A.N: And another one bites the dust. Is this the third chapter since the year started? Man we are printing these out!
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Heracleidae - Epilogue
His vision had gone red. Nothing had been able to stop him from beating Atlas, divine power filling his body up as he screamed and wailed on the still laughing immortal. Artemis herself had had to restrain him - no one else was safe to approach - for fear he'd slay the avatar of the Titan's power and free Atlas inadvertently.
When someone wasn't fighting back it was surprisingly easy to maul them.
After that he'd cried, bitterly, and the fat, angry tears had cut little trails through the divine ichor still painting his body.
When he'd gone to her body, the goddess had made a comment that he ignored. No matter how much the divine bitch needed her tongue ripped out, he'd worry about that later. Because what he was caught by, the sight that tormented him, was her chest. Right between and under her breasts, the bronze ball had smashed bone and flesh, ripping through her like a cannon blast. Bits of ribs had been launched clear and her insides had been hollowed out.
Her viscera had either been blown clear by the force of the attack or simply slopped out when her torso had been burst.
No matter how powerful a demi-Titan she was, Atlas was far, far more terrible.
In the end, he was beaten, the immortal's allies dead or routed. The traitor, Luke, had somehow survived and lived to see another day. Another thorn in their side in need of pruning later on. Harry was used to it by now, with how many times his parents' enemies seemed to come out of the woodwork to come and get him.
Just another score to settle later.
They held a small funeral for Zoe. It was only right.
He had hated it, how emotions he'd learned to ignore came roaring back.
The helplessness. The shame.
Looking into the flames that licked at her pyre, a hundred spoils he had personally heaped upon it, he saw the Dursleys. Heard their words in the snap and crackle of the fire. Could still see her strong, beautiful face as fire kissed her skin and charred flesh. Even as her fat popped and burst and sizzled, even as he stomped away, scouring the rest of the halls of this cursed place and gathering every single trophy, spoil, and artifact he could… it still didn't do anything.
Watching treasures that dozens of demigods would have sold their souls to possess burn to nothing, he simply felt tired.
None of the others spoke to him or said much. Thalia and Bianca had both spoken to their patron and, somehow, convinced her to cease her whining. That was probably the only thing that kept the peace.
The two of them hadn't gotten along, he and Zoe. Not really. But in the end, he would like to believe the two of them might have grown to respect each other as people and not just as demigods. The irony did not elude him.
Her adventure started with a hero… and ended with a son of the very same.
It left a bitter taste on his tongue.
Not that the weight in his pocket made his guilt any less. The bronze ball was his tool, his weapon. And he'd let a friend be murdered with it. A stab in the back that ended a life that spanned the heights of human history. In truth, it would be a lie to say that he was not considering falling on his sword.
"You cannot follow us beyond this point, Harry Potter." The Goddess of the Hunt pulled him aside.
He wasn't part of the quest.
That was fine. He didn't feel like getting yelled at by his grandfather.
So there he stood, just outside the gates of Olympus, huddled against the overcompensating walls of pure gold. Trying to piece together his thoughts, trying to recall just where things had gone wrong.
His fight with Atlas.
Freeing Artemis.
No matter how many times he replayed them, Harry couldn't figure out what he could have done. Whether something could have been done at all, to prevent the old bastard from killing her.
Bottom line was he wasn't good enough.
Not fast enough.
Not strong enough.
He just wasn't… enough.
And wasn't that the story of his life. Never good enough for anyone around him. not smart enough, not talented enough. In Private Drive, at Hogwarts, it was always the same. What he did was never enough….
"Should we leave him alone?"
"No way. I think he's sulking again."
"Mother said it's bad manners to interrupt."
"What are you, five? Need mommy to nurse you?"
Harry twitched, a sigh of exhaustion escaping him as two very familiar youths walked out the gate and towards him.
Two boys on the cusp of adolescence, no older than he had been when he first left for Hogwarts, approached him. Both looked like copies of each other, same done to the last, exact detail. Curly chestnut hair swept back to reveal familiar electric blue eyes, they face dotted here and there with freckles.
The only difference was the casual, almost eager look one had while the other looked like he would rather be anywhere but outside the gates.
"Alex, we really shouldn't be interfering."
"My good brother, it's not interfering if it involves our official duties."
"Is that the excuse you're gonna tell grandpa?"
"If he asks I'll just say I saw another bird fly in and decided to check it out. You know, part of my duty as the gatekeeper of Olympus."
The second boy groaned pitifully.
"So you're just gonna lie again?"
"Mother will forgive me, I'm sure."
"Mother is the goddess of forgiveness. You know she doesn't count."
The son of Heracles let out a weak laugh. Of course those two would take the time to come badger him when he was right outside the gates.
He didn't blame them. They were family, after all.
"Hullo Alex. Ani." He said. "Ditching your job? Again?"
"Ditching is such a strong word. We are just taking a casual stroll while we look for a wayward bird. You wouldn't happen to have seen it, right?" Alex chirped, looking over his shoulder and around himself as if to search for his errant target.
"How's Hebe?"
"Mom's good!"
Alexiares' smile was mischievous. But, by now, Harry had learned to tell when it was the kind of mischief that would get him in trouble. That it wasn't spoke well of his odds of not being thrown from Olympus.
"I think she's coming by later today. Something about speaking to Dad then seeing you of all people." He frowned. "If I have to call you dad too I'm gonna be really annoyed."
Harry just… blinked. His mind trying to process the idea of him and his step mother being anything more than slightly awkward.
"Hah! You look like you're constipated!" Ani howled with laughter. "Good one little bro!"
"Hey, you're the little one!" Alex, as was his want, immediately started wrestling with his twin. Normally that would have terrified most people. After all even a semi serious god fight could have disastrous consequences. As it was, Harry merely called out.
"Howdy Mrs. Hebe. How are you today?"
Panicking, they scrambled apart only to see that their mother was not in fact there.
"Hahaha, real mature. Wait until I get my hands on… !" Alex pounced him in vindictive mischief, or would have, if not for the unconquerable one holding him back like a rowdy cat.
In a full nelson.
"What he means to say, Harry, is that he missed you and was worried." Anicetus serenely tattled on his brother.
"Betrayal, treachery of the worst kind!"
"We heard about your quest." The less rambunctious twin continued unaffected. "It must have been… difficult."
"Yeah. We heard you got tossed around like a sack of shit by that old bastard, Atlas."
Anicetus' hold tightened.
"Language, Alexiares! Sorry Harry, what he meant to say…."
"Is that I screwed up." Harry finished for his half brother, daring him to disagree.
"To be honest, I was more going to say 'pulled off something nearly impossible'. But I take it you'd disagree."
Alex clearly felt this was far, far too nice.
"I was gonna say that you got bitch slapped so hard you hit low orbit and Uncle Hermes had to save your ass. Also, you got your girlfriend murdered because you let dad's stress ball bust all up in her guts."
Ignoring the fact that Ani looked at him like he might explode, the demigod just shrugged.
"Yeah. Zoe was a badass. I got her killed because I didn't keep track of my weapons."
"And now you feel guilty?" Having switched his hold, Anicetus was now choking out his brother properly, preventing him from speaking. "I'm not sure what you could have been expected to do. If even Lady Artemis wasn't fast enough, how could you have been?"
"Simple really." Harry scratched his chin. "By keeping track of the weapon. Atlas held on to it, meaning his fist would have been closed even if it didn't benefit him to do so. By maintaining my spatial awareness I could have picked up on that and attacked his hand. Or even just called the ball back when I noticed it was missing."
"So basically you, a teenage mortal, are expected to flawlessly and effortlessly keep track of everything around you. During a fight with a Titan. And never screw up."
"Dad wouldn't have let the girl get killed."
Snorting, the other twin bit his brother's hand, freeing himself.
"You mean like he did with his wife and kids? The second wife? The third wife? In fact, I think most of dad's loved ones died in agony at one point or another. Hell, so did most of his mortal kids. For every hero and king there must have been dozens of petty sellswords and mercenaries. I'd even wager that of all the ones that weren't boring, ninety percent of them ended up dying and being forgotten."
Somewhat horrified at the thought of what his brother was claiming, Harry recoiled, leaping to his father's defense.
"He was a demigod! And ended up cursed, betrayed, or ambushed. Hell, he didn't even have the magic I do. But I know there's no way he had that many kids. Dad may… enjoy women, but he wouldn't just abandon his children."
Once more stepping into the conversation, Ani, having kicked the back of his brother's knee out and placed him in a sleeper hold, spoke in as gentle a tone as a preteen could manage.
"Harry, you have to understand, he didn't even realize he fathered most of his children. A farmer's daughter here, a prostitute there. Dad sought comfort in the arms of a lot of people. In one particular case fifty princesses in one night. He had thousands of children, even founding kingdoms himself for some of them. But you yourself just admitted he was just a demigod… like you."
"It's not the same." Harry disagreed.
"Isn't it? You just said father was just a demigod. You're just a half blood too, right?"
That wasn't the point. He didn't want to be just like his dad.
"I'm supposed to be better. He wants me to be better." He looked away in shame at his own admission.
"Stop… being … an idiot…" Alexiares wheezed only to be silenced by a knee to the kidney.
Anicetus sighed. He really was surrounded by idiots.
"That's not how I would put it. But he is right, you know? You can't keep holding yourself accountable for every single misfortune and tragedy. Zoe Nightshade would have found her way to the mountain with or without you. She would have fought Atlas with or without you. She would have most certainly died without your help and then Artemis would have never been freed."
Harry thought better than to comment on the goddess of the hunt who got caught like a rabbit in a snare.
"You might not like her, but Zoe did. Zoe wanted to save her, and you did. I think she would be thankful to you."
"And so am I."
The trio started in surprise, eyes turning to the gates as a spectre of shadow seemingly manifested out of thin air, a gloved hand reaching for its head as the figure removed an object of gleaming bronze which drove a chill down their spines.
The Helm of Darkness.
Which meant the man was….
"Lord Hades! We weren't expecting you." Anicetus squeaked. Jumping off his brother as if burnt, dusting his clothes to erase any sign of their roughhousing. Alex, on his part, had the good sense to try and do the same. All the while giving his twin the stink eye.
"Boys." The god nodded."I'd like to speak to young Harry alone, please."
Giving their brother a glance, Harry nodded that it was ok, only then did they go. Alex almost giving the older, far more powerful being the stink eye as he did so.
"Huh. They're better behaved than I remember them." Chuckling, he turned back to the demigod, stepping close enough to cast him into shadow. "Sorry about that Harry. But a certain someone has their eye on you."
"Hmm? Wait, oh, you mean A-"
"Yes." Holding up his hand, the god silenced the young man. "Before we go any further, I want to thank you for looking after Bianca. I doubt you'd be able to know this, but she was fated to die in that junkyard. Had you not intervened, the curse she took would have lingered long enough to eat away at her insides. And had you not been there then something else would have killed her." Forestalling the obvious question, he continued. "I know all this because Hecate told me. She made it clear that I should bribe you to join me, as your father would come with you too. That it was a path for the Underworld to rise up and conquer Olympus."
Suddenly very worried, Harry shifted slightly, ready to move to the side as quickly as he could. Though the fact that Hades's shadow seemed to be growing tentacles wasn't helping things as the god loomed over him in all his dark glory.
"I told her she was listening to dead Titans far too much and that a war like that would only end with our death." Leaning back, letting a bit of light fall down on the heracleidae, he continued. "But she wasn't wrong. So, I was thinking, would you like to marry my daughter?"
"Uhhh… isn't she a Huntress?"
Hades waved his hand dismissively.
"Details. And you are the one that said you loved her like my brother loves Hera. I intend to interpret that you meant that as his… better years. When he was faithful. Otherwise I'd have to smite you."
Unsure of where to go from here, because saying you were being mouthy was a poor defense against implying you'd sleep with anything that had a pulse, Harry did the one thing that was smart in that situation.
"Bianca is a very lovely girl and I'm honored by your offer. I would have to know her thoughts on the matter first, though, before I considered accepting or rejecting any such offers."
Arching a single perfectly manicured eyebrow, the divinity shrunk down to human size.
"That sounded rehearsed."
"Dad made me practice it." Harry blushed. "But I do mean it."
"Your father made you practice rejecting marriage offers for my daughter? I was unaware he was a seer as well."
Snorting in laughter, the demigod shook his head.
"You know that's not what I mean."
"Perhaps." The old man agreed. "But I was serious. She's the princess of the Underworld and a powerful demigoddess in her own right." He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "We spoke once she'd returned from the quest, actually. Bianca cares about you quite deeply. In a way, that's rarer than love, or lust I suppose, in an actual marriage."
"I… I'm thirteen sir.
"And you will be lucky to hit fifteen. It is not my domain, but I believe it would be better if you marry whilst you still have a pulse, Mr. Potter." Smiling ruefully, he shook his head. "Still. Consider it. If nothing else, we'll call it an engagement."
Rather overwhelmed by it all, Harry simply nodded, knowing he'd need to speak with both Bianca and his father as soon as possible.
"Good! It's settled then. Ah, you should know that Melinoe was asking after you as well. If you're interested in older women I could consent to that marriage as well…."
Harry paled. In fact, he went bone white. Swallowing, he looked around slightly, unable to resist the impulse to confirm that, no, she wasn't right behind him.
"Please, sir, your daughter, well, I'm not sure how to say this."
"Then just do, lad."
"She terrifies me!" Shivering, he remembered waking up, her body floating above his bed, dead eyes staring at him from above while he slept. "Aside from the fact I only helped her kill a few dementors, I don't know why she kept showing up everywhere! She was in my bed, I know she watched me when I bathed, I think she was even following me to classes at one point!"
Hades nodded.
"Yes, that does sound like her."
His mouth dropped open.
"So you mean she just stalks people?"
The immortal shrugged.
"Melinoe is the goddess of ghosts, her very form is that of the lingering, hungry dead. Is it truly any wonder that she craves the living?"
"I… suppose not." Harry conceded.
"Indeed. And you yourself are so very close to death already. It's a small miracle she doesn't have some measure of power over you." The impossibly old god chuckled. "But, such is life, yes?"
This time Harry glared.
"You just used a French quote on an Englishman. Would you like one of my own in return?"
Shaking his head, the god politely declined.
"Not at this time, no thank you. But I do have an engagement gift for you. You have until the council meeting finishes."
And just like that, he was gone, leaving Harry standing there like nothing had changed.
"I hath heard much of thine folly. In truth, I did not think one such as you would be inclined to wallowing in misery."
Eyes wide, Harry turned around, seeing the slightly ephemeral shade of the woman whose death he'd directly contributed to.
"Zoe…."
"Hey guys."
He smiled at the other demigods.
"Harry!"
Annabeth rushed forward, crushing him in a hug.
"Thank you for keeping my idiot boyfriend alive."
Patting her back, he hugged back.
"No problem. I'm glad he finally asked you out. It was about time."
Stepping back, the daughter of Athena grabbed Percy's hand who, himself was blushing slightly at the contact.
"So. I guess I should let you guys know, I'll be heading out in a bit."
They were six teenagers, standing around on a New York street. Grove, at least, looked decent enough. But the fact that they were loitering was getting them a few looks. So, after glaring at a woman until she looked away, Harry jerked his head to the rest of the group.
"Come on. Let's find somewhere to sit down."
Thalia and Bianca shared a look, somewhat unsure of what to do, but they followed as he led them to the first coffee shop he saw. It was a turkish place, more of a lounge than anything else. But the manager decided not to say anything when Harry tossed him a galleon. That solid gold coin being quite the clear bribe. Picking out a spot in the back - clear sightlines, people only on two other sides, and away from the front windows - he let the girls sit down first.
"Order whatever you want. My treat."
The group was quiet, unsure how to handle Harry's latest mood. But Grover, out of all of them, was the one that broke the silence.
"Sooooo Zeus lost the votes. Neither you nor Percy are going to be killed."
That got a snort of laughter from the Huntresses.
"Not for lack of trying." Thalia shook her head. "Sorry about Dad. He's just in a mood."
Harry waved her off.
"Don't worry about it. He and dad are having a spat so he takes it on me since dad is all the way back in Europe."
Interfering with a quest to rescue one of his daughters likely didn't make the King of the Sky any more favorable to him than before. But it's not like Harry ever expected Zeus, stubborn and hardheaded as he was, to change his mind voluntarily.
"I'll just head back to England and lay low for a little bit. Should give him some time to cool off."
Oh yes, that reminded him….
"You can always come with, you know? There's plenty to do back home. We have giants, dragons, and even stupid high schoolers with shiny swords. You'll feel right at home!"
Really, being the only Greek demigod back home could be annoying.
It was always 'pagan barbarian' this or 'greek barbarian' that.
"Sorry, maybe next time." Annabeth turned him down, gently.
"Bah. No sense of adventure. What about you, auntie?"
Thalia's mature response was to throw a folded napkin at him.
Well, he tried.
A waiter came over, taking their orders, and, with another gold coin flashed, they were accepted without comment. During the wait he couldn't help but notice how close both Percy and Annabeth were sitting to each other. Considering she'd just been kidnapped, it made sense, but it was almost sickeningly cute.
And as their older cousin, it was his duty to nag them about it.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you were dosed with love potion."
Their matching blushes, equal part embarrassed and mortified, were a treat.
"Lay off them, Potter."
He grinned at the daughter of Zeus.
"Sure thing, auntie."
And made sure to dodge the second napkin just as it was thrown.
"What about you? Heading back to that school of yours?"
"Yeah. Gotta do some investigating after those hit wizards attacked us at the scrapyard. Bianca nearly died because of them. One of the covens back home probably is trying to get involved here and that's never good."
Especially since they came after him.
He didn't have many fans - Boy Who Lived Fanatics aside - back home, but he couldn't think of many magicals willing to grab the attention of the Olympians just to try and attack him. In fact he could only think of two people who hated him enough to risk that.
Neither were good options.
He just… couldn't risk them going after him again if he ever came back.
His enemies wanted a piece of him? Fine. He could live with that. But there was no way in Tartarus he was gonna let them hurt the family he had here. He owed that much to Bianca, for getting her hurt.
And to Zoe….
"Just don't do anything stupid. We won't be there to bail you out."
Harry smiled thinly.
"Sorry Thalia, can't promise that. Trouble always seems to find me, no matter where I go."
"Then stop looking like you're gonna kill someone." Perseus was giving him a look again. "You were practically brooding when we walked out of the Empire State Building."
That's because he was.
But his cousin didn't need to know that.
"Yeah, yeah. I already had a chat with the twins about that. They wouldn't stop pestering me until I stopped brooding, as you put it."
"I'm sorry about Zoe, Harry. I didn't know you were close to her."
Grover was, as he always was, awkward with the son of Heracles. But the goat man was trying and that meant a lot. So, swallowing his instinctual response of saying something crazy or pithy or just quoting shakespeare… he nodded.
"Thanks man. It means a lot. I only wish I'd had more time to get to know her the first go-round."
Just as clever as Hermione, Annabeth's eyes opened wide.
"You don't mean!"
"Yup. She's trying for reincarnation. Though, considering how long it took her to die the first time, I'm not sure the gods will still be around by the time she dies a hero the third time!"
"Here-here!" Thalia raised her cup, plucking it from a tray, as the waiter, somewhat confused, placed a platter of small foods and cups of piping hot liquids on the table. "To the Lieutenant that lasted two thousand years. Older than gods, mightier than men."
Harry, lips quirking into a grin, raised his own drink.
"May she rise to the stars, again and again."
Cries of here here sounded around the table before Bianca, looking over her own drink, finally spoke up.
"So Harry, how many trophies did you offer up on her pyre?"
Shrugging, he answered honestly.
"No idea, I was kind of in a daze at that point."
"I mean, you were running around, naked, covered in Atlas's blood, and throwing things on a giant pyre made from millenia old pieces of titanic furniture."
Percy's complaint got a giggle from the girls, one that left Harry blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh lay off. He's just an exhibitionist. There's worse things to be."
Thalia's jibe actually shocked him a bit and, stuttering, Harry tried to respond.
"I'm not!"
"Then why are you blushing?"
"Because… because… I don't know, the coffee's hot!"
"Harry… we've seen you drink. A lot." Bianca gave him a smile that told him he was definitely losing this argument. "You don't get flushed from heat or drink. But don't worry, I think it's kinda cute, you getting all embarrassed like this."
Now a deep pink, he shook his head.
"You're a Huntress, you're not allowed to think boys are cute, you're supposed to hate us all!" Turning to Percy he pleaded for help with his eyes.
"Hey man, I'm staying out of this one. You're the guy that pushed me into asking Wise Girl over here to go on a date with me." He coughed slightly. "I didn't expect me to kiss her in front of her mom. I think Athena was going to murder me on the spot."
"As opposed to just murdering you later, you mean?"
"Harry, stop trying to terrify him."
"Just letting him know his girlfriend's mom is known for transmogrifying people. You know, it's not a crime for the Olympians if the kid was just turned into a squirrel. Artemis gets away with it all the time, from what I hear."
He quirked an eyebrow at the glaring huntresses.
"That's not a denial."
The rest of the meal passed well enough, the group joking and finally actually relaxing. Harry's galleons, being solid gold coins of a literally magical purity, meant that the owner of the cafe was all too happy to keep the afternoon going. However even demigods had their limits. So it was two hours later that they stepped out of the restaurant, with Grover taking Perseus and Annabeth, both of whom got a tight hug from Harry, back to camp.
Thalia, pretending to just coincidentally walk away, gave Bianca a moment to speak with the other demigod.
"Soooo. Do you wanna talk about what my dad pressured you into accepting?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I tried to bullshit my way out of it no matter how much I wouldn't have minded saying yes."
Bianca snorted.
"You're a thirteen year old boy. Of course you would have agreed to marry a pretty, powerful, princess."
They both broke down into giggles when she struck a haughty pose.
"I would more say gorgeous and talented, if a bit too prone to eating curses." He chuckled when she punched his arm hard enough to hurt her own hand. "But yeah, princess, you're an immortal girl scout and I'm, well, me. So we can just say we're 'engaged' and leave it at that, if your dad pushes it. Fair?"
Looking a bit uncomfortable, Bianca Di Angelo did the thing that felt right in the moment.
Leaning over, she wrapped her arms around her friend's neck and squeezed him tight, holding him for several long heartbeats, and he hugged her back.
"Thanks for saving my life Harry."
"Any time Love."
"Write me?"
He nodded.
"Of course. I'll send them by Hellhound."
Shaking her head, she simply accepted the weirdness of the boy that had saved her.
"Somehow, I expect that. But your owl would be better. Where has Hedwig been anyways?"
This time it was Harry that got to grin.
"Learning."
"Ominous much?"
"Only for you."
Brushing her hair behind her ear, she shook her head.
"See you later Harry."
"See yah."
Thalia waved goodbye, Harry refused to accept that and hugged her, ignoring the only moderately painful electric shock he got from her. Eventually, she hugged him back too, blushing slightly before pushing him away.
Sitting on the curb, he watched as the Huntresses took three steps… and simply disappeared into the distance.
"Not as cool as apparition, but still pretty sweet."
Harry looked down at the clock.
His ride home should be arriving soon. So he'd better get a move on
The son of heracles turned around with an exaggerated flourish. And disappeared with a loud crack of thunder.
With a small pop, he dropped down inside a private area inside the Woolworth building.
"Heya Pup."
And immediately felt his godfather's still too skinny arms wrap him up.
"Hey Padfoot."
It felt nice to hug him. To just… be for a moment. The man smelled like smoke and firewhiskey. Like magic and dust and a little hint of sickness. But most of all he smelled like family. Harry could have stayed wrapped up in his too big, too voluminous robes forever. Instead, the soldier inside of him poked him, so he stepped back.
Sirius looked like he wanted to hug more, but contented himself with ruffling Harry's already messy black hair.
"So are you banished from America yet, can I keep you back in Merry Olde Anglaland yet?"
About to respond, a pair of very annoyed looking aurors walked up to the pair.
"Harry Potter, are you aware you spent magical currency in a nomaj establishment? And that you aperated down a blocked alleyway with no less than nomajs in hearing range?"
Oh, right. He gave galleons, not drachmas.
'Well, not my fault they look the same.'
Totally unimpressed by the two hard boiled men, and unwilling to even deal with the American's legal system, the demigod flexed his divine might.
"Fuck off. Or you'll have a fight on your hands you don't want." Paling, one man went to his knees and the other had to hold himself up using the wall. Harry cranked it up a bit more and drove him to the ground too. Sirius, however, was fine. The benefits of even being a distant legacy of Pluto and Hades both. That and copious incest keeping the divine blood somewhat stronger than it would have been otherwise. "So unless your president is here to spit shine my shoes, you can stick your little sticks up your ass and spin on them."
Things were… tense between magics and semi divines like him.
Normally, wizards kept out of the way of half bloods and the same went for the children of Olympus. Problem was that every now and again you had someone who was born with both magic and a divine parent.
Something about not trusting the children of 'wild gods' with magic.
Of course, half bloods could use magic through the Mist so the point was moot anyway.
Harry, of course, had the dubious honor of being stuck on their hit list. Largely because he hunted monsters, caused collateral damage, and they got pissy because he'd use magic to do it. But that wasn't his problem. Gods and Dark Lords were his problem. Not playing games with mortals and politicians and trying to hide their true nature away.
He just couldn't be bothered.
"So, anything interesting happened back home?"
Sirius smiled, it was a brittle thing. But he was trying.
"Nothing much. You gave us a right scare when Iolaus came back. Said you got into a bit of a pickle with one of those Titans. Your dad went on quite a tear or so I heard. We might need to do some remodelling when we get back."
Harry wasn't looking forward to that conversation.
"Think we could take a look around then? See the sites?"
Spreading his arms, the dogfather let out a laugh.
"Let's go get a hotdog!"
And just like that, the worries of the magical and divine worlds fell away. Starting off at Coney Island, apparition letting them ignore distances, they started off the afternoon with overpriced games and greasy food. However, an hour of play wasn't nearly enough for a young man on a bender. Instead, he dragged Sirius to the Statue of Liberty, the Rockefeller center, and ended on Broadway.
"You know, I don't get why the Americans worry about magic being outed."
"I know." The older man frowned. "Some of these… people seem far stranger than even nonhumans. I've met Ceela that were less ostentatious than some of these men and women."
"So you're saying that the Paris fashion scene is dominated by angry bird women?"
Chortling, the Black scion shook his head.
"They're French, Harry and the Veela are only birds when they're angry. Though, to be fair, as frogs they're probably angry all the time."
Stopping outside of a theatre, a riot of colors splattered across the glass display, garish neon lights blaring out as the sun slowly ticked downwards, he was forced to think.
Toeing the ground, the young man was unsure how to ask what he wanted to. Instead choosing to let the crowd swarm past them, pushing and pulling with the flow and press of bodies. It was somehow easier to focus on the unending stream of bodies than the patient, somewhat nervous man next to him. Realizing it was to actually move on, he decided to step into the nearest lobby.
It was smallish, maybe large enough to hold twenty or thirty people at a time, with art on the wall he thought was more than a touch nonsensical. But, deciding that the chairs were soft enough, he plopped down in one and waited for Sirius to come back from the restroom.
That was good. It meant he had time to chew on his question.
It was a bit unfair.
Harry had suffered through an entire decade and then some of never knowing his parents, not having a single bit of parental affection and support. But by the end of his first year at Hogwarts, at least he managed to claim some of that love and recognition.
Had his father not being a god, he might have gone through his entire life without it.
But Sirius? Sirius had known, loved, and lost dear friends.
And just like Harry, he spent the next decade shut away in a hole somewhere to fester on it. In a way, they were painfully similar. In another, Harry had never truly lost his parents, he just had no recollection of them to begin with.
That's why… seeing someone he actually cared about die… he couldn't help but want to ask Sirius.
'Was that how he felt?'
For thirteen years the man had carried the deaths of James and Lily potter in his heart.
Already, Harry felt crushed by his failure. Even if he'd managed to get some kind of closure, there was no doubt in his mind that this ordeal would stick with him for a long while yet. Though, perhaps, more easily than it had for either Sirius or Remus.
"Harry, you alright?"
"Sorry, what?"
"You've been staring at the wall for ten minutes now."
The half blood felt his cheeks color.
Maybe he'd gotten a bit too much into brooding, after all.
It seemed it was dangerous indeed… he'd have to warn Nico.
"I was just thinking. And I'm sorry if this is too much… but… what was it like that night?"
Paling slightly, Sirius gave a jerky nod. His fingers were suddenly very busy with each other. However, the prematurely aged man eventually sighed. Leaning back, he settled into the armchair, and flicked his wand out. A few spells later and he began speaking.
"You need to understand, Harry, that James and Lily were more than just my friends." Particularly morose, he gave his head a dog-like shake. "In those days no one knew who they could trust or what was right anymore. Voldemort wasn't just powerful. In fact, without trying to seem arrogant, I imagine I likely had as much raw power as he did. If only because of the god's blood."
Twirling his wand, the last scion of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black continued.
"But he was smart. Clever. Cunning. Ruthless. Driven, with a dark charisma. Charming, or so I heard, in the early days. Before things turned so ugly. Back when we were still playing aurors and warlocks."
Silently nodding, Harry bit back his questions and let his godfather continue.
"Yet, even that doesn't begin to describe the amount of terror he inspired. For one, the Death Eaters were fast. Lightning fast. Totally unlike the Knights of Walpurgis that came before them. There would be a raid in Romania, a bombing in France, a rally in the Russian Autonomy, and then a massacre of a light family in England within two, three hours."
"So no one knew when or where he would appear?"
Shrugging, Sirius agreed.
"More or less. He stayed in Europe, only took a visit or two to Asia, the Phillipines I think. But that's a digression. No. What was most awful was how he'd split families, turn them against themselves, then drag them down. It's how my own decadent, flea bitten progenitors died. By the end of the infighting, only Walburga, my mother, survived. Narcissa had been married to the Malfoys, Andromeda had fled, and Bellatrix had married the Lestranges."
Eyes tight, face set in stone, he continued.
"I was Head of the House, the Lord Black by then. But I shirked my responsibilities. They hated me and I hated them… even my own little brother, Regulus, had become a Death Eater. Everyone else had been murdered or committed suicide." Sighing, deeply, he finished his train of thought. "None of that mattered though. I had Remus and Peter and James and Lily. The family that I had chosen and had chosen me. Without a doubt, I loved them."
There was a "but" there, it almost made Harry's chest hurt, hearing the pain and fear in the older man's voice. The shame and guilt and self loathing.
"Albus had us on different missions, but that's no excuse. When I suggested Peter be the secret keeper for your parent's protections… I also said not to tell Remus. I-he-we…. His missions had him dealing with the lycan packs a lot. That meant I thought he had been compromised, but that was the whole point of his mission, and when Peter turned traitor, and I found your parents bodies, I just couldn't, I broke an-"
Before Sirius could work himself up any more, Harry hugged him. He squeezed his favorite uncle around the midsection and just poured every ounce of love he could into the hug.
It took a while but Sirius relaxed, hugging him back too.
"Let's go home Padfoot."
The tired, tattered man nodded.
"Of course, Pup."