When the crowd cleared, I told Cedric that I would meet him in the Great Hall later and followed Loki back to his rooms. He had tried to make a sneaky escape, knowing that I saw him almost 'frost' over and knew that I was going to start worrying about him. I knew that he didn't want him to worry about him but I couldn't help it. Even though he wasn't my uncle by blood, he was my family and no one could ever tell me anything different.
When I got back to his rooms, I found Loki sitting in his private rooms with his head in his hands and in his Jotun form. The room was below freezing but it didn't faze me at all, one of the perks of having ice powers, I guess. As soon as I walked into the room, Loki looked up at me with red, glowing eyes and a look of shame on his face.
"It wasn't your fault, Loki," I said, walking in to the bellow freezing room like it was nothing.
"I almost gave away who I was, Elsa! The worst part of the whole situation is that I am not referring to the Asgardian façade that I wear every day!" Loki yelled as he jumped to his feet and started to pace the length of the room. "I almost showed the world the monster that I am! Even at my worst, when I attempted to control Midgard, people did not know the true horrors of what I truly am! If anyone was ever to find out who I truly am I would be forced to leave Midgard and never return. No one would want a monster to save them, even if it meant dying."
"Don't talk like that, Loki because it's just not true," I told him. "You have more than proved yourself, time and time again and if people don't see that, well, that's their problem. Not yours."
Loki stopped pacing and chuckled bitterly as he turned to look at me. Nothing good ever came from that chuckle, it was usually followed by a weeklong self-pity party and Mum having to drag him out of his room which he hadn't left for the entire week.
"Oh, Elsa. To be so young and naïve again," he laughed. "Once people see you as a monster there is no going turning back."
"Then why are you helping us look for Bucky? If you follow your theory, he's beyond saving," I shouted angrily at him.
"That is a completely different situation! Barnes was being controlled by an organisation that was set on world domination," Loki said, waving it off like it was nothing.
"That's exactly my point!" I told him. "YOU were being controlled and were forced to attack New York! There isn't any difference between what happened to you and what happened to Bucky."
"You are forgetting one important thing, dear Elsa," Loki said. "The people who were controlling Barnes were caught and were held accountable for their actions, it does not matter at the end of the day that he is a wanted fugitive because he has the proof that he wasn't acting under his own control! Myself on the other hand, we will never find the mad titan that tortured and controlled me. So, in the minds of the public, I will always the villain who cost thousands their lives. Finding out that I am Jotun will only go to strengthen their views."
"I don't care what the world thinks, we're family Uncle Loki and that is all that matters. I will stand by your side, no matter what happens because that is what family dose! We support each other!" I yelled at him, trying to get him to understand.
"Uncle Loki, you haven't called me that in a long time," Loki said with a sad smile.
"But you are my uncle and nothing will ever change that," I told him. "You were the one that convinced me that I wasn't a monster when my new abilities started to appear, so it's time to repay the favor. You have not, are not and will never be a monster. I have seen monsters, Loki and they don't look like you, I mean the Jotun you. True monsters look like everyday people, they look like Alexander Pierce, Brock Rumlow, Justin Hammer, Arnim Zola, Ulysses Klaue and Johann Schmidt. You may have blue skin, red eyes but your just as cold as me, you have the same powers as me. You are a good person; you are a hero. You are my hero, Uncle Loki. You aren't afraid to be who you truly are, whether it be sarcastic or moody or funny. You are always true to yourself, no matter what."
When I finished my little speech, Loki had tears in his eyes which has changed back to green as his Asgardian form replaced his Jotun one, making the temperature return to normal. He slowly walked back over to where I had sat down on the golden loveseat and sat down next to me.
"Thank you, snøfnugg*. You are just like your mother, you always know what to say to when I am non a downward spiral," Loki told me as she kissed the top of my head. "Now head down for dinner. I wouldn't want you starving on my account."
"Is everything alright?" Cedric quietly asked me as soon as I sat down at the Hufflepuff table.
"It is now, I just need to talk him down out of one of his self-hatred, I'm a Jotun monster downward spirals," I told him.
"Who thinks there a monster?" Ron asked from behind, startling both Cedric and me.
"You are for sneaking up like that Ron. Seriously, what the hell. Do you want to be frozen to the ground?" I joked.
"Very funny, Elsa. But Hermione wanted me to ask the both of you to come over to the Gryffindor table after you have finished eating. She has something she wants to show you, that's if she ever actually makes it down to dinner," Ron told us.
"Where is she anyway, it's not like her to be late for dinner," I said as I looked around the hall for Hermione.
"She's probably still up in the common room. She has been going crazy knitting hats and socks for the house elves and hiding them around the common room for them to find. It's got to the point where Dobby is the only one that is games enough to clean any of the Gryffindor tower," Ron said, sounding more than a little irritable.
"She dose realise that you can't force freedom on a house elf. They will see the hats and sock as a threat to do better work, so if anything, she is only making things worse," Cedric sighed, knowing how many times we had tried to explain it to Hermione.
"Look mate, your guess is as good as mine. All I do know is she's been driving me bloody crazy because of it," Ron said with the full extent of his frustration showing in his voice.
"I'll try to explain it to her again," I told him. "But if she does come down, tell her we will meet her after dinner."
I couldn't help but laugh as I watched Ron walk back to the Gryffindor table, muttering to himself how Hermione was going to be the death of him. We all had bets on when the two would end up together, including Fred and George who thought it would happen in their last year at Hogwarts because Ron was too scared to admit how he felt about her out loud. But as I watched Ron walk away, I couldn't help but wonder if he would ever find the nerve to tell her.
"What did mini Weasley want?" Danny asked as he sat down across from Cedric and me with Maggie.
"He was letting us know that Hermione wanted to talk to us after dinner," Cedric explained.
"Then why was Ron so angry?" Maggie asked, sounding a little confused about why the youngest Weasley boy was in such a mood.
"Apparently Hermione has been knitting little hats and socks for the house elves and hiding them around the common room and now Dobby is the only house elf willing to clean the Gryffindor tower," I told her.
"Do you really know all of the house elves names?" Maggie asked me.
"Most of them but Dobby is my favorite. He's such a little cutie," I said as I helped myself to the food that had just appeared on the table.
"But what's the point, we don't even see any of the house elves," Maggie said as Henry and Hamish sat down at the table.
"You do if you go to the kitchens go get food," Henry told her. "These is this one house elf, Kiki, who always has the best cakes you have ever tasted just waiting for anyone who wants them. Seriously, dude, there amazing!"
"Besides, it's polite. They do cook and clean for us after all," I added with a shrug.
It didn't matter how long I lived in the wizarding world, I would never understand who even the kindest of witches and wizards treated house elves. Yes, they wanted to work for a ridiculous amount of time for no pay at all but they were still living, breathing creatures who had feelings. Being nice to them was the least that we could do for them.
"Did you guys see what happened to Trelawny?" Ernie McMillian asked, sitting down beside Cedric and leaning in to talk to us.
Well, there goes any sort of chance for an enjoyable meal, Danny said to me.
Leave him alone, Danny. He means well.
Yeah, I know but he never shuts up!
I had to agree with Danny was I watched Ernie talk a million miles an hour about what happened to Professor Trelawny, even thought we were all scattered throughout the crowd and watched the scene unfold. After letting him of for about five minutes, Hamish finally cut him off.
"Look, Ernie, we know. We were there. We all saw it happen."
"Oh, right. Sorry. But how amazing was Professor Alden for standing up to Professor Umbridge the way he did," Ernie said, sitting sounding excited.
"Yeah, he is pretty amazing," I said, looking over at my uncle who was now sitting at the teachers table for dinner. "He's a true hero."
"Okay, what's up Hermione?" I asked as Cedric and I sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"This is what's up," Hermione said as she emptied out her bag that was full of letters on to the table.
"These are all addressed to Harry and me," Cedric said, picking up one of the letters that was addressed to Mr. H Potter and Mr. C Diggory.
"There all in response to our interview in The Quibbler," Harry said, sounding excited for the first time in a very long time.
"What do they say?" I asked, desperate to know if people were finally starting to believe that Voldemort was back.
"It seems some think you two are both off your rockers," Ron said in a dejected voice.
"Yeah, but this lady believes us" Harry said when he finished reading one of the letters.
Fred, George and Cassy started to help to read the letters and by the time we got to the end of the plie it seemed like half of the people seemed to really believe that Voldemort was back. While a quarter of them were undecided if they believed Cedric and Harry or not and a quarter of them thought they were crazy. But overall, it was a positive outcome and the latest issue of The Quibbler had only just come out.
"What is going on here?" a girlish and sickly-sweet voice said from behind us.
I was glad that I wasn't facing Umbridge when she walked over, otherwise she would have put me in detention for the eye roll I did at the sound of her annoying voice. But on the other hand, it was why I hated sitting at the Gryffindor table, because it was the furthest away from the door you had to be facing it to see if anyone was approaching you. One thing I hated was sitting with my back towards a door, Nat had taught me way to well to be on the lookout for possible attacks and sitting with your back towards a door was one of the highest on her list of things not to do.
Harry looked up Umbridge with his hands full of letter with a smirk clear upon his face. When Umbridge looked at the letters, a look of absolute fury appeared on her face.
"Why have you got all these letters, Mr. Potter," she asked slowly almost as if Harry was holding a gun to her head and she was asking if he was going to shot her or not.
"Is that a crime now?" Fred asked in an overly exaggerated loud voice. "Getting mail."
"Be careful, Mr. Weasley, or shall I have to put you in detention," Umbridge snapped at Fred. "Well, Mr. Potter?"
"There not all Harry's Professor Umbridge, their mine as well," Cedric told her, making her glance nervously over at Loki, no doubt remembering his little threat and how both Cedric and I were under his protection.
"Well, what are they all about," Umbridge asked carefully, keeping an eye on Loki, who was glaring at her, while she spoke.
"People are writing to us because we did an interview in The Quibbler about what happened last June," Harry hesitantly told her.
"An interview?" Umbridge said, her voice jumping up a few octaves as she spoke. "What do you mean?"
"I mean a reporter asked us questions and we answered th...Ow, that hurt," Harry said, as I kicked him under the table, reminding him not to push Umbridge any more than was necessary before he tossed her a copy of the magazine." Here, take it."
Umbridge caught the magazine and almost dropped it when she saw the cover. While she was distracted with the magazine, Loki quietly approached the table as he snuck up behind her.
"Is there a problem, Professor Umbridge?" he asked her in a cool tone.
"No, not at all Professor Alden," Umbridge told him. "Nothing at all."
I should have known better than to think that Umbridge would let the whole interview in The Quibbler thing go. She was a lot of things but vindictive was high on the list. The woman was incapable of letting one else have the last say in something. So, I really shouldn't have been surprised when Cassy stormed over and slammed a copy of the latest educational decree on the table the next morning.
"That bitch is going down!" Cassy snarled as she glared at the over grown pink toad sitting at the teacher's table.
"What's she done this time?" Henry asked, grabbing the piece of parchment and moving it closer towards us.
"This is absurd!" Cedric said angrily as he pushed the latest decree away from him. "How can she get away with doing things like this!"
But as I listened to Cassy talk about how many ways, she could attack Umbridge and never get caught by using Stark Tech, a thought crossed my mind. Usually when something got banned, it made people want it even more. The same thing happened when I was in elementary school. Pokémon cards had just made a massive come back and kids were getting in trouble for stealing other kids' cards which led to the principle banning them but that only made things worse. The moment they were banned, even the kids who didn't collect Pokémon cards were suddenly collecting them. Call it a gut feeling, but I had a feeling the same thing would happen in the wizarding world if something got banned at a school.
Authors note: This actually happened with Pokémon cards when I was in primary school. But it was when they first came out, not when they made a comeback. Wow, that is really showing my age isn't it! ;)
"Guys, this might not be such a bad thing for us," I said slowly.
"Elsa, how can you even think that?" Hamish said, trying to hold back the 'you have gone crazy tone' in his voice.
"What do you mean, Spangles?" Cassy asked, knowing me well enough that I wouldn't have made the statement if I didn't believe it.
"Danny, Cassy, do you remember when Pokémon card became really popular again when we were like seven or eight?" I asked them.
Both Danny and Cassy looked at each other and smiled as they realised what I was talking about. Even though Danny went to school in Tennessee and where Cassy and I went to school in New York, the same thing happened. Pokémon cards were banned.
"Spangles, you are a genius!" Cassy laughed.
"What in the world are Pokémon cards and what have they got to do with this?" Amanda asked, looking very confused.
"They were based on a Japanese anime where there were things called pocket monsters, or Pokémon for short. There were tv shows, manga, video games, toys...," Danny said, confusing everyone and making me cut him off.
"They were a type of trading cards kind of like the cards you get with chocolate frogs," I explained. "When we were kids, they were so popular that they ended up getting banned from school which only made them more popular."
"Yeah, banning them only made kids want them more than ever. Even those kids who didn't like them. So now that the pink toad has banned The Quibbler, more people are going to want to get a copy of it than ever before," Cassy finished.
"You're right, Elsa," Cedric said with a smile. "This isn't going to be a bad thing at all."
A few weeks had passed since The Quibbler had been banned and my prediction had come true. More people than ever had read the magazine, not that Umbridge could actually prove it. Students were passing around the magazine like it was fresh food in the black-market during World War 2. It was hidden as it was passed along through text books, transfigured to look like something else entirely, ripped apart and hidden in shoes. It was absolutely insane but absolutely amazing at the same time. Cedric and Harry had become heroes of sorts and people had finally stopped whispering behind their backs.
The DA meetings had grown as well over the weeks and now Maggie and her brother Seamus has joined. Somehow the room had grown to fit the growing numbers, but I guessed that's why they call it the Room of Requirement. It always had what you required.
On the evening of the meeting where everyone would be learning the Patronus charm, I got to the room to help Harry. Since I was one of the few who could produce a Patronus and had been doing it as long as Harry had, I was going to help him teach the lesson. On top of that, I need to make sure that there were padded mats for when Cassy and I started out Avenger's training.
When I walked into the room, I found that Neville was already there and was talking to Harry. They were talking softly as they looked at a photo of the original Order of the Phoenix that was pinned up on one of the mirrors. I knew that both Harry's and Neville's parents were in the Order back them so it must have been a bitter/sweet feeling for them to see the photo. But I knew that they would both use it to inspire them to fight even harder. Quite honestly, Neville reminded me of Dad before he had the super solider serum. Not the strongest or the fastest and was always pushed around by bullies. But just like Dad, he never gave up and had a heart that was as pure as they come. If only Neville could see that, maybe he would have more confidence in himself. But it didn't matter how many times anyone told him that, it was something he had to learn for himself.
"You guys, okay?" I asked, walking between the pair of them and attempting to wrap my arms around their shoulders but failing terribly because I was way too short.
"Neville's come to a conclusion and it all thanks to you, Elsa," Harry said with a smile.
"I did what now?" I asked, confused about what Harry was talking about.
"I take muggle studies and the professor has been talking about what the Avengers do in class. I had no idea some of the amazing things that you and your family have done, Elsa. You and your dad have saved the world so many times and it's inspired me," Neville said proudly. "I'm sick of being scared of everything. From now on I'm going to stand up for what's right, even if it scares me and it's all thanks to you, Elsa."
In that moment, I had never felt prouder. Not of myself but of Dad who was brave enough all those years ago to never give up and of Neville who finally looked like he had stopped doubting himself and what he could do. But I knew I had to pass on one small bit of advice.
"I'm so proud of you, Neville," I said to him as I hugged him around his waist. "But there is one thing I want you to promise me."
"Anything, Elsa," Neville said.
"Don't ignore that fear you feel because that can lead you into dangerous situations. Always trust your gut and you will know when it is the right time to act and when you should leave to fight another day," I told him, not wanting him to become completely fearless and not listen to that little voice that always kept you safe. "One of my favorite singers always 'fearless is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is have doubts. Lots of them. To me fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want, over and over again. Even though every time you've tried before, you've lost.' Do you get what I am trying to say?"
"I think I do," Neville said. "Don't run in to things head first without thinking things through and don't ignore when something scares me because it might be the one thing that keeps me safe."
"That is exactly what I'm saying," I said, smiling at Neville. "But the most important thing to remember is that you are never alone. We will always be here for you Neville, even when you think everything is lost."
Slowly the rest of the group started to arrive and soon enough, under Harry's and my instructions, they started to produce their own Patronus charms.
Hermione was one of the first with her otter running around the room as Cedric's badger and my snow leopard cub played with it. Next was Hamish with a snowy owl, that suites his wise personality perfectly, and flew around the room, followed by the twins who both had magpies, Ron with a jack russell terrier that chased Hermione's otter to no end. Henry's turned out to be a seal which honestly didn't surprise me, they were cheeky yet highly intelligent at the same time, just like Henry. When I saw that Danny's Patronus was a raccoon I almost lost it laughing, the proud Tennessee country boy had the Tennessee state animal as his Patronus. While Maggie's was a squirrel with was just like her, timid and sweet. Even Luna, the girl who was in a constant dream state was able to conjure a rabbit Patronus.
In the middle of the everyone having the time of their lives, Dobby appeared in the middle of the room looking very scared. As soon as he saw Harry, the little house elf ran to Harry's side and pulled on his robes as he tried to get his attention.
"Harry Potter, sir," Dobby squeaked as he trembled. "Harry Potter, sir. Dobby has to come to warn you... but house elves have been warned not to tell..."
I could tell that Dobby was on the verge of hitting himself to try to stop himself from saying anything. So, I ran to the little house elf's side and wrapped my arms around him to help stop him from hurting himself.
"What is it, Dobby?" I asked him in a clam voice, not wanting to further upset him.
"Miss Elsa Rogers, Harry Potter sir, she...she...she," Dobby stuttered.
"Who is 'she' Dobby," Harry asked him calmly but couldn't get the word out.
"Harry, I think he is talking about Umbridge," I said as everything started to fall into place as Dobby started to nod then attempted to get free from my grip and bang his head on the wall.
"What about Umbridge? Has she found out about the meetings?" Harry asked the frightened house elf as a loud bang echoed through the room.
"I think she has, Harry," Cedric said, walking forward with Cassy to protect the group.
"Dobby, I want you to listen to Harry and me very carefully," I said to the house elf. "We want you to go to the kitchen with the other house elves where you are safe."
"And if Umbridge asks you if you warned us, you lie and tell her no," Harry continued.
"And we forbid you to hurt yourself," we both said at the same time.
"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir and Miss Elsa Rogers," Dobby said gratefully as he disappeared with a crack back to the kitchens.
Not even having to think twice about it, I walked to the front of the group and stood side by side with Cedric and Cassy. Two Avengers and one future Avenger, standing together to protect the innocent. After all, that's what we did best.
As the wall started to crack and crumble with every bang that echoed throughout the room, I created duplicates of myself and had them circle the students to make sure they could get out safely.
"When she gets through that door, I want everyone to run and let us to deal with them," I said as Elsa Rogers disappeared and Stargirl, the future leader of the Avengers and Captain America's daughter took her place.
"But we...," Ginny began to say but Cassy cut her off as I turned my staff back into its original form, its golden glow filling the room.
"No buts, Weasley. This is what we were born to do," Cassy said as she activated her arc reactor, getting ready for a fight if it came to it.
"When I give the word, everybody makes a run for it. Understand?" I said, never talking my eyes off the door for a single second.
A murmur of begrudging agreement went around the room. I knew that they were all ready to take on Umbridge and fight but now wasn't the time. They needed to get out of the room safe and in one piece because at the end of the day, Cedric and I were under Asgards protection and I knew that Loki would extend that protection to Cassy as well.
"Together we stand," I said to her.
"And together we fall," Cassy finished as the repulsors that had formed on her hands started to glow.
We stood there, united as one and waiting for the final blow, waiting for the wall to fall. When it sounded like it was about to come down, I created an icy mist around the room to hide the faces of who was in the room. When the wall finally came tumbling down, I only had two words to say.
"RUN, NOW!"
*Snowflake