For Loki and Sirius, it was the next day. Loki had to say that after a long bath and a good night's sleep, Sirius looked completely different. Sure, he was still far too thin, but he wasn't as pale anymore, and he looked more like Lord Black he was, than some homeless stray. Nonetheless, they would have to buy a new wardrobe for the man since he had nothing to wear other than what Loki conjured up for him.
They were just enjoying breakfast or more lunch since Sirius slept until one in the afternoon when Loki suddenly felt that Harry was in danger.
"Is something wrong?" Sirius asked in concern upon seeing Loki's strange expression and tensing up. "Is Harry alright?"
"I don't know, but I have to go. Don't worry, I'll be right back" Loki answered absently.
Without waiting for a reply, he teleported straight into the room he knew was Harry's and hid in a corner concealing himself to assess the situation first. He didn't want to make the situation worse, after all. Standing in the shadows, he observed what happened in the room.
A blond woman who was apparently a demon pressed Harry against the wall. Harry stood there the knife pressed against his throat unpleasantly but not hard enough that it actually cut into his skin and drew blood. It was to his own curiosity that he kept his calm the entire time, neither fear nor panic raising its ugly head.
"You're making a big mistake," Harry drawled out.
"Ah, yes? You don't seem to know who I am human...what I am and what I am capable of," the blond woman said in a taunting voice. Her eyes flashed black before she laughed sadistically.
"Some demon obviously but you know what?" he said. Making a few movements with his hand unknown by the woman, she suddenly had a surprised expression on her face before sinking motionless to the floor. "I have a knife able to kill your kind," Harry added absently rubbing his throat where only seconds earlier the knife had been.
He had levitated one of the knives he bought on his first day at the Rabbit Hole which now lay on the table in his room. With a flick of his hand rammed it straight into the neck of the demon, killing her instantly. Right now, he was glad that he bought them.
Just at that moment, Sam came rushing into his room concern written all over his face.
"Ruby...Harry, what happened here?" he asked with a gaze on the dead demon who had a knife sticking in her neck blood slowly dripping off the wound and pooling beneath her. "Are you alright?"
"Yes..."
But he suddenly started to tremble and would have fallen onto the floor if not for Sam's quick reaction. Sam guided him carefully to the bed where they both sat down. It seems that now that the danger was over, he started to realise fully what happened and what he did.
Sam knew from his own experience that the first time you took someone's life as dangerous as the said person might be...it changed you, especially at such an age.
"What happened here? Did you kill Ruby?" he asked cautiously.
"I just wanted to get changed for some swimming when she suddenly burst into my room. She just wanted to leave again when she attacked me and pinned me to the wall," Harry said with a shaking voice. "She bragged that there are demons who would like to get me in their hands, especially Lilith."
He shuddered upon the thought of what the woman...Ruby said that other demon would do to him.
"She...I..." his voice failed.
Sam placed an arm around Harry and pulled him towards him to lean comfortably against his side.
"It is okay," he started, rubbing soothingly over his back when he felt it.
"Harry...where did you get those scars from?" he asked slowly.
Harry instantly stiffened and with one smooth move got as far away from Sam as possible without actually standing up from the bed. Thanks to the entire thing with Ruby, he completely forgot that he had no shirt on. He looked at Sam panic rising within him.
"Harry..." Sam said in a soothing tone wanting to take the boys hand, but he only jumped up and sped over to his shirt before quickly donning it.
"P-please...don't tell Loki about it" his voice now trembled, even more, panic tainting it.
"Tell me what?" Loki finally stepped out of the shadow he stood in for the last ten minutes. "That you were abused?" he growled, but it made matters only worse.
Harry stared at him wide-eyed, assuming that the growling was directed at him before turning around, running into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. There he sank to the floor the head on the knees and started to cry. It was just too much for him at the moment. Loki finally saw how weak he in reality was and that the strength and fearlessness he displayed was only a façade. Now he would leave and together with him then the twins, Neville, hell even Sam and Dean. He would be alone...again. Especially the twins would never forgive him that Loki left because he wasn't strong enough.
Outside in the bedroom, Sam threw Loki a look that said more than a thousand words.
"If you don't sort this out, I swear to god..."
Loki rolled his eyes upon Sam's choice of words but had to admit that he was right. He had to get that right and quickly.
So he walked over to the bathroom door.
"Harry?" he asked in a soothing tone, but all that he could hear was Harry's sobbing. He teleported into the bathroom with a sigh seeing Harry sitting at the door he crouched down opposite of him.
"Go away. You don't like me anymore anyway," he said between sobs.
"Harry...why would I not like you?" he inquired.
"Because I'm weak. I'm not the strong boy everyone expects me to be..."
Loki sighed. "You are far from weak, never ever think that. Just a few minutes ago, you defeated a demon singlehandedly where seasoned hunters would have failed. Then there is the instance where you saved your friend's...Neville's life by risking your own health."
Now Harry looked at him blinking owlishly.
"I assume that you didn't know any other life than that with those who did this to you before you came to Hogwarts?" Harry nodded. "How were you supposed to do anything against it? You're eleven, Harry. Even adults would be unable to do anything after having to live such a life for so long. There is nothing wrong with it" he tried to explain.
He didn't know much about human psychology. Still, one thing he knew. The fault might lay with everyone else, especially his tormentors but definitely not with Harry.
"But I could...I should..." he didn't know what to say.
"Harry, come here."
Loki held out his arms expectantly. Harry blinked a few times before throwing himself at Loki, which let them both land on the floor upon which Loki chuckled. Loki placed his arms around Harry, and they both lay there, not moving for a few minutes until Harry calmed down completely. It seemed that Harry needed this having been denied it for so long...too long.
"You should get to know that I knew about it ever since the very first time I saw you, or at least I had my suspicion."
He went with his right hand under Harry's shirt and pushed his magic into it, healing the scars while continuing to talk.
Harry smiled, feeling the warm and soothing magic doing its work.
"The only reason why I didn't say anything was in respect of your privacy and in the hope that you would come to me on your own."
"So you don't leave?" Harry asked with so much hope in his voice that it hurt Loki hearing it.
"No, I won't leave and don't worry, you don't have to be strong all the time. Just be yourself no matter what others think or expect of you and whatever problem you might have I will always have an open ear for you. Now do you want to tell me who did this to you or do I have to find out for myself?"
"You won't leave it alone, would you?"
"No" Harry sighed. "Harry, this is nothing that is in any way excusable. Actually, I can't understand how a family can treat each other in such a way. A family should love and help each other and not fight or torture..." now his voice was tainted with so much hurt that Harry asked himself what happened.
"You're talking out of experience," it wasn't a question but a statement.
"My brothers...I left home because they blew a minor disagreement out of proportion," Loki shook his head to ban those thoughts. "However, that's of no concern right now. What is it? Do you tell me?"
After taking another deep breath, Harry started to talk.
"It was my aunt, uncle and cousin but mostly my uncle and aunt. Every time I did something, not the way they wanted, not fast enough or just because of some unknown reason, they beat me." Loki growled hearing that. "They live in Privet Drive No. 4, Little Whinging."
Harry knew very well that it didn't matter whether he told Loki or not. He would find them either way.
"Where am I supposed to go when you're through with them?" it was strange for him but telling Loki about what happened and knowing that he would do something about his relatives helped. It let him see what they really were...monsters, which was also why he told him where to find them. Nevertheless, it was the only place he could stay, since he couldn't stay at Hogwarts all year. He asked Dumbledore about it at the beginning of the year, but the man outright declined his request.
Upon that, Loki chuckled. "Do you really think there is no one out there who would offer you a place to stay or that I would leave you without a home for that matter? Even if I would, which is not the case, there are always Neville and the twins. Heaven, I think even Hermione would let you stay with her should you ask, not to mention Sam and Dean."
"I doubt that Sam and Dean would keep up with me if I didn't pay for their holidays," Harry snorted.
"So, Sam didn't follow you the entire time after I left to make sure you're alright?" Loki enquired.
"Yes, but only because I said something of interest to him or because I was something they didn't understand since they never met a natural-born wizard before. They simply deemed me a threat they had to keep an eye on." He shook his head.
"His words if I remember correctly were 'Dean, do you really think that I let an eleven-year-old boy run around alone?'. Right, Dean deemed you a threat first, but I highly doubt he would have attacked you. In this regard, he is all bark and no bite, I mean you never hurt anyone. He knows that," Loki repeated in a quite convincing imitation of Sam. Now, Harry, who up to now lay contently on Loki's chest, sat up to look at him in disbelief. "Did you think I would just leave without making sure that you wouldn't come to harm?"
"You're right...it's just..."
Now Loki also sat up. "I know that with what you have been through already, it is hard to trust someone. But with the time you'll learn that your fears are baseless at least concerning me. Until then, just keep in mind that I would never let you get hurt, okay?" Harry nodded.
"Am I a bad person?" he suddenly asked after a few seconds of silence.
Loki looked at him surprised, not having anticipated that question.
"Why? Because you killed Ruby?" Harry nodded. "Harry, she was a demon who threatened to do things to you worse than death. I know that you're worried about the woman she possessed. But...let's just say that this kind of demons are not very gentle with the people they take as hosts. Depending on how long she was possessed, it was mercy what you did," Loki explained adamantly.
"So, I'm not evil because of it?"
"Heaven no. As long as you feel remorse about what you did, you're far from evil. You should only start to worry when such a happening doesn't concern you anymore. Until then, you're perfectly fine." Loki gave him another hug to reinsure him. "Are you alright?" Harry simply nodded as a reply. "Good. I think we should get out of here soon or I fear that Sam will storm in to see whether you're okay because despite what you might think...he cares."
With that, they both got up and left the bathroom. Sam instantly came over, worried about Harry. Once back in the bedroom, Loki gave him a reassuring smile.
"I'll be back soon; there are a few things I have to take care of, as well as a surprise for you. You two muttonheads take care of him and make sure he is safe," he added with a glare at Sam and Dean.
He just wanted to leave the bedroom through the door when he was stopped by Dean who stood in the doorframe having been filled in by Sam.
"Give them hell," Dean stated with a glare that told Loki how serious he was.
He looked him straight into the eyes before nodding and vanishing. There might be only a very few things over which the Winchester brothers would agree with Loki. Nevertheless, that child abuse was inexcusable was one of them.
Shortly after that, the security personnel of the Rabbit Hole came to investigate what happened. They also took a copy of Harry's memories of the attack before giving him his knife back and closing the case as self-defence. He even received compensation of one hundred Galleons. Though Harry thought it was more a bribe, to keep him quiet since an attack would be bad publicity, Harry didn't mind. The entire time Sam stayed at his side, reassuring him and making sure that he was alright.
Since Harry entered their life, Sam saw in him a little brother he would protect mostly since it was his fault that Ruby was there, to begin with. It still irked him that he had trusted that...bitch but once Harry told him how she talked about Lilith not to mention seeing the memories he asked himself how he could have been so blind...so stupid.
At Privet Drive
Loki stood on the opposite side of the street from Privet Drive No. 4 glaring at the house in question with a gaze that could only be described as unadulterated hatred. He stood there for about five minutes when suddenly another man appeared next to him. Said man was slightly shorter than Loki with raven black hair and wearing a black made-to-measure suit with a blood-red tie.
"Crowley" Loki drawled out.
"Loki...what do you want? Why did you drag me to this all the same looking and sickeningly boring suburban hell?" Crowley snarled.
"The inhabitants of house No. 4. I want you to make a deal with them. Over what I don't care as long as it doesn't involve their nephew" Loki said without any explanation. He didn't care that he asked a favour of a demon.
Crowley looked at him in surprise. Sure, they met a few times before and also did some small favours for each other if someone pissed them off enough, but Loki never asked something like THAT of him. He was about to condemn two souls to eternal torture.
"What do I get out of that deal?" he asked, always the businessman. "Other than two souls...the boy is too young."
Loki had to agree with that. The boy was only eleven...a mere child, and perhaps he would change once he got out of his parent's influence.
"Let's just say that I would look the completely other direction should you happen to snatch a few more contracts from the neighbours. I would also make sure that the Dursleys suffer from an unfortunate accident in the not too distant future."
Loki grinned vindictively.
Nothing in the standard Demon Contracts said that the contractors would live the entire ten years those contracts gave them before hellhounds would be sent after them.
His grin would scare the living daylight out of a lower demon, and it reminded Crowley why he would never want to get on the wrong side of the pagan god. He had gotten a taste of what Loki was capable of when really pissed of a few centuries ago and it had impressed him.
This request, however, piqued Crowley's interest. Not only wanted Loki to make sure that those individuals went to hell, he even wanted to speed things up. This was highly unusual for the usually annoyingly jovial trickster god. Not only that, but he also didn't care if even more people would end up in hell.
"Okay, but I want to know what they did to piss you off so much that you would go such length to ensure that they end up in hell" he fished for information.
This whole deal would prove to be very productive. In neighbourhoods like the one they were right at the moment, many people were open to the prospect of getting a tremendous amount of money or other things. Just to make their otherwise dull lives more interesting over which they would make a deal.
"They hurt someone under my protection" was the curt answer.
It was not only the Dursleys but also the neighbours who all looked away and did nothing.
"The nephew, I assume." One could say many things about Crowley, but he wasn't stupid. Loki simply nodded. "How quickly will they suffer an accident?"
"Inform me once they made the deal, and within a month they will be where they belong."
Loki looked at him expectantly.
After a moment, Crowley nodded and extended his hand towards Loki, who instantly took it to seal the deal.
"I wonder what kind of accident they will suffer" Crowley mused.
"You know how creative I can get when it comes to that," Loki laughed before he vanished.
Crowley, on the other hand, turned back towards Privet Drive No. 4. He had a few deals to make.
Once Loki was done at Privet Drive, he instantly returned to Sirius who was worried beyond comprehension about his godson. At the moment, the man was pacing his kitchen at Grimmauld Place. Thankfully Loki had cleaned the house with a snap of his fingers and made it inhabitable again, but that was the last thing Sirius worried about. He sighed in relief when Loki appeared but instantly tensed again when he saw his dark face.
"Loki, is everything okay? How is my godson? Is he hurt?" he blurted out the questions in rapid succession that it was questionable that Loki understood even one.
"Calm down. Your godson is not hurt or something. At least not anymore..."
"What do you mean, not anymore?" Sirius inquired daring Loki not to answer.
"He had to stay with Lily's sister ever since his parents' death," Loki replied as an explanation.
Oh, and what an explanation it was. Sirius would never have thought that seven little words could tell you everything and even more than you would have wanted to know. He knew Lily's sister Petunia perfectly well, and her opinion about anything magical. To say he was angry would be an understatement he was outright furious. Loki didn't doubt that hadn't he grabbed the other man's arm he would have apparated straight to Privet Drive to kill them.
"Sirius, seriously...calm down! They are taken care of," at least Sirius didn't try to get away anymore.
"How?"
"Demon deal paired with an unfortunate accident within the next weeks."
Now Sirius smiled viciously. Thanks to his family and their dark nature, he knew very well what a demon deal included. It served them right and if Loki speeded things up a bit, who was he to complain?
"I see we understand each other," Loki also grinned. "What do you think? Want to meet your godson?"