The Moon's Glow in the Hunter's Midst

by Titan Potter

Harry Potter is the product of an ancient ritual by the Potters summoning a goddess to assist them in their fertility woes. When Artemis responds, she blesses them with a child, her child. Years go by and with the passing of James and Lily, Harry is alone. But as he gets older he catches his mother's eye and as he moves forward with his life, he learns demigod life is never easy.

4. Chapter 4: The Pre-Hogwarts Program - 1

Chapter 4: The Pre-Hogwarts Program - A Letter Arrives

21:38 - (Tuesday) - July 30th, 1991 - One Day Before

Dadia Forest, Evros, (North-Eastern) Greece

Crouching in the forest, Harry could be seen looking over a map and compass, looking for where he was and where he was headed. Rubbing his face tiredly, he looked around himself, with the tall looming trees, the branches extending out in the most unnatural and unyielding manner, leaves hanging off them in large green collectives and the thickest and most incredibly aged trunks. Looking down at the make, he could make out the meeting point set by Daphnae.

Running a hand through his thick black hair, he let out the air before he started to pack up his belongings. As he took the bottom of his t-shirt he wiped his forehead with it ridding himself of the sweat building up upon his brow. Readjusting his glasses, he rolled the map up stuffing it into his jacket and reattacked the chain his compass was on to the karabiner on the belt loop of his trousers. Bouncing lightly on his toes, he analysed his surroundings looking for somewhere he could be attacked. Luckily for him, he hadn't been attacked yet during this period of his training aptly named 'The Jungle Phase' by Daphnis. This training method had only begun at the start of the year when both Daphnae and Daphnis had decided that he was ready to move up in the level of training he was currently undertaking.

They both had hoped to have him trained to the standard Artemis demanded of her longest-serving Hunters. For it began with endurance training, his routine was made harder considering he didn't carry his mother's blessing for he would have to earn that but his demigod DNA combined with the natural abilities he gained from being his mother as well as being her first-born put him above the average demigod and after training, he would be equal to the most senior of Hunters. However, they were surprised at how quickly Harry took to the training and life of a Hunter, they drummed it up to being the son of Lady Artemis but even then his ability to watch, and then immediately take in the knowledge a perform it to a high standard.

Over the last few years, his appearance had changed as he had grown under the care of his guardians. For the first two to three months Daphnae and Daphnis had refused to train him in anything in Ancient Greek and tactics. Instead, they focused on making sure he was eating more. In their words 'A hunter cannot survive in the conditions thriving environment of the wilderness if he is not himself in the condition to do so', Harry had taken those words to heart so in between his theory and Ancient Greek lessons, Harry committed himself to practise what he could to warm his body up for the hard training that would come soon.

He had grown significantly taller compared to when he had first met his mother. He had learned to stand up straight with confidence but also with the strength he had built up. His hair was no longer a messy, bushy rat's nest built upon a small head but had been cut down on the sides to a short length and the top had been cut down but not enough to wear it was short but enough to where he could slick his hair back. His eyesight had massively improved as well but the method how was unexpected. During the early days of his recovery from the care of the Dursleys but also from his stint of homelessness he was given a concoction of both ambrosia and nectar and while he consumed it, it had caused a burning sensation behind his eyes. As he fell towards the ground he felt a barrier behind his eyes collapse causing a bright shining sensation to burn through his eyes as he had fallen unconscious. Waking up to the concerned eyes of Daphnis and the rhythmic chanting of Daphnae he had woken up realising he could feel without his glasses. His eyes searched the room around him wildly before setting on Daphnae as she strode forward towards him cupping his face to focus him in on where he was. Since then Harry was gifted with perfect sight, to which he probably seemed the most excited as he gazed around everywhere and thing excitedly trying to take in as much detail as possible. His eyes had a sparkle of life that they had for a long time no longer held.

Electing to pack up his camp, he put everything into his backpack, a beautiful sage green backpack given to him by his mother. However, the bag had its magical enhancements, which made it weightless but also had been magically enhanced to contain the magical equivalent of 'sub-space technology'. Which had been usually for storing the rations, camping equipment and weapons Harry would need to survive this training phase.

Today would be the last day of the phase before they would move into the next phase, the one that excited Harry the most, 'Escape, Evasion, Capture, Containment and Tacticful Questioning'. Harry had been interested in that phase since for one it would complete the major training phase before Harry would be able to pick a specialisation moving further in his skills as a hunter. Skills within the Hunters of Artemis ranged from long-ranged hunting support - bow specialists like all hunters but their skills were far more developed, close-quarters fighters - more focused on the use of daggers but also getting in close in fights and using their hand-to-hand combat with their knives, healers/medical specialists, and logisticians - although logisticians were usually members of her handmaidens at her temple led by Daphnae there were a few in the hunters, weapon's engineers - who would take care of different weapons by the hunters but also were the research and development team of the hunters experimenting with different weapons, and capture techniques but there was also the smallest group in the hunters - the specialists. Artemis' handpicked the best hunters who were trained to be the best of the best, hunters who couldn't be found by just anyone who could evade gods if need be, trained to fight in a manner of different conditions and generally were the most prepared to fight or hunt should they be called to do so. Currently, they were led by Lieutenant Zoë Nightshade, one of the first members and now the longest-serving leader of the group.

Harry was aware that he would most likely not be a welcome member of the hunt due to their natural disposition towards those of the male species but he strove to make sure he would be a skilled hunter should his mother ever call for his assistance.

Making quick work of his camp, Harry began to long trek toward the set meeting point, just North of his location. As he walked ahead his eyes scanned the surrounding him looking for anything that posed a threat to him. A skill ingrained into him by Daphnis. Since Daphnis spent more time in the open world he was accustomed to sniffing out threats to his person and had spent extended periods making sure Harry was aware of the different ways that he could be snuck up upon but also blindsided.

It was as Harry's eyes searched the forest around him he heard a crack of the tree branch come from the left of him. Immediately his hand went to summon his kukri, a beautiful silver hunting knife different to him by his mother through Daphnis. It had been one of the few knives she had made on her own and had long become her favoured knife so he was surprised to her that his mother had gifted to him her favoured knife as an olive branch to build a better relationship with her somewhat estranged son. Along with that, she made him his second knife, a Fairbairn-Skyes knife Harry like his mother seemed to have the use of a kukri but the Fairbairn had its uses when hunting. It worked more as a fighting knife whereas the kukri was more of a hunting knife. The Fairbairn was made of the same material as the kukri, silver but was made using the same process she made hers, through forging it on the night of the winter solstice in the bright moonlight and to be left out in the bright moonlight nearby the forests the lay behind her temple in Olympus. It would remain untouched by anyone outside of Artemis and her handmaidens, her handmaidens would protect the weapon with the utmost level of security. Once it was ready it would be washed in water under the moonlight before it could be deemed ready for use. She also issued him a bow and arrow, the same one her hunters would use, the day she had issued him the bow and arrow had been the last day she had seen his mother, the Halloween of 1989.

Knife drawn, Harry flipped the knife into an ice pick grip, his body morphing into a fighter pose, bouncing lightly on his feet his eyes rapidly searching his surroundings. The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention rapidly anticipating a fight, his arms covered in goosebumps in the excitement of the upcoming fight. Hearing a series of steps build up around him. The sounds of the steps, he could hear the weight of them move, and more than two around him, but not enough to be just one monster but more like a large group of them.

Looking around his surrounding he worked to determine where best he could attack from. Noticing the pattern the trees seemed to weave around him, he decided in that second he would have a better chance of survival if he was able to take out the threats around him one by one.

Climbing up the tree, with cat-like grace, he crouched down in them hidden in the shadows. Weaving between the trees he allowed himself to melt into the shadows, allowing himself to observe the group of people ahead of him. A group of mortals entered he was once on. Seeing them, they appeared to be armed with rifles, knives and handguns. There were five of them, looking around where he was. As if searching for something or someone.

"Where is he?" One of them spoke gruffly, irritated at their lack of results, "He's supposed to be here. That's what that blonde ponce told us." He spoke out angrily his fists tightening around his gun, as his eyes rapidly for who they were looking for, the others looked around in the same desperate fashion.

Harry twisted the dial of the watch on his right arm to summon his bow and arrow. Pulling an arrow from his quiver, he didn't yet notch said arrow but seemed more focused on observing the group ahead of him. As of now, he would continue to watch and learn but he knew they were a threat.

As the group fanned out he followed their movements slowly, some seemed to hold onto their guns tights, while others seemed to drop their hand down in favour of reaching for one of their knives. But Harry could feel the fear emanating from them. If there was anything Harry could pull from his training was that fear was a tool. One of them seemed to slowly separate from the group as he slowly walked towards a shadow location within the forest.

Immediately sensing a chance to take out one of the armed would-be assailants, Harry dropped down a few feet behind him, allowing his target to take a few steps ahead of him before, he dropped down into a slightly crouched position following his target carefully.

Deciding to attack, he ran towards the back of his opponent, the sound of his footsteps only getting louder by a small margin he hooked his leg around the neck of his target, before switching hips and using the force of the movement to bend him over. The built-up momentum allowed for the older man to be thrown onto the ground causing a loud thudding noise to catch the attention of the other four. But as soon as the man fell, Harry drove this kukri into the chest of the man killing him almost immediately. As the light faded out from his eyes he could only see Harry's figure disappear into the shadows he could feel his body sink further into the darkness.

As three of the four reached the body, the fourth stood guard, nervously standing ahead of them aiming to keep himself and his comrades safe. A noble intention if it wasn't for the fact they were contract killers or whatever they were.

"Jackson!" The three surround the body disgusted at the sight in front of them. Their associate, named Jackson, had blood covering his chest, a large open gaping wound leaking out the blood at an unnaturally fast rate, his heart rate lower than it should be. His skin paled dramatically, hidden amongst the crimson that was his blood. Slowly he pointed towards a tree before his hand dropped pitifully, the fear barreling off him in waves. If they were dogs they could probably smell the fear that these cowards gave off.

"Dead," one of the muttered, angrily in his gruff voice. "I don't care what blonde wants. I'm gonna kill that midget." He spoke looking at the other two, "You hear that you brat! I'm gonna fucking kill you!" He yelled out into the nothingness. "I'm going to find you and I'll cut you limb from limb."

Harry heard him and smirked, he enjoyed the fear in his voice, as the other three voiced their affirmation of their team members Harry seemed focused on the lone hitman, away from his team. He didn't seem to realise he made himself vulnerable, but if he did know, he failed to realise that he wouldn't make it back to his team before getting killed.

Dropping down in front of him, gave his would-be attacker his final view of the world, a young boy with glowing silver eyes, blood splattered on his face, the blood of his comrade, running towards him a cold look in his eyes and his bloodied silver blade disappeared into a thinner knife. Springing himself into a handstand his arms launched into the body of his target, legs hooked around his neck, Harry pushed himself into a sit-up position before driving his knife into the head of his target repeatedly until he dropped dead onto the ground in front of him, pulling himself off the filth he was sat upon he pulled the knife out of his head, hissing disgusted at the blood covering his knife, as he wiped it clean before once again disappearing into the shadows.

His screams of pain filled the forest around him as his comrades immediately ran towards the source of the scream, before the forerunner could reach his comrade, he could feel a bleeding pain coming from his eyes. An arrow had lodged itself into his eyes, the pain burning through him as he let out screams of pain as his body crumbled into the ground. He writhed in pain, as red and black filled his sight, he reached his hands towards the arrow and pulled. More harrowing screams left him as he pulled on the arrow, trying to tug it out, but it wouldn't leave. The arrow had made itself home within the cavern of his eye. The icy touch of death was ready to meet up and he could only hope it came quickly if he had to continue in the pain he was in. Leaning against the tree, behind him his eyes flickered between consciousness and unconsciousness, as he tried to watch his two surviving comrades fight.

The other two now looked at the other, three of their comrades had fallen and now two remained. The odds no longer seemed to be in their favour, and they knew it.

"This was supposed to be an easy job!" One yelled out frustratedly, the other trying to shut him up, "No, he told us that this would be easy. We'd get in, rough this kid up and bring him to that ponce. This wasn't the plan."

"And things have changed. So fuck it," the other responded harshly, "The brat's probably scared so let's use that against him." He spoke to his comrade, but it seemed more like he was trying to convince himself, "We've done jobs like this before, we've killed more than this brat is capable of, he's nothing more than a coward hiding in the shadows. So let's find this brat and kill him!" He finished yelling out.

Harry looked down at the two below him. Their fear was palpable, it permeated the air, polluting it with their filth. Harry looked down at his Fairbairn-Skyes, as he polished the knife clearing it of the blood, kissing his teeth discontentedly he muttered to himself, "Disgusting," as he cleared the blood of his knife and his hand with the jacket he wore.

Once again he dropped down onto the ground behind one of the men, and he drove his body into the leg of them, causing him to fall over Harry's back and be met with a knife in the chest. While the other had a knife immediately thrown into his stomach causing him to let out a loud agonising scream. Harry immediately sprinted towards him, kicking his leg out behind him, before he crawled onto him, using his fist to brutally beat down on his target. His fists made a home on his face. The loud sickening crunches filled the clearing they were in, his screams filled the forest. Pulling his kukri out he slashed it across his throat bringing the beatdown to an end.

Behind him, he could fear the loud gasps of his last surviving prey. Standing up, slowly walked towards the man distracted by the arrow in his eyes, as he desperately tried to break it off. His all-black military wear looked alien on what should be an innocent 10-year-old child but this wasn't a normal child. This was a hunter, a monster to some but to one person he was her son not that many knew.

Stalking him like he was his prey, his already silver-glowing eyes grew brighter with killing intent. As he got closer, he slowed down, enjoying the fear he put into the older man. The knives he carried in both hands did little to provide him with any level of comfort, "You should stop pulling on the arrow, it won't help you," an unnaturally cold voice left the young boy, "It'll only make you bleed out faster, or bleed out faster it won't make any difference to me."

Bending down to eye level, he met blue eyes, widened in fear as his moon-silver eyes closed in on his person. His eyes were cold and disinterested as if he had something better to do. He looked like he was bored, and the tone of voice he used truly conveyed that.

"Now you spoke of someone that sent you here, did you? Tell me, who was it?" He spoke, looking at the pitiful mess in front of him, when he didn't speak he got his attention with the next line, as he grabbed the arm that held the arrow, and twisted it breaking off the stem of the arrow, using the momentum to push into face first onto the ground his knee digging into his back. "You have two hundred and six bones in your body, how many must I break before you start talking?"

Twisting the arm further he let out more screams of agony and gasps of pain before he started to beg for mercy. "Please! Please! I'll talk just stop with the torture!" He begged before he was lifted from the position he was in and forced back into the tree. "We don't know his name, we just met him in a pub! He told us the location and told us to bring a boy to him." Harry looked at him, his eyes demanding more information, drawing breaths painfully, he spoke slowly again, "He was tall, and he had long blonde hair. He also had a cane, it-it had a snake's head on it with green eyes."

"And who is this boy?" Harry asked fully aware they were after him, all the evidence pointed towards him.

"Potter! Harry Potter! That's who he said he wanted, he gave us the location we don't know how he got it but he gave it to us!" He spoke scared for what could happen to him, he was no longer in a position of power and it truly frightened him, "You're-you're gonna let me go right? You have to! I told you everything I know. Please!"

But before he could continue to beg, he felt a knife deep in his chest cut upwards towards his throat as his body stilled and he was no more.

Dropping his body, Harry looked at his surroundings, before refocusing on the task at hand, and proceeded to make his way to the meeting point, but not before nodding in a random direction, as if acknowledging that someone was watching him in the distance.

-Line Break-

09:45 - (Wednesday) - 31st July 1980 - Day of Arrival

Dadia Forest, Evros, (North-Eastern) Greece

Arriving at the location, Harry was welcome to a familiar sight. Daphnae seemed to be deep in her morning prayers, her voice bringing more life to the forest as she sang in Ancient Greek, and Daphnis seemed to be deep in mediation. Walking towards the duo, Harry set his bag down, before sitting across Daphnis, himself mediating to allow himself to review what happened the previous night.

Breathing out slowly, Harry closed his eyes allowing himself to feel connected to the forest around him. Harry could feel the pull of the wilderness tug at his godly essence. The claws of the animals in the forest call for him, the smells and feel of the forest welcome him home, and the radiance of the forest all its animals, and plants and cocoon him in a protective shell.

To those who would observe the strange trio, they would be surprised to see an artful mix of forest green and other forest colours swirl around them protected by a silver sheen. It would truly be a sight of beauty it was at these moments that peace could truly be felt, peace in the forest and beyond.

These moments were some of Harry's favourites, the moments where he could truly feel at peace, where everything in the outside world felt truly inconsequential and he was free. Free from everything that shackled him to the world. In his thoughts he eventually glossed over the events of last night, Harry wasn't scared as most children would be, well Harry wasn't most children. Harry had grown up with a life far more different to what most had, with loving parents, three square meals a day, hot meals at that, Christmas and birthday presents and all of that. Harry had grown up with beatings, verbal beatdowns, bullying from all sorts of people and being a social pariah since he had arrived at the cold unwelcoming world of No. 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging.

The sounds of an owl filled the clearing as it got closer and closer towards Harry. It seemed intent on getting his attention. It probably would take a few more minutes before it could get close to Harry.

Leaping up from his position Harry noticed that Daphnae was approaching the end of her prayer, as he took his place next to her. As she finished she turned her head towards him acknowledging his presence next to him. Stiffly nodding to the other, Daphnae looked over his form searching for any form of damage on him.

"How was the last week, Hadrian?"

"Same as always. No issues I couldn't handle." Harry spoke slowly, cleaning his blades, beside her as she did her own. "However, I did run into some people last night." He spoke in the same bored tone of voice he always used. Something no matter how hard Daphnae and Daphnis tried they couldn't change about him, truly they found it disturbing and they were sure that Harry knew and decided to keep the same tone of voice, which to a certain degree made them nervous. As it was the same tone of voice Artemis would use when someone would push her too far. Cold, unattached, devoid of emotion and the fact it came from a literal child didn't help. Sometimes they were proud of the similarities they would find between the two but more often than not they were disturbed by them. Like when they realised Harry could be completely silent when he moved. Artemis was capable of the same, and the two often used it when they wanted to silence because it was at those moments they tried to shut themselves off from the world around them and focus in on their essence.

"Oh?" Daphnae spoke, her eyebrow raised "What kind of people," she spoke carefully aware that Harry tended to tone done the severity of situations around him.

"The type that is no longer breathing," Harry responded dryly, "They wanted to kidnap me, apparently they were paid to by an unknown benefactor."

Before Daphnae could further speak they were disturbed by Daphnis taking his place across them, the sound of him using his walking stick to guide him to them and him using the silver stick to allow him to sit down on the ground the other two were seated on. As Daphnis moved to speak the screech of an owl, which made itself known as a brown and white screen owl flew down towards the group its beady eyes focused on Harry. Flying down towards Harry, it flew in a sharp diving motion, not unlike a bird flying down to capture its prey.

When it finally reached Harry, it let out a short berk, before extending its leg out towards Harry and looking at them inquisitively. The wide black beady eyes asking for food and water, especially after the presumably long journey Harry, looked at the owl, before summoning his bag. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out some raw stork meat. Which he had killed a few days ago. Breaking it off into small pieces, he allowed the owl to feed from his hands, while Daphnae went to get water for the owl.

Taking the parchment envelope from the owl, he allowed the owl to rest upon his backpack while it pecked at the raw meat he had fed it earlier as long as drinking the water Daphnae procured. Looking over the letter he saw the address associated with himself,

Mr H. Potter

The North East of the Dadia Forest

Evros

Greece

It had two stamps on the side with his details, one on the top right had an owl held within a circle the clear mark of the British Owl Messaging System and one on the bottom left was the crest associated with Hogwarts. Turning over the letter he saw a red wax stamp on the back of the letter by the opening. It was the Hogwarts crest pressed onto the red wax, built up of the four founders, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Pulling his knife out, he sliced the letter open, he opened the letter up to a simple letter addressing him,

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 Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment.

The term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry read out the letter two the ears of Daphnis and Daphnae and most surprisingly the owl who seemed to be intently watching them. Looking at his two trainers, he nodded to himself, his face looking annoyed at the fact he'd have to go to England to study at Hogwarts but it was what his parents would've wanted so he would go if anything to see what he could gain from the magical world.

Turning the letter over, he penned his response,

I'll be in attendance.

Regards, Hadrian James Artemis Potter

Re-pocketing the letter into the envelope he reattached it to the owl's leg. The owl shook its leg as if it was testing the security of the letter it would have to carry, before giving a firm nod to Harry and flying off into the distance.