Hey everyone,
Before we get to the chapter, I want to thank V.L. Crawford as she pointed out something very vital that makes last chapter a little strange; if Harry was Horcrux-free, how did he get the vision. The answer? The two prophesies made about Harry, Voldemort and the Gods of Olympus still keeps the former two linked, that's how.
Now I will be honest, I am both excited and sad at the fact that the start of 2017 will equal the end of this story, but that is because – ever since its founding – this story has been getting more readers than any of my other stories, so I know its ending will sadden my readers, but perhaps it'll make them read my other stuff more.
Okay here we go,

Venquine1990


Chapter 22
A Divine Magical Fight

2nd of September 1995
Harry's POV

I have never been more glad that, thanks to the prophesies and powers of Lord Apollo, I was still linked to Lord Voldemort even with the Horcrux now out of my forehead as it allowed me to, yet again, know exactly where our newest foe – Luke Castellan himself and his army – are planning to make their next strike.
The residents of Hogsmeade had been terrified of the idea of their village being attacked, yet Madam Rosemerta had been furious and had been one of the only ones who had refused to leave. "I kept my business open even when Dementors were ruining my business. I am not letting anyone scare me out of my business, no chance."
A few others had agreed with the woman's statement, yet another one – who is amazingly enough Dumbledore's brother – had offered himself as the guide and escort for those who wanted out before the fight occurred. And lucky us, Team Olympus was so wide and varied that we could make it look as if the populace never left.

Dumbledore had also called on the Order, yet I had called on all my friends from Hogwarts, as well Lord Ares and Lady Athena and the two Divine Beings had agreed to enchant their set locations with time-based spells that would make them capable of mirroring and beating whoever of Luke's Army would try use the secret passageways.
Professor McGonagall had tried to protest, yet I had simply send her a cold stare that told her I would not be swayed in this plan and then said: "We're fighting Luke, not Voldemort." And instantly the woman had relented, accepting that this was a fight of the Divine, not wizards and thus this was my level of expertise not hers.
Yet after facing off against the woman had I quickly left the rest of the organization of my friends to Lady Athena, while I had taken Lord Ares around the castle, so he could put the special Mirror and Overcome Spell on all the hallways that had Secret Passageways connecting the ancient castle to what will soon be the battlefield.

By now, I have been visited by Lady Athena myself, who has temporarily embedded me with the knowledge of transforming into an Animagus form and am prowling the perimeter of Hogsmeade in my new form, feeling extremely satisfied that my form is small, with great swiftness and with the ability to vanish in my surroundings.
This fact allows me to keep my eyes out for both any possible threats coming at us, whether they try to Apparate somewhere into the town itself or ambush us from the mountains, yet it also makes sure that, if stealth is their approach and they try to sneak in, I will be able to sneak up to them without their notice and, possibly, capture them.

Last night a huge fight had broken out between Lord Ares and Dumbledore as the man had come at us with the request for us to make sure our foe would be left as unharmed as possible and that we would go for capture over anything else; something that the God of War and Battle had been extremely cross with and disagreed with heavily.
"You want us to capture – without harming – a boy that just single-handedly taken down the Dark Lord that had not just taken down an actual Titan but has been causing your world death and destruction for over eleven years and that killed the adoptive parents of my little brains. Do you even hear what you're asking here?"
Dumbledore had definitely felt ashamed for not realizing the implications of his request, yet while he had apologized and agreed that Luke needed nothing but to meet Uncle Hades' Realm up close and personal, yet after this he had tried to make Lord Ares agree that Luke's Army actually deserved a second chance instead.

This had not just caused the God himself to scoff, but everyone from the Divine school as well and when this had shocked the ancient man, I had told him: "You're talking to the wrong man, Professor. Lord Ares is only second to Uncle Hades in the running for the title of Most Bloodthirsty God of the Olympian Pantheon."
This had shocked the man and then Clarisse had shown him her Electrified Spear and had said: "And as his daughter and Head Counselor of his Cabin, you definitely have my Word of Honor that anyone attacking me will find the consequences to be most shocking. And yes, the pun is fully intended, apologies Lord Zeus."
"You would willingly murder a fellow being?" Dumbledore had asked and the entire school had been shocked when I had growled: "No, we would willingly avenge the victims of the murderers that will soon be attacking our nearby village." The school had been white with shock to hear me say this and I had gone on and said:
"Murder for murder – just because you like taking another life and just want to cause others pain – that is Darkness. But murder for the sake of safety, life and protection – for the notion that it is your loved one's murderer falling instead of your loved one themselves – that is an entirely different thing." Before Uncle Hades had said:
"Death is never Black and White, don't ever think it is." And with that the fight had ended and Lady Hera had gotten all of our Divine fighters to agree on the notion they would restrain potential threats first, but that they had the liberty to take out said threats if, through any action of the threat, they themselves would feel intimidated.

Yet these thoughts get blown from my mind as I suddenly spot them. Two people who seem to try and fake to be students, but who also seem stupid enough to think they can pretend that they are out on a Hogsmeade weekend and I can't help but think: "On the first day of classes and on the day after a huge attack? These two are stupid."
And with that do I sneak into a small side alley behind them and then transform as I say: "Alright, I told you this passageway would lead us out of the castle. Come on, let's go explore the town." And while I try not to snicker at how bad I sound like a girl, does one of the idiots sneaking into town snarl: "That's our chance, let's get them."
And while I am shaking my head at the stupidity of Luke's supposed team, do I hide myself in the shadows as the two rush past and as they do, do I use my sword to threaten one of them not to make any unexpected moves while using my wand to cast a Petrificus Totalus on his partner, both of them looking at me shocked.

Yet as they look at me, do I notice a gleam of glee shine in my sword captured foe and while this confuses me, do I then feel the instinct I have been growing up with for the last five years go off and instantly my eyes widen, the hairs at the back of my neck rises up and I mutter: "Oh Great Olympus." Under my breath.
And as I do, do I need to instantly twist on my axis and just in time as my sword clashes with another one only a second later, making me know that if I had been a second later the sword would have been at my throat and as I see Luke emerging from the same shadow I used to hide, do I switch my focus for only a second.
And with that switch do I use the butt of my wand to knock the second member of distraction out of commission, while still keeping my sword fighting against how Luke is trying to disarm and attack me and while I pray for Lady Athena and Ares to lend me strength, do I then aim my wand sideways and chant: "Expecto Patronum!"
And the huge stag appears as I say: "He's here! At Hogsmeade! Near Valentine! Hunch your back and get some candy now!" And with that does the stag dash off, yet Luke laughs and says: "Even if that miserable bit of light reaches them, they will never get here in time." To which I reply: "You don't know Hogwarts like I do."

Thalia's POV

"Luke killed both Kronos and that monster that we met at the gates. So that would normally mean that he's on our side, right? That he's just playing double agent?" Annabeth asks me as we sit in a circle with all those that Harry has been trusted with his worries over Luke over the last few weeks, yet I shake my head and say:
"No Annie, Luke has always been the kind of person that, once they have something in their head, they will go down with that belief. And right now, Luke believes himself above Kronos, above Voldemort and above Olympus. He no longer cares for us, for what our friendship once was , only for himself and for power."
The girl looks down at this and I hug her as I say: "I wish it wasn't so, Annie, I really do. But Luke visited me plenty of times when I was still part of that massive Pine Tree and I experienced his change of belief and character alongside him. I know what I heard and I know how Luke changed. He's not our Luke anymore."

And while I can clearly see that the girl wants to say how she wishes Luke was still hers, do we then get shocked when suddenly a stag enters our circle at the Hogwarts grounds and to my great worry my brother's voice sounds from it and says: "He's here! At Hogsmeade! Near Valentine! Hunch your back and get some candy now!"
And instantly Sirius is on his feet with his own wand in hand and he aims it at his throat as he casts a spell and then shouts: "HOGSMEADE IS UNDER ATTACK! HEAD FOR THE THIRD FLOOR! MAKE WAY FOR THE HUNCH-BACKED WITCH!" And instantly I rush up and ask: "How did you know to go there?"
And the man answers: "It's in the hints Harry gave. Hunch your back and get some candy. The passageway under the hunch-backed witch is one that leads to Honeydukes, the cellar to be exact. And Honeydukes is right next to Madam Puddifoot's, which is what Harry meant with Near Valentine." And I nod at his clever deduction.

We then reach said passageway and to my shock, does it seem as if the whole of Olympus is in a traffic rush to get through the passageway and Sirius curses as he says: "I forgot. The witch is one of the hardest passageways to get in and out of." But then Lady Hecate comes rushing over and says: "Oh Great Olympus."
Before she waves her arms wide and instantly I feel my feet leaving the ground and feel my whole body shrinking. This shocks me, but then Lady Hecate: "There, that should cover you at least until you leave the cellar there. NOW GET GOING!" And instantly I take advantage of everyone's shock to get ahead of the huge line.
I dive down the open hunch of the woman's back and float through the whole tunnel at the highest speed I can make my smaller body go, the fact that I am flying not even bothering me thanks to my parentage and when I move to the exit, does a sheen of magic actually push it aside, allowing my tiny form to fly through.

The Demigod guarding the store yelps in shock at seeing the floor panel vanish before an army of extremely tiny teenagers seems to fly into the cellar and as I fly through the cellar door, do I feel the magic evaporating and as this happens, do I break into a running dash as I pull out my Aegis shield and my spear.
And as those who were faking to be villagers see me running through the shop, do they instantly reach for their own weapons as they come to run after us, yet the only thing I focus on is the directions Harry gave Sirius and that Sirius gave us and they make me stop outside the shop for just a short moment of time to look around.

And instantly I see a store that makes me think: "Lady Aphrodite would love that café." Before I rush for the small alleyway between the store I came from and the one on its left and when I dash into the alleyway, I instantly witness a sight that makes me want to lose my lunch and create a thunderstorm in fury at the same time.
Harry and Luke are sword fighting each other, yet Harry is also trying to distract Luke with several spells that the other boy constantly blocks with his sword and every time this happens, I notice Harry wincing before he starts to pant even more than he does and this makes it so that Luke hits him more than he hits the traitor.
Instantly I realize that, while Harry is supposed to have his magic as his advantage, Luke has somehow charmed his sword to both hurt Harry and take his advantage away and I let my hate for this clever strategic thinking coming from the wrong side to charge my inner power and this makes my spear crackle with thunder.
I then flick my wrist and move my fingers in such a way that I have my wand in the same hand as my spear and with my shield covering my arm and side do I dash for the two, my shield blocking Luke right when he tries to strike at Harry after striking him in the side and the Son of Hermes actually reels back in shocked retaliation.

"Thalia?" The boy asks shocked and I glare at him as he asks: "You – you – you chose him over – me?" And this tempts the anger in my glare as I hiss: "Reducto!" Causing for the shocked boy to be blown back against the wall behind him before I snarl: "I was never the one – that made the first choice, Castellan."
And this seems to shock the boy before he rolls away from my spear strike and after pulling my spear back out of the earth do I take a defensive stance in front of Harry, feeling greatly worried for the fact that he sounds to be panting so hard he could lose consciousness any minute before I focus back on my opponent and ask:

"What did you do? Harry is much more capable of keeping up a fight against a single enemy, so what happened? I already know that you obviously cursed your sword somehow, so tell me here and now, what curse is affecting my brother?" And Luke seems to dislike the fact that I am questioning him like this before he shrugs and says:
"Just a few draining spells that have been adapted to get effected depending on the situation. Your brother loses some of his magic whenever one of his spells hit my sword and he lost life energy whenever I got a hit in. And trust me, he is much weaker than you think as I only hit him maybe three or four times."
This both worries and angers me, but then Harry growls: "It's not my endurance." And while Luke rolls his eyes, does the boy then say: "My magic got absorbed by your sword. It only stands to reason then, that your little draining spells get powered up every time a spell got absorbed. Your spells are just overpowered."

And this makes me even more defensive, but then suddenly a strong gust of wind blows through the side alley we are standing in and to my horror, do I hear Harry shout as he gets picked up by it, but then he gasps and asks: "Wait – dad?" And looking up, do I sigh in relief as I see Dad holding Harry in his arms above us.
"This is your battle, princes. Protect the kingdom your brother was raised in." The man tells me with a strong confident smile, yet while he flies away with Harry in his arms, does my focus get pulled back to the bastard in front of me as he scoffs and says: "See what I mean. That's so typically the Gods and their eternal arrogance.
That bastard could strike me down, he could kill me, he could end this entire war with a flick of his wrist no doubt – and he just flees and – AAAAAAAH!" He shouts in pain as I strike him straight in the side with my spear, which is practically a bolt of thunder by now thanks to how he keeps fueling my anger as I snarl:

"You talk too much." The boy stumbles back and asks: "You – you actually –.""Yes, father could end this fight and kill you, probably without doing even so much as breaking a sweat. But there is one thing he gets that you don't, Castellan. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If father were to kill you, the war wouldn't end fairly.
It would just cause more people to turn against the gods, it would just lead to a second you and then a third you and then – WILL YOU TRY AND DEFEND YOURSELF ALREADY?" I shout as I had been trying to strike him with my spear and shield the whole time I spoke, yet Luke only jumped further and further back.

Yet then the Fallen Son of Hermes smirks at me and asks: "Why should I – when you fell right into my trap like your dumb brother?" And instantly I feel the air around us moving as a whole army of beast like men as well as obvious Hogwarts students and adult witches and wizards come to surround the both of us.
This makes me look around with a raised eyebrow and then Luke reaches out to me and says: "It doesn't have to be this way, Thalia. Drop your weapons and they won't attack you. Drop them and join me. You are the first and rightful daughter of the former leader of the world. Together we can rule the new true world of Divine magic."
Yet I stop looking around with my eyebrow raised up in an unimpressed manner and then turn to Luke before I smirk, making him glare at me as I ask: "You really must have given up on Camp, Luke. Especially if you purposely forget the fact – no Demigod ever enters a fight alone." And with that do my friends charge us.

The beasts, witches and wizards get shocked at this, yet while the Order and the Olympus team of Demigods clash with them, do I make another dash for Luke, my spear cutting into the flying fabric of his shirt as he jumps back to avoid my attack and after a second of regaining his footing, does he force me into the defense myself.
Like this we keep fighting, part of me getting distracted for a second every now and then by the sounds of different cries that come from fights that take place closely around us, yet Luke so easily switches between Defensive guarding and offensive attacks that he instantly forces my focus back on him and our fight.
"This isn't right, Thalia. You, Annie and I – we belong together. We have been together since the first day that it mattered and we should be fighting side by side, not against each other." Luke tries again, but I force him to jump even further back and I snarl: "Sorry Luke, but according to the laws of war; every action has a reaction.
You chose your side and I chose mine." This seems to really annoy him and he asks: "Why? Why would you side with them? Why side with those arrogant, over-zealous bastards? Why would you even want to fight for them? Why are you okay with doing their dirty work? Why do you think they even care about you?"

Yet I roll my eyes at how delusional he sounds and with a swift set of moves, do I make him trip before I swirl around and with my shield on my back I aim my spear at him with my one arm and my wand with the other as I say: "Because I don't care about the power of Olympus, Castellan; I care about how they fight for fairness."
This makes Luke glare at me and he snaps: "You're nothing but a toy to them, Thalia. And when you die, they will just go and make a new kid that they will send out on repetitive quests filled with threats that they care nothing about. Just like they care nothing about you." Yet while I quickly make sure to disarm him, do I then say:
"Castellan, for Olympus' sake. They – are – GODS! They're immortal beings. They have loved and lost hundreds of kids. Of course I know I'm not my dad's first and I'd be infant's levels of stupid if I think I will be the last. But you are even more stupid if you think any of us even care for that fact in the first place."

"So you're willing to just throw your life away for quests that could kill you and have been done hundreds of times before? You're really willing to be their puppet?" Luke snarls at me, but then I aim my spear straight at his throat and level him a strong stare of disgust as I say: "The only puppet I see here, Luke, is you."
And with that do I raise my arm, flexing my muscle to strike him before I suddenly snap: "Reducto!" And a flash of light cuts into the bastard's neck, causing him to scream and reach for his neck as blood starts to soak the cobbled street before he asks: "You think I'm the puppet?" And I nod at him before he shouts: "Bull!"

But I shake my head and say: "No Luke, you are a puppet. A puppet of power and anger. And that is the one reason I am now fighting you and why I will never join you. Because you care more for power and your own anger – then you even do for your own brothers and sisters." And this shocks the boy and he moves away.
Yet as he does, as he grabs his sword and as he moves to get back on his feet, can I already tell that I have won the fight and that isn't even because he needs to keep one of his hands on his neck to stem the bleeding, but because I can see in the gleam in his eyes and in his stance that he is severely doubting his own being and beliefs.
"A fighter that doesn't believe in himself can never be a winner." Goes through my mind, which is something Clarisse taught me over the last few weeks we have been preparing for the Divine Hogwarts school year and I calm my stance a little as I say: "You may not care for your father, Luke, but the Stolls cared for you.
They saw you as their leader and you betrayed them. And that is why I am fighting you right now. Because there are people, both in your Cabin and others, that feel as if you betrayed them, because there are hundreds of others in other Cabins that feel threatened by your ideas and beliefs and because you are hurting the wrong people."

The whole time while I say this, do I strike and slash at Luke with my spear and cast spells that don't hit him or his sword, but instead spells that make him move back more and more as they strike the ground at his feet and then, just like before, do I have the lad cornered, this time with his back against the wall of a bar.
I then quickly use my spear and a move that Percy taught me a few days ago to pull his sword out of his hand and while Luke looks at me astounded, do I then suddenly notice Dumbledore sending me a pleading look and this makes me scowl before I say: "You're lucky I respect him, Castellan. You really, really are."
This shocks Luke and his eyes turn to where I had gazed, but when I gaze back at the man, do my eyes widen as I see him lying on the ground, dead and with three half-transformed werewolves tearing at the flesh and robes on his back, the sight shocking and sickening me before a gust of wind makes me return my focus to my fight.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" I shout at where the gust of wind had blown to and Luke Castellan, who had tried using my shock over the sight to flee gets stopped in his tracks, his arms slapping against his sides and legs slapping against each other as he falls down before I turn around and say: "Had you stayed, I would have just tied you up.
You lose, Luke, and with it you will lose your life – just like your minions took the life of a man I trust and respect. A life for a life, Luke. And that choice – is mine." And with that do I turn my back on the bleeding, petrified body and thrust my spear into the air, causing for a bolt of lightning to shoot up into the air above us.
Everything stops and every fight around me halts before I use the same spell as that Sirius used before and shout: "Luke has been defeated. You lost three leaders in the span on 24 hours. Give up this fight as this war goes to justice. Use what intelligence you have and surrender. We of Olympus will live up to the saying a life for a life."
And while I can clearly see that many of those around me that are on Luke's side are upset and angered and that some of them clearly want to keep fighting, do I repeat what I did a second time and this makes even the more stubborn, angry looking ones lose their wands in fright before I turn to McGonagall and say:

"The fight is over. They're yours to take." And the woman looks shocked, but then a bald, tanned man takes her place and starts to shout orders at others that are obviously Aurors and while he does this, do I say: "Uncle Poseidon, Uncle Hades, this enemy of Olympian Magic is all yours." And with that I walk away.
And as I do, does a small tremor shock everyone around me before a crack in the cobbled stone path under Luke appears and as swirling bits of mist and sulfur seep out of the crack, does the petrified body fall through, a shout of utter fearful terror coming from the crack before it re-seals itself, leaving no traces other than a deadly smell.


And that was that.
Now some of you might think that Luke was beaten by Thalia too easily, but I really wanted him to get the upper hand against Harry and then get beaten by the one person he never thought he would have to fight. Yes, Harry brought Thalia back, but Luke was so far gone, he believed she would be the easiest to convince.
Now next chapter will be a timejump to a very significant date in the Harry Potter cannon and will officially declare who died in the battle – I already mentioned one of those I have planned – and it will also cover a few other things that will, together, make for a chapter that, I feel, will make for a proper story ending.
And for all those of you asking; no. I had no idea that this story would ever end. I really never did. A Divine Hogwarts is, perhaps, my most beloved and most viewed story and I feel kind of sad that the end of the year will also signify the end of this story, but at the same time, I know I will make it an ending worthy of this story.
Okay, see yah,

Venquine1990