Chapter 21

Luna stared at Hera. "The Hera?" she asked.

Hera nodded, still smiling. "Yes," she said. "The Hera, warts and all."

"How can we help stop Zeus. We're only mortal."

Hera nodded. "Most of the Olympians are gone, but Demeter, Hestia, and me stayed to watch how things played out. We want to give Luna the last of our power. It will make her an immortal."

"Woe woe," Lily said holding up a hand. "Why Luna? Why don't you three come back and stop Zeus? And why am I here?"

"Because we don't have the power to defeat him. We have been gone from the world too long."

"She's right," a tall raven haired woman appeared. "We can't stop Zeus." She looked at the two girls meaningfully, "But you two can help stop him for good. As for why you are here, you are going to inherit my power. The power of a Titan should be enough to make things equal between you and Luna."

"Hecate," Hera said. "I thought you'd chosen to be reborn."

"Part of me did," Hecate said giving Lily a meaningful look. "I've been waiting until she was ready to receive the rest of my power."

"Are you saying that I'm Hecate?" Lily asked, her eyes wide.

"Not in a literal sense, but you are my heir. Part of my power has manifested in you. It's time you received the rest of my power along with my knowledge and experience. Haven't you wondered how you can keep up with two time traveling magic users when you are only twelve years old? I released a part of my essence to choose a new host, a host that would be the new Hecate. That host is you."

"Luna," Hera said. "You have always had an intuitive understanding of life. You are gentle, wise, and above all, kind. These traits are why we have chosen you to receive our power. You will use it far better than we ever did."

"So," Hecate said. "What do you say? Are you in?"

**ACC**

Hades approached the door to the bar and nodded at Taranis. "I was hoping you would be here."

Taranis leaned back against the wall, his thumbs tucked in the pockets of his jeans. "Why's that?"

"We need your help."

"Whose we?"

"Everyone."

"I ain't a god anymore. I never was really. I just enjoyed the fame and adoration for a while, not much different from these modern sports stars really. Bit of a relief when Christianity came along. I was tired."

"Is that why you adopted this cowboy persona?"

Taranis shrugged. "Maybe. You know how it is. After a few centuries you just need a change. If you're asking me to fight Zeus, the answer is no. Hebe and me are happy enough staying out of this."

"You could stop him."

Taranis shook his head. "I enjoyed the worship, but I never became addicted to the power it gave us. The very thing that's caused Zeus to go as crazy as a rabid squirrel is the thing that makes him so powerful. He's been feeling his power waning for centuries. Before he killed Ares, I could have swatted him aside easily enough, but now…" He shook his head. "I've been gone from Elfame for too long. It's been a long time since I was at my full strength. I can't stop him now."

"Zeus is mad."

"He is. Look here, if you can wound him, I can drain him of his powers. We have similar aspects. That makes him vulnerable to me, but I can't do it unless we catch him off guard."

Hades sighed. "And that's all you'll do to help."

Taranis nodded. "Me and Hebe are happy. She's expecting our first child. I ain't about to endanger my child by stepping into a fight I ain't a part of."

Hades nodded. "I don't like it, but I can understand. Listen for my call."

Turning away, Hades walked away. In mid stride, he vanished into a shadow.

**ACC**

Harry, Voldemort and Matilda approached the crumbling manor. Harry glanced at Voldemort.

"Did you know this was your dad's old house?"

Voldemort nodded. "It was in better shape when I saw it last."

"You killed your dad earlier in the previous timeline."

"Why?"

"Because you're a murderer," Matilda said acidly.

Voldemort ignored her. "Why did I kill him?"

Harry shrugged. "Abandonment issues, I think. You see, in the other timeline, you were never adopted. You went to an Orphanage until you started at Hogwarts."

"My mother didn't adopt me?"

"I'm not sure your mother was even alive."

"And that's why I killed him? Because he wouldn't take me in?"

Harry nodded. "I think so. You'd have to ask the soul shard. We didn't really talk about that sort of thing when we fought."

Voldemort stepped forward and pushed the door open. "Come on, let's get this over with."

As they entered the house, Harry looked around. There were no cobwebs, no rats, no sign that anything lived here.

"This lack of any sort of life is creepy."

Voldemort nodded. "This is a prison for lack of a better word. This place was shaped by the soul of the person held inside of it. If that thing had more soul, there may be more substance to this place as it is…" He gestured around them. "We're lucky to have this much of a world."

Harry took the lead. The trio made their way up the crumbling stone steps to a room at the very top of the house. As Harry pushed the door open, a figure turned from the window to face them.

Harry stared into the cold red eyes of the being that had ruined so many lives. "Tom," he said quietly.

"Harry," the soul shard said in a high cold voice. "It's been too long." The creature glanced at Voldemort.

"So," it said in a sibilant hiss. "You are my counterpart."

Voldemort shook his head. "I'm not like you. I'm too handsome to be you. Are you sure we had the same father or mother? I think one of your parents was a snake."

The soul shard chuckled. "I sacrificed my good looks for immortality."

"How's that working out for you?"

The soul shard sneered. "You tell me."

Voldemort shrugged. "Long," he said. "Tiring. Dumbledore was right. There are worse things than death."

"You were just too weak to do what needed to be done."

"I've made a lot of mistakes, but I never ripped my own soul apart. I never tortured or murdered for pleasure. Every time I killed there was a purpose for that murder. You are mad. You kill for the simple pleasure. You want to rule because the world hurt you. I want to rule because I'm the only one who can see the truth about this world."

The soul shard smirked. Quick as a flash, he reached out and touched Voldemort's forehead.

Voldemort gasped, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed. Turning to Harry, the soul shard grinned.

"Where were we?"

Harry conjured a ball of fire and hurled it at the soul shard. The fire went out before it even reached him.

"This is my world. You won't be able to use much magic here." He took a deep breath. "Oh, but the power you have. It will be more than enough to return me to a physical form." He glared down at his counterpart.

"We'll see how much he likes being locked in this accursed diary."

Harry gestured at an old wooden chair against the opposite wall. The chair rose into the air and flew at the soul shard's back.

The soul shard stepped aside and watched the chair smash to pieces against the far wall.

"Nice try, but not good enough. Let me show you how it's done."

A jet of green light flew at Harry's head. Harry ducked, hearing Matilda scream as the light narrowly missed her.

Harry scowled. This was going to be harder than he thought.

**ACC**

Siofra glared at Autumn. "So, I don't see you for half a century and you try and frame me for something you did?"

Autumn winced. "At the time I believed it was necessary."

"Necessary?" Philip growled. "What? Was abandoning her not enough? You wanted her to go to prison to?"

Autumn looked away. "I've been a follower of Zeus for centuries. My only purpose has been to further his goals. That is no longer true. After what he's done, I want to see him dead."

"Why?" Merlin asked. "How much of what you told me was a lie?"

Philip turned to Merlin. "What did she tell you?"

Merlin met Philip's stony gaze calmly. "Basically, a version of the sleeping beauty tale. The French version, not the Italian one."

Siofra snorted. "The one with faeries and magic instead of coma and rape."

"Yeah," Merlin said. "She told me that Dad placed a spell on her after she was injured with a spinning wheel. Tatiana was mad at Philip for not protecting her, so she cursed him with immortality so he could always watch over her."

Philip nodded. "That is true. I can't die no matter what is done to me." He chuckled bitterly. "Who needs a philosophers stone when you can piss off a faery queen."

Merlin glared at Autumn. "What do you want? Why would you turn on a supposed god that you've worshipped for centuries?"

"Because he murdered my son."

"Your son?" Philip asked.

"Yes, he goes by the name Voldemort now, but he was known as Tom Riddle."

Everyone stared at Autumn in shock. "You raised that murderer?" Argante growled. "He tried to murder my son."

Autumn winced. "I wasn't able to adopt him until he was five. I showed him as much love as possible, but it took him so long to trust me. I tried to curb his darker impulses, and I succeeded, at least partially. He didn't create horcruxes, he never murdered children, and he never opened the chamber of secrets."

"How do you know about all that?" Lugh asked.

"We examined the soul shard before we placed it in the diary. We saw the history of the earlier timeline from the soul shards point of view. We were both horrified at what he did to himself and others. I'll be the first to admit that Voldemort is a hypocrite and a sociopath, but I believe he can still be redeemed."

"He's a murderer," Argante said.

"To be fair, so was St. Paul," Merlin said.

"Yeah, but it took a literal act of God to change him," Siofra said. "Somehow, I don't think he's gonna be stepping in this time."

"It's a moot point anyway," Philip said. "You said Voldemort is dead."

"Yes and no," Autumn said. "Zeus destroyed the portrait we'd created to house his soul, but I was able to seal Voldemort inside the diary with the soul shard."

"You abandoned me, but you do everything you can to protect a murdering psycho," Siofra said bitterly.

Auberon spoke up for the first time. "Why would you do all of this. You haven't explained that. Why side with Zeus? Why adopt Tom Riddle? Why didn't you come to your mother and me? We would've helped you."

"By coddling me?" Autumn snapped. "I needed to be free, not sheltered. I adopted Voldemort because I saw in him a kindred spirit, someone who the world had forgotten."

Auberon winced. "We never forgot you daughter. You've always been on our minds."

"I know," Autumn said.

"So, what do you want now?"

"To see Zeus dead."

"Would you give an oath on that?" Merlin said. "You can understand that we're not just gonna trust your word."

Autumn raised her right hand. "I, Autumn, daughter of Auberon and Tatiana, swear on my life, blood and magic, that I will not betray anyone in this room. I also swear to help in any way I can to make sure Zeus is no longer a threat to anyone, so mote it be."

There was a flash of light. When it faded, Autumn met each person's eyes. "Good enough?"

Merlin nodded. "So, what do we do now?"

"First, we need Harry to wake up," Autumn said. "Something tells me he has a part to play in all this."

**ACC**

Zeus stood on Mount Olympus staring up at the cloudless blue sky. He was alone. Everyone had abandoned him.

"Fine," he said softly. "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself."

He would go to Hogwarts. He would kill all those that stood in his way.

"I can't let you do that," a soft voice said from behind him.

Zeus turned and stared at Thanatos. His ebony skin glowed in the sun and his shadowy wings moved in a nonexistent breeze. He drew Ares' Gladius from a sheath on his hip.

"I borrowed this from Harry. I'll give it back once this is done, one way or another."

"So," Zeus said. "You've finally stopped hiding?"

"I haven't been hiding. I just never wanted to fight you. We were allies if not friends long ago. I stood with you against the titans. I can't condone this. Humanity is flawed. They are far from perfect, but we aren't either."

Zeus clasped his hands behind his back. "Surely, you of all people can understand what I'm trying to do. Humans murdered your family."

Thanatos nodded. "They did, but that was centuries ago. I'll never get over it, but I won't blame all of humanity for what a few did. I also won't blame the descendants for what their ancestors did. I avenged my family. If there are any descendants of that group left, I intend to leave them alone. They have no debt to pay for what their ancestors did."

Zeus snorted. "If you won't get revenge for yourself, I'll do it for you."

Thanatos stepped forward, raising his sword. "I have a family to protect. I won't let you harm them."

"You would side with my enemies."

"Your enemies, not mine."

Zeus reached out and gently touched Thanatos's face. "I don't want to kill you."

"Then don't. You have a choice old friend."

Zeus swallowed, his hands shook slightly. "I can't let you return to Hogwarts. You would tell them I was coming, and I can't have that."

"Then we are at an impasse, aren't we?"

Zeus nodded. "You really won't side with me?"

Thanatos shook his head. "I can't." He chuckled briefly. "Isn't it ironic, an avatar of death trying to preserve life."

Zeus didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand and hurled a bolt of lightning at Thanatos.

With a flick of his shadowy wings, Thanatos rose into the air, avoiding the lightning. Zeus levitated up in to the air, a bronze scythe appearing in his hand. With a grunt, he lunged, swinging the scythe down at Thanatos's head.

Thanatos brought up his sword, blocking the scythe. They became a blur then, their movements far too fast for the human eye to follow. Lightning and balls of black fire collided. The clash of bronze on bronze echoed across Mount Olympus.

Thanatos aimed a kick at Zeus's knee, causing him to cry out in pain. Zeus swung his scythe wildly.

Thanatos screamed as his right wing was neatly severed at the shoulder. He fell to the ground, landing on his back. Ares' gladius fell from his hand and vanished. He slowly rose to his feet, swaying drunkenly as golden blood flowed from the stump of his wing.

Zeus dropped out of the sky with a yell and drove the scythe through Thanatos's stomach and out his back. Thanatos let out a choking grunt and spat blood into Zeus's face.

Zeus slowly pulled the scythe from Thanatos's body and watched as the god of death fell to his knees.

"After thousands of years," he choked. "This is how I die."

He made no attempt to staunch the blood flowing from his wounds. He simply dipped his fingers into the golden flow and stared at Zeus.

Zeus slowly approached. "This is the Scythe of Chronos. Any wound caused by this will heal a as slowly as a mortal. If it is a mortal wound; then even a god will die."

Thanatos shivered. He suddenly felt so cold. His arms were so heavy, but he had to concentrate. He could still give Harry and the others a chance to stop Zeus.

"You won the battle, but not the war." He reached out with his bloody hand and touched Zeus's arm. "You will know humanity," he choked. "You will no what it is to feel fear, hunger, thirst, and maybe then, you will realize the error of your ways."

With a cry Zeus swung the Scythe. Thanatos's head bounced across the ground before falling off Mount Olympus. His body stood on his knees for a moment before crumbling into ash.

Zeus looked down at the bloody handprint on his arm. Was that a curse? A prophecy? He tried to wipe the handprint off, but it wouldn't come.

He glared down at the pile of ash. If this was Thanatos's last trick, then so be it. He would still go to Hogwarts and destroy his enemies. After all, it was all he had left.

He pulled a flask from his pocket and stared at the golden liquid inside. "Nectar," he murmured. This was the source of the Olympians true immortality. If he was going to destroy his enemies, he would need all the advantages he could get. After drinking the last of the nectar, he dropped the flask. He could feel the power flowing through him.

It was time those fools learned what it was to cross a god.

In a flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

**ACC**

Harry grunted as the soul shard hurled him to the floor. Wiping blood from his split lip, he rolled over and struggled to his feet.

"I'll kill you."

"You already did," the soul shard taunted. "Still, I got my revenge. How did you like reliving our history together? Did you like remembering everything I did?"

"That was you?"

"Of course," Tom smirked. "We have a connection that death and time couldn't sever. The prophecy said neither can live while the other survives."

"But we were both dead," Harry said incredulously.

"Yes, but you got a second chance. Fate or coincidence, I ended up here. It was inevitable we would meet again."

Harry looked over at Matilda cowering against the wall. She was gonna be no help. He glanced at Voldemort lying unconscious on the floor.

He was on his own, just like every other time he faced Voldemort.

He shouted in surprise when he found himself lifted into the air. He hung in the air, legs kicking helplessly as the soul shard glared into his face.

"This is my world. I can drain the magic from you and there is nothing you can do about it. Here I am God."

Harry reached for what little magic he had, but he couldn't draw on it. It kept slipping through his fingers like water through a sieve.

The soul shard chuckled. "Don't you understand? You only had magic because I allowed you to have magic. I have revoked that privilege."

"If you're gonna kill me than do it. Stop toying with me, or is telling your enemies how helpless they are how you get your kicks?"

"I do enjoy murder" the soul shard hissed.

Harry screamed as his body exploded in agony. It felt as if he were being stabbed with white hot knives. The pain vanished as soon as it had come. Harry hung in the air, gasping for breath.

"This is fun," the soul shard grinned clapping his hands together. Just think, your body is lying there in the hospital wing, ready to be occupied. I wonder how long it will take your friends to realize it isn't you?"

The soul shard began to laugh.

Harry bowed his head. It was over. He had no chance of beating the soul shard. The soul shard would have his body and who knew what he would do then.

The soul shard grunted. His head fell back, his eyes wide.

Harry fell to the floor. Rolling over, he stared at Voldemort.

He was on his feet and had driven a piece of wood into the soul shard's back.

"Hurry," Voldemort said, not taking his eyes off his counterpart. "This won't hold him for long, but he can't shield himself now and you should have access to your magic. Finish him before he recovers."

Harry straightened. He pointed his palm at the soul shard. There was only one spell that could evict a soul from it's body.

He concentrated on all the hate he felt for the soul shard. He remembered the murder, torture, and vile acts the soul shard had committed and allowed his followers to commit. He spoke two words that he thought he'd never need to say.

"Avada Kedavra."

There was a flash of green light, and the soul shard screamed. Harry watched as the soul shard exploded into mist. His eyes widened as the mist flowed into Voldemort.

The manor around them wavered.

Harry stumbled. "What's happening?"

"It's the soul shard," Voldemort gasped, clutching his head. "With it gone, this world is falling apart.

"So, what happens to us?"

Before Voldemort could respond, the ground dropped out from under their feet, and they began to fall.

**ACC**

Severus Snape sat in his office. Rolling up his sleeve, he stared at the tattoo on his arm.

For a long time, he'd worn Voldemort's mark with pride. Now he wished he'd never taken the mark. Perhaps, there was a way for him to redeem himself. Maybe, there was a way for him to do some good.

Standing up, he left his office, closing the door behind him.