AN: If you are religious in any capacity, for any religion, know that I'm not making fun of you in this chapter. Raised by the Dursleys as she was, Hera has a very sketchy understanding of what religion or God even is, as she's had to work a lot of this out for herself. Given that she understands who she was before, she doesn't know what the being's thoughts would be on that; not to mention what said being's thoughts would be on an entire society of magic users that were born with the ability.

Last time...

"Dumbledore had ages to do something about Riddle and his lot. He chose a long drawn out plot that did nothing but cause more suffering and death, and now we are all facing the repercussions of that choice." Hera continued. "My childhood ended the moment I realized that even now you want to defend him, want to deny that he's left his problems at my feet, and cursed me as a child of prophecy. Those tend not to live long; I've checked. If you'd really wanted your children safe, you'd have never let them anywhere near me. I will do what must be done, and your children will be given every chance to survive this war, but know that it is you that cannot interfere."

"I'm their mother!"

"You are," Hera agreed, and her lips tilted into a cruel smile, even as her eyes began to sting with tears unshed. "but what's done is done, and what's said is said. You are the one whose magic accepted my vow; the vow of a child, one of prophecy at that, and the Lady of her House. You can't interfere, or your life and magic will become just as at risk as my own, and you know it. Now unless you want to risk interfering with a vow of magic, I'd suggest you call your little Order meeting together, and give them something to really worry about; like figuring out how to end this war before I have to teach your children how to fight in it."

Chapter 61

"Wait." Tony called out just before the kids were getting ready to enter her room. "Don't go in just yet."

"Why the bloody hell not?" Ron hissed. All of the kids turned with him, giving Tony mutinous glares, while the adults had stayed in the parlor in apprehension and worry.

"Just…Just give me a minute to talk with her, and then you can all go in, okay?" Tony bargained. "That's all I'm asking."

"I think you should let him." He was pretty sure this one was Fred.

"Yeah. You all know how she feels about Mum, and she said some pretty harsh – and equally true – things back there." George concurred.

"What are you trying to say?" A young girl, who was obviously their little sister, demanded, glaring at the boy.

"Hera loves Mum, but she's not willing to just deal with her the way we do." Fred explained. "Adding to the fact that she has grown up more independent than we did, Hera isn't likely to give in when Mum exerts control and authority."

"As much as Mum likes to think of her as one of her own, Hera isn't her kid." George added. "It's like when Hermione came to stay over a bit before the World Cup, remember? The more Mum tried to push her world view on Hermione, the more Hermione pushed back; and the more Hermione did, the more Mum pushed, and the more Hermione rebelled. It was escalating. If Hera and Ginny hadn't begun running interference, George and I were planning to. It's taken Hera much longer, but the principle is the same."

"I thought you were George." Tony interjected, causing George to give him the suspicious side eye for a moment, so he decided to give the boy an out. "Or are you Fred? I'll get it right eventually. Not giving up, you know."

"Our point is that while Hera may be willing to say the harsh truths Mum needed to hear, it doesn't mean she won't feel bad about it." Fred shrugged, though he too looked at Tony closely for a moment. "She could have put it more gently, but that would have just given Mum wiggle room to not take her seriously. So give her brother a moment to make sure she's alright, and then we can go in. Yeah?"

The other kids looked to each other in a quick but silent conversation, before seeming to given in and shuffle away from the door a bit; allowing Tony to open the door and step inside the room, before closing the door behind him.

"Hera?" Tony hesitated in uncertainty. He was stumped by the teary mess that Hera now was sitting on the bed. Both Fen and Jör were offering up cuddles for comfort, and Hedwig was perched on her shoulder and leaning into her. "You know, I'm starting to see the whole Disney Princess thing Wolf-man mentioned before we left the States; very Snow White."

"She's gonna hate me." Hera hiccupped as she sobbed. "I said…such awful things…Why did I say those things?"

"Because they needed to be said. Yeah, it might have been a bit too harsh, but she needed to hear it." Tony answered readily, taking a chair to sit closer in front of her. "Can you do one of those privacy spells?"

A snap of her fingers, and she nodded that it was done.

"He was known as the god of lies, whether for his ability to spin them or his ability to know when they were spoken, at least in the stories I was able to dig up. However, that wasn't all he was." Tony said softly. Hera was looking down at the floor, sniffling now, and so he nudged her chin up a little until she looked at him in bewildered confusion. "Lies and Hard Truths, those titles are a part of you – then and now."

"They used to call him 'Silver Tongue', you know, for the stories he would tell in the Mead Hall." She revealed softly with a small grin, though it turned to a frown as she went on. "It only turned into an insult…into his title as the god of Lies and Hard Truths when Thor's friends began nitpicking his stories when they were too grand, and loudly denying them when Loki refused to back down from revealing how badly an adventure had gone, and then…then it was just the god of lies…Why do you trust me, knowing who I was…what he'll do…Why give me that leverage?"

Tony didn't even hesitate. "Because you're you."

That earned him a fierce hug.

"Thank you, Tony." She whispered.

"Hey, I'm competing for best big brother here." Tony teased, causing Hera to snort. "I plan to be such a great big brother that when Thor finally makes it down here, and realizes who you were – Hey, it's bound to happen at some point, right? – he won't have a chance, because I'm just that awesome."

"I'll get you a mug or something." She chuckled, drying her tears with the edge of her sleeve.

"Now, you have a group of kids out there who are probably going crazy, and they all want to talk to you." Tony stated with his 'Let's do this!' attitude. "I'm going to go see if I can diffuse the adults while you guys talk. Okay?"

"Come back when you're done." Hera agreed, surprising him. "Tony, the only way I can see you diffusing that bomb is by letting them think you'll be their idea of a spy."

"How do you figure?" Tony wondered. The idea had occurred to him too, but he wanted to hear the logic behind her assumption.

"Simple. You're more of a child than any adult I know, and it's clear that I gravitate to you in part because of that. It is a large part of why I trust you more, because you haven't yet forgotten what it is to be a kid who's been ignored." Hera shrugged. "They're bound to see it for the resource that it is, and also try to guide you 'in the ways of adulthood' or some such rubbish. As long as you stay away from Unbreakable Vows and Geas, you should be fine. I'm not entirely certain what those would actually do to you, and Unbreakable Vows are dangerous anyway if you try and work around them, because they kill you for the attempt."

"You should know I'm a shit spy, and a terrible liar." He feels the need to point out.

"I know. You have a rather obvious tell, even without my ability to just know." Hera teased. "That's why they'll never suspect you."

…

He barely made it into the kitchen before they swarmed him. It's madness, and he can't catch a word one says before another is shoving them out of the way to take their place. They're fighting amongst each other, yelling at him, at anyone. No one seems to know what to do, and Tony is reminded that this is one of the reasons Loki was not well liked. No one liked to have their noses shoved into their mistakes like a puppy being scolded for shitting in the house.

"ENOUGH!" He shouted, much louder than intended thanks to a well placed spell from Sirius. Once the counter spell was cast, Tony takes a deep breath and continues. "She's not wrong – NO! – She's not wrong, and you know it. It's why you're angry, why you're so defensive, why you're looking to blame someone else; so you won't have to look to closely at your own choices!"

He snaps his fingers and points to Molly.

"She loves you, but you are not her mother. She had a mother, who by all accounts was a good and kind woman, if a little unyielding at times. No one's perfect." Tony stated, not unkindly. "What Hera said to you was harsh, but not untrue, and you know it. You all know it. If she had been even a little kind in her words, you would have used them to wriggle out of the culpability you should have always acknowledged as your own. You want her to trust you, to yield her control and independence to you, but she has years of seeing what the adults around her do with that control. There's no way she's going to trust a single one of you enough to yield to you."

There was a moment where no one spoke, absorbing his words as they reflected on Hera's.

"…What about you?"

He's not sure who says it; an Order member he's not familiar with, but Tony is unable to help the incredulous expression that crosses his face. "Really? You think I'm going to spy on the only family by blood that I have left? The baby sister I've always wanted? You really think I'd do that, for you?"

"We need to know what she's planning, what she's doing, and she isn't going to tell us, but she might tell you." Molly stated, agreeing with what the other man had said. "If she's going to be making these kinds of decisions, she'll need guidance, guidance she's not willing to accept from us. You could be that force, and those of us who are parents can guide you. If you can keep us informed about what she's doing, it will make it easier for us to make decisions regarding that."

"Funny. I think those children would say the same thing about your decisions." Tony reminded her. "You don't include them in your discussions, and they're old enough now that they're going to resent that, especially when it impacts them on such a fundamental level."

"We're the adults, and-"

"What happens when they're suddenly the adults, and they don't know what to do?" Tony interrupted, causing Molly to clamp her mouth closed. "You're their mother, most of them anyway, but you're not always going to be here. What happens when you're gone? You've made their decisions for them all their lives, but you've got to start trusting them to make their own, or else when the time comes when they are adults they aren't going to know what to do."

"What they're asking for is dangerous!" Molly objected.

"Yeah, and? It's not like being an adult is any safer, you know. Do you really think those people you're fighting will just stop because they see a bunch of innocent helpless kids? From what Snape explained to me, Death Eaters view those as playthings and amusements, to be used and tossed aside." Tony pointed out. "They shouldn't be forced to fight directly in this, you're right, but would it really be so bad for them to know how to fight in case they ever had to? All it would take is someone they trust imploring them to remember not to go looking for a fight, that they had to stick around for the smaller ones that are too young to learn how to protect themselves. Is that really so unreasonable?"

"Then what about acting as a go between?" Arthur suggested, placing his hand on Molly's before she could veto that idea. "She trusts him, Molly, and our children trust her. Can you think of a better solution?"

"No." Molly admitted with a troubled sigh. "When she made that vow, the magic I felt was certain, strong…much stronger than a child's should be…I didn't think, I was just so relieved someone was powerful enough to protect them, but…"

"But nothing." Tony countered. "Hera explained it to me that those are the types of deals that can't be taken back. Magic is binding that way, and while I don't really understand how that works, I know what it means. Besides, there's only a week or so left till school anyway. What exactly do you think I'm going to be able to tell you?"

…

"She knew, didn't she?" Sirius guessed, once the two had left the kitchen, laughing when Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "She knew they'd want you to be their spy, and she sent you in there anyway."

"What makes you think that?" Tony reposed, instead of answering.

"Because she is a trickster and prankster extraordinaire, and James' daughter besides, but more importantly…" Sirius concluded with a wry grin. "…it's what I'd do; well, if I had any kind of subtlety."

"No comment." Which was answer enough, really, especially considering it made Sirius smile so wide his eyes crinkled at the sides. "Think you can keep them off my back long enough to see if these kids need an intervention, or if maybe the adults were worried over a whole lot of nothing?"

"Go. I can keep them busy long enough for you to decide that." Sirius chuckled. "If not, I'm sure I'll think of something."

…

"I'll understand if you're mad at me for talking like that to your mum." Hera mumbled, feeling forlorn, keeping her eyes looking to the floor.

"Eh, it was bound to happen sometime." Ron replied with nonchalance, making Hera looking up in shock. "Ginny butts heads with Mum all the time. Mione was the same last summer. It was bound to happen for you at some point. Might as well be now."

"You guys are really okay with this?" Hera questioned, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. "I said some really harsh shite back there."

"It needed to be said." George stated firmly. "Every child at Hogwarts and beyond is in danger because of this war."

"The targets on us are simply more defined, because of our friendship with you." Fred continued, just as firm and resolute as his twin. "However, we are not unaware that we would be in danger regardless."

"The Weasleys are blood traitors, Hermione is a muggleborn, and Draco has turned away from Pureblood supremacy." George added. "All of us will be targets, are targets, with or without our friendship to you."

"So no doing anything stupid like trying to keep us out of any mischief, agreed?" Fred teased with a grin, ruffling her hair a bit for emphasis. Hera huffed as she lightly shoved Fred's hand away from her hair; acknowledging that she did have a habit of doing just that. She quickly dried her tears then.

"Can you really teach us how to fight?" Ginny inquired, intrigued.

"I can teach you how to defend. Fighting is only a part of that." Hera corrected. "I can teach you how to defend, how to protect; and yes, how to fight…if you're willing. I won't be training you as soldiers, at least not in any traditional sense. Besides, I'm going to need your help for an entirely different kind of warfare."

"Warfare?" Tony questioned, looking antsy as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Hera, I thought-"

"Oh good, you're here." Hera interjected, launching across the room to pull Tony further into it. "I'll need you and Draco to help me explain things to the others, and after that we'll figure out how to handle the adults."

"Hera, he is an adult." Draco pointed out.

"He's really not." Hera insisted, pulling Tony further into the room. "Alright, since no one is angry that I yelled at Molly, let's get started. Draco, you and Tony need to explain the new teacher to them while Hermione and I do ingredients prep. Ginny, you're welcome to join us if you like. It would be best to have three for this."

"Why?" The girl asked, out of intrigue.

"Old ritual magic tends to call for three to act as Maiden, Mother, and Crone." Hera explained, already working on clearing out a space needed for the idea she'd had. Ginny's eyes are huge as she takes in the casual wandless nonverbal magic at play. "It helps stabilize the ritual, should the power or magic of a witch or wizard fluctuate."

"I thought only witches could perform old ritual magic." Hermione reposed thoughtfully.

"Common misconception." Hera replied, waving her hand absentmindedly. "Magic doesn't really care what you've got in your pants, just that you respect the authority it has in your life. I know we tend to talk about magic as if it were feminine in nature, but it is a force of will; not unlike how Muggles view God, though I suppose that would be the only similarity in that regard."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, having more familiarity with muggle things for obvious reasons.

"Granted, I don't know a lot about the figure for Dursley reasons I won't talk about right now, but I had the understanding that the being is omnipotent and omniscient. It's…You know everything that could, has been, or will be. Your power is limitless. That sort of thing. A being like that couldn't have a body unless it severely limited itself; which sort of negates the point of things, I should think. So prescribing a gender to such a being is pointless, but I've heard many muggles call this being a he." Hera explained, for those that weren't as familiar with muggle things the way Hermione was. A clear space in the room was finally ready, at least. "Magic is sort of the same in this regard. It is a being of power so great it can not have a physical body without limiting itself, but many wixen call it Lady Magic or she. It's one of the reasons you hear about gods of Magic. None of them were ever meant to be worshiped in the way that they were. They were supposed to be more like an avatar, or…a representative, I suppose; someone of authority that you could go to, and say 'this didn't work right, what did I do wrong?' That type of thing."

No one seems to know how to absorb all of that, which is just as well.

"Kreacher?" The little guy pops in, and it's immediately apparent that he's getting better. There's just a healthier glow about him. "Glad to see you're doing better, Kreacher."

"You has done much for Kreacher, Little Miss." Kreacher stated, with a slight bow Hera tried not to feel uncomfortable about. "What can Kreacher be doings for you?"

"Is there a large cauldron here? It would need to be yay big, pristine, and without residue." Hera inquired, using her arms to guesstimate the proper proportions.

Kreacher was already nodding his head thoughtfully. "Kreacher knows of such a cauldron. Might be needing cleaning, but no magic cleaning. Should work. Kreacher will see."

He was gone before she could ask any more questions.

"So…Who's going to be who?" Ginny asked, pulling Hera's mind back to the task at hand.

"Oh, that's easy. You're Maiden." Hera stated, making Ginny blush a bit. "Hermione is Mother, and I'm Crone."

"I'm older than you." Hermione objected. "Plus, you look after us. That makes you Mother."

"True, but I'm the one with an 'Old Soul', so I'm Crone by default." Hera countered with a teasing smile. "The Crone is wisdom in the same way that the Mother is knowledge. I may look after us, but I'm just as likely to get us into trouble; Experience being how we gain wisdom. You keep us from straying the path too far, giving us knowledge to temper what wisdom we gain. While you are not what your idea of a mother may be, you are Mother, Hermione. I imagine Athena would be proud."

"How is it that you can know so much about obscure things like this, but can't tell me anything about Gamp's Five Laws?" Hermione teased back.

"Wait, you don't believe those are true, do you?" Hera asked, taking on a clueless expression, only to start giggling when Hermione began gaping at her like a fish. "I'm just messing with you, Hermione. Let's get this done first, and then I'll break your brain about Gamp's Five Laws. Sound good?"