Here it is, my sixth-round entry for the International Wizarding School Championship writing competition. For those of you who follow my other works, you'll find that this is quite possibly the most "out of my comfort-house" story I've written to date. Two of the prompts from the competition caught my eye and neither would leave it alone. So, without further ado, here it is. And you'll probably want to check out my second author's note below.

Story Title/Link: Divine Intervention

School and Theme: Beauxbatons - Unmerited accomplishments: Write about someone who receives credit and praise for something they didn't do.

Mandatory Prompt: [Setting] Ancient Greek emporium

Additional Prompt(s): [Plot point] Cross-dressing

Year: 4

Word count: 2991

Warning: Drastically alternate universe - Greek gods

A/N: This is a drastically alternate universe from the typical Harry Potter fanfic. In this story, each of the students we know is actually an ancient Greek god but prefer to go by their common names when together. This is addressed in the story, but as I know not everyone is terribly familiar with Greek lore, I've detailed each of the characters at the end of the story, as well as their godly attributes for reference.

One final note. Each of these gods was said to be one of the children of Zeus, thus the reference to siblings in the story. It doesn't really affect anything other than my trying to line the characters up with basic lore, and the fact that the characters are not rivals. This ends up with slightly softer Slytherins since they are amongst friends/family.

Divine Intervention

"Hades' balls, it's hot today. Can't you do anything about this, Hephaestus?"

Harry scowled and wadded up the napkin he was using, throwing it at Dionysos. "Blaise, you idiot, you know very well I don't control the weather, even if the sun is a ball of fire. And it's Harry. Just Harry. Or should I go around using your given name like a common mortal?"

"Calm down, little brother. I'm just playing." Blaise took a long draw of his wine glass and sprawled back in his chair, the crown of ivy in his hair adjusting slightly as he moved. "Isn't there something we can do to entertain ourselves today? I'm bored." He heaved a long sigh. "Draco, do you have anything?"

Apollo raised a single, pale-blond eyebrow from his position on the dais, his long fingers never pausing on his lyre. The gentle music continued as he spoke. "Is my music not enough for you? I assure you, the people would appreciate it."

"It's lovely, dear, as is your poetry and your manly physique, but sometimes we need something more," his twin, Artemis, soothed. "Maybe a hunt." Her dark eyes took on a sparkling interest as she sat up, her short black hair swinging around her chin. "We can find a nice, cool, forest, and—"

"Pansy, we promised Harry we'd stay here today and watch the emporium with him. You know it's his day."

"Thanks, Hermione." Harry laid a hand over Athena's where she sat next to him. "I appreciate it, love." He turned back to his best friends, those of his siblings whom he most loved. "It's only for today, everyone. Please. I sit with you on your temple days."

The others settled back and though there were some grumbles, they silently acknowledged Harry's point. Temple days required the young god or goddess to be present for the mortals. Not that the people could see the group where they lounged, watching, but it was their worship that gave the deities their strength. The offerings, the prayers, they all served to build the gods' magic, which in turn, helped the people.

The people. Harry didn't want to admit it to his siblings, as they would likely tease him, but he did love the people. His people, in his town. Sure, he was the god of fire and heaven, but he enjoyed working with his hands, crafting tools and armour, and more than that, helping inspire all the mortal workers who did the same. His town, though, contained some of the best blacksmiths, carpenters, and metalworkers found anywhere, and it was due to his influence.

He stood and walked to the wall that divided their realm from the mortals in the emporium outside the temple. What must it be like to be mortal? To worry about hunger and fear death? A chill ran up his back at the thought.

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice asked next to his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed Apollo approaching, as the music had continued. Glancing over, Harry noticed one of his friend's ever-present nymphs had taken over the quiet strumming.

"Yeah," Harry said, leaning his arms onto the wall. "Does this ever get old to you?"

"Old? How so?"

"Just sitting here, letting them thank us for anything and everything, even the stuff that has nothing to do with us."

Draco stared at him, his brows furrowed. "What do you mean, thank you for anything and everything?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, you know, like when someone is miraculously healed, or when a woman who was unable to conceive suddenly becomes pregnant. I mean, they're my people in my town who worship at my temple. They know I'm the god of fire and heaven and that my work enhances the craftsman. Why would they thank me for getting pregnant? It makes no sense."

"They thank you for that?" Draco repeated, sounding unamused. "You're right. That makes absolutely no sense." He paused, and Harry watched the emotions crossing his brother's face. "What about thanking me? I'm the one who does that stuff. And you just let them? You take all the credit?"

Harry let out a harsh laugh. "Well, what would you have me do? Go down there and correct them?"

"Yes! Of course, I would!" Draco's blond hair was crackling with his irritation. He turned to the others. "Hey, everyone, listen up. We're going down there. Harry, here, has been taking all the credit for our work."

"That's not what I said!" Harry argued. "Don't they all do that in your temples too? Bring you gifts and thank you for everything that's gone well, even when it wasn't your work?"

Hermione and Pansy both seemed amused but shook their heads.

Blaise poured another glass of wine and sipped with a smile. "It happens for me when people are drunk. I get thanked for everything, but I assume that counts since I, well, supplied the wine, such as it is."

Hermione stood gracefully and turned to Draco, her tone chiding. "You can't just go down there with Harry. It's his Temple Day, and they'll be watching for him. You know we can't just mingle with mortals when they know who we are."

Pansy began to chuckle, and Harry got nervous. It was never a good thing when Artemis got that look. "Hermione has a good point."

"Thank you." Harry let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "See?" he asked Draco.

"That just means they'll just have to go in disguise," Pansy continued, her tone challenging and an amused grin on her face. "Hermione, you take Harry and I'll take Draco, then we'll see which one can better pass for a mortal. There's only one stipulation." She leaned over and whispered into Hermione's ear with an evil grin.

"Deal," Hermione agreed, looking excited. "Come on, Harry."

"I just don't see why we had to come down here like this," Harry complained, stepping out of the way of a rapidly moving cart in the busy marketplace.

Draco rolled his eyes and touched the elegant chignon that Pansy had folded his hair into. His face looked healthy in the summer sunshine, his features made delicate in his disguise, and his natural elegance bleeding through. "You're just jealous you don't make as good of a woman as I do."

Harry scowled, adjusting the band that sat below his newly conjured breasts. They'd shaved his face, as well, and his chin felt naked. "Whatever. Come on. You're the one who wanted to do this. I'm assuming you have a grand plan that we're to use to convince everyone to listen to us? It's not like I can just go up to them and say, 'Hey, you know Hephaestus, the god whose temple this is and you're here to worship? Who, by the way, is so totally not me? Yeah, well, here are some parchments detailing out what he's the actual god of, which, if you'll notice, is fire and not all these other wonderful things that you're thanking him for.'"

Draco let out a hum. "That sounds perfect, actually. Let's add who is the god of those wonderful things while we're at it. Here, I'll spell it out for you since Hermione isn't around to help. A-P-O-L-L-O. There you go."

Harry felt his lips twitch but smothered the laugh. Draco could drive him crazy, but he did love competing with him. And this was a competition, thanks to the girls. Harry just had to pass as the better woman while they were on their little mission.

"So what's the plan?"

"Hmm?" Draco asked, distracted by a comely young couple that was walking by them.

"Stop it." Harry glared. "You can mess with the mortals in your own temple. Mine are off-limits."

"But they were both so lovely," Draco said with a whine before turning his eyes back to Harry. "Fine. Yes, a plan. So, we go find someone who needs help—the kind of help you don't offer, let me remind you—and I'll take it from there."

Harry was sceptical. "And you think you'll convince them that it wasn't me helping?"

Draco couldn't hear him over the din of the emporium, however, which was proving to be a particular challenge. Temple Day was often a market day as well, and the busy marketplace was full of craftsmen and farmers selling their wares. Voices called out to gather people's attention, and men, women, and random children were scattered in every direction going about their days. Harry and Draco were unused to such crowds, but while Harry wanted to shy away from it all, Draco seemed to revel in it.

"Isn't it wonderful?" he muttered to Harry. "All these people, and they worship us."

Harry laughed, shaking his head. "Yes, well, if that's what gets you off. Personally, I'd rather just spend the day back in my foundry, getting some work done."

"You're an idiot. Come on. There are a bunch of women gathering on the steps of your temple."

Draco moved in that direction, but he came to an abrupt halt, causing Harry to bump into him. "Ow," he mumbled, rubbing his chest. "These breasts hurt. Don't do that."

"Shut up," Draco muttered, sounding annoyed and catching Harry's attention.

Blocking their path were three large men, barely older than teenagers, but they were eyeing Harry and Draco closely.

"Well, what do we have here? Two beautiful ladies, alone in the marketplace. Does that mean you're for sale?"

"For sa—" Harry cut off when Draco elbowed him in the gut.

"We're too expensive for the likes of you," Draco said, his voice sensuous, but aloof.

Harry's jaw dropped, shocked at the insinuation. "What?" he exhaled, so quiet that only Draco could hear him.

"Why don't you run along and get out of our way," Draco continued, making the dismissal clear in his voice.

"Oh, she's a feisty one," the dark-haired one, who happened to be the shortest of the three and the most muscular, crooned. "I like them feisty. Come here and show me more of that fire."

Harry's temper bubbled up at the realisation that these men were prepared to accost young women, here, in his marketplace. On his Temple Day! And they'd be doing it to another set of young women if Harry and Draco hadn't been here. The man wanted to see fire, did he?

Draco was saying something, but the buzz in Harry's ears drowned him out. Instead, he looked at the ground below the man's feet. Small bits of grass were poking up through the cobblestone. Perfect.

The man's shriek rang through the din of the crowd, and all heads turned their way. The grasses had caught fire, and as the men were not soldiers and had no foot coverings, it accomplished Harry's goal.

Draco turned and glared at Harry, but the men had all retreated, their feet blistered, and Harry let the fire die out. "What?" Harry asked, his voice all innocence. "They left, didn't they?"

"We're supposed to be in disguise, you nitwit." He sighed. "Come on. And try not to look so enticing."

"Me?"

"It's the idiotic look on your face, I think. Mortals like that kind of thing."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Hopefully, they'll think twice about accosting a perfectly innocent woman again."

Draco followed along as Harry pushed through the crowd, stalking like the blacksmith he was. How anyone thought he was a woman was beyond Draco. "Maybe that's why these people feel like they should thank you for saving them. You do seem to have a hero complex."

Harry paused and whirled on his brother, scowling. "Just because I don't like arseholes preying on young women in my marketplace, doesn't mean I have a hero complex. It simply means I value gallantry."

"Sure," Draco deadpanned, and Harry huffed before continuing on his way.

The group of women they'd noticed on the steps of the temple were gathered near a young boy. He was very thin and dirty, one of the many urchins that found their way to the towns and cities where there were places to hide and food to steal. Harry's heart went out to them, but there were too many to help.

This one, however, appeared to be lame and near death, probably unable to care for himself. The women were lamenting the poor child's circumstances.

"Poor thing can't even walk properly. If he could, I'd take him home and let him work my farm with my children," a short, rotund woman said to the taller woman next to her. "Another mouth is nothing to an extra pair of hands. He can't be more than five years old, can he?"

"Perhaps," another woman said, sounding contemplative, "I can use him to help with my spinning. He is rather adorable, even if he is crippled. That ankle looks like it's attached at the wrong angle. I've never seen anything like it."

"This," Draco whispered to Harry, "is my chance. So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to help him, and you'll explain that I'm from Delphi. It'll all fall into place then."

Harry shrugged and gestured Draco forwards, pleased that he was going to help one of Harry's people.

"Ladies," Draco said, his voice high and sweet and pure as music, like only Apollo could make it. "I think I can help this poor child. Will you let me try?"

The women stepped back and looked around, confused, so Harry stepped closer. "She's a priestess from Delphi. She may be able to bring the great Apollo's attention to the child." Harry put just a bit of sarcasm into his statement, but Draco ignored him.

Draco knelt before the boy and laid his hands on the child's head. Harry could see the glow of healing cover the boy, but he knew the mortals would see nothing but a beautiful woman and a dirty child. As the glow faded, the boy opened his eyes and looked into Draco's deep grey gaze.

"It doesn't hurt no more," the boy said, and the gathered women began to chatter. The rotund woman dropped down and handed the boy a chunk of bread, then looked down at the boy's healed ankle.

"He's healed!" She turned to Draco and smiled. "Thank you, priestess!" Then she turned to the top of the stairs where Harry's temple loomed over them all. "And thank you, great Hephaestus! Without you, this wonderful miracle could not happen!"

Draco's eyes widened in shock. "But, I'm a priestess for Apollo. Why don't you thank him?" Harry hoped that he was the only one who could hear the irritation in Draco's question. "He's the god of healing, and this boy has been healed."

The woman smiled and patted Draco's cheek. "Well, yes, but you wouldn't be here—in this place at this time—if not for Hephaestus' Temple Day. He brought you to us so you could heal the boy. And now this boy can grow up and perhaps one day, he'll make great armour and swords due to Hephaestus' blessings."

Harry pushed down the laughter but decided to intervene. "True enough, ma'am, but even Hephaestus wouldn't be able to heal the child without Apollo's blessings. And he couldn't enlighten us without Athena's or bring the hunt without Artemis'. He needs the help of his friends and family, don't you think?"

The woman's eyes were flat as they eyed Harry. "But how would Artemis hunt without Hephaestus' weapons and tools? How would Athena wage battle, and what would Apollo have to write and sing about? Hephaestus is great, and we owe this miracle to him." She looked at the women around her, and they all nodded emphatically.

Harry looked at Draco and shrugged, and Draco simply stared, his jaw moving up and down, speechless. The women moved on, the young boy with them, and Harry stepped closer to his friend.

"Well, great Apollo, do I need to gather your muses? You seem at a loss for words."

"It makes no sense. I, Apollo, literally healed the boy."

Harry laughed. "As I said, it gets old accepting all the thanks, but if it makes them feel better, I suppose it's okay."

Draco spluttered, and Harry grabbed him by the arm, pulling him up the stairs and into the temple where they could return to their friends without being noticed. When they did, Hermione, Blaise, and Pansy stood, clapping slowly at their arrival.

"Impressive," Pansy greeted them. "I'm not sure you accomplished anything, though."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Other than saving that child and convincing those men to leave unattended women alone?"

"Don't forget Draco's job of convincing everyone that we're all dependent upon Harry," Blaise added.

"Well, I mean, they weren't wrong," Harry said, unable to resist irritating his siblings. It was just so much fun. "Now, Hermione, can you get these things off me?" He gestured to his breasts. "They itch."

"Draco definitely made the better woman, darling," she said in a placating voice, returning his body to normal, then doing the same for Draco.

Draco pouted, then gave a little smile. "Well, at least there was that." He stepped back over to his lyre and ran a finger over the strings. "And at least we're not bored anymore, right?"

"Cheers," Blaise agreed, raising his glass. "Now, what are we going to do for my Temple Day next week? I don't know if we can top cross-dressing or mortal combat, but I'm willing to try."

"Mortal combat?" Harry asked, amused.

"Well, mortal brush-off? Mortal smackdown? What would you call what you did to those men, anyway?"

"Smackdown will do," he agreed, enjoying the image that conjured. "So, what did you have in mind?"

Harry sat back and listened to his friends plan out their next Temple Day, and thinking about the child in the emporium, he smiled. It was a good day, even if he did still have to take the credit.

Finis

Endnote:

As promised, here's a little bit of extra information about the characters/gods. This is not the end-all/be-all of Greek god information, just a general google search compilation I pulled from several websites.

Harry — Hephaestus — Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture. He was a smithing god, making all of the weapons for Olympus and acting as a blacksmith for the gods.

Draco — Apollo — Apollo was the god of music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, prophecy, poetry, manly beauty, and archery.

Hermione — Athena — Athena was the goddess of reason, wisdom, intelligence, skill, peace, warfare, battle strategy, and handicrafts.

Pansy — Artemis — Artemis was the virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, the Moon and young girls; she's the twin sister of Apollo.

Blaise — Dionysos — Dionysos was the god of wine, fruitfulness, parties, festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, vegetation, ecstasy, and the theatre.