On Punching Gods and Absentee Dads
Enigmaris
Chapter 11: A Trip Down the Rabbit Hole
Summary:
Loki and Harry go back to the Ministry of Magic and try to discover what truly happened to Sirius Black.
Notes:
Hey ya'll this chapter was so much fun to write! Thank you so much for the great comments and I'm sorry if I haven't responded. Grad school keeps me busy you know?
Chapter Text
There were traditions associated with this, Loki knew. Traditions and coming of age rites that they were skipping over in their haste. A father in Asgard would gift their son their old armor when they were leaving for warrior training, an important coming of age moment. Usually there was a feast, parties, speeches made in honor of the event. But now, here they were standing in a slightly dim room, with Loki carefully showing his son how to put on the armor. Both of them with shaking fingers as they thought about Sirius.
Loki wondered if he should tell Harry about those parties and feasts. If it would matter to him that in that moment they were doing the one thing that would be required for most of Asgard to see him as an adult, or at least an adult in training. His son wasn't even 16 yet and most Aesir waited centuries upon centuries to be given a set of their father's old armor. He knew that Harry wouldn't care about it right at that moment, after all Sirius was far more important to him.
But there was still some level of bitter regret Loki felt as he readjusted the chest plate and showed Harry the correct way to fasten his vambraces. Harry looked just like Loki had all those centuries ago when Odin had told him it was time to put magic aside and learn the way of a warrior, except his son was perhaps paler and a bit more gaunt than Loki had been. Loki had started training early, one of Odin's first open attempts to get his 2nd son to stop practicing magic.
It hadn't worked.
"What?" Harry asked. "Is it stupid?"
"It's not stupid." Loki said. "You look quite handsome, for an Asgardian at least. This is my armor from when I was a much younger man first learning how to fight. Normally this armor set is passed down through multiple generations."
"Normally?"
"Well you see Thor got Odin's old armor." Loki said. "And while I could have been given another one of Odin's sets as is common, it was decided that a new set would be commissioned for me on account of my…my size."
Harry looked at him and Loki could see the teen mentally comparing Loki and Thor and coming to a few conclusions about what Loki's growing up experience was like.
"Be grateful it was in your size." Harry said. "Really. Wearing stuff made for someone three times as big as you all the time sucks. Even if it meant you weren't wearing something of Odin's. Besides it's better this way isn't it? Now I'm wearing something of yours."
Do not cry. Do not cry. Loki had to be strong, he couldn't cry. Harry was making it exceedingly difficult for Loki not to burst into tears with how earnestly he'd asked his last question. He swallowed back the rising knot of emotion that threatening to escape his throat and smiled.
"Yes, you're right of course. Now, we need to get you a weapon of some sort." Loki said. "Just in case the worst happens. You can't use your magic for a few days yet. How do you feel about knives?"
"I…Not great?" He asked.
"That's fine. Spears? Bow and arrow?"
"I don't know how to use either of those." Of course he didn't. Why would he? That wasn't taught to children on earth anymore. He wracked his brain trying to think of something. "I could probably use a sword."
"What?"
"A sword. I used one to kill the basilisk." Harry repeated. "I won't be good with it but at least I know which end is the sharp one."
That made Loki giggle a little, what a strange Asgardian Harry was going to be. He almost couldn't wait to bring him to Asgard and introduce the realm to the oddest prince yet.
"Alright. I think I've got a sword stored somewhere that'll fit you." Loki said. "Keep it stashed in it's scabbard unless I say something. Without proper training you could be more harm than hinderance in a sword fight."
Part of Harry looked a little mulish at the order, but he nodded anyway and Loki conjured the sword. He showed Harry how to tie the belt and scabbard to his back so that Harry could easily reach back and draw the sword. Once that was done, Loki thought that they could leave. His heart raced as he thought about the trouble Sirius could be in right at that moment.
"Let's go, there's no time to waste."
"Uhh dad?"
"Yes?"
"Maybe we should put on shoes first?"
Loki paused and looked down, sure enough they were both barefoot. Harry grinned at him, they'd both taken their shoes off when they'd climbed onto the bed to have their talk and Loki had forgotten. He rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers conjuring shoes and socks on both of them.
"There." He said. "Anything else?"
"Do you have stuff just in case he's hurt?" Harry asked. "Or hungry?"
"I do. Now. Hold on closely, I'll teleport us to London, near one of the entrances of the Ministry. From there you'll have to direct me." Loki said opening his arms wide. He waited patiently as Harry steeled himself and stepped into his arms for a hug. Knowing why his son was uncomfortable around touch made things much simpler. He truly owed Ron a debt. He focused his magic and in moments a plume of green flame had taken them from Stark Tower to an alleyway in London.
It was well past midnight now, probably closer to three in the morning than any other time. Which was for the best. No one would notice them. Just to make sure Loki quickly cast a spell that would keep anyone from even seeing them. Harry took his hand and started walking, unerring in his direction. He led Loki into a phonebooth and got it taking them down into the depths of the ministry. When the voice asked for their names Harry gave them.
"Harry Potter and James Potter. To see the Veil of Death."
Of course, the automated system spit out the two nametags and with two matching grins the Potter men put them on. When the magical elevator let them out into the atrium of the ministry, Harry kept walking and Loki followed without hesitation. But then he paused as he looked at the golden statute that had been in the ministry longer than he could remember. The wizard was missing its head and appeared to have sustained quite a bit of damage recently.
Loki saw the look on his son's face and decided it was better not to ask.
He was a little disturbed about how easily and confidently his son moved towards their destination. The Department of Mysteries was aptly named and no one but the most hardened of Unspeakables should be able to navigate it. And yet Harry never faltered. Not when they ended up in a room with 12 spinning doors, not when they walked through a room with huge brains in jars. Harry seemed to notice Loki's confusion.
"My scar connects me and Tom, I told you he sent me a vision that he was torturing Sirius right?"
"Yes."
"Well before that he sent me a vision of this place night after night so that I'd no where to go to get to the prophecies." Harry explained. "I know this place like the back of my hand it feels like."
"When we get back and things have calmed down, I'd like to look at your scar. There's got to be a way to block this connection. If there's not then I'm going to teach you Legilimency."
"Not Occulmency?"
Loki was surprised his son had even heard of that branch of magic. He shook his head.
"No, I wouldn't start with it anyway. You can't learn Occulmency until you learn Legilimency for one. And anyway, Legilimency would be far more useful to you. If Tom is sending you visions through a mental connection then being able to read those thoughts for their intent will help you tell if they're real."
Harry froze mid-step, he swayed slightly and then turned around to look seriously at Loki. Loki misread the look of horror on his son's face.
"I know that mind reading might seem distasteful but unless you're born naturally doing it then learning how to do it with a spell won't mean you'll be invading people's privacy. I promise Harry, you'll be in complete control of it."
"What? No. What do you mean that you have to learn Legilimency first?"
"Occulmency is the art of defending a mind from mental attack." Loki said.
"Yes, I know."
"How can you defend against a magic you don't understand?" Loki asked him. "That's how magic works. If you want to build a shield against a hex, you have to know how the hex works. If you tried to learn Occulmency first without ever having used Legilimency, you'd never get anywhere."
Harry's eyes were wet in a way that made Loki wonder what he'd done wrong.
"You're serious?" Harry asked. "You're not messing with me?"
Loki didn't have context for the shaky quality of his son's voice, but he found he didn't need it. He bent down a little so that he and his son were at eye level. Carefully he placed his hands on his son's armored shoulders.
"Starlight. I promise you, on the love I hold for your mother, that I would never lie to you about something like this. I might pull a small trick or hide the truth to surprise you with a gift, but I will never, ever deceive you, not when it matters."
Harry closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When he opened them again, he saw that tears were forming in the corner of Harry's eyes.
"When the visions started…Dumbledore said I needed to learn to stop them." He said. "But he…he didn't help me."
"Starlight." Loki whispered. "What happened?"
"He told Snape to teach me."
"Snape? He hates you." Loki said. "And at the very least you don't like him. That sort of magic is best learnt from someone you trust."
"I didn't have a choice. I just went to his office and…and…" Harry started crying and Loki carefully rubbed the tears away with his thumbs. Harry got himself under control and after a moment revealed what had gone on in those lessons. Snape constantly shouting 'Legilimens' and attacking his son while telling him to concentrate and clear his mind. The very idea that anyone would constantly violate a mind already under attack made something in Loki shake. He had to forcefully suppress his vitriol, now was not the time.
Carefully he placed his hands on either side of his son's head cradling the skull as if it were the most delicate thing he'd ever touched. Harry's messy hair stuck stubbornly out in between his fingers.
"Darling." Loki said. "We don't have time for it now, not when Sirius needs us but once we get back to the tower, I need to check your mind. Snape may have done real damage to you in his idiocy. For now, would it be alright if I put a few spells on you?"
"What for?"
"Think of them like cushions for your mind." Loki said. "Something soft to cover it and keep any injuries from being stretched or worsened. It won't fix anything but it'll keep it from getting worse."
Harry nodded easily and carefully Loki whispered out a few spells in the language of the aesir. His hands glowed green for a moment before that energy carefully seeped through his son's skin and into his mind. Even with the spells he was casting he could tell that the damage was severe in his son's mind. Thankfully it seemed that Harry's innate magic, now free from the bonds Loki had put on it, was attempting to repair it, even now as weakened as it was. With a little help from Loki there would hopefully be no permanent damage.
When Loki finished, he carefully removed his hands from his son's head and let them slide down to rest on his shoulders once again.
"I thought it was my fault that I couldn't learn…if I'd just done better then I wouldn't have been tricked and Sirius wouldn't…"
"We don't know if Sirius is dead." Loki said sternly. "And, Odin forbid, even if he is then my son, I promise you that he wouldn't blame you for it. Sirius was my brother in all but blood and I knew his heart. I swear to you Starlight that if Sirius has moved onto Valhalla then he watches us with your mother with nothing but love and hope. It was not your fault. Bellatrix Lestrange was the one who shot that spell at him and Snape was the one who refused to actually teach you. You might have been rash my son but the guilt should not rest fully on your shoulders. Do you understand?"
"Yeah." He said with a sniff. "Yeah I do. Come on, the veil is close."
Loki straightened out and followed his son once again, his hands ready to conjure knives or a spell as needed. Loki felt the veil before he saw it. He could feel it pulling on him trying to stabilize. The magic trapped there was fractured and unbalanced, like a chemical equation that was kept from reacting for too long, just waiting for a chance to explode. When they turned the corner, Loki heard the strange whispers, words that might have been English and might not have been any language at all.
"Fascinating."
"What?"
"I've never seen a tear like this." Loki said stepping towards the veil, the torn black corner ruffled in a nonexistent wind. The closer he got the stronger the pull. "Someone moved this."
"I don't understand."
"Tears between realms happen naturally, Starlight. The Yggdrasil's branches and roots reaching out and forming natural magic bridges between one place and another." Loki said. "When I was much younger I spent years learning how to crawl and climb them, falling and flying between realms. Once a tear forms it remains in place until the Yggdrasil shifts."
"What's the ee- igdr-?"
"Yggdrasil." Loki corrected simply. "Another name for it is the World Tree, essentially it is the energy that formed the nine realms, it was here before us and it will endure after. Magic users get their power directly from the world tree and true seers are connected to its center where the fates live. Your prophecy came from the Yggdrasil."
"Oh." Harry said in a way that made it clear that he didn't get what Loki was saying.
"Think of the universe as if it is a tree. Each planet is a fruit that grows on it." Loki said simply. "The tree sustains the fruit by providing energy and water to grow right?"
"Yeah I guess."
"That is what the Yggdrasil is to each of us. It provides the energy planets need to exist. There's much more too it but I don't think you want a lecture on deep magical theory yet."
"Save it for when you meet Hermione."
Loki chuckled and continued to study the veil.
"Some crazy wizard figured out how to move a tear. They built this…stone arch and everything to contain it and then they moved it here. It was very stupid of them. Moving a tear could have resulted in the destruction of earth or a permanent and painful distortion of reality."
"Really?" Harry squeaked.
"Yes." Loki said. "After we find Sirius I need to undo this. The longer this thing remains here the more likely it is to break something that no one alive knows how to fix."
"What happens when you undo it?"
"Likely the tear will disappear altogether. The reason the veil is like this is because the original connection has been broken." Loki said. "Come here and touch the stone, right there."
Harry did so a little worried. His face immediately twisted in disgust as his fingers touched the smoother gray stone.
"That's awful!"
"I know. What you're feeling is disequilibrium in the Yggdrasil. Think of it like a poisoned branch in the tree, the longer it remains without being cut the more likely it is to damage the entire thing." Loki said. "It should likely take us through safely to wherever Sirius went but just in case we should go together and hold on, it might be bumpy, we don't want to get separated."
"Right." Harry said stepping closer to Loki. "Will Sirius have gotten through okay?"
"He's clever and good with his wand, I'm sure he was fine." Loki said forcing more confidence into his voice than he necessarily felt.
"What are those voices? You're hearing them, right?"
"The norns I think. The three sisters of fate that voice the past, the present and the future." Loki said. "Starlight if you can help it, never have any direct dealings with them. It never ends well."
"That's not going to be a problem." Harry said. "Do you know where this goes?"
"No clue. It's been moved and that means it's impossible to predict."
"Okay." His son held out his hand, Loki took it and carefully linked their fingers together so that it would be more difficult for them to be separated. "Together then?"
"Together."
They stepped towards the veil, their steps matching one another. There was a brief pause on the last step, the curtain slipping over their boots, Harry's hand tightened almost painfully on his and then he leapt forward.
Immediately they were doused in blackness. The smothering darkness muted every one of their senses. Loki just held on tightly to the hand that he knew had to still be in his. His magic spread out of him trying to read the nothingness around him in a way that his body couldn't. He sensed his son's panic and pulled his hand closer to him. He thought he might have felt Harry's arm circle his waist in an attempt to hold on.
Loki knew somehow that they were falling.
Faster and faster.
The ground never came.
He couldn't tell if there was air around them, he tried to breathe. Was it working?
Abruptly he felt himself being flipped, he held on tightly to the body clinging to his chest as they were tossed violently around. Left, right, right, left, up. Each sickening lurch threatened to tear them apart. Loki was reminded of his fall from the Bifrost. His magic scrambled frantically trying to stabilize them.
Still they fell.
And fell.
And fell.
And fell.
And
Thud.
Loki knew the millisecond before it happened what was happened, and he turned so that he was cradling his son's body. They were spit out on the other end of the tear and Loki landed on his back. They slid along something slick for a few seconds before coming to a stop. Loki's chest was heaving violently now that he could finally breathe. It didn't matter that the air tasted stale. He could finally feel Harry's frantic grip on him, bruising his ribs. His son was also gasping for air.
Carefully Loki opened his eyes. He hadn't realized he'd closed them.
He was greeted with an unfamiliar sky. There was no moon, nor was there a sun. In fact, Loki couldn't even be sure that there were stars in that sky because all he could see was a thick grey fog. The fog seemed to carry with it some light that it spread around as best it could, but it left everything around them looking dull and dark. Loki was laying on some sort of strange slimy mold, his palms couldn't get purchase on the stuff for a moment as he tried to push them both up into the sitting position.
Eventually he sat up, Harry wasn't moving quite yet which meant that the boy was in his lap. Thankfully his breathing had slowed, and he was also looking out at the world around them. To his left he could hear what sounded like a babbling brook but the fog that surrounded them kept it from view. Occasionally Loki's eyes would pick up a strange shape in the slowly swirling gray mass, what could have been a rock or a tree.
Or a monster.
"Where are we?"
"I don't know." Loki said. "But I don't like it. Get up and draw your sword."
"Really?" His son squeaked.
"We can't hardly see in front of our faces, anything could be hiding in there. I know you can handle yourself." Loki said. His son got up, looking slightly more confident now. Loki got up and ignored the unpleasant wetness on his clothing. Now wasn't the time.
"What do I do if something comes?" Harry asked as he carefully reached back and pulled out his borrowed sword from his scabbard.
"First." Loki said reaching out and readjusting his son's grip. "Don't hold it like a wand, hold it like that, less likely to go flying like that. Second, yell or something if I don't notice and then move so that your back is to mine."
"Why?"
"One's back is their most unprotected place since they can't see anything coming. If we have our backs to each other, then together we can see from all directions. We'll be strong together. Plus, you're less likely to stab me by accident if you're not facing me."
Harry gave him a look at the last point which made Loki grin. His son nodded and then looked at the fog.
"Can't we just magic this fog away?"
"Best not risk it yet. The fog covers us too you know, with it we won't be spotted by anything too big and with too many teeth as easily." Loki said. "Let's just walk together and keep talking, that way we always know we're close by, no matter what."
"What should we talk about?"
"Something that Sirius would hear and be intrigued by, I imagine. How about I tell you about some of the good things my friends and I did over the years?"
"Yeah, that sounds great."
Loki smiled and began to walk in the direction of the stream he thought he heard. If he was Sirius then he would have gone looking for fresh water first and foremost, so this is the direction he would have gone. Loki sent his magic out looking for any trace of his friend, any left behind spell work or his magical signature. As his magic searched, he talked. Harry asked about the Marauder's Map and that was as good a place to start as any.
He spoke of afternoons spent exploring every nook and cranny of the castle, trying each statue and portrait for a secret passage. Harry laughed and even at one point told him that they should add the Chamber of Secrets to the map since apparently, he had missed it all those years ago. Loki told him they'd do it once they found Sirius and brought him back to the tower to recover.
Harry agreed with him and Loki could taste his hesitation in the air. They were both thinking the same thing.
Would he have even survived the trip?
The longer they walked towards the stream, the thicker the fog seemed to grow. Harry and Loki were standing almost side by side as they traveled and the distance between Loki and Harry's face was still too long to allow Loki to clearly see his son's face. The fog muted their voices keeping them from carrying far. A few more steps and his lungs began to feel heavy, each breath seemed to take more and more effort.
"Dad?" Loki stopped his story about discovering their third secret passageway and turned around.
There was nothing.
"Harry?" He yelled. "Starlight!"
The fog pushed down into him, clogging his nose and eyes. Loki spun around staying in place and trying to spot anything. There was nothing to see.
"HARRY!"
Nothing, not even an echo to greet his ears.
Loki summons his magic, casting a spell that would latch onto his son and pull him to his side. The green fire spread out from his hands and then dissipated in the fog. No. No. No. Loki tried the spell, again and again.
Nothing.
He made an anguished noise and yelled for his son again, yelled for Sirius, for anyone.
What's wrong James? An unfamiliar voice asked.
Loki turned on his heel at the sound that might not have been a sound at all. He spun in a full circle trying to see anything at all but the stifling grey.
"Who's there?"
Don't you recognize me? Have you forgotten already?
Loki twisted harshly to the right, he swore he heard that voice coming from that direction. It was still strange and yet part of him seemed to recognize it.
It'll come back to you, I know it will. It couldn't be.
"Lily?" He breathed turning slowly, hoping to see something that matched what his ears were picking up.
Just stay here a little longer, my love.
"Of course." Loki said standing still. "Of course. Where are you?"
I'm here, In the fog, you just need to stay still and I'll come to you.
"Lily, can you see Harry? He's here with me. Find him first."
Shhh dear, just stay right where you are. Harry's not important.
That wasn't right was it? Of course, Harry was important. Wasn't he? Lily wouldn't…unless perhaps…they had been apart for so long. Harry could wait a few moments. Yes, he could. All Loki needed to do was stay right where he was. He'd see his beloved wife once again.
The fog began to thicken and Loki knew he was choking on it. It swirled around him, pushing and clinging on him like a physical force. He felt as if he were trying to stand still in syrup.
Yes my love, just a few moments longer and we'll be together. Forever.
That was all he wanted, to be with his wife. Yes. He forced himself not to move, ignoring anything that tried to get him to move, to run. He fought against his own body. He would stay still no matter what. He knew if he moved, he risked Lily not finding him. His head felt faint and his limbs shook.
SLAM
Loki landed on the ground with a slap and suddenly the fog disappeared. He looked up to see a glowing silver stag standing on his chest and waving its horns around. The air was suddenly clear and fresh in his lungs.
He could think!
"HARRY!" He shouted.
"I'm right here!" Harry said appeared right next to him on his knees. "It's fine dad."
"What…what happened?" He asked. "I thought I heard…"
"I don't know, it's this fog. I saw someone really weird in it." Harry said. "They kept saying really weird stuff and when I asked about you, they told me that you wouldn't be a concern any longer. I tried to get away but…I had to cast a patronous to get the fog to go away."
The glowing stag, moved off of Loki but remained, standing guard. The patronous' presence was pushing the fog farther and farther away.
"A patronous?" Loki said. "That…that was brilliant Starlight."
Harry beamed in pride and Loki smiled right back. He stared at the stag for a moment before it finally clicked in his head.
Prongs.
"Dad are you crying?"
"No." He lied. "Just got some of the fog in my eyes."
"Right." He said. "Can you cast one too? Might help us see farther?"
"I haven't really managed one since your mother died." The truth sat bitter on his tongue.
"It's okay if you can't." Harry said. "Mine is fine and I'm not using much magic at all."
Loki nodded his acceptance, still staring at the beautiful stag his son managed to cast. Carefully he rubbed his eyes clear. Harry stood up and held out a hand, Loki took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Once standing he realized how threatening the fog had been, how it had threatened to swallow them both up. The stag shook its antlers and pawed at the slightly slimy ground.
Then it began to walk.
"Where's it going?" Loki asked.
"I dunno, I cast it trying to find you and it did." Harry said.
"So its meant to find people in the fog?" Loki asked with a small smile.
The penny dropped and Harry grabbed Loki's hand and rushed after his patronous. Loki followed still trying to get over the sensation of being able to truly breathe. The air felt crisp and with each heave of his lungs his mind felt clearer.
Why the hell hadn't he gotten rid of the fog right when they arrived?
With the stag leading the way, the path was clear. Loki could clearly see large black and grey trees, occasional spots of drying brown grass and large hulking boulders. The stag led them through the woods they'd arrived in, taking them along paths clear of slime and between the trees. It felt like a very circuitous route, but Loki didn't complain. He just held tightly onto his son and thanked the norns he could breathe. He forced himself to forget his wife's voice and told himself that it wasn't real. There was no way Lily had been there.
Guilt settled oddly in his gut.
After fifteen minutes of running, it was clear Harry was growing tired but unwilling to stop. Thankfully it seemed that the patronous was done. It had led them to the stream, and more importantly a clearing. The stream wrapped around the right side of the clearing and in the center of it was a makeshift tent. There was a fire, burning pink of all colors, in front of the tent with a slowing spinning stick on top of it that a strange animal had been skewered on. Sitting next to the tent was a silver large dog that Loki would know anywhere.
"Sirius!" Harry yelled out jumping over the stream. "Sirius! It's me!"
"DAMN BLASTED FOG!" yelled a voice that Loki knew almost better than his own.
Sirius burst out from the tent, his wand drawn and he froze when he saw Harry there.
Loki felt bile rise as he looked at how wrecked his friend looked. Sirius Black had been the most attractive of their group, something he had taken great pride in. Constantly adjusting his hair and wearing a leather jacket just to enhance his looks. Now his friend's scraggly hair and sunken cheeks made Loki want to scream. He knew this wasn't his fault.
Dumbledore had been the one to lie.
But all the same he blamed himself. Sirius wouldn't have spent all those years in Azkaban if Loki had just kept looking.
Harry didn't seem to notice how awful Sirius truly looked, or perhaps this was the Sirius Black that Harry knew. His son rushed towards Sirius, uncaring of the wand pointing his way and pulled Sirius into a hug.
"I'm so sorry." He said. "I didn't know it was a trap! I swear!"
Sirius immediately hugged him back making comforting noises.
"Pup, its fine. It's okay. I know you didn't." Sirius said his voice sounding very hoarse. "But maybe don't crush me with your arms?"
Harry immediately let go and pulled back, Loki could just imagine his look of horror.
"Sorry!"
"It's fine. I had no idea you were so strong, kiddo."
"Long story." He said causing Sirius to frown.
"I can't believe you're here! What were you thinking coming through the veil like that? How long have you been down here? You didn't come out at the same time I did so someone must have stopped you in the Ministry! What happened in the Ministry? Is Remus okay? What about your friends?"
"Everyone's fine." Harry said, taking Sirius' hands in his own. "You…you were the only…"
"Oh pup. I'm okay." Sirius said. "It's been weird down here, but I've got my wand and the fog stays back as long as I have a patronous up. I see you figured out the same thing. Now how long have you been down here? For that matter how long have I been here?"
"Over a month. You fell in at the end of April and it's almost June now."
"Good to know time passes the same way here." The man said. "Now honestly, what were you thinking Pup? For all you knew I died going into that thing! Now we're both stuck here!"
Sirius looked very frustrated with his son but Harry didn't seem to care, the boy was just relieved Sirius was alive. So was Loki. He wasn't sure what held him back until that moment, just standing on the edge close enough to be protected by the two patronouses but far enough away not to intrude. He wanted nothing more than to hug his brother, his partner and crime and beg for forgiveness.
Loki carefully pushed himself forward, stepping over the stream and closer to the two most important people in his life.
"I didn't come alone." Harry told Sirius. "We'll get back to earth, I promise."
Sirius' sensitive ears picked up Loki's footsteps and he looked up from Harry right at him. His face showed shock and fear. He immediately pushed Harry behind him and brought his wand up.
"Stay back!"
"Sirius. It's fi-"
"No, kiddo. This fog tricks you, makes you see things that aren't real. Don't get near it."
"Padfoot. It's really dad, he's been alive the whole time. I found him on earth not here." Very quickly, Sirius' face went from shock and fear, to relief, and then to anger.
Which is how Loki got his nose broken for the second time in just as many weeks.