I turned to face Cedric, still scared about how he would react. But it turned out I didn't have anything thing to be scared of, he was looking around the ice castle that was a mini replica of the one from the movie, amazed by what he saw. He ran his hand along the detailing in the walls then looked up at the roof that had a perfectly formed ice chandler hanging from it.
"Elsa, this is amazing. How did you ever come up with it?"
"It's from the story that song came from. It's called Frozen and it's about a girl called Elsa. She's destined to become queen one day but is born with ice powers. When she was little, she accidentally struck her sister with her ice powers but luckily it was easily fixed because it hadn't hit her heart. From that day, Elsa's parents made her hide her powers and locked everyone out. And Elsa was too scared to be around her sister again. Their parents end up dying and on her 21st birthday, she is to become queen. Unfortunately, the kingdom finds out about her powers on the same day, making Elsa flee into the mountains and creating this castle to live in. But leaving a trail of eternal winter behind her. A lot happens from there, but long story short, her sister Anna finds her but Elsa ended up striking Anna again but this time she hits her heart. There a lot in between but at the end after Anna freezes after saving Elsa. Elsa thought her sister would stay frozen forever but it turned out that an act of love could thaw a frozen heart. Anna unfreezes and everything works out in the end."
"And Cassy has taunted you about it ever since. But if everything works out at the end, why are so scared of your powers," Cedric asked, pulling me to sit down next to him in the mini castle.
"Because what I said was true about my family. I mean, a Nazi traveled through time to get to my Granddad and killed him when they found out he no longer had his powers."
"Okay, ignoring the time travelling evil guy. Why are your family's powers so special?"
I took a deep breath as I thought about what I was going to tell him. Finally, I figured I'd already shown him my powers, so I might as well tell him the rest.
"Ok, what I'm about to tell you, you cannot tell anyone else. They only other people who know about this are Danny and Cassy. You have to promise me," I begged him.
"I promise, I won't tell anyone."
"My Granddad was Erikson the Great, a Norse god. There's no record of him because he agreed to give up all his powers so that he could live on Midgard with my Gran because of how much he loved her. He never told a soul who he was, fearing the danger that he would put us in. But part of the deal he made meant that a descendent of his, if they were deemed worthy, would inherit his powers. That person was my Mum. After Johann Schmidt traveled through time and murdered my granddad, Mum chased him and ended up going back in time with him and landed in the 1940's were she met my dad. He hadn't had the super soldier serum at that point and was 5'4 with the longest medical record you have ever seen. That was the man my Mum fell in love with, not Captain America, not the super soldier, but Steve Rogers. Mum joined the SSR and I guess you know about because of your grandfather. You know the super soldier serum and getting rescued from the Hydra base" I paused my story, waiting to for Cedric's response. When he nodded, I continued on.
"Well, Mum was one of the people held prisoner after a rescue mission in Norway with her cousin Loki went wrong and she was captured. After Dad got everyone out, the Howling Commandos were created. Mum worked behind the scenes while the commandos went on the mission. Did your grandfather ever tell you about the last mission?"
"The one where Captain America sacrificed himself to save the world?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Well, Mum was actually pregnant with me at the time. Not wanting to stay in the 1940's and having recovered the tesseract, her Aunt Frigga helped her get back to her own time. For the first four and a half years of my life, my dad was missing, listed as killed in action. And in a way, it was ice that did that as well. Mum and Dad never made me hide my powers, I made that choice. Nothing good comes from being a part demigod other than the people you love getting hurt," I said, not able to look Cedric in the eyes.
"But have you ever thought that if it wasn't for your mums' powers you wouldn't be here," he asked, surprising me.
"I have never actually thought of it that way," I said, wiping away the frozen tears that had fallen.
"So, I think that your powers are one of the best things ever because if they didn't exist, I wouldn't have met my best friend."
"Really?" I asked Cedric, looking up at him for the first time since I started the story.
"Really. Now can I ask you one thing."
"Really? Only one thing? Sure, go for it."
"So, your dad's a superhero and your Mum's a demigod. What does that make you? A super god? Wow, that sounded stupid, forget I said anything," Cedric said, making me laugh.
"No, its fine. But honestly, I have no idea what it makes me," I laughed. "But I do have one question for you. How did you know how to find me?"
"I kinda followed the ice trail," he told me, making me sit up and worry about the trail of evidence I had left behind. "Wait, don't freak out. Professor Alden said he would take care of it and that I should follow you."
"Of course, Loki would take care of it," I smiled, feeling relieved that my uncle was looking out for me.
"Loki? Who's Loki? Are you talking about the Norse God?"
"Yeah, that's the one. I may have glossed over the part that where my granddad was the brother of Odin, making Thor and Loki my Mum's cousins. I grew up with them as my uncles. Loki was offered the position of Ancient Runes teacher, he wasn't going to take it but when I got accepted into Hogwarts, he took the job."
"Why isn't he using his really name?"
"He's not using his real appearance either. He has to use a fake name and glamour because he might be recognised by muggle born students. Let's just say he might have tried to destroy New York and take over the world while under mind control form some evil guy."
Cedric looked down at me in shock. Out of everything that could have surprised him, it was my uncle trying to take over the world.
"So, I'm guessing he's not going to do anything like that anymore. Is there anything else I should know?" he asked taking everything in his stride.
"Ummm, Danny and I can kinda talk to each other through our minds," I said, standing up and holding my hand out to Cedric to help him to his feet.
"Wait! You can talk to your cousin through your mind! How does that work!"
After dismantling the ice castle, much to Cedric dismay and me having to reassure him that I could recreate it anytime, we made our way back up to the great hall for dinner.
"Now, remember. You can't tell anyone," I whispered as we walked through the entrance halls doors.
"I'll never tell anyone. Wild hippogriffs couldn't drag it out of me," he told me, taking my hand as we walked in to the great hall.
"Cedric, what's a hippogriff," I asked, walking with him to the Hufflepuff table.
"It a magical creature, we will go to the library tomorrow and I'll show you."
The first thing that I saw when we walked into the great hall was Cassy glaring at me from the Gryffindor table closely followed but Loki who, in turn, was glaring at Cassy. Hiding behind my hair that I had pulled over my face, I walked over to the Hufflepuff table with Cedric who had pulled me closer to him so he could put a protective arm around me as he glared at Cassy.
Are you okay? Danny asked me, the worry he was feeling coming through our bond strongly.
I'm okay now, Cedric helped me. He knows everything now.
How much do you mean by every?
I mean EVERYTHING, he's probably figured out that were talking by now.
Cedric and me sat down at the table so that Danny and Maggie were opposite us and Henry was on Cedric's left. They all looked worried when I sat down because of how long we had been gone for.
"Are you okay, Elsa? Danny told us that you went to talk to Cassy after what she did to him and that Cedric had followed you. You had been gone for so long and we were getting worried," Maggie asked, leaning across the table to grab my hands.
"I'm ok. I just needed space. Danny's the one you should be worried about after what Cassy did to him," I said, trying to get the attention off myself.
"Yeah... I think I lost a few layers of skin thanks to that tape," Danny said, rubbing his legs.
"Dude! How did she even get you into the girls' toilets?" Henry asked, helping himself to the food that had just appeared for dinner.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know..."
After dinner I stayed back with Danny to speak to Loki. Cedric insisted on staying with us so he could thank Loki for helping him find me earlier. We hovered around the same spot in the entrance hall where I had met up with Loki earlier. After a few minutes we heard someone drop something heavy behind us, making all of jump in fright.
"What do we have here? Ickle firsties? Why would three first years be lingering in the entry hall, hmmm? Maybe your gonna do something that will get you into trouble? Ooooh, I should go get a teacher. I shall go get a teacher and then you'll be punished," Peeves, the castles poltergeist teased while hovering in the air above us.
"Peeves! Leave those students alone immediately! If you don't, I'll call the Bloody Baron," Loki snapped at Peeves as he walked out of the great hall.
Peeves blew a raspberry at all of us before disappearing with a loud pop.
"Odin's beard! I wish Dumbledore would let me rid the castle of that menace once and for all. Now, follow me. Quickly, no one's meant to know of the relationship I have with the two of you," Loki said, striding down the same hallway as before and opening the door to the classroom.
The three of us hurried into the room as Loki quickly shut the door behind us. I watched Cedric's face as Loki's glamour slipped away to reveal his true from. He looked shocked at he looked upon my uncle in all his Asgardian glory, dressed in full green and black leather. Standing there in that classroom, Loki had never looked more out of place than he did at that moment.
"Now that the facade is gone, let me introduce myself. I am Loki of Asgard son of...," he began to say before Danny and I cut him off.
"Son of Laufey, adopted son of Odin..." I started to say, letting Danny finish the sentence like we always did.
"Brother of Thor and rightful king of Jotunheim."
"Do I honestly say it that much?" Loki asked, laughing at our impersonation of him.
"Oh, only every other day," I joked.
"I may need to think of a new introduction. This one seems to have lost its original impact. Never mind that, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, young Cedric. You will forever have my gratitude for caring for Elsa while I dealt with more...pressing matters at hand."
"You don't need to thank me, sir. I was just doing what any good friend would do," Cedric replied, blushing at the compliment the Norse god had just given him.
"That may be, but not many would have stayed when they saw the ice fortress Elsa had built around her. Most would have fled upon seeing her considerable power. Yet you didn't, not many mortals have the conviction that you do. I'm afraid it a rare trait these day," Loki said as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me down with him so we were sitting on one of the abandoned desks.
"Wow. Do you know how old you just sounded?" Danny asked, trying not to laugh.
"Well, I am over a thousand years old. It was bound to catch up with me one of these days," Loki stated, making the three of us break into a fit of laughter.
"You always know how to make me laugh, Loki," I told him when we finally calmed down.
"What are favourite uncles for?"
"So, are you really Elsa and Danny's uncle?" Cedric asked, trying to figure out our family tree from what I had told him earlier.
"Technically, were not related at all. But by Odin taking me in as an infant, I am their second cousin," Loki told him, grimacing at the thought of his true parentage.
"Yeah, but we prefer him to Thor. I mean Thor's nice and all but he's not the brightest person around," Danny said, making Loki smile.
"Yes, I do believe I have earned that 'Favourite uncle' mug the two of you got me for Christmas a few years back."
"Hey! Don't forget the matching T-shirt!" I laughed, thinking back the present we got him when we were seven years old.
"That T-shirt and mug set is my most prized possession. And I love wearing the shirt whenever Thor is in town. But that's not what were here to talk about," Loki said, suddenly getting serious.
"I'm guessin' you talked to Cassy," I said, my southern drawl getting stronger as I got upset.
"That I did. I threatened to tell her father, but that did absolutely nothing. I mean, Tony's just as much of a child for heaven's sake. But when I said I would tell Pepper, that's when she realised, I was serious. She may not speak to you until she's over the little tantrum she is currently throwing and honestly, who knows how long it will last. She is Tony Stark's daughter after all, but she won't be bothering either or you anytime soon."
"Thanks, Loki," I said, leaning in to the side of him.
"But you coulda done it BEFORE she taped my hands to my butt. That would have been nice, ya know," Danny said, shuddering at the memory of the tape being pulled off.
"Trust me, I have done things much worse to Thor. There was that one time I turned myself in to a snake and..."
"Not the time, Loki," I cut in before he could finish tell the story about how he stabbed Thor when they were kids.
"Right, sorry. Moving along. There is one thing I do have to press upon you, Cedric. You must not tell anyone about Elsa and Danny's true heritage. Especially Elsa as she has inherited her mother's abilities and let's say there are people in this world who would like to exploit for their own gain as they did with both her mother and grandfather. It's not something many could keep a secret of, but I believe that you are one of the few who can."
"I promise you, Sir. I will never tell a single person. You can count on me."
It was at that moment I knew I had found a friend for life in Cedric.