Chapter 2: The Letter
Warning: This fic will contain triggering content such as P.T.S.D., child assassins, torture, child abuse, and other potentially triggering topics. Please, if you are sensitive to triggering materials, DO NOT READ.
Mount Olympus Throne Room
Dec 21st, 1981
High above the Empire State Building in New York City, hidden from the mortal world, there was what looked like a summit on the mountain. On the summit was a city that looked like it was made from various precious metals, and the architecture looked like it belonged in Ancient Greece. There were various buildings outside, but they all surrounded a single building in the centre of the floating mountain.
Inside the central building was a throne room with twelve permanent thrones and one temporary throne. They were arranged in a U shape, and each throne was occupied by a person who stood fifteen feet tall. This was the Olympian Council's winter solstice meeting, the most crucial meeting of the year, for it was the last meeting of the year.
Each throne was labelled with a number and had a person sitting on it. On throne number one sat Zeus, the King of the Gods, God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice. Zeus was tall, imposing, and muscular, with shoulder-length black hair and a grey-and-black neatly trimmed beard. He had brilliant, electric blue eyes and a serious, proud, but very handsome face. Zeus was wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit. The air around Zeus smelled like ozone, rain, and clean wind.
On throne number two sat Hera, the Queen of the Gods, Goddess of marriage, women, marital harmony, and the protector of women during childbirth. She was a gorgeous woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and brown eyes. She wore a dress that shimmered with colours like peacock feathers.
On throne number three sat Poseidon, God of the Sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses. Poseidon had black hair, a neatly trimmed black beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes that he inherited from his mother Rhea, which were surrounded by sun crinkles that told one he was prone to smiling. His hands were also scarred like an old-time fisherman's. When casual (which was almost always), he wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it (or any other Hawaiian shirt), and a cap decorated with fishing lures which said, "Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat."
On the fourth throne sat Demeter, Goddess of the harvest, agriculture, fertility, and sacred law. She had long blond hair the colour of ripe wheat and wore a bright green dress with a dark cape, which gave her the appearance of fresh plant shoots breaking through fertile earth whenever she moved. She also wore a crown of woven corn leaves and adornments of poppies and had a distinctive sweet scent of a rainstorm over a field of jasmine. Wherever she went, Demeter was said to cut a surprisingly warlike figure, given that she rode a golden chariot pulled by twin dragons, and at her side gleamed a curved Imperial Gold sword.
On the fifth throne sat Ares, God of war and courage; Ares was a huge, muscular man with a belligerent attitude and a vicious sneer. He typically wore black jeans, combat boots, a black leather duster, and a red muscle shirt under a bulletproof vest which was his shield in disguise. He also had a large hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wears a necklace made from a heavy padlock and a thick chain. He also wore red-tinted wraparound sunglasses to cover his flame-filled eye sockets. His features were handsome but cruelly and brutally, with knife-scarred cheeks and an "oily" black crew cut.
Athena sat on throne number six, Goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft. She was a beautiful woman with stormy grey eyes and an elegant white dress. Athena wore Imperial Gold armour overflowing with white robes while wielding a spear and bronze Aegis shield, which sometimes changes shape into a glowing mantle that glitters as if woven through with filaments of Imperial Gold.
On the Seventh Throne sat Apollo, God of the Sun, oracles, healing, archery, music and arts, light, knowledge, herds and flocks, and protection of the young. Apollo was a highly handsome god, as tall, muscular, and bronzed as a Baywatch lifeguard, with long golden hair tied back in a "man bun" and eyes that shone like the sun, much like those of Hyperion, though less harsh. His radiance was enhanced by a gold Greek robe, a beautiful golden bow and a quiver of magical arrows over his shoulders. Apollo almost always had a laurel wreath on his head.
On the eighth throne sat Apollo's older sister, Artemis, Goddess of nature, childbirth, wildlife, the Moon, the hunt, sudden death, animals, virginity, young women, and archery. Artemis was tall and possessed a well-built body. She had shoulder-length auburn hair and striking silver-grey eyes that could easily intimidate anyone when she was angry. Artemis was extremely beautiful and lovelier than all her attendants.
Hephaestus sat on the ninth throne. He is the God of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges, the art of sculpture, technology, and blacksmiths. Hephaestus was a huge, deformed lump of a man with his shoulders at different heights such that he always seemed to be leaning and a huge, bulging, misshapen head and his leg in a creaking steel brace, bushy eyebrows, and a wild brown beard that sparked fire from time to time. He was the only Olympian to show such extreme physical injuries but was also very muscular from working in his forges. Hephaestus' face was red, lumpy, and covered with welts, as if a million bees had bitten him and then dragged him across gravel.
On the tenth throne sat Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality. Aphrodite was wearing a red satin dress, with hair curled in a cascade of ringlets, perfect makeup, dazzling eyes like pools of spring water, and a smile that would have lit up the dark side of the Moon.
Hermes sat on the eleventh throne; he is the God of boundaries, roads and travellers, thieves, athletes, shepherds, commerce, speed, cunning, wit, magic and sleep, Psychopomp and the divine messenger. He looked like a middle-aged man with an athletic figure, slim and fit with salt-and-pepper hair as a jogger, and he had a muscular build, curly black hair, blue eyes, elfish features, and a sly grin. He had been known to wear nylon running shorts and New York City Marathon T-shirt while jogging, an outfit like a mailman's when delivering mail with a pith helmet which sprouts wings, and a suit. He carries a cell phone which turns into a caduceus. He had been known to sport winged shoes.
On the last permanent throne sat Dionysus, the God of wine, vegetation, fertility, festivity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. Dionysus had a chubby face, a red nose and curly hair so black it looked purple. He typically had watery, blue, bloodshot eyes from drinking. He usually wears tiger-striped or leopard-spot Hawaiian shirts and purple running shoes.
Hades sat on the temporary throne, the God of the dead and riches. A very tall, imposing and very muscular god with albino white skin due to the little time he spent in the sunlight. These intense black eyes glittered like frozen tar. They were either the eyes of a genius or a madman and having a mesmerizing, evil charisma, and shoulder-length black hair, with bangs usually covering most of their forehead.
Artemis stood up from her throne and waited for the council to call on her. When they did, she walked to the center of the room and began, "On the night of October 31st of this year, there was an attack on my camp by a couple of cyclopes, drakons, and the minotaur. During this time, a hunter of mine was injured and required Apollo's attention. As Apollo began treating her, he sprouted a prophecy that concerns the underworld."
"What does it say" demanded Hades in a voice so cold it brought chills to everyone's body, "If it concerns my realm, then I demand to hear it."
"Uncle, please calm down," pleaded Apollo. Seeing how he stopped talking briefly, Apollo signalled Artemis to continue talking.
"It went like this."
A Daughter born to the Sea, but a Legacy of Magic and Death
Born a year ago as the Tenth month Dies,
On the night of Samhain, her life will be changed.
Raised in a living Tartarus, she will have no choice but to Kill.
A past she will have that is stained with blood.
Unable to bear children, she would be destined to help the child of the great prophecy.
She must destroy the artifacts that her first enemy used to cheat Death.
She will be the true Queen of the Underworld,
Enemies try to end her, but none can stop her,
Only the true Queen of the Underworld can stop the manipulator and the cheater of Death.
Beware, for the True Queen of the Underworld has been born.
"That means, at a minimum, Poseidon broke the oath," stated Demeter nonchalantly as the entire council looked at Poseidon.
"But what does the phrase true Queen of the underworld mean? We all know Persephone faded 2300 years ago," questions Athena.
Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Date July 1st, 1992
An eagle owl flew to the roof of the Triskelion building, where an 11-year-old girl with sea-green eyes and red hair wore black skin-tight clothing. On her waist was a belt with several items attached, and a pistol was attached to her left hip. She was seated on the edge of the building, reading the Hobbit. The owl landed in front of her and dropped a letter right in front of her before leaving. Looking at the letter, she noticed what the envelope said.
Andromeda L. Potter
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
40th floor Room 4098 A
The girl moved in her seat, picked up the letter, and walked down the steps and back into the building. She walked down the stairs and used the elevator to reach the 40th floor; going through the hallway, she entered an office with a man in about his 40s with short dirty blonde hair. On the desk was a nameplate that said, Phil Coulson.
"Phil, I got the letter," stated Andromeda.
Turning his head to make eye contact with Andromeda, he smiled and said, "Bring it here."
Giving the letter to Phil, before she took a seat and looked at Phil exhaling, she began twiddling her thumbs as he read the letter.
"Andi, are you sure you are ready to go to school with other kids? It has been four months since we rescued you, and you signed that deal with the director."
"I think I am ready; if anything, you can get me a letter to give to the school nurse about my P.T.S.D. You already know we need to give one anyways for my dyslexia and A.D.H.D.," declared Andromeda.
"Alright, I will send the reply. Then, tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we use a port key to go to London, understood?" announced Phil as he returned the letter to her.
"Yes, Phil," she said as she left the room.
Walking down the hallway, she entered a room with her name written on the door. The room was a bit large and had a full-sized bed made from oak wood on the east side of the room. The bed had black sheets and blankets made from silk. Next to the bed was a nightstand made from oak with three drawers. The hallway door and a dresser with seven drawers were on the room's west side. To the south side of the room was a bookshelf loaded with books on topics ranging from battle magic, transfiguration, astrophysics, mind magic, meteorology, warding, espionage, runes, Greek gods, and history; each book was in Greek. To the north side of the building was a desk with a computer attached to it.
Placing her letter on her nightstand, she changed into something comfortable and fell asleep.
Flashback: October 31st, 1988
Red Room, three hundred miles east of Mount Kamen
Andromeda was eight years old; she was in a dark room made of metal, about 35.5 in x 35.5 in. The cell had a tiny ventilation point that didn't let light inside. Only the sounds of drips from leaks were heard. She was wearing a ragged knee-length dress. Her hair was a mess. Eyes were bloodshot as she was crying. Her hands were tied with magic-suppressing cuffs, and attached to the cuffs were metal chains that forced her hands above her head.
"Please let me out!" she yells as she kicks the door repeatedly to make as much noise as possible "Please! I will listen! Please do not leave me here!"
The cell door creaked as it was being opened, and an older man entered with his fists raised. He hit a button on a remote, and the chains released, dropping her to the ground. Struggling to keep her fists up as her feet trip backwards, the man punched her in the rib. As she got back up, the man jabbed forwards with his fist and punched her in the nose; as she stumbled back, her nose poured with blood and tears in her eyes. with a swift pull, she fell with a crack. Her body felt awkward, and she landed on her elbow; groaning, she held it close, hoping to dull the pain.
He pushed her shoulder into the ground as she went to defend herself, and he snatched her effortlessly onto her wounded arm. Bystanders could hear her bones break as the man twisted her arm around as screamed in agony.
His dull boot pushed into her spine as she fell onto the floor for a second time and pulled her arm further back. Dark heels came into Andromeda's view, causing her to grimace before looking up with a pained face.
A woman with grey blonde hair and a sharp nose wearing a scowl looked down at Andromeda, shaking her head in disappointment before she said in Russian, "Do not stop" Andromeda's eyes widened in horror. He continued to beat her as more blood and bones broke.
"Keep her in there for the next five days. She is only to be allowed water," she said with a cruel smile.
As they left with Andromeda sitting against the wall, head tucked between her knees, she looked up, dark bags under her eyes, her hair messier, but the clear difference was the lack of light and life now in her eyes from before as she looked at the woman. It was clear that she was now broken. Seeing this, the woman smiled cruelly at the child.
End of Flashback
Waking up with a yell with her eyes dilated, holding her chest, her breathing becoming shallow and restricted, Andromeda's breathing pace rapidly picked up. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't slow it down. She felt as if she was choking or being suffocated. Her heart sped up as she closed her eyes, trying to forget what had happened.
Phil stormed into the room and hugged her while rubbing her back. Hugging him back, she hid her face into his neck. Taking a couple of deep breaths before pulling away, she looked at Phil, and with a sigh, she said, "I am fine, Phil, just a flashback."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"Okay, but if you need me, I am right across the hall," replied Phil as he got up and walked out of the room, closing the door on the way out.
Looking around, she went over to her letter, finally broke the seal, sat back at her bed, pulled the parchment out of the envelope, and began reading.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am attaching a list of all the necessary books and equipment. The term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
UNIFORM
First-year students will require the following:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for daywear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
One wand
One cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
One telescope
One set of brass scales.
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat, OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Where exactly am I going to get all this," whispered Andromeda, "Maybe that is what he meant by Diagon Alley."
Looking at the clock, she noticed it was 2:22 am, so she decided to lie down and go back to sleep.
Dream sequence
Andromeda stood in a room with a beautiful but deathly pale woman with black eyes. Her blond hair was set in an Ancient Greek style high-set ponytail. Her dark, sleeveless gown seemed to ripple as if the cloth was ink spilling off, and she wore sandals. She carried two old-fashioned reed torches.
"Greeting child, I am Lady Hecate, Goddess of magic, the Mist, crossroads, necromancy, the night and the Moon, also called by many as mother magic."
Andromeda immediately bowed down to her, but Hecate refused and ordered her to her feet.
"Lady Hecate, I am sorry to sound rude and all, but why are you contacting me?" asked Andromeda with her voice full of fear, her hands trembling.
"You are about to enter my world, but you need to know a few things before you enter," replied Hecate, signalling with her left hand for her to come closer. "On your first birthday, Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort, the son of a squib and a muggle, tried to kill you. He killed your adopted mom Lily Potter, who was rendered barren during a death eater raid, and your adopted father, James Potter, and he tried to kill you. But the Killing Curse rebounded due to an ancient runic ritual that saved your life."
"But why?"
"A false prophecy made by a fraud of a seer, that a man known as Severus Snape heard the beginning of and told Voldemort. Child, listen to me carefully," declared Hecate, looking Andromeda directly in the eye.
Nodding, she stared directly into the Goddess's eyes and shivered at the power that emitted from her.
"When you go to the school, remember my warning. Dumbledore is not who he says he is. He wants to control you. He wants to use you. It will be up to you to stop him. He knows Sirius Black is innocent, yet he uses his power to keep him locked up in Azkaban without a trial. He will keep a powerful artifact in that school to test you. Don't let him win."
"Of course, My lady, but why are you telling me this?"
"You will figure it out in the future. As for now, sleep well."
To Be Continued
Thanks to Mughil for Beta reading this chapter.