Chapter 1: The First Meeting

A young boy slowly made his way through the darkened forests of Mount Ymittos bordering Kaisariani Monastery, within Athens. As he slowly staggered his way through the forest, he could feel his body tire out, but he desperately tried to keep pushing forward.

He would not fall on this day.

The young boy had been on his own for a while now. It was during April that his 'family', to be kind, had left him in Greece. That was just over three months ago. But for the young boy that had been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because his hands were finally wiped clean of the Dursleys. You see Mr and Mrs Dursley had a freakish obsession with being a 'normal' family so when on a cold November morning Mrs Dursley found her nephew Harry on their doorstep, she had been horrified. She let out a scream of horror before picking the freak up and shutting the door. And since young Harry had been treated as a freakish outcast by everyone, his so-called family, the neighbours, teachers, and the other children at school. Harry truly didn't understand why people didn't like him, he didn't understand why weird occurrences happened around him. Like when he turned his teacher's hair blue, or when he was running away from his cousin and his gang and he ended up on the roof or when one of his teachers had looked at him as if he had ruined her life and she had exploded into a gold explosion of well liquid gold before it disappeared and no-one had batted an eye. It was his fault but no one seemed to listen. But as much as he liked being free it was also a curse, he didn't have a roof over his head, and it was harder to get food - before at the Dursleys Harry could steal some bread here and there but in Greece, it was much harder. He didn't have somewhere warm to stay for cold nights, although anywhere was better than being in the cupboard under the stairs.

However, right now Harry couldn't think of that, he was trying to find somewhere to lay low. For the last few days, Harry was being chased. By cyclops of all things. Harry couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the monsters from the stories he read were real. He thought they were supposed to be mythological stories like the stories he had read in Homer and the Iliad. But no, they were real and they were chasing him. Something about wanting to "eat his bones' and "Snacks! No run!" And all that hogwash.

Muttering to himself he tried to motivate himself but hunger and thirst were setting in. "C'mon Potter. Just keep pushing, you're not dying today." Harry had tried to cut at one of them but had found his knife would just go through them, and not in the way he wanted. He wanted to cut them down so he could immobilise them but that didn't work and in turn, he was kicked back into a tree. But the pain was nothing compared to some of his previous beatings. Mr Vernon Dursley would often let his friends take out their anger on Harry, often letting them beat the young boy, with the only rule it couldn't be anywhere that was visible. So with that, Harry had accumulated bruises all over his torso, upper arms and legs. He probably had a few untreated broken bones but Harry was so used to pain that he kept pushing forward, determined to live another day hoping one day a long-lost relative would take him away and raise him in a loving environment. But Harry wouldn't give up on hoping for that relative to help him. Hope motivated him to live, it did back then and it was doing as such now.

Harry kept pushing forward, but also his body began to fail him. His eyes began to blur as black spots began to appear flying across his vision. The pain in his ribs and back began to further radiate through him as his eyes began to shut slowly as he began to lose consciousness.

He kept pushing through the forest. That was until he saw a tall woman to his left, weirdly she appeared to be glowing in the moonlight as if she was the moon herself. Deciding on 'fuck it' he decided to make his way towards her. He decided to leap at her, painfully launching himself when he was a few metres from her, he heard the loud footsteps get closer, and as his knees buckled from the force of the jump he pitifully crawled towards her getting her attention.

Eventually, she turned towards the young boy laying down pathetically in front of her, his head raised to look at her conveying the panic in his eyes, her eyes conveying surprise as if she hadn't expected anyone to disturb her let alone see her. For her, she hadn't been noticed by anyone in centuries. She lived a life of solitude as was her punishment.

Harry looked up at the woman in front of him. She had a tall imposing figure with hard long auburn hair, swaying slightly in the wind, she was dressed in a blue dress that fell past her feet. The sleeves of said dress seemed to grow in width as they approached her hands. However, what caught Harry's attention was one; her eyes had a dark polished silver look, which gave an inquisitive look but the second thing was far more impressive. It was her aura, she gave off a feeling of power, aged power like she had lived a long eventful life, her eyes matched this look as they held the history of a long life within them, secrets that should've never have been, stories that could spin your head and pain like she had lost more than anyone could care for.

But she wasn't looking at him anymore. But at the cyclopes that had been chasing Harry, not that she knew the boy's name. Looking at the cyclopes as they began to surround the two. She gave them a cold impassive look. Her eyes gave off disgust, cold unadulterated disgust. Holding her hand up, to signal them to stop, they did but gave her angry growls as if she had stopped their hunt. "Leave now!" She ordered them, her voice amplified over their surroundings. But the cyclops growled louder.

They gave each other a look before nodding, as they began to advance slowly towards the two, using their thick mangled clubs to intimidate her by hitting them into their giant hands. Sighing, she dragged a hand over her face, before summoning a sword into her hands. To the untrained eye, the sword would look like it was made of moonlight, but it was made up of steel. Looking down at Harry, she gave him a hard look, "Stay exactly where you are boy." She said with a slight growl, her demeanour turning more militant by the second.

Immediately she dashed forward, not giving the cyclopes a second to think as she drove her sword into the chest of one before pulling it out and slicing at another. The two blew up into the gold dust before she moved on to the others, hacking at them, she made quick work of her would-be attackers, not giving them a chance to regroup or attack.

Harry watched in both awe and fear. His dulled green eyes, widened trying to absorb everything he was watching, He watched as this unnaturally powerful woman was just demolishing the monsters that had tried to kill him and make him their snack. As she killed the last one, she turned her eyes to him, with still murderous intent in her eyes, causing him to slowly but painfully use his hands and feet to push himself backwards, moving away from her in fear of what she might do to him. Harry tried to pick himself up, but let out a loud groan of pain and in doing so caused himself to fall backwards, his head bouncing on the ground as his arm went over his ribs, the young man groaning loudly in pain, putting himself into the foetal position.

Raising an eyebrow at his behaviour, she realised what she looked like to him. Vanishing her sword, she clicked her fingers clearing up their surroundings, her appearance going from battle-worn to a warm but still dressed in blue mother. Albeit a young-looking mother, that of someone in her mid-20s. But Harry didn't see this, he was wrapped up in the pain of his body, the events of the last few days catching up with him, running out of water, and food, being chased by the group of cyclops, the kick to the rib, his previous injuries coming back with a vengeance and the fear he felt from the woman in front of him.

For Harry, he was in the most agony he had been in for a long time. He thought he was already used to it but not as he could feel waves and waves of pain ravage him with no sign of them subsiding. His groans of pain grew louder, as he was shaking, shivering in agony. His eyes blurred with tears, as groans turned into cries of physical pain and agony, and of mental tiredness.

But slowly the pain began to subside as he felt a pair of hands, hold his head gingerly, hearing a soft muttering of Ancient Greek, not that he knew it was Ancient Greek but he was shocked hearing it as he realised he could understand what she was saying. Looking up at her, her right thumb was stroking his face, and her eyes, glowing in the moonlight, no longer held any form of cold aloofness or rage but a comforting looking in those now yellowy-silver eyes, the yellow slowly consuming the cold silver into a warm sun-like welcome. The muttering stopped as the pain left his body leaving him feeling stiff.

"Who-" Harry had to stop to catch his breath, "Who are you?" He asked in a panicked undertone he didn't understand what was going on. He didn't like not understanding what was going on; it made it easier for him to be a victim, someone's prey. And truly at this moment, he could feel his bones shake, his brain rapidly trying to explain what was going on and his chest was pounding faster than it ever had before.

Looking down at the young boy who looked like he couldn't be older than 7, "My name is Phoebe," she said in a cultured voice but it wasn't like Harry's British accent but a strong Greek accent. "You don't need to worry about my brothers. I've taken care of them for you."

"Thank you. But y-your brothers?" He asked incredulously, slowly sitting up, accepting her help, as he let out a breath at the uncomfortable movement.

"Yes, my brothers." She said amused at his incredulous voice, "You see my mother and father created them but father fated how they look so he sent them down to Tartarus." She looked at him, his eyes trying to justify everything he had seen and heard. "But if you wouldn't mind, what is a young boy like you doing in a forest like this."

Harry's eyes had hardened in anger. His green eyes picked up a hard silvery tint as if they were slowly transforming from green to silver but not silver like hers, but more like they were transforming into the moon but darker, filled with pain and anger. "I was left here." He growled out, "My loving aunt and uncle abandoned me here. Something about finally getting rid of the freak!"

The rage in him was surprising but not as much as the aura Harry emitted. It was cold but incredibly attuned to the forest, around them as if he was pulling on the natural energy around them, the moon, a full moon today, seemed to glow brighter as Harry's skin began to glow faintly with it, his eyes had completely developed a moon-like appearance but more like the dark side of the moon. His eyes were wild, frantic as if they were looking for something in Phoebe.

However, that was the least of the surprising circumstances. The two auras seemed to interact in the moonlight. The eyes met in a trance. As if someone had brought the two together.

Clearing her voice, she spoke breaking the silence, "Allow me to reintroduce myself." She paused to run her eyes over Harry's face waiting for him to allow her to continue, he opened his mouth to speak before he shut his mouth with a click, but he nodded for her to continue, his eyes transfixed on her. With her lips curled towards an amused smirk, "My name is Phoebe Titaness of the Bright Intellect, and the Prophetic Mind, the original holder of the Oracle of Delphi." And once again Harry's world was sent spinning.

"Titaness? Phoebe?" He said looking down in confusion, "Like the mother of Leto? That Phoebe?" He asked looking back up at her his eyes looking back up at her inquisitiveness. Further amused she nodded in affirmation, "A smart young thing aren't you?" Harry blushed at her words as he tried to hide his reddening face.

"But aren't those stories?"

"Like the cyclopes chasing you. Or the fact you can understand me despite my speaking ancient Greek to you. I assure you, children, we are more than mere stories you tell children when they ask for a store." She said switching from English to Ancient Greek smoothly. "But what I want to know before we continue is what your name is."

"Harry. Harry Potter." He said, kind of embarrassed, that he had forgotten to tell his saviour his name. "Er- thanks again f-for well y-you know," he said pointing around them.

"Don't mention it. But what I am interested in is who are your parents?"

"They're dead," he said glumly.

"No-no not them I mean you're godly parent," she said pushing over the fact his parents were dead.

Deep down she had an inkling of who Harry's parents were but didn't want to confront that now. It couldn't be her, she was a sworn maiden and the last she had heard of her was that she was following her vows with incredible strictness. So she was at a loss for what was happening.

"W-what do you mean? G-godly parent? My parents are dead. They died in a car crash when I was a baby." He said slowly, getting more panicked.

"Harry, you were chased by cyclops. That only happens to demigods," she said, not entirely sure how to ease him into this subject. Truly now she understood what Chiron must feel at that camp in America. From what she had heard many children were resistant to the idea of the Greek gods being real and not just stories from an age long ago. "Harry, I need you to work with me on this. I know this is hard for you but please. Just work with me on this." Reluctantly Harry swallowed his words and nodded along with her.

"I… I don't know then. I thought my parents were my parents." He said sadly if not borderline tearily. He was lost, and scared and now everything he thought he knew was being flipped onto its head.

Phoebe allowed herself a moment to ponder on the tone of voice the young broken boy spoke, hints of fear, loss, and confusion mixed into his melancholy voice. Bowing her head, she scrunched up her face to swallow the anguish she could feel, she understood the boy beyond his feelings and hers, but that of her children whom she hadn't seen in millennia, and the two she never got to truly meet. She then allowed herself to give in to feelings and desires she had long since learned to ignore, and encircled her arms around his frail form, inviting him to release his pent-up emotions silently.

Harry let out a shaken breath before a cry left him, breaking the floodgates. And then he cried. He cried for his parents. His mummy and daddy that he couldn't remember. For himself and the rough life, he had been thrust into. The life he had once had that he could never live again. For the mother whose scream had been etched into his brain. Chasing him through his sleep.

For the first time in years, Harry had cried. For the life, he craved but could never have. A dream that could never be. Hopes that were just that, optimistic thoughts to keep him going but taxed him heavily.

Phoebe could feel her own tears well up in her eyes, a slight blur in her eyes building up, but she forced them back, struggling to do so but she needed to do so for Harry. But before she could begin to comfort him, she saw a pop of auburn hair in front of her stood a young 12-year-old girl, with silvery-blue eyes in a silver wax jacket. Looking down at the boy in her grandmother's arms, she bowed her head regretfully. Shame and pain, which should've been alien to someone that young painted her face, her eyes looked old compared you the young exterior. She briefly held eye contact with Phoebe, her eyes held her own tears.

The two began to communicate through their eyes. The younger of the duo nodded her head as if answering yes to an unasked question. She swallowed heavily, as tears streamed down her face, guilt lacing her face. Taking a difficult place she pointed towards the direction of the site of her fallen temple, the Temple of Artemis Agrotera as if to indicate they would speak there. However, Phoebe pointed down to Harry, causing Artemis to look upwards to the moon, pained. Before she met Phoebe's eyes again she sent a prayer to her temple upon Olympus, before meeting her grandmother's eyes once again. Her eyes had hardened with resolve, indicating she had an idea to keep her son face, all she had to do was convince her grandmother to hear her out.

-Line Break-

Artemis watched the scene ahead of her mournfully. In front of her was the grandmother she had never got to meet. She remembers the stories her mother, Leto, would tell her about her grandmother, a wistful faraway look on her face as if she was imagining she was in her memories at the moment. But most importantly she could see her son. The son she had long thought was dead. Wrapped up in his great-grandmother's arms.

It should be her arms, holding her son. It should be her comforting her child. But it wasn't.

Was it the Ancient Laws that Zeus insisted all gods follow? Or was it her own fear? Fear of raising a child? Fear of not knowing how to? Or fear of how her Hunters would react to her son.

Right now she had yet to be noticed. But as she drew closer she could notice things about her son. He was smaller than someone his age. He looked skinny, not dangerously slow but it was enough to cause Artemis' sunken heart to deep depth than she thought possible. His messy rat's nest hair was darker than the night sky above them and his skin glowed softly in the light of the moon. His clothes were raggedy and too big for him, they looked like they were wearing him or that he was drowning in a pool of clothes.

Before she could move closer, she felt eyes on her, her grandmother had seen her. What should've been a happy moment was marred by the tone of the moment currently playing. Her scared child crying like daggers to her immortal heart, her grandmother comforting him and she was watching frozen under her gaze.

After what felt like an eternity she was able to move her gaze. Taking another breath she met her eyes once again. This time it felt like they were communicating silently. Artemis nodded to the main question 'Is Harry your son?' an answer which surprised both of them. Phoebe because the maiden goddess admitted to having a child, a son no less. Bu Artemis was surprised by how she freely gave that information.

Artemis gave herself a second to collect herself she pointed toward the remains of her temple in Athens before sending a message to her grandmother "Meet me at my old temple in Athens. I'll bring someone to help take care of Harry." And with that, she looked up towards the moon her eyes stinging with tears before she sent a quick prayer to her priestess in her temple on Olympus and flashed away to another temple to speak with another of her associates. Artemis knew the next time she saw the duo it would be hard for her but she had to be ready for a potentially disastrous meeting.