The Road Not Taken

by ARYA GREENGRASS

We all know the story of Harry Potter and love it, we know about his life at the Dursleys, Hogwarts and after. But what if something else had happened, what if Harry had been curious about this power in him that made unexplainable things happen around him. What if he had experimented with it, encouraged it? This is what I think would have happened.

18. Chapter 18

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Chapter 18:

AN: Now I need to mention something, comics Odin was an ass. The things he did, not only to Loki's kids but Loki himself as well were just downright despicable. Forget the benevolent old man we saw in the movies, here we shall be seeing more of comics Odin than movie Odin. He barely cared for anyone that he deemed below him and some little human from a back ass planet means nothing to him and is only there for the sake of Ragnarok, nothing more, nothing less.

In other news, I've been reading a marvel fic that deals with some of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe, certainly puts things in perspective for someone dealing with our Harry and his place in the world at this point. If you're intrested, it is an SI called The Celestial God! (Kinda Complete) by HelloDarkness07 it is a fun read.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners.

-TRNT-

Eight years!

It had taken eight Asgardian years before Harry felt ready to depart Asgard and return to earth, or rather Terra as it was known by other people and beings that didn't live there. The Asgardians called it Midgard, just another backwards planet that was supposed be under Asgard's protection.

Harry scoffed at that as he continued packing. So much for 'protection' when it was Asgardians who more often than not attacked Earth. He remembered what Loki had done, how his idea of fun had nearly wiped out magical Britain. How his actions had affected the people Harry hadn't even known that he actually cared for. Hermione, Neville, Tracey, Daphne and so many others that Harry had known about during his visits to Midgard through Astral projection.

This was the first area of magic he had learned while at Asgard. Knowing that he didn't have the power to teleport all the way back to Earth back then, and with Odin having forbade Heimdall from letting him use the bifrost, he had wanted a way to keep in touch with Shevaun and the others. And the first chance he got, he went to the massive library and looked for an alternative way of traveling to earth.

Frigga, the Queen of Asgard herself had been waiting for him and had pointed him to the Astral Projection tomes. She offered to teach him but he had rejected her, not particularly happy with Asgardians then. She hadn't been offended though, and when he had gotten stuck at some point, she had listened and given him some tips though ultimately, she let him figure it out by himself. And so, a month after he arrived at Asgard, Harry managed to project himself to Shevaun's bedroom.

She had been preparing for bed and was in the process of slipping on her pyjama bottoms when he appeared. She saw him and jumped while letting out a mixture of a squeak and scream as the garment got entangled around her legs and she fell on her naked ass. Ranulph had rushed into the room a few seconds later, thankfully the girl had managed to put on the trousers and they narrowly survived the horror of seeing his teenage daughter naked.

Harry had been chuckling the entire time which turned to laughter when Ranulph barged into the bedroom and Shevaun screamed and fell again. Unfortunately it disrupted his concentration and he returned to his body back at Asgard. Only to find that he had been on the verge of magical exhaustion and had he stayed a minute longer, he would have been forcefully brought back anyway something all the tomes he had read had warned against.

After he had recovered, he tried again the next day and thankfully she was in the library this time. She was researching astral projection as after she had explained to her father what had happened, he had told her that Harry had just projected his astral body to earth from Asgard. She had been happy to see him either way, and that was how he found that time moved differently on Asgard than it did on earth. While he had been on Asgard for over a month, it had only been six days back on Earth.

As if that was not enough, when he did it again two days later, it had been over a week back on earth. There was no definite time difference between the two places as he found out during his numerous visits over the years. He kept practicing as his magic reserves grew and with in a year and a half, he was capable of projecting himself to earth while still being aware and in control of his body. It wouldn't do to leave one's body undefended while he was away after all.

Shevaun wasn't the only one he visited. He visited Hermione too very often. His faithful disciple had actually managed to get Daphne and her friend to think of Harry as a god. The connection between him and them wasn't very strong but it was there. Nothing compared to Hermione and Neville though, and wasn't the latter a surprise. Turns out after all the things the other boy had witnessed Harry do had been enough to plant the seed in his mind and learning that Harry was infact a god had just solidified the thought which later turned into belief with time.

And he wasn't the only one, many of the muggleborn kids also thought of him as a divine being even though their belief in him wasn't as solid as Hermione's. The mere fact that they thought of him as a god of some kind was enough for Harry to grow from it. Harry's magic had continued to grow and thanks to his having active followers, the speed was even multiplied than it otherwise should have been. His magic grew as did his divine power and after eight years, he had swiftly reduced the gap between him and Loki and Thor despite the two being literal centuries older than him.

Something which mystified even Odin. And speaking of the King of Asgard, Harry couldn't help but remember his first encounter with the Allfather, the encounter which had determined what his stay at Asgard would be like and what would drive him to grow as strong as he had the past eight years.

-TRNT-

Eight Years ago

Harry and Loki appeared in a large hall that was mostly empty. There were a few soldiers around the hall, all clad in full body armor and they were huge, all being taller than even Loki. There were decorations, most of which were golden which gave the hall an other-worldly appearance as the sun streamed in from the large windows. On the other side of the room where Loki was approaching with Harry in tow were golden stairs which went up to a throne.

Like everything else, it seemed to have been made out of gold and it was large with a high back and two large armrests that were broad and curved upwards. It was an impressive sight, but even more impressive was the person that was seated on it. Despite looking old, Odin cut an intimidating figure. He was huge, easily bigger than even Thor, his wild beard and scarred face along with the golden eyepatch gave him a warrior like look that would have cowed anyone into submission. His one blue eye was staring at Harry as one muscular arm gripped the three pronged spear in his left while the right arm rested comfortably on the arm rests.

Loki immediately went to one knee as soon as they reached the base of the stairs and Harry swiftly did the same.

"Father, I have returned." Loki announced, with his head bowed. "And I did as you commanded."

"Rise, Loki, I am glad my faith in you was not misplaced." Odin said, his voice firm and authoritative. "Harry son of Potter, descendant of my brother Vili, and Prince of Asgard, welcome home."

Harry looked up at the being that could probably destroy him with just a look. "Thank you, your highness."

"You may rise." Harry did so, holding the wooden box with Bloodaxe close to him. Odin assessed him from head to toe, before his eye landed on the box. "And what have you got there, Harry son of Potter?"

"A weapon, sir." Harry replied. "A gift from a friend."

"May I see this weapon?"

Glancing at Loki who had taken a few steps back and was back in his full armor, helmet included, Harry put the box down, opened it and retrieved the battle axe. He had barely taken it from the box when it suddenly flew from his hand right into Odin's. The king was now standing as he looked at the battle axe.

"This is the Executioner's Bloodaxe." He stated, observing the weapon before his eye turned to Harry and a heavy weight settled in the room. "How did this friend of yours come by the axe?"

"He retrieved it from its resting place where it had been buried with its former wielder." Harry answered. "It is harmless though, the curse and all enchantments on it were broken."

"This is an Asgardian's weapon." Odin said after looking the axe over. "You're going to have to earn it."

"But it's already mine!"

"Not anymore it isn't. And do not raise your voice at me, Harry Potter." Odin warned, the power in the room growing a tad. "You're dismissed. Loki will escort you to your rooms."

Harry remained in place, staring at the man in a mixture of disbelief and anger. It was obvious however that the man wasn't joking and Harry wasn't likely to see his axe again unless he 'earned' it, whatever that meant. Shouting or trying to use force wouldn't help him either as he was probably the weakest person in the room. So he tired reasoning.

"You need me to fight off Ragnarok, I will need a weapon and it would be better to get used to one before that time comes." He said, hoping his desperation was masked.

"There are numerous weapons in the armory." Odin waved him off. "And you're really trying my patience by staying after I've dismissed you."

Harry gritted his teeth.

"What about Loki?"

Odin raised an eyebrow in question and so Harry continued.

"His actions to bring me here destroyed people's lives on Eart...Midgard." He started. "Is there not to be any sort of punishment for that?"

"Loki was only doing as he was bid, there was nothing wrong with his actions."

"What about_"

"ENOUGH!" Odin bellowed and Harry staggered back as an invisible force slammed into him. "If you value your life, you will leave my presence right this instant!" The force grew and Harry struggled to stay on his feet. "And if you want recompense so much, you will have to get it yourself."

Loki grabbed Harry's hand and all but pulled him out of the throne room. As soon as they were out, Harry wrenched his arm from the other god's grasp and glared at him.

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" He asked, smirking at him.

"I have not forgotten what you did, Loki." Harry told him. "And before I leave this place, I will make you pay for all of it."

"Does that mean you won't be taking my offer?" Harry just glared at the smirking god who laughed. "Oh, this is going to be an interesting few years."

Harry didn't bother answering, he was going to find a way to punish Loki for what he had done. Right now, he was outclassed in every way, but he would get better, and when he did, Asgard will regret ever forcing his hand.

-TRNT-

It had taken eight Asgardian years for Harry's magic to finally stabilize enough that he didn't need to stay at Asgard full time. It hadn't stopped growing though, it would only grow even stronger with time, his reserves expanding the longer he stayed alive. He had learned earlier on that Asgardians grew stronger with time, the longer they stayed alive the stronger they became, physically or otherwise. A fact that Thor and Loki always made soundly clear whenever they smacked him around the training grounds.

It hadn't taken long for Harry to realize that he wasn't going to match Thor and Loki any time soon. They were both over a millennium old and he was just barely above a decade. He was so outclassed it was not even funny, even as he grew in leaps and bounds, his strength growing by the day as he pushed himself to his limits. By the end of the first week, he had doubled his strength and durability and it just kept growing thanks to his rigorous training. The state at which he was growing was way more than the other two had, but the gap was still too large between them.

Even after eight years of pushing his body as much as he was capable of, Harry knew he wasn't about to beat Thor or even Loki in an arm wrestling contest. The gap, while it had reduced significantly, was still there even though not by the margin it had been at when he had just arrived. He could go toe to toe with the other guards in a physical fight and easily win. Just last week, he had fought the Warriors three and had managed to beat them all at the same time, something he hadn't been able to do untill then without using magic.

It wasn't just his strength and durability that had grown though, his speed and agility had as well, and in this area he was much closer to the other two princes. When simply relying on their base attributes, he could keep up with them for about twenty seconds before the difference became apparent. He was however way beyond the average Asgardian and just slightly above the warriors three when it came to their base attributes. Thor and Loki were still above him and that is if the two gods were not enhancing themselves with their divine energy.

His skill in hand to hand combat as well as weaponry had also been growing steadily for the eight years. He took a chance to learn as much as he could from the numerous teachers in the palace, learning forms of fighting that easily put to use his strength and agility in a fight. Training with the Warriors Three, he learned among other skills swordsmanship from Fandral the 'Dashing' as he was the most skilled of the three, learned how to use a mace and war hammer from Hogun the Grim and his most favored the battle axe from Volstagg the 'Enormous'.

The fat warrior was by far Harry's favorite as he somehow managed to effortlessly meld his reduced speed and strength compared to the other two together into a dangerous combo that most often had his two comrades on their butts whenever they sparred. His favored weapon was a battle axe and it was why Harry spent the most time with him. Despite his initial reservations not to form any bonds with the Asgardians, Harry had easily gotten along with the three warriors and he could easily call them friends.

The three men were the most accomplished warriors at Asgard and also the most skilled and strongest that were not gods. Harry in his hope of learning anything he could had sought them out right away and with Thor's help, he had convinced them to take him on as a student. And so they had taught him all they could, each of them in their own area of expertise, and Harry had learned, diligently taking in whatever they offered and adjusting it to fit him. By the fifth year, he had surpassed all three and could beat all of them in a one on one fight while going all out. And then he started facing two, once he could beat two of the warriors, the third joined, he hadn't been able to beat all three at the same time untill recently.

But that was only because he hadn't used magic in any of their fights. Knowing that he couldn't possibly match Thor and Loki physically or in terms of skill and experience any time soon, Harry had decided to apply the only advantage he had over them.

Magic.

When he wasn't training, Harry was in the library, learning about Asgard, its enemies and any beings that lived out there. He truly appreciated how outmatched he was as he read about celestials and other gods that were so powerful that they could probably kill him with just a look. He realized that Asgard was not on top of the food chain, there were beings out there that very powerful in their own right, and he realized that if he was to truly protect his planet from all these beings, he would need an edge, something that could bridge the gap between him and any unrealistically powerful beings out there.

And the answer came to him easily enough, his magic.

As it turned out, there was no other being out there with his type of magic. It was unique, an amalgamation of wizard magic, Asgardian magic and divinity. It was so flexible and versatile that it seemed to have no limits other than Harry's own imagination and reserves. The rate at which his reserves had grown was unfathomable, easily surpassing Loki and Thor and well on its way to matching even Odin himself. Harry was sure his magical growth had something to do with his followers back on earth who had grown in number over the years, as well as his peculiar connection with the Yggdrasil.

According to Frigga, as soon as Harry had set foot on Asgard, he had formed a connection with the World tree and now seemed to have an endless supply of cosmic energy to channel. Harry had decided to read up as much as he could on this mysterious World tree but what he had found in the Asgardian library hadn't given him much to go by. The fact that he couldn't feel the connection also frustrated him as he would have been able to understand it better if he had, like he understood the one he had with his followers back on Midgard. Then again, he was also supposed to have a connection with earth as a wizard but he didn't feel it either, maybe the two were just so far beyond his perception.

All three connections fed him raw magic, that magic was kept in his body and transformed into something that he could easily channel. And so whenever he wasn't training with the warriors three or the other guards, Harry was learning magic. He had of course turned down Loki's offer to teach him, but the queen was happy enough to teach him. He learned from her as much as he could and also started applying magic in his way of fighting. As he couldn't match the other two gods by himself, he would apply his magic and bridge the gap.

While using magic, the warriors three stood no chance against him. A suddenly slippery ground, a convenient wind here and there, a floppy sword, perfectly timed flash of light, or even the clothes becoming heavy at the right time was all enough to win him the fights in seconds. And that was not counting the number of times he just flew into the air and bombarded the three with all manners of spells from the air. As he grew more comfortable with his magic and learned more ways to easily use it in his fights, Harry became even more dangerous.

It wasn't long before he was going toe to toe with Thor. The only difference is that even with magic, he was still unable to beat the storm god. Thor also had his own brand of magic, he could enhance himself to the extent that even Harry had trouble keeping up, with Mjölnir giving him control of the elements and allowing him to fly, Thor easily matched Harry with his magic and thanks to his experience always ended up winning their fights.

The closest he had come to actually beating Thor had been two days ago when he had gone all out, using every trick he could think of and had been on the verge of winning. He had managed to keep Thor from getting his hands on Mjölnir as it was what gave the storm god the means to match Harry. Whenever it came near Thor, he would just blast it as far away as possible before coming down on the blonde. Harry was now very convinced that he could beat Thor if he didn't have his mystical hammer, but then Thor went and did something no one expected.

He channeled his powers without Mjölnir. It was probably out of desperation at seeing his impending defeat and frustration at not being able to get his hands on Mjölnir but suddenly, just as Harry was about to knock him out, his body had lit up with lightning, his eyes becoming white orbs of electricity and his entire body becoming covered with it. Harry had been too surprised to react and had been knocked unconscious two seconds later.

When he woke up, he learned that Odin had been present during the match and it was likely because of his presence that Thor had ended up putting his all in the fight so he wouldn't lose infront of his father. Odin had been observing the entire time even though Harry had been too invested in the fight to notice, the Allfather had been satisfied with Harry's progress and had 'deemed' him fit enough to be Prince of Asgard and worthy to possess an Asgardian weapon.

Today, Harry would formerly become a Prince of Asgard and finally be revealed to the rest of Asgard and the nine realms. All this time, Harry's existence had been reduced to the place and its grounds, no one outside the palace knew about him and he had been forbidden from even venturing beyond its walls. But after today, the world would know about him and he would be a formal Prince with all the privileges that came with it. And he would finally learn his domain.

-TRNT-

The large double doors opened and Harry walked through getting the attention of everyone in the massive ceremony hall of Asgard. At twenty-one-years-old Harry looked like a true prince of Asgard as he marched towards the throne on the other end. Standing at about 6'3'', Harry was only less than an inch shorter than Loki though slightly more muscular than the god of Mischief. His long black hair that came upto his shoulders as well as his aristocratic features and piercing emerald eyes gave him a stunning look that had many of the females in the hall sighing to themselves.

He ignored the whispers in the hall as he approached the dais on which the rest of the royal family all clad in full armour. Odin was in the middle on his throne with Frigga on his right while though was on the left. Loki had opted to seat next to the queen leaving an empty seat next to Thor. By the time Harry reached the base of stairs leading to the dais, the whispers had turned to shouting as everyone spoke to be heard as they speculated about Harry.

He went to one knee when he reached the stair and a hush fell on the thousands of Asgardians when Odin stood up.

"People of Asgard!" Odin boomed, his powerful voice reverberating through the massive hall. "We are gathered here to welcome a new member if the royal family, a descendant yo my brother Vili who laid down his life to prevent the destruction of Asgard in the last cycle of Ragnarok!"

Nobody spoke even though the air was charged with energy from the crowd.

"After he gave up his power, Vili settled on Midgard and lived as a human along with any of his descendants untill his line was needed once again to come to Asgard's defence and Harry Potter was born." A mummer went through the crowd as Harry's name was mentioned which quieted as Odin continued. "He was brought to Asgard, he lived with us and has now become one of us and it is time that he took his place as a Prince of Asgard. And it is through him, together with the other Princes that we shall be able to beat back Ragnarok once again!"

The crowd roared and cheered while Thor grinned openly. Loki was just content to smirk at Harry who just narrowed his eyes at him. Odin slammed the but of his spear on the ground and the crowd grew silent before he looked down at Harry. He had been told of what would happen as well as the oath he would take as prince of Asgard.

"Who comes forward calling themselves of the Royal family of Asgard?" The All-Father boomed.

"I, Harry Potter, come forward, born of the House of Vili, and declare myself." Harry answered, his amplified by magic.

"Do you, Harry Potter swear allegiance to the House of Odin and its head?"

"I swear." He said evenly, voice strong.

"Your swear allegiance to the Throne of Asgard above all?"

"I swear."

"You swear to serve Asgard and her people to the best of your ability?"

"I swear."

"You swear to faithfully execute your duties as a Prince of Asgard to the best of your ability?"

"I swear."

"You swear to obey the laws of Asgard and those of the House of Odin?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to protect the Nine Realms and her people as your House has been charged with their protection?"

"I swear."

"Then on this day, I, Odin All-Father, King of Asgard, Lord of the House of Odin, recognize you Harry, son of Potter and descendant of Vili Borson and proclaim you Prince of Asgard, and God ruler and protector of Midgard on behalf of House Odin!" He bellowed and a gold ring appeared on Harry's finger with his personal sigil inscribed on it. "Arise Harry Potter, god of life and rebirth!"

As soon as Odin finished his proclamation, something clicked within Harry's being. The elusive connection with Yggdrasil was more clear to him than even the magic currently in his body. He tapped on the connection experimentally and gasped at the rush of power he felt as he closed his eyes and revelled in the source of his domain. He had never felt more alive than in that second as he had a sudden awareness of everything, every single person in the hall and where they stood, their connection to the world tree and the fact that if he wished, he could just snap that connection with but a thought. He knew now, why his connection to the Tree of life was very different from any other Asgardian, it was because he was its embodiment, the God of life itself.

Unbeknownst to him, everyone in the massive hall had felt the pulse of power and were staring at him as the clothes he was wearing transformed into armor which Harry grinned at when he opened his eyes. The armor had a collared black tunic with blue piping and black pants. Over the blue shirt, he wore a black vest emblazoned with gold overlay and behind him was a dark blue cape that connected at the shoulders of his vest. His arms were covered in a form of chain-mail and he wore detailed, black, knee-high boots.

But most importantly, in his right hand was Bloodaxe, its blades glinting as it practically vibrated with his magic. Harry walked up the steps towards the royal family before he slowly turned around and faced the crowd. He stared at them imperiously for a few seconds before he raised Bloodaxe in the air and he was answered by a roar of cheers that shook the hall.

-TRNT-

The next day, Harry stood in the throne room facing Odin who was seated at the throne with Frigga at his side. Thor and Loki were standing in either side of Harry and they were the only occupants of the room, except for the guards of course but they could pass for statues with how still they were.

"You said that you had one last business before you leave for Midgard." It was not really a question but Harry nodded at the Allfather all the same. "Well, get on with it, we don't have all day."

Harry had already said his farewell to the few people he had interacted with on a daily basis and had formed some bonds with while here. The warriors three especially had been proud of how far he had come and had given him their blessing and hoped to see him some time in the future. Even Frigga had already said her goodbye, even giving him a necklace for Shevaun once he got back.

"When I first arrived here, I asked you for Loki to be punished for what he had done on Midgard." Harry started and the god in question glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "You told me that if I wanted penance, I would have to get it myself."

Now Loki was looking at Harry warily. They both knew he wasn't the green boy he had been eight years ago, right now he was capable of going toe to toe with Thor and even beat the Storm god if he wasn't using Mjölnir, something that Loki would have a hard time doing. If Harry and Loki fought while going all out, there was no doubt that he could beat the god of Mischief, and that was enough to make him wary.

"As I'm sworn to protect all Asgardians, I can't make Loki pay without breaking my oath and so I can only do this." Harry paused and took a deep breath before declaring..."I Harry Potter, god ruler and protector of Midgard declare Midgard to be out of bounds to all Asgardians and any who set foot on it will be considered trespassers." He turned to look at Loki even as the others looked at him surprise. "The day you set foot on Midgard will be your last, Loki of Asgard. I will be watching for you."

"You said to all Asgardians." Thor pointed out with a frown. "What did the rest of us do?"

"Even knowing what he has done, you all condone his actions and don't seem to care as these were mere humans to you all." Harry replied. "Well, these mere humans mean something to me and I will protect them with my life. Any Asgardian who trespasses on Midgard, I will attack first and ask questions later. Good bye to you all and thank you for all that you have given me."

And without waiting for a response from anyone, Harry disappeared out of the throne room leaving behind only wisps of golden smoke. He appeared in his room and picked up a trunk that had all his possessions before giving it one last look. It had grown on him for the years he had been here at Asgard even he had spent most of his time either at the training grounds or the library. Closing his eyes, Harry let out a breath.

"Heimdall, if you please." He had barely finished speaking when he was engulfed in a flash of light. When the light cleared, he was standing on the grounds infront of the Haldane mansion in California and he had over ten guns all pointed at him.

"Whoa, stand down the lot of you!" Shevaun called as she sprinted out of the house. "Bloody hell, Harry what was that?"

The guards knew better than to disobey her so they turned away from them as she came over to him.

"That was the bifrost, the easiest way of travel between the realms." He explained before he opened his arms. "What, no hug for me?"

Shevaun snorted before she came over and engulfed him in a hug. Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her tight as he could without breaking her in half. He closed his eyes and revelled in the way her body pressed against his before abruptly pulling back as his body started reacting to hers.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to do that in the last six years." She was smiling at him before she looking him up and down. "Jesus christ, you really have grown. Look at the size of you!"

"Look who is talking." Harry laughed. "You're practically a woman now."

The seven years on earth that they had been apart had done wonderful things to Shevaun's body as the girl had grown from the barely developed teenager to a full bodied young adult. Granted, Harry had seen her as often as possible with his occasional visits to Earth with his astral projection but seeing her in person was just something else, especially now that he had a body to react to her.

Shevaun had grown indeed, she was pretty tall for a woman though not by much to seem abnormal, just an inch or two above average with an athletic body that she clearly took great lengths to keep in shape. She had well rounded hips and long legs that were hugged by the jeans she was wearing and a well shaped butt that Harry couldn't help but stare at as she led him into the house.

He was a 21-year-old virgin after all. Even locked in the palace as he had been, Harry had a lot of opportunities to sleep with any woman or girl within the palace and could have done so easily had he wanted but he had held on, all because of the redhead walking ahead of him.

"I see becoming a god hasn't done anything for your conversation skills." Shevaun commented as they reached the door and Harry chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure I'm still the same person I was when I left, just slightly stronger."

"Slightly stronger, he says." She scoffed. "I can feel your magic dwarfing mine even though I know you're suppressing it!"

"That's only because I'm still getting the hang of it myself." Harry knew his reserves were full to the brim, he was infact suppressing it as much as possible but he knew some of it was leaking through and would keep doing so untill he found an outlet or managed to get it all under a tight lid.

"Well, better get it in hand, otherwise you might end up attracting some undesirables."

A lot had been happening on Earth while Harry was gone. Both in the mystical or magical world and the mundane world which was becoming not so mundane as Harry had learned every time he visited. And now in the year 2010, there were demons occasionally showing up in random places, magical Britain had effectively cut itself from the rest of the magical world, there were reports of superpowered kids showing up out of nowhere who were neither wizards or witches. And as if that was not enough, Tony Stark, the CEO of Stark Industries apparently owned a super suit that he used to fight criminals.

The world had indeed been moving on while Harry was off at Asgard, but now that he was back, and had been appointed ruler and protector of Midgard, it was up to Harry to put things in order. The question he was faced with was how far he would have to go or interfere in the world without becoming some controlling figure like Dumbledore or Odin. How much would he have to do for the people of Earth without getting them too reliant on him. Did they even need him in the first place?

These among others were the questions than ran through his head as he followed his long time friend into her father's mansion. One thing was for certain though, he had his work cut out for him.

-TRNT-

Miles and miles away from the Haldane mansion, way across the ocean on another continent in the Hogwarts staff room, Hermione suddenly jerked awake, eyes wide and a wide grin on her face. Neville who had been seated on the other end raised an eyebrow at her.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes! Better than okay even." She grinned. "Harry is back!"

Neville sat up at that. "Wait, really?"

"Yep." She stood up and straightened her robes. "I can feel him much clear than I ever had. I think he is with Shevaun now, but he will be coming here as soon as he can."

"Alright!" Neville cheered. "I was begining to lose patience with those stuffy old men from the ICW."

Hermione giggled. "They are not that bad."

"You say that because you're not the one they summon and try to intimidate all the time." Neville huffed as he followed after her. "Maybe you will go next time they summon us."

"Gladly." She grinned. "And Harry will be right there with me."

"Right. Is it weird that I'm looking forward to the next summons?" Neville asked and Hermione giggled once again. She didn't get to answer as by this time they had reached their destination.

The gargoyle jumped aside without waiting for a password and the two entered the office a few seconds later. McGonagall was seated behind the large desk with Neville's mother and Tracey's dad looking over her shoulders at the papers laid on the table. Sirius was lounging in a chair with the sorting hat on his head. Bill Weasley, one of the three Weasleys left was seated on the other end of the office going over some pieces of paper with another witch.

Everyone stopped whatever they had been doing when the two entered and they looked at their grinning faces in question.

"Harry is back!" Hermione announced abruptly and got blinks in reply as her statement registered in their minds before they slumped as one, relief visible on all their faces.

"Finally." McGonagall said as she leaned back in her chair. "Impeccable timing on Mr. Potter's part as always."

"Alright!" Sirius jumped, sorting hat still on his head. "Time to give those fools the middle finger."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet." McGonagall said as she stood up getting everyone's attention. "There is still alot to be done before we can truly be independent. But now that Mr. Potter is back, we can start moving without fear of retaliation." She paused and graced them all with one of her rare smile. "Tomorrow, a new era for all wizards and witches begins!"

-TRNT-

Meanwhile, a bit far from the Haldane mansion but certainly much closer than Hogwarts was, at 177A Bleecker Street in the New York Sanctum that had been empty for a whole week now, a portal suddenly opened in one of the rooms in the dungeons and a figure stepped through. With it came the smell of sulphur and brime as it elegantly stepped through the portal and set foot on the stone floor. The wards on the Sanctum flared for a second but a pulse from the Sorcerer Supreme's ring on the finger of the figure made sure it was protected.

The figure waved its clawed hands and seven magic circles appeared on the ground infront of it. The circles flared with red light and with a flash, six robed figures appeared within the magic circles, only one was left empty. The new figures took one look at the red skinned being that had summoned them before they dropped to their knees in respect.

"My lady, Mephista." One of the men that had appeared intoned, head still bowed. "How may we be of service."

The figure that had been addressed grinned, its fangs clear as it stepped closer to the bowed men. The large black wings on its back unfurled and spread while its red skin and sultry body that was barely covered by the pure white dress it wore seemed to glow from the light coming from the torches.

"Well, you could start by finding your rebellious friend." The figure said, voice smooth and silky with soothing undertones to it. All the men before it could feel their bodies reacting just from hearing it. "And then you will bring me Harry Potter, my father would like to have a few words with him."

-TRNT-

AN: There we go, Chapter 18 for you. A lot happened here, and we get a time skip while also covering as much of Harry's stay at Asgard without going into the boring details. Anything that is relevant that happened there will slowly be revealed with time but that is about it for now. He will of course be going back from to time when he is needed but for the most part, he will be on Earth.

Also in case it wasn't clear, it is 2010 on Earth, seven years since Harry left and the events of Iron Man have already happened. Harry left in 2003, stayed on Asgard for 8 and a half Asgardian years which were 7 Earth years... yeah they can be confusing as even canon doesn't address this.

I hope I made clear how strong Harry is. He can beat Thor if the other god isn't using his hammer as it gives him so many ridiculous advantages. He has an endless source of magic from Ygradill which would make him more powerful magically than Odin but if it came to a fight Odin would destroy him thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience. When it comes to magic, even the weakest wizard could win with the right knowledge, so while Harry has all the power in the world, he is still...well way below Odin.

As for Harry's armor, imagine Thor's armour in the first movie but with dark blue and gold instead of red and silver.

See you next chapter.