Note: I made a poll on a couple of previously published chapters about certain fanfic ideas that I had popping around in my head. This was the number one choice. Some have remarked to me that giving an audience polls is a bad precedent for an author's work as it can derail the planned results for a piece. To that I say, I don't put out polls that can derail me. When I give options they are options that have set plans for how they can work in my stories. I have given polls in the past, and will continue to in the future, because I love having the interaction with my readers and giving them a bit of a voice in how certain things can progress.
Note: I can already see a certain goddess's reactions causing problems and questions for some people, and to that I say… look into Greek history. Persephone is waaaaayyyyy more bloodthirsty than Hades in her punishments.
Note: I know that Rick Riordan has given descriptions for how the gods are supposed to look, but I might tweak some of them for a few different reasons. One of them is that it has been a bit since I've read the books so some of the smaller things like character descriptions have become a little fuzzy. Second, the gods change with the times in the story, so I choose to believe that they'd do it bit more often than the regular canon.
Note: Also gonna be including a bit more wealth imagery in connection to Hades. He's the god of the hidden wealth of the earth as well as the dead after all. I don't think that gets hit on enough in these stories.
Part One - The Boy Who Lived… In The Underworld
"I'm sorry Mrs. Potter," The medi-witch spoke softly as she read from the notes on her clipboard, "we've performed three separate tests and verified them with second opinions. "All signs point to a new variant of dragon pox."
"W-What does that mean?" Lily was seated beside her bedridden husband of six months. They'd been celebrating a half year of marriage when James had just collapsed at the dinner table. When all attempts at waking him had failed she'd rushed him over to the flu and checked him into the famed wizarding hospital of Saint Mungos. It was a risk to be sure, going anywhere outside their wards with Voldemort's minions out in force and creating all kinds of havoc, but as far as the red haired witch was concerned her husband's health mattered more than their temporary safety.
The medi-witch, a stern faced woman named Evelyn, sighed as she folded her clipboard under her arm. She hated being the bearer of bad news. Especially of this variety. "Like all magical children, your husband was inoculated against dragon pox at a young age. But that is only the strand of the virus we know about. You are muggleborn yes?" At her nod, the witch said, "Good, then you understand the premise of vaccines?" another nod. "Right, well, they are used to make our bodies more resistant to changing strands of known diseases. The problem here is that James seems to have contracted a much more deadly version than we currently know how to treat. We've tried all the known methods, magically enhanced antibodies, transfusions, we've even flat out replaced the rotted blood where we could with a healthier variety, but the infection is spreading faster than anything we've ever seen. It's a small miracle that this version isn't airborne or we'd be in a right pickle here."
"Y-Y-You," Lily cleared her throat. It wouldn't help her James to fall apart right now. She tried again. "You mean there isn't anything you can do?"
The witch tried to think of an easier way to break the news, but in the end settled for, "We can make him comfortable."
"So he's going to… to die?"
Evelyn nodded, saddened beyond words at the silent tears she could see Mrs. Potter trying like hell to hold back. "I'll leave you to say goodbye." Taking her leave, Evelyn locked the door form the inside before closing it. She wouldn't want any interruptions if she were in the other woman's shoes after all.
The red haired fire cracker of a woman stared forlornly down at her husband, her best friend, and her better half. The man that had convinced her to get her head out of her books and enjoy the small moments of life. He was always smiling, always laughing, but now he was just lying pale on a hospital cot, breathing in sharp, short, gasps as his unconscious body struggled to stay alive.
She tried to speak, really she did, but what was there to say? What could she say? How does one address the depths of years worth of feelings, experiences, and lost chances in any reasonable way? How would one even start?
"Yes, I'm told last words are always a bother." A voice spoke over Lily's shoulder, causing her to nearly fall out of her chair as she scrambled away, levering her wand at the speaker. What she saw froze her solidly in place. There wasn't just one intruder, but two. The first was a giant of a man, standing at a solid six foot six inches in a crisp black Italian suit. His skin was pale as marble, and he had a head of jet-black hair cascading down from a slight widows peak into a tidy ponytail along his spine. His facial features were sharp, refined, and noble. All straight angles from his brow down to a neatly goateed chin. Eyes of gold glittered out from beneath heavy eyebrows, almost seeming to pulse as her perusal came to them. Long, pointed, fingers clenched tightly to the head of a crimson cane as well as the hand of his companion. And what a companion she was.
Serving as a stark contrast to the man beside her, the woman was on the shorter side at a respectable five foot five inches. She was dressed in an emerald gown that exposed more of her ample… assets, than was probably proper, had beautifully curled brown hair that fell down her shoulders in waves, and bore the warmest brown eyes Lily had ever seen. Her smile, while just as comforting as her eyes, was set in a smooth face that belonged on the best models of France. The last thing Lily noted was that the mystery woman's free hand was absolutely covered in gold bangles and gem filled rings.
"Who the hell are you?" She growled, eyes rapidly looking to the one door to the room and its windows for a possible point of entry. Apparition was warded against completely in the rooms, so it had to be one of those. "How did you get in here?"
The man's hand clenched on his cane at the clear disrespect being presented to him, but the woman gently squeezed the one she held and said, "Now, now beloved. Be still. She does not yet know to whom she speaks."
He relaxed under her ministrations and nodded before releasing his companion's hand and waving it lazily in the air. Two things happened then. First, Lily's wand disappeared from her hand, appearing on the cot her husband lay upon. Second, a swirling vortex of darkness opened just over his body. As the near hysterical witch watched, a silvery glow began to gather in James's mouth before slowly rising towards it. She tried to run to him, but her body refused to move. All except her mouth that is.
"Stop!" She wailed, "Whatever you're doing please stop it!"
"Beloved…" the woman spoke again, this time with a touch of exasperation coloring her voice.
"Yes, dear." The man sounded rather disappointed as he lowered his hand, that strange portal of nothingness disappearing with the motion. Then he turned to the still frozen redhead. "I am going to release you, and when I do you will not scream, attack us, or do anything else stupid. By now you should know that if we meant you harm we could easily achieve it."
Lily gulped and nodded her acknowledgment of his words.
"Good." A fresh wave of the hand, and suddenly all three of them were sat on black leathered recliners facing each other. Never mind that such furniture should have in no way fit inside of the cramped hospital room.
Wasting no time at all the woman pulled the lever on the side of her chair to release her footrest and got comfortable as she said, "Introductions first, then. I am Persephone, queen of the underworld and goddess of death and spring. This dour brute here," she nudged the man beside her, "is my husband. Hades, king of the underworld, god of death and hidden wealth."
The red haired witch gasped at that admission and latched her hand onto her husband's limp one. Sure, a normal person might have questioned a couple of strangers claiming to be gods, but she wielded arcane power as if it were an everyday occurrence, had seen all manor of magical creatures, and had just witnessed a dark portal sucking out her husband's soul before it had been canceled out. "Are you here to take James's life?" She was nearly whimpering at the end.
Persephone gave the other woman a sympathetic look as she answered, "Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how you answer our question."
"W-What?"
"James Potter is dying." The goddess began, "In fact, according to the progression of illness that I can see, he has barely another two days to go. However, my husband has it within his abilities to heal him here and now."
Lily was starting to see where this was going. She'd read enough Greek history to know what Gods offering your deepest desires typically meant. "What do you want in return?"
Hades, who had thus far let his queen take the reigns of the conversation spoke up, "A life."
Lily blinked, "A life? You mean you want me to kill someone?"
"No, though I like where your head is at mortal." A sly grin spread across the god's face. "I am saving a life for you, so we want you to create a life for us. Persephone and I would grace you with our divine essences, and this in turn would cause you to bear a child of both of our lineages to term. Once that is done, we will collect the child from you."
"Y-You want me to be your… surrogate?" The red haired woman could hardly believe what she was hearing.
Persephone nodded, "I knew you were bright. I could feel it when I first spotted you all those months ago."
Lily paled, "Months!"
The goddess raised a hand to silence her, "Now now, dear, the adults are talking so please be quiet. Now, both Hades and I desire a demigod of our own, but do not wish to cheat on each other. It has happened before and has only led to misery on both of our parts. But if we do it this way, then the child will be of us both, thus eliminating the issue." When the redhead started waving her hand around Persephone sighed and nodded, "Yes?"
"Two questions. First, why is it so important to have a demigod child? I could swear I've read stories of you two already having godly children. Second… if I am to bear a child just to give it up, I need to know what you'll do with it." As she turned to stare forlornly at her dying husband, the goddess of spring just knew that they had her.
"There are a few reasons for the first, dear. I guess the primary one is that raising a demigod, and a god, are two separate things. They require different styles of parenting, affection, and time management. Even the way you feel emotions for them are different in a way. It is something that both of us wish to explore in more depth. Plus, with both of us providing the parental material, we'll be able to get around a pesky little rule of Olympus that says a godly parent isn't supposed to raise their demigod. It's a bit of a grey area, but since he or she will belong to both of us, we can say that rule does not apply. As to the second question…" She looked to her husband.
Hades sighed and leaned forward, addressing the human directly. "Keep in mind that the only reason I tell you this is that we have cursed this conversation. Should you breath a word of it to anyone, even your husband, he will die on the spot, as will you, and your family will feel my ire for three more generations." When she nodded her understanding of the seriousness of what was about to be said he continued, "There is a prophecy. One that states the fate of the world will be decided by the halfblood child of one of the big three deities. In this case myself or my brothers, Zeus and Poseidon. After hearing it we swore an oath to each other not to bear anymore demigods on mortal women as a way to avoid this event ever coming to fulfillment, but I have it on good authority that Zeus at least has broken his side of the oath. Given the excuse I can't imagine Poseidon will stay himself for too much longer either should someone catch his eye. And knowing my brothers as I do, their powers and temperaments, I simply cannot trust the fate of the world to any of their line. This child would be raised in a manner that should the prophecy fall to them, would ensure this world's survival. He or she will be loved, cared for, but also taught the martial and magical arts as well as philosophy. While my brothers children will be at the whims of nature, my child will have nurture to teach them the values needed to succeed in life. If the prophecy refers to one of mine, then they will be ready to meet it."
"W-Well then…" Lily trailed off, not sure what to say to fill the silence as she considered her options. It didn't take her long to come to conclusion that there really weren't any. She could act as a surrogate or let her husband die. The experts of magical healing in this very building had already told her there was nothing else to be done after all.
So it was that the hot tempered redhead squared her shoulders and faced the gods head-on. "I am inclined to agree, but there is one issue I can see. The magical world that I'm a part of is at war. There is a strong possibility that the man leading the opposition will come after me for fighting against him as I have been. I can't fight him if I'm pregnant, which means I'll need to get behind the strongest wards I can find."
Already anticipating where the objection was going, Hades raised a hand to stop her speech. "I will not fault you for safeguarding yourself and my child. Should that happen it is fine for you to go into hiding. We will watch and wait. I can guarantee you that both my wife and I are fully capable of tracking down one of our blood. Our hounds as well for that matter. Additionally, you need not worry about excuses for why you no longer have the child. We will provide you with a copy that will seem to die of natural causes a few days after we retrieve him."
"Good." Lily breathed a sigh of relief. "The last thing I'd want is for you to wait nine months, not find the child, and think I cheated the god of death."
"Indeed." The god's golden eyes flared with promised doom should she even consider such a thing.
"Alright, what now then?"
"You need to say the words, dear." Persephone leaned forward to take her hand. "Say that you agree to our terms. It will seal the pact."
Dimly Lily realized this was the goddess giving her one last chance to back out, but a solitary look at James' pale face, devoid of life and blood, sealed her resolve. She looked Persephone right in the eyes and said, "I Lily Evans-Potter do hereby agree to your terms. I swear on my life and magic to honor them and bear your child."
The gods smiled as both of them raised their hands high. "So mote it be." They chanted as the room was filled with light. Lily felt a great warmth settle in her stomach and as the light faded she found that the deities had vanished and her husband was sitting up in bed, the blood returned to his face and his eyes looking at her questioningly.
"Lils?" He asked warily, "What am I doing in Saint Mungo's?"
No audible reply reached the man as his wife launched herself across the room to embrace him.
One Year and Nine Months Later
Persephone was stalking impatiently down the streets of Little Winging. It was a year, a her-damned year over the deadline for when she was supposed to get her baby. That meant her perfectly decorated baby room in the castle was only gathering dust when it should have its primary occupant crawling all over it. Oh, that woman was going to get a piece of her mind once she found her. Sure her husband had said he'd understand her going into hiding but this really was just too long.
She and Hades had been having a lovely dinner earlier that night when both of their senses had pinged with the sudden sense of their progeny. Hades, bless his heart, had made an attempt to go look for it, but Persephone had insisted on the task. It was selfish she knew, but she wanted hers to be the first of his true parents faces he saw. It was as she came to edge of a strangely dark street that her senses told her her child was stopping before a certain house, and then all senses of him disappeared completely. Suddenly terrified at the prospect of losing him again she ran to house she'd last felt him and the sound of an infants cries warmed her heart. She could see him now. A little boy lying in a basket on the front door's step. Wait… a basket? And what was that energy field she felt around the perimeter?
Stopping short Persephone reached out with her senses, letting herself feel everything that is, was, or could be. Ah, there it was. A blood ward was set around the home, and it was tied to… Oh. So Lily Potter was dead then. Well she'd just be giving her rant to a ghost after retrieving her little boy then wouldn't she.
The goddess walked wight up to the boundary line, held her hand flat against a mystical wall no mortal would be able to even acknowledge existed, and with a burst of divine will shattered it completely. As if it could feel the energy of its mother, her baby boy ceased his crying upon her burst of power.
The goddess smiled as she strode across the green expanse of the lawn to pick up her child and place him in the crook of her arm. "Oh, my sweet little boy." She cooed as she nuzzled his suddenly laughing visage with her nose. "Oh, mommy's so happy to finally meet you." She pulled back a bit to actually look at him and suddenly took note of his features. He had her husband's nose and facial shape, along with her ears. The green eyes were a surprise, but she supposed as the surrogate Lily was bound to pass on at least one trait. Then she saw the scar, and with a massive amount of self restraint kept herself from scowling. It wouldn't do for her little one to see such an ugly expression on her face.
Instead she picked up a letter that was of all things pinned to his blanket and shadow traveled them both into the depths of the underworld. To the room she shared with Hades to be exact. His happy exclamation at their arrival was cut short as she thrust their child into his arms and pointed at the angry wound on his forehead. "Curse scar, damned soul, phylactery, heal it now!"
Well used to his wife in this kind of mood, the god of the dead didn't hesitate or question. Rather he turned his focus onto the boy while she appeared to be reading a letter. Unsurprisingly enough his wife was right. Some piece of filth had apparently tried to turn his son into a phylactery. Oh… when he found that person he was going to make them suffer more torture than anyone in the history of torture had been tortured with before. Oh yes indeed. Slowly he passed his hand over his son's head and when he removed it, a writhing, smoking, wretch of a soul was clung to his fingertips trying to tear itself away. The lord of the dead smiled darkly as he addressed it.
"Only part of a whole are you? Well don't worry, I'll be reuniting you with your brethren soon enough." He clenched his hand into a fist and took a perverse pleasure in the soul's scream as it disappeared, having been transferred to Hades private torture chamber in the basement. There were going to be a lot of… questions, answered soon enough. A quick look back at his son's face saw that the scar was no longer there. Rather he was faced with a smiling toddler reaching his grabby little hands up to his face. The god smiled as he raised his boy up enough for him to latch onto his nose. He let him run his tiny digits around for a while, and then when he began to yawn, conjured a pillow covered crib of silver and laid him down in it. It only took a few moments for him to begin snoozing.
"Poor thing, all tuckered out. Where was he?" Hades turned to his wife and found her trembling with rage, the letter from before burning to a crisp in the palm of her hand. "Persephone?"
"According to this letter Harry was left with Lily's sister after she was murdered protecting him."
"Harry?"
"The name Lily gave him."
"Are we keeping it?"
"She died protecting him, Hades. We can honor her with that at the very least. Apparently a so-called dark lord attacked her home, killed her and James, and tried to kill Harry, but something went wrong and he died instead."
"Lily did say her country was at war. Huh, I didn't think the man would find them. Do you think he used a death curse to kill our boy?"
Persephone nodded. "If he was creating a phylactery he'd have needed to, and Harry's natural affinity to death would have downright nullified it." The woman was still shaking, earning a nervous eyebrow raise from her husband.
"Darling, what about that letter has you in such a mood?" There were very, very, few things that scared the god of the dead, but one of them was his wife when she was angry.
Slowly, oh so slowly, the goddess released the flame from her hands to let the ashes fall to the floor. Then as her beloved husband watched she stomped on them. "Husband, if a man named Albus Dumbledore crosses over his soul is mine." She seethed.
"O-kay." Hades hedged.
"I'm going to flay him limb from limb. Make him eat his own intestines!" She stopped and a truly wicked grin crossed her features. "Every time he moves I'll make him step on a lego." She started to laugh maniacally.
"Hmhm." Hades coughed into his hand, if only to derail his lovely wife from her plans of revenge and mutilation. She just got so lost in it sometimes. "What exactly has this man done to earn your ire?"
"He was the one who left our son in a basket on a doorstep in the middle of the night in October! He wrote an extremely vague letter saying that Lily was dead and although they were estranged he expected her sister to look after her son. No explanations as to what happened, no reasons, no list of allergies or medications he needed. The man just expected a woman that clearly hated her sister and her family to support her nephew! Did he do a home visit? Was there a monetary system in place to pay for him and his needs? What background checks did this couple have! What was his right to do any of this! I can't believe Lily didn't have guardians lined up!" The more she spoke the louder she became, and more the stone floor beneath her feet began to splinter.
Fearing the wails of a waking child, the god stepped forward to pull the woman into a tight embrace. "So this Dumbledore basically kidnapped our son?"
"Not only that." By now the rage had escaped her grasp and persephone was starting to sniffle. Ugh, she hadn't even born the child but the mothering hormones were apparently still coming after her. "The last line, he wrote a p.s."
"What did he say?"
"That no matter what happened they weren't to touch the scar on his head. No examinations, no plastic surgery. He said it was important and needed to be left alone."
Hades stilled. "So he knew about the phylactery?"
"Most likely."
"His soul is yours." He growled. "Though make the lego every few steps. If he lands on one every time he moves he'll get used to the pain."
"Noted." The two looked over at their sleeping child and neither could help but smile. After all this time he was finally where he belonged, and he was beautiful.
"Our little Harry." Hades whispered, "The Prince of Darkness. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"