"So wait…" Percy trailed off. "I think I get it, but just in case… could you explain it to me again?"

Astrid smacked her forehead with her palm. "Urgh!"

I rolled my eyes. "The guy who wants to kill me was taken by the Titans. Most likely so he could get a power upgrade or learn about how to kill us."

He nodded slowly and looked at Astrid. "You could have just told me that."

Astrid's head thudded onto the table in front we were sitting at.

I rolled my eyes at the daughter of Herme's antics and stood up. "We need to get started. We don't know where Riddle is or if and when he'll attack us. Any ideas?"

"The Mountain of Despair?" Percy suggested and winced at the glares we sent him.

"I don't think any of us want to go back there anytime soon," Thalia hissed.

Artemis sighed. "But it's the most likely place Krios took Riddle. Any other ideas?"

A silence reigned over the table. "Wait."

My sisters and brother looked to me.

"Riddle's always been sentimental. His horcruxes were objects that belonged to the founders of Hogwarts. They were all hidden in places that were important to me. Every school year, he would attack on Halloween, the day he was originally defeated, and I would fight him in June, when he used to be at the height of his power," I explained.

"So you think he'll be at a place that's important to the both of you," Thalia cottoned on.

"Where was he defeated the first time, Melody?" Artemis asked me.

I scowled at the table in front of me. "Godric's Hollow…"

…

I scowled at the small statue in the square. My grandparents, Dorea and Charlus Potter, holding Erik Potter like he was the next coming of Merlin. I was nowhere to be found.

"Let's go," I mumbled and trudged through the snow down the street. Astrid sneered at the statue as she passed, and Thalia was nice enough to spit on the metal figure of my brother.

"Which one?" Percy peered at the lights glowing in the windows of the small cottages.

"The only one that's destroyed, of course," I deadpanned.

I led the way down the street to the cottage that was in shambles. As we neared, a sign covered in graffiti became visible. I ignored the writing saying that Erik was the savior and took out a can of bright pink spray paint I had bought at the nearest convenience store.

"Pink?" Thalia wrinkled her nose at me. "Why pink of all colors?"

I smirked wickedly and begins painting the gate. "Why because Erik hates it, of course. Why else?"

"You missed a spot," Astrid pointed out a corner. I smiled in thanks and continued spraying the sign pink.

After decorating the gate, I threw the now empty can of spray paint into the house, targeting the area where the nursery had been.

"There," I said in satisfaction. "I hope he likes it."

"Where could Riddle be?" Astrid asked.

"Is there anywhere else of note here?" Artemis inquired.

I shook my head. "Nothing but an old history author that has a thing against Dumbledore and the graveyard where they buried everyone famous."

Artemis frowned at the town like she was trying to retrieve some forgotten memory. "This place… it seems very familiar."

Thalia shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't know the first thing about wizarding history. Much less normal history…"

"Regardless," Hermione had the decency to interrupt our conversation before we got too off track. "He's not here. Should we try somewhere else?"

Fred shrugged. "Where else is there? The orphanage he grew up in? It's been destroyed and he hated the place. Gringotts? There was a horcrux there, but it's been destroyed already. Hogwarts? There was a horcrux there too, but it's Dumbledore's territory and Riddle wouldn't go there is Dumbledore's there without good reason. He killed his family in their house, so that's out too. There's nowhere else that I can think of."

"He killed his family?!" Percy asked, horrified.

"The point is," I interrupted before we got into a debate about how messed up Tom Riddle was. "He's not here. And even if he was, he'd…" I trailed off and cursed in Ancient Greek.

"Melody!" Artemis reprimed me.

I didn't pay her any attention and drew my bow and shot an arrow at the nearest shadow.

"Melody!" Astrid scolded me. "You don't shoot arrows in random places! Honestly, we've been through this before. How many more times do we have to—"

The daughter of Hermes was cut off by a clatter and a curse from where my arrow had fallen.

Only it hadn't fallen. It was sticking straight up in the middle of the air. A loud ripping sound was heard and an invisibility cloak was torn off. I gaped at one frazzled looking Erik Potter with an arrow sticking out of his arm. He threw the Potter family invisibility cloak to the ground and with fascination, I realized it was mending itself where it had been torn.

Artemis drew her bow and aimed it at him, the rest of my sisters following her example. "Who are you," she asked coldly. "And why do you have Thanatos's cloak?"

"It's my idiot twin," I told her. "Ignore him, he's of no consequence."

Artemis reluctantly lowered her bow. Astrid darted forward and took the cloak from the ground and handed it to me. I brushed it off and put it in my bag.

"Um, Melody?" Thalia asked me. "Does he normally do this?" she gestured to Erik's blank face and his relaxed posture that sent off all kinds off alarm bells in my head. Especially because he made no move to take out the arrow in his arm.

His face cleared for a moment and he looked alarmed. "Melody, ru—" he was cut off as his face went blank again.

Thalia cursed under her breath and she slapped her bracelet, summoning her shield.

The nearly silent street erupted into chaos. Monsters and Death Eaters alike poured out of alleyways and jumped off of rooftops.

"See what I have become, Melody?"

I turned to see Riddle, his eyes bright crimson and his teeth sharpened to points. He barred his teeth in an imitation of a grin. "I have become powerful. Unlike you and your little girl gang."

Astrid winced. "Dude, you just signed your own death warrant."

Artemis snarled. "You wish to see true power, boy? Very well, I concede."

As one, we let out arrows fly, instantly disintegrating monsters and killing Death Eaters.

Riddle smiled coldly at us before waving his wand. The air ripple in several places before the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix appeared. All of them looked like Erik. sure signs they were imperisd.

"Will you fight, little girls?" Riddle asked, his eyes glittering in amusement. "Or will you kill your comrades, your friends," he spat out the word like it was a disease.

Thalia snorted. "They've never been our friends. Just annoying little—"

"I'mma stop you right there," Astrid covered Thalia's mouth with her hand to prevent her from saying something inappropriate. "We're in polite—actually, never mind, we're not in polite company."

"Release them," Artemis ordered Riddle. "We have no quarrel with them. You, however, and your monsters, are a different story."

A sick smile twisted over his pale face. "A little girl playing goddess has no hold over me. Yes, Krios told me that you believe yourself to be the goddess Artemis when you are just a powerful witch. You will die. Where will your so called immortality be then?"

I nudged Thalia with my shoulder. "You think he knows he's about to regret that?" I stage whispered to her. She snorted. "Not a chance."

Artemis let an arrow fly and we followed her example.

Within seconds, the monsters were gone and most of the Death Eaters lay on the ground dying or dead.

Riddle applauded us slowly. "Well done," he drawled. "You killed a bunch of creatures that will reform within seconds."

"Not the Death Eaters," Astrid noticed and yelped as Thalia and I both smacked her.

"Great going," I hissed. "Murphy's Law and all that. And the Fates, karma, and irony, of course."

Sure enough, the Death Eaters were sitting up and pulling arrows out of where we shot them. The tears in the clothing mended and the blood was soaked back into their bodies as their wounds healed.

Thalia let loose some not so very nice words that shall be omitted due to the nice people reading this narrative.

More monsters leapt out of the shadows and began circling our small group. The Death Eaters stalked forward. We were out numbered ten to one.

"Artemis…" Thalia warned out goddess.

"My Lady?" Hermione asked as the tip of her wand lit up, preparing to cast a spell.

"Miss, with all due respect…" Moody started.

The silver-eyed goddess observed the monsters and men alike calmly. With a ave of her hand, the men under the Imperious curse were freed. Erik Potter gasped and doubled over in pain as he removed the arrow still sticking out of his arm.

The Order members looked like they were coming out of a fog. They looked around in fear at the scene around us before Disapparating away to safety. "Cowards," Thalia snarled. "We're the ones who got them out of this mess, they could be nice enough to help us!"

Hermione tightened her grip on her wand before throwing a curse out at the crowd that was against us. An entrail-expelling one if the color of the jet of light was anything to go off of.

With a shout, Thalia threw her spear into the crowd of monsters and Death Eaters and charged after it.

Astrid drew her katanas and leapt after what looked like some kind of large snake.

The rest of my sisters leapt into battle. I went after Riddle, my twin knives flashing. I was done. It was time for the kiddie gloves to come off.

Riddle drew knives of his own, and to my surprise, he began matching me blow for blow. He obviously had gone through something. Most likely a rigorous training program or fighting techniques were downloaded into his brain like he was some kind of computer.

I barred my teeth in an imitation of a smile and pressed against his guard harder. I had more experience. I was better.

I slashed upwards and rolled out of the way as Riddle stabbed down. I landed in a crouch and kicked out with my leg, forcing him to his knees. He jumped back up and I ducked under his slash. I gritted my teeth as he nicked my arm in an attempt to stab my heart.

Suddenly, Astrid was by my side, stabbing at Tom with me. She crossed her katanas in a low X and I springboarded off them in a practiced movement to his other side.

I kicked his back and he stumbled forward into Astrid's foot.

She stabbed downwards but he rolled out of the way.

Then Thalia was there, stabbing in his direction with his spear and trying to hold him back with her shield. The shield wasn't quite working, but then again, the ugliest thing he ever saw started back at him in the mirror every morning.

I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling for the magic currents in the air.

With a careful precision that came from months of practice, I pulled with my magic, making him off balance or messing up his stance at the last second.

I leapt back into the fight and slashed upwards as he stumbled. He turned and tripped as he tried to block Astrid's katanas. Slowly but surely, he was loosing.

Hermione appeared to my left and threw a spell. Riddle ducked and threw a knife back at her. I lunged in her direction and grabbed the hilt, stopping it inches from her face.

Hermione took the knife from me and held it uncertainly. I rolled my eyes. She was smart enough to keep the weapon, but she didn't know how to use it. Once this was over, I'd teach her how.

Percy ran over from where he had decapitated a dracne and swung his sword at Riddle. With a sickening twack, his arm was gone.

Riddle cried out in pain and Hermione set a Cutting Curse at his ankles, cutting his Achilles Tendon and making him fall to the ground.

Percy waved his hand and a huge wall of water broke out of a small fountain that had been frozen over and rushed towards us. It knocked Riddle over and he tried to get up, sputtering. Thalia and Astrid stood on either side of him and forced him onto hin knees.

I crossed my knives in an X and pressed them up against his throat as his wand, portkeys, and weapons were taken away. "Congratulations," I told him with a smile. "You lead us on a merry little chase. But you made a mistake. You were the prey, not the predator. And the Hunters always get our kill. Say hi to Charon for me."

Thalia tossed me a gold drachma and I forced it into his mouth before cutting off his head.

The head of Tom Riddle rolled onto the ground.

Astrid picked it up and set it on a silver platter I had conjured.

A few minutes later and the fighting stopped around us. Artemis cast an eye around the battlefield. She nodded to us and went around to my sisters to make sure none of them were dead or had a fatal wound.

"YOU!"

We turned to where the screech had come from and faced Molly Weasley.

"You!" she pointed to us. "You killed so many people! They could have been reformed. Why didn't you wait for the Order?!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Mrs. Weasley, the Order was here. They ran away like the cowards they are. And for being reformed… are you really an idiot?!"

"My dear girl," Dumbledore began after he appeared next to Molly. I snarled and waved my hand, making his mouth vanish. "There. I stumbled on that by accident a few years ago trying to shut up a male. It works quite well, don't you think?"

Artemis looked at Dumbledore's wand and summoned it. She held it up to her eyes and inspected it. "Thanatos's wand," she muttered. "It would seem that his little toys are popping up even more as of late."

She looked at the assembled Order dispassionately. "You are all idiots," she announced. "If you stand in our way, you will die."

"Wait."

We looked at Ron Weasley who had arrived with his mother. He leered at Artemis. "You're supposed to be a goddess?! As if!"

She surveyed him and frowned. "Leave now while you still have the chance, Ronald Weasley. Your mother attempted to set Melody Pearl up with you in a marriage contractー"

My eyebrows raised. I hadn't known about that. Then again, Artemis was the goddess of maidens, she would be able to sense something like that.

"ーand then attempted to force another young girl to love you and eventually be your wife once Melody was out of the picture. You are treading on very thin ice, boy."

He laughed. "And what's a little girl going to do?"

Artemis waved her hand and there was a new jackalope sitting on the snow. Katie rushed forward and picked up the creature before dropping it into a cage while Molly screamed.

The Weasley matriarch drew her wand. "You'll pay for that!"

I blinked. "Was that a threat?"

"No," she snarled. "A promise."

Another jackalope joined the first one.

Artemis nodded to Dumbledore. "You're lucky you aren't getting the same. Goodbye, Dumb-as-a-door."

The auburn haired goddess waved her hand and we were transported away.

Hermione looked around in confusion when we landed. "But… Apparation isn't that smooth…"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You were just transported by a goddess. Of course it's a lot smoother."

I rolled my eyes and took the silver platter from Astrid. I inspected Riddle's expression which was frozen in shock. I nodded in satisfaction.

I winked at Percy. "Thanks, bro. No matter how hard Astrid may deny it, we appreciate your help."

Astrid yelped in protest and Percy snickered.

Thalia rolled her eye. "But seriously, thanks, cuz. We'll see you around."

I handed him a polished pebble and he touched it, disappearing with the portkey.

I looked at the telephone box in front of us and grimanced. "I had hoped to never come back here."

Artemis nodded to us and disappeared with the rest of the Hunters, leaving Moody, the twins, Hermione, Thalia, and Astrid with me.

We managed to fit inside the phonebooth even though it was a tight fit. I punched in the number and told the magical voice that we were here to be mean to Fudge.

Surprisingly, the box let us down and we exited into the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

Large floor to ceiling sized banners announced the Minister's birthday. I exchanged looks with Astrid who smiled mischievously. I shivered slightly. Bad things happened to people who were on the receiving end of that look.

Holding the platter that held Riddle's severed head, my sisters marched behind me as I led the way to where I remembered Fudge's office to be.

The Ministry workers we passed by stopped and stared. Some ran away when they saw what I carried.

"Idiots," Astrid mumbled. "He's dead. He can't hurt you."

We reached the correct room and Thalia kicked the door when I stood to the side.

Inside, the bumbling fool of a Minister gasped and doubled over as he clutched his chest like he was having a heart attack. I smiled slightly. Good. I hope he did and died.

"Minister," I bowed mockingly. "How do you do?"

I then noticed who was next to him and glared at the pink frumpled visage. I had enough of her toady face to last me a life time at the Ministry galas that Erik and the rest of the Potter family had to attend.

I barred my teeth in a threatening manner and barely nodded to her. "Madam Umb*tch."

Her face purpled in rage and she gnashed her teeth together in barely suppressed anger.

Thalia drew a knife and used it to start cleaning out the dirt out from under her fingernails.

I presented the silver platter to Fudge and smiled with mock kindness. "Here. I hope you like it. It was so hard finding the right gift."

Astrid snorted and began whistling an offkey version of the Happy Birthday song.

"Alastor Moody!" Umb*tch shrieked. "I demand you arrest this group at once!"

Moody barked out a laugh. "I haven't been in the Auor corps for nearly twelve years ever since you fired me. You have no authority over me."

Besides," I drawled with a raised eyebrow. "Would you really arrest the people who killed Tom Riddle?"

"Tom Riddle?"

I rolled my eyes and drew gold letters in the air with my finger. I flicked my wrist and 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' became 'I am Lord Voldemort'.

"Yes," I drawled similarly to a Malfoy. "Tom Riddle. A muggleborn pretending to be a pureblood. His mother was a squib and his father was a muggle. He had some daddy problems and decided to ash out on the world. Isn't that nice?"

Fudge sputtered, searching for the right words. "Miss. Potter, whatㅡ"

"Pearl," I snarled. "It's Pearl. How many times do I have to tell people that? It's like you're trying to be stupid on purpose!"

"Um, Melody?" Hermione asked timidly. "You might want to stop."

I looked up in surprise to see the Minister and his Undersecretary floating in the air, grasping at their knecks as the choaked. I blinked. "Opps." I flicked my fingers and they collapsed on the ground, trying to regain air int their lungs.

I shrugged and turned, beaming to the group that was standing behind me. "Well then," I said brightly. "Moody, Fred, George, pleasure working with you. Hermione, can we talk for a sec?"

She nodded and I dragged her into a corner of the office. Raising my arms, I clapped them over my head and a pale silver bubble raised over us. "There," I nodded in satisfaction. "Sound proof. They won't be able to read our lips either."

She slumped in relief. "Thank you. I need this for a moment."

I conjured a couple of chairs and we sat down. I leaned forward, resting my hands on my knees. "Did you think about Lady Artemis's offer?"

Hermione worried her bottom lip between her teeth and looked at her hands. "I… I have, yes…"

"But…?" I urged her gently.

"But I'm still not sure," she said quietly. "I could potentially get a job in the American Ministry, they're more accepting of muggleborns. But the Hunt… you guys would accept me no matter what."

I nodded slowly. "That's true… Hermione, I'm not pressing you to do anything, but you're going to have to make a decision very soon."

She closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them, I could see the fire I recognized from when she was new to the Wizarding World and wanting to learn everything. It reminded me of when the hippogriff from third year was being executed unjustly and she did everything she could to make sure it would live.

"I want to live my life to the fullest," she told me resolutely. "Even if that means I have to be deaged and live forever… well, as close as you can get."

I nodded slowly, trying to understand where she was coming from. I had always been talented with helping Lady Artemis recruit new girls. She said I had a gift for it.

"Okay," I said slowly. "I get it. You've been betrayed, orphaned, and cheated. You want to do something about that. Just remember it's you choice. If the Fates decide that you need to be a Hunter, then you'll be a Hunter. If not, we'll go our separate ways and there won't be any hard feelings. It's up to you. This is a big choice and I want you to think about it because once you choose, you can't go back."

She breathed heavily and nodded in understanding. We stood up and I vanished the chairs and removed the privacy bubble. I stretched and yawned.

I looked around and blinked in surprise at the Auors surrounding us. One of them had confiscated Thalia's knife which she was displeased by if her heavy scowl was anything to go by.

Astrid fidgeted and a female Auor grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. I smirked slightly. ADHD in a child of Hermes acts up when they're caught.

I met the eyes of each person in the room, making them twitch in discomfort. "So," I said casually. "Are you going to read me the riot act?"

Umb*tch colored in anger. "Now listen here," she snarled in fury. "You are under arrest for killing the last surviving members of many prominent pureblood families and breaking into the Ministry of Magic,―"

"Hold up!" Astrid protested. "We didn't break into the Ministry of Stupid!"

"―stealing the gate of Malfoy Manor,―"

"Okay, that was me," Astrid admitted. "But it was a beautiful gate and we were meant to be!"

"―and killing many members of our proud society! You will be put to death―"

"Rude," Thalia huffed. "After we got rid of your Dark Lord problem too."

"―by the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries, and former Auor Moody, the Weasley twins, and the mudblood Hermione Granger―"

She ignored the cries of outrage from everyone in the room except for select few Auors and the Minister.

"―shall be put in the wizarding prison Azkaban for twenty years for crimes against the Minister and Wizarding England!"

I blinked and looked at Hermione. "Wow. that was quite a bit more than I was expecting. Well, time to go."

I dropped a smoke bomb and my sisters, Hermione, Moody, and the Twins managed to escape from the Auors' grasp. Touched our emergency portkeys and appeared at the beach in Miami, Florida.

Astrid yawned. "That was boring. Next time, we're gonna pretend to be little old ladies who own too many cats."

...

Ah, Astrid. You are one of my favorites, that's for sure!

What do you think? Good, okay, terrible? Let me know! Stars Shine Bright will, unfortunately, be concluding soon. I've enjoyed our time here!

If you're going to write a review criticising Melody and my story, please make it constructive. To the reviewer who said Melody and the Hunters are stupid, ouch. You didn't really elaborate on that, so I don't know what to fix.

This is your last chance to tell me if Hermione should join the Hunt! Hurry up and tell me why/why not!

To everyone else who favorited, followed, or reviewed, thank you so much! You guys make my day!

~mirasecret