Last time...

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!~


Chapter 100

Hera Potter awoke with a gasp, and kept gasping for air. Poppy had been about to run a scan to see what was wrong, but Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood had already leapt to opposite sides of her bed. Minerva didn't understand why they were turning her over, lifting and leaning her trembling form onto Hermione while Luna cast a delicate vanishing spell on Hera's top. The sight of the bruise made Minerva gasp in shock, as it covered the expanse of the girl's back in a deep purple colour. Ronald Weasley was instantly by Luna's side with a canister of some kind of paste, with Draco Malfoy popping up on her other side to help the boy apply it.

"Boys! This is most inappropriate!" Minerva gasped, still in shock.

"She's our leader, and most importantly, our friend and shield-sister." Draco snorted, not even looking over at her as he continued to apply the paste to Hera's back. "Shield-siblings take care of each other. How is this inappropriate? It's not like I'm attracted to her or anything. Though, don't get me wrong, Darling, you really are quite fetching, but you're just a little too closely related to me by magic. No hard feelings?"

Hera began laughing breathlessly and grimacing with pain in equal measure. "Don't…don't make me laugh…you arse!…Laughing hurts."

"But she's…She's…"

"Minerva, let it be." Severus stated quietly, before jumping into things. "What happened? Longbottom informed us that you were all called. What does that mean?"

"Zeus…Zeus called…" Hera croaked.

"Why does her voice sound like that?" Minerva inquired, her worry skyrocketing even more.

"Considering who called, I'm not surprised." Severus remarked. "No matter the stories told through muggle or wizarding tales, Zeus has never been known for diplomacy."

"I…" Hera tried, before gasping in pain as whatever paste the boys and Luna were applying hit a particularly sensitive spot of dark purple on her back.

"I can tell them, Hera." Hermione insisted quietly. Hera responded by slumping further into the girl's embrace, and Hermione looked over to them. "Hera met with Queen Hera some time before, gave her the idea that maybe she should start taking her revenge for all the rape and infidelity out on Zeus instead of the children he created from it all. Turns out, the woman took her advice and made that foul cretin eat his own dick. Serves him right!"

"And when he called?" Minerva wondered, because Severus was looking a little green around the gills at the mere thought.

"We ended up in an arena, where we fought with soldiers till I accidentally killed one of them." Luna offered up in her oddly dreamy voice as she continued her work. "Bit of a problem after that, because Zeus landed in the arena, and our Hera tried to stall for time. It might have worked too, had she not stepped out from the shield, but she thought it worth the risk. Zeus took offence to being called the least of the Accounts, and a Cretin, and…well…He charged his hands with lightning, and hit her hard enough that she collapsed a stone wall as thick as one you would find in Hogwarts."

"He was encased in ice." Severus murmured, and all eyes – even Hera's – turned to him. "If the story holds true, a group of sorcerers encased him in a ball of ice, and he rolled all the way down the mountain of Olympia; not one of his more glories tales, I'll grant."

"She used his own powers against him, made him create an even bigger storm, more cold air. She used it to create the ice to encase him, and we stabilized the magic around it to solidify it. Oddly enough stabilizing another's magic doesn't take nearly as much effort as stabilizing our own, even a god's, which I'm still more than a little confused by." Draco confirmed. "How did you know that story? It just happened to us!"

"Wibbly Wobbly." Hera replied with a shaky grin, the words holding no meaning to Minerva or the others, but Draco only snorted.

"Yeah, I know. Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey…stuff." Draco commented airily. "Doesn't mean I understand it. Do you think he regrew his eye?"

"Don't see why not." Ron snorted, beginning another round of paste. Hera's back was beginning to look a lot better than it had earlier. "If the berk can regrow his own dick, an eyeball shouldn't be that difficult."

"Wonder why Odin never did then." Hermione mused.

"Couldn't…The sacrifice…" Hera tried to explain. "Offered to hang himself…upside down on Yggðrasil…Sacrificed an eye…bled on the world tree…for knowledge, and…understanding of runes."

"That worked?!" Draco asked, looking askance.

"Wouldn't…recommend it." Hera smiled. "He was…a bit loopy for a while after…Started a war…stole a baby…that sort of thing."

"This paste, what is it?" Poppy inquired, having been running diagnostics the whole time. "It's healing her muscles and skin at a rate I haven't been able to manage with what I have."

"The twins make it. It's their bruise paste." Ron offered. "Originally, it wasn't this strong, but they've been ramping up the recipe for a while now. This stuff will work on anything."

"Tell them if they patent it…before selling it to you, or anyone else…they'll be able to funnel the royalties…They'll know what it means." Hera added. "They might refuse the money otherwise."

"Still can't believe you called Hades, god…Account, sorry…of the Dead, Me'Me." Ron snickered.

"I thought…he was my imaginary friend…when I was little." Hera exclaimed, her breaths coming in more even as the bruise faded, and Luna reappeared the girl's shirt. "How was I supposed to know the man was real?"


While the stink Umbridge had raised wasn't nearly as important as Snape had tried to make it sound, though she suspected he'd mostly been talking out of his arse in an effort to find some way to wake her, the woman had been able to cause all kinds of trouble. Snape managed to get everyone out of the hospital wing with the help of Professor McGonagall, but it was clear on his face that he didn't think the peace would last, and he wasn't entirely wrong. Theo had barely been able to speak to her about a possible problem involving his father when Snape informed her that she was being summoned for a meeting with the High Inquisitor. Thankfully, her friends were with her – Ron and Luna having opted to hang out in the Slytherin Common Room for a bit – and decided to go too. They presented quite the united front when walking into the Headmaster's office.

"Now, really! This is entirely necessary!" Umbridge objected, like they were being ridiculous children. "Only Potter is being charged with child endangerment, so only she needs to be here. Your little friends can-"

"Are these formal charges?" Hera inquired politely, halting the woman's words. "What proof, if any, is there to the claim?"

"The only proof I need is on your arm! It is clear to the Ministry that these…these 'shield-brethren' tattoos are dangerous, and should be prohibited." Umbridge declared with a stomp of her foot, drawing herself up to her full height.

"So that's a no on the formal charges then." Hera translated with an unimpressed air. Straightening her posture, she continued to issue a formal declaration of her own. "Very well. Dolores Jane Umbridge, I hereby accept your declaration of war against me and mine-"

"Miss Potter, I hardly think a war with the wizarding world is a proper retaliation to the High Inquisitor's accusations." Dumbledore interjected carefully. It wasn't quite a reprimand, which confused her. Perhaps cautionary? Yes, cautionary seemed a better fit.

"Perhaps I should clarify." Hera acquiesced, nodding to him. "I have no wish to wage war with the whole of the wizarding world. That does seem like a rather ridiculously inflammatory reaction, I agree. I seek only to accept one witch's declaration of war. 'Tis only she who has issued it, and as she is by no means a representative of the entirety of the wizarding world, it is only she who will have it."

"What are you trying to…What do you mean by…" Umbridge stammered. "I haven't made any declaration of war!"

"Oh, but you have." Hera corrected, pinning the woman with a look. "You have kept me from your classroom, made remarks about what I am, and attacked my character more than once. You accuse my friends and I of rebellion against the Ministry, and every edict you have posted so far is a direct result of your finding something me and mine have done that you don't like. My king warned you what would happen the next time you attempted such a thing, and we are now far past the point where I should have formally accepted your declaration of war, High Inquisitor. Choose your next words very carefully. They may be your last."

Many looked stunned at her words, but Professor Flitwick just looked amused. He knew very well what she was doing, and seemed to be taking a quiet sort of glee in the fact that no one else had realized it yet. No doubt Jareth had been waiting for this exact moment, and no matter what Umbridge decided now, Hera knew all too well that what was done was done and what was said was said. Umbridge had already made her bed, and it was only a matter of time before she realized that fact.

"Perhaps I was a bit…hasty…in my assessment." Umbridge managed to choke out, seeing as she was almost too stunned to speak. "I shall be more careful of such things in the future."

"See that you are." Hera nodded to her, before acknowledging the others in the room in farewell. "Professors."

"I did warn you, you know." Filius declared, as soon as Hera and her friends had left the room.

"What are you talking about?" Dolores demanded, turning to him. Her face had a scowl of rage to it, but shifted to confusion when she saw his indifference. "Nothing happened, as you can plainly see."

"Then you weren't paying attention." Filius shrugged. "Whether you knew it or not, you declared war with your actions against our princess, and Miss Potter has formally accepted them in the presence of a witness. What's done is done, and what's said is said. The wizarding world should breathe a collective sigh of relief that she only seems to be taking issue with you."

"But I backed away from pressing for formal charges to be made!" Dolores protested.

"You bought yourself time." Filius corrected, watching as the woman began to look like she'd swallowed a toad. "Use it wisely."

He was not surprised when she stormed out of the Headmaster's office a moment later.

"Filius, what should we do?" Albus inquired warily. It was clear the man was hesitant to allow such goings on in his school, but was uncertain how to handle it.

"I wouldn't worry, Albus." Minerva replied kindly, surprising Filius. "I'm sure that any quarrel Miss Potter has with you, she won't let it get in the way of the safety and well-being of Hogwarts."

That was certainly news to Filius, as he wasn't quite sure what quarrel Hera had with Albus, but Albus relaxed upon hearing Minerva's words anyway. Interesting.

"In any case, there is only one thing we can do." Filius remarked, and he waited until all eyes were on him before he continued. "Stay out of her way."


The next morning, Hera saw for herself what Theo had been trying to warn her about. Somehow, his father had found himself a bit of magic again, and he'd used it to break out those most loyal to Voldemort from Azkaban. She was thankful that Sirius had been instated as Lord Black, and had stricken Bellatrix from the Family Tree. It meant that the woman would have a harder time of getting to Draco and Narcissa, should she choose to try and attack them. Neville looked white as a sheet just reading the paper, and Hera resolved to check on him later.

Antonin Dolohov, Augustus Rockwood, Bellatrix Lestrange. These were names that carried a weight to them even after a decade of being locked away. Many of the children going to Hogwarts grew up knowing those names, grew up hearing the stories of what they'd done. There was a tense atmosphere in the room, as teacher and student alike ruminated on the news given to them. Hera noticed that Snape had gone stone still next to her as he read the words in front of him. These were men that he knew well, and if seeing the words was enough to stun him, they were dangerous enough to be taken seriously.

Whatever she'd said, the words were enough to pull him out of his stunned reverie. They meant nothing to him other than sound, so he couldn't recall what was said. He blinked for a moment to get his bearings. Students were already chatting nervously with their friends about the article. It was to be expected. What he did not expect was Potter's clinched fists on either side of her plate.

"What did you just say?" He asked, his tone one of warning, not wishing to admit that he hadn't heard what she'd said.

"They will not have you." She repeated, an almost a growl rumbling of words. "I will not let them."

"I hardly see how one even such as you could stop those five, Potter." Severus stated quietly, knowing that if Bellatrix had made it out, then the Lestrange brothers were with her. "If it happens, it happens. There is no need to worry about it now."

"Shut up." She growled, keeping her voice low, and this time he turned to her in muted shock. She had never talked back to him in public since becoming his apprentice, not really, and this was the first time she had been so forthright in doing so at all. "You are one of mine."

Outrage filled him as he glared at her, wondering who she thought she was that she could claim him as hers in such a way.

"You are my Master." She continued, seeing his reaction. "Did you think such possessive need to defend and protect was for you alone?"

Oh, he'd rather forgotten she would feel that part of the master/apprentice bond. She gestured out to the students.

"You are mine, as they are mine, as Hogwarts is mine. My home, my people, my master. These things are worth defending, worth protecting." Potter continued to explain, and now he could see how she'd come to the conclusion she had. "These wixen are a threat to those that are mine, have already harmed many I have sworn to protect. I am already at war with one wixen. I see no problem adding others to that list."

He could not help but quote her, just this once. "One war at a time, eh, Potter?"

She snorted, and he relaxed upon seeing his words had eased the tension in her frame as well.

"I have an academic inquiry, if you wouldn't mind, Professor." Potter commented, turning her attentions back to the food on her plate. "Is it possible to obliviate oneself?"

He froze, having been wondering that same thing recently. Something had tickled at the back of his mind at the words she'd spoken while still asleep and roaming the realms in dreams. She'd called on someone she'd referred to as 'Me'Me', and while he now knew that to be Hades - god of the Underworld, his mind began to wonder. Something about that was familiar to him. Only it wasn't 'Me'Me', but 'Me! Me!'.

"While I believe it is possible, I would hesitate to advise anyone to attempt such a thing. Memories one wishes to forget tend to be emotional upheavals, and one needs absolute emotional control to be able to lock a memory away like that." Severus answered, his mind still trying to puzzle out why she would even ask. "There are many academic papers on the subject, Potter. I will see about finding them for you."

"…Or, you know, you could just check your pockets."


AN: I can't believe ya'll have stayed with me for this long while my brain is held hostage by the plot bunny overlords! Thank you so much! Also, sorry this chapter is so short!


People reading this as a completed work, this is a mandatory rest stop. Drink some water, go to sleep, and come back in the morning.

Not originally mine, but I saw the idea and thought I'd include it every ten chapters or so. Thanks to katherynefromphilly on Tumblr for the idea!