Firebird by NorseFan1

Chapter 6

"Whoever it is had better not be wasting our time," Loki snarled.

"Look, we know hardly anyone in this world- the only person anyone knows in fact, has just been kidnapped. It's worthwhile listening to an informer who can give us the precise location," Steve Rogers said, "We'll have Jane's and Anastasia's location soon. You said you sensed no less than twenty magically warded areas. That's a lot of places to search. We need it narrowed down at least."

"It is easy for you to say Captain," Thor told him, "but you are not in our position."

"Relax Point Break; we'll get your girlfriends out." Tony said, shrugging.

Just then, a petite figure wearing a hooded black dress coat entered the alley they were stood in. The sounds of Cardiff traffic hummed all around them as the woman approached.

"Thanks for coming." She said, lowering her hood to reveal curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, set in a pretty face.

"You have information about Anastasia Potter and Jane Foster?" Loki asked as both he and his brother stepped forward.

She nodded. "I managed to get into the room Ana's being held in and talk to her briefly- it's how I knew how to contact you. I'm a part of the Order of the Phoenix, the organization that hired a man to take her, but in the end he made a mistake and took them both. I'm afraid it may have been my fault that they found out about her in the first place."

"How?" Natasha asked.

"There are at least two ligilemens', mind readers, in the Order. If I let my mental shields slip at the wrong time, then they could have found out that she was alive."

"Are you Hermione Granger by any chance?" Loki asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I helped Ana escape Britain in the first place. I stayed behind to ensure no one ever found out the truth about what happened. Now I see that was a mistake. The war going on in our world is making people desperate. The Wizengamot, the light sided faction at least, voted to declare Ana a creature- a sub division of phoenix. As a creature now, she has little to no rights. In fact, they're legally allowed to subject her to a version of the familiar bond, which will bind her powers to her family's house. But they can only do that with her consent."

"Is that why the man also took Jane? To use her against Anastasia?" Thor asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No. That was simply a mistake. He had to take her when she interfered- at least that's what I gathered. They don't need Jane, and they aren't using her against Ana. They have a special type of chain that's blocked Ana from her magic to get her to cooperate. For now she's holding out, but the pain is building, and at an alarming rate."

"That is torture." Sif declared. All could hear the anger in her tone at the idea. She may not have met Ana, but from what she had heard of the young witch, she was nice enough, and was keeping Loki on the relatively straight and narrow. That was a good thing in her mind.

"Yes. And they intend to keep it up until she agrees to bind her magic to House Potter."

"They wish to enslave her," Loki hissed, while magic built around his hands. "Can you get us to them?"

"I can't get you onto the grounds of Potter Manor, but I can get you to the area. Would you be able to find it with magic then?"