They ran up the steps of the mountain with Zoë in the lead, particularly anxious to reach the top.

"Are just gonna run in there without a plan?" Percy questioned.

"That's what we usually do, right?" Annabeth quipped, "Run in there like headless chickens and fight until everything's alright."

"Guys, we're being inconsiderate to Harry," Thalia brought him up, "Your friend, do you have any idea where she might be?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't have a clue."

"Hopefully she's not very far." Bianca tried to stay optimistic.

"Hopeful~" Harry was cut off by a bright green light shooting into the sky and exploding into the dark mark.

An all-too familiar cackle rang in his ears, "Well if it isn't The Boy Who Lived?!"

"Bellatrix!" Harry shouted as the insane witch dropped into view, "Where is Hermione?"

She was dressed ridiculously casually, black jeans, a grey hoodie and black boots. If he hadn't had those dreams earlier, he wouldn't know he was fighting the same person.

"I won't tell you a thing!" She aimed her wand at him, a spell emitting from its tip.

Harry reached for his wand but his reaction time was too late. The spell was inches away from him before Thalia held her shield out to protect him.

"Come on now," Thalia lowered her shield as she regarded Bellatrix, "You're not even going to introduce yourself?"

Bellatrix clicked her tongue as she ran her eyes over the group, "Son of Poseidon, Daughter of Zeus...no, this won't be fun at all." Without another word, she turned and ran.

"HEY!" Harry yelled after her, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"Harry, go!" Annabeth pushed him forward.

"But~"

"Lady Artemis!" Zoë interrupted him, running over to the kneeling goddess.

"Stay back!" Artemis tried to warn her, buckling under a heavy weight, "It's a trap!"

Zoë heeded the message too late, as Luke seemed to step out from nowhere, attacking Zoë with his infamous sword, Backbiter. She took a cut to the face before pulling out her knife to defend herself. He countered her stab and sent her backwards a couple feet.

"Is that all the famed huntresses can do?" Luke mocked her, "In the end, you're all just kiss-ups to the gods."

"See?" Harry pointed, "How can I just leave?"

As if on cue, Atlas fell from the sky, cracking his knuckles, "Well, if it isn't my useless daughter? Here to betray me again I see?"

"So it would seem." Zoë said coldly, on her guard.

"Zoë!" Thalia yelled as she slid into place in front of her, taking on Luke's sword with her spear, "Luke! What are you doing?!"

"Thalia, join me. We can change the world. Make a world where the gods don't rule everything!" Luke said while parrying her thrusts.

"After you tried to poison me?!" Thalia knocked him in the head with her fist, "You've lost it!"

Annabeth grabbed Harry's head, forcing him to look away from the scene, "Hermione sounds like a smart girl and someone I would love to meet. So go get her."

"I know she's in trouble. But wouldn't it be better to~"

Annabeth shut him up with a kiss to the forehead, "Don't die Wizard."

Harry nodded. There were a thousand thoughts running through his mind, but he pushed them all to the back of his head and focused on one task: Finding Hermione. As he ran past them, Percy flashed him a thumbs up.

'What am I worrying for?' Harry asked himself, 'They've got this under control. Now where did Bellatrix go?'

"Take a left," His other half directed him, "I can sense her magical presence."

Harry turned and walked straight into a ruined room, "Bellatrix. Come out."

"Avada Kedavra!" She yelled from the shadows.

Harry narrowly dodged the killing curse and anger flared through his veins, "Lumos Solem!"

"My eyes!" She shrieked as she covered them, "You filthy half-blood!"

Her position revealed, Harry relied on his most used charm, "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand flew from her hand and rolled over to Harry. He took deep breaths as he walked towards her.

Wandless, Bellatrix stared him in the eyes, "What are you going to do?"

"Where. Is. Hermione." He asked through his teeth.

Never breaking eye contact, Bellatrix spoke, "Hermione, you have a visitor."

There was no response.

Harry pressed his wand to Bellatrix's neck, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No!" Bellatrix shook her head, her dark hair falling to her shoulders and partially concealing her right eye, "Come here, you stupid mudblood!"

"Don't call her that in front of me," Harry felt the wand dig into Bellatrix's skin, "You hear me?"

"I hear you," Bellatrix licked her lower lip, "Come on now Potter. You're not going to kill me, are you?"

"Try me." Harry threatened her, his green eyes a stormy green.

Light footsteps turned his attention away from her and that's when Hermione flung her arms around him, hugging him deeply.

"Hermione? Thank Olympus I~" He cut himself short when he saw her face, "Gods, what did they do to you?"

She was wearing a pink hoodie inside a denim jacket, though both looked like they had been used for centuries. Her skin was visibly paler, there were cuts all over her face, but the most notable change was in her eyes.

Her brown eyes no longer glowed with intelligence and wit. They had been reduced to a dull, mind sucking shade of brown. As if Harry was looking at a ghost in Hermione's body.

"I didn't know if I'd ever be freed," Hermione's voice cracked as her eyes began to fill with tears, "The General and a guy named Luke, they made me recite things that didn't make any sense."

"I hate to spoil the reunion, but since you have each other, could you let me go?" Bellatrix cut in.

Harry turned to her, "I had dreams. You tortured her, didn't you?"

"Well, she was a prisoner!" Bellatrix declared, as if it was a reasonable response, "I had to get information from her!"

"No more curses please," Hermione murmured to herself, covering her ears, "I don't know anything. Please no more curses."

"Hermione, what curses did she use on you?" Harry asked her, while simultaneously backing her up.

"J-Just one," It pained him to see the most intelligent person he knew, stutter, like an illiterate, "The Cruciatus Curse."

"Come now Potter," Bellatrix inched along the wall, "Surely you can't be thinking of using the curse on me, can you?"

He faltered, lowering his wand, 'Can I do this? I told myself I wouldn't stoop to their level. I'm supposed to be the good one.'

It was during his deliberation that Bellatrix tried to escape, running out of the room and down the hall. Reason and morals were the last thing in Harry's mind as he threw his backpack down and chased after her.

Surprisingly, the Hall was in decent condition, with lighting and glossy floors. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a stone levitate and fit itself into place. It was as if the ruins were re-building themselves.

"Don't run!" Harry warned her, "Stop!"

Bellatrix instead ran faster, laughing maniacally.

Anger blew through his veins again and he pointed his wand at her, "Crucio!"

Bellatrix stumbled and fell face first, enabling Harry to catch up to her. She was only able to get on her hands and knees before he arrived.

"I didn't think you had it in you," She smiled in a devilish manner, "Perhaps you're not as innocent as everyone perceives you to be."

"You have to call it out from deep inside you," His other half advised him, "All the pain she gave Hermione, give it back to her times ten!"

That was all he needed to hear. Harry pointed his wand at Bellatrix with a more-controlled mindset, "Crucio."

"Argh!" Bellatrix wailed in pain as she folded up.

"That's for Hermione's mind. And this!" Harry waved his wand, "Diffindo! This is for the cuts I can see!"

Lacerations appeared along her neck, cheeks, arms and wrists.

"Deprimo," Harry said quietly under his breath, applying a heavy amount of pressure on Bellatrix, "Tell me, Aunty, how does it feel?Being suffocated like that."

She made a croaking sound with her throat, the pressure not allowing her to speak.

"I'm sure this can break a few bones. Maybe even lead to death," Harry said coldly, "Not that you'd be missed. Do you have anything to say for yourself? Words of forgiveness."

Again, Bellatrix couldn't speak.

Harry watched as her skin turned blue and her eyes slowly began to roll into the back of her head.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, "What are you doing!?"

Hermione's voice brought him back to reality and he quickly undid all the spells he had cast on her. Bellatrix coughed up a puddle of spit, breathing heavily.

"You almost killed her," Hermione touched his arm, "For a second, it felt like you were another person."

"Maybe I am."

"What?" Hermione looked him in the eyes.

Harry touched the right side of his face, "Sorry, I don't know where that came from."

"It's alright," Hermione rubbed his back, "You're probably tired. Sleep deprivation leads to incoherent thinking."

"You're starting to sound like yourself." Harry laughed.

"Am I?" Hermione giggled, "Oh, by the way, you dropped this satchel back there. I couldn't help but go through it and find this." She held out a golden apple.

Harry frowned and reached for it, "That's the apple that goddess gave to me. I should dispose of it while I have the chance."

As soon as his hands came into contact with the apple, a dark shock wave sent him plummeting back, smack into a wall. Groaning, he peeled himself off of it and fell to the ground.

"Ah! Gods, I'm going to need ambrosia!" He said aloud as he got up, patting his injured back.

"I must thank you," Hermione smiled at him, "Had she removed her hands from the apple before you touched it, this would never have occurred."

"Hermione?" Harry shielded his eyes from the bright purple light surrounding her, "What is..?"

"The girl named Hermione is no more. I am Eris, Goddess Of Chaos and you, Harry Potter, have just given me the perfect Host."

"Host?" Harry thought back to his conversation with his other half, "But I thought I was one of the rare cases?"

"Indeed, I feared no one else would be capable of holding my body. But something told me that this girl might be able to hold me. That Bellatrix woman was simply to insane to keep under control," Eris stretched in Hermione's body, "This girl, however, is perfect. Her willpower is at an all time low."

"Damn you!" Harry tightened his fist, "Get out of her body right this instant!"

Eris laughed, "I'm afraid it'll take more than a request to get me out of this Host."

She snapped her fingers and Hermione's rags turned into a black Greek robe with gold sandals. Around her head appeared a gold diadem and in her right hand appeared a gold staff, her apple as its head.

'Other me, is there any way to get Eris out of Hermione's body?' Harry asked frantically.

"There is one way, but it won't be in your favor," The other half told him, "You'd have to beat her into submission. Only when she is significantly weakened can you rip her out of Hermione's body."

'I have to hurt her?' Harry couldn't do it, 'No, no. There has to be another way.'

"Well, they say gods can telepathically communicate with each other," His other half inquired, "Maybe, you can try and open a link and a wake her up."

Harry dodged a blast from Eris, 'In the mean time, Eris has to be occupied. Can you do that while I open a link?'

"What do you take me for? Of course I can! After all, I am your helper." His other half laughed.

'Thanks...wait, you don't have a name. How about...Ezra? It means helper, if I'm not mistaken.' Harry suggested.

"Ezra...it'll have to do. Now open up that link and save your friend!" Ezra commanded him.

Harry had no clue how to open up a link, but he didn't want to disturb Ezra who was currently engaged in battle with Eris.

'Think Harry, it can't be that hard,' Harry chided himself, 'I just have to think of her.'

He focused hard, imagining the word Hermione in his mind. Then her face came into view. He imagined her smiling, correcting Ron on his pronunciation of certain spells, carrying books thicker than Hagrid's beard...

His scar burned and he knew he had made a connection.

'Hermione?' Harry said her name in his mind, 'Answer me if you're awake.'

There was a low groan and a creaking before Hermione replied, 'Yes?'

'Thank the Gods,' Harry praised them, 'You need to wake up.'

'But I don't want to.'

A scene began to form in the connected link. She was in a dark bed, wrapped in black covers and a faint mist surrounding her. Harry was a few feet away from her, but when he moved to come closer, he was blocked by an invisible wall.

'You have to!' He tried to make her understand, 'You're not really asleep. Your body is being taken over by some goddess and the longer you sleep, the lower your chances of getting your body back.'

'Have you been reading myths?' Hermione scoffed as she turned in bed, 'That kind of nonsense doesn't happen.'

Harry banged against the wall but it stood firm than ever, 'Come on Hermione! Where do you think you are?'

'That's an easy question,' She answered, 'In the Gryffindor dorms of course.'

'You're not! We were both transported to this world of mythical beasts and gods! Wake up!' Harry kicked the invisible wall, more determined than ever.

She was running out of time. The foot of her bed was slowly starting to dissolve into dust and would soon consumer Hermione fully, signifying the death of her spirit.

Harry banged his fists against the wall, 'WAKE! UP!'

But Hermione wouldn't listen, falling into an even deeper sleep. Harry tightened his fists.

'I can't watch this. I can't stand by and let someone die in front of me. Not when I have the power to do something!' He knocked his fists together and out of them came his two weapons, the shotgun and the pistol.

When he held them together, they stuck like glue and a red light ran over it, turning them into two red katars. Harry used them to slice a doorway in the wall and ran over to Hermione.

'Come on, get up!' He shook her.

She was unresponsive which made him fear the worst. Her legs had already dissolved and the dust was up to her waist.

'What's something that is so shocking she'll have to wake up?' Harry looked around wildly.

For some reason, his mind thought of old fairytales and how the prince usually saved the princess.

'It's all or nothing.' Harry told himself and summoned enough courage to kiss Hermione.

"Damn, you're a tough one," Ezra wiped his lip as he took a fighting stance, "If we weren't enemies and you weren't in that body, I'd consider making you my wife."

"You flatter me," Eris laughed, "But are you sure? I am the goddess of chaos. Our marriage wouldn't be the slightest bit sane."

"Are you kidding? I'm the Titan of Destruction. If anything, we would just cancel each other out," Ezra looked around, "This place has stopped rebuilding itself. Did your comrades lose?"

"That foolish Titan Atlas wasn't my comrade. If anything, they bought me time. My son will be here soon and when he arrives~" Eris stood up straight, twitching.

"When he arrives?" Ezra raised an eyebrow, "What's the matter with you?"

Eris hunched over, "It can't be. Why is she waking up?"

"Harry's done it!" Ezra celebrated, "It seems I won by default."

"Shut up!" Eris raised her head just enough to look him in the eye, "You may have beat me, but when my son arrives, you'll~"

"I'd like you out of my body now." Hermione took back control.

"No, no, no!" Eris wailed, "This was meant to be! Your body is my best match!"

"Thank you for the compliment. Now get. Out!" Hermione yelled.

Ezra put his hand on their head and murmured under his breath in Greek, "Begone, begone, begone. Begone, begone, begone. Spirit of Chaos, bringer of strife. Begone, begone, begone..."

Harry slowly took control over his body and when he finally came to, a dazed Hermione was on her hands and knees in front of him.

"Are you...are you really Hermione?" Harry questioned, his hands on her shoulders.

"It's LeviOsa, not LevioSA." She smiled as she stood up.

Harry pulled her into a bear hug, "It really is you."

She squeezed him back, "After all this time. You've suffered."

"Not as much as you," Harry's knees went weak, leaving it up to Hermione to support him, "My knees feel like jelly. Is that alright?"

Hermione patted his hair, "It's perfectly fine Harry. It's perfectly fine."

She led him over to a set of ruined steps and sat him down, before plopping right next to him and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Harry, I should warn you that Eris mentioned something about her son coming. I'm not sure who he is, but you should definitely be on your guard." Ezra informed him.

Harry sighed, "We can't get a break."

"What's wrong?" Hermione tilted her head to look up at him.

"Eris's son is on the way. I'm pretty sure it's...You-Know-Who." Harry told her, clutching his hands together.

"Please no," Hermione shook her head, "Please let it be someone else."

"Don't worry." Harry touched her cheek, "I will protect you."

She blushed and Harry looked away, equally embarrassed, "About that kiss..."

"It was just a means of waking me up," Hermione interrupted him, "I know."

"Yes," Harry nodded, "A means of waking you up."

They sat silent for a moment.

"But you know," Hermione continued, "It was my first one."

"Was it really?" Harry covered his mouth, "Sorry, that was inconsiderate of me. I should've yanked you up or~"

Hermione put a finger to his lips, "No more words. Let's just redo it."

"If you say so..." Harry leaned forward, dipping his head down.

Their lips came together in a soft, loving motion and before Harry knew it, his right arm was around her waist, preventing her from getting away. They seemed to be stuck like that for hours, before Harry pulled away.

"I thought we were just going for a redo." Hermione said, her voice barely audible as she hid her face.

"I had to make sure we did it right." Harry responded, looking up at the sky.

Thankfully, they didn't have to endure silence for much longer.

"Harry!" Percy's distinct voice called out to him, "Did you find her?"

"I did!" Harry informed him, standing up, "She's okay."

"Where's that crazy lady?" Percy asked as he came into closer contact with them.

Harry pointed at Bellatrix's unconscious body, "She's over there."

Thalia and Annabeth picked her up, Annabeth making sure to bind her hands and legs.

"How did things go on your end?" Harry asked.

"Atlas is back to holding the sky. And Luke..." Percy's face darkened, "He fell into a chasm. But don't talk about that in front of Thalia. She's the one who kicked him off."

"Understood," Harry nodded, "By the way, Percy meet Hermione."

"Hello." Hermione waved, sticking close to Harry's side.

"Nice to meet you, Harry's been going on and on about your intelligence," Percy exposed Harry, "Someone you'll really get along with is..."

Percy brought Annabeth over to them, "Her!"

"Hi, you're Hermione?" Annabeth asked, wanting to be sure.

"That's me." Hermione nodded.

"Okay, cool! I've heard so much about you from Harry. He would not stop complimenting you." Annabeth added gasoline to the fire.

Percy's eyes dropped down to Harry and Hermione's intertwined hands. He whispered in Harry's ear, "She's not your girlfriend, right?"

Annabeth also noticed their locked hands and pursed her lips. Something was brooding behind those stormy grey eyes of hers, but they would talk once they left.

Harry lightly pushed Percy back, not wanting to be teased right this second. That's when the three Huntresses walked in.

Bianca was supporting Zoë, who was clutching her right side painfully and Artemis rubbed her back,murmuring things to her.

"What happened?" Harry asked, concerned for Zoë.

"We can talk about it in Olympus," Artemis stopped anyone from informing Harry, "So let's all go and put this all behind us."

Harry felt Hermione's hold on him tighten and looked down at her. Her eyes were calmed her down, "She's not an enemy. She's the goddess of the Hunt and the moon."

"Artemis?" Hermione guessed.

"You've got it," Harry nodded, "Looks like you haven't lost any of your profound knowledge."

"Is everyone ready?" Artemis looked around.

Their faces were the least bit happy, reflecting the trials they had gone through.

"Even though you've been through Hell these past few days, it will only make you stronger," Artemis told them, "To see none of you smiling tells me one thing, you've grown. Now let's be off."