Welcome back one and all to another chapter of Bad Moon Rising.
In this Chapter, Artemis returns, Harry gets a gift or two, the Order has a meeting, and another guest shows up.
On with the show.
Editor's note: The pagan gods celebrate Christmas so Saint Nick doesn't have to slap a bitch.
Grimmauld Place, Dec 26th.
The crunch of snow and ice under her boots was calming to her when she was in a city. It reminded her of the forests in mid-winter, even if the trees were replaced with mortals and the stones with buildings. She was surprised to be here, on this street illuminated by fluorescent lights that reflected on the dirty snow heaped onto the sides of the streets. The mortals rushing past her on the sidewalk give her and her companion an odd look as they pass. While they were bundled in thick coats and jumpers, with scarves, hats, and gloves on to help keep out the chill on a cold December night, she had only worn a simple silver flight jacket and a silver blouse with her black pants and boots.
But she wasn't here for the mortals, no. As she stopped at the townhouse marked with the number thirteen, she knew she had found what she was looking for. The dark stone front was leaning slightly to the left with mismatched windows showing off the four floors which shouldn't be possible compared to number twelve and number fourteen. She smiles a bit as she feels the pulse of old mortal wards that had claimed the land so long ago, forged with blood and oaths to gods that had left with the Flame of the West.
Albus was right, the wards that protected the house were very impressive compared to what other mortal witches and wizards could do.
But to a being like her, to Artemis, to a goddess, all they did was burn like a beacon in the dark. But still, Artemis smiled at the sight as her mind drifted back to just two days ago when a crow showed up at her camp.
The hunt had just set up camp for the evening just outside of Lymn in a frozen forest of Connecticut, it was just across the harbor from Camp Half-Blood where Artemis was dropping off her hunt for two weeks of R&R that they had earned over the year. She was needed in Olympus for the winter solstice meeting of the council and she could already feel the headache forming behind her eyes. She had a bone to pick with her Uncle Poseidon for keeping a few undersized sea serpents in his catch and was going to make him bleed gold in the figurative sense. But as she and Zoë had settled down for the night to discuss the coming year, Daisy had come knocking on her tent door.
Daisy had come a long way within the hunt in a year. She had grown more confident with each hunt and grown closer to her sisters, and thanks to the two daggers that Artemis had commissioned for her, the beast was mostly held at bay. Lupus and Luna, the blades were called, were forged with a bit of Artemis' authority over the moon and its phases in them. Lupus had the light and power of the full moon and Luna had that of the new moon, one to free the wolf and one to suppress it. Luna would not work fully on the full moon, the pain of her shifting biology was and always will be a problem until they were able to hunt down Lycon again. Thankfully, due to the help of Remus Lupin, the hunt was able to procure some potions that help with the pain, and with a bit of time, Phoebe was able to reproduce them by herself.
"My Lady?" Daisy had said, an unsure look on her face as she stepped into her tent.
"Yes, Daisy?" Artemis asked with a raised brow, confused as to why she was there. She had drawn the first watch among the hunt, a covetous shift. "Did something happen on patrol?" Artemis asked with a tilt of her head. She had heard no horn nor were they anywhere close to monster-infested zones.
"Well, ah, yes. But it's not bad? I think," Daisy said, biting her lip and looking back out of the tent for a moment. "Me, Alice, and Brittany ran into someone on patrol, it's a woman, and well, …she's asking to see you, my Lady," she informs Artemis with an unsure look. The hunt doesn't normally get any visitors other than Agent Doe, and the rare few that do visit are either Apollo showing up to be a nuisance or a half-blood who stumbled upon them.
Artemis frowns and narrows her eyes at the young werewolf. "Did she give a name?" Artemis asked before standing up and reaching behind her for her bow.
"No, my lady, but she did speak with an accent," Daisy informed her, "An Irish accent," she said as Artemis sighed before picking up her bow.
"Bring her here," Artemis ordered her Hunter who nodded in return before leaving the tent. Artemis turns to Zoë at her left, whose own eyes are narrowed, and with her hand on Moontide. "Lieutenant, inform your sisters that we have a visitor, one that may be trouble," she ordered her oldest friend who turned to her and nodded before standing to fulfill her orders. It doesn't take long before the flap of her tent opens once more, Artemis stands with her bow in hand as a cloaked figure walks in.
The figure was cloaked head to toe in a long black Victorian Cape with a hood pulled over her head. The hood and cape were lined with black feathers with reflective navy dragon scales across the top and shoulders of the cape. "Lady Artemis," the figure says before kneeling before Artemis, her head held low. Normally, Artemis hated the pomp and bowing of mortals, the acts of subservience had no place in her hunt and therefore there was no such showing within her hunt. But there was the exception of visiting gods and goddesses of lesser ranks to her hunt, so she allowed the woman to kneel.
And this woman, she knew. She had first met her some months ago when she had brought word from The Morrígan that allowed Artemis to send Atalanta to England against her father's orders. "Rise, Anand of the Morrígna," Artemis said and watched as tattooed-covered hands came from the folds of the cape to pull down the hood. She looked the same as the last time Artemis had seen her, short black hair, pale skin, and tattoos on her neck that crawled up to her chin and her eyes. The hauntingly familiar emerald green eyes make Artemis' heart twist with pained regret.
"My apologies, Lady Artemis, for dropping in on your hunt so suddenly and without warning," Anand says as she stands and tucks her hands into her cape. "But I come here with word from my queen to pass along to you," Anand informed Artemis as she bowed her head.
Artemis scowls at Anand's words, the Queen of the winter court has been nothing but a source of aggravation for Artemis. From her schemes to see herself free to her forcing Artemis to leave England. "Then speak them," Artemis simply said, hoping to figure out what game The Morrígan was playing.
"She invites you and two guests of your choosing to her isles for three days under guest rights this holiday season to visit your son," Anand said, cutting to the point and not wasting her or Artemis' time with greetings or niceties. Artemis hides her surprise at Anand's words well, but not her anger and annoyance at the timing of the offer.
"Does your queen find this offer funny? Does she find it amusing to offer me this not two days before the winter solstice knowing that I won't be able to make it till the day after at the earliest?" Artemis asks, a scowl forming on her face as she glares at Anand, her hand itching to raise her bow and hunt the crow before her. But to Artemis' surprise once more all Anand did was blink before speaking.
"Ah, perhaps I should have been more clear about the details. My apologies, Lady Artemis, but your three days won't start until you step foot on the isles," Anand explained with a small grin as Artemis' surprise finally bled through.
The crow departed soon after, leaving Artemis to figure out who to bring along with her. Zoë was the first hunter that jumped to her mind, but when she had asked her oldest friend, Zoë had turned it down citing the need for someone to keep the hunt in line. And with what had happened last year, she couldn't really argue with that. So, as Artemis had sat in the council hall of the Greek gods to listen to her family argue, she had pondered on who to bring. Sophie was off with her father and brothers for the holidays and Brittany was helping to clear out the woods of monsters around Camp Half-Blood, so neither was an option.
Around the end of the meeting, Zeus announced that the last of the Celtic gods were freed as he gave Artemis an annoyed look. He had met with two of the Celtic gods, Lugh and Manánnan. He informed the council that the Celtic gods had no interest in revenge or reigniting a war. So long as the Roman and the Greek gods stayed on their side of the pond, they would stay on theirs, and the Greek council had agreed to do just that. The Roman Council however was another story, Mars, Bellona, and Victoria were enraged by the release of the Celtic gods. They had almost sworn vengeance on the one that released them, but much to the council's surprise, Juno spoke up.
"Enough," the queen of the gods said, her voice hard and cold to all who heard it. "Our claim on the Isles died when the flame of the west moved here. If the Celtic gods wish to reclaim their homeland and not bring war to our doorstep, then I say we let them," she said, quieting the angry gods as Jupiter agreed with her.
Bellona left the chambers in a rage with Victoria after that, glaring at Artemis as she left. The Goddess of the Hunt was sure she was going to have to deal with those two, but she'd shoot them from across the bridge when she got to it. But after she had slapped her uncle with the fine, she had left to go check on her temple. Artemis made her way through the small forest nodding to her Handmaidens as they greeted her. They were lounging on hammocks and by small fires in groups while imbibing fine wines from the temple of Dionysus across the way. As Artemis moved into the deepest part of her temple, she heard the voice of someone she had not seen in almost twenty-five years.
"You're joking, she has a kid?" the voice said in a shocked tone. "Like an ankle biter? A crotch goblin? Like an actual honest-to-goodness kid?" she said in disbelief.
Her high priest, Daphnis, chuckles. "Yes, I'm not joking, Britomartis. Lady Artemis had a child while you've been away," he says.
"How in Hades did that happen?" Britomartis asks, shocked.
"A mixture of luck, curiosity, and what I've only recently considered, fate," Artemis says as she walks into the small grove where her shrine sits. both Daphnis and Britomartis turn their heads to look at Artemis as she walks into the grove with a small smile on her face. Britomartis hadn't changed a bit since last Artemis saw her when she had left for Japan with Apollo a quarter of a century ago. She still wore her brown hair in a complicated braid of knots with fine mesh fabric woven throughout, her dress shimmered like green fish scales caught in nets. Her round face breaks out in a large grin as she jumps to her bare feet and charges at her with her arms wide open.
"Arty!" Birtomartis yells before wrapping Artemis in a hug that she returns with a laugh.
"Britomartis, it's good to see you again," Artemis says with honesty as the two old friends embrace. Britomartis was a Cretan goddess who had escaped her falling and fading pantheon during the time of myth by joining the hunt when there was barely even a hunt. Britomartis, Atalanta, and the Nameless Nymph were the first three girls to take the oath and joined her in the hunt, barring the nymphs that her father had created for her. While the Nameless Nymph stayed at her side and became Zoë Nightshade and Atalanta fell to Zeus' curse to become a mindless beast, Britomartis was bound to the Flame of the West and became a goddess of snares, nets, and the Hunt as shown in her eyes as they reflected Artemis' own.
"It has been too long, honestly," Britomartis says with a smile as she steps back from Artemis. "How's the hunt been?" she asks, curiosity burning in her voice.
Artemis smiled at the other goddess before turning to look at her shine, The Triwizard Championship cup sat in a place of honor in the middle of the altar. "It has been…stressful the last few years to say the least," Artemis admits as she walks forward and takes a seat on the ground before her shine next to Daphnis, who offers her a cup of wine which she takes with a word of thanks to him.
"With a munchkin of your own running around I can imagine," Britomartis says with a wave of her hand as she sits down next to Artemis and accepts her own cup of wine from Daphnis. "But seriously, you've got to tell me all about them. All I know so far is that he's not with the hunt and lives in England of all places," she says before taking a sip of wine.
Artemis pauses as she brings her own cup to her lips before a small smile creeps over her lips, "Perhaps I can do one better, how would you like to meet him?" she asks to the now grinning face of the other goddess.
Britomartis had agreed and soon after Daphnis had asked if he could come along as well, which Artemis could not think of a reason to say no to. So the plan was made to meet out front of her temple at noon the next day before leaving. After all, Artemis had a few gifts from her hunters to collect for Harry and one other member who would be heading out with them. A short jump to London was all it took and with the help of Hedwig, the small party of four quickly found themselves outside of the old townhouse.
"This is where he lives?" Britomartis asks in a confused tone of voice as she looks up at the crooked townhouse. "Isn't this a magical house?" she asks looking back at Artemis, who just nods in response. "That would mean…" Beitomartis says under her breath with realization and growing horror before turning back to Artemis with wide eyes. "He's a magician," she says in shock.
"Yes," Artemis answers truthfully as Britomartis gasps in shock.
"Oh my, Zeus has to be pissed about that," the other goddess of the hunt says under her breath. "Artemis, you do realize just how dangerous that is, right? If the boy figures out how to mantle and decides he wants to try on some bigger pants he could-"
"Enough," Artemis says softly and sharply as she turns to look at Britomartis. "He doesn't know how to mantle, and even if he did, Harry isn't the kind of person who would try that," she informs her old friend after cutting her off.
"Oh, I bet old Nergal thought that about his kid as well, right up to the point where they-" Britomartis continues while crossing her arms over her chest to look hard at Artemis until Daphnis places a hand on her shoulder.
"Britomartis, Lady Artemis is fully aware of the possibility of what Harry could do," Daphnis says quietly to his former sister with a small frown on his face. "But he has shown nothing but virtues to both Lady Artemis and the rest of the hunt, he's not power hungry like the Magicians in the far past," he informs Britomartis.
The younger goddess frowns before letting out a sigh. "Fine, whatever, I'll drop it," Britomartis says before turning away from them.
Artemis looks at her old hunter for a moment longer before turning back to the old townhouse and walking up the steps. Hedwig barks on her shoulder before her feathers puff out slightly at Britomartis' words. "It is fine, Hedwig. She has her reasons for her words," Artemis informs the owl who had turned her head to glare at the other goddess. Artemis raises her hand and knocks on the front door three times before slipping her hand back into the pocket of her jacket.
As Britomartis helps Daphnis up the stairs, footsteps get closer to the door as others shuffle around the front room. Artemis blinks as the door is thrown open and by the time she opens them, she has a wand aimed right between her eyes. Normally this type of action would have gotten the one foolish enough to do it turned into a jackalope before having the hunt set upon them. But seeing that the guard dog was the one holding the wand and his eyes go from narrowed and angry with a curse on the tip of his tongue, to wide, shocked, and fearful, Artemis would let it slide.
The guard dog immediately withdraws his wand from her face and opens his mouth, before closing it. He does it a few more times as if he is trying to find something to say, but Artemis beats him to it. "Well, are you just going to stand there gawking or are you going to invite me in?" she asks, only for Sirius to pause for a moment to eye the other two people with her before taking a step back and opening the door wide for her.
Artemis smirks before walking into the townhouse. She follows the sound of the closing riffs of a band that is playing on a phonograph and into the sitting room. Her eyes travel across the gawking and surprised mortals, from the hunting hound and the lioness to the bimbo's legacy, who turns white and takes a step back from her to the two mortal friends before her eyes finally land on him.
"Hello, Harry," Artemis says as she smiles at the shocked boy. Harry blinks twice before the smile that blooms across his face threatens to split it in two.
"Mom!" Harry cries before dropping an odd golden short spear and leaping over the couch that he was without a doubt going to banish at anyone else. Artemis opens her arms as Harry leaps at her and for the first time in many long months, Artemis is finally able to hold her son. She swings them around and they both laugh as they embrace, Artemis slows to a stop and does nothing but hold her son for a long moment before Harry pulls away. "What are you doing here? How did you get permission to be on the Isles?" Harry asks with a wide and bright smile as his eyes shine with joy.
But Artemis notices something that makes her heart stop and ache, Harry has gotten taller.
It wasn't by much, maybe a few inches. For once he stood as tall as her shoulders in her adult form(the one she was wearing now), but now he could almost look her in the eyes. The realization hit her in the chest like Hephaestus' hammer and nearly knocked the wind from her, she had missed so much. She hated it, but as much as she wanted to go back in time and redo it all, to save Harry before his aunt and uncle had wrought so much damage on him, she knew she couldn't.
Artemis buries her regret deep in her heart as she swallows the lump forming in her throat before putting a hand on top of Harry's head and she smiles at him. "You've grown," Artemis says, her smile soft and her voice somber.
Harry flushes but smiles as well before pushing her hand away playfully, "Yeah, just a bit," he admits looking back at her with a brighter smile. As he opens his mouth to say something, a scream overtakes the room causing everyone who was looking on at the reunion with smiles of their own to look over at the sound.
"ATTY!" Britomartis screams in pure joy before sailing through the air and over the couch at high speeds to smash into Atalanta with such force it sends them both tumbling over and into the next room. Causing much of the room to laugh at as the legacy took her chance to sneak out, and Artemis let her go.
She wasn't here for bloodshed, she was here for her son.
Atalanta, 10 pm.
Atalanta had watched with a smile as Harry recounted the last few months to Lady Artemis with a smile while she had her own talk with Britomartis. She, Britomartis, Daphnis, Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Artemis had taken over the dining room to talk and drink as Remus busied himself with making snacks in the kitchen as they talked. Atalanta had been told a few months after retaking human form about Britomartis' ascension to godhood, and she was happy for her old sister in the hunt. They hadn't spoken in quite literally centuries and it would take more than a few hours and a single bottle of wine to even scratch what Britomartis had done over the years.
Thankfully for Harry, it had only been a few months since he last saw Artemis. But boy, those were some wild months, so after Artemis had produced a large bundle of letters from everyone in the hunt and a few gifts they had sent along for Harry. He started to talk about the gifts he had gotten for Christmas, the most important one was from Sirius and Remus, who upgraded Harry's armor. Atalanta had watched the two men work in vain for the last few months to try and get any magic to stick to the Scorpio Armor to no avail. It wasn't until about a month back while Atalanta was walking around the Alley to learn more about the layout for what was a hotbed of activity during the last war that she ran across something unexpected in Knockturn Alley.
A cyclops by the name of Darant.
When Atalanta first came across the old Smith there was a pretty tense moment. For the cyclops knew what the silver jacket that Atalanta wore meant and was ready to fight for his life and livelihood. But after Atalanta admitted she was just as surprised to see him as he was to see her, things cooled down considerably, then drinks were poured and stories were told. Darant had stayed when the flame moved, sticking around the edges of the Wizarding World building and creating the odd weapon or artifice when paid well enough. Darant was smart for a cyclops, probably due to not being killed over and over again by Demi-gods, and he was pretty happy with his life and wasn't hunting Harry so Atalanta had sworn to leave him be.
The old cyclops had smiled at that and was far friendlier after Atalanta's oath. After they started talking about Voldemort and the coming war, apparently the old smith was approached by a few of the dark families promising large amounts of gold for his skills like they had done last time. Darant would work for anyone with enough gold and he wasn't ashamed to admit that, Atalanta had told Darant just who Harry was and that those same families were trying to kill him.
Darant had reconsidered their offers after that, he knew what was going to happen to anyone who pissed off Artemis and no amount of gold was worth that. Darant even offered a solution to Sirius and Remus' problem when Atalanta brought it up.
Alchemic silver.
While gold may be impossible to create without some stone thing, silver was something that could be created, molded, and enchanted by magical mortals. Within the week Sirius had brought Harry's armor to the smith and had the cyclops line the inside of the armor with a thin layer of alchemic silver and paid him a pretty galleon for it. By the time Darant was done with it, the inside of the bracers, shin guards, and breastplate were all silver, soft, and ready for enchanting.
While the armor was already resistant to almost all forms of magic, as well as any slashing or piercing weapons, the two marauders decided on enchanting it with some "quality of life charms" as they explained it. They made the armor unbreakable, weightless, cushioning charms were worked in for rough landings, fireproofing both the armor and Harry, and shield charms for the neck and chin in case someone aimed for a soft spot. Atalanta watched the two men plan and work on the armor for weeks, with dedication in their eyes. Especially Sirius, how he would stay up to the late hours of the morning trying to make it perfect with a furrow to his brow and his tongue sticking out between his lips.
Atalanta blushed at the memory and cursed Sirius' stupidly handsome face for looking so handsome while he worked. Her feelings for the roguish man had done nothing but grow and grow and honestly, it was starting to scare her. It had gone from friendly banter to a bit of harmless flirting to actual flirting before Atalanta even realized it. The fact they had almost kissed a week ago was something she wasn't ready to face because she had wanted that kiss for the first time in her life, she had wanted a man to kiss her, and that scared her.
Harry also told Artemis about the other gifts he got from Hermione, Ron, Dora and her family, about jumpers and homemade fudge, and a gift he refused to touch with a ten-foot pole from some girl named Fleur.
But as Harry went on about how he had got his hands on Gaé Buidhe and the Standard of the Lost Ninth Legion by freeing the Celtic gods, Britomartis turned her attention to Harry with a shocked look.
"That was you?" She asked in a horrified whisper, only to see Harry looking at her oddly and nod. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Britomartis asks with a look of horror on her face to match her tone.
"Ummm, gave the Isles back to the Celtic gods?" Harry says, sounding confused as he looks between Lady Artemis' passive and uncaring face and Britomartis' shocked one.
"No, you dolt," Britomartis says as she slams her hands on the dining room table before standing to glare at Harry. "You overturned a victory for Rome, the land the gods conquered was taken from them and returned to the ones it originally belonged to. Do you know just how many of the gods on the Roman side are pissed about that?" she hisses at Harry as Atalanta and Daphnis look on with frowns and a sense of growing unease.
Harry just scowls in a show of anger. "Fuck the Roman gods," he says with heat in his tone. "If they had just done the right thing before they left and unsealed the Dé Danann then I wouldn't've had to do any of it. But no, they want to be cunts so they can get fucked like them," Harry says angry and bitter as his scowl worsened before pausing and quickly turning back to Artemis with a look of horror on his face. "Not you! I-I didn't- I mean, ah, …sorry?" Harry says with a grimace as Artemis just looked at him with a raised brow.
Artemis took a sip of the drink that Remus had given her as she sat down before smiling at Harry. "I would ask you to speak of my fellow gods with a bit more respect, Harry. But I understand where you're coming from and what you mean, even if I don't like it. But they are family after all," she states with a shake of her head as Harry lets out a sigh of relief.
"Only by blood," Harry mutters darkly as he leans back in his chair, causing Artemis to look at him curiously.
"What do you mean by that?" Artemis asks, her brow raising again as Harry freezes in his seat, his eyes going wide.
"Oh, ah, right. Haven't told anyone about that," Harry says under his breath as everyone at the table looks at him.
"Haven't told us what?" Sirius asks, placing down his cup that was halfway to his lips. He looked confused along with Ron and Hermione, which surprised Atalanta, it was normally those two who found out everything going on with Harry first.
"Its-its nothing, really. It doesn't even matter, not really anyway," Harry mumbles looking everywhere but at Artemis, which was throwing up all sorts of red flags.
"What doesn't matter, Harry?" Artemis asks, her voice stern but not demanding.
"Ah, so you know about how the whole reincarnation thing works?" Harry asks, finally looking back at Artemis who nods. "Well, it turns out that I, ah, I'm a reincarnation of a hero from the-from the Isles," he says with a smile-like grimace.
Artemis blinks in surprise, along with most of the table. But it was Hermione who asked, "Do you know which one?"
"Ah, y-yeah. Connla," Harry admits as he rubs the back of his head.
"I don't know who-" Artemis begins to say just before Hermione lets out a gasp and covers her mouth in shock as she stares at Harry with wide eyes.
"Connla, The son of Cú Chulainn! Harry, that means you're related to-" Hermione begins to babble in shock before Harry cuts her off.
"No, Hermione, no it doesn't," Harry says quickly looking between a confused Artemis and Hermione. "I'm not Connla, I'm just Harry. Connla died a long time ago, just because I have his soul doesn't mean I'm him and that I'm related to-" Harry starts saying and explaining but it was now Artemis' turn to cut him off.
"Well, that's not exactly true," the goddess of the hunt says, causing Harry and everyone else to look at her. "There's a reason why the term Soulmate exists, Harry. Just because you think it doesn't matter, doesn't mean your soul feels it's meaningless. Feelings will always bleed over, from one life to the next," Artemis says before taking a sip of her wine. "So, who is Connla? Because the only bit of Irish myth I know is about Mac Cumhail," she asks.
"Connla is the child of Cú Chulainn and Aoife, Aoife being the twin sister of Scáthach, Harry's teacher," Hermione supplies as Artemis nods along before freezing.
Artemis' eyes widen as realization sinks in as she stares at Harry for a moment.
The Hunt roared to life as the rattling of broken chains drowned out all sound in the room. Hermione meeps before falling out of her seat, Ron yells and jumps out of his, and the two hunters and one minor goddess begin to sweat as Harry grips his head and lets out a cry of pain. There was a sound of shattering glass from the kitchen as Remus dropped something and Sirius started to slide under the table to hide from the rage of the Hunt.
Artemis looks to Harry clutching his head before she takes a deep breath and lets it out. The suffocating aura of the Hunt slowly stops as Artemis stands from the table. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go see a certain shadow-loving bimbo about…something, and promptly fill her full of arrows," Artemis says, her voice filled with the hard tone of anger and sadistic glee as she begins to head toward the front door with Harry quickly following behind her.
"Well, that's not good," Atalanta says with a sigh before putting her mug of ale down and standing as well.
"Why not?" Britomartis asks, looking between where Artemis had left and Atalanta.
"I confess, I'm a bit lost as well. Who exactly is Scáthach?" Daphnis asked with a frown as he swirled his wine.
"She's one of the Celtic gods and Harry's teacher," Hermione supplies after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself from the Hunt's influence. "And it's not good because she is currently at Hogwarts, and if Lady Artemis is going to the school to pick a fight with her, well…" she says, trailing off so the other hunters could fill in the blank as the rest of the mortals slowly came to their senses from the fear of the Hunt induced.
"Bunch of dead rugrats, yeah. Okay, that could be bad," Britomartis says with a sigh before standing up to help calm her old friend.
As Atalanta and Britomartis began to move out of the dining room, there was a soft pop followed by a roar of flames and the two Hunters turned to watch as a single red feather fell to the table in front of Sirius.
The man himself had just started to look over the table when he spotted the feather. "Oh, come on-" he says in aggravation before snatching up the feather and turning to the kitchen. "Moony! Pick your hairy arse up off the floor and go get Dora, Dumbledore calling a meeting!" he yells before standing and brushing off his robe with a scowl. "One peaceful night, that's all I ask for," he mutters before walking toward the sitting room.
"Meeting?" Daphnis asks, turning his head slightly toward Atalanta with a small frown. "A meeting of what?"
"The Order, but one problem at a time," Atalanta says as she rushes into the sitting room with Britmartis.
Harry Potter.
Was Harry happy to see his mum again? Undoubtedly. He was ecstatic and full of joy when he saw who had walked into the house and she had even brought Hedwig back with letters from the hunt. Daphnis had also come, and Harry hadn't seen him in over a year so the other boy had gotten a hug out of Harry as well. He didn't know the other girl however, and didn't know the Greek Pantheon had another goddess of hunting but he was sure he would get to know her seeing that she was wearing a silver jacket as well.
But right now he was also terrified that Artemis was about to head to Hogwarts to fight Scáthach again. Which was something Harry wanted to avoid at all costs, for the sake of the children at the school if nothing else.
"Mum, please. It's fine, she and I both agree it doesn't matter! It's okay!" Harry says in a rush while chasing after Artemis who is heading for the front door.
"And that is fine," Artemis says, though by her tone it didn't sound fine at all. "But that does not mean it's fine with me," she says and Harry has no idea why she is so mad at Scáthach. Maybe it had to do with her chucking Harry into the chasms in the Land of Shadows, or maybe something else altogether. But to Harry's good fortune, Artemis didn't make it to the door, for both Harry and Artemis stopped when the floo flared to life in a burst of green flame. Both stopped and watched as Albus Dumbledore stepped out from the hearth brushing off ash and soot from his neon-green robe.
Dumbledore looks up, his eyes quickly darting away from Harry-Stupid old goat still won't-to see Artemis standing in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place. The headmaster blinks in surprise before smiling at her. "Lady Artemis, what a welcome surprise!" he says with a large smile before bowing his head in respect.
"Albus," Artemis says with a nod. "Happy Christmas, and as nice it is to see you, I'm afraid I need to take leave for a while to go see someone about a beating," Artemis says flatly, causing the Headmaster to tilt his head in confusion as Atalanta, Sirius, and the other hunter enters the room.
But before anyone could say another word, the floo flared again, but instead of green flames; they were black.
And from the fire steps the pale skin and auburn hair of the Scáthanna. Her eyes scan the room, traveling over the guests and residents of the home before landing on Harry. She smiles softly at the boy before speaking, "Ah, Greaca, there you are-"
"You," Artemis snaps, cutting off Scáthach as she speaks and catching the Queen of Dún Scáith's attention.
"Oh? Lady Artemis, I didn't see you there," Scáthach says with a smile as she strides forward while folding her arms behind her back. Dumbledore steps out of the way as Scáthach comes to stand before Artemis. "Perhaps because of your height, you are rather small," she says with a hint of amusement as she looks down at Artemis. Ignoring the fact that Scáthach was only a few inches taller than Artemis, the Lady of the Hunt bristles and glares at the goddess of swift death.
"You should very well know that height does not equal power," Artemis says through clenched teeth.
"And thank the domains for that, or else you'd be the weakest of your kin," Scáthach shoots back, her teasing smile never leaving her face.
"Would you care to test that now that you are outside of your place of power?" Artemis growls as she takes her hands out of her jacket and her bow folds itself into existence in her hand and steps closer to Scáthach.
The Scáthanna wasn't one to back down, however, so she stepped forward till she and Artemis were nose to nose and letting her hands fall to her side. "Oh, I doubt the outcome will be any different, Lady Artemis. But if you care to go for another ride on my spear so I can make you scream again, well, …" Scáthach says as she flexes her hand and twisting shadows and crimson mist finishes her statement better than any words can.
As Artemis glares back at Scáthach, the two gods begin to call upon the power of their respective domains, shaking the house down to its foundation. Dumbledore takes another step back from the two gods, his wand falling into his hand to help protect the children in the home. The two hunters ready themselves to back up the Goddess they had sworn to serve and saw as a dear friend. Harry backs away slowly, trying to talk to both of them to calm them down and stop them from tearing the house apart.
But it was Sirius that spoke loud enough for them to hear.
"Enough!" the master of the house commands, causing the two goddesses to turn and glare at him. "This is the only house I have, and I'd very much like it if you two didn't blow it up along with the bloody block!" he shouts angrily as he steps forward. "I would also like to point out that Harry lives here as well, in case you two forgot," he adds on before swallowing thickly as both goddesses glare at him for interrupting them.
Both goddesses turn to look at Harry before going back to glaring at one another. For one long horrible second everyone in the room was sure they would come to blows, but it was Artemis who scoffed and dismissed her bow first.
"You have a good point, guard dog," Artemis says the words like a curse as she continues to glare at Scáthach and stuffs her hands back into her pockets.
"Oh, thank Hestia," Sirius mumbles to himself as Scáthach also relaxes and the shadows stop gathering around her.
"A shame," the Queen of Dún Scáith says with a bit of a frown while folding her hands behind her back once more. "We'll have to settle this later then," she says disappointed and with a tilt of her head.
"Anytime you want," Artemis says with a challenge in her voice.
"Oh, will you two just fuck already," another exacerbated voice says with a sigh. Everyone turns to the entrance hall of Grimmauld Place to see Fúamnach standing in the entryway with her hands on her hips and floppy witch hat tilted backward. Dora was behind her leaning forward on the banister with an amused grin as Theodore was peeking his head from around the separating wall to look into the room with wide eyes.
Artemis frowns at the comment but Scáthach speaks up before her. "While I would, she's an eternal maiden," the Scáthanna says with a roll of her eyes before Fúamnach does the same.
"Okay! I'm drawing the line at things I don't want to hear here, thank you very much!" Harry yells out before throwing himself between the two goddesses causing them both to back away from one another. "I do not need to know you want to shag my mom, Teacher, just, just no," Harry says before running his hand through his hair.
"Oh?" Scáthach says, sounding amused. "Now you know how I feel every time you get up to something with Miss Lestrange in an empty classroom," she says, like an offhand comment that causes almost everyone in the room to turn to Harry with wide eyes as he grimaces at Scáthachs words.
"Doing what with who!?"
"Harry, come on kiddo, her of all people!?"
"Welcome to the family!"
Voices say all around him as Harry buries his face into his hands and his face burns red. He hears his Teacher chuckle at his embarrassment before sighing and letting his hands drop, just to see two angry amber eyes glaring at him. Harry swallowed thickly as his mum loomed over him as she placed both hands on her hips. "Harry James Potter-"
"Oh, she used his middle name, he is so fucked," Ron whispers from next to Hermione who were both peaking into the room from the dining room.
"-You are far too young to be doing anything like that!" Artemis says as she looms over Harry with narrowed eyes. "And what happened to the other girl that was courting you? You didn't do anything foolish, did you?" she asks as Harry begins to sweat.
"Before you give Harry a tongue-lashing he doesn't deserve," Scáthach says, drawing Artemis' ire to her. "May I?" she says before holding up two packages wrapped in Christmas-themed wrapping. Artemis frowns and glares, but steps back before crossing her arms to watch. Scáthach shook her head before handing the two packages to Harry, one was a rectangle wrapped in blue and silver snowflakes and no bigger than his forearm, and the other was as big as his open hand and square wrapped in pitch black wrapping with a red bow. Harry looks up at Scáthach, who gestures to him to open them, so shrugging he does.
The rectangle one he opened first, looking at the second one under his arm. What was inside surprised Harry, for he was sure he would never see it again, his holly and phoenix feather wand. Harry pulled it from the satin-lined wand box it was sitting in and felt his magic course through it, he smiled softly at the feeling as he spun it between his fingers. There wasn't a scratch or mark on it, it looked as new as the day he got it and no longer damaged by the curse that Voldemort had sent down it. Harry turns to look at Dumbledore, the only man in the room who Harry thought could have gotten his hands on it. But finds him no longer there, the Headmaster has moved into the dining room when Harry was opening his gift.
Harry sighs before tucking the wand into the back pocket of his trousers and tossing the wrapping onto the couch. He didn't know why the Headmaster was avoiding him, it stung a bit, but this at least showed he cared about him if nothing else.
He opened the small box next, Harry didn't need to ask who this was from, the wrapping gave it away immediately. But what he didn't expect was what was inside of it, a small wooden jewelry box. Opening it he found the oddest thing, a small gold ring, worn and pitted with age hanging off a silver chain. Harry frowns, confused by the gift, he wasn't one for jewelry of any type, and as he lifts the ring out of the box by the chain he looks up at his teacher for an explanation.
"It's a thumb ring, Greaca," Scáthach says with a small smile and something soft in her eyes as she gazes at the ring and Harry.
It only takes a moment before realization hits him like a truck and his eyes widen at her words. "Like, the thumb ring?" Harry asks, his voice fills with a bit of awe as he handles the ring with a little more care.
"Yes," Scáthach says before folding her hands back behind her. "I thought…that returning it to its rightful owner would help put at least some ghosts to rest," she says with a soft smile as Artemis eyes the ring with curiosity and a frown. Harry however smiles back at his teacher before setting down the box and looping the silver cord around his neck.
"Well, so long as we're not taking it to some volcano to throw it in," Hermione says with a smirk and a twinkle of mirth in her eyes that got Atalanta and Britomartis giggling and everyone else looking at her oddly. Hermione rolled her eyes before grabbing Ron by the arm and dragging him towards the entrance. "The Order is about to have a meeting, shall we adjourn to one of the upstairs rooms?" she asks while walking by them.
Before Harry could even answer her, Artemis reaches over and grabs ahold of Harry's ear. "Oww, oww, oww!" he says as Artemis begins to drag him by it in the same direction.
"Yes, I do believe we should, me and my son-" Artemis says while sending a glare at Scáthach who just smiles back before mouthing something that only Harry and Artemis saw, making one blush and the other fume. "-Have much to catch up on," Artemis says with gritted teeth as Scáthach chuckles.
Daphnis, twenty minutes later.
The Commander and High Priest of Artemis was very confused at the moment. He had somehow been suckered into sitting in a meeting with this Order of the Phoenix by Atalanta, and not spending time with his sisters and brother in the hunt as he wanted to do when he came here.
He was still lost on the details of just how that happened, but he would at least do his due diligence and take notes for Atalanta so she would not be lost during the next.
So, there he sat in darkness listening to people he didn't know go over mundane reports about things he knew nothing about. The only thing that made it more bearable was the sweet honey mead in his goblet and the small plate of homemade cookies that a loving and motherly voice had offered him. As well as the company, he sat next to the Goddess (for she could be no other thing with the Hunt being quelled into submission next to her) who has been nothing but polite and helpful to Daphnis since they shook hands. She had even helped pour his drink for no other reason than he may spill it and wish to help him. Daphnis bowed his head low in a show of thanks to her as the motherly woman offered him his snack.
"Thank you all for your reports, and for coming," The Headmaster begins, his voice sounding as jovial as when Daphnis first heard it. "And as you all must be well aware by now, the first blow of the war has been struck by us no less," Albus says and waits till the cheers die down a little before speaking up again. "Yes, yes, a great victory has been won as we begin to drag Voldemort from the shadows, but this war has only just begun, and we have many more battles to win before we can declare a final victory," he says seriously, causing the table to quickly regain composure.
"But this good news does not come without its share of bad. Cornelius is still denying Voldemort's return and has sealed the record of the trial from the general public. He is also using his influence over the Prophet to downplay the words of the former Lord Carrow to something along the lines of the truth as he knows it," Ablus says and Daphnis was sure that if he still had his eyes he would see many roll their own.
"But with my reinstatement as ambassador to the ICW, I will begin gathering our allies outside of our land for help. But also welcoming allies from our shores, and with that, I turn to you, My Lady," the Headmaster says cryptically as he turns to someone else in the room. Much to Daphnis' surprise, the Goddess next to him stands.
"Thank you, Albus," She says, her voice deep and musical as she speaks. "Allow me to introduce myself to those who do not know me," she says as Albus sits back down and falls quiet. "My name is Scáthach Árd-Greimne, Professor of Defensive Arts at Hogwarts and Scáithanna of the Circle of Fianna," as the Goddess introduced herself, the murmurings and whispers began at her last title, but the importance and nuance were lost on Daphnis as he listened in. "I am here representing the Irish Circles as well as some of the older Scottish families. The Irish circles have met and discussed the developing situation here in England with the return of Voldemort and we have decided that, unlike the last time he was in power, we will be joining this fight," Scáthach says as the whispers all but stop and Daphnis could practically feel the shock rolling off them all.
After a moment as Daphnis was sure everyone but Albus was looking at the Goddess in shock, he spoke up. "How many fighters can the circles bring to arms?" Daphnis asks, tilting his head toward the Goddess. He could feel her gaze shift to him, inspecting him, evaluating him, and measuring his question.
"The Circle of Fianna stands at one hundred strong, each well-trained in the arts of battle and magical warfare," she answers Daphnis with something akin to a smile in her tone of voice as if she approved of his question.
Daphnis nods before leaning forward a bit to turn his head to the Headmaster. "And this Order, how many fighters?" he asks with a raised brow.
"The primary goal of this order isn't to fight the war but to protect life. But most if not all twenty-seven members are skilled in the arts of magical combat, not including Miss Atalanta who is far more, shall we say, a lion in a fight?" the Headmaster says with a chuckle and Daphnis smiled, for it was an apt description of Atalanta in the middle of a Hunt. Daphnis leans back, with his fingers tapping rapidly on the table as thoughts of whats and wheres swims through his mind.
"Was there anything else, Commander Daphnis?" Scáthach asks in a knowing tone as she watches him.
"No, no, I was just curious," Daphnis says a bit quietly. But something itched in him, he didn't know if it was the Hunt wanting him to prepare for what was to come or his father's domain of trade and commerce wanting to play a part in it all, but he wanted, no, he needed numbers. So as Albus opens his mouth and Scáthach sits down, her eyes still on him, Daphnis shoots forward again. "Is there no one else to help you fight?" he asks, causing Albus to once more as he looks at Daphnis.
"The auror and hit wizards as soon as the Ministry gets their collective heads out of the arses," Another voice answers, light and female with the hint of divine melody to Daphnis' ears.
"It would be another three hundred soldiers and police to the fight," another voice supplies, deeper and more masculine to Daphnis ears.
"What of the pr-enemy?" Daphnis says, stumbling a bit over his words and unable to hide the bit of excitement in his words. "What are their numbers and capability?" he asks quickly.
"Voldemort's forces stand at one hundred and sixty-five wizards and witches, most of whom have some passing skill and a few exceptionally dangerous individuals among them. But the real threat is the large number of dark creatures at his command along with the giant tribes and werewolf packs," Albus says, watching the boy closely as Daphnis drums his fingers faster as his mind races with what that could be brought to bear.
These witches and wizards didn't need weapons, the wands they held were good enough and better than any bow or spear for them. They seemed fine on supplies and information, and even if they weren't, Daphnis didn't know if he could help with anything beyond basic first aid supplies. But there was one thing that came to mind, one thing he could help with.
"What do you use for armor on this side of the pond?" he asks with a raised brow causing many to pause and look solely at the young man.
Sirius Black, 3 AM.
Sirius enters the Hallway from his room, his hair a mess and eyes sunken in with lack of sleep. He had been tossing and turning for the last few hours, unable to sleep with a goddess in his home. But it was a bit more than that, it was everything, everything was now moving so fast and hurtling toward the inevitable war that would soon spill blood in the streets once more. Sirius sometimes felt that the war never truly ended for him, he went from fighting on the front lines to reliving those hellish moments in Azkaban back to fighting on the battlefield of politics with no end in sight.
Everything in him was screaming to take Harry, Remus, and Atalanta and leave the isles for good. To enroll Harry in Ilvermorny and let him spend weeks with his mum and sisters during the summer, but he knew it wouldn't work. Either by Albus or Voldemort's actions, they would be drawn back into the war once more, and if not them; then Harry. Sirius did not doubt that as soon as he could, Harry would return to the front lines ready to finish the hunt that fate had put him on.
Sirius yawns as he heads down the third-floor staircase, intent on grabbing a glass of pumpkin juice and some of those Advil pm's Moony had brought home to help him sleep a few days before the full moon. Sirius had just made it to the second-floor landing and passed by Harry's room when he noticed that the lights were on in the Library with the door open. He frowns thinking about how foolish it was for one of the kids or even Moony or Dora to have left one of the smokeless oil lamps on in a place full of paper books.
He approaches the door, intent on stuffing the lamp and pranking everyone in the morning for the fire hazards until he looks into the room. The Black Family Library was the largest room in the house bar none, it had been magically expanded over the centuries that they had Grimmauld Place home and stored generation after generation of secrets both magical and mundane in it. Rows of books and scrolls filled with magical disciplines, journals of long-dead family members, and secrets both bloody and whispers sat on the shelves that span the room from floor to ceiling in towering black lacquered bookshelves. Trophies and heads of magical creatures dot the walls here and there among the treasure trove of knowledge as well as trunks filled with magical artifacts lined the ends of a few bookshelves with a few sitting areas in the library. An empty portrait hung over the fireplace at the very back of the library where old Phineas would sit whenever he wasn't at Hogwarts guarding the old grimoires of the black family sealed with blood and dark magic that hid behind the portrait.
But all of this was a familiar sight to Sirius, what wasn't was the Goddess in a silver jacket flipping through one of the books on magical taxidermy with a slight frown on her face.
Artemis' visage in the low lamplight was a haunting image to Sirius. She was, without question, strikingly beautiful, but there was also something that he had a hard time putting his finger on. Something around the edges of her being seemed to shift and twist in the light, giving Sirius a sense of unease at the thing pretending so hard to be human but always wasn't. The air in whatever room she chose to be in was always thick with contained bloodlust and an air of anticipation that settled on his nerves like knives. Sirius didn't know how Harry could put up with it for so long like it was nothing when all Sirius wanted to do was run from her and hope she didn't give chase.
But Sirius Black wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing, so he swallows his fear and lightly knocks on the door.
Artemis neither jumps nor turns to him. "I was wondering if you were just going to stand there all night or not," she says without turning around, her tone flat and bored like all the other times Sirius had heard her speak.
"Ah, sorry about that," Sirius says softly before leaning against the door frame. "Find anything interesting?" he asks politely, and watches as Artemis slowly nods.
"I have. You mortals have such fascinating ideas on how to improve upon trophy preparation and I was just wondering if I could replicate them," Artemis says before looking toward Sirius with a bored look. Sirius had to fight the urge to turn tail and run as she looked at him with amber eyes as she held up the book she was reading. "Do you mind if I borrow this?" she asks, raising a brow to Sirius.
Sirius opens his mouth before he closes it and scoffs out a laugh of amusement before nodding. "By all means Lady Artemis, you may borrow it as long as you wish," he says with a bow of his head.
Artemis shares a rare smile with Sirius, one that almost stops his heart, before nodding herself. "My thanks, Lord Black for your generosity," she tells him flatly as she looks down at the book in her hand. She closes the book after marking the page she was reading for later before turning back to Sirius with a far more deadly look on her face. "There is something I had planned on speaking to you about before my three days are up, and now seems like a good enough time to do so," Artemis admits before she walks over to just within arms reach of Sirius.
"About what Lady Artemis?" Sirius asks, feeling a pit form in his stomach.
"About the growing feelings between you and my hunter," Artemis says, an edge to her voice that sounded like the drawing of a bowstring to Sirius. He swallows and pales but remains quiet for a moment before Artemis speaks again. "You do not deny it?" she asks, flat and deadly.
"No," Sirius admits as he stands straighter, looking at the goddess in the eyes against his fear. "We've…grown close," Sirius says, a sad look entering his eyes. "It's, it's not her fault. It's mine, Lady Artemis. If you must punish anyone, punish me, but please don't blame Atalanta for this," he says, closing his eyes and readying himself to see James and Lily once more.
Artemis chuckles, surprising Sirius enough to open his eyes once more. "Atalanta said much the same, but laid the blame on herself," she says before shaking her head. She looks back at Sirius, much of the amusement he had heard in Artemis had spoken with nowhere to be seen in her eyes. "She had come to me not two hours ago, crying and begging for my mercy for you. She had confessed her growing feelings for you and her remorse over them," she tells Sirius as she looms over him in the soft lamplight as if she were ten feet tall.
Sirius says nothing but doesn't look away from the goddess. He wasn't ashamed of his feelings, his love, or his remorse.
"Do you know what happens if Atalanta breaks her oaths, Sirius Black?" Artemis asks him, quirking her brow as she does.
"She's expelled from the Hunt," Sirius answers softly with a bit of guilt. He knew how much Atalanta loved the hunt and how devoted she was to Artemis.
"Not just that, Sirius Black," Artemis answers back without anger or judgment. "Do you know Atalanta's story?" she asks and watches as Sirius nods. "Then you know of the curse placed upon her by my father for breaking her oath and fornicating in his temple with a boy she was cursed to love. Of how she became a lion?" she asks and once more Sirius nods.
"What you do not know is that the curse is still active. Only held back by my protection, by my blessing, and if she were to break that oath…" Artemis says, trailing off and allowing Sirius to fill in the blank himself as anguish fills his heart as he finally turns away from the goddess and places his forehead on the door frame.
"She'll revert to the lion she once was," Sirius says mournfully.
"And in that state, she will do what comes naturally to a monster and a beast of the Hunt," Artemis informs the heartbroken man before her. "She will stalk and kill the nearest demigod," she informs Sirius mercilessly as the man relives what would happen, that Atalanta would try to kill and devour Harry without pause or hesitation.
Artemis watches Sirius for a long moment, as anguish for what he had almost done and anger at himself for almost letting it happen twist his face with pain that Artemis could not feel herself. She nods to herself, Sirius Black has finally come to an understanding of what almost happened.
"It is not something she likes to talk about, it is the reason why she chose to keep the ears and the tail of the lion. So they could serve as a reminder of what would happen if she broke her oath," she informs Sirius who looks back at her with watery eyes. "So, I gave her an ultimatum, she was either to return with me to America when I leave here and I would send another hunter in her place to protect Harry," she tells him, only to see Sirius nod at her words.
"So, should I prepare for Zoë or someone else?" Sirius asks and Artemis scowls at him.
"Or perhaps you should not interrupt me when I speak, boy," Artemis says in a hard tone that makes Sirius break out into a cold sweat. She glares at him for a moment longer before closing her eyes and sighing. "Or, she is to keep to her convictions and her oaths, she is to see Harry through this war alive and when Voldemort lays dead for good. I will release her from her oaths, but she will always have my protection," Artemis says in a hard tone as she opens her eyes and looks hard at Sirius. "I already know the answer and conviction of my hunter, Sirius Black, so I ask you now," The Goddess of the Hunt says, getting right into Sirius' face.
"Can you keep your own emotions and baser urges in check?" Artemis asks in a protective growl.
Even with a being of unfathomable power centimeters from his face, even with the sound of broken chains rattling around him and the fangs of the Hunt bared at his exposed throat. Sirius Black did not back down as he looked back into the amber cat eyes of the goddess and gave the answer that echoed in his heart.
But neither the goddess nor man noticed the door to Harry's room close after Sirius gave his answer.
Harry Potter, the next day.
The absolute madness of the day before was quickly drained out by the absurd mundane of the day that followed. Harry had spent the day catching up with Daphnis and his mum and getting to know Britomartis, who was…quirky to say the least. Apparently, she was a goddess of hunting before joining Artemis' hunters after her pantheon faded away and was offered godhood again when Artemis offered to tie her being to the Flame of the West with the other Olympian Gods. She had a bunch of stories about the gods of the Far East from when she stayed in Japan and China for the last few decades and the monsters she had haunted over there. In return, Harry had told her about himself and the odd fate of his birth, to which the Goddess who had done nothing but set up joke traps throughout Grimmauld Place, tapped her lips and said only one thing to it all.
"There is no such thing as pure coincidence, all things in this world are ruled by causality."
This meant that nothing that summed up who Harry was was without the actions of others. Harry had frowned at it before shrugging, it sounded like something that wasn't in his realm of understanding.
But Britomartis turned out to lead an interesting life by living in the Far East, from her flings with Apollo, to the past where she rode around the isles for a few years as a female knight, To her hunts with Artemis and her hunters. She was also rather funny, always with a quip or a pun ready to fire off without any remorse that left the whole room groaning and her laughing her head off. Needless to say, she and Sirius got along like a house of fire with their shared love of pranks and puns. Harry was just glad that the twins weren't here to join in with the two, the few times Remus had was bad enough, but they still had to remove all the shaving cream from Dora's room before she got back from work.
Harry's time with Artemis was…peaceful. They didn't need to talk with one another, for both understood each other and the peace they both wanted in between hunts. Both could happily stay in one room without saying a word to each other and be content with that. But it did have its awkward parts, like the talk the night before where Artemis tried to not only give him the birds and the bees speech but also a speech on not toying with, as she put it, a maiden's heart. It was all very confusing for Harry because soon after that she had tried to leave again to "Fulfill a promise," she had made to Daphne, and knowing a threat when Harry heard one explain what happened between the two of them.
Which made Artemis stand in place awkwardly not knowing what to do or say. So she started on a speech about staying away from "Loose women" like Scáthach.
Honestly, it was like his mum didn't know what stance she wanted to take on those matters. Which, in hindsight, was probably the reason.
That's not even touching what Scáthach had mouthed to him and Artemis as she dragged him away from his teacher. Harry didn't know if Scáthach had mouthed it to Artemis to mess with her(Which was a very Scáthach thing to do) or if she had meant it.
"Our son," Teacher mouthed with that wicked smile of hers. Harry didn't know how to feel about it; so like everything else, he pushed it away and refused to think about like what Delphini had written just a few days ago.
But most of Harry's day was spent relaxing with family at Grimmauld Place, something completely alien to Harry. The thought of that had brought a smile to Harry's face as he sat between Artemis and Atalanta, playing speed chess with Ron and listening to Hermione and Daphnis talk about books. With the sound of Remus and Sirius cooking dinner in the background, Harry feels as if…
As if the horrors of his past were finally behind him.
But the day had soured at dinner time with the arrival of the evening Prophet, only Remus and Hermione even read it anymore. Moony was in the living room while he was reading through the current news and Hermione was reading through the gossip pieces when Moony cursed.
Remus Lupin, the paragon of politeness, jumped from his seat and yelled "Motherfucker!" at the top of his lungs before slamming the paper down in a fit. By the time Sirius had come around the corner to ask what was wrong, Lupin had pitched the bridge of his nose and looked to be holding himself back from tears. Remus takes a deep breath before turning to Sirius, tears clearly in his eyes.
"Frank and Alice passed away last night, the cause is currently unknown," He told Sirius who had to take a seat at the news. Apparently, the Marauders and the Longbottoms were good friends after Hogwarts and during the last war with Frank, Alice, and James going through Auror training together. It wasn't long after that Sirius had left for Longbottom Manor to speak with Neville's grandmother about what he could do to help and to find out how they died.
He returned a few hours later with a date and time for the funeral services and the details. Somehow they had broken out of their stupor just long enough to recognize Neville and his grandmother for who they were and share some last words with them before passing away quietly in their sleep the night before. For some reason, Harry was happy for his friend. Neville got to say goodbye, got to tell them that he loved them and they in return probably told him they loved him as well before falling into a final sleep.
A long rest after a long time lost to madness and pain. If anyone deserved that and the closure it brought, it was the Longbottom family.
The last of the Marauders refused for the mood to turn somber and raised a toast to the man and woman they had once called friends in celebration of their life. But it was in the middle of that drink that there was another knock at the door of Grimmauld Place, but this one shook the house to the foundation.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Artemis looked over at the door with a raised brow before letting out a great sigh as she rolled her eyes. "Might as well let him in, or he'll be out there all night," she mutters before gulping down the rest of her wine before standing up and walking into the living room to stand with her Hunters.
Who Sirius came back with was someone Harry didn't expect to come calling on him. For walking into the living room was the massive frame of the Horned God and King of the Wild Hunt carrying a barrel in his massive arms like it was just a mug. He places the keg down with a thud as he removes his biker helmet from his head to show off his own amber eyes.
"Well, hello my sister in the Hunt," Cernunnos says with a large grin as he takes in the room.
Chapter done!
This was a fun chapter to write. Setting up the happy ending for Sirius and Atalanta, Artemis and Scáthach's stare down, to Britomartis showing up.
But now the most important part, Cernunnos showing up. Now, I wonder if y'all figured out yet what his plan is?
Also, I added another chapter to Blood and Chrome that's a true start to the story for anyone who wants to go read it.
Chapter edited by: Politically Problematic Prose Pundit.
Kingsaxcul, out!