"This is bad."

"Say something I do not already know" Harry pulled an irritated hand through his hair and tried to get it out of his face.

"Alright, this whole situation is a complete disaster," Ron snapped, his arms tightly crossed over his chest. His eyes burned with frustration as he shot an irritated glare at his best friend.

Harry rolled his eyes and rubbed his face. "Thanos, Infiniti stones, and Loki is coming with an army. Did I miss something?"

"Nope," Ron replied, emphasizing the 'p.' "Actually, yes, there is one thing. Shouldn't we include the end of the world in that list too? And maybe mention how you keep jumping from one impossible situation to another? This isn't good for any of us; we're starting to get accustomed to it all."

"Ha-ha," Harry drawled, but he could not help the weak smile tug on his lips.

Hermione stepped in before they could keep arguing. "To simplify things, we need to set our priorities," she stated, raising her wand to write in the air, trailing red letters behind. "I think our biggest concern right now is Loki. It's likely that Thanos hasn't collected all the stones yet; otherwise, why would he send Loki here with an army to prepare the way? Are you familiar with the Infinity Stones?" she inquired of Harry.

Harry shook his head. "Not much, but I know that there are six infinity stones that represent elements, and they each control different essential aspects of existence," Harry said as he drew his wand and started to write next to Hermione's letters.

"Space, Reality, Power, Soul, Mind, and Time. As of today, there are only two known beings with immense power that have been able to wield the stones without losing their minds or burn out. The Celestials are an ancient race of vast matter and energy manipulation abilities, and then there is the mad titan, Thanos. We can be certain that he has a stone, but I have no idea which."

Ron visited low and stared at the long-haired male, "not much, you say? I 'am afraid even to know how much is stuffed inside that brain of yours theas days."

"To be honest, I feel the same way," Harry remarked as he studied the writing. It was odd to know more than he was supposed to, almost like he was cheating, yet it also felt completely natural. He could now confidently say that he and Harald had once been the same person, but he had... transformed? It was peculiar to think of it like that, but Harry couldn't find a better way to describe it to himself.

He was Harry; he was still himself, yet there was an added complexity that he couldn't quite grasp. The issue was whether he would begin to lose his sense of self because of Harald's influence. When would this transformation be complete? Who would he ultimately become? He wasn't sure if he wanted to find out or if he was scared of losing the Harry he knew.

"Alright," Hermione brought Harry back into the present. "Let's assume Harry's transformation is now complete, and the last vision you got was from Loki. But from your description, does it not sound like he was not a place here on earth?"

Harry nodded. "No, it was a ruined world, I think. Perhaps the void?"

"So either he has to travel here in some ship or through a portal?" Hermione hummed

"And do not forget the army!" Ron added helpfully

"Yes, in alien armada. And after Death's words, we can almost guarantee that it will be to New York that they will pop out, the question is just why?" in Hermione

Harry crossed his arms in front of him and tapped lightly with his finger against his arm. "The voice said something about the Tesseract had awakened, and I saw a blue cube. Could that be it?" he asked

"Perhaps" Hermione was silent as she started to write again and line it up before them; neither Ron nor Harry dared to interrupt her now that she began to speed up her writing. "No, I can't see it; there are still so many dark areas," She mused out loud. "So many what if, I don't like this, isn't it anything else that you can tell me about this blue cube?" she turned to Harry that shook his head.

"Didn't think so, but what is bothering me is who can control Loki?" Harry said "And how"

"Are you sure that he was being controlled?" Ron hesitating asked, "Not to be biased or so, but you haven't seen each other for… many.. many years, eons even."

Harry gritted his teeth, nodding with a mix of determination and uncertainty. "I'm sure, but something's off. It didn't feel like Loki; this doesn't feel right," he said, striking his chest in frustration. "This connection we have, it's bound by magic, our magic is intertwined, yet right now... were not" Harry faltered, struggling to articulate the unsettling sensation gnawing at him. It was as if things were out of alignment, and despite the separation, someone seemed to be manipulating Loki.

"Bloody hell," Ron grunted out, "Any more world-shaking things we forgot to bring up while we're still discussing this?"

Harry looked at him, annoyed now by his statement, "Well, excuse me, the universe seems to hate that I exist."

"I'm pretty sure that it is only the Norns that hate you, mate, not the universe," Ron said helpfull

Harry snorted; that was probably true.

All of a sudden, it seemed like everything around Harry was moving in slow motion. He sensed it before witnessing a lightning-like shape dominating his vision. The next thing he noticed was the queasy sensation in his stomach and the bile rising in his throat, as if his insides were turning inside out.

A colossal blue shockwave blasted across Harry's sight, forcing a painful scream from deep within him. He crumpled to his knees, pressing his palms against his eyes, which felt as though they were ablaze. It was as if his eyes were burning out of their sockets, with waves of blue energy pulsating through his eyelids and seeping into every tiny crevice. He experienced a surge of satisfaction and the exhilaration of the hunt, emotions that weren't his own, and this time, they were even more intense.

"Harry!?"

"What happened? what did you see?"

"I….I think they come here with portal?" Harry said in a dark, raw voice, his magic stretched along with Loki via their connection, which now burned like fire, but he got no response. Just a thick wall, but something significant had just happened.

"That's it; you are not going to go there alone," Hermione said and picked up a hairband that Harry had forgotten on the table. She pulled up her hair in a messy bun

Ron groaned. "We have to get to New York, right now, aren't we?"

The trio quickly gathered their things and made their way to the airport. Harry was grateful that Hermione had insisted on taking a muggle plane instead of apparating. He needed time to process everything that had happened and figure out what they were going to do next.

As they waited at the gate, Hermione pulled out her laptop and started researching flights to New York. They needed to get there as quickly as possible if they were going to rescue Loki.

"We should probably come up with a plan," Ron said, nibbling on a chocolate frog.

"Yes, we should," Hermione agreed, typing furiously on her laptop, which had been magical infused. An side projket she had been doing for a while. "We need to find out where Loki is being held and how we can get there without arousing suspicion."

Harry nodded, "And what about my connection with him? It's stronger than ever now, but I still can't seem to reach him."

"We'll figure it out," Hermione reassured him. "But for now, let's focus on getting to New York and gathering information."

.⬝:*¨¨*:⬝.💓.⬝:*¨¨*:⬝. .⬝:*¨¨*:⬝.💓.⬝:*¨¨*:⬝.

Harry glanced around the gate area. It was his first time at an airport, and he could feel his nerves buzzing inside him, trying to take over. Neither he nor Harald had ever been comfortable in large crowds or at parties; they had always preferred to stand aside and observe.

And here? This was indeed a massive crowd; even though no one paid him any attention, it made his skin tingle with discomfort, and he wanted nothing more than to escape. How had he ever thought this was a good idea, imagining that for once, something might be easy?

Initially, everything seemed straightforward when they planned it. Having grown up among muggles, Harry knew how to behave and dress appropriately. Ron, on the other hand, did not, which left Hermione struggling to manage her fiancé's barrage of questions and excitable behavior. Harry found it hard not to laugh at the situation, aware that he didn't want Hermione scowling at him for enjoying her efforts to maintain control. One thing was certain, though—Arthur would be envious when they returned from this trip. However, as Harry gazed out of the large window, he wasn't entirely sure if they would return at all.

How naive could he be? Amerika was halfway over the world; it would at least take them 10 hours to get there. It should all be so simple, pick up the passports, gets on a plane in their disguises, and then be on their merry ways and save his wayward dream-man.

But Harry was -still- silently freaking out inside.

Not only were they on a tight schedule, but he was also grappling with a surge of panic when he spotted one of the planes resting on the railroad. His wide green eyes were glued to the contraption that muggles referred to as an airplane. He was torn between awe and disbelief—how could something like that possibly stay aloft? It didn't seem aerodynamic enough to even lift off the ground, yet there it was, defying all logic.

Harry found himself teetering on the edge of asking Hermione if he could just take his broom and be done with it. The thought of setting foot in that death trap of a plane made his stomach churn; he already felt unstable enough without being thrown into a contraption that seemed to run on technology he barely trusted.

Yet, there was a small part of him that wondered if he was being unreasonable, if maybe he should face this fear. But the overwhelming dread kept pulling him back, whispering that it was just too much, too fast. So, he remained caught in indecision, torn between taking the easy route and confronting his apprehensions.

He felt an overwhelming urge to apologize to Loki, knowing full well that his words might not reach through the bond. Harry sensed Loki's presence, yet it was like trying to grasp smoke—there, but not quite tangible. The blockage in their combined magic was undeniable, leaving Harry to wonder if it was fueled by Loki's anger. Was Loki so upset that it created this barrier? Harry stifled a groan, torn between reaching out and fearing that Loki truly wanted nothing to do with him.

He had been an idiot when Harald had tried to stall the gigantic walking grapefruit that time. Perhaps he had made everything worse by going to New York; he should stay put, stay back in the mansion and never go out again; he could go for a run and visit the centaurs. Perhaps play a little with the foals and run freely and never get on that plane.

Harry could sense the invisible barrier within his mind beginning to compress, confining him as he pictured himself inside the cramped airplane cabin. A wave of vertigo swept over him, causing the world around him to whirl uncontrollably.

He reached out just in time, bracing himself with a trembling hand against the icy windowpane. The chill from the glass seeped through his palm, providing a tangible anchor amidst his swirling thoughts. He inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, and then closed his eyes, allowing the cool sensation to spread through his fingertips. A shiver coursed through him as he tried to steady his racing mind.

Harry was acutely aware of the cold, sensing the smooth surface beneath his fingers, unlike the rough floorboards or the lumpy mattress he usually called a bed. He had spent more time here, and he was no longer confined under the stairs, cut off from the world. He wasn't the frightened little boy anymore, trapped in a confined space.

Yet, the urge to escape still surged within him, causing his heart to race and a cold sweat to form on his skin. He desperately wanted to flee from reality, from all his obligations, needs, and the uncertainties that clouded his life. He longed to feel secure, to be loved, to have his family close, and to learn how to relax without the constant fear that anyone might betray him.

Harry couldn't escape his luck and hated the lack of safety in his life. As the Master of Death, he couldn't die, but he could still feel pain. When his body failed, he'd always be brought back, just as Death had promised. Inside him, darkness thrived on his negative emotions and fears. Despite hating the world, Harry loved the sky—the freedom of flying, the wind in his hair, and the happiness it brought him.

But this was neither. The bloody thing in front of him was a death trap, and Harry never even wanted to put a foot inside one before as he had never been allowed to come with the Dursleys on their vacations. Now he was pleased about it because that would have been a nightmare come true.

Harry pressed his fist against the glass, then rested his forehead on it, not caring that he was smudging the spotless surface. The crowd around him paid no attention to him, and he was thankful for their tendency to avoid those who appeared troubled. Ignoring meant invisibility. In this moment, Harry appreciated this aspect of human behavior; he couldn't manage his anxiety if anyone questioned him about it.

Harry exhaled slowly and straightened up. He felt how his instincts and senses started to warn him about someone who was focusing its intention on him, and he turned around to see Hermione pull a hilariously enough, blonde wonderstruck Ron after her. Her steps were fast and determined, with her bag tossed over her shoulder and a light brown leather jacket fluttering every step she took. She had transformed her hair into a redder strawberry shade and put it up in a tight donut in her neck. None of them had any significant luggage to move around more efficiently, and Harry was not the type of person to splurge when it came to money.

But they had all agreed that they needed a disguise; Harry had not required much of his camouflage as he had already changed his appearance, thanks to his heritage. But his black hair was now up in a high ponytail, and the hippogriff feather was proudly stuck in the side braid that had not yet gone out. He fixed his clothes, tight trousers, and a shirt hidden under a light jacket. His eyes had already taken on a deep viridian color, no longer the emerald his mother had, and a little makeup over his scars and his disguise was complete. The more precautions, the better, and wouldn't Moody be proud of them now? Constant vigilance! No one would ever think he was Harry Potter if he did not make himself known.

But something never changed. Harry may not need his wand as the Master of the Deathly Hallows and reincarnated as a fae, but he still doesn't wholly trust the wandless strange magic to come to him effortlessly. So he still had his faithful wand tucked on his persona and a purse of money beside it that would automatically transform galleons to muggle valuta. He disliked spending money on things like this.

But when it came to other necessary things, he could consider it an investment, and this time he had bought something of a luxury item. Harry gripped his necklace with a resigned sight and felt the magic plush underneath his palm where his emergency trunk was hidden. It had cost a small fortune as it had its pocket dimension in it and with it everything he would need on this adventure.

Hermione had already booked flights from Heathrow Airport to LaGuardia in New York, and the flight would take ten hours. It feels too long, honestly. Harry tried again to stretch out over the magical connection yet again, only to be met by the now-familiar rock-hard wall. He felt hurt, there was so much anger inside him, and Harry was sure that it was not only his anger that was bubbling underneath his skin.

He was too familiar with the feeling of range, it was like the feeling was a long-time friend, and the more he was pushing down, the harder it pushed back. Sometimes it scared him, this darkness that was inside of him. But then he remembered that it was nothing to be afraid of, It was what hiding in the darkness you had to be wary of, and this time, it was his fears.

"Here you go," Hermione said and gave him his passport and ticket, and Harry stared down at it. He sighed and shook his head.

"I can't, Herms," He said firmly, and with the shifting face of the women, he explained himself before she could blow a gasket, "It is my magic…. I can't keep it under control."

"Yes, you can, we know that you can control it, Harry; you only need to believe in yourself. It is only for a few hours," She protested softly

Harry gave off a low chuckling. "But that is it. I don't believe that I will be fine in those tight spaces, Hermione," he said and looked at the plane again and shrugged. Nope, he still felt sick only by the sight of the death trap. He could not contain his magic. He clenched his fist, and a beeping sound was heard from the nearest machine made him glare at the device before Harry gave Hermione a meaningful glance.

Both his companions were silent at the pop, and a man in front of the display started to hit the now fried motto, and Hermione sighed heavily.

"Alright, then what?" she sounded tired, on the verge of annoyance, and Harry felt how he collapsed a little, but he really could not expose himself to that, or them. It had to be another way. He could not apparat over there, that would be too dangerous, and he indeed would cause more of a scene than anything else. A sting of pain hit his head, and he blinked in surprise when a memory suddenly came up.

~*`+'*~

Harald blinked at him slowly, "I beg your pardon, you do what now?"

Loki rolled his eyes, "Don't overreact; it is not that bad, starlight."

The smaller male raised an elegant brow and stared at the other magician, "And here I thought I heard you said that you used Yggdrasil as a backdoor into the other worlds."

Loki smirked. "You heard right, congratulation love, your hearing is still magnificent as ever."

Harald scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Stop it, you idiot. You can't just go walking along the branches to other worlds; it is too dangerous, that is what Bifros is for anyway."

"It is not dangerous if you believe in it," he protested, still with that shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

Harald looked at him suspiciously as the black-haired prince smiled and held his hands clasped behind his back. "So, you found a shortcut in the world tree, and you can walk around it?

"Yes, love"

Harald wanted to say that it was impossible, but this was Loki they were talking about. If anyone could find a lope hole in anything, it was him. But this? world walking? That was another level of lope hole, and he would lie if he didn't say that he was curious about his mates' finding.

"Alright, show me."

Loki grin pleased, "With pleasure."

~*`+'*~

Harry blinked and stared in front of him, the memory disappeared as fast as it came, and he felt the dizziness that came after, but it was manageable and nearly non-existent. He did not faint or be gone for more than a few seconds; not even Hermione or Ron had noticed that anything had happened. Harry held back a pleased grin that could challenge Lokis.

"I think I know what to do," he said to them. "I remember Loki showing Harald how to walk on the world branches."

"bloddy hell mate, you remember what now?" It was Ron's turn to stare at him like he had lost his mind, and that was probably what had happened anyway.

"The Yggdrasil, the tree that is a legend to hold up the nine worlds, connecting them through branches and is powered by the universe…"

"Aah, alright, stop, stop. You don't need to go all professor on me; I bloody know what the tree is," Ron protested and glared slightly at Hermione as it was her fault that she forced him to read up on the Norse mythology after they understood that Harry once had been one. He swore that he would never pick up a book that complex ever again because reading about a species that once was thought of as gods were hard. But bloody hell, walk the branches? The book didn't say anything about that.

Harry laughed low and scratched his neck "right… "

"So, you think that you can do it? you are not exactly him, you know," Hermione intervened before Ron could say anything else." And can you take us with you?

"Yeah, I believe that I can; it is more like finding the feeling and seeing the portals," And he was going to make it one way or the other; there was no way he even stepped on the plane like that if he could help it. But he shook his head to Hermione's last question. "I don't know right now, and I would not want to risk it. I need to do it the first time alone to get the feeling of it all. Come on guys, I will meet you up at the airport in no time, I will scoop out the surroundings, and we are ready to go as soon as you land. Trust me"

"Alright, mate" Ron put an arm around Hermione's shoulders, he was hesitant too, but if Harry thought he could do it, then he would. That said, Ron had stopped being amazed at what his best mate could do. It was easier that way, and he would not be gray before he is 30, "We will trust you on this,"

Hermione was still staring at him, and Harry firmly raised his head; he could do this.

"Alright, but If you are not there when we land, Harry James Potter, I swear that I will make your life a living hell, and that is a promise," She threatened

Harry laughed softly and heard them shouting through the loudspeakers that it was time for them to board the plane, and he put on his passport and tickets. "See you when you arrive."

If he were lucky, nothing would happen. He saw them both disappear into the crowd and exhaled before he wiped his sweaty hands on his shirt. He needed to find a quiet place where no people were moving around.

It took a while, but he managed to find a less used part of the airport. Chairs had been screwed up from the ground, and dirt smiled under some seats. It looked like part of the wall needed repairing, and maybe that's why it was deserted here? Harry looked around and slipped under the barrier. He already had a Not- me-not spell on him so that no muggles eyes got stuck on him but rather looked past.

But to be on the safe side, he slipped into a toilet and looked around, the light turned on automatically when he went in, and empty booth doors stood wide open, so he was sure there was no one there. He shook his hands when he felt them begin to tremble with excitement. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A hand was raised in front of him, and he tried to imagine the opening, tried to feel it. And as soon as Harry could the magic around him, the energy more or less vibrated under his fingertips.

He could see the golden threads that enveloped reality, and he tried to concentrate on it when his head exploded, and the darkness was all around him. He could feel the sickening feeling of something creeping down his throat, soft and gooey, and he wanted nothing else than to throw up. Harry blinked; he was sure that he was still awake, and his eyes were opened, but he no longer saw the bathroom's white walls.

Instead, he could see soft dust of snow flying around in a dark world and suddenly feel the biting cold nibbled at his cheeks. It took him only a heartbeat to understand that he no longer was in England; he was with Loki. Not in body, but still, he was there with the other magician, seeing what he was seeing, feeling what he was feeling. Harry's gaze was quickly fixed on the first movement he could see in the dark.

"The Chitauri grows anxious," The dark clothed man said

The man's voice came from all directions simultaneously, hoarse, trailing, and above all, it was so cold. It was as if every word was chosen and dripped with impatience, the suffocating feeling tightened at his throat, and he grimaced and rubbed his neck only to stiffen and stare down at his transparent hand. His head rose when a familiar figure suddenly stepped out of the shadows. His attitude just as he remembered, proud, and dignified as only a person of high birth learned. The jet black hair was stripped and pulled slick back; his eyes were like two black poles, no longer holding the warmth he had grown used to.

"I'm going to lead them to a glorious battle" Loki's voice cut through Harry's body like a razor; it was a tone completely different from the one he remembers from the memories.

He was allowed to hold back and not throw himself forward in pure joy and horror when he finally took in his dream man's face and hated what he saw. He had never seen Loki like this; his entire face was suddenly tense with a wave of underlying anger in his features. As if his face frowned too much. He could see twitches himself through his arms and a slight crick in his neck. His face looked awful, and his cheeks were more sunken and created a sharper cheekbone. Loki, overall, seemed hard and worn, not even close to the young, handsome man in from his memories.

How long had he been gone for Loki to fall this far? What had happened, and why had Thor not been there and protected him? It was so clear that something was wrong that it cut into him. Harry stretched his magic again, almost desperate to feel that this was his Loki, that it was not too late.

Loki...

Green-blue eyes were suddenly fixed on him; for a second, they were looking at him in amazement before it disappeared, and a deep frown married Lokis face yet again.

"…. and your question is? Questioning the one who put that scepter in your hand?" The unnamed man asked with a drawl out voice.

Loki maintained a stoic expression, his features carved from stone, as he fixed his gaze on the person who had spoken with that grating voice. Though his face remained impassive, a storm brewed within him, each word feeding his growing irritation and simmering anger. Shadows seemed to gather at his feet, swirling subtly, and his eyes deepened to a stormy gray, reflecting the tempest in his soul.

"He who gave you new knowledge, new intentions, when you were defeated and left to die."

"I was a king! The rightful King of Asgard, and they betrayed ME," Loki shouted and struck out with his hand violently; this creature doubted him? Doubted that he could not carry out his mission. He would show them everything; he would show them all that he could do anything better than anyone else could even dream of. He would show them that Loki of Asgard was still the rightful king, and then he would free them all from their weak will.

"Your ambition is scarce and childish ... We look beyond the Earth, to the greater world, the new world that the tesseract reveals…" The dark armored man walked forward, threatening and staring down at Loki, who stared back stubbornly, but no words left his lips when he bared his teeth in a sneer.

Harry stared at the interaction before him and had now noticed a shift in Loki's skin, it almost took on an abnormal light blue tone, barely visible in the dim light, and he first thought his eyes were playing a prank on him. The energy around Loki was different; it was cold and more primal when he pulled his lips back in an almost feral snarl.

"If you fail, of the Tesseract is kept from is, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no writing where you can forget yourself from us. You think you feel pain? You do not even know what the word means."

The dark man disappeared, Leaving Loki and Harry there alone. Slowly Harry could see how the tension leaked away from Loki's shoulders, and his blue eyes slowly turned around to where Harry was, and yet, he could not focus on him.

"I know that you are still here, phantom, even if I can't see you," Loki's cold and smooth voice said. "Did you enjoy the show? here to gloat like everyone else is doing these days?"

No, I would never Loki... I'm...

Harry immediately saw that Loki heard him; his eyes narrowed dangerously, and the horrible snarl was back on his face. "Do not speak to me like we are familiar; you are beneath me. Now BE GONE!"

The next second, strong blue magic hit Harry, and he gasped for breath as he was tossed away and back into his body. He gasped for breath, and every breath burned like a thousand needles, and his head screamed at the sudden backlash he got from the magic. Harry staggered and grabbed the sink and gasped for air. His head ached, and his heartbeat almost painfully. The cold that spread within him made his whole body shake. What the hell was that? Harry shook his head slightly to get rid of the cotton-like feeling that resided between his ears, and his muscles protested in the movement.

It took a while, but slowly the tremors began to subside, and his breathing became more manageable. The lights above him flashed as if they were about to explode and go off, and Harry was more than happy with his decision to go to an abandoned part. He exhaled slowly before straightening. His gaze was fixed on his reflection, and he could see how his eyes shone in a sickening light blue hue before he forced himself to blink, and they were green yet again.

At least two things were inevitable, he had gotten in touch with Loki for the first time, and Loki had absolutely no idea who he was. Harry had not had a chance to tell him either. But he was also sure that whatever Loki was planning on doing, time was short; And Harry was pretty sure that they did not have 10 hours before whatever Loki planned would happen; it would happen tonight, whatever he was planning on doing.

Harry let his hands fall from the sink and shook them to stimulate the blood flow; he was determined to succeed. There was no way he would abandon Loki to that lunatic. With renewed focus, Harry lifted his hand, feeling the energy in the air, and gently threaded his fingers through the golden strands, pulling his hand down softly.

He concentrated on where he wanted to create a pocket, watching as the air before him shimmered and seemed to split open. In the portal, he saw a space identical to the one he occupied, though the walls were a dreadful mint green, and it was deserted. Taking one final deep breath, Harry held it in and stepped through the portal, vanishing from the now-deserted bathroom as the gateway closed behind him.

A/N

I put in a little claustrophobia for Harry, because hell, who would not have some phobia from growing up under a damn staircase? He will not have much trouble with this all of the time but combine it with the first time riding a plane; anyone would be skittish. And you didn't think that I would make their reunion an easy one, did you now?