Chapter 20

Lugh stood beside Harry's bed, looking down at his son's pale face. He turned to Argante.

"How is he?"

"The arrow was tipped with iron. He'll live, but it'll take time for him to recover."

"Any luck finding Lily and Luna?"

"Dumbledore has the brownies searching the school, but so far there's no luck. I don't know what I'm gonna tell their parents if we don't find them."

Lugh squeezed her shoulder. "We'll find them, don't worry."

The door to the hospital wing swung open and Merlin strode into the room. "Alright, who shot my Grandson?"

"Artemis," Lugh said. "This is one of her arrows."

"Never liked her. She rejected me."

"She swore an oath of Chastity," Argante said rolling her eyes.

"That's just a bigger challenge."

Auberon appeared beside Harry's bed, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes. "I would ask where I went wrong, but I imagine you have made a list at this point."

"I did," Merlin said proudly. "Want to read it?"

Auberon glared at him. "Maybe later."

He looked down at Harry. "So, Artemis shot him. Any idea where she is?"

Lugh shook his head. "No, but I'm gonna find her."

"Apollo and Athena are dead. Artemis is the only one left helping Zeus."

Auberon ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "Something is wrong."

"Wrong?" Argante's eyes widened.

"His soul is missing."

**ACC**

Harry looked around the overgrown grounds. He stood next to a small cottage. In the distance, he could see a large manor. This place looked familiar.

"Hello," he called. "Is anyone here?"

He listened, but there was no answer. There was something unnatural about this place.

For one thing, there was no wind, not even the slightest of breezes. Looking up, he saw no moon or stars in the sky. Still, there was light coming from somewhere.

"If there's no moon, then where's the light coming from?"

Slowly, Harry began to walk towards the manor. Maybe there would be someone there that could give him some answers. As he walked, he thought over the last thing he remembered.

He'd been shot by Artemis and then ended up here, wherever here was. But if this was Artemis's doing, shouldn't there at least be a moon? Wherever this was, it was devoid of all life. He sensed no animals in this place. There weren't even any insects.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts when he heard two voices up ahead.

"You killed me," a woman's voice said.

"I had nothing to do with that."

"Yet you killed Frank Brice and his wife."

"I needed their life energies to stay alive. It was regrettable, but necessary."

"Can't you hear yourself? Don't you care that you've been killing people?"

"People die in war."

"They weren't part of your war."

"The innocent always dies in war. Frank and his wife were collateral damage. Look, I am well aware that I'm a monster, possibly even insane, but I do what I do for my people."

"Your people don't want you and if they did, they aren't worth saving."

"And you think muggles are? That is why I do what I do. Look at muggles. Sure, we have racism in my world, but Grindelwald and I have been the worst dark lords in several centuries. Meanwhile, how many wars have your people fought against each other?

There have been two world wars this century alone. Muggles have developed weapons that can kill hundreds of thousands. It'll be a new century in a matter of years, and I don't see it being any better than this one. Hatred, covetousness, greed, and an inability to see any other opinion than their own are the muggles greatest flaws."

"And that gives you the right to kill your own people?"

"The wizarding race will grow strong through the fires of adversity. When I return and take control, fae, wizards, and all magical creatures will unite and stand against the muggles."

Hearing enough, Harry approached the arguing couple. His eyes widened when he saw the middle-aged man facing the old woman.

"Voldemort," Harry said quietly.

Voldemort turned to face Harry. "Ah, Harry, it's good to see you. Why are you here?"

**ACC**

"Gone?" Argante hissed. "What do you mean gone?"

"Just what I said," Merlin said. "His soul is gone, but still connected to his body. It's like it was moved somewhere else."

"Artemis wouldn't have that kind of power," Lugh said.

"No," a voice said from the doorway, "but I do."

Everyone turned to see a tall plane-faced middle-aged man. His dark eyes were blank, like those of a corpse. In his right hand, he held a bident fashioned of bronze.

"Hades," Lugh said. "What are you doing here."

"Interfering with my brothers plans."

"Cut the crap," Argante snapped. "You said you can move souls."

Hades winced. "Look, we can't fight a war on two fronts. Harry has to deal with Voldemort now. The best way to do that is to take care of him while he's in the diary."

Lugh's spear appeared in his hand. "It's not Harry's job to take care of a deranged wizard with delusions."

Hades shrugged. "It was his job in the old timeline. There was a prophecy. Whether fake or not, it doesn't matter. Once events were set in motion they had to play out."

"Harry is not some savior that can solve the world's problems," Auberon snapped. "He is fae. It is the wizards that should face Voldemort not my Grandson."

"Voldemort, Tom Riddle, they started out as one entity. Now it is time to see which one comes out on top."

"What do you mean?" Argante asked.

"When you broke Zeus's curse, the piece of soul that was in limbo fell into this new world. I found it in kept it."

"But Voldemort didn't create horcruxes this time," Merlin said frowning.

Hades sighed. "You don't get it. None of you do. How many times do you need to be told. Harry broke the curse and reset the timeline, but those events still happened. That's why the world didn't go exactly like it did before. That's why certain people exist when they didn't exist before. That's why people were born later. You can't truly change the past. No one can. The best you can do is reset a timeline at a certain point and see how things progress."

Hades took a deep breath. "Voldemort didn't create horcruxes this time around, but the fragment of soul left in limbo still existed. When time was reset, Tom Riddle was still alive. Since the soul shard was part of Tom Riddle, it was dragged to this new world. I found it and kept it to prevent it from gaining power and becoming a threat, but it still needs to be dealt with. That's Harry's job."

"You still haven't explained why."

"Because the soul shard was the one that stared the events of the prophecy. Harry knows how the soul shard thinks and maybe, just maybe, there's a chance for the Voldemort of this timeline to get some redemption."

"Redemption," Merlin said incredulously. "What? We're just supposed to let him go after all he's done?"

"No, he still needs to be punished, but maybe he can avoid being damned for all eternity because of his actions."

"The Great spirit would forgive him if he asked," Auberon said stiffly. "There was no need to endanger Harry."

Argante frowned. "Why do you care about his soul?"

"If there's anything I understand it's regret. I kidnapped my wife. True, we did fall in love, but I wish I had done things differently. Voldemort doesn't deserve redemption. He doesn't deserve mercy, but maybe seeing what he could've become can change him."

"If Harry dies because of this I will kill you," Lugh growled.

"Fair enough," Hades said.

"What do we do now?" Merlin asked.

"We wait," Hades said.

Merlin stood. "While we do that, I need to talk to Siofra."

**ACC**

Harry raised his hand, conjuring a ball of fire.

"Wait," Voldemort said. "I'm not here to harm you."

"You've tried to kill me twice," Harry snarled.

Voldemort backed away, his hands still in the air. "Okay, first, yes, I did try and kill your parents, but I wasn't gonna kill you. I have no problem killing my enemies, but I don't kill infants. Why would I?"

"Because you saw the fae as a threat. You knew what I was and that I'd be a danger to you when I grew up."

"Yes, I knew what you were. My mother told me to bring you to her, hence why I attacked the potters. As for you being a danger, you were still in nappies. What were you going to do pee on me? Now, when you got older you could've been a danger, but you could've also been a potential ally. Until I knew which way you'd go, there was no reason for me to try and kill you."

"What about when you possessed Peter?"

"You were trying to kill my servant. He may have been pathetic, but he was still mine. Besides, by that time I learned you were a time traveler, so not only were you standing against me, but you were also technically older than you looked."

"That logic is insane. How do I know you are telling me the truth."

"You don't, but right now, we need each other. I need your help to face what's in that manor. I can't do it alone. I'm too weak."

"And what is in that manor?"

Voldemort winced. "You're not gonna like it."

**ACC**

Tom Riddle watched the trio talk from the window of the room he'd been trapped in. If only he'd had a chance to feed on lifeforce; he could easily deal with them. While he had some magic, he wasn't sure how strong these three were.

He wished Hades hadn't kept him locked away for all those centuries. He knew almost nothing about this world. True, wizards and fae walked side by side, but that was all he knew. He needed more information, but he wasn't going to get it before they arrived at the manor.

He grinned. Whoever the man was, he looked like his former self before he'd traveled on the paths to immortality. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

**ACC**

Artemis appeared on Mount Olympus and knelt before Zeus.

"Father," she said quietly. "It is done."

"Is the boy dead?"

Artemis nodded stiffly. "He isn't dead yet, but he is in critical condition. I tipped the arrow with iron. Given his race, the wound should be fatal."

Zeus shifted. "Apollo failed me. No doubt the boy's father and mother are at the school as we speak. You did well my daughter, but I'm sure the boy will recover."

Artemis opened her mouth to say something, but Zeus held up a hand.

"Relax daughter, I know this wasn't your fault. You are innocent of any wrongdoing. I knew this was a possibility."

"Father? Why did you want me to shoot the boy?"

"To cause chaos. While they were worried with him, I made a trip to Avalon."

"Le Fay is dead then?"

Zeus scowled. "No, the stupid witch was more cunning than I thought. The Island gave her enough power to banish me, but I will return and when I do, she will pay. First, I need to take care of the obstacles in our way to rule the earth again."

"Why is the boy a threat. Surely, he cannot match you in power."

"Knowledge is power my dear daughter. He knows about the curse. He could find a way to use the curse against me. No, I cannot let a threat to my power live."

"What do you wish me to do now?"

"Prepare yourself."

"For what?"

Zeus gave her a look that made Artemis's skin crawl. "Hera is gone. Athena is dead. You are the only one left to fill the void that I need filled."

Artemis swallowed. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. "What… what are you talking about?" she croaked.

"I am talking about you being my queen."

Artemis took a step back. "Father! That's… that's sick."

"Gaea was supposed to have mated with her own child. We will be creating a new race of gods. How is this any different?"

"I took an oath of Chastity. I swore to never marry anyone, let alone my own father."

Zeus shrugged. "Oaths are made to be broken. This is for the best." He smirked. "I promise I'll be gentle."

Artemis straightened up to her full height. "No."

"No?"

"I've done everything that you've asked. I've changed from a hunter to an Assassin, but this is where I draw the line. You've gone too far. If Gaea did mate with her child, they were starting the race of Olympians. There are others you can choose if you want a new race of gods. I made an oath to stay chaste for eternity and I intend to stick to it."

Zeus glared. "I am your father, and you will do as I command."

Artemis drew a bronze hunting knife from a sheathe on her hip. "Try it. You may rape me, but I swear on the river Styx it will be the last sexual act you commit. You have to sleep some time and when you do, we'll see how you like castration. There's plenty of animals I can feed the parts to."

Zeus ground his teeth. "You dare to stand against me? You who have always been loyal would dare to stand against your father?"

"Loyalty only goes so far. I'm drawing the line at bearing you a child." She sheathed her knife. "We're done here. Find someone else to do your dirty work."

Before Zeus could say anything, there was a flash of light. When the light faded, Artemis was gone.

Zeus stared at the spot where she'd stood. His plan was falling apart. Everyone had abandoned him. For the first time in thousands of years, he was all alone.

Could he be wrong? What if it was time for the Olympians to leave this world? No, he had to keep fighting. If humanity was to survive, it needed a firm hand. He would keep fighting until his last breath. His curse hadn't worked, but he could still conquer the mortal world. After all, there was no one that could stand against him.

**ACC**

Voldemort took a deep breath. "This is the diary that we created to hold a soul shard." Seeing Harry's face, Voldemort shook his head. "It's not my Horcrux. It is what remains of the tom Riddle from your timeline."

Harry's eyes widened. "I killed him."

"You did, but he went to Limbo. Hades kept the soul fragment, gave it to my Mum, and here we are."

"Why are you here?"

"How much do you know about Zeus?"

"I know that Zeus was the one behind the curse. I also have reason to believe that he's been pulling your strings."

Voldemort nodded. "You know some at least and you are correct. I and my mother have been working for Zeus. I finally got tired of it and told him what I really thought." He chuckled drily. "I acted more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin and I paid for it. He destroyed the portrait I was contained in, and I ended up in the diary."

"So, why am I here."

Voldemort shook his head. "I don't know, but If you have any hope of getting out of here; we need to take care of that abomination in the manor up there."

"Abomination? That's a piece of you."

"Not a piece I want to acknowledge." Voldemort stepped closer and stared into Harry's eyes.

"Look, I'm not gonna lie to you. If I get out of here, I'm gonna try and take over the magical and mundane world. I think that this world isn't big enough for the muggle and magical races. One of us has to go. Naturally, I'd prefer it to be them. You've seen the future and you've gone to muggle school, our people's cannot co-exist."

"Why not? Look, we are both sentient races. We should be able to integrate with each other peacefully. I don't think either side is even close to being ready for that, but it will happen in the future whether we want it to or not."

"And do you think the muggles will just accept us? They can't get along with each other. What do you think is gonna happen when a centaur goes walking down the street."

"And your idea is just to kill them all?"

"No, research will have to be done. We will keep those from magical bloodlines and breed them until they produce magical children. The children that are born that aren't magical will be kept alive to continue the cycle. All those muggles that have no wizarding blood in their ancestry will need to be eradicated."

Harry stared at Voldemort in horror and disgust. "You're going to treat them like animals?"

"Doesn't there science say that's where they came from? If they come from animals, why not treat them like animals?"

"What was the point of telling me all this?"

"Simple, I can't defeat my other self alone. She," he pointed to Matilda, "will be useless to us. Are you willing to put our differences aside until Tom Riddle is dead? Once that's done, we can find a way to get out of here."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because we're gonna have to fight him anyway. We may as well face him on our terms. Will you help me?" Voldemort held out his hand.

Harry hesitated. He didn't want anything to do with Voldemort or his plans, but he would need the help. There was no telling how powerful the soul shard was in this place. "I'll help," he said taking Voldemort's extended hand.

**ACC**

"You wanted to talk to me?" Siofra asked as she stepped into the Hospital wing. Seeing Harry, her eyes widened. "What happened?"

"Later," Merlin said shortly. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush. Your mother sent me here. She said you've been acting odd for the last fifty years or so. I find it odd that you show up and Harry winds up unconscious."

"Merlin," Lugh said. "That's hardly a good enough reason to suspect her."

"If that were all I would agree, but the fact that you found a diary containing dark magic in Ms. Weasleys bag is very suspicious."

Argante glanced at Siofra. "As suspicious as that might be, it's still no reason to suspect her."

Merlin opened his mouth to say something else, but a voice from the doorway stopped him.

"Leave my daughter alone. She's not the one that put the diary in Ms. Weasley's bag."

"Everyone turned to see Philip in the doorway. Seeing he had their attention, Philip continued. "Siofra hasn't done anything to deserve your suspicion. Isn't that right, Autumn?"

Autumn stepped into the room, looking around uncertainly. "I put the bag in Ms. Weasley's bag," she said quietly. "My intentions were to use the diary to absorb enough lifeforce to revive my son."

"Who is your son?" Lugh said stepping towards her.

"Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort."

**ACC**

Lily and Luna found themselves in an empty void.

"Luna?" Lily asked.

"Where are we?"

"Don't be afraid," a gentle voice said. "I have no intentions of hurting you."

They turned to see a tall woman with long black hair and fierce blue eyes watching them.

"Who are you?" Lily asked. "Why have you brought us here?"

The woman smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. "I always did value bravery. My name is Hera. I've called you here so you can help defeat Zeus."