Hey everyone,
Just going to warn you guys, a LOT is going to happen before Philosopher's Stone is going to be read. Just the 24th and the 25th of June will be quite busy for a LOT of characters, even if the former of the two dates is almost over.
So while some things might be considered more long-term – such as Dumbledore's full punishment and Voldemort's death – other things will happen in short notice and then be brought up/updated over time.
We all clear? Good,

Venquine1990

Chapter 14
Explaining And Rewarding

24th of June 1995
Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts
James' POV

One could almost say that they are experiencing jetlag from everything that took place today. And that concerns both all the good things and all the bad things that happened.

Yet, like always, I prefer to focus on the good things instead of the bad. And the fact that I might get resurrected sometime soon isn't just good;

It's amazing!

It doesn't even surprise me that Lord Hades makes us appear in one of the Changing rooms of what used to be the Quidditch pitch.

I can only imagine how the crowds would have reacted if the God of the Dead suddenly appeared, while the books were meant to help them keep death out of their lives.

Yet the God himself seems unaware of what is going on as he mutters his belief that the Season should have been over by now.

I nod and tell him that the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament is currently taking place, though I also add a strong dose of resentment to my tone as I mention this.

The God looks at me shocked and then makes me laugh as he asks: "Who's the moron that decided to revive that deathtrap?" I laugh and my wife, who I lovingly married in Elysium, explains that our son calls the damn thing under the same name.

The God smirks and tells us that our son has a good head on his shoulders.

Yet before we can do more, like plan our next move, I hear a low, threatening growl coming from the other side of the Changing room, where the entrance to the stadium – and the maze – is located.

We look up and my eyes widen, both in shock and delight, when I see Snuffles slowly approaching us, crouched down and with his teeth exposed threateningly as he prowls over to us.

Lily raises her arms in surrender, yet her voice is firm as she states: "Don't make me tell James and Lord Hades, the God of the Dead, what we talked about on the 4th of April in 1980, Sirius Black. You don't want that and you know it."

I don't know what's more interesting. What might have been said in this conversation or the fact that Lily makes sure to emphasize Lord Hades' role as a God.

Yet this one statement seems to have multiple consequences. Snuffles freezes a few meters away from us, his eyes widened in shock.

And as the dog's wide eyes switch between Lily, myself, Lily, Lord Hades, Lily and myself again, I can almost see the gears at work through his wide eyes.

And after the wide eyes flick from me to Lord Hades one last time, the Animagus takes on his human form yet again.

Hades had been watching this whole thing, which only took a few minutes, with his arms crossed and an intrigued smirk on his face the whole time.

And while I watch the dog turn into the man known as my best and closest friend, I have to strongly resist the urge to rush over to him, hug him – and kiss his lights out.

Yet again I hate the fact that Lily and I decided to wait on this until Harry was 2 years old and that we were killed 9 months before we could tell him how we both felt.

"Just a few more minutes." I think to myself as Sirius finishes changing into his human form. The man's eyes are just as wide as they were before he transformed. And with a voice full of disbelief and that is still hoarse from years of misuse, he whispers:

"Yo-yo-you're – you're here."

Hades looks from the man to us and states: "Here, and soon to be revived. I'd do it now, but I think your boy might appreciate it more if I do it in front of him."

Sirius obviously wants to ask the God all kinds of questions, but the God raises a hand with thin fingers that end in razor sharp nails, nails that look sharp enough they almost resemble claws or thorns, and tells him not now, later.

Sirius, perhaps thanks to his Animagus form or perhaps because he's still dazed with disbelief, seems too awed to fight back and he just numbly nods in acceptance.

Hades nods back, smirks and assures my secret beloved that he won't have to wait long. After this he guides us out of the Changing Room and into the stadium.

And within the stadium we get evidence that things really are changing from how they were described in the book.

Instead of everyone seated at the stands, a large group of students, teachers, representatives of the Ministry and finally Lea and his friends are standing in the small, quarter portion of the Stadium that is still left, most of them standing only a meter or so away from the Maze entrances.

Another difference is that Dumbledore seems to have altered the Camera spell that his book-self had cast on Harry.

Yet what worries me is that there are only two, somewhat transparent screens shown up high against the huge greenery walls of the Maze.

And while, like Harry, I don't have any problems with either Fleur Delacour or Viktor Krum, I can't help but feel glad and relieved to see that the screens are showing Harry and Cedric rushing through their respective paths.

"What happened to Fleur and Krum, pall?" I softly ask Sirius as I don't want to draw the attention of the others before we need to.

Yet while I ask this, Lord Hades keeps guiding us through the crowd. And what amazes – and even somewhat confuses – me, is that no one seems shocked or horrified to see who is passing them by.

Lily whispers that Hades must have cast some kind of magic on us. I nod at her as I keep following after the Lord of the Dead.

The God seems to lead us to where the podium is set, the podium where – if everything goes well – either Harry or Cedric will appear sometime soon.

Sirius stares at me for a moment while we walk and then whispers back: "Fleur encountered the Sphinx mentioned in the book and she's apparently worse at riddles than Cedric said he was. Plus, she's Veela and well – cats and birds – you get the picture."

I wince at this as Fleur's inner Veela must have grown to feel more and more at unease the longer she had trouble getting past this being, who is known to be a predator of all the wrong kinds of people, and nod at him to continue.

Sirius winces and mutters: "Krum encountered the Boggart. Expect, whatever his biggest fear is was so horrifying that the screen didn't even show us. It became muddled and unclear and even disappeared after Krum screamed and shot up the required red sparks.

He was still trembling, white as a sheet and dazed when Igor and Minerva walked him out of there and into the medical tent. Heck, we heard him scream one last time before the tent flaps closed. I think Poppy put him under with a Sleeping Draught, all things considered."

I wince at this and whisper: "I don't think he's going to go along with Harry's suggestion to write a biography of his experiences. Regardless of the camera spell."

Sirius nods at me. By now we've managed to reach the podium with only a few people, who I'm guessing are friends of Cedric, standing in front of us.

I'm still amazed that no one is able to see us as we're standing here as I can only imagine how people would react when they see two dead people and a God standing in their midst.

Sirius raises his head back up to look at the other two screens and then says: "Though to be honest, I'm more worried about Harry. I – I don't think he made a full recovery from when Bill cleansed his scar."

Lily and I look up as well and watch the screen showing our son.

Harry seems to just be running through the Maze, sometimes stopping to cast the Point Me spell, but otherwise he doesn't seem to encounter anything.

This worries me as it seems that, like Crouch Junior, someone else is now trying to help Harry get through the Maze without encountering any difficulties.

And I want to look around to see if anyone I consider suspicious is missing. But then I spot Harry stopping, crouching down with his hands on his knees and panting lightly. And this must be what worries Sirius more than the cleared path our boy is running through.

Yet then I notice something on the other screen. I watch it and Harry's screen for a few more minutes and after the third time that my boy repeats his earlier process of crouching down and panting, I decide to explain the grin that has grown on my face.

"Sirius, look at both screens. Watch Cedric's closely and observe the right wall of his path and the left wall of Harry's. watch closely and you'll see what our boy is really doing."

Sirius turns from staring at me in confusion to complying to my suggestion. And after he watches Harry repeating his actions for two more times, his eyes widen and he whispers:

"He – he – that little genius!

He's not tired, he's stalling.

He's waiting for Cedric to catch up.

He's planning to make them win as a team."

Lily grins at hearing this and Hades softly compliments my son under his breath for his actions. Yet he also questions me why Harry would do this and I explain that Cedric, a guy named Lea who is from another world and Harry are soul mates.

Hades nods in understanding.

Then finally, after another fifteen minutes have passed and finally the Tri-Wizard cup comes into view on both transparent screens.

During a few of these minutes Cedric had encountered the same Sphinx and I feel confident that the boy must be feeling relieved and grateful beyond words that she, somehow, gave him the same riddle that her book-self gave the book-version of my son.

Thanks to this, even though Cedric had needed a few minutes to recover from his concerns enough that he recognized the riddle, he had been able to pass the Sphinx with little issue. Though the Sphinx had watched him leave with a curious and somewhat suspicious look on her face.

She must have wondered why Cedric had sounded so relieved when he answered her riddle. Yet Cedric is thankfully smart enough to keep his mouth shut and just pass her before he starts to run off again, quickly getting far away from her.

Harry and Cedric both freeze for a moment as they spot the bright blue light of the flames ahead of them and then, as if both of them regained all of their health and stamina, they dash at full speed for the Cup at the end of their respective paths.

And as they rush for it, I take another look around. And when I spot Albus Dumbledore walking towards us from one of the edges of the maze, I instantly realize what happened.

I crouch down to Lily a bit and whisper: "Dumbledore helped Harry. He did it so he can claim it later and regain some of his reputation. He decided to do damage control from what the book revealed about him and his real bond with our son."

Lily looks from the screen showing our running son to the man in question and then whispers back at me: "How much do you want to bet that our boy already realized this?"

Suddenly I wonder if, perhaps, that's why Harry was pulling the Combined victory strategy. If he wants to diminish Albus' grand act of helpfulness with the exhuberance Hogwarts will surely feel over the fact that both Champions helped Hogwarts win.

"If so, our boy really is a genius."

I think with a smirk on my face.

Harry and Cedric reach the small open space where the Cup is standing and they exclaim each other's name as the two spot each other.

Yet a close look at Harry's eyes shows a sense of victory hidden by a sense of relief. My son feels proud of himself that his secret plan worked.

"Let's do this together, Cedric. Let's prove that we're both Hogwarts students and that this Tournament, for all the deadly crap that it threw at us, also got us closer together. What do you say? Want to make this cup be a physical sign of our bond?"

I may not have always been able to watch over my son, and because of that I had been as blind as Dumbledore to the signs that Harry wasn't as loyal to him as we both had thought, but this time I notice it;

There's an undertone in my son's voice. My boy is still planning something. He's just trying to hide it with his relief that, soon, this will all be over.

Cedric smiles, while I wonder if he's noticing the same thing I am, and he nods at my son as he says: "Let's do this."

The two move to stand next to each other and run for the Cup at the same speed. They grab the Cup at the same time, yet I can't help but notice how Harry makes sure that the palm of his hand is on top of the back of Cedric's for some reason.

"That sneaky little genius." Hades mutters as a flash of magic shows the Port Key activating and the screens both disappear from the Maze's wall.

We all turn from watching it vanish to looking at the podium while I wonder what Lord Hades knows that I don't.

And naturally, under gales of applause and the loudest cheers I have heard in a long while, the two boys appear on the podium with a similar flash of light.

Suddenly I notice that Bill Weasley is standing next to us – or better said, jumping next to us – as he sighs in relief that his work on the Anti-Port Key ward of Hogwarts and the specialized Port Key ward he created around the Maze worked brilliantly.

Cedric grins and raises the hand holding the cup together with Harry as Bill tells his mother – and unknown to him, us – this statement. But while he shouts one thing, my son shouts something else:

"HOGWARTS WINS!"

"CEDRIC WINS!"

And this statement from my son shocks everyone so much that the shouts, screams and cheers are instantly silenced. Everyone stares at my son, who is grinning in a sense of personal victory as he tells them to take a look at his hand.

Everyone does and I am one of the first to spot what made my son say this. Yet someone else beats me to the punch of stating my discovery.

"I don't believe this! It's just his thumb and little finger that are holding the cup! The rest is on top of Cedric's hand!"

Harry nods, that same grin still on his face. Someone else shouts why this should matter. Harry shrugs and his next words prove what the book stated a few times earlier; that Ron really turned my son into an amazing strategist; that he had this planned out for quite a while.

"That depends. If you guys really want me to be a winner, I'll gladly and honorably accept 100 Galleons and Cedric's promise that I get to personally advise him on how to use his new title of Hogwarts champion and Tri-Wizard victor for the better of Hogwarts.

Deal?"

And while Harry should have been looking at where Dumbledore, Madam Maxime and Highmaster Karkaroff are standing halfway up the staircase leading to the podium, all of them staring at Harry in shock and disbelief

He instead looks at Cedric with a smile on his face. And after a moment of Cedric recovering of his own shock, he bursts out laughing, drops the cup and pulls my son into a loving embrace as he shouts his acceptance of my son's terms.

"That's why he was constantly waiting for Cedric. He was planning to turn Albus' plan on its head. Albus tried to make it look as if he was helping Harry win, but now it's obvious that Harry wanted Cedric to wait the whole time."

I think to myself,

A grin on my face.

Then suddenly Hades speaks up loudly and I suddenly feel as if some kind of magic, that still covers us, has been pulled away from the God of Dead as he speaks up:

"Well, you might not want to accept your own title of winner and you might not want that blasted cup or any trophy – but how about a prize for your brilliant strategy to get through all of this?"

And again, the same silence as when everyone heard Harry's yell, envelops us all. Hades expected this and he expected something else as well.

He raises his hand up to the left in a halting gesture and tells someone to wait and hear him out. And when I look at where his hand is aimed, I spot Sora and the others, most of them with their Keyblades out and ready.

Sora still asks Hades what he's doing here. Lord Hades shrugs, as if he's used to the brunette treating him with such disdain and disrespect, and tells him to wait and see.

Sora seems hesitant to comply, yet Hades leaves him little chance as he just starts to talk:

"Okay, I know that this is really going to ruin the good mood around here, but I have no choice. I'm sure that plenty of you ladies and gents, boys and girls around here are familiar with this unfortunate event known as

The Second World War."

And while I've only infrequently heard my parents talk about it from time to time growing up, Hades is proven right.

Almost half of the students from Beauxbattons and, if I have to make a guess, 60 to 70% of the Hogwarts students all gasp and some even shriek. Even Minerva, Irma Pince and Charity Burbage let out gasps.

Hades nods and continues: "Yeah, that thing was allowed to happen, because my darling nephew, Ares. The God of War.

You see, Ares, the little moron that he is, noticed Hitler's love for the military and his belief that Germany could have won that other conflict and felt the need to prove the bastard right.

The idea to look at the rest of Hitler's character or try to find out what Hitler would do if he managed to conquer Europe – Ares wasn't interested.

So, as I'm sure those of you who know of this war can guess, the actions caused by Ares' new interest caused me to be further and further and further behind on my paperwork.

And after having been the Lord of the Underworld for more than a Millennia, said paperwork has become a vital part of running said underworld.

Everyone still with me so far?"

Awed nods are his answer.

"Good, so by the time that damned conflict really got underway, aka by the time most of Europa was "Nazified" (The contempt in Hades' voice as he says this makes a shiver run down many spines), I finally got Zeus to convince Ares that this war – needs to stop.

How does Ares do this?

Two words:

Russia – and Calais."

The God of the Dead groans and even rubs his temple, as if the memory of those events still gives him a headache, even though even I know that this war took place 50 years ago.

The God takes and releases a deep breath to regain himself and resumes his speech. "After this, after the Allies successfully had their landings and the release of Europe from the Nazi's was finally underway, Ares went and said Okay, there, I'm done. And he turned his back on the rest of the damned conflict."

"HE DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO HELP THE ALLIES WIN?"

"IF HE HAD HELPED THEM THE WAY HE HELPED HITLER, THE WAR WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER A YEAR AHEAD OF WHEN IT DID!"

"HOW COULD HE BE SO CALLOUS!"

"HE'S A GOD OF WAR, NOT OF BEING AN UNCARING – well, you know? Right?"

The last person to shout falters at the end, as if he suddenly remembers he's talking about an immortal being. I really can't blame him. Yet at the same time I whole-heartedly agree with the other shouts. And Hades joins me in this.

""Exactly! But when I tried getting that through Ares' thick head, he went whining to daddy dearest. Since then Zeus has been on my neck and has been denying me all kinds of things.

Especially the one thing I need above all else; Athena's help in properly taking care of my paperwork as I am still twenty years behind!"

Sora seems shocked to hear this and while he tries to be quiet, I hear Goofy whisper to Donald: "I think I'm starting to understand Hades' problems with Herc and his family."

Donald still seems somewhat unconvinced, yet the way that he crosses his arms proves that even the duck is slowly starting to see things from Lord Hades' point of view.

"And you know what makes matters even worse? Every time I try to explain to Zeus why I need help and why my paperwork is so important and how different my underworld is from his realm up on Olympus –

the damned bastard cuts me off, gives me advice I can't work with as I don't have the time to implement his suggestions and pulls me away from my underworld to relax and enjoy another party of his.

I swear, every time I move away from my office for five minutes, either Zeusy-high-and-mighty or his damned little pigeon, Hermes, is there to grab me and yank me out of the Underworld, up to Olympus and into another party, dance, feast or other kind of celebration.

And for the last forty years, six of his ten parties don't even have any reason whatsoever. They're just thrown because Zeusy felt like it."

The more the God speaks, the more it's obvious that he is holding back on building rage. The flames of his hair become more and more erratic, yet it seems as if the God is fighting himself to keep the flames from bursting out of control.

Yet there is no mistaking the annoyance, disgust and sheer rage and fury that sounds through the God's voice as he almost screams out at the end of his explanation.

Sora has dismissed his Keyblade by this point and while his eyes are wide, he has his arms crossed as he says: "So that's why you're going after Herc all the time. You consider it the only way to get back at your brother."

And his words seem to work like a balm on the God's anger. The flame on his head calms down and he sighs out as he mutters: "Exactly."

Lord Hades shakes his head in an effort to regain his calm and focus and he goes on, his voice a lot calmer: "So, what are the biggest problems of me being so far behind?

Well, other than the fact that I haven't finished my Patrons here on earth in almost 40 years, not even in secret around All Hallow's Eve, I also haven't been able to visit the dead ones in Elysium for the same amount of time.

To make matters worse, my underlings these days were under the misconception that I wasn't even available for audiences with my Patrons, two of whom have apparently been trying to get said audience with me for the past 4 years.

And this is where we get back to you, kid. Yeah, the Potters are my Patrons, have been for centuries. And yes, your parents are the ones who have been trying to get an audience with me for the past four years.

What makes it worse is that, while Charon seems to have moved them into Elysium sometime in the last 14 years – he forgot about a contract that I, a few centuries ago, signed with the creator – of the Killing Curse."

Lily and I smile at each other as I'm sure that the moment that we'll be revived is fast approaching now. We turn back to Lord Hades and excitement grows within me as he continues his explanation, a smirk growing on his face as well.

The God obviously loves being the center of everyone's attention and he also obviously enjoys telling us his tale in his own, unique way.

"You see, there are plenty of Patrons to various Gods and Goddesses around here. And like myself, every God gives certain privileges to their Patrons.

My main privilege to my Patrons is that they can always sense and, somewhat instinctively, understand the souls of others. Yet I was also able to bestow another privilege on my Patrons when I signed this contract.

And if Charon had remembered this contract, then you, young Harry, wouldn't have had to wait 14 years for me to do

This."

The God snaps his fingers while staring straight at my son. And while his magic, in the form of bright blue flames, envelops my wife and me, I don't feel anything really change about me. My form doesn't feel any different from how it felt when I first entered Elysium.

At least not at first. Yet just as the flames slowly die out, I suddenly notice something. Suddenly I become more aware of the feeling of air and oxygen flowing in and out of my system, of the way that blood runs through my veins, of my heart beating within my chest and of the feeling of my cloths as they cling to my body.

In Elysium it seems as if my senses, nerves and outer instincts had been somewhat diminished. Now, back alive, it seems they have been returned to their former strength.

This simple difference fills me with a sense of awe.

Yet this sense of awe – and the sensation of something else that feels both new and familiar – lasts only a moment.

A moment later I have my son in my arms, the boy bawling his eyes out and making all kinds of exclamations. The boy is babbling utter nonsense and yet I don't care to point this out.

After years and years and years of having to watch over my son from a Viewing Orb, of having to see and hear him pine for family love, for acceptance, of having to know that I can't be there to offer him that love, that acceptance, I am just too happy to finally have this chance.

This chance that I thought would be denied me for several more years, if not decades.

I wrap my arms around my son's young, fourteen year old body and together with Lily I try to make the boy disappear within our embrace.

And while I try to sound a little more cohesive, I happily, lovingly reply to my boy's babbling and return his statements of I love you, I love you, dad, I love you, mum, I love you both so much!

For several minutes the three of us seem to be the center of everyone's attention, yet I don't care. Just being with my son, calming him down from his emotional high and replying to his statements of love and happiness to have us back matters to me.

My son is all I care about.

"I can't believe that you brought them back." I hear Sora state to Lord Hades, even if it sounds as if the boy is standing further away than he actually is.

I look up slightly and see Lord Hades shrug as he says: "Like I said, if Charon had remembered that contract, I would have done this years ago, paperwork or not.

Besides, the Fates were the ones to inform me about everything going on over here and that's what got me interested in the little man over there.

I asked them about him as my paperwork had kept me so far removed from this world I didn't even know he existed and they told me about what happened to his folks.

They also told me that you and your little squad were here, so I decided to hit two Titans with one blast.

Prove to you lot that I can be a benevolent god and make up for how much my busy schedule has kept me from doing my job as a Patron God."

Sora smirks and tells Lord Hades that he definitely succeeded in both goals. This makes a similar, yet more sinister smirk, grow on Lord Hades' face as well.

Yet I'm only partially paying attention to this as my main focus is still on the only being that is most important to me; my son.

Still our reunion is somewhat cut short as someone besides me softly speaks up: "I'm sorry – Mr. Potter sir? It's just – we thought – the book – Bill Weasley believes –."

I feel a sense of adoration fill me up as the girl seems hesitant to speak her mind.

I loosen my hold on my boy a little, Harry still somewhat sniffling even as he has stopped rambling, and turn her way.

"Bill was partially correct. I didn't sacrifice my chance for the afterlife – but my magic. I sacrificed, what I later discovered, was 99% of my magic in order to summon my ancestors and copy their own magical essence.

That essence was meant to protect me, but because Voldemort is so well-versed in the Dark Arts, his Killing Curse was stronger than my ancestral magic, which was still forming around me.

Thankfully, the ritual made it so that the magic instantly sought out my next of kin. Unfortunately, the magic will always pick next of blood kin over next of kin by bond.

Thus, while Lily's own sacrifice powered up the ritual, it didn't bother to save her. Yet it still saved our boy and we quickly ended up in Elysium only a minutes after our deaths.

And naturally, like many others who die but leave family behind, we were allowed to buy a Viewing Orb from the drachma that came with our new home and have been watching out for our boy and our friends ever since."

I turned back to my son at the end of my explanation, yet my eyes fleetingly switch between him and Sirius – my Siri – and back at the end of my explanation.

Still, we're surrounded by people at this point and so I notice many people looking at me with looks of awe, amazement and even a few looks of disbelief.

"So you're basically a Squib now?!"

It really doesn't surprise me that it's Draco Malfoy who exclaims this or the tone of derision that fills his voice as he loudly makes himself be heard.

I want to roll my eyes, yet Lord Hades answers for me. He lets out a loud snort and states: "As if. You really think I didn't sense his lack of magic when he was standing next to me? Of course I revived his core alongside the rest of him.

Who do you take me for, Blondie?

A nincompoop or something?"

Draco whitens as he had obviously forgotten who it was that had revived Lily and myself. This time I do roll my eyes as I'm already sure that the books will describe other times where the boy spoke up before he thought his words through.

A hippogriff comes to mind at this.

Indeed, James.
And trust me, we're far from done with the Quidditch pitch and conversations that will take place there.
More is to come, much more.

Venquine1990