Last time...

'Potter,' She hears, surprised to realize it is Professor Snape. 'I don't know what you're doing, or what happened, but you need to come back. Umbridge is on the war path, demanding your expulsion for endangering students, and your shield-brethren for colluding with you, though they are the ones she is claiming you're endangering. Lucius is doing what he can to keep Fudge from answering her calls, and is raising hell against anyone that would threaten the bond of shield-brethren as endangerment. The Headmaster is doing everything he can to keep things peaceful, but it will not hold for long. Whatever it is that you're doing, it can't be as important as getting in Umbridge's way before she tries to take over the school. She's demanding the head of everyone who's trying to oppose her, and it won't be long before Lucius can no longer distract Fudge from giving into her to give them time for whatever it is they're doing.'

"I can't." She whispers, hoping it somehow makes it to him, and then she spots someone up in the stands. Her mind is filled with a hazy image of that exact man, horns on his head like hers. "Me'Me?"

Chapter 99

It had been dodging and small injuries here and there for the most part, but when Luna landed a dagger in one of the warriors' throats, Hera knew the stakes had changed. She acted without hesitation, moving the halberd to counter a strike coming their way, when the halberd erected a shield; something it could just do apparently. In hindsight, it had been her own fault; being surprised by such a thing. At some point, she was going to have to work out everything it could do. For now, she gave it a bit of her magic to help maintain the shield.

"We're going to have to figure out how to bypass their magic dampener." Hera informed them. "Things are about to get a lot worse now that Luna has managed to kill one of theirs."

"Hera, I-"

"It was bound to happen, Luna." Hera replied softly. "I'm more surprised that it was actually possible. These guys seem to be made of sterner stuff, like those of Ásgarðr. A simple dagger would not be enough to kill them, but then again I highly doubt it was a simple dagger either. We can't be expected not to kill someone that attacks us, not for this long. We should not be expected to kill at all, or to last as long as we have. Anyone have an idea how to get around the dampener?"

"Aren't you using magic right now?" Ron asked in confusion, gesturing to the shield.

"That's mainly powered by the stone. It'd be too draining if I were to attempt this on my own." Hera informed him. "Even the little I am is-"

~BOOM!~

"We're on it." Hermione insisted, eyes wide as she took in the godlike being that had landed in the middle of the arena – dirt and rubble flying everywhere. "Stall him."

"YOU DARE?!" The man bellowed, lightning dancing on his skin. Was this who she thought it was? One way to find out.

"How'd you like singing soprano as you regrew your own dick?" Hera inquired with a cheeky grin. Behind her she could hear Hermione and the others choking their laughter down, but not quite being successful at it. "Is your wife here? I quite liked her."

Zeus, for it could be no one else, charged his hands with electricity and began punching at the shield. Hera's grip on the halberd tightened, even as she cried out in pain and dropped to a knee. She shook her head when her friends surrounded her, wanting to help. If they wanted to help, then they'd need to work out how to get around the dampener. They'd come a long way, but they'd need magic on their side if they wanted to get through this, and even that might not be enough.

"Enough of this." Hera growled, and thunder rolled with her words; surprising not only Zeus but Thor as well.

She slammed the halberd into the ground, channelling it to maintain the shield in her absence, and stepped out of the safe harbour the shield had provided. Her friends objected to this, but instead of following after her, they put more effort into unblocking the dampeners; intent on being her support no matter what. She let her skin shift to its blue continence, and continued walking towards him. This was the man that Queen Hera had spoken of; the man that had tried to woo her and failed, the man who tricked and raped her, the man who married her but did not honour her as his wife, the man who was gloried as a god. This foul waste of space was throwing a temper tantrum like an over powered child, and it was time to remind him of his place.

"You dare." Hera growled, her words rumbling with thunder still. "You rape those that catch your fancy, an adulterer with the willing and unwilling alike, and you wonder why she took her vengeance. You dare to pluck those that stand against you from their homes without warning, and pit them against your warriors, because you would rather watch them be killed for sport than fight your own battles. You are the least of the Accounts, and it's time you know your place, Cretin."

"Lady Hera, no!" Thor shouted in anguish, but it was too late.

Zeus was already charging his hands again, and there was no time to move. She would not be able to dodge or fight back, not in time. Strange then, how everything seemed to move in slow motion. When the blow came, Hera had expected it to knock her on her ass. She had not expected for it to send her through the wall behind her, which is what it had really done.

Hera watched on in muted shock, being in far too much pain to move, regretting her most recent choice to goad Zeus in an effort to distract him. Hermione raised up a bow and arrow that had likely been hidden as Hera's halberd had been, and struck Zeus straight in his right eye. Had the goblins thought to craft her friends weapons as well? She had not thought to ask, and that seemed an oversight on her part now. The arrow struck true, most likely because Zeus hadn't been expecting it. His gaze turned towards them, even as he howled in pain and rage. Hera groaned in pain as she pulled herself from the wreckage of the wall she'd been thrown into, not about to let such a being go after her friends if she could help it, and stumbled towards the belligerent god.

"Is that all you've got?" Hera grunted as she made her way, gritting her teeth in an effort to ignore the pain. "You will leave them be, Cretin. Your fight is with me."

"You will not stop me from exacting vengeance!" Zeus shouted angrily, howling in pain over his eye.

"The girl who shot your eye, or the girl who influenced your wife to cut off your dick and make you eat it; take your pick." Hera snapped. "Choose, or piss off and let us leave. How is it that anyone honours you as a god? Spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum that you are, you're as much a rabid dog as your claim to be a god."

Hera felt the moment that the dampeners fell, like taking a deep breath when it had been restricted for far too long. She also knew that if she were to treat this as a straightforward fight, she and her friends would lose. They were severely outclassed by the being before them. Zeus was by all rights a god, while they were mere students and mortals besides. Just surviving this was going to take some creative manoeuvring. The only reason why Thor and Co. had was because Zeus hadn't been after them, and hadn't viewed them as worth the effort.

…

Hades watched as the girl became two. He continued to watch as two became four, became eight, became sixteen, became…oh dear. Even Zeus was a little shocked by this, but quickly recovered, sending bolts of lightning at one of them; illusions or clones, he quickly discovered. Meanwhile, each of the group went with at least five – if not more – of the clones or illusions, surrounding Zeus. Hades couldn't quite see what the others were doing, but he was intrigued all the same; magic was an avenue few would try to best Zeus in even with the dampeners down.

It began cooling down, and while many of the illusions distracted or outright attacked Zeus, keeping his attention on them, a few were doing something else. Hades didn't understand the need for such fierce winds, or the cooling air. Zeus could control the weather. He just wasn't right now, because he was being distracted…It was intentional, Hades knew, he just didn't understand where they were going with it.

A gust of wind pushed Zeus into the air, not that he remained alone for long. More copies of the girl followed after him on some sort of flying broom, and it wasn't like Zeus couldn't fight while in the air; another distraction, Hades realized. Zeus more than likely thought it was all him, as he was no doubt adding to the ferocity of the elements around them. However, it all came crashing down with a giant ball of ice; quite literally. The young girl and her friends had managed to encase Zeus in a gigantic ball of ice, though Hades wasn't quite sure how exactly they'd managed it. While it certainly wouldn't kill Zeus, it would slow him down quite a bit.

With copies of herself, the girl – Lady Hera, he believed one of the young ones had cried out – rolled the gigantic ice ball to the edge of the arena, to the only opening available, and then shoved it across and down the other side. Olympia was quite mountainous, and it would be amusing to see just how dizzy Zeus was when he finally stopped rolling. He'd be pissed, but he might also be amused with how creative his 'demise' had been. Hades had chosen to teleport down to the arena to congratulate her and her friends once the young girl had returned to being only one of herself, and they reacted by readying into fighting stances. He realized that they thought he would attack them, and took a step back.

"Peace, my friend." Hades began. "I seek no fight with you and yours."

"You sat by that toerag's side." The red headed male argue. "Why should we believe you?"

"Because he's Me'Me." The girl answered, though more to herself as she looked at him. "I thought I'd imagined you. You stood above me, so tall…I don't remember what you said, but I felt safe and cared for. Where did you go? Why did you leave?"

"I'm afraid that whatever it is you experienced, it has yet to happen for me, my friend." He reminded her. "Time is peculiar that way."

"I don't think that's how time works." the blond male interjected.

"He said Time, not time; as in the entity, not the event itself, and even then you would be wrong. You know what that potion I took did by now, remember? When did you think we were?" Little Hera reposed, causing the boy to have some sort of realization moment. "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint – It's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... timey wimey…stuff."*

"Sounds like that sentence got away from you a bit there." The red headed male snickered.

"Might have done." Little Hera mumbled, before looking to him now. "So, what now?"

"I could send you all home before Zeus gets back." Hades offered.

"Why bother if he's just going to do this again?" Little Hera snorted. "Just send Thor and Co. back to Ásgarðr before Oðin gets twitchy, yeah? I doubt they'll say anything, prideful little shites that they are."

"Wait, that was Zeus?" the girl with nigh sentient curls exclaimed, looking over to the opening they'd shoved the gigantic ball of ice down. "That was Zeus?! Hera, did you know? What was that about him having to regrow his own dick?"

"Oh, I gave Queen Hera the idea that she should avenge herself and all the other women he's tricked and raped over the years." Little Hera admitted proudly. "Figured he'd learn not to stick it where it wasn't wanted if she cut off his dick and then force fed it to him."

"You should have seen him after it happened. He looked like he'd lost a fight with a Titan." Hades crowed, but noticed that Little Hera shivered at the description. "I take it you know of them?"

"Only one, and I wish I didn't." She replied, and then looked hesitant. "I don't want to feel sympathy for a rapist, but…was it really that bad?"

"You have met them if you're asking things like that, but no, not really. He looked like he'd lost a particularly hard fought battle, but nothing so prolonged." Hades assured her. He doesn't know how his friend came into contact with a Titan, and he's not sure he wants to know if the look on her face was anything to go by. "It is rather odd to be talking with a friend I feel as if I've known all my life and yet have never met till this moment."

"You get used to it." Little Hera offered cheerily, sticking out her hand even as her skin turned pale once more and the horns hidden away. "Hera Potter."

"Hades." He offered, holding out his own hand. She clasped his forearm in a warrior's greeting before letting go. "Let us get Thor and the others back to Ásgarðr, and then we can all get introduced properly, yes?"

…

"Lady Hera, that was some fight to see!" Thor proclaimed upon seeing her walk closer. He and his friends had not been treated harshly once captured, but it was a little demeaning to be treated with so little regard. "Though 'twas not how a warrior of Ásgarðr would have fought it, it was impressive all the same."

"Fighting the straightforward Asgardian way is what got you all your arses handed to you." Lady Hera reminded him. He had the good sense to grimace at that, while the others looked on with a mixture of resentment or thoughtfulness. "Hades here will be able to send you home, and when you wake, Mjölnir will find its way to your side."

"Is that why it did not come when called?" Thor wondered. His being asleep but elsewhere would explain such a thing.

"I suspect so." She concurred. "It could have sensed you in two places, and is going around in circles because there wasn't a clear path to take."

"Come, the magic will be simpler if you are all together." Hades, a rather tall looking fellow with horns as a crown around his head, declared.

Hera stepped back when Thor reached for her, confusing him. "Lady Hera, I know we are still not on the best of terms, what with my ill thought out idea to wish you away, but are you sure this is wise? Staying here with him?"

"I won't be staying here, Thor. I'll be going back to school soon." She replied kindly, though still a bit distant…like she didn't want him to touch her. Even when he gestured for her to step away with him just a touch, which she did, she flinched at how close his hand got.

"Lady Hera, have I done something to frighten you?" He asked outright, surprising her. "I know that you have not forgiven me yet, but you did not seem frightened of me before. You do now."

"Thor, I just got through fighting with a guy that has powers a little too similar to your own." Lady Hera reminded him. He still didn't quite understand. "Tell me you have never used lightning on your brother. Tell me you have never grabbed his forearms to send lightning through his body when he told you that your mother told him he could grow to be strong in seiðr just like your father, that one day he could perhaps surpass him, and I will know that I have no need to fear you or your temper."

"How did you…?" Thor wondered, shocked. It was another action he regretted taking with Loki, but he hadn't told anyone, and he doubted Loki would have either.

"When you go back, I want you to do something for me, Thor." Lady Hera stated, looking severely disappointed in him. It made his insides twist uncomfortably.

"Anything!"

"I want you to think about how I know every good or bad thing you have ever done, every good or bad thing you will ever do, and then I want you to look at the people in your life and know that I was one of them once, that who they were will become who I am now, and then I want you to. Treat. Them. Better." She proclaimed, confusing him. "Because they remember, I will remember. Do you understand?"

"But how will I know who that person is?" Thor demanded helplessly.

Lady Hera just looked at him with sadness and pity as she stepped further back from him. "You won't, Thor, that's rather sort of the point."

…

"Was it wise, giving him a hint like that?" Hermione inquired, as she walked up to them once Thor and the others were gone.

"No. I just…There's so much potential there; for him to be a good brother, a good king. I want him to realize it, before there's nothing he can do, because there is nothing he can do." Hera tried to explain. "I got my chance, and have a great big brother. Loki deserves that too."

"Yes, but if he gets it, you might lose Tony." Hermione reminded her, and Hera wilted.

"You can't save him, Hera." Luna added, and Hera's eyes began brimming with tears.

"I'm being stupid, I know." She admitted, drying her eyes before turning to her next inquiry. "So…Hades? Like god of Death, Hades? Truly?"

"Indeed." He nodded, looking somewhat amused.

"Wicked!" Hera exclaimed happily, and then proceeded to gesture to her companions. "These are my friends and shield-brethren; Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, and Ronald Weasley. Guys, this is Hades, Account for the Dead."

"So he manages their money?" Draco inquired, scrunching his face. "That seems rather odd. I thought they didn't have any, being dead and all. Why would they need it?"

"No. He is an Account. He accounts for the dead; holds their stories, chronicles their lives, guides them to their afterlife. That sort of thing." Hera explained, catching the rather surprised and intrigued expression on Hades' face. "I'm not sure how I know that. Where's Queen Hera? I'm kind of surprised she wasn't here for this."

"Given that she's taken the throne from her husband, I imagine she's been cleaning house since then." Hades snorted, gleefully amused. "He's been sulking, causing tantrums, and being an all around ass since."

"Hera, you might want to sit down." Luna suddenly interjected.

Hera frowned, noting that she was feeling a little odd, and made her way to sit down. Really, listening to Luna was for the best. It was generally good for one's own health, and she just seemed to know stuff; more people should listen to Luna. The Norns whispered to her more insistently than they did to Hera, and Hera wasn't about to ignore their words no matter how they reached her. Luna and the others surrounded her, Hades quickly joining in.

"She was fine a moment ago." Hades noted. "How did you know she was going to collapse?"

Had that been what she'd done? Hera thought she'd found a seat in time, but she had sort of slumped into it. She felt out of it, more than a little disoriented, and unable to focus on anything other than their words. Being hit by Zeus' lightning as she had been throughout the storm had felt worse than anything Thor had ever sent at Loki, but it had been the only way she knew to give her friends time to mould her chaotic ice into something that could contain the god for at least a little while. Thankfully, taking on the bond had given them a form of immunity against her more destructive ice abilities, enough that they felt that they could start taking such chances with it.

"Ice is a poor conductor of electricity, and our Hera is a Jötunn by magic." Hermione explained, her voice sounding far away. "It's why she was able to resist it for so long, but it's still running through her body."

"I wouldn't recommend touching her right now, Mione." Ron warned. Hera shook her head no quickly, as that sounded like a really bad idea right then.

"Hades was able to!" Hermione huffed in objection.

"Yes, but I only did so for a brief moment, and I am a god. You are not." Hades reminded her. "Still…you might be onto something there. I have had to absorb Zeus' powers before. I might be able to do something for her now. While it is safe to touch a person who's been struck by natural lightning, the same can not be said for someone who's been struck by the lightning of a god, so your friend was not wrong when he said you should not touch her. With the way Zeus managed to call you here, I do not believe the lightning will transfer to your waking bodies if they are touching, but it will if you attempt to touch her now. Do you understand?"

Hera managed to stay awake long enough to watch Hades grip both her hands. She didn't know if she passed out, but she felt that she was pulled into a memory of some kind. In it, things were hazy, fuzzy around the edges. She saw him standing above her, kneeling down, letting her small fingers grab onto horns like her own. There was someone else there, a man crying…She knew that face, but it took forever before it dawned on her.

"I wonder if he made himself forget, that ruddy bastard." She huffed in breathless laughter, a wide grin on her face. "What do you say, Me'Me? Shall we scare him, you and I?"

"I'll leave that to you, Little Hera." Hades answered with his own soft smile. "I should stay here. Queen Hera will be most interested to know what has happened. Now, you need to wake up."

~Wake up, Potter, wake up!~

"Wake up, my friend. We can talk later, you and I."

~Potter!~

"Do you promise, Me'Me?"

"I promise, Little Hera. Now, please, wake up."

~WAKE UP!~

AN: Quote from BBC's Doctor Who - Episode titled 'Blink" - Tenth Doctor