The Tiger s Legacy

by Del1ons

After the death of a son of Apollo by Artemis and her hunters, a fierce fight breaks out between the two. Until Apollo claims that Artemis does not know what it means to be a parent and what it is like to lose a child. Zeus punish Artemis with a life cycle as mortals without access to their memories and divine powers to learn humility.

11. Chapter 9: Surrexit in cinere

Hey guys,

here is the next chapter of TTL. I want to thank you all for giving my story a chance for more than a year now and I'm still overwhelmed by how much you like it. When I uploaded the prologue a year ago now, I never expected such a reaction. Thank you so much for all the comments, likes, subscriptions and messages. I hope you also like the next act of the story, because this one is now finished and told to the end.

And now without my further babbling

Chapter 9: Surrexit in cinere

Don't call it death, call it awakening in another world where all suffering falls from your soul. - Natunika

31 October 1993, Underworld

The blackness that had enveloped her lifted and a world of shadows, outlines and shapes remained. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. The next thing she was aware of was the sound of rushing water. She blinked and looked around. The fog that surrounded her lifted and her gaze fell on a path lit by torches that ended at a riverbank with a wharf. The river was too wide to wade through and too raging to swim across. She could not see the far bank. Her eyes continued to wander to the sky, only to find that it wasn't a sky at all, but the ceiling of a huge stone cavern. Then it hit her like a blow, this was the underworld. She had been aware that she had been killed, but had always suspected that the killing curse, destroyed the soul, not separated it from the body. Also, the fact that her little Harry had not appeared here with her told her that her ritual of sacrifice had worked and that her son would live. Her colleagues would do anything for that little bit of information, they had been trying to understand the workings and mechanics behind the curse for years.

Muffled voices, however, snapped her out of her euphoria. James. He had to be here too, and he seemed to be arguing with someone. The voices came from further down the trail and so she followed it at a measured pace. There was no need to hurry now, she had all the time in the world. Then sadness overtook her. Grief; not seeing her son grow up, grief; never holding her daughter, grief; never seeing her two children play and laugh together, grief; over the friends she had had to leave behind in the mortal world. How Andy, Alice, Amelia, Sirius, and Remus would feel when they learned of their death. She had been able to partially keep her promise to Bella, but little Delphini would grow up without her mother, godmother, and godfather. How would Bella think of her when she learned where she had hidden her daughter. The deep sadness she felt was now mixed with more and more feelings of guilt. Had she been right to hide Delphini in such a sleepy nest? Mightn't Andy have been the better choice after all? How could she call herself a good mother after what she'd done? Sacrificing one child for the other? The thought that her unborn daughter would die if she did too had been completely pushed aside in those final moments. In her panic and desperation to do anything so that her son survived...What could she have…But it didn't matter now, what she had done could not change her now.

She now reached the jetty where several dozen other souls waited. A large ferry raft was moored to a strong, wooden bollard. A queue had formed, and one by one the departed climbed aboard. The excited voices she had heard before only muffled were now clear and distinct. One voice was quite distinct. James. He was really here. Relief flooded through her. But the tone of voice her husband had struck was worrying. James seemed visibly angry and the argument he had started seemed just about to escalate.

"...I don't give a shit, I'm waiting here for my wife..."

"...Fuck you, orders my ass..."

"...And if I have to wait for all eternity."

Lily strode towards the two arguing men. But the closer she got to them, the bigger the headache she had tried to suppress before. James had his back turned to her, so he didn't see her. His partner in the argument, was wearing an expensive, apparently tailored suit. He was tall and slim, with blond hair cropped short. His light hair was in stark contrast to his dark complexion but made him look elegant and if Lily was honest, even prettier. She cleared her throat and put her hands on her hips.

"What's going on here? James why are you making a fuss?!"

"Lily"

"Mrs. Potter, I presume? You're late. I nearly cast off without you. That is, if I hadn't been delayed by your mortal idiot of a husband"

"Hey…."

"Be silent mortal, do you know to whom you speak?! I am Charon, the ferryman. The only one who will and can ferry you across the Styx. You should be on your knees thanking me for not throwing your soul to Cerberus or throwing it into the river. This will have repercussions be aware...I will put it on your record and report this incident to my boss, Lord Hades. "

"I hope that I finally get my raise now…" Lily was sure that the last part was not directed at her or James and the couple were merely the outlet of a long pent-up frustration

"Mr. Charon, how much does it cost to cross the Styx? I am sure my husband and I can pay for this inconvenience?"

"For you two, that would now be 3,000 galleons each. Now hurry up! We're already too late"

"And how are we supposed to pay Lily? Idon't have any galleons with me!? But anyway, if we can't get across, I don't care. You're with me and Harry isn't, that means our protection has worked. Sirius will take care of him…I still can't believe Peter…"

James had turned to Lily, completely forgetting about the ferryman. Who in turn groaned, he was simply too poorly paid for these kinds of souls. Perhaps he should talk to Lady Persephone about a raise first, she was usually more approachable than Lord Hades. But for that he had to cross the river first...He sighed and all this on a Samhain. He couldn't remember when he had ever had a quiet day, even in the days of the Trojan War things had been more civilized.

"The sum will be deducted from the bank account of the bereaved and now off to the boat we don't have forever." Whereupon James opened his mouth, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Oh contrarian my good ferryman we have all eternity, already forgotten we have already died..."

Which brought another exasperated groan from the ferryman and a smack on the back of the head from his wife.

"James shut up, now is not the time for your jokes. Everything we own, we left to Harry...do you want him to inherit nothing with your ill-timed jokes?"

James folded his mouth shut and swallowed, trotting onto the already crowded ferryboat. The other souls looked at him, some with annoyed looks, others impassively. Lily made to follow him when a throbbing pain at her temples made her stop abruptly. Images and fragments of memories that were not hers flashed along before her eyes. But they were too blurry and too fast for her to make out, to understand, anything. With one last look back at the shore and the wharf that marked the mortal world, she stepped onto the ferry.

She could hear a muffled "...Finally...thank the gods" from her captain on this last voyage. He, in turn, had already untied the ropes and taken a long seemingly iron rod in hand. With a slight jerk, he pushed the ferry into the current of the Styx.

Guilt gripped her again and she sought the closeness of her husband. Had she sacrificed two lives for the life of her son. Harry would grow up an only child, an orphan, while she, James, her parents and parents-in-law and the unborn Alyssa were in the underworld, unable to witness his successes in life and be there for him...She remembered Sally again...Good Sally...Alice, Amelia and they were now the last of the gang...the last ones to survive the war...Thinking of Sally, she remembered all the tales of the underworld and all the other sagas...She would face the judgement of the judges and accept whatever lot the judges threw her way...even if it was the fields of punishment, she owed that to Alyssa...even if it would send her to an afterlife of never ending torture

"AHHHHHAAA…"

The headache that had just been a slight twinge now returned with a vengeance. But a thousand times worse than before, she felt as if red-hot daggers were being rammed into her head and she was exposed to the Cruciatus curse...

"Lily-flower, are you all right? What's wrong with you? Is there anything I can do for you?"

She hardly noticed James' loving voice, which sounded full of concern. Before her eyes the images and fragments of memories raced by again. Stronger and clearer than ever before, she could feel emotions to the various scenes-emotions that were not her own. She saw a group of young girls between the ages of 12-18, landscapes in different seasons, the face of a young woman, a blond young man with piercing blue eyes, a city of stone in the clouds, and much more, yet these images were too indistinct and the sounds she heard were consuming, as if someone had placed a Confundus on her when she saw all this.

Charon, who had looked bored and unnerved before, eyed her with a strange look. His previously handsome face had turned into a skull with empty eye sockets. Although he no longer possessed an eyebrow in this form, he would have raised it curiously and with a feeling that this ride and signs were something bad and a bad omen.

"I'm fine James...,if it wasn't for this hell of a headache...don't touch me boy...sorry…sorry I don't know what's happening to me...I'm seeing things no...Experiencing things in front of my eyes that I never did...But I'll be fine thanks honey."

James didn't really seem convinced and tentatively put an arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her close. She leaned into the embrace and closed her eyes, hoping the headache would finally subside. Sure enough, the throbbing calmed and the phantom pain subsided somewhat. They had long since left the shore to the mortal world behind them, and the mist that had gathered around the path to the pier earlier seemed to glide across the water with them. Gradually they could both make out shapes and outlines peeling out of the dense wall bit by bit. Lily shivered and James pulled her protectively against him. The outline of another quay under a lantern slowly emerged.

"Lily honey no matter what, I am thankful that I was able to spend my life with you and have this unforgettable time with you. You, Harry and Alyssa have enriched my life in so many ways I could never have dreamed. I'm glad you're with me...I don't know what I would have done alone...We're in this together, as a team as always. Nothing and no one can stop us. I love you and nothing will ever change that."

"I love you, too, James. I don't regret a minute I spent with you...But I feel guilty...I'm a terrible mother...and an even worse godmother...I left our daughter and goddaughter to die and fate. All so that our son would survive...What does that say about me?! We three are here and our Hadrian...he is all alone now...and Delphini...poor dear…we dumped her in some orphanage some where in the middle of nowhere…like an unwanted piece of luggage...I kept wondering why we didn't give her to Andy...I feel so guilty…and then all these visions now...I can't take anymore...Please promise me one thing. No matter what happens and what my sentence is before the judges of the underworld, accept yours and leave me to mine...I deserve whatever is awarded to me...I...I love AHHHHHHH"

The pains and visions struck again as the boat docked at the wharf on the other side with a dull groan of wood on stone. The ferryman moored it and let the souls off. He glanced again at this strange soul and that of her husband, who now held her in a firm but gentle embrace, rocking her back and forth. His attention, however, immediately returned to another soul. This one seemed desperate and panicked, trying to flee and escape through the Styx. Before it even touched the water it burst into flames and a sharp cry of pain was heard, which became a shrill howl and finally died away.

"…Every dam time the same with these mortals"

he grumbled, he would never get his raise that way. Under threat of draconian punishments and a dunking in the river, which would mean the same fate as the desperate man, he shooed them off the ship and down a torch lit path. After a time he could hear the familiar growling of Cerberus, sending most of the souls into panicked shock. Relentlessly, he shooed them onward until they stood before the watchdog of the underworld. With one last friendless smile to the gathered souls, he turned and made his way back to his barge, for the stream of deceased would never end.

James and Lily, meanwhile, had already made their way past Cerberus and to the line for direction over their lives. Lily had just stepped into the threshold of the Underworld and passed the "Counter Occupied" sign when it happened. A blaring siren immediately began to wail, like a prison break. Before she and James knew it, security monsters that had previously been standing lazily on the other side of the arch were all swarming out and surrounding them. But that was not enough. Lily screamed and held her temples. She slumped to her knees. James all panic and fear forgotten knelt beside his wife, the monsters surrounding them forgotten. His worries and thoughts were solely for his wife who seemed to be in pain.

"Lily... Oh my God Lily? Can you hear me?! What, in the name of the gods, are you suffering from? Is there anything I can do for you?" she received, not wanting to let go of her

But Lily didn't seem to be hearing him. She was still writhing and seemed to be struggling with unconsciousness.

"Help?! We need help here! Isn't there anyone here?!"

A silver glow encompassed his wife, enveloping her. But letting go was out of the question for James Potter. He had already left his son behind, he would not leave Lily-flower behind now. The glow seemed to grow brighter and brighter until it finally disappeared as quickly as it had come. His wife's breathing was wheezing now, and she had her eyes closed.

"Lily?! Are you all, right? Is there anything I can do for you?!"

"...Artemis...my name is Artemis or Diana..." Came it softly and haltingly now from the still kneeling redhead.

"Indeed you are niece...good to see you know who you are again..." said a new James completely unfamiliar voice

James looked up. In front of him, surrounded by three winged women, stood a man who seemed to be eyeing him and his wife. He was very tall, appeared imposing and very muscular, however this was in stark contrast to his albino white skin. His intense black eyes, glistening like frozen tar, shone in the semi-darkness and gave James the feeling of looking into the face of a genius or a madman. His hair was shoulder length and black, with his bangs covering most of his forehead. He radiated something hypnotic, but James still shuddered as if he was facing something evil.

The man spoke again in a conversational tone, like someone who hadn't seen an old acquaintance in a long time ."Niece, it's been forever...I am so sorry Artemis, what your father did was wrong….My brother...that punishment was ill-conceived, he..." but that was as far as he got as it burst out of James

"WOW,WOW,wait a minute...you're her uncle?! Who are you?! And why don't you call Lily by her name?! I don't know you and I've been to her parents' house with Lily several times, I even asked her father for permission to ask her to marry me, there was never any mention of you…"

"Uncle Hades...perhaps it would be better to continue this conversation elsewhere?" she then turned to James and spoke with dull silver Eyes

"James Charles Potter, I know you have a lot of questions and are confused…I have been honest with you my entire mortal life and up until five minutes ago I was Lily Jenifer Potter née Evans…"

"What do you mean my whole mortal life?!"he asked, clinging to her out of desperation to lose her, but she immediately tensed up and it was obvious she was more than uncomfortable with the situation.

"I will let you have my throne room...Artemis, your…lieutenant has asked me to be present when you return to us. she asked me to let her share in thisconversation between you and your mortal husband…"

He grinned "She's overly possessive and wouldn't take no for an answer..." which made Artemis blanch and James wonder for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few minutes what the hell was going on.

But slowly his mind awoke and the content of the conversation and the memory of where he was and what he was seeped into his consciousness. His parents had taught him all about practicing the ancient rites and customs and once a month he had sacrificed to the gods of Olympus. He had been taught mythology under his mother's teachings. Slowly it all fell into place.

He was dead, this was the entrance to the underworld the mysterious muscular guy was probably Lord Hades and Hades called his wife niece...was she...could she…could she be a goddess?! The thought seemed so absurd to him that in the first moment he would have preferred to laugh out loud and then ask Padfoot to give him the antidote for the potion he had been foisted...But in the next second it hit him like a blow…This was not a hallucination caused by a prank potion...this was really real...What had Hades said? Artemis?!...The goddess of the hunt?! But...But...But...wasn't she a virgin goddess...Oh Shit...oh Shit...But then a small part of him kept hoping…Hoping treacherously for the unthinkable, that he would be accepted…and could stay by her after all...

Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice how the group had started moving and headed for a palace. Despite being disembodied, a feeling of numbness gripped him. Everything he had thought he knew about Lily, his beloved Lily, had gone up in smoke in the space of a sentence. But he was now also extremely fearful of what would happen to him, if what his wife - was she still his wife?! - had said was true, and he assumed it was, he had not only deflowered one, no THE goddess of virginity, but had fathered two children with her. A crime of such magnitude that he could not imagine what his punishment would be since he was already dead. But his eyes fell on the fields of punishment, and he swallowed. He was in deep trouble for something he couldn't help, but that probably wouldn't count. And Hadrian?! What would become of Hadrian? Had he done nothing wrong but be born...

Hades noticed the paling face of the young man before him and his abrupt swallow. The mortal was a wizard and now also the last of House Peverell, the house that had sacrificed and prayed to him and Thanatos for centuries. A venerable heir. Not like that idiot of a Riddle who had tried to trick him and Thanatos into losing any claim to the heirlooms. No; James Potter, on the other hand, had been a worthy heir, and it saddened Hades that the last family still worthy of the inheritance seemed to be on the verge of extinction. For it seemed that Charles Potter's son, Ignotus's descendant seemed to be aware of the implications of his ignorant action and feared the consequences. Yet he had already read the file and was more than satisfied, the young Potter had sacrificed his life to protect that of his wife and children and had wanted to offer them the opportunity to escape. Without even hesitating…no matter what his niece would decide, he would not be entering the fields of punishment for these actions at least. He owed Ignotus's heirs that much.

Artemis shrouded herself in silence during the march to Hades' palace. Too many emotions were crashing down on her at once, threatening to overwhelm her. A state she had not seen since the death of Alcippe, the first Huntress. She now really understood the pain her brother must have felt when one of his children died or when she had murdered her nephew, for all his faults. That feeling of a thousand daggers stabbing at her heart and the feeling of suffocation at the same time was almost overwhelming. The memories from her actual life and who she was and what she stood for contrasted with the twenty-one years of mortal life with all its experiences left her humbled. She was incredibly grateful to her mortal parents for their loving and supportive nature. Despite all the hardships she had faced as a witch. The Evans deserved a place in Elysium in every way, for her mortal father had treated her as she had always wanted her father Zeus to treat her, and her mortal mother was what Hera should have been and Leto had been. And then there was James. Her mortal ex-husband. She glanced quickly at him. He seemed paler despite his form as a soul, his features clearly tense. She didn't know how to act, for by regaining her own memories she knew, Zoë was the person at her side but still it felt wrong to just push this mortal aside. Even though he was a boy no man. He had always stood by her, her entire mortal life, granting her the wish she had longed for centuries. A child. Hadrian came to her mind next. Her own flesh and blood...no matter that he was a boy, he was her firstborn and would remain now her only child...Hadrian who now had to grow up alone without her, surrounded by monsters far from the influence of her influence and the other gods. And then there were her two goddaughters...Nymphadora and Delphini...Nymphadora would grow up sheltered and by her side hopefully Hadrian...But Delphini...the child had simply been pushed aside by her and she had failed in her duty as godmother...She felt terrible and just too disgusted with herself...But then hope stirred within her...if she would take her to the hunt and raise her there...she would do her duty as godmother...She sensed through the still connected bond of the oath where the little one was and how she was faring. She took this as a sign from the Moiren...But that only solved one problem of many...how was she ever going to look her slayers in the eye again and demand that they honor their oath, which she herself had broken even if involuntarily...How...How was she ever going to look Zoë, her Zoë in the eye again and not feel guilty. She had cheated on her wife, though she was aware that she had had no control over it and would not have done it in possession of her personality. But the feeling of dirtiness, guilt could not be pushed away from her. Two children conceived out of wedlock, and one born…the feeling of self-hatred and guilt was ever present.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the group entered her uncle's throne room and the wooden doors slammed shut behind them with a loud bang. She winced. However, she wasn't the only one. James seemed on the verge of a panic attack. He looked around like a hunted animal, desperately searching for a way out. His eyes widened even further as Hades began to speak:

"Niece, I'll be right back...this will only take a moment. I know I have no right to give you orders or impose my will, but. but please don't be too hard on the second to last of the Peverells. This family and their descendants mean a lot to me and Thanatos. So all I ask is that you not be too harsh with James Charles Potter." And he disappeared into a wall of shadows, leaving the two of them alone in the throne room.

Silence. An uncomfortable silence spread through the throne room, broken only by the crackling of logs from the fireplace. Neither of the two said a sound, both struggled with the right words. After what felt like an eternity, it suddenly burst out of both of them.

"I'm sorry..." "I beg your forgiveness My´Lady"

Whereupon a

"Sorry, you first..." and "No you first Lady Artemis. " could be heard.

If the situation hadn't been so awkward for both of them, James at least would have laughed out loud. But he recollected himself and swallowed the rising laughter. Lily no Artemis took another deep breath and began to speak

"I am ao sorry James Charles Potter...I am not who you thought I was. However, this is not your fault, but my own alone. I was born Lily Evans as punishment for my transgressions. For what has happened you bear no blame and therefore shall not be punished...I cannot...You have given me the greatest gift that only the Creator could have given and for that I am eternally grateful. I have had an experience because of you that I could never have had made otherwise."

"What Artemis is saying, boy, that you deserve a place in the Elysian Fields. Lord Hades has told me of your deeds and I am atleast a bit pleased. The Hunters and I have been watching you for a while...We are glad that Artemis found the right one to fulfill the prophecy through you. But...boy don't think for a second that we're happy about what happened.We forgave Artemis because, as a mortal,she had no control over the path she was destined to take in this life...You however…You spent years gawking after her and ended up filling a place in her life that wasn't yours...But…"

"Zoë..." came a hoarse, choked voice from a now completely distraught Artemis. She felt so dirty and wrong. Her wife's words were meaningless to her. She hadn't paid attention, not since the first time she had heard her voice again

"Zoë...I...I...I'm sorry..."and with that the dam broke. Tears she had been holding back before streamed down her face. Through the veil of tears she perceived two figures moving towards her. She felt slender arms snake around her and pull her into an embrace. She sucked in the familiar scent of jasmine and clung to her Zoë. She also felt the second figure stop indecisively in front of them.

"Artemis...honey, I made my peace with the fact that it was going to happen...almost 22 years ago Apollo uttered a prophecy...I've known it ever since...there's nothing either of us could have done..." spoke Zoë in a choked voice, she fixed her gaze on the boy who had stepped forward

"James Charles Potter, even though I remain angry at what you did, you still gave my Artemis what I could never have given her. And even now that you are beginning to understand the situation, you still stand by her and remain loyal to her...and try to ease her pain."

"I...she..." James found it hard to organize his thoughts and speak a sentence. The many revelations he had witnessed in such a short time made it visibly difficult for him to follow...Yet he noticed how his heart was bleeding. He felt like he was drowning. In a pool of untruths and false facts. He looked at the woman who had seemed a goddess to him since the first approach. The woman he had loved all his life. But this woman he had always thought he knew was not real. She didn't exist. Everything he thought he knew had been a lie. Had she ever really loved him? Or was it all fake, staged by the effect of amnesia? How did one behave correctly in such a situation? What should he say and what should he rather not say? And what would happen to Harry? His son, his pride and joy? Harry, who had done nothing in his life but be born and had little Dora wrapped around his finger. And here he was in the Underworld, dead and unable to do anything to protect his son, just as he had been unable to do anything to protect his "wife" and their unborn daughter together. The sacrifice he had made felt useless and wasted. For the first time, he saw no way he could do anything. He let the tears run free.

In his despair and caught up in all the grief he did not feel at first how someone took him in his arms and stroked his back gently, but still tensely. He lifted his head. His tear-streaked face and eyes reddened from crying caught sight of someone he least expected. The goddess who had been his wife. Over her shoulder he could make out the other young woman, Zoë. Her face showed a mixture of fear, envy, jealousy and anger but also a bit of understanding and compassion. In contrast, Lord Hades' face was expressionless even frozen to stone. But for a second he thought he recognized something like respect and compassion. "James...Idon't know how and what to tell you to…The fear,the doubt and all the pain is clearly written on your face….I want you to know that none of what happened between us was an act...My feelings for you were real and honest...Even if it's only faint comfort. A divine amnesia,; everything up to this point...but I want you to know that I enjoyed every minute with you to the fullest and regret nothing but one thing…I regret not finding a way to protect our two children…Now that I'm myself again,I understand that even the most annoying boy I know can turn in to a true man like yourself and that gives me hope for you mortal boys…And I'm sorry,but this is the end of our journey together, because what was between us can never be and become...but I want to give you gifts like you gave me...because I also don't want to just push you aside, that wouldn't be fair after all you've done for me.You have granted me my most ardent wish that I have had since receiving my divine domains, in return your image, the image of the stag shall be seen in the stars for all time."

She paused for a moment, fixed her gaze on her uncle. Held a brief telepathic conversation with him. Hade's face continued to remain expressionless until deep lines of thought spread across his face and he finally nodded at the end and she detected the hint of a smile.

"You have truly changed Artemis, your time as a mortal has you making decisions I would never have thought you capable of otherwise in your life. Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"I did uncle."

Lord Hades snapped his fingers and under a black glow a small bundle appeared in his arms. With a face that visibly showed his sorrow, he handed it to Artemis. For her part, the reborn goddess' features wavered between deep sorrow, guilt, and an expression of self-loathing. For a brief moment she pressed the bundle to her and breathed a kiss onto her forehead, then she handed it to James and spoke deeply moved

"James Potter, with my uncle's permission the soul of our daughter Alyssa shall be with you in Elysium. She will grow up here for lack of better words, so to speak, and be with you. I entrust you with my 3rd greatest treasure. Don't disappoint me...but I knowyou won't...that's all I can give you."

James swallowed and nodded, and tearfully stepped forward to receive his daughter. Even though he should be furious at this. The "gift" that would remind him for all eternity of what had been and would never be, he surprisingly felt deep gratitude. He vowed to himself to take on this task with everything he had and to master it. His daughter, who had never seen the light of day, deserved nothing less.

"Lily...I mean...Lady Artemis... you...you said to me on the crossing that I should accept everything the judges said to me. This last wish of my wife I will obey.But it hurts, hurts to know that the woman I will always love will be forever unattainable to me and in fact always has been...in a way I understand now how Snivellus feels. "

"Don't you talk about that possessed sick bastard…that disgusting perverted piece offilth of a boy is the reason why my…no our flesh and blood will now never meet his sister and the hitherto most honorable male."

"What did this boy do?"

"What do you mean Lil…Lady Artemis?"

"this scum went out of his way to get me…he willingly put up with my children being killed just to save me...he is an animal and deserves to die."

"...Though I wouldn't put it past Snape to think that way, how do you know…"

"Thatself-proclaimed lord…that boy,Lord Voldemort…shortly before he destroyed my mortal body he gave me the chance to join him and that greasy, hook-nosed bastard of a boy only wanted to save me"

An angry silence enveloped the group. Everyone was indulging their own dark fantasies of what they would do if Snape were standing in the room with them at that moment. James finally broke the silence, he cleared his throat

"…But thats not what I oly wanted to say...what I wanted to say was just one last, I hope not too presumptuous,request. I beg you, I implore you…please take care of Harry. He's all alone now and he's all I have left...even though he's a boy…please raise him to be a man you can be proud of and call your son...My'Lady please, I know Siri and Remus will take good care of him, but please be a part of his life so he has a chance to know and love at least part of his parents."

The deep and melodic voice of the Lord of the Dead interfered in the conversation for the first time

"That won't be possible, I'm afraid, Ignotus heir…the ancient laws Lord Zeus foolishly enacted prevent a god from raising his demigodchild "

James swallowed and his gaze dropped to the floor. The chances of Hadrian growing up with at least one of his parents were gone, unless….He raised his head and looked at the Lord of the Dead with the gaze of a Marauder. A Plan formed in his head. He eyed Zoë appraisingly and closed his eyes for a moment, letting the auras guide him.

"and what if the child is raised by some one other than the deity himself? Say, someone in constant contact with said deity?"

Artemis And Zoë's breath caught, could he...mean he...Artemis recognized the rumbling grin exactly, she knew her James well, but the mortal always surprised her with his plans, yet the thought was the possibility too dreamlike to come true.

"So just theoretically..." Hades began, mirroring the Marauder's grin.

"No laws would be broken, and the goddess could not be punished for it. Said child would thus grow up with the other person, who also tragically has daily dealings with said goddess...which is a shame, really now...I now understand why your mother had so many grey hairs with you young Potter."

"I'm sure I wasn't that bad…" To which Artemis gave him a piercing look and silenced him. Her eyebrow twitched. He cleared his throat

"Ms.Zoë…" began James now with a sad smile on his lips but a determined fire in his eyes. whereupon she gasped once more.

" we didn't meet under the best of circumstances...That you probably hate me more than anything in the world I understand...but please hear me out...I know I am asking a lot of you…but please, I beg you, raise my son as if he were your flesh and blood and give him the opportunity to meet his godfather and his uncle Moony…they are the only family he has left frommy side…"

He got down on his knees in front of her and grabbed her wrist convulsively with one free hand.

"I...I..." Zoë struggled for words, but her eyes sparkled with joy. She forgot her vehement dislike of men at that moment.

"I beg you...I am willing to do anything, but please do whatever it takes…Hell, I allow youto blood adopt Hadrian, I just want my son to live his life to the fullest and grow up with his mother and uncles...please…and if I have to give up my privilege to the Elysian fields to do so…"

"I...I….Yes," and she was promptly pulled into a bone-crushing one-armed hug.

"Okay that's enough you theatrical….But...Words cannot express my gratitute but I am deeply grateful to you James, you…are a true man of true greatness and no mere boy. Your request I will grant, provided they both don't turn out to be the most idiotic childish idiots like my brother."

Relief spread through him and despite the sadness over the certainty that he would probably never see his wife, the most beautiful woman in the world, again. To only be able to watch his son from a distance, if at all, and not be there for him as his father had been for him. A moment of silence enveloped those gathered until James swallowed once more and spoke:

"So...this is it...the end?"

"This is the end James Charles Potter. I am happy for the experiences I had with you as a mortal and I will always remember you as the first real man. I promise you, Hadrian will be your heir and a son you...no we will be proud of. Watch over Alyssa, the third greatest treasure I possess. Our second greatest." she took him and her in her arms one last time and stepped back.

"MyLady, thank you for the time I had with you and for the greatest gift you could have given me. I will never forget you and hold on to all the moments we have shared together. I wish you safe paths always, may your arrows always strike true" After a moment's hesitation, he kissed her cheek one last time and stepped back.

His gaze fell on Zoë, who was still standing at Artemis's side, eyeing the parting with petrified features.

"Miss Zoë, I thank you for taking the pledge and huge burden from my shoulders, I can't thank you enough...you have a breath taking wife, please protect and support her where you can. Protect her and our son...so that he doesn't have to suffer the same fate as his father...And please, no matter how angry you are about the situation, make it about me and not this woman or our son...Thank you...Thank you for everything."

To which the latter nodded mutely, apparently not having expected such a reaction. A clearing of the throat by the Lord of the Dead made it clear to the three that time was now up. Artemis turned to her uncle before he could do or say anything.

"Uncle, I ask a favor of you. I ask you to keep everything that happened today a secret until the time is right, in return I will do you a favor if you ask for it."

"Artemis, I will remain silent. Your father will not hear of me or anyone else from my realm. I am not like him…I am not going to rant about you and your…lieutenant and even less…endanger an innocent life of a child…Children are sacred and their lives should never be short…But you must realize niece, that you cannot keep a matter of such magnitudea secret forever...Your brother, for example, has always looked after your well-beingand ensured that nothing bad would happen to you But the wishes you mentionedearlier I will grant, the Evans, Potters, and McKinnons will find their place in the Elysium In return, I will ask you for a favor in the near future, but that has time until then."

Zoë struggled with herself, but then walked up to the man and held out her hand to him

"Goodbye James Potter. Thank you for everything, you are a man and not a boy,even though I will need time to process everything, I will follow your wishes. I will raise him as my own flesh and blood with the memories of his father...And I promise you Man we will avenge our daughter's death." Hades snapped and he, James and Alyssa disappeared into a wall of darkness. The two women stood in silence for another moment, each caught up in their own thoughts and emotions.

Zoë found it hard to concentrate on anything else, her thoughts revolving around the fact that the boy, no man, who had spent so much time with her Artemis, whom she had hated for two decades, indeed had given her Artemis the greatest gift twice, was very different from what she had imagined him to be. She had expected a boy, instead she was confronted with someone who was certainly proud and yet selflessly put aside his own good to do everything possible to ensure that the child grew up with his parents. What surprised her even more was the fact that he had not fought for his place at her Artemis' side, but was focused only on the child's well-being, seemingly grateful that his daughter had not been taken from him as well...She had fully expected this boy to fight doggedly for it, yet this mortal seemed to break in the with all she knew measures of what she thought she knew about the male gender. Allowing her to blood- adopt. a child Zoë and Artemis could call their own flesh and blood. But she also knew that it would take some time for her to come to terms with the whole issue, but deep down she felt that she would learn to love the child.

Artemis felt deep sorrow despite the fact that her Zoë, her rock, her second half, was with her. James was the first man to earn her respect and affection. That he had granted her, her most fervent wish, a wish she had longed for so long now did not make the situation any better. She would always cherish him and even love him in a certain way. But Zoë would always be the person who completed her...She, her daughters and Hadrian were her family, and it would now remain so for all eternity. A family she would fight for and protect no matter the cost.

"Okay Zoë honey...Let's go get our son then and introduce him to his big sisters. I just hope they will learn not to treat him like the other boys, but accept him as their little baby brother."

Zoe puffed out her cheeks and expelled the air to collect herself and mentally prepare for what was about to come.

"Darling...after…you...were banished...there…was…a…prophecy. The…Hunters…our daughters...they rebelled against it fiercely at first, but after all this time…well they'llat least give it a chance to prove itself...Okay...Let's go get the boy then..." a certain sadness and bitterness sounded in her voice

"Zoë…"

"I...I'm sorry...but I'm going to need some time to accept the fact even after 21 years. I can't even blame you...The fates are the ones I'm Angry at...Angry that they separated us for so long and sent you on this journey to begin with…"

"I'm sorry…"

"Let's go...we're just going in circles with this conversation and I'll never find acceptance that way..." but a bad feeling spread through her, she felt as if she had forgotten something

"Then hold on...we're gonna get our kid home"

Wrapped in an embrace and under a silver glow, the two Huntresses disappeared from the throne room of the underworld. They appeared on a leaf-covered main street familiar to Artemis. It was already late afternoon. Quickly, and without leaving so much as a sound, the Goddess of the Hunt set off, her lieutenant close on her heels. They were just turning into the street when they noticed the run up of mortals huddled in front of the ruins of a two story building on the front lawn. Many of those present had candles in their hands and lit. Others were praying silently, others singing songs of sorrow and joy in equal measure. One old woman just shook her head mournfully. The two of them, despite the general noise level, could clearly make out the words "How could Sirius...he and James were like brothers...Thank God he's in Azkaban...Poor Harry..."

These words had an immense impact on the goddess. A torrent of curses in ancient Greek escaped her...Sirius Orion Black, this good-for-nothing of a godfather had apparently visibly screwed up...She was seething with rage. But there was also naked panic...where was her son then, if not with this child-head who so resembled her brother. In desperation, she went through all the acquaintances that as a mortal Lily Evans had experienced If Hadrian was not with Sirius, then he could only be with two other people, either Remus or Andromeda...

Zoë hadn't spoken a word since her arrival, the nervousness and fear of what was waiting for her had been too great. But seeing her wife now so visibly upset and agitated did not bode well for her... The torrent of curses only confirmed her assumption. She needed to calm her down before they were noticed and there would be strange questions. Again, She had completely blanked out the lines of the prophecy

"Artemis, what's going on? Talk to me Who is the boy the old mortal spoke of?"

"That damned boy the mortal spoke of, that's my son's godfather. An idiot of Apollo's mental level...despite all the precautions I and...he...have taken...that idiot of a boy screwed up thoroughly and is now in the mortal wizard's prison for his alleged crime...He had a Hades fucking job...to take care of Hadrian boys don't get anything done either, I will never trust a boy with anything again...Never let a man do a woman's job...Hadrian is apparently not here...I have a hunch or a hope though that this idiot did his job and took Hadrian to his godmother, my mortal blood adopted sister Andromeda...or if not to one of James closest friends, Remus Lupin. Come on."

"Alright...wait…Remus Lupin...did he have a sister who…happened…to…be…named Lyra. brown shoulder length hair, calming manner, brown-green eyes?"

"Yes...where...she is part of the hunt I feel it...when is this...you were the…you took Lyra in...I remember well the morning of her disappearance...but I was strangely the only…"

"No one in their right mind would trust a monster with a child he is a danger to himself and others…"

"Zoë, that's not fair...Rem...this boy can't help his illness...and as far as I know he's never hurt anyone either...he is a good person..."

"I know that very well Artemis, but the factremains…that boy no matter how sincere he may be is and always will be a monster. add to that the fact that he was bitten by Lycaon's son...don't let your mortal experiences cloud your judgement...I know you know it too Dear…but I also agree with you and I won't forget him for putting his life on the line for his sister's life...with leading Lyra to us I give the boy credit for that"

"How did she handle the news?"

"That her mistress is the Lily Evans she has adored since the beginning of her school days?"

The corners of Zoë's mouth twitched in amusement.

"She was completely overwhelmed, almost, yelled and awoke the whole forest together and gave away our position"

"It was you in the forest...Zoë…were you watching us at the lake? I've had the feeling several times that I was being watched…"

"Yes, my moonshine we did it,our daughters and I couldn't help ourselves after eleven long years without you, we called in the favor from Lord Triton. It was hard for us…For me...I surely would not have made it through this time so well without Atalanta Cassandra and Pheobe...But now come I will tell you the rest when we return…" Renewed sadness crept into her voice

"Alright Zoë, but what you did...it was reckless...someone could have died...I could have lost you…please don't ever do something like that again"

But they had not gone completely unnoticed. The old woman who had come to the scene of the tragedy earlier in memory of James and Lily Potter's sacrifice had now made her way towards the main street. Her gaze lingered on the figure of the excitedly discussing Artemis and Zoë. She gasped for breath. Could it really be that the ghost of good Lily had returned to this terrible place? Her voice seemingly lost in her throat, she swallowed hard. With a trembling finger she pointed at the two and croaked

"By the Beard of Merlin…Is that…Lily Potter?!"

The other mourners also looked in the direction the old woman was pointing and saw the woman with the red hair accompanied by a black-haired young woman of about 17 or 18. Both were wearing strange silver uniforms. The black haired one wore a silver tiara. Both seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion. However, Martha's exclamation made them both look up. Silver and volcano black eyes locked onto the group.

"Skatá"

"Dekára"

The woman snapped her fingers once and Martha shook her head in a daze. The two young women had disappeared, had she just imagined it...But for the rest of her life she was sure that the ghost of Lily Potter had returned to the scene of the crime, even when almost no one would believe her and she was declared insane.

Artemis and Zoë disappeared from Godric's Hollow and appeared in a small and secluded street of a suburb of London. Despite the onset of autumn and the associated withering of the leaves on the trees, Artemis sucked in the familiar, homily air of Sutton with relish. At Zoë's questioning glance, the goddess of the hunt replied guiltily:

"The area Andy lives in had always captivated me as a mortal, now that I'm myself again I remember well what it was like here 2000 years ago…The twisted woods south of Londinium…"

"Artemis, I know exactly what you mean, this smell…These woods were our sacred territory back then...no boy was allowed to be here. But who is this Andy now,who is that boy" at the end Artemis could clearly hear the jealousy insecurity and fear from her voice

"Dear, Andy's not a boy.There's no one but you by my side. You, our daughters and our son. No one else. Andromeda is, or rather was, my mortal blood adopted big sister. She and her husband Edward live here with our mortal goddaughter Nymphadora...and hopefully our son…"

"You...you…"

"Shhhh…Zoë I can see your fear, but there is nothing to be afraidof."

"You just said our goddaughter….blood adopted sister…how did that happen?! What the Hades else happened during your exile...I want answers…"

"Zoë I promise you, you will know everything and I will leave nothing out.To cut a long story short here, I was blood adopted as a mortal into one of the ancient families of Hecate's Blessed Mortals. There were three sisters there, though I barely if ever exchanged a word with the youngest. The other two, the eldest Bellatrix and her younger sister Andromeda treated me liket heir sister. They taught me all sorts of things about Hecate's world, its customs and spells. I think they saw in me what their youngest sister Narcissa was not…anyways we were inseparable. But we had to do this in secret, so to keep it short I'll leave it at this. I'll explain everything in more detail later. Anyway, in her last year at school Andromeda got pregnant first and shortly after the winter solstice her first born was born. I was asked by both of themi f I wanted to be the godparent of Nymphadora according to Hecate's customs. I agreed. And even now that my divine essence has been released from her mortal shell, I still feel the connection to her. As I do with Bella's daughter,Delphini.The story behind her is a far more tragic one and is much like those of the old days. Bella has been promised by her parents to a prime example of a rotten, disgusting, vile piece of shit. This rotten boy made her his slave through the arranged marriage and through him she was forced to murder, torture and mutilate. Men, women, children no matter what age. This pregnancy scum belonged to a group of like minded vile boys.I don't know the exact details, but Bella was handed over to the leader and was practically raped. Delphini is the product of this heinous act. However, in a moment where her tormentors became careless and gave her a too daring order Bella was able to escape for a small moment, along with her daughter...She entrusted her to me and insisted that I hide and protect her. As soon as we find Hadrian...we will bring our niece home"

"You…I…You'll have to tell all of us all in more detail later,our daughters and me are eager to listen to all that has befallen you…but now show the way already, Cassandra and the others will surely have noticed by now that I've been missing for so long now...even if they know what that means so everyone will be uneasy and restless…"

"You're right Zoë, come on now.Quickly."

The two women set off at a brisk pace towards their destination. Although she still had mixed feelings about Hadrian, Zoë now also felt the urge to see Hadrian. But something was nagging at her again. That uneasy feeling. From the depths of her subconscious, shreds of fateful prophecy rose again. Yet she was too troubled to think about it. Artemis walked forward with brisk and determined steps. With each step she felt herself getting closer to her goddaughter. But for some unknown reason she did not feel the presence of her son. Slowly the gnawing doubt stole into her heart. Yet she clung with all desperation to the hope that Hadrian would be here. She could not fail him as well, fail as she had failed Alyssa. A few minutes' walk later, the two stood before a house and garden well known to Artemis. The goddess sensed that there were three people inside. Yet none felt to her like the presence of her son. She sharpened her hearing, for she saw Andromeda and the boy, no ,Ted, sitting in the living room. Andromeda had a completely distraught Nymphadora in her arms and was talking to her soothingly. But from the outside she could see that her expression was a mixture of sadness, anger and helplessness.

"No Nymmy, Harry won't come to us. The old goat thinks it isn't safe for him and us to be with us."

"But mommy why not? You said you promised Aunty Lily if anything happened that Harry would come to us."

"Nymmy...hey…sweetie, I did and you are right and I will make sure Harry comes to us. If that senile old geezer thinks I'm going to settle for his I'm-Dumbledore-and-I-know- everything-best kind of attitude, he's got another thing coming"

"Dora, what your mother is trying to tell you is that it may be a while before Hadrian comes to us. You know your mom, nothing and no one can stop her...She will do everything she can to find him and bring him home though. Give your mom a kissand then go to sleep today has been a stressfulday."

"Okay Daddy…"

The little one had jumped out of her mother's lap gave her parents a kiss and disappeared. Artemis noticed that she was holding an all too familiar stuffed bunny. She sniffled lightly. Her time as a mortal had changed her a lot and more than she wanted to admit. Those mortal emotions still accompanied her. She felt the lump in her throat grow larger as she watched Ted escort the little girl out of the room and out of sight of the two observers.

"What's wrong Artemis?"

"The stuffed bunny...it...it was my first gift to the little one. She took it everywhere with her...Seeing her so sad now, no...she shouldn't suffer like that..."

She broke off. On the one hand because guilt threatened to crush her; how she would have liked to rush into her niece's room and take her in her arms and tell her that everything would be all right...; and on the other hand because Ted seemed to be in the living room again. Maybe she could get a lead to Hadrian now…

"Honestly Andy, I understand that you want to bring Hadrian to us and it's your right, but how are you going to compete with Dumbledore? He'll never volunteer to tell you where he's hidden our nephew...and then Sirius too...I just can't believe it. I've had no success with our niece either unfortunately. There's not a whiff of a trace in the muggle world Lily has outdone herself in her paranoia and taken the secret to her grave, we can only hope that when the little one gets to Hogwarts age we can take her in."

"Oh Ted...Neither do I...Siri is the last person I would have thought capable of doing that. He and James were like brothers...and how could he have gotten around the godfather's oath...no I refuse to believe that Siri is responsible for betraying cousin Jamie and my sister...Dumbledore...Dumbledore is playing with fire...I may not be a Black in name anymore, but if he thinks he can stop me, he is sorely mistaken. I will find the hole he put my nephew...my daughters bonded. Not only because I owe it to Nymphadora, but because I will follow the oath and the duties i was imposed with. I will find away to find Hadrian and Delphini...I am devastated and feel I have failed in my duties as a sister and let my family down...I...me…"

"Shhhh...Droma you're already doing everything in your power. You're almost asleep standing up after all...I think we better lie down too…we can't find those two if we don't have the strength…"

The two rose and disappeared aswell. In front of the house in the shade of a tree, however, a completely different situation developed, for although Zoë's hearing was not quite as good as Artemis', she could understand everything clearly through her wife's blessing. The fact that her son, who had not yet been adopted by her, was bonded already to a maiden made her begin to doubt her sanity. What other revelations would be in store for her? What else had happened during Artemis' banishment? Artemis owed her an explanation, a complete recap of everything that had happened to her during her banishment. With a look that mirrored all her emotions, she turned away from the house and walked wordlessly down the street. Her thoughts circled around all the revelations she had learned today. She tried to sort them out, panicking wouldn't help her now. Picking a fight with her only just returned Artemis even less so. She passed a park bench and sat down. She went through everything again from the beginning.

Artemis had returned from her exile. The child had indeed been conceived and born. A second child had been conceived, but was killed by the death of the mortal shell of her beloved.

Artemis could not help that, for so the fates would have it.

In her time as a mortal, she had taken on two godparenthoods. One niece was in safe hands and would grow up sheltered despite the presence of a boy. The other, however. Her sweetheart had said she was hiding her, so she was still in danger and Artemis probably wanted to raise her with her in the hunt...

Zoë's thoughts were interrupted by the scent of pine trees, so familiar to her, yet so missed. A slender arm gently, yet firmly, wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry Zoë,I…" she began to sob.

"SHHH I'm not mad at you…I'm mad at all the consequences of this dam freaking Prophecy. While it did give us something we probably never would have gotten otherwise, it also caused a huge mess at the same time. I'm sorry I just left you there but all the revelations of the last hours were just too much for me and I needed a moment to myself and to go through all the events again to start processing them. But please try to explain to me what just happened."

"Alright, but you were talking about a prophecy earlier...and that the Hunt knows about it...do they know about us too? Who else knows about this? What all happened to you guys?"

"I will tell you everything in a nutshell, there is not enough time for long ramblings.But I will tell you everything in more detail later. But please explain first what the woman said to the boy, I need to sort out my thoughts".

Artemis nodded and began to tell her the events during Hadrian's birth. It occurred to her now that the doctor who had attended the birth had been her brother. She recounted the outburst of accidental magic from little Nymphadora. She told how her brother, in the guise of the healer, had made the assumption that her fate and Hadrian's would now be linked forever. Since her brother possessed the gift of providence, Artemis now assumed that in all likelihood it would be so. Even if she would have preferred to lead her niece on the right path, the path of the eternal virgin. Time would tell what would happen.

Zoë, on the other hand, gave a brief account of what the hunt had experienced in the absence of her patron, describing with obvious anger the failed attempt of Phobos and the intervention of Apollo and Hermes, the rescue of Layla and the circumstances in which they had found Layla and saved her from a pig of a boy. Apollo's news of her whereabouts and the subsequent journey and experiences in the old world as well as the other events during the exile. Artemis was overjoyed that no one had left the hunt or fallen in battle with monsters during her banishment. It filled her with obvious pride that her daughters had done so well despite their absence for so long. The words of the prophecy, however, made her uneasy feeling climb again, but she desperately hoped against all odds that her suspicions would prove to be wrong, but deep down she knew that she would not be able to find her son just yet.

This discussion of the two helped them very much to deal with the events that followed each other so quickly and to keep a cool head. Both of them were still deeply troubled by each other's experiences, but it was now easier for them to think more clearly and to consult with each other. Together they went through the lines of the prophecy once more, but the desperate hope Artemis had clung to at the beginning faded. However, neither of them let this get them down, and they considered their next steps. They decided that they would first see to their niece's welfare, then return to the Hunters. Zoë was eager to leave this land that had caused her so much grief and pain. Artemis on the other hand was conflicted, on the one hand the urge to see her adopted daughters and niece again was strong, but a large part of her tensed at the thought of calling off the search and leaving her son behind. But the rational part, her reason told her that it was the will of the fates and there was nothing she could do about it.

So she focused on the bond that connected her and her niece. With a silver flicker, she and Zoë disappeared from the suburb and appeared in the same sleepy Cornish town where she had hidden Delphini a year ago. It had become early evening and Apollo's chariot was already speeding towards the horizon as they approached the entrance to the orphanage. From the outside, it looked like it had been lacking money front and back to maintain it for some time. Still, from inside there was a noisy din and the happy screaming of dozens of girls. Before the two knocked, the lieutenant turned to the goddess.

"This is madness, letting any maiden grow up in a place like this. This place is almost falling apart. After thousands of years some ruins look even more beautiful. Nobody should grow up here… thats´s not to mention hiding someone if only for a short time...even if she is still a toddler and it was never meant to be a permanent solution, but this really isn't the place..."

"Now that I'm myself again, I'm shocked at my decision itself...Just imagining what could have happened to her in this place...even if there are no boys here. let's hurry up and get back home, it's been too long since I've seen the girls...way too long indeed."

"All right."

Zoë knocked gently on the door. At the same moment, the noise from inside abruptly ceased and silence fell for several moments. The sound of approaching footsteps sounded a few seconds later, followed by the unmistakable sound of a key being inserted into the lock of the door and turned. The door opened with a squeak, revealing a woman in late middle age who eyed the two newcomers suspiciously but not unfriendly.

"Good evening, my name is Agathe Pennyworth, the director of this asylum. May I ask who you are? If you've come to adopt one of the girls, I'm sorry to disappoint you, visiting hours are over. I would have to ask you to come backtomorrow."

"Ms. Pennyworth, it's a pleasure. My name is Diana Hunter and this is my partner Zoë Nightshade. We are here because I have learned that my niece has been placed here. I have come to take her to live with me, I was abroad until recently you know….So when I heard about the death of my sister's family and the survival of my niece, I immediately dropped everything and went in search of her."

What Ms. Pennyworth, who had been concentrating on the red-haired young woman the whole time, didn't notice was how her companion inconspicuously snapped her fingers once.

Agathe's eyes turned glassy for a moment and then became clear again and widened in astonishment, and now she remembered the voice of the young woman who had called her just this morning to inquire about her niece. She remembered the heartbreaking story of Ms. Hunter and her family. Ms. Hunter had asked her to get everything ready when she and her partner came to pick up little Delphini this evening. She must have forgotten in all the excitement of little Cynthia's bad fever, Emma's heartbreak, and young Abigale's still lingering grief.

"Oh but of course you're…just come in Ms. Hunter, Ms. Nightshade. I'd forgotten all about you. I'm sorry, but it will probably be a moment longer before you can see your niece. Please follow me to my office."

She opened the door fully and let them enter. She led them through a wide hallway that seemed to have seen better days. The Victorian stucco on the ceiling had already crumbled in several places and the paint on the walls was almost completely faded. In some places the two could see cracks that had been makeshift patched. However, through the various closed doors they passed, they could still hear happy laughter and even singing in some places. A fact that relieved them both immensely. Despite the dilapidated building, an attempt was made to create as pleasant an atmosphere as possible for these maidens. They entered the mortal's study, who offered them two chairs across from her desk. Gratefully, the two accepted, but declined the offer of something to drink. The mortal meanwhile had started to search in her files. After a few seconds she found what she was looking for, but sighed a moment later, exhausted.

She was sure she had filled out the necessary forms right after the call and had them ready to sign. But the stress and the lack of staff and the many bills and worries must have obviously led her astray. All she saw was the usually blank sheet of the form in front of her. With an apologetic look, she turned to the lovely Ms. Hunter and her companion.

"Excuse me, Ms. Hunter, Ms. Nightshade. In all the hustle and bustle I have going on at my house, I seem to have left the paperwork unfinished. I apologize for this inconvenience. I will, however, send Jennet, so that you may at least see your niece in hand. Tell me, when was the last time you saw your sister?"

"That's not a problem Ms. Pennyworth. I saw my sister a little over a year and a half ago...It must have been just before the tragedy...I don't understand why the authorities didn't notify me...But that's not your fault I see clearly how hard they try to provide a home for the young girls here, despite all the circumstances they've already experienced. You can feel it right when you walk in the door. That's something I really appreciate, back home in the states I also take care of young girls who have been through the worst.So I can imagine what they do here every day. And if I may say so, they do a wonderful job. Even though I haven't seen the girls, I can feel how happy and almost carefree they are growing up here. But if you'll allow me, I have to question: How is it that your Asylum is so…"

Ms. Pennyworth looked up from filling out her forms. Honest and deep gratitude was in her gaze. Too often childless couples had come here and taken everything her girls and she did for the children for granted and had even often commented on the desolate state of the house. Now to receive praise and recognition from someone who was also dealing with the same problem in her professional life warmed her heart.

"Thank you, Ms. Hunter. You wouldn't believe how good it feels to get an acknowledgement from someone who knows what they're talking about. You know, in a way, the girls who come here are my children. My daughters. I was diagnosed as a young woman as infertile and will never be able to call a child my own.But through this profession, my wish has come true. And so I try to give them as much as I can along the way when they walk through that door one day and go their own way and hopefully they will see me as their secound mother."

"A thought Diana and I share, Ms. Pennyworth. We see the girls growing up in our home in the States as our daughters too, love them and give them a home, try to support them where we can and give them what we think is right and important."

"Sadly, many see our profession differently Ms. Nightshade. The state and local government see us as overspending due to our intensive care of children. And as a result, in recent years, a lot of funding has gone down. But this year, it's been especially bad, and it's been lacking at every turn. But on the other hand, these same politicians say we should maintain our standards and continue our glorious work...Politicians. If you'll give me a moment, I'll let Jennet know that little Delphi is leaving our family today. Jennet has taken the little one especially to her heart. Excuse me a moment."

She rose and walked out of the room at a moderate pace. Neither of the two who remained behind said a word. But an idea to save this home for the orphaned maidens and improve their living situation was already forming in Artemis' mind. Several minutes later, the two heard two pairs of feet approaching. Ms. Pennyworth entered the room first, followed by a young woman, maybe in her early 30's. She looked very tearful and in her arms she held little Delphini. The little girl also looked tearful and Artemis' heart broke. Zoë's face also showed that the situation was getting to her. For several minutes the two of them talked to the mortal, inquiring about the little girl's condition, her habits, dislikes, preferences, while Ms. Pennyworth filled out the rest of the paperwork. But none of those present could avoid shedding a certain amount of tears despite their attempt to maintain professionalism. After another fifteen minutes, the time had come and the papers were filled out, signed. Delphini's few belongings were tucked into a travel bag that had been given to her by Jennet. One last time, the now completely distraught Jennet took the little girl in her arms, squeezed her once more, and kissed her forehead goodbye. Artemis and Zoë, now holding Delphini, thanked her for all the care, love and warmth during her visit and in Delphini's name. The two now walked down the road to the sea and after several minutes were out of sight of any mortals. They watched in silence the roar of the Irish Sea against the shore, and enjoyed the stillness and sounds of nature. Delphini, meanwhile, had fallen asleep again. Under a silver glow the three disappeared.

A few days later, a cheque was to cause quite a stir at Coast View Girls Asylum. An anonymous benefactor had donated a good seven million pounds to the asylum. Ms. Pennyworth and her staff women cried for several minutes with happiness and joy. Perhaps God was actually answering the prayers of those who sought his help.

Artemis, Zoë, and Delphini appeared a few yards from the hunt's camp in West Virginia. But they had not yet been noticed by the Hunters. The Hunters sat tight around the fire in the center of the camp, faces to the fire. They were tense. Hours before, Lord Hades had suddenly appeared in their camp and had exchanged few words with their lieutenant and then disappeared with her. The younger among them were deeply unsettled, but their fear faded as their gaze fell upon the oldest of them. For the first time since the banishment, they smiled unceremoniously and their postures had relaxed considerably. But that was hours ago. Each of them hung their thoughts, whittling away at a piece of wood, sharpening their hunting knife or polishing their bow. The crackling of the logs of the fire was the only thing that broke the silence of the forest. It seemed like it would be a while before anything happened, but they sensed that a change was in the air.

A swift movement made them startle. The wolves, who had been dozing were now fully awake and beside themselves. A long drawn out howl filled the forest. And there in the shade under some alders, a few feet from their camp stood two figures. Despite the shade of the trees, they thought they could make out a very familiar auburn hair on one and the distinctive black hair held by a silver tiara on the other. Could it really? Was it? They hardly dared to hope. After so long apart, what felt like an eternity? The two stepped out of the shadows. And sure enough. All their hopes, all their prayers were answered.

They dropped what they were doing, completely oblivious, and ran towards the two with wild shouts of "My'Lady", "Mother", and "LadyArtemis". Followed closely by the wolves, barking and wagging their tails. The Hunters greeted the newcomers halfway, the youngest of them noticing the small figure in the arms of her mistress and mother. Could it...? No, it was impossible. or could it? The noise seemed to have startled the little figure up from her sleep. In any case, she frantically looked around for the source of the noise. Her eyes fell on the wolves and a childish "Dogy" escaped her and she clapped her small hands enthusiastically. The lead wolf sniffed curiously which made her giggle.

"Hello daughters. It's good to see you all safe and sound. I'm overjoyed to bereunited with you" Tears of happiness and joy flowed and amidst sobs of "Lady Artemis" "Mother" "My'Lady" a group hug ensued that lasted for several minutes. After they had calmed down to some extent, everyone took a step back.

"I'm sure you're wondering who this young maiden in my arms is. Well, she is..."

"Auntie...hungery…"

"Alright little star, I'll get you something to eat…"

Catching the curious and partially confused looks of the Hunters, the goddess spoke softly

"Let us go to camp, there I will tell you everything. But before that daughters please welcome my mortal goddaughter Delphini. Let me tell you this much, a lot has happened"

With shouts of approval, the company set off and settled around the circular fireplace of the camp. Delphini observed the new surroundings from her sleepy but curious eyes. Looked into the unfamiliar, but friendly faces. Conversely, the Hunters regarded the strange appendage of their returned mistress and mother. To Some of them who had left their siblings behind, the toddler wistfully reminded them of days gone by. Artemis, meanwhile, had conjured up a portion of perfectly tempered toddler food. The smell of her meal finally made the little one stop her exploration and devote herself to eating.

The Hunters for their part watched the scene unfolding to them silently, but each of them had so many unending questions. Their eyes finally lingered on their lieutenant, their mistress' right hand. The expression on her face wavered between a loving, caring smile and something that almost looked like jealousy. The oldest among them cast knowing glances at each other and grinned barely noticeably. Her sister or mother was jealous of a toddler for getting more attention than her, even though she had already spent several hours with Artemis. The perfect blackmail material, oh they were going to tease her about that.

After the little one's meal had been eaten, the little one grew sleepy again Artemis finally took her into her tent and into a conjured cot. She stepped back into the open and no sooner had she sat back by the fire than the bombardment of questions began.

"My'Lady, who exactly is the little child"

"Is...is...that…?"

"No Amy, that's a girl. Don´t get too paranoid…Didn´t you girls listen to what Mother has said..."

"Will she join us one day?"

"Where did you find her mother?"

"What else happened to you?"

"We missed you My'Lady"

"We want to know everything Lady Artemis"

Artemis smiled with joy and confidence; she had her Hunters back. Her family. Her Zoë was with her and nothing and no one would separate them. The faces of her Hunters beaming with happiness filled her with warmth and made her forget for a moment the pain of losing her son and daughter. The buzz of her girls' voices swelled, and it was impossible to understand every single question and exclamation. But she let them, she was no different. Her gaze floated from one Huntress to another. Her gaze lingered on the rescued daughter of Aphrodite. She looked shyly and submissively at her mistress.

"Now that I'm back, I can also greet you in person Layla. I am so glad you have joined us and want to follow my example. I am terribly sorry for what you had to experience, and I hope your sisters have helped you settle in well with us." Spoke the goddess in a soft, welcoming voice.

She turned to the older Hunters and spoke in a stern voice

"That said, girls you know I don't approve of us taking in someone so young..." She raised her hand to stifle the burgeoning protest and continued

"I understand the situation you have found yourselves in and Zoë has already informed me of the circumstances. I accept and approve of your actions. However,be clear that something like this was an exceptional situation and should not become a habit."

The other Hunters bowed their heads guiltily, knowing that Layla had actually been abit too young to join the sisterhood. Artemis' acceptance of their decision made them breathe a sigh of relief, but a small part of guilt remained in their hearts. Artemis turned back to the now trembling Layla and her tone became gentle and caring again

"Layla, you are welcome with us and it is my wish that you feel at home here. We are your new family now and family always stands together. I am sorry if I have upset or frightened you by addressing your sisters. I will not cast you out of our family nor will I snatch my blessings from you, but I would like to make you an offer: If it is your wish, your immortality will be suspended until you reach a physical age of 13. My blessing, of course, you still retain, you would merely grow slightly to become an even more effectiveHuntress."

"I...ahhm...I...thank you so much for this generous offer Lady Artemis. Indeed, my sisters have helped me a great deal to settle in here and to dispel my initial doubts about joining. Now I am overjoyed to have made this decision and cannot imagine living any other way. Every time I grieve over my father's death, my sisters are there for me and help me cope with my grief. I accept your offer, I want to protect and support my sisters as they have protected and supported me all these years."

"I am very pleased Layla. Like your sisters before me, I am always here for you and will support you in any way I can. Welcome to the hunt"

The face of the daughter of Aphrodite shone full of relief and joy. Her heart warmed and she had the feeling that she had now fully arrived in her new family.

Artemis now turned to Lyra, who stared at her with a mixture of awe, astonishment and joy but also uncertainty and a hint of fear and panic.

"Hello Lyra, it is good to see you again. I have long puzzled over where you were drawn...Now to see that you have become part of my family fills me with joy. To reassure you, your brother is still alive. But I don't want to talk about him. I want to talk about you. I welcome you warmly to our family and am glad you follow my teachings. Welcome to thehunt."

The welcome speeches to the new Hunters spoken, she now turned to her remaining Hunters. One by one she approached them, took them in her arms and gave them a kiss on the forehead. She sat back down and began to tell of her life among mortals, leaving nothing out. Her daughters and Zoë listened intently, cursing the tales of the boys their mistress had encountered, becoming particularly verbally abusive to this boy of Snape's. Over the fate of Delphini and her mother, the oldest of them in particular lost tears. They painfully remembered the old days, the days of the so called Heroes, when women were treated no better and it made their blood boil with rage. They quickly agreed that the newest addition to the hunt would be their sister from now on and she would be protected from these monsters by any means necessary.

A fact that made Artemis visibly breathe a sigh of relief. The reaction to the birth of her firstborn was very mixed, but nevertheless predictable. A good quarter of her daughters could not come to terms with the idea that their mistress, the goddess of virginity had conceived and given birth to a child. Several curses about the mortal who had desecrated their mistress and mother were raised and it took some time until they calmed down. But by the end of their tale, there was something like minimal respect for the mortal who had sacrificed his life to buy their mistress time to escape without a second thought. They vowed to at least give their mistress' son a chance to prove himself and accept him should he prove himself as a baby brother. However the Hunters who had left a brother or sister behind when they had joined the hunt thought of their deceased siblings with wistful joy. They were already ready to accept the prophesied son of their mistress and acknowledge him as their brother. Revenge was sworn over the death of their unborn sister. No one hurt their mistress, let alone dare to hurt the only daughter of Artemis. Without consulting each other, the Hunters held a moment of silence for their fallen sister.

Conversely, the Hunters now told of the various events they had experienced. They reported with disgust, disgust and anger dripping voice like Phobos, them first pursued and finally had pressed. Apollo's keeping his promise to her and Hermes' support astonished her immensely, but she was extremely grateful and vowed to offer them both a favor. Apollo's earnest demeanor and sense of duty really made her realize for the first time how important she was to her brother, and that it was now up to her to make amends for her shameful behavior towards him. And she would. Even though it was hard for her to admit much, she had gone too far in her anger and hatred towards men. It was even harder for her to admit that there were also at least acceptable boys, an experience she would never have had without the banishment. The boy, Edward Tonks or James as an example. Her son, she resolved, would become a man and she would teach him all he needed to know so that she and his sisters could hope others would follow his example.

While she pondered her plans for the future, a familiar thunder rumbled in the far distance. The sign that a council meeting of the gods had been called. Artemis stood up and looked at her daughters. There was a determination in her gaze that had rarely been seen before.

"Hunters, I will now return to Olympus to attend the council meeting. It will probablybe a long meeting, so I ask that you rest.Tomorrow we will go hunting. Hunting monsters...I look forward to finally stalking alongside you again. To the eternal hunt, that we may once again become the fear of monsters."

Cheers and howls of wolves filled the camp of the huntresses. Under the sound of the hunting horn and under a silver glow the returned goddess of the hunt disappeared. The Hunters then made their way to their tents to rest. Zoë Nightshade stayed behind until, she hoped unseen, she slipped into Artemis' tent and dropped into her Artemis' so familiar bed with a genuine, carefree smile. She had her Artemis back and tomorrow, tomorrow they would finally do again what had not been the same for more than two decades. Their soon to be common child, even if he was male, they would find and complete the family.

The hunt began anew.

Hey guys,

that's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it and had fun reading it. As always I would be happy about constructive criticism, so feel free to write me a comment or leave a message. I will answer you as soon as possible , I wish you all Happy Holidays and a good start to the new year.

See you in January :)