Chapter 58: Bastet

Draco Malfoy did not find Hogwarts enjoyable, his main nemesis was abroad (well really out of the planet, but how could he know that). There was no challenge for him except Slytherins who now looked at him with contempt for allegedly betraying the Dark Lord. Fending hexes was now a routine of his.

'Dumbledore looks younger these days, doesn't he?' said Pansy Parkinson, sitting right next to him.

'He's just extra cheerful, Pansy. That fool is always happy.'

But Pansy was not simply imagining things. Dumbledore did look more youthful. Each and every day he looked healthier than the day before. Moriarty, on the other hand, looked dreadful. Even though he did his best not to show it, Draco could tell. Dark circles under his eyes, his non-existent appetite for food, and the significant weight loss said it all. Draco was surprised that he still could function as if nothing was wrong.

'Don't you think Moriarty is a bit tired these days?' said Draco to Pansy. "I mean maybe Dumbledore is draining him, like a vampire?"

Don't be silly, Draco. He's just fine, and probably wants to lose weight. He is as obnoxious as ever,' she replied.

Pansy liked Moriarty as most Slytherins did. He was smart and strong. Snape respected him a lot and that meant Moriarty was worthy of it. They only pretended to hate him to appease their parents who weren't happy about the treaty between Moriarty and Voldemort. Moriarty did not mind their insults and mostly ignored them. It was like a dark twisted version of what Gryffindors had with Dumbledore.

'Tonight the same place?' said Pansy softly without ever looking at Draco.

'Yes,' said Draco instantly. He too avoided her eyes. They both knew very well what he and Pansy had going on was nothing but a temporary thing. Pansy in particular was aware of that fact due to her condition; Pansy was infertile. She could not bring Draco healthy and beautiful children. They both knew there would be an end to their pitiful little love after Hogwarts.

After Defense Against The Dark Arts, Draco went to the third floor where Pansy would wait for him everyday.

'We'll talk after we're done,' said Pansy with a controlled smile. She was excited but she did not want to show it.

Draco closed the classroom door and looked around to make sure nothing was spying on them. He smiled softly at Pansy. She responded with even a brighter smile.

'Oh, young love!' said a voice behind Draco.

Draco swiftly turned around and pointed his wand at the source of the voice, which happened to be a cat. His eyes widened.

'Professor McGonagall?' said Pansy with horror.

Draco looked at the cat. It was not McGonagall.

'Mrs. Norris?' he asked.

The body of Mrs. Norris began to swell and change drastically. In less than a second hands and feet had replaced paws and cat hair had disappeared, giving its place to a smooth and bronze the place of the cat, now stood a tall Egyptian woman.

'Who are you?' said Pansy.

'Mrs. Norris, as you just called me, dear,' said the woman. She seemed a bit under the weather and uncomfortable. Her eyes were bloodshot and her left hand was trembling slightly.

'I am a Magus, surely you know what that is,' she said to Draco.

Draco looked at the door. They were warned about the Magi. He knew he could be easily killed if he didn't escape in time.

'Please, darling! I come in peace. I have something to offer,' said Mrs. Norris with a shaky smile.

'What offer?' asked Pansy skeptically.

Mrs. Norris sighed and approached her. Her left hand touched Pansy's stomach.

'A deal. You two love each other, but you cannot bear a child for him. I know that much,' Mrs. Norris smiled more widely. and it was far too predatorial than Pansy liked. 'I can make you fertile again, Pansy. All you need to do is to willingly spill some of your blood on a tablet which will release my master.'

Before Draco could say anything Pansy said, 'How do we know you will stick to your end of the bargain?' said Pansy.

'Because I will do it first. It will work only when you have fulfilled your end Pansy. With Draco you can serve God. And God is generous to those who serve it.'

Draco was confused. God? Moriarty had said something about that, but Draco could not remember it well. He looked at Pansy. Her face was showing great desperation.

'Alright we will do it,' she said. 'Pansy!' exclaimed Draco. Pansy looked at him. Something in her eyes softened his heart.

Mrs. Norris smiled. Her left eye suddenly burst out of its socket and blood covered her face. She removed the eye and handed it to Pansy who received it reluctantly.

'You should shove it up your vagina,' said Mrs. Norris. 'The most effective spells are often crude, I am afraid.'

Draco and Pansy looked at the wriggling eyeball in horror.

'Shite!' said Draco.

He was too shocked to stop Pansy, who removed her pants and pushed the eye into her vagina. She screamed loudly and fell on the ground. Her screams continued until they turned into panting moans.

'Congratulations, Draco. You can finally marry the woman of your dreams.'

Mrs. Norris seemed very pleased. She transformed into a cat and mewed.

'However, it is wise to remember that if you don't fulfill your end of the deal, children,' her feline eyes sparked. 'You will wish you had died today.'

*.*.*LV/HP*.*.*

Lord Voldemort was almost done with The Translocator. It needed to be tuned, but it sure would work. Even James Moriarty could not have built such an amazing invention, or so he thought.

'You've succeeded, Milord,' said Bellatrix.

'I have,' said Voldemort. He looked at Bellatrix calmly. 'Delphini will be with us soon.'

'Finally! we can –'

Suddenly, Bellatrix was not there anymore. It was like someone had burst a bubble, and that bubble had been her. Voldemort stared at the seat she had been sitting on only a second ago. His mind froze. His eyes teared up for the first time in decades and he screamed. This pain he was feeling was new. He had never felt like this. He could tell something was very wrong. He was not the only one. Trillions of miles away, Harry Potter screamed too. He felt terrible. He had lost something dear, but he did not know what it was.

'Harry! Harry!' cried Hermione. Her voice sounded distant. On top of the torrent of emotions Harry was feeling, he was getting a glimpse of what was going on in Voldemort's head as his thoughts began to pour into his mind.

'Oh, Merlin!' cried Harry. The connection began to weaken as Voldemort's pain subsided and he gained some control over his emotions.

'Morningstar has Bellatrix,' said Harry weakly. His face was as white as chalk.

'Hermione's mother was abducted?' explained Kaminari.

'Oh, that's very sad,' said Dionysus with utter indifference.

'It is sad,' spat Kaminari. 'For once have a heart. The girl's mother might be in danger.'

'Don't worry, Kaminari, I don't feel worried or sad,,' said Hermione and then she frowned. 'But why don't I?'

'That's perfectly normal,' said Harry. His face had gained some color. 'You never had a good relationship with her.'

'No Harry, I was starting to develop one,' argued Hermione.

'You should know, Hermione,' said Dionysus. 'Magi tend to become cruel when they get used to not feeling bad. It is in our nature.'

'Cruelty is sometimes necessary,' said Anubis.

'No, it is not,' said Kaminari sadly. 'Cruelty is why our race never grows much in numbers. We are too distant and cruel towards one another. We don't love each other enough.'

'Is it a genetic trait?' asked Hermione.

Harry doubted Kaminari knew much about genetics. He was dead wrong.

'That's an interesting question to ask. It is a complex matter. Our race tends to be more violet in its spiritual form unlike humans. Wearing flesh makes us more compassionate, especially in human form. You might have noticed that as an animal you feel less human. You see, we used to be composed of pure energy and intent. We developed more complex emotions once we started to inhibit flesh. So human genes actually help us understand the world differently, but our physical bodies are not the same as the masterpiece made by the Mad Scientist and his wife.'

'That is nonsense!' Groaned Anubis. 'You are simply less vulnerable in your spiritual form. And now Hermione is immortal and much more durable than a mere 's why you feel less concerned about others, dear. That's normal. Where do you get that crap Kaminari?'

'Well, even if normal it's not good,' said Hermione. 'People should care for each other. That's a good thing to do.'

'Finally, a decent Magus in my territory,' said a feminin voice above them. Harry looked up and yelped.

Hermione looked up too and realised why he had done so. A giant spider was hovering above them. She was much larger than Aragog. Anubis and Kaminari seemed surprised.

'How did she –' said Anubis.

'Nice to see you again, Pluto, or is it Anubis again?' said the giant spider. Hermione noticed that she was slowly shrinking and descending. 'I heard you instructing them to use Roman names. Sincerity at its purest form.' She chuckled.

'Are you Arachne?' asked Hermione.

'Yes, I'm sure my darling Bacchus has told you all about me.'

At once, the spider twirled in the air and her body shrank much faster than before. Her legs disappeared and her body started to resemble something like a monkey and then a silhouette of a human. She gently landed on the ground and the light of the fire let Hermione see her much better than before. Arachne was heartbreakingly beautiful. Dionysus gulped.

'Hi,' he said nervously.

'Hello, Bacchus, how is Ariadne?'

'She's just fine,' said Dionysus miserably. 'She doesn't want to see me anymore, and neither do I.'

'Most women share her sentiments,' said Arachne. Even though her tone was sharp and bitter, her hand reached for Dionysus's head and ruffled his hair.

'Only I can appreciate your unique qualities, love.'

'She is quite the predator,' whispered Kaminari to Hermione and Harry.

'And you have come to this predator for help, haven't you, Kaminari?' said Arachne without looking away from Dionysus. 'It's been a long time since I've seen my husband. Forgive me for taking him away from you for a few minutes. We will be back to solve your problem.'

Arachne lifted Dionysus with her arms and left.

'I cannot believe it,' said Anubis. 'She's so rude!'

'I suggest you try to be friendly to her,' said Kaminari. 'I have met Arachne before. She's quite a powerful Magi.'

'She's younger than me ,' said Anubis. 'How powerful could she be? I could do things she can't imagine.'

'Have you already forgotten our space manipulator friend?' smirked Kaminari. 'He has trapped us here and we couldn't even touch him.'

'Can you track her with this,' said a voice in Harry's head. It gave him chills.

'A Blood Compas?' echoed Lamentation's inquiring voice in his head. 'They don't work in Avalon. There is too much magical disturbance. I could, however, channel my power through an all-seeing item If you can get your hands on such an item.'

'Well then, we should find Kali and get my eye back,' said a voice who had to be Odin.

Harry felt cold. He crouched down. Hermione looked in his way worried that he might be having another attack.

'She's on the run,' said Mephistopheles. 'Good luck with finding her anytime soon.'

'What about Jam's Cup?' asked the terrifying voice which probably belonged to Xey.

'That one is lost. The Sacrificial Lamb is the only one who knows where it is,' said Lamentition. 'He is not very far away. We could have a talk.'

'I don't understand. How come you can prevent them from leaving, but you are unable to –'

The voices faded away and Harry took a deep breath.

'Harry, are you okay?' said Hermione as she shook him hard. Harry's dazed eyes cleared up and looked around.

'I heard them,' he said excitedly.

'You heard who?' said Anubis.

'Our enemies,' said Kaminari. 'Don't call them by name.'

'What is a Sacrificial Lamb?' asked Harry.

'That is Yeshua,' said Hermione. She frowned and continued, 'How did I know that?'

'Don't mind it. Just avoid using names,' Kaminari begged her. 'What do they want from him, Harry?'

'The cup of jam?' said Harry. 'How could jam be all seeing? And why a cup and not a jar?'

At first Kaminari seemed confused. Then he laughed.

'Harry, they meant the legendary Persian king Jamshid who held a magical Cup that could see things of past, present and future. In the hands of a powerful Magus it could reveal the location of anything.'

'Well, the lamb guy knows where it is,' said Harry.

'And where you are,' said a voice behind him.

Harry and Hemione turned their necks so suddenly their bones cracked loudly.

'I am Yeshua,' said a man with muggle jeans and a leather jacket.

'I thought you would have a lot of beard,' said Harry.

'Because Jesus is supposed to look like some white dude with long hair and beard?' said Yeshua.

Yeshua was a man with light brown skin. His skin could have been lighter but excess sunlight had darkened it. His hair was short and curly. His beard was perfectly shaved and his body was muscular. He was wearing leather pants and a T-shirt.

'Do you have a bike?' asked Hermione.

'Do you want a ride, young lady?' said Yeshua with a seductive smile.

'Hey, she's mine,' said Harry angrily.

'Of course she is.' chuckled Yeshua.

'How did you come here?' asked Kaminari. 'And why are you wearing those?'

'My father asked me, and these are the latest human fashion. Very comfortable if you ask me.'

Father asked you to come?' asked Dionysus.

'No, I meant Rumplestiltskin. I came the moment I heard Yehuda was after them.'

'So you're Jesus,' said Hemione and then she chuckled.

'Let me guess, your parents were Jewish.'

'How did you know that?' said Hermione.

'How come I never knew that?' said Harry.

'Her parents are probably not that religious,' said Yeshua. 'That's understandable. Even I, who used to be a very good Jew, have abandoned most traditions.'

'Most traditions?' asked Hermione.

'I still keep Sabbath holy,' said Yeshua with a smile. 'Surprises every single Christian I meet.'

It took Hermione a few seconds to realise he was joking.

'And you Harry Potter was raised by atheists weren't you?' said Anubis.

'Oh, no, he wasn't,' said Yeshua. 'Atheists teach their children about how terrible the Bible is. He was raised by non-religious folks. They're my favorite people. They might not even know who I am.'

'Jim Moriarty told me about you,' said Harry.

'Oh, he has?' snickered Yeshua. 'That's getting information from the right sources. Has he told you how legend is different from reality? How terrible was Yehuda's betrayal? And how Yaqub's own secretive manner led me into death?'

'You don't sound bitter about it.' said Hermione.

'Of course not. I forgave him minutes after I came back to life. He never managed to forgive himself. Hell is not a place. It's a situation. That's why it's so hard to be left.'

He faced Hermione. 'The past is the past. Let's avoid repeating history once more. I understand that those pitiful fiends are after me.'

'That's the case,' said Anubis.

'They knew your location,' said Harry.

'They sure did,' said Yeshua with a smile. 'Had I not heard about you, I would have stayed at the Leshinesh.'

'Where is that?' asked Hermione.

'It's like a hotel,' said Yeshua.

'If a hotel was a building as large as a city,' said Kaminari. 'I have been there. How did you find us?'

'With this,' said Yeshua as a crystal cup materialized in his right hand. 'Some people call this the Holy Grail. James Moriarty would call it the Cup of Jam.'

'Couldn't Morningstar use the Orb of Uzza to find us?' asked Hermione nervously.

'No,' said Yeshua. "Like all magical tools, all-seeing objects are limited by their own design and the user's capacity. The Orb is not even that good for seeing things away from you. Instead it can project your own past and maybe future.'

'Trust him. He's rather knowledgeable when it comes to these things,' said Dionysus. He and Arachne had returned. Arachne had a very nice smile.

'Today was the most pleasant day of my life,' he blurted, looked at Arachne and blushed.

'Most of her lovers say that,' sighed Yeshua.

Dionysus glared at him angrily. Hermione pouted. She could tell they were on bad terms. From what she had learned, Yeshua and Dionysus were brothers. There had to be some sibling rivalry.

'Please don't fight,' she said softly.

'They always fight,' said Arachne. 'We're lucky their father isn't here. It would have turned into a colossal battle.'

'Our father's here,' said Yeshua darkly. 'Before I came here he was giving a speech about how much our world needs a proper leader.'

'His usual rhetoric then,' chuckled Dionysus. 'He has tried power grabbing before.'

'We have,' Anubis corrected him.

"I don't believe he was speaking about himself,'' said Yeshua darkly. 'He was rooting for someone much more powerful,'

"Kronos?" said Dionysus hopefully.

"I don't think even Kronos wants to compete against You-Know-Who," replied Yeshua.

"Not this again," moaned Hermione to Harry.

"I think there is a way out of this world for these two," said Arachne. 'But it's very risky. Yes, very risky indeed.'

'And I don't like her plan very much,' said Dionysus. 'It is as she said risky.'

'Do we have other options?" said Anubis. "Even if they can't use the blood compas, they will find another way to find us. There are too many powerful Magi in this world. Maybe one of them could tune the compass in a way that it will function. What should we do then?'

'Arachne and this brother of mine think we should hope Inari-chan might be inclined to help us,' said Dionysus. 'She apparently would rather avoid serving ... uhm … God's-Darker-Side?'

'What is this plan of yours?' asked Kaminari with a smile.

'Inari will have to give us some of her blood. With the blood of three incarnations I can make a dress that can resist Lemi's magic.'

'Lemi?' asked Dionysus incredulously.

'He's a sweet sweet boy.' said Arachne with a tinge of lust in her voice.

'You have been consorting him?' said Dionysus. 'I think we agreed on –'

'Absolute freedom in choosing who we associate ourselves with. You wanted to keep seeing naiads, and agreed that a woman has needs too, didn't you, love?'

'I was going to say celibacy, but why not, darling?' said Dionysus with a forced smile. 'Who am I to complain?'

'Ew,' said Yeshua. 'And here I thought you couldn't become less pitiful.'

'Oh, shut up you everlasting virgin!' spat Dionysus and sat next to Harry.

'I can also put in a good word for us when we see Inari-chan to help us,' said Kaminari. 'How do we find her?'

'She is in Leshinesh,' said Dionysus. 'And I think she will be more encouraged to help us if we provide her with certain productive fluids.'

'Hell no,' said Dionysus and looked around. 'I hope she didn't hear that.'

'I am sure both Inari and Hell did hear you,' said Yehua. 'Don't worry. We want them to hear us.'

'You think my daughter could help you,' said Anubis.

'Sure, she can,' said Yeshau. 'She is Inari's lover.'

That was quite a surprise to Anubis. He gawked at Yeshua and then shook his head.

'That girl can still surprise me,' he mumbled to himself.

'I don't want her to have my baby,' said Dionysus.

'It won't be yours,' said Hermione unexpectedly. 'She probably wants to use your sperm as a vector for the genes of Hell,' she winced. 'How did I know that!?'

'You might be an incarnation,' said Yeshua. 'Don't worry, you will be mostly you, but some information might be transferred to you through other incarnations or the original magus.'

'I'm sure we will know soon enough,' before Dionysus could open his mouth. There was no reaction from Anubis. He simply looked at Arachne and demanded her to offer more details.

Harry and Hermione listened carefully as the older Magi discussed their plans.

The plan was good. Arachne communicated with a number of magi and they had an established route.

Hermione was accompanied by Yeshua and Arachne. Harry was with Anubis and Kaminari.

'Why are you helping us?' asked Hermione.

'Because Jim Moriarty said so,' said Arachne.

'Isn't he a human? Do you take orders from him?'

'Watch your tongue, little girl,' said Arachne and then smirked. 'I follow no human. Jim Moriarty is the greatest enemy of The Serpent and I happen to know what a despicable person she is. Moriarty tends to be right about her.'

'When did you first meet James Moriarty?' asked Hermione.

'I met him as Odysseus,' said Arachne fondly. 'He used to be a more attractive man back then.'

'He told me that he was a monster at that time,' said Yeshua. His frown deepened as Arachne smiled.

'Oh, he was a beast. A man who could command armies into death. His magic was extraordinary and his blood boiled hot.'

'He was one of your lovers,' stated Yeshua.

'I was one of his. He was too busy to even notice I had fallen for him,' said Arachne. Her lusting expression suddenly evaporated and was replaced by a scowl. 'Now he is not even a shadow of his former self.'

'Most Magi would disagree,' said Yeshua. 'He has lived so long for a human that some are debating him being a Magi.'

'Is he one?' asked Hermione.

'No,' said Arachne. 'He smells and tastes just like a human."

'Have you eaten his flesh?' asked Yeshua.

'Why don't I start from the very beginning,' said Arachne. 'Odysseus was a powerful Greek general who had done so many great things. And he was at the height of his power. Everyone respected him. Except this silly girl called Arachne."

She smiled more as she kept remembering her past. "I was a baker's daughter and I loved weaving. I had the best designs and they were so good that Agamemnon asked for them. I refused because he wanted too much and I could not deliver. Agamemnon was enraged and asked Odysseus to bring my head, who instead asked me to reconsider. I refused and Odysseus was so impressed he used magic to force Agamemnon to forget about me and spared my life. I was the only woman he slept with except his wife,' she paused and then continued angrily, 'Then that bitch, Minerva, came and tried to kill me. I survived of course. Dionysus and Odesseus told me what had happened and helped me get used to my situation. That was after I injected my poisonous fangs into them, liquified their organs and drank them. Don't look so disgusted," she pointed to Hermione. "Your boyfriend eats souls."

"And here I thought Harry, Ginny and I were having an unusual relationship," said Hermione.

"Shouldn't that kind of damage have nullified his immortality?" asked Yeshua.

"He was immortalized by The Mad Scientist. He tasted even more human than most immortals I've had the pleasure to meet."

"He presented himself to me as a wise young man," said Yeshua.

"He sounds like a jerk in the bible," said Arachne.

"The book could not be more different from reality. Those books they wrote are pure fiction. Just a few bits and pieces may be real –"

"But I still like James in the bible more than James Moriarty."

"He was more or less the same –"

Hermione tuned out the argument and tried to get connected to Harry's mind.

" – I have never seen it myself," she heard Dinysus tell Harry. "Apollo works in mysterious ways. He let me bottle it, but I never could interpret it. Only Jim Moriarty can unlock it."

"He refused to see it," protested Harry.

"There are very good reasons for not inspecting prophecies. Take Croesus for example; He heard a prophecy and misinterpreted it. That cost him his throne and army. Jim Moriarty knows how misdirecting prophecies can be. They are often generated by powers beyond our control. It gets scary when these forces take sides. For Croesus, the higher powers had decided to favor Cyrus. Why should it be any different for Jim Moriarty who knows almost everything about them."

"It's not polite to spy on people," whispered Arachne in Hermione's ear, giving her a terrible chill.

"Leave her be," said Dionysus.

'No, Dio, she must learn … Oh."

Arachne was terrified. Something had scared her. The same thing had apparently affected Kaminari.

"Baba Yega just entered Avalon," communicated Kaminari to them all mentally. "We need to be quick."

Now Dionysus seemed terrified as well.

"She once trapped me in a goat form," he moaned.

"She ate my heart," said Arachne. "She's a very violent Magus."

"I don't want to scare you," said Anubis as he approached Hermione. Kaminari was telling Harry something and she wished she could hear him.

"The Serpent's lieutenant is here, Hermione. The chance of us being caught has increased. You must be prepared to ditch us at any moment. In case events take an ill turn, Kaminari will be protecting you. Follow him."

"In which direction did she appear, Kaminari?" asked Anubis.

Kaminari said something softly, but Anubis heard him.

"She is away from Leshinesh. That's a good thing," he said calmly.

They walked in silence for a few minutes until Harry could not contain his curiosity any more.

"Why are you so terrified of her?" he asked, now walking next to Hermione.

"In the Great War some less known Magi proved to be extremely stronger than the main players like my father, Kronos," said Anubis. "My family and a few others held power in society. Even though their control was not absolute, most Magi believed their leaders to be the strongest. When The Grand Juries decided to convict The Mad Scientist he rebelled. He declared to be the only true leader of the Magi, and some younger Magi followed him and The Serpent, of course, was by his side. Our friend was one the first to join the rebellion and has some terrifying powers even Magi fear."

"I don't ever want to see her," said Dionysus with horror.

**Baba Yaga**

Traveling between universes was rather difficult for most Magi. They had to use special portals to facilitate transportation. Baba Yaga had little problem sneaking into any world and dimension. She was once known as The Queen of Flesh-eaters. Rumor had it that she had learned some forbidden and obscure magic from Lilith that let her do the horrors she did. Her original name was forgotten and nobody no longer spoke it. Even her greek name was no longer associated with her. Some believed she had been an old Magus who had hid herself for a long time until the right time.

She appeared on a hill by the large forest her targets were lurking in. She smiled as she saw Mr. Mercury a few meters away. He had been waiting for her.

"Have you been tracking them, Hermes?" she asked.

"We'd rather let them find their way out of the forest. There is no need to hurry."

"Lilith asked me to come here and take over," said Baba Yega. "You don't seem very surprised."

"I am more surprised by the fact that you are not an old hag," said Hermes. "Do you have to be so beautiful?"

Baba Yaga looked at Hermes coolly. She scanned his mind superficially. His mind was much stronger than any child of Zeus she had met so far and he had gained more strength. His blue eyes did not even try to peer through her mental shields. Instead he smiled politely.

"You're stronger than most of your brothers."

"You have to meet the youngest — Yeshua. He is the strongest sibling I have."

"He's with them. I can sense him. He should know there is no hope for winning a war against Lilith."

"Don't bother goading him to respond," said Hermes.

Hermes was right. Even though Yeshua could hear every word clearly he did not respond. He did not even tell his companions about it.

Hermes took Baba Yaga to a small wooden hut where three heir allies were waiting – Mephistopheles, Odin and Xey.

"Ah, you're finally here," said Odin.

"Odin, what a nice pleasure to meet you here."

"I'm not giving you my other eye," said Odin.

"I know you will eventually. You thought you would never give me your right eye."

Baba Yaga smiled. Only Xey was not disturbed by her presence. He was too damn old to be.

"Xey," she said respectfully. "It is an honor to meet you again."

"I never thought I would meet you again …"

Xey's lips moved when finished his sentences but nothing audible came out, or if it did no one could understand it but Baba Yaga.

"I thank you for your warm welcome, Xey. I did not know that you still remembered my original name or could even utter it."

Xey smiled. Others did not dare to ask why they had not heard Baba Yega's original name. They knew some higher power was involved.

"We have let them know that we can't find them, " said Xey.

"This is no circus, Xey. They are not like ordinary people you used to play with as Mr. Tophat."

"But I liked what I was doing as Mr. Tophat. He is one of my personalities after all."

"I believe this false sense of security could help us catch them," said Mephistopheles who was standing behind Baba Yega.

"Of course you would think that way, Mr. Faust," said Baba Yaga.

"Please refrain from calling me by that name, Ma'am. If you do, I might call you Venessa Ives."

"That might actually be a good idea," said a man who had just entered the hut.

"Mr. Slughorn!" said Odin. "Well done, James. Where did you find him?"

James Potter who had entered right after Horace Slughorn stayed silent.

"A place he cannot speak of," said Slughorn silkily. "I have been working on a number of affairs on behalf of Lilith. I will serve as your link to her from now on."

"Why would calling me Venessa would be a good idea, Horace?" asked Baba Yega.

"Bastet has told us that Cain has a Whisperer in his camp. She is awake and might be able to hear the names Moriarty gives her. Bastet also has heard your names being discussed between Cain and Salazar Slytherin. We shouldn't tip her off."

Mephistopheles frowned upon hearing Salazar's name.

"Then you are right," said Baba Yaga. "I hate my time as Vanessa Ives."

"Which is why it's a good code name," said Slughorn.

"I will go with Faustus since we are speaking English," said Mephistopheles.

"Madam Ives,' said Baba Yaga.

Odin scratched his head and looked at the others.

"I suppose Antony Hopkins is my latest favorite human actor. So why not Antony?"

"Marcus," said Xey.

"Who is Marcus?" asked Amaimon who had just arrived. He had done so quietly enough for others not to notice him. His sudden appearance caused a few jumps.

"Amaimon you are not the Earth King you are the Creep King," said Baba Yaga. "How did I fail to notice you."

"I'm a demon. Being sneaky is my trade," said Amainmon.

"Cain has a Whisperer," said Mephistopheles. "Naturally we are going to use aliases."

"You can be Foul-mouthed, Amaimon?" suggested Odin.

Amaimon smiled dangerously. "Trust me, you don't want to know how foul-mouthed I can get."

"Is that the appropriate way to speak to your father?" said Odin.

"Oh, shut up!" spat Amaimon and reached for the door. He stopped when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. The hand was soft, but its touch was deadly cold.

Amaimon clanked his teeth.

"Please stay, Amaimon. I need you to be cool headed," said Baba Yaga.

"I need some respect, that's all," said Amaimon angrily.

"Antony, if this fails," said Baba Yaga softly. "I will make sure you will spend the rest of your miserable existence in Gehenna under my influence."

Odin gulped and hoped this would not be the case.

*.*.*Bastet*.*.*

In her cat form the wards had less effect on Bastet, and she was mostly fine. In human form the pain was too agonizing. In order to free Lilith she had to take that form to pull her out The Reverse Universe. If Draco and Pansy could effectively disable the wards she would have exactly two minutes to do that before Cain's inevitable response. Timing was crucial.

She led Draco and Pansy to the weakest rune tablets. By studying the runes so far she had deduced that adding some blood to them would deactivate the runes for exactly five minutes. That was plenty of time for her. However, Cain – or James Moriarty, as people called him these days – would notice their malfunctioning almost immediately. Hence she only had two minutes.

The curfew was upon them. Mrs. Norris guided Draco and Pansy to the most vulnerable set of runes in the wards. She took human form and explained what had to be done. Draco seemed a bit disconcerted. Bastet prayed to her ancestors that he could hold it up and carry out his task.

The moment Draco and Pansy compromised the wards with their blood, Bastet disappeared. She was in the same room she had left, the only difference being that Draco and Pansy were only mere shadows in this world. Fortunately, unlike most humans and Magi, she could perceive shadows of people in this world and that would take away the element of surprise.

She let her body turn into gas and found her way to the complex pipeline system that was mostly unused. She knew her way well enough. She had passed through these pipes thousands of times to memorize their layout. It took her exactly forty seconds to reach Lilith's cell. Once she arrived she found Lilith free and smiling.

'I was waiting for you, my dear Bastet,' said Lilith.

'It's an honor to be of service,' said Bastet.

'Take my hand.' ordered Lilith.

Basted did as she had asked. Darkness took over and the universe turned into an abyss. For a moment Bastet feared for her existence and then it was over. They were in a palace. Behind Lilith, she could see a window with a magnificent view beyond.

'Welcome to my son's home, Nurmengard.'

'Weren't you in the kitchen, Mother?' said a man who was surprised to see them in that place.

'Indeed, Gellert, that's where I am as well as this place.' said Lilith.

'Oh, you're the one pretending to be Lucinda Malfoy,' said Grindelwald. 'Moriarty failed to keep you to himself, didn't he?'

'How is Lucinda?' asked Lilith.

'Awake and healthy,' said Gellert. 'She woke up when you let her go. She cried so much.'

'It must have been painful for her to finally realise the truth.'

'Do we kill her?' said Bastet.

'No, we send her to James. I want to see his reaction,' said Lilith. 'I will assume the form of John Dee to avoid confusion. Do not distract Orion from his task, Gellert.'

'I will handle everything,' said Grindelwald. 'Oh, the device is ready by the way.'

'Excellent. Have Doctor Heart check it for you. Now, please go and make sure the whisperer can not hear us.'

*.*.*JM*.*.*

Lilith was set free. She and the culprit were gone already and he was left with two teenagers who had made a very bad and painful deal.

'I don't blame you. Stop crying,' he snarled at Pansy.

'You don't?' asked Filch.

'Well, it was your cat that did it. Should I blame you?' spat Moriarty.

'Listen, children,' said Moriarty with an exhausted face. 'There are deals that you make that cost you more than what you could comprehend. You made such a deal today, and it will have consequences.'

'Like death,' said Filch menacingly.

'No, Mr. Filch, like being enslaved. That is if we cannot stop Morningstar.'

Moriarty faced Draco. 'I'm afraid I have repeated a mistake again, Draco. I left you in the dark. I am terribly sorry for that laps of judgement. There is no better time than now to know.'

'Is she an Occlumens?' asked Filch.

'Will you stop nagging us, Argus? Go check the wards again!'

Moriarty seemed very angry, furious even.

'We are sorry,' said Pansy.

'No, you are not,' said Moriarty kindly and his soft expression was even more terrifying than his anger. 'Though, you soon will be regretting it.'

As he explained what was going on he could see the terror increase in their faces.

'We did what?' moaned Pansy.

'You made sure Armageddon happens,' said Moriarty. 'Although I'm not sure if you know what that word refers to.'

'NO,' said Draco and Pansy simultaneously.

'Naturally,' said Moriarty.

'Is that why Potter and Granger are away this year?' asked Draco.

'Indeed. The enemy wants them. And they're being pursued by great forces.'

'You said the Dark Lord was also involved,' said Pansy. 'Isn't he the most powerful wizard alive after Dumbledore.'

'Among non-immortals he is the strongest,' said Moriarty. 'But immortal wizards or the undead possessed by the magi are far more powerful. I know it is hard to picture someone more powerful than Voldemort or Dumbledore, but there are many more powerful beings who are invisible to the masses, and will only make their move when a truly powerful leader rises to occasion.'

'You have not told us everything,' said Draco accusingly.

'Of course I haven't,' said Moriarty. 'I don't have time for that. So I'll let you read what I know on paper.'

Moriarty snapped his fingers and a pile of books appeared in front of Pansy and Draco.

'As your punishment you will read these books and write a report each. Read carefully, because you might have to explain it to your friends as well.'

Moriarty suddenly disappeared. Pansy and Draco just blinked.

'Did he just aparate?' asked Pansy.

'I think he did. He is the second person to do that in Hogwarts today.'

'You think –'

'No. He's human Pansy. I don't think Professor Moriarty will ever do things that woman did,' said Draco dismissively.

'But she looked human, too.'

And for a moment there, Draco had to consider her words.

*.*.*.*HP*.*.*.*

'We have less than a few hours,' said Kaminari anxiously. 'There must be a faster way to travel than walking.'

'We could fly,' suggested Harry.

'So can other Magi,' said Anubis. 'We don't want them to see us. The enemy could easily find us once we are seen with naked eye.'

'This forest protects us,' said Yeshua. 'It would be unwise to expose ourselves.'

'It does not matter,' said a voice in their head. 'They know where you are.'

'That's –' began Arachne but three other Magi completed her sentence at the same time.

'Apollo,' said Dionysus.

'Apollon,' said Anubis.

'Abaddon!' said Yeshua.

A short man with fair hair appeared in front of them. He was smiling and his eyes were insanely sharp behind his rectangular glasses. His boots were covered in mud and his green hat was stained by something that could only be blood.

'Sorry for my disheveled appearance. I had to get through Gog and Magog to get here,' said the man with a smile. 'Those savage beasts had orders to stop me. But fear not – for I Apollo am here!'

'Those brutes tried to confront you?' said Dionysus.

'Yes, dear friend. They tried their best,' said Apollo.

'Isn't he your brother?' Arachne asked Yeshua.

'No, my dear lady. That is but a misconception of human fables. I am in fact older than Anubis and his brothers. I am the Destroyer General, Abaddon, Apollyon, Apollon and even Apollo. All works just fine for me. Also, I am not the child of Zeus.'

'What do you want here, Apollo,' asked Kaminari. 'You sent me here because you said it would be too dangerous to get yourself involved.'

'It was,' said Apollo. 'Unfortunately, things did not go the way I had intended. You are here after all. And I can no longer use Delphi to predict the future. So it is quite futile to stay out of it.'

'That is very curious, Abaddon,' said Anubis. 'Has that occurred before?'

'Yes, I can no longer predict the actions of the most important variable of this equation — The Serpent and you guys.'

Apollo sniffed and made an ugly face. 'This place smells rotten like the Earth King. We better hide.' He took something out of his pocket and threw it a few meters away on the ground. The moment it touched the ground it began to grow in size. From the size of a pea to the size of an orange and eventually a small house that was too large to fit between trees and brought them down.

'Poor trees,' said Hermione.

'Ah, what are a couple of trees to worry about?' said Apollo, and it became clear to Hermione why he was given the title of the Destroyer General.

'This will take us to wherever you were going,' said Apollo. 'It is one of my best designs. It uses the minimum amount of magic to move and can fly very fast. Almost faster than any human plane if you have seen one. Unfortunately it cannot escape an Ozion.'

'What is an Ozion,' asked Harry.

'It's a flying monster. Well, not a literal monster. It's a very large flying machine. Can reach 20 ves per second.'

'What's ves?' asked Hermione.

'It's a measurement unit,' replied Apollo. 'I am very disappointed that you didn't know that.'

'Let's not waste time,' said Anubis. 'We can discuss science later. Shall we get on board.'

Despite his apparent distaste for Apollo, Anubis seemed to like his inventions. Once they were in the flying machine he began to ask how the device was functioning and Apollo was more than happy to respond.

'Wow, it's fast,' said Harry as he realised the world around them was blurred out.

'It is fast indeed,' said Apollo happily. 'We will be in Leshinesh in less than ten minutes.'

'Why is this place feeling so different?' asked Arachne. Unlike others she had opted to stand rather than sit on a cushion that had appeared next to her.

'This is so well balanced,' she continued.

'I have used a very advanced gyroscope, and a customised runic system that helps it balance the inner and the outer layers in a way that it cancels any excess garivital forces.'

Those words made Hermione feel stupid for the first time in her life. Harry, at the same time, was wondering what a gyroscope was.

'Hey Hermione,' he quietly whispered to his girlfriend. 'Eh – what is a gyroscope?'

'Harry!' exclaimed Hermione.

'Didn't you grow up with muggles?' asked Apollo irritatedly. 'They reinvented gyroscopes in the early –' he paused to convert dates mentally and continued, '–1800s. Yes. That's it. Mortals had little understanding what significance such a device had. That is still true today. One day they will have computers that rely on gyroscopes to work properly.'

'Didn't we have those?' asked Anubis. 'I recall having a Kezhi to contact The Mad Scientist. He was so excited about it.'

'Yes. Humans will call it a smartphone in future. If that future comes, of course.'

Apollo grimaced bitterly and stood up.

'We are almost there,' he said to himself. Anubis and Kaminari watched him silently and waited for him to further elaborate on his prediction of doom.

'As you probably know already, Yahweh and Lilith are older than we thought – relax this airship is equipped with anti-espionage barriers. No one can hear us. Anyway … the technology and magic we use today is the result of what those Magi worked on for at least a few billion years. I do not believe what we know is equal to what they know. According to archives Lilith stole or bargained a huge amount of knowledge from Kronos. That is nothing but bullcrap, because I know for fact that Lilith was the one who gave Kronos a mind of his own and a material body.'

'How did you find out?' exclaimed Kaminari. 'No one but me remembers that!'

'I know that because I met him, stole his watch and used it to see the future more accurately. In one of the timelines which never came to pass you gave that information to me. I then tried to look into the past, but neither Delphi or the watch were designed to do that. So I know very little about Lilith and Yahweh or Yehova. I, however, became suspicious that Lilith is utilizing a similar technology to outsmart Delphi.'

The walls of the flying machine warped and the view outside became less blurred.

'Ah, we have almost arrived,' said Apollo. 'I must warn you before you leave this airship. Lilith has sent Nyx, or as I knew her – Night. Sorry I said that in English. Eligh is the word for it in the first non-magi language. You know her as Baba Yaga. And I warn you all. Do not repeat those names outside here. There could be severe consequences, if you even manage to say or remember them.'

'Holy shit!' said Dionysus and Arachne.

'I don't want to scare you but Lamentation is not a young magus, either. Unfortunately, I do not know much about him. He must be one of your pals, Kaminari.'

'You do not plan to accompany us?' asked Arachne. 'You used to fight more directly, Apollo.'

Apollo chuckled and looked away. 'Most of the times I didn't fight, couldn't get involved personally because becoming an essential element to the chain of events could disturb my visions. This time I can help you though. Delphi is useless these days, and you need powerful allies. I will help you find Kronos and those who wish to fight Lilith after you get out of Avalon.'

'Uhm – Apollo, I have been thinking about something. what was in that bottle I gave to Moriarty?' said Dionysus.

Apollo looked at him with an expressionless stare. Then he looked at Harry and Hermione.

'You will see what I saw. I still can see it very clearly. I don't want to discourage you."

"But what is it that you see?" said Yeshua.

"I see you all burning in a blue flame," said Apollo to Hermione's horror. "But it's not important really. Because we have arrived."

A/N: and that was chapter 58!

1.

What Apollo does to see the future could barely be called magic. It's mostly science.

2.

Professor James Moriarty has made a fatal mistake by not looking into Apollo's prophecy.

3.

Horace Slughorn is Lilith's communication person between the world. Mr. Slughorn tends to go around and invite Magi to her cause.

4.

Certain important Magi will be pooping into the story in chapter 60. Plus more mix of tech and magic.

5.

I can't believe I've been working on this fanfiction since 2019. What a journey it has been. Love you all.

6.

Interested in a Dramione fanfiction? Should I work on one? Let me know.