AN: Hades and Persephone in this story look like they do in Punderworld by Sigeel (Linda Sejic). When I saw the comic on DeviantArt, I just knew this was how I wanted them to look in my fanfic. You should definitely go over to her page and show it some love. The artwork is amazing!

Last time...

"Hera, look," Tony began, a serious look on his face. "at some point you're going to have to go to the bathroom."

"You think I haven't already?" Hera wondered. The surprised and slightly embarrassed look on his face told her that's exactly what he thought. A check to Rhodey made her realize he'd known Tony was freaking out about this, and had just decided to let it play out. "Tony, how often do you use the loo?"

At that, Rhodey snorts, and then proceeds to lose it.

"How was I supposed to know magical bladders were the same?" Tony objected, still looking embarrassed, though he was also grinning just a touch. "How are you not worried? You've not shifted back. You're confident that you're not stuck like this. You're not even stressing about being a different gender than you were yesterday. I mean-"

"Tony, breathe!" Hera snickered, relieved that at least he was concerned about her well being instead of anything horrible she could have thought of. He dutifully took a deep breath, grinning even wider now. She looked over to Rhodey, but the man had walked away a touch, becoming seemingly absorbed in some sort of wall decoration; effectively giving them space. "Tony, you remember Loki's a shape shifter, right?"

"That's why you aren't stressing out? And why you don't seem embarrassed at all?" Tony realized. Hera nodded.

"Some days he just woke up different, others he played with the look. There were days he set out to seduce the soldiers just to see if he could, and others…" Hera informed him, before her grin turned decidedly more lecherous than it had been. "Well, I'll just keep that to myself, shall I?"

"So…you're sticking to this to get a feel for being another gender again?" Tony inquired. Hera's grin became one of pure innocence in that moment. "What are you about to do?"

"I was thinking of changing the look up a bit, but not acting any different, and then seeing how long it took people to realize it was me." Hera admitted, her mischievous grin getting a touch wider. "If it unnerves that odious pink cow, well…that'd be more of a side benefit, wouldn't it?"

Chapter 97

"Oh, Hera, you look handsome." Luna exclaimed, dreamily, as soon as she saw her. "Are you enjoying the differences?"

Hera shifted back into her female state, and pouted. "You couldn't have pretended not to know who I was? I wanted to see what the others reactions would be."

"Don't worry," Luna consoled her, as Hera sat in the compartment with her. "I'm sure the Pink Menace will be properly horrified when you show her later."

"Thanks, Luna…" Hera replied with a smile, before tensing a bit. "Listen,-"

"They'll understand." Luna interrupted. Hera had long sense gotten used to Luna just knowing things. "I would, however, suggest that you tell Neville."

"Tell me what?" Neville asked from the doorway, having poked his head in. "Also, you haven't seen Trevor, have you?"

"Come on in. We'll summon your toad while we wait." Hera bargained. "I'd rather the others be here for this."

October 31st 1981

Now, Hades had endured his job as Accountant of the Dead for as long as he had been freed from the stomach of his father, and though he thanked Zeus for the escape, it wasn't an easy life. Despite what the mortals, and pretty much all of Olympia thought, they were not gods. They held domains, they accounted, but it seemed very few remembered this. It was not a role Hades would let himself forget. Still, there were lulls in duty, but that just meant that the remarkable moments stood out all the more.

So when a tall young man barely into his adulthood stood before him newly dead, hair and glasses askew, Hades gave him a moment to pull himself together. He was not expecting a slightly shorter young woman with fiery red hair and green eyes to appear beside the man, though his heart broke for them when the man recognized the young woman. They'd been married, couldn't have been for long, not with them being so young. They were reunited, if that was any consolation, but to have been torn from life so quickly... Hades knew it happened, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"Where's Hera?" The young man asked her, his voice urgent. "Did he get to her too?"

"I…I don't know." The young woman cried in despair. "There's no one there to stop him!"

The young man turned to him, begging. "Please, you have to get to our daughter. He'll kill her too!"

Something about this struck him as strange.

"Neither of you doubt that you're dead?" He asked looking to the two of them.

"Oh, yes. I went up against Lord Voldemort with my bare hands, because I'm an idiot that forgot he was a wizard, and thought I was going to make it out of that alive." The young man replied, deadpan, giving him a withering glare. "Of course, we know we're dead, you idiot. What's important right now is our infant daughter is alone with no defences against a madman who is willing to murder her for a prophecy!"

"With your bare hands?" The woman repeated incredulously, turning to the man. "Really, James? Of all the…You forgot you were a wizard?!"

"Can you scold me later, Lily?" 'James' pleaded, already embarrassed enough as it was. "Our daughter needs us!"

"I'm afraid that is out of the question." Hades reminded them. "You chose not to stay, to throw everything that you were at death in your efforts to save your daughter. That means we now have to go through the list and see where you're supposed to be. If you like, I can go check on her for you, but you must remain right here. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Both insisted at once.

He was going to regret this.

"Fine. Stay here, and. Don't. Touch. Anything." He ordered, glaring at the two of them like he knew they were going to break the rules anyway, before phasing out.

He found himself standing in the room the young woman – Lily, he reminded himself – died in. The young daughter they'd been so worried for was trying to get the attention of her mother, or the man crying as he held the dead woman in his arms. The man did not notice him, but the child did. She quietened, and began cooing for him to pick her up. Stranger still, Death itself lingered near, not guarding the child…a companion of sorts? The mark upon her brow, the feel of her magic…It couldn't be anyone else.

"Hello there, little Master." Hades greets, bowing to the child who could one day hold a title greater than his own. "Your parents will be most happy to know that you are well."

"Me! Me!" Baby Hera giggled, reaching up to him. He bent down, uncertain why he felt the need to give in to her wishes just this once. She thought nothing of touching the horns that circled his head. "Me! Me!"

Her skin shifted to blue, her eyes red, and…there atop her head a circlet of horns like his own.

"Oh." Hades says in surprise, solidifying as he knelt down before her, making the horns much more accessible to grabby little baby fingers.

"Who are you?!" The man crying demanded, pointing a stick at him of all things.

"Her mother and father wished for me to see to the safety of their daughter." Hades replied, turning his attention from the man and back to the babe. "They did not tell me who she was, just that they were worried for her. A Lord Voldemort killed them to get to her, yet she lives and he is gone. Something of him remains, I see, but as he is…He is not a threat to her now."

The man did not speak again, for now.

"Little Master, it is far too early for us to talk like this. You'll have to grow up some, you know." Hades continued, standing up. Baby Hera's lower lip warbled, her eyes threatening tears. "There, there now. We'll meet again, you and I. We can talk plenty then. Be well, little Hera Potter, and know that you are loved."

Hades turned to leave, to phase out once more.

"Wait!" The man begged, having stood up and stumbled in a knee jerk reaction to having stopped himself from moving forward. "Who are you? How do you know the Potters? Why did you call their daughter-"

"I do not often speak to the living…Mortals, that is…" Hades explained patiently to the man. "I am Hades, Guide and Account for the Dead, but who I am is nothing compared to who she will be…if she succeeds."

He phases out before the man can ask him anything else, and he has said too much already.

"Is she alive? Is she okay?" James demanded as soon as he saw him. "What happened?"

"When you told me she was your daughter, you did not tell me that she was one like myself." Hades stated. Both seemed confused by this. "She has horns like mine. Your child is meant for more than the mortal life she is currently bound by. Those under the domain of Death have them, but not all of them succeed. She just might."

"Will you…I know we're asking a lot, and you've already done so much, but…" Lily fumbled. "Would you look after her? Or, at least, check in on her from time to time?"

Hades smiled and nodded. He could easily promise this. As it was, time was not linear for him in the way it was for most mortals. Should he need to see something of the past, present, or future, he could. Because of this, though it was only something he realized now, he had already or would soon (depending on how one viewed time, after all) meet the young Hera Potter. Watching over her as she grew was something he could do for them, and they allowed him to guide them to their next destination without fuss once he made his promise.

Upon his return, he was met by the one he viewed as his boss of sorts.

"Death, I have been expecting you." Hades nodded in deference to the being. "Is this about the girl?"

"You accounted for the living." Death scolded, figure shrouded as always. "That is not your job."

"No, nor was it my intention to account for him, but for her parents. My apologies for the overstep." Hades admitted, not even bothering to try and deny it. He had no wish to do so anyway. "Did it affect anything adversely?"

"No. He saved the memory in a vial, and then obliviated himself of it and the knowledge it contained. It resides within one of his many pockets, completely unknown to its owner." Death informed him, shocking Hades. "Knowledge of those viewed as gods by the mortals is dangerous for one in his line of work to possess; especially so for him. It'll keep. For now, go, you have much to learn before you are introduced and reunited with your friend."

…

He sees her many times over the course of her young mortal life, but he still doesn't understand what Death meant. His friend? How had that child been or would be his friend? Did this mean that she'd succeeded, and he simply did not recognize her mortal form? There were too many questions.

Still, the amount of times he saw her troubled him. Each time, she would be close to death. Each time, she managed to survive. It was as worrying as it was harrowing. He never saw her in her blue form again, and thinks that perhaps she'd forgotten that she could do so. Then as she grew older, and the moments he could watch over her became fewer and farther in between, she became someone he recognized.

…

Many centuries earlier…

Never. Never in the history of their entire existence has Hades seen Zeus in such a way. He's not sure he's seeing it now. Zeus is trembling with anger, and while that's not new, the state he's in is. Zeus looks wrecked, blood coating his front, but it doesn't look like it's from battle; at least not a battle won. The being looked wounded, and Hades knew to tread with caution. There was nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal; the Accounts were no different.

"Dare I ask?" Hades inquired, looking to his brother and friend now.

"Hera."

Oh, but there was so much anger poured into that one word. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened after that.

"She finally have enough, I take it?" Hades asked, with the barest of smirks. "Serves you right, you know. All those years parading your mistresses in front of her face must have finally gotten to her. It's been clear to all for aeons that hurting your children taught you nothing. What did she do this time?"

"She…She warned me that if she saw me with another, if I were to even attempt to woo another to my bed, she would…exact her revenge, warned me it would be worse than anything she has ever done." Zeus answered, growing more pale, and Hades had to wonder just how much blood the man had lost already.

"I take it you didn't listen." Hades remarked, and Zeus shot him a look that conveyed 'Do I ever?'. "My apologies. What happened next?"

"It was just a mortal, just something to pass the time, an amusement…When I came home, Hera flew into a rage. I didn't even see it coming…couldn't stop it once it started…not with it being in her domain." Zeus continued.

"Her domain is marriage and family, Zeus." Hades pointed out. "It was bound to happen."

"She brought up Wrath and Vengeance…and Champion of Women…Said I raped her and others." Zeus continued as if he hadn't heard him.

"Well, she's not wrong." Hades agreed with a snort. Zeus looked at him as if he'd betrayed him. "What? I understand we were all new to being free and finding our domains and all, but 'Stop, don't, and no' were understood by us even then to mean exactly what they imply. No means no, Zeus. It has never been a sign of 'playing hard to get', something you chose to ignore even with your own wife."

"Yes, well, I'm certainly not going to be playing anything anytime soon." Zeus grumbled, folding his arms in front of himself, and looking away.

"I don't…I don't understand. Just what did she do to you?" Hades demanded, no longer having the patience to play his game. "Spit it out, will you?"

"She cut off my dick and made me eat it!" Zeus shouted, thunder rolling around them. "Said maybe it would teach me not to stick it where it isn't wanted!"

Hades grimaced instinctively, thinking about having to eat his own privates, but he would never dishonour Persephone in such a way that would make her exact this sort of revenge. The more he thought of it, however, the more amused he became. Hera'd finally had enough of Zeus 'sticking it where it wasn't wanted', and had finally done something about it. A snort escaped him, and before he knows it, he's rolling on the floor with laughter. His sides hurt, he's laughing so hard, and now he finally understands why Zeus is covered in blood.

"Does that sound fair to you?!" Zeus demanded, clearly not amused.

"Might not be fair, but it sure is poetic!" Hades manages to wheeze between guffaws. He spirits himself away before Zeus can think straight enough to get angry and do something about his laughter, and ends up almost running smack dab into Persephone. "You'll never guess…what Zeus told meeehehehehehe!"

"Something tells me it isn't another 'conquest'." Persephone commented, eyeing him, amusement slowly taking over her features even though she doesn't know yet. "What happened?"

He proceeds to tell her in great detail what Zeus revealed to him, and then she's laughing too.

Present day…

"Okay, let me see if I've got this." Neville began. Hera looked nervous, but didn't say anything. "He's back, really back this time; only he's not as he was before. He's been de-aged, is on a quest to get his soul pieces together, and you accidentally made him your magical twin with the ritual reversal. Have I got it all?"

Hera nodded with a grimace. "Well, that's most of it. I've been having him face the people he's wronged personally. Jör got first crack at him, and he actually sat still long enough for Fenrir to judge him just because I asked. I would have had Kreacher watch him to see what he decides, but he brought Sirius with him, and…Well, you can imagine how that went."

"I can." Neville remarked darkly, causing Hera to cringe, which pulled him back to himself. "Hera, I can't say I'm okay with this. I don't…I need time to think on it. He technically didn't do anything to me, but his followers did. They're not getting this second chance too, are they?"

"No." Hera confirmed. "He actually asked the same thing, I think more to confirm that I had some sense in not doing that, since he thought me completely insane for even attempting what I did. Tony offered to adopt him. He accepted."

"He what?" Neville squeaked, trying to imagine it, and then it dawned on him. "He's been fully de-aged, not quite reverted, but close enough that it would affect things like that. Huh."

"No one has to forgive him. That's not how genuine forgiveness works anyway, but I want…" Hera fumbled, looking like she was searching for her right words. "I didn't expect the reversal ritual to do what it did, but because it did…"

"The opportunity was too good to pass up." Neville continued, realizing where her mind had gone.

"I had to see if he could be better if given the choice. Something pulled at me to find out, but…I didn't want to presume I knew what was best, and I was halfway through discussing future plans with him before I realized that I hadn't asked what anyone else thought." Hera nodded. "I like to think I know what I'm doing most of the time, but what if I don't? What if I got it wrong? I don't want to be that person who just assumes they know what's best for everyone."

"Is that why I can't remember his name?" Neville wondered. Hera nodded. "I think…I think I need to see him for myself before I make a decision. Is that okay?"

"Neville, of course it's okay. That's a legitimate and logical point to take. There's no reason to think otherwise." Hera insisted, but there was something else that had been nagging him.

"Hera…How long have the others been asleep?" Neville inquired, looking at everyone else. "Is this you? To, you know, give us a bit of privacy for this conversation?"

She looked confused, before looking to their friends. No, Neville realized, this had not been Hera's doing. It had been Hermione first, resting against Luna, who followed soon after into sleep. Then Ron had begun lightly snoring as he leaned against the window. Hera herself was beginning to look particularly sleepy, but neither got a chance to comment on it before the door to the compartment opened, and Draco stepped in.

"Hera…" Draco tried, his voice coming out strangely thick with sleep. "I think…I think something's wrong."

He barely managed to sit down next to her before passing out.

"Is this What's-his-name somehow?" Neville demanded, anger and worry warring within him. Hera shook her head no. "Then what is it? What's happening? How can I help?"

"You can't." Hera explained, even as her eyes closed and she settled back into the seat. "We're being called."

"Called?" Neville tried, shaking her. "By who? Hera? Hera!"

But there was no answer, as Hera had slipped into the same sleep the others had, and now he didn't know what to do.