should be willing to rethink this. Think about what you may be sacrificing; your family, a life together, freedom. If you choose it we can be away from here in the blink of an eye. They wouldn't be able to stop you. Let go of the Tesseract and transport us away."

"Brother," Thor interrupted their silent conversation, his word a warning, the choice of address earning him a brief glare. The surrounding people were beginning to show tenseness too, preparing for an eventual turn of events. It went faster to speak mentally, but not so much faster that it wasn't detectable that something was going on between them.

"Choose quickly, Harry."

"It is not safe to go," Harry said in agreement, "but escaping now is not safe either. We would be hunted down and I could not stand to live as a fugitive. We must face this and we'll do so of our own free will with our heads held high."

Reluctant acceptance and fondness was transmitted over the link. "Very well." Loki stepped so that they were standing close together and with a deliberate jerky motion he gripped the handle, hand brushing against Harry's.

Thor, understanding more than Loki would have given him credit for, gave Harry a brief smile. He then turned his eyes to his other companions giving a final nod in farewell, the small gesture showing his gratitude and respect for the people he had fought along side, and who had sided with him, aiding Asgard with a delicate matter.

Harry didn't care much about the interaction. He didn't know the Avengers or the astrophysicist and he had already said his goodbye to his birth planet. He kept his eyes firmly locked on the blue-glowing cube and his mind concentrating on the sensation of having Loki so close, drawing strength from that, feeling the skin of his hand against his own, smooth and just a little bit colder than his own. The sensation drawing his mind back to before, before his disappearance last year when things had been easier.

Thor turned his handle, activating the device and the Tesseract. Everything around them was tinted blue as the cube's energy enveloped them. The sensation was less jarring than Harry had expected. It was smoother than a Portkey, it was completely neutral concerning the environment contrasting the heat of Floo and it could not be compared to apparition or even the shifting through space-time that was Loki's preferred means of transport. They were simply bathed in the energy of the Tesseract, the blue light moving around them and coming close, lapping against their bodies like soft, tepid waves of water. Outside their small sphere reigned darkness, no stars or any other light was visible and very soon it was over, a floor once more existing beneath their feet.

Harry didn't stumble at the impact the way he once would have, landing as gracefully as his two companions. Immediately after the blue glow dissipated Harry took in his new surroundings and it was not hard to recognize the room. Loki had prepared him well, both by telling stories and showing images. They had arrived at the Heimdall's Observatory which also held the gateway for the Bifrost.

"And so they return," said a deep, calm voice, "the heir and the prodigal son."

"Heimdall," Thor greeted, and Harry took a look at the man standing on a raised dais in the middle of the spherical chamber that was glinting of gold. The man stood straight and resolute, hands clasped over the pommel of a large sword. His armour and horned helmet was as golden as the structure around him, making for a grand sight that amazed Harry in a way Loki's illusions hadn't been able to.

Heimdall's golden eyes were locked on Harry and when the wizard met his gaze he felt like the guardian was seeing through him, assessing him, a spark in those eyes that was reminiscent of Dumbledore. "I welcome you to Asgard, Harry Potter son of James, and I wish you luck, before long you may need it."

AN 18th November 2013:

We have arrived to Asgard. I though that I would tell you a bit more from Asgard in this chapter, but alas the preparation fro the trip took longer than anticipated on my part. We have entered the Realm where spoilers of the second Thor movie can come to exist as it is such a large part of what I know of this universe now, having (I am embarrassed and proud at the same time to admit it) seen it three times. As I have said before I will not follow it exactly, but I will draw inspiration from the situations presented in it, and from a little bit that I've written I will steal a few lines of dialogue, along the same line as I had Loki ask for a drink in the first chapter.

I could say a lot more, but I shall refrain from a long(er) author's note. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you did, or didn't I'd love to hear it and why you felt that way. Otherwise; until next time!