Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter of Thor.
Chapter Four
With wide eyes, Harry leaped back nimbly as the giant swung a massive sword in his direction. The Giant moved into the room to get better access to him.
"Compensating for something?" Harry taunted, while his mind raced. He chanced a glance over at Fenrir, who was up and snarling at the large man-creature.
Harry moved back to stand beside his new companion, thinking quickly. He didn't have time to shout for Thor or anyone else. He considered his options, and figured that he could take down one of these guys with a lot of power and fast foot work. He just really hoped that the giant did not bring friends. Normally he would have gone for a fire spell, something far more powerful than Incindio, but more controllable than Feindfyre. But... from what he understood in the little time he'd been here, the Frost Giants were not supposed to even be on this planet. At least, that's what he assumed from Thor's earlier babbling on their way here, when the god wasn't firing questions at him.
"Fenrir, think you can distract him? Go for capture, not kill. Got it?" Harry asked quietly. The wolf huffed and leaped forward, dodging the arc created by the frost giant swinging his over-large sword. Sending a protection spell at the animal's hide, and hoping it would stick long enough that he could do what he needed and not worry about Fenrir, Harry reluctantly turned away.
He had an idea, but the spells he needed to use were both complicated and draining,
First he conjured metal, hoping a titanium cage could hold the guy, and began molding it as fast as he could, flinching when he heard a loud pain filled yelp. That took a minute, but it was a minute that Fenrir was fighting alone. Harry did not like leaving the sentient animal on his own. He rapidly carved strengthening runes into the metal, going slower than he would have liked to make sure they were all right. Finally it was finished, and Harry turned back to the fight, relieved to see Fenrir still standing. Well, hanging really, his teeth sunk into the injured Frost Giant's arm.
"Fenrir! Get back!" He shouted, and the wolf jumped clear out of the way. The Frost Giant did not have time to react while a ball of molten metal was flung his way at a high speed. It made contact, and blossomed into a round cage just big enough for the blue giant.
Collapsing to the ground in relief, Harry sighed while the giant reached though the bars of the cage and cursed at him. A large tongue licking him roused him from his relieved slump... but Fenrir was still clear across the room.
Harry startled back to reality. They were still settled on the pallet, and there was no caged Frost Giant in the room. Fenrir whined worriedly, and licked him again.
"Did I... did I fall asleep?" Harry asked in confusion. He began examining the room, looking for any sign of the fight that had felt so real, but there was nothing. Twenty minutes later found him sitting back down on the pallet with Fenrir, who had watched his search with confusion and fascination.
There was another knock on the door not long after that, but instead of immediately answering it like he would have before, Harry eyed it warily and called, "Who is it?"
"It is Odin Allfather, world-traveler. I bring food and news. Are you going to let me in, lad?" The deep booming voice answered, and Harry pulled himself to his feet.
Pulling the door open, Harry came face to breastplate with the tall god. As he stepped back to allow the other man in, something on the side of the door caught his eye, and he looked at it in confusion and once he realized what it was, vague annoyance. It was a series of runes that, when active, would cause anyone in the room to hallucinate a certain scenario. Like the attack of a Frost Giant.
"A test." He spat, and glared at Odin, who just smiled unrepentantly. He spent most of his early life being tested, and now it just really irked him. "To see how I would react to a Frost Giant's attack." Running his hand through his nest of black hair, he scowled. "Well, do I pass?" He should have known it was a hallucination right off, he supposed. He had never personally seen a Frost Giant, and the fact that the name of the creature that had assaulted him popped into his mind almost immediately was highly suspect.
He pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket and ran a hand over the runes. They disappeared. He repeated the same movement on the blank sheet of paper, and they appeared there, no longer active. He wanted to study them, but did not want to risk them affecting him again.
Odin set down a large tray on a table that was against the wall, not seeing the action with his back turned. "With no doubt, world-traveler." He answered, not ever bothering to deny that it was a test.
"Great. Do it again and I'll make sure you have bats flying out of your nose for the next week." Harry grumbled without real malice, and settled by the table to look at the food that was brought. He watched as a small entourage of servants entered next to nervously set a dead deer-like animal before Fenrir. They quickly fled while the wolf dug in.
Odin looked fascinated. "You can do that?" He asked.
Harry picked up a piece of what appeared to be a banana, only three times bigger than what he was used to. "Yep. It's a prank hex. Not much fun for the victim." He answered absently. He transfigured the mead he found in the large tankard he was provided into water, figuring that anything that could get the gods drunk would probably be way too strong for his system and end up killing him. Taking a sip of the clear liquid, he sighed. It was some of the cleanest water he had ever consumed.
Actually... he looked at Fenrir, and frowned when there was no drink at all for the wolf. He conjured a large basin and used a spell that wrung water out of the surrounding air.
"Your powers vary greatly, world-traveler." Odin commented, reminding Harry of the man's presence. Harry shrugged and speared a piece of duck with the knife that was brought in with the meal. It was sweet and succulent, and he wondered if he could get the recipe.
After his grumbling stomach was satisfied, Harry finally turned to talk to Odin.
"So, you said you brought news. What sort of news?" He prompted. The god sat beside him.
"Heimdall wishes to speak to you at your earliest convenience on the morrow, world-traveler." Odin answered.
The wizard place his chin in his hand while his elbow rested on the table. "Call me Harry. And why does he want to see me?" He asked curiously.
Fenrir finished his deer and began drinking the water enthusiastically. Harry turned for a moment to smile at him.
When he turned back, Odin was eying him speculatively. "You are fond of the wolf already?"
Raising one eyebrow and crossing his arms, Harry responded, "What of it? And you didn't answer my question."
For a moment things were tense, but Fenrir burped in satisfaction, breaking the atmosphere while Harry snorted and Odin laughed.
The god shrugged. "I do not know what to tell you. No one knows the motive behind most of Heimdall's actions, and this request for your presence is no different. Though my son tells me that the All-Seeing claims you may prevent Ragnarök."
Harry frowned slightly. "What's Ragnarök?"
Odin mirrored his expression. "It is... both the end, and the beginning."
Rolling his eyes, Harry huffed. "Because that's specific."
"Ragnarok is the fate of the gods. It is said that there will be disastrous events, both natural and not, that will affect life here greatly. It is foretold that I, my sons, and many others will die." Odin replied after a thoughtful pause.
Harry bit his lip. "So it's pretty much your version of the apocalypse. But how is it also the beginning?"
Odin shrugged his broad shoulders. "That part is far more fluid than the end. It is said that the gods who are killed during the events of Ragnarok will be reborn, but..."
Harry caught on. "You're not sure if you'll really be reborn, and don't want to take the risk. I see."
Odin nodded at the perceptive wizard. "If it were just I whose life would end, I would not worry myself. But my sons..."
"You don't want your line to die out. I get it. But I'm not sure how I can help with that." Harry said.
"That might be answered by Heimdall tomorrow, so do not worry world-traveler. In the meantime, you look like you have some questions of your own." Odin prompted.
The wizard rubbed the back of his neck. "I do have two questions, but one of them is a bit... personal, I guess. They're both sort of about Loki, in a way."
The man before him seemed to age a decade in that moment, as an expression of sadness and self-loathing flashed in his single eye. "Loki is gone, lost to the space in between."
Harry placed a comforting hand on the gods muscled bicep. "That answers one of my questions already, then. My other is about Fenrir. In the legend I remember, he is Loki's son."
"That is true."
Harry frowned. "Then why do you treat him so mistrustfully?"
Odin drew himself up. He would not have his actions questioned by this human. "That is a part of the Ragnarok prophecy. It is said Fenrir will be the one to kill me. To prevent it, we had him banished to the woods on the day of his birth. But he is so vicious that no one would contest him when he followed you into the castle. But we have your word that he will not harm anyone while under your care."
Sitting forward, Harry thought that over. "So, in order to prevent him from killing you, you sent him away when he was only a newborn?" Odin nodded. "But... that's like kicking a puppy that you think will be vicious one day, in order to make it afraid of you. One day that puppy will be grown, and your kicking will have made it vicious. Had the puppy been raised with a soft hand and affection, there would be no need to worry about violence." Harry said.
Odin just looked confused. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I follow."
"If you had raised Fenrir, the son of your adoptive son, which by the way makes him your grandson, here with love, then there would be no need to worry about him killing you! He would love you too much to do so! But now he's been raised to think you mean him harm, so of course if worst comes to worst he will fight back." The wizard said in a low, vehement voice.
Tat sent Odin reeling. "I did not... think of it in that manner..." He admitted. Harry shook his head.
"I've seen a situation sort of like it, in my first world. And plenty of times since. It seems to be a popular circumstance in some way." He murmured, moving away from the god to gently pat the snoozing wolf.
Odin, too, got up with a thoughtful look on his face. "I have to think on this, world-traveler. I bid you goodnight."
Wolf and wizard were left alone.
Sorry about the delay. I got abducted by my older sister, and she doesn't have internet at her house. But she does have a really annoying son, who is as of right now bothering me. Anyway, here you are. No, it wasn't Loki, sorry for those who thought it was. He's still either floating around space, or a guest of the Chitauri. Polls up. Go vote if you want to.
Lionna