THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Chapter 17
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners.
Harry and Neville appeared just outside #12 Grimauld Place once again encased in his misdirection magic incase anyone was around. After assuring Hermione's mother that her daughter will rest untill Harry woke her up, Harry had asked to allow him take Neville to see his parents before he could come back. He dropped the magic and knocked on the large doors which opened a couple of seconds later to reveal a tired looking Sirius Black.
"Harry?" He blinked before he smiled. "Bloody hell, it's like you grown even more since the last time I saw you." He then looked at Neville. "And you must be Frank's boy, come on, they're most anxious to meet you."
"They are?" Neville asked startled as they followed the man.
"Yeah." Sirius said. "Alice was almost fully recovered by the time of the Hogwarts battle and Frank recoverecovered just two days later." He told them. "We honestly weren't sure what happened to you given that we couldn't find you or your body at Hogwarts."
"I was staying with Harry." Neville replied. "What has been happening?"
"Not much really, people are just trying to pick up with their lives." The man shrugged. "The order and the teachers have been returning the kids to their homes, atleast those with homes to return to. The majority of the halfbloods don't, thanks to Voldemort."
He led then to a living room where there were two people seated at the couch next to each other. Harry remembered them, even though they looked much healthier than the last time he had seen them.
"Neville?" The woman gasped bringing the attention of the man to them. In a few seconds, she had crossed the room and was hugging her son while sobbing. "Oh, my sweet boy. I thought I had lost you again."
Neville didn't seem to be in a better condition.
"I think we should give them some privacy." Sirius suggested quietly and Harry nodded. They had barely taken a step when they were stopped by another voice.
"Harry." It was Frank Longbottom, his voice was careful, like he was just learning to use it. "We can never thank you enough for what you have done for our family." He started, his arm wrapped around his wife who was still clinging onto Neville. "House Longbottom will always have your back."
"Neville is my friend, Mr. Longbottom." Harry told him with a shrug. "I was only doing what any other friend would have done."
"Regardless, if you're ever in need of something, and we are in a position to give it, do not hesitate to ask."
Harry nodded and they left the three Longbottoms. He was led to the meeting room where they had first met the Order.
"They just recovered without any input from someone." Sirius said as they entered. "Alice thinks that it was Bellatrix's lingering magic that was still keeping them under which was released when she died."
Bellatrix Lestrange was one of Voldemort's most powerful Death Eaters.
"She died at Hogwarts?"
"Yep, at the hands yours truly." Sirius grinned. "Or rather at my teeth."
"You bit her?"
Sirius barked out a laugh at the incredulous look Harry was giving him. And then he suddenly shifted and in his place was a large black dog that looked like a grim. Harry remembered seeing the dog on the battle field but he hadn't given it much thought then. It gave Harry a grin before transforming back into Sirius Black.
"You're an animagus?"
"Me and your father achieved our transformation in fifth year." He grinned proudly as he flopped into a seat. "Impressive, right?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded. It was indeed impressive, that was one of the most complicated areas of wizard magic.
"What's the state of the magical world?" Harry asked once they had sat down.
"There isn't a magical world to begin with." Sirius said. "The major points which make up the magical world are either abandoned or were destroyed by Death Eaters. The ministry was barely left standing when Voldemort took it, Diagon alley was destroyed and is now abandoned, St. Mungo's as well and any healers who survived the attack probably fled the country."
He paused, running a hand through his long hair.
"Half of the population was either killed by Death Eaters around the country or died as Death Eaters at the battle of Hogwarts." He spread his hands. "Honestly, there's like about thirty adult wizards and witches in Britain right now and hundreds of orphan kids in Hogwarts, either purebloods, halfbloods or muggleborns."
Harry nodded, there was still hope for magical Britain, whatever condition it would be in the future, it wasn't his responsibility. Atleast they won't have to worry about Voldemort again thanks to Ranulph. He was pulled from his thoughts when Sirius placed something on the table. It was his Invisibility cloak.
"Thank you for lending me this, Harry." The other man said. "It saved my life more times than I care to count."
Taking it back, Harry remembered what he had wanted to talk to Sirius about.
"There is something I wanted to ask you." He started. "Did my father ever mention something about his heritage being related to Asgard?"
"You know about that?" Sirius asked with wide eyes.
"Shouldn't I?"
"No..no of course you should." He shook his head. "Its just that it is a family secret that is passed from father to son. The only reason I know of it was because James told me after we heard of the prophecy. If anything were to happen to him, I would have to be the one to tell you about it." He frowned. "I'm just surprised that someone else knew about it and told you."
"Not exactly." Harry shook his head. "I met an Asgardian last year and_"
"Wait, what?" Sirius interrupted. "How is that possible?"
Harry just shrugged. "Can you tell me about this family secret?"
"First of all, do you know what Asgard is?"
"Yeah."
"Good." He nodded. "So, apparently long ago, Asgard was about to be destroyed, I'm not sure by what but the event is called Ragnarok and there were three brothers who were heading the defense of Asgard, one of which was its king, Odin, the eldest brother." He paused. "Individually, the three brothers couldn't defeat the attacking force, and so they performed a ritual which transferred their power to the strongest, Odin who used it to beat back Ragnarok."
Harry nodded to show that he was following.
The ritual should have killed the other two brothers, but instead, Vili Borson, the youngest brother found himself here on earth without a single drop of his former abilities." Sirius continued. "He decided to live as a human and got himself a bird who he had a son and daughter with. Neither of them showed any signs of their Asgardian heritage, which continued to happen in generation after generation even as the story was passed from father to son. It is believed that Vili knew that he had been allowed to live for a reason and one day that reason would be revealed."
"Was that reason ever revealed?" Harry asked.
"Oh, that's not the end of it." Sirius shook his head. "Centuries of nothing of note happened and then suddenly, things started to change, Potter kids started being born with a few attributes that were different from other kids, from generation to generation, the differences started becoming more pronounced. Kids were slightly stronger than normal or faster, or more gifted in certain areas of magic."
He looked at Harry meaningfully.
"By the time James was born, they were more clear. The bloke was strong, ridiculously so, he may not have been on Hagrid's level but he was certainly stronger than any of us not to mention tall and annoyingly good looking." He huffed while Harry just smiled in amusement. "Also, he was a prodigy at transfiguration. Not many knew this but he didn't need a wand to perform transfiguration, he only used it when others were present. James knew that these changes would be even more pronounced in you, and that your grand kid was likely to be a full bodied Asgardian. Both physically and magically. "
Harry frowned, from what he knew he was a full bodied Asgardian. Maybe not as strong as Loki, but he figured that it was because of the age difference.
"So, what did they think was causing this return of our Asgardian heritage?"
"Ragnarok." Sirius said grimly. "James said that his parents and theirs before them thought that Ragnarok was returning, and Odin or his descendant who will be there at that point will not be able to beat it back by themselves and would need the help of the descendants of the other two brothers."
Was that why they had sent Loki after him? They wanted him to sacrifice himself to beat back Ragnarok? Well, that was not going to happen. Harry was quiet as he thought of what he had just heard, all the questions he had been having concerning his heritage had been answered, but there was something else which didn't make sense. Harry's grandchildren were supposed to be full Asgardian, not him, which meant that something had happened to change the natural course of events. Or maybe it had something to do with Lily?
"What about Lily?" Harry asked.
"What about her?"
"Was there something peculiar about her lineage?"
"Not that I'm aware of." Sirius shook his head. "I wasn't really that close with her for her to tell me something like that. You're going to have to ask Alice."
"Neville's mom?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "They were pretty tight, she was even Lily's maid of honor. So if anyone knew of Lily's secrets, it would be her."
Right then, as if summoned by their words, there was a light knock on the door and Harry looked up to see the subject of their conversation.
"Hello Harry, I hope I'm not interrupting something." She entered when both males shook their heads. "I wanted to thank you for all you have done for us and especially my son. And I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you as your godmother."
"You have no need to apologize." Harry replied. "Things happened that none of us could control, we should just be grateful that it has all worked out in the end."
"I guess you are right." She smiled. "I'm not sure if this knucklehead has told you this but your parents would really be proud of what you have accomplished and the man you're becoming."
"Thanks I guess." Harry replied, honestly not sure what to say. "I uh, wanted to ask you something actually, about my mom."
"Oh, okay." She sat down. "Ask away."
"Did mom ever tell you anything about her that may have made her different from other witches." Harry asked. "Maybe some secret regarding her heritage?"
"No...I don't think she ever told me anything like that." She frowned in thought. "Though there was something...after marrying James, she discovered something, a secret that was important enough to hide behind a modified Fidelius."
She looked at him, a frown still on her face.
"Now I know the secret of the Fidelius but I don't know the secret itself, you will have to ask her yourself."
"Ask who?"
"Mary McDonald." Alice said.
"Mary disappeared after the war." Sirius shook his head. "She is probably dead, otherwise, I'm sure she would have sought out Harry long ago given how close both of you were close to Lily."
"Well, had I been well, Harry would never have gone to Petunia and her walrus of a husband." Alice said fiercely. "Mary's situation is different though, thanks to the Fidelius. And speaking of the friends of Harry's parents, what right did you have to go to get yourself thrown in Azkaban instead of looking after your godson?"
"I don't care about what could have been, that is in the past." Harry said. "What I'm intrested in is what mom discovered and how I can find it out."
"The secret of the Fidelius is that Marry McDonald is Miriam Gilbert." She told them. "Lily made it so the spell would come in effect should she die and I would become the secret keeper."
"So what does us knowing the secret mean?" Sirius asked.
"The Fidelius erased any existence of her past life as Mary from Miriam Gilbert's life basically creating a new identity for her. She doesn't know that she was once a witch and the life she was living before then and anyone who met her that once knew her wouldn't recognize her for who she used to be." She explained. "Unless of course they know the secret. So long as she is in your presence, she will remember, and then forget once you leave."
"Bloody hell." Sirius breathed. "What could Lily have discovered to require all these measures?"
"I don't know." Alice shook her head. "All I know is that Lily was sure of two things, the first is that Voldemort would not be able to kill Harry. And the second was that her discovery would be very important to Harry."
There was a beat of silence.
"Well, that's all well and good but we don't even know where she is." Sirius sighed.
"I know where she is." Harry said. "Dumbledore gave me her address at the end of my first year at Hogwarts. He had gave me the impression that he was the one to help her settle down when she left Britain."
"Well, if anyone was able to find a way around the Fidelius, it would be him." Alice stood up. "I wish you luck, Harry. And I hope I'll get to know my godson better in the future."
She left as fast as she had appeared and Harry shared a glance with Sirius.
"So, now what?" His godfather asked.
"I'm going to talk to Mary McDonald I guess." Harry said. "I also need to return to Hermione, as I'm sure Neville will want to stay, I'll just let myself out."
"I could come with you?" Sirius offered but Harry shook his head.
"That won't be necessary." He told him as he stood up put a piece of paper on the table. "Besides, I believe you still have a lot to do here. You can visit her by yourself if you want."
"Alright." Sirius conceded. "Well, don't be a stranger. I too would like to get to know my godson."
Nodding silently, Harry went and said his goodbyes to the Longbottoms before leaving. He appeared outside the Granger residence before he was led inside. Hermione's father was back and both parents sat him down in the living room.
"I have been told about your...relationship with my daughter." He started. "Not sure if I even believe it but there is no denying the fact that Hermione is having her first rest since she came back." He looked at Harry and pinned him with a stare. "So I have to ask, what are your intentions for my daughter?"
Harry blinked at the man, nonplussed. "What?"
"What is this relationship of yours entail and what does it mean for my girl?"
"Like I said, I don't exactly understand how this works, I'm still trying to make research on it." Not that he was making much progress, he hoped his conversation would shed some light on it. "I'm only going by instincts right now. What I do understand is that Hermione is my follower, and as long as she acknowledges me as her... god, she can draw on my power which will allow her to heal and grow powerful."
"And you know this, how?"
"I just do." He shrugged. "Just like a child knows that breathing is necessary, I guess. I know it for a fact, as fact as I me sitting here before you at this moment."
"Is she going to be okay, though?" He asked after a beat of silence. "Won't this affect her in any way?"
"No, atleast not in any personal way." He said. "She will still be the same Hermione, she will just be a little more inclined to listen to me. While her magic will also be more inclined towards my domain."
"Your domain?" The mother asked. "What is that?"
"An area in which I rule over or control, or draw power from, for example Thor is the god of storms so he controls anything that is related to storms and any followers if he has any will have any easier time casting magic that is related to the same." He explained but he saw the looks they were giving him. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that Hermione is going to be fine, our connection will make sure she is in her very best condition, physically, mentally and magically. So you don't have to worry about her."
"You said you needed to be close to her?" The mother asked.
"No, that won't be necessary." He shook his head. "I'll drop by every now and then but I don't have to be in proximity with her for her to heal. Her connection with me will be enough."
"And you just know this?" The father asked and Harry simply nodded.
"Yes."
"Right." It was obvious he was still sceptical. "So, what is required of us? Do we have to worship you or something?"
And not very happy with the situation apparently.
"No, just take care of your daughter." Harry stood up. "I have to go, I haven't replaced my phone yet so I guess the only way to contact me will be through Hermione praying to me." He paused. "Or you could write me your number and I can call you once I get a phone."
-TRNT-
After exchanging numbers, Harry had checked on Hermione who was still sleeping before teleporting back to the mansion. The Haldanes had not yet come back and except for the guards and maids, the house was practically empty. Seeing that he had nothing to do, Harry ate his lunch and decided to get done with the reason he had decided to come with Shevaun for the holidays in the first place. The guards knew him by now, and so when he asked one if he could be driven to a certain address, they got him a car with a driver as well as two guards.
He could have teleported of course, but he had no idea what to find at the adress so he chose to use mundane methods. His destination was a modest house, in an equally modest neighborhood in Hollywood, it was obvious however that the people who lived here were quite well off even though not to the standard of the Haldanes. The driver parked infron of the house and Harry approached the front door. Ringing the doorbell, he didn't have to wait for very long for the door to happen.
It revealed a who didn't look much older than Alice Longbottom but with the benefit of not being confined to bed for hours. She was fuller, with a tan too, her dark hair and brown eyes seeming familiar to Harry. She blinked as she took him in before her eyes widened and she gasped.
"Harry?"
"Mary McDonald, I take it?" Harry asked and she nodded. She hesitated, clearly looking like she wanted to hug him but not sure if Harry would like it. He offered her his hand instead with a smile. "Its a pleasure to meet you."
Taking the hand, the woman smiled as well. "The pleasure is all mine. Please come in."
She led him inside and they sat down. Bringing some tea, she sat down opposite him and sighed.
"You looked so much like James as a kid it was not even funny." She started with a smile. "Lily's only comfort was that you had her eyes. Has anyone ever told you that?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded.
"Well she wouldn't be worried now." She continued. "I think you look more like her than you do James. The nose, the eyes, even the way your eyes narrow when you're hearing something you don't want."
She laughed at the end and Harry blinked having realized that he had just been narrowing his eyes. It was not every day that someone told you that you look like a girl.
"You don't have to worry though, while you may look a lot like Lily, you certainly got James' build and hair even though yours is long." She assured him even though there was clear amusement in her voice. "No one will be calling you feminine any time soon."
Harry snorted.
"They will call you pretty though." She added with a laugh. "No human has any right to look this good." She smiled at him. "Then again, you're not exactly human."
"So you know why I came here, then?"
"I imagine Alice finally got around to telling you the secret, though I can't imagine what could have prompted her to." She leaned back in her chair. "The world isn't ending, atleast as far as I'm aware."
It occurred to Harry that this woman doesn't know what befell her friend and probably anything that happened in the magical world once the Fidelius got in effect at Lily's death.
"Sirius told me about James's secret and then I later found out that Lily had a secret of her own which led me to Alice who told me about the Fidelius." Harry explained to her and she nodded in understanding.
"Well, after James told Lily of his Asgardian heritage, Lily did some research of her own with the goblins, both on James's side and her own lineage." The woman started explaining. "You see, Lily was a prodigy in charms and mind magic, not just a prodigy but those two areas came to her as easily as breathing. She didn't need a wand to do spells under those areas and understood them from a basic level. She was also ridiculously smart, and annoyingly good looking."
Harry smiled as he remembered the conversation he had just had with his godfather and how he had just used almost the exact words.
"She had concluded long ago that something was different about her but her research into why had not yielded anything. Not in her parents, grandparents or anyone before them. Infact as far as she knew, there hadn't even been a witch through her entire line." She continued. "And then after their wedding, James had told her of his own peculiarities, thankfully his came with an explanation unlike with her. I'm assuming Sirius told you that James hadn't been that different from Lily?"
Harry nodded.
"So, with her being a Potter as well, she was free to delve into the family history to her heart's content to look for anything that may have connected." She continued. "She found it at the very beginning, in Vili child."
"The one who started the Potter line?"
"No, the girl." She shook her head. "You see, none of the previous Potters talked about the other child of Vili, and along the line, it was completely forgotten that there was ever a girl in the Potter line."
"Wait, are you saying that there hasn't been a girl born in the Potter line, ever?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Right from Vili's son, every other one that followed only had one son each. Which as it turns out was the complete parallel with what happened to the girl who could only have daughters, or rather a single daughter in each generation. The only difference between the two lines is that there was no magic in the girl's line, generation after generation, untill Lily was born."
"Wait, if in Lily's line they could only have one daughter per generation, how come Lily had a sister." Harry asked.
"Petunia was Lily's half sister with a different mother." The woman shook her head. "If you have ever met her, then you will know that there is absolutely nothing the two have in common."
Harry nodded at her words. It certainly explained alot about the bitter woman that had raised him.
"So the two lines went different paths, on one side with boys born with magic and the other with girls that don't have magic, each completely unaware of the other." Harry said. "And then suddenly, Lily is born with magic along with a couple of Asgardian traits and ends up marrying James."
"Lily knew that there was a higher power controlling things, had she not been born with magic, she wouldn't have come to the magical world and a full bodied Asgardian would have been born about three generations in the future." Mary McDonald was saying. "With her coming, it joined the two lines for the first time, resulting into the child Vili should have had had he remained on Asgard. She was fully convinced that you were the key to stopping Ragnarok. Which was why she was so sure that Voldemort would not be able to kill you."
Harry sighed, looks like he had finally found what he had been looking for. There was still the question as why Lily was suddenly born with magic but it was probably just fate making sure Harry would be present for Ragnarok. Which also meant that Ragnarok would be coming much earlier than had been expected. It seemed fate or whatever diety up there was intent on having Harry at Asgard, one way or another. Things had been in motion even before he was born, and Loki had only just been an agent.
"There was something Lily wanted me to make clear." The woman spoke again, pulling him from his thoughts. "Your life is your own. You do not owe anyone anything, if your choice is to live a normal life then do so, Ragnarok can handle itself. Whatever decision you make, she will always be proud of you."
Harry had been surprised with how easily the woman had adjusted to remembering her old life but apparently, it had not been much of a difference really. The old memories had simply resurfaced, like they had been in the background all this time and she just needed to think back on them to remember. According to her, she couldn't even tell that those were memories of a different person from who she was right now. And once Harry left, those memories returned to the background and she moved on with her life.
-TRNT-
The Haldanes stayed in Egypt for the next week and Harry was left to his devices the entire time. He spent this time reading up on everything he could about Asgard and Norse mythology as he tried to prepare for his eventual visit to his Ancestor's home. One surprising thing he found out while reading was that not all Asgardians were infact gods like he had initially thought. Granted they were long lived and physically powerful, as well as capable of magic, but in the end they were still normal people who simply had very long lifespans.
Harry however knew that there were Asgardian gods, Thor was a god, and his domain was storms, there was no question about it. Odin, the Allfather was a god as well, though Harry didn't know what his doman was. Harry himself was a god, that much he knew instinctively even though he didn't know what his domain was. His connection with Hermione, which had been growing every time he visited the girl in the last week, was proof enough of that. Loki tok had called himself a god, somehow, Harry doubted that the other man was also just an average Asgardian.
And therefore the question was what made them different from the other Asgardians. Was it the fact that they were descended from Odin's line and Harry from Vili? What was it that made some Asgardians gods while the others were just normal people. He would have to find out once he reached Asgard.
He had replaced his phone and everyday, he talked with Shevaun as she told him of their trip. She was learning alot apparently, fighting undead and all sorts of creatures deep in the pyramids apparently was her idea of fun. Also her father had started teaching her the basics of mind magic and she was taking to it like a fish to water. He was also teaching her how to fight which was apparently much different from what her other trainers had been teaching her all along. Harry continued learning from the trainers even without Shevaun around amd he thought he was improving as well.
When father and daughter finally came back, she immediately demanded for a spar from him and he could tell right from the beginning that she was much better than him. Only his superior reflexes and strength allowed him to win.
Harry also noticed that she had grown quite as well. In that one week, she had filled out in certain places that caught Harry's attention way more than they had before. She noticed of course and made sure to show them off any chance she got while grinning at him knowingly the entire time they spent together. Which was alot by the way, with Harry's date for leaving approaching, the two friends decided to spend as much time together as possible, most often than not ending them with a spar as Shevaun tried to come up with ways of working around Harry's obvious advantages with little success.
The day came closer, and soon it was the eve of his departure. Harry spent it with Shevaun, teleporting to some of their favorite places and having as much fun as they could have in a single day. When they came back at night, Ranulph was waiting for them in his room and curtly told Harry to follow him to his study.
Once they reached, Harry sat down opposite him and had just opened his mouth to say something when the older man interrupted him.
"Whatever is going on between you and my daughter is your business and I want to hear nothing of it." He told him seriously. "That being said, if you break her heart, you will regret it tremendously, and I will personally make sure of it."
"Noted."
"Good." He nodded before he leaned forward and pulled off the black sheet that had been covering the top of the desk to reveal a long but slim wooden box. "I'm sure you have been wondering what the trip to Egypt had been all about."
"I imagined it was to distract Shevaun from wishing to go with me to Asgard."
"No, that had been just a bonus." He shook his head. "I took her with me simply because I wanted her to get some life experience, but the main reason I went there was to get this."
Ranulph opened the straps before he lifted off the cover of the box to reveal what was inside and Harry felt his breath catch slightly when he saw it. It was a battle axe, there was no doubt about it, but there was something about it, something that seemed to call to him.
"I have known about this weapon for a long time but I could never have dared to go after it because of what protected it." Ranulph said as he stared at the large weapon. "However, thanks to Tom Riddle's knowledge of dark magic and wards, I was able to get to it with relative ease."
"What's special about it?" Harry asked.
"This battle axe is called...Bloodaxe." He stated dramatically. "Now, I know the name is unimaginative but it certainly earned its name through its bloody history. Not much of its origins is known, only that it is an Asgardian weapon that fell on earth eons ago." He paused. "Any mortals who got their hands on it suddenly became as powerful as gods, getting supernatural abilities that put them a step from normal humans."
"However, the axe was cursed and anyone who wielded it eventually fell prey to its savage power, twisting the minds of those who held it and turning them into bloodthirsty monsters, driving them to kill and maim on a whim against their will." Ranulph explained to an attentive Harry. "It moved from one welder untill it reached in the hands of a man known as Eric Masterson a normal human who had somehow acquired the power of Thor and gathered followers who believed him to be the second coming of the god of storms."
Harry nodded to show that he was following.
"It didn't take long before the curse started affecting him as well, but with Thor's power in him, he managed to resist long enough to realize what the ax was doing to him and so he sought out ways of breaking the curse." He continued. "Using his godlike powers, together with a hundred witches, they were able to break the curse along with whatever enchantments had been placed on it and thus making it just another battle ax, albeit an indestructible one. The process however killed every single one of them."
"Indestructible?"
"Indeed." Ranulph grinned. "Whatever metal it was made out of makes it indestructible by any means. Eric Masterson's followers tried to remake it into something they could use given that it was too heavy for any normal human to use now that its power giving enchantments had been broken." He smiled. "However, nothing could even scratch it, and so they placed it in his tomb with a plothera of protections where it has been untill I managed to retrieve it for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. Lke I said, the bloody thing is too heavy for any normal human to use, but I imagine you won't have that problem, not to mention you need a melee weapon as there may come a time when you can't use magic and your fists just aren't enough." He answered. "Also, you will be going to Asgard so I'm sure you will able to find someone to put there any enchantments you want. Any that I tried to place on it were rejected so I figure an Asgardian enchanter will have better luck."
Harry silently reached for the battle ax. He was no blacksmith but he could tell that Bloodaxe was a work of art. The handle was about a meter long, it was brown in color though obviously made out of metal. At the head of it were two dangerous looking broad axe-blades whose edges looked ridiculously sharp despite being eons old. There were numerous inscriptions on the handle as well as the blades that Harry didn't understand.
Harry grunted as he hefted the battle axe from the box, more in surprise at the weight than in effort. Ranulph wasn't lying, Bloodaxe was very heavy, and Harry had to hold it with both arms in order not to drop it in his surprise. He weighed it slightly with both hands before holding it in the middle of the handle with his right hand and hefting it onto his shoulder. He pulled it back and tested its weight in his right hand before transferring it to his left.
"You were right, this thing is really heavy." He said as he gave it a few experimental swings. "However, I'm sure I could get used to it." It almost felt alive in his hands. "You're sure there is no magic in it?"
"Absolutely." Ranulph replied. "Unless you count the one in the metal as clearly the metal was magical, otherwise it would be showing some signs of its age."
Placing it back in its box, Harry stepped back and smiled at the man. "Thank you, Mr. Haldane."
"Think of it as a goodbye gift from me and Shevaun." He smiled. "Also, if a certain Demon Lord eventually comes knocking, I'm hoping you won't hesitate to jump between him and the two of us with Bloodaxe swinging."
Harry's smile grew. "You can count on it."
-TRNT-
The next day, Harry teleported to England and told Hermione that he won't be visiting for some time. Thankfully, she had fully recovered by now and was mostly back to her old self. He dropped by Grimauld place to tell Sirius he was leaving for Asgard and also say hello to the Longbottoms. He briefly considered visiting McDonald but then decided against it after some thought. About an hour after he had left, Harry teleported back to the mansion where the two Haldanes were waiting for him in the ritual chamber.
"Everything ready?" He asked as he entered.
"Yep." Shevaun replied as she stood but to get rid of the chalk on her hands. "So, does this mean you can be summoned as well?"
"The runic circle was made to summon Norse gods and one would include the god's personal sigil to specify which god you're summoning." Ranulph explained as he came to stand next to his daughter. "Since Harry doesn't have a personal sigil that he is attached to yet, he cannot be summoned."
"Right." Harry said as he put down the box with his new weapon and leaned it against the wall. "I guess this is it."
"You know what to do." Ranulph came and shook Harry's hand. "Good luck, kid."
He patted Harry on the shoulder before leaving the two teens alone.
"So...I uh, mhh" Whatever Harry had been about to say was cut off when Shevaun stepped next to him and kissed him. Harry was surprised but he recovered quickly and started kissing her back. Neither of them was an expert but they were in tune with one another and easily enough found a rythm they both enjoyed.
After what felt like eternity, Shevaun stepped back and grinned at him even as she panted for breath. "Well, that was something."
"Indeed." Harry grinned right back.
"Oh, by the way I saw how much you liked looking at my new body and I thought I would give you something to keep you company." She gave him a photo. "Come back to me, Harry."
And with that, she left him alone in the empty ritual chamber. Harry looked at the photo, and Shevaun grinned back at him. She was only wearing a bra and panties as she paused in a way that accentuated her newly acquired 'assets'. Shaking his head, Harry slipped the photo into the inner pocket of his jacket before he turned to the runic circle that had been drawn in the middle of the chamber. Everything else had been removed, including the stone slab as well as the shelves. Now it was just one large empty stone room.
Taking a deep breath as his wand materialized in his hand, Harry stepped towards the circle and started feeding it with magic. As the runes started lighting up one by one, Harry briefly considered picking up Bloodaxe but thought better of it. He was not yet used to the axe's weight, and if this somehow ended up into a fight, it would just be too cumbersome for him and of little use.
A few seconds later, all the runes were lit and Harry didn't feel any drain on his magic at all. It had grown since the last time he had tried to summon a god, not to mention the wand easily took the power being channeled through it without any trouble, unlike his old wand. He had also grown much stronger and faster since his last fight with Loki, not to mention the skill he had been developing not only from the spars with his trainers but with Shevaun as well.
Harry didn't even flinch when the runes flared with green light which disappeared to reveal Loki in all his full Asgardian glory. He was clad in his armor and his cape was swaying slightly in a nonexistent wind. The helmet was missing though, however, the infuriating smirk was there and it grew as their near identical green eyes met.
"Hello, Harry Potter." He greeted him, almost warmly. "I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about me."
"Loki." Harry replied by way of a greeting. "I trust you know why I called you."
"I most certainly do." He put his arms behind his back as he smiled at Harry. "After all, I went to great lengths to bring us here, didn't I?"
"Was that all necessary?" Harry asked. "You could have simply told me to come with you. And not as some slave either."
"Well, where would the fun be in that?" Loki asked with a wide smile.
And Harry just shook his head.
"I know why you need me to be at Asgard." Harry said. "I know about Ragnarok, and I know that Asgard doesn't stand a chance without me. So if I'm to go to Asgard, it will be on my own terms or I will stay right here no matter the consequences."
Loki tilted his head to the side in clear amusement. "And if I decide to take you by force?"
"Surely you know by now that I don't respond well to force."
"Let me tell you something, Harry Potter." Loki started. "Even the best of us can be moved given the right amount of force. And you will find that I can apply a good deal of it."
He looked at him, green eyes glinting slightly as he grinned.
"I realize that I might have left the wrong impression on you about the difference between our capabilities." He stood to his full height with his arms spread, his ever present smirk on full blast. "Allow me to rectify that."
And then he moved. Before Harry could even blink, Loki had covered the distance between them and a fist was barrelling towards his face. Even before that thought could fully register in his head, he was flying through the air, his heard ringing like he had just run head first into a speeding train. Before he could even land, Loki arrived and caught him mid air by the throat before slamming him into the stone floor. Harry felt the room shaking from the force with which he hit the floor even as it cracked.
Still holding him by the throat, Loki effortlessly threw him across the room where he slammed into the wall with equal force as he had hit the floor earlier. His vision was swimming as Loki loomed above him.
"You're strong, Harry Potter." He said. "Even stronger than an adult Asgardian. But you never stood a chance against me."
While Loki had been talking, Harry been gathering his faculties and he moved, much faster than he probably had before as he gathered as much strength as he could into his hand. He rose up and slammed his fist onto Loki's chin with an uppercut. There was a miniature shockwave as his fist met Loki's chin and the god's head snapped back. But that was all that happened, Loki slowly looked down at a surprised Harry and smirked.
"That is more like it." Harry tried to punch him again but he easily caught his fists, one after the other before head butting him. Harry stumbled back slightly from that. "Let me show you how they do it."
And then he did just that. Harry could have sworn his head had been ripped from his neck given the force of the blow as he was blown into the air and sent flying across the room once again. Wondering how could possibly still be conscious after that uppercut, Harry fell and slid across the floor, wheezing as he struggled to breath. Loki was not done with him however as he arrived and stomped on his head, banging it onto the floor and this time, Harry did lose consciousness.
When he came to, he was seated in an armchair and seated across him was Loki now wearing a suit instead of his armour. Harry's own clothes which had been torn in the beat down were also repaired.
"Welcome back to the world of the living." He grinned and Harry glared at him. "Oh, no need to look so glum, that bit of unpleasantness is behind us. I simply wanted to show you what you will be capable of in the near future."
Harry just continued glaring. He could still feel his neck paining and a lingering headache.
"Now, before I take you to Asgard, I have an offer for you."
"I will not be your slave." Harry growled and Loki just smirked.
"No, nothing that outlandish." He waved his hand dismissively. "I only told you that the first time because I knew how you would react which would start a chain of events that would eventually lead us here." He smiled even though Harry found little humor in the man's words. "What I want to offer you is for you to be my student."
"What?" Harry asked, blinking at the other man.
"Asgard will teach you alot of things but there are things you can only learn from someone in particular." He said. "For example, magic is not taught on Asgard as only a few people can really do what you and I can. I will be your teacher in magic, as well as anything that could be useful to you."
"And in return?" Harry asked.
"And in return, I'll finally have someone I could call friend." He replied and Harry blinked at him. "I don't have many of those you see, also it would be good to have someone to talk to about magic every now and then."
He suddenly stood up and the two chairs suddenly disappeared leaving Harry to fall on his ass.
"Just think about it, okay?" Loki said. "So, I'm assuming you have said your goodbyes, so we should get going."
"Just like that?"
"Yep." He grinned. "They're expecting you and it is never a good idea to keep the Allfather waiting."
Harry got up and went over to the wall where the box with Bloodaxe was still leaning untouched and he picked it up. He cautiously walked over to Loki who glanced at the box for a second before he smiled at him.
"Ready?"
"I guess." Harry said, making sure not to get too close to the man who had just beaten him to a pulp without breaking a sweat.
"Good! Try not to embarrass yourself infront of your new family." Loki warned before looking up. "Heimdall if you will."
A second later, the two were suddenly engulfed in rainbow colored light.
-TRNT-
AN: So, about Bloodaxe, all its enchantments are gone, as well as the curse. It is just as plain as it had been on the day it was forged. Harry will of course get some enchantments on it in the future but for now it has none. So don't expect it to turn him into some psycho, if he does become one, it will not be because of the axe.
This chapter was filled with information dumping on both Harry and you lot and I hope some questions have been answered.
Still a bit busy but the updates will be coming much faster after this one.
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