Amongst the Hunted Moons

Summary:

Here, we discover events that are known only to four individuals.

Notes:

Sure, a note from the author before the story begins.

Let's have a brief conversation about Harry and Artemis.

Harry, first. J.K Rowling accomplished many remarkable feats with Harry Potter, but she fell short on 

some significant issues, particularly the impact of abuse on a young child's development, and I'm not 

referring to exaggerated abuse, but rather to situations that are consistent with the established series.

Harry was not a desired child in the household where he was raised, and his relatives only took care 

of him out of his Aunt's sense of guilt and love for her sister, not for him.

As someone who grew up in an abusive household, I can confirm that it can have a damaging impact on a child's well-being.

In this story, Harry will be portrayed as more realistic. He will feel uncomfortable around people, even with Ron.

December 17th, Godric's Hollow.

It has been five months since the birth of Harry James Potter was born from the Union between Lily and James Potter with a little help from the divine, though that last part is only known between the people who were there that night.

And in the last five months, Lily and James had learned one very important lesson, raising a baby was exhausting! Like, exhausting. Neither of them had a full night's sleep in months, baby Harry was seeming a ball of limitless energy. Now whether this was just how normal babies are, or because Harry was…special, James and Lily didn't know. From letters from her friend, and Harry's godmother, Alice Longbottom, it was normal, but still Lily didn't know.

With Alice in hiding as well, Harry and Neville weren't going to be playmates anytime soon, and neither Lily nor James had a point of reference when it came to babies, James being an only child and Lily being the youngest. So if Harry wasn't a normal baby, they had no clue. What they did know was that they loved him, with every laugh and smile from little Harry they smiled they returned was even bigger, from his first words to his first steps they grew prouder, and his first burst of accidental magic was met with cheers as Harry had summoned Lily's cat into his arms.

But still, with all his boundless energy, the young parents couldn't keep up with him. So James called in the Calvary and the rest of The Marauders.

Peter, Lupin, and Sirius had no problem swooping into babysitting while the parents took a well-needed rest, always happy to see the newest member of their merry band of Mischief Makers.

Sirius would always entertain little Harry with stories and fairy tales both magical and muggle, giving shape to them with witch-fire and nightlight charms to dance in the eyes of his godson.

Lupin, always the most serious and grim, had walked around with cub in his arms talking to him about the history and magical theory, answering whatever babble little Harry had let out as if it was a question to something he was talking about.

And Peter, always the most gentle with Harry, rocking him in his arms as he told him tales of the Marauder's most infamous pranks and tales of a magical castle he would someday see.

Today was one of those days, Lily and James had asked Sirius to come over and watch little Harry while they snuck out to muggle London and have a date night, to unwind from both Lily's research and James Auror Training.

Sirius had agreed and used a few safety measures so they could avoid being spotted or recognized, they had left Sirius with his godson for only a few hours.

When they arrived back home at the reasonable hour of 11 pm, they had found Sirius asleep on a chair next to the fireplace, head tilted to the side, wand Loosely in his hand, and Harry's baby blanket at his side, but no Harry.

"Sirius" Lily says softly "Sirius, wake up. Where's Harry?" She shakes him, trying to Rouse him from his slumber. There's a snort, and a twitch from the man before he mumbles something.

"Sirius, what did you say?" Lily asks, confused.

He speaks up, eyes still closed and half asleep "he's right here Lils." He grumbles out, Lily feels her heart stutter and looks back at James with wide eyes, James to his credit doesn't panic as much as he should, his training kicking in, and his wand shoots into his hand as he starts looking around the bottom floor as Lily turns back to Sirius.

"Sirius, where is Harry?!" Lily speaks up, anger, worry, and panic bleeding into her voice as she hisses at Harry's dog father.

"Lily, he's right-' Sirius' eyes had opened at her tone and gestured with his wand at the blanket, now empty of a baby.

His eyes go wide as he shoots out of the chair, James making his way back from checking the ground floor looking grim and shaking his head, to say he had not found his son.

Sirius' panicked eyes dart around, seeing James come back he quickly calls out Padfoot, nose to the ground he begins to sniff all around the chair before heading to the stairs that lead up to the second floor with all the bedrooms before he changes back.

"Someone else is here." He hisses as quietly as possible to his friends, "I don't know the scent."

James nodded before figuring out their next move, "Okay, upstairs sweep. Lils your in front you have the best shield charm out of all of us, I'll be right behind you conjured copper disks at the ready to catch anything too nasty to block, Sirius, every curse you know, I don't give a damn if you have to use an unforgivable, you get them away from Harry. Understood?"

Lily and Sirius nod at James before falling into the formation he had called out, quickly ascending the stairs to the top floor.

It was easy to tell where the intruder was, for the only door on the floor that was open was the one to Harry's bedroom. The group swallowed their Collective fear, and as quiet as they could enter the room.

Whoever they expected to find was not in the room, for illuminated by the soft light of the moon coming through the window, was a small girl, her back to them as she looked down into the crib in the room, the sounds of a baby giggling could be heard.

As Lily, James, and Sirius begin to raise their wands for a child that they cared for far more than themselves, the figure turns her head and looks at them with glowing amber cat-like eyes.

As Lily and James look into the eyes of the goddess that had helped them, they begin to panic. James quickly turns on his heel, grabbing Sirius' arm and forcing his wand away from the girl before slapping his hand over his mouth and beginning to push his best friend quickly out of the room, they scuffle about as James gets him out of the room

"No, no Sirius listen she's not a threat- oww! Don't bite me damnit, bad dog." James' muffled voice can be heard as he drags his friend down the hall as Lily quickly shuts the door behind them.

The goddess scuffs at the antics of the boys before turning her attention back to the baby in the crib.

Lily, not knowing what to do, decided her best course of action was to be polite to the moon goddess and speak up.

"Lady Artemis, umm…welcome to our home." Lily begins "Sorry about that, we, ah, we didn't know it was you." She cringes at the thought of almost attacking the goddess and just how bad that would have ended.

Artemis says nothing for a short while, looking upon the child in the crib. "You are forgiven." She finally says, barely above a whisper. "The parents must protect the child, yes?" Artemis asks, not knowing the answer.

"Umm,...yes," Lily says, the room lulling back into quiet as Artemis doesn't move from her spot.

"His name is Harry, Harry James Potter." Lily tells the goddess, "It's a boy, I hope that you're not…upset by that." The last part Lily says in a whisper.

Artemis is quiet for a moment, before answering Lily back in the same flat, uncaring tone she always uses. "No, not upset. Just…a little disappointed I believe." She admits, "But it is not like you could control the gender of the baby." Artemis says Before she raises her hand and snaps her fingers, Lily flinches at the sound, and with a start, she realizes that Artemis wasn't targeting her.

With panic barely hiding in her voice Lily asks "what did do to him?!" A bit quickly, Artemis turns fully to face her.

"Nothing to worry about Lily Evans, I just put him to sleep, I can't stomach the whining and crying of babies for long and would rather have him asleep for our conversation. He will wake up in the morning none the worse." The goddess tells the mortal, calming her down.

"You said you would come again, to…to have a conversation about what to expect, right?" Lily asked, Artemis nodded her head before speaking.

"Yes, and there is much you need to know." Artemis then begins to tell Lily what was to be expected, of inborn battle instincts that will be similar to ADHD, how his mind will be hard wired to read ancient Greek, and how he will have a scent that would attract monsters to try and eat him when he is older.

In the last part, Lily begins to panic once again before she is calmed by Artemis with a gesture.

"Be calm Lily Evans, and let me explain." Artemis states "we gods are tied intrinsically to Western civilization, when the seat or heart of that civilization moves, so do we. It is currently in America, New York to be specific." Artemis explains, "When we move, so do the monsters that hunt the Demigods. While the heart of western civilization was once here in England, it is no longer the case, so many of the monsters are gone as well."

Lily sighs in relief at this news before the goddess of the hunt continues.

"While most are gone, it doesn't mean they are all gone, so you must always be on guard when he is older for strangers he says he does not know. But there is another matter to talk about, and that is about the Camp." Artemis says.

"Camp?" Lily asks "what camp?" Confused by the words.

"It is called Camp Half-Blood, it is a summer camp that trains Demigods on how to defend themselves and how to use their abilities. But know, if you send him to this camp, it will be of your own choice, if he does go, he will stay in the God of Roads cabin, for I will not claim him publicly." Artemis tells her before Lily asks her why she won't claim him, he is her son in a way.

Artemis shakes her head before answering "it would cause more problems and complications than I care to deal with, it will be up to you and the boy to explain to him what he is and who I am to him, I will watch over him the best I can, but ancient laws prevent me from getting involved more directly than this."

Lily nods her head, taking in the information just as she did when she was 11 and being told she was a witch for the first time.

"I will check in from time to time, whether you know I'm here or not will be up to my discretion Lily Evans," Artemis says, ending her explanation of the deeper part of the world Lily had found herself in.

Lily had only two more questions, the first was far more important to her than the other for it involved Harry's safety at the core, so Lily asked, "How,...how did you find us?" With a bit of hesitation in her voice, "we're supposed to be hidden by a powerful charm, one of the best for hiding places like our house."

Artemis took the question with a bit of amusement "it takes a much more powerful ward than one that hides a secret to stop me, Lily Evans, it would take something of the level of the binding ritual you used when we first met to hide from me. Goddess of the Hunt, remember?" She says with a quirk of her lips.

Lily blushes and apologizes to Artemis, but she waves it off, informing Lily that her time was almost up and she had to return to her hunters soon.

As Artemis begins to make her way from the room, Lily blurts out her question, the one she didn't think the goddess would do, but one she felt she needed to ask.

"Do you want to hold him?" Lily asked, stopping the goddess in her tracks.

"What?" Artemis says, a bit confused so Lily explains, "Harry, would…would you like to hold him before you go?" Lily sees the looks of…something dance through the eyes of the Huntress, unknowable and complex emotions that she couldn't begin to guess at with the normally cold goddess.

Artemis could do nothing but stare at Lily Evans as what she thought, fought with what she felt.

She was asking her to touch a boy of all things, it was insulting, she should know better by now.

But it wasn't a boy, it was a baby, they didn't have the feeling of urges that they get when they're older. All babies wanted was to eat, relieve themselves, and be entertained.

But she had never held a baby before, goddess of childbirth she may be, but she was only invoked to relieve the woman of their pain, or to make sure the birth went well, not to take care of them.

But it wasn't just any baby, it was her son…kinda.

No, it wasn't, it was Lily Evans' son, she was merely the divine help needed to make it happen, the baby was a curiosity to her. That was all.

Artemis opens her mouth, but for the first time to Lily, she hesitates with her words, before closing her mouth and shaking her head.

Lily, with a bit of disappointment in her eyes, only nods before following the goddess out of the room and down the stairs.

They pass Sirius and James on the way, James had just gotten done explaining who was in the room, and how she had helped them.

James nods his head respectfully to Artemis on her way out, as Sirius just looks at her with narrowed eyes out of weariness.

This causes the goddess of the hunt to chuckle before meeting Sirius' gray eyes with her glowing amber ones, she quirks her lips before saying "Dog star indeed, Sirius Black. If it was anyone other than me who was here tonight, you would have fought with your life, as a good guard dog should."

And with that, Artemis opens the front door and leaves the cottage with a laugh.

~~~~~~~~~

September 15th, Godric's Hollow.

The crack of the apparition was an unfamiliar sound in Godric's Hollow, it was however unfamiliar when it was two o'clock in the gods be damned morning.

But the pounding on the Potters' door was what woke them up, Sirius on the other side bleeding from several different injuries across his body. Lily was quick with getting him inside and his wounds cleaned up before healing them as best she could.

After letting him sleep through the rest of the night, and most of the next day, they found out what had happened. While leaving the pub last night he was ambushed by a group of Death Eaters, if it wasn't for the dragon-hide jacket he would always wear, the first stunner to his back would have gotten him.

He had fought off four of the bastards at once and gave as good as he got, but he had been tracked, he had almost been captured. It means they knew who he was, that he was the Secret Keeper; this had Sirius worried.

He would rather die than give up James and Lily, but the stories he had heard about the horrors and tortures that old voldyshorts could and have had made him worried if he would break under torture he'd rather give up his own life than the life of his friends.

So, Sirius devised a new plan, with the spy within the order and not knowing who to trust, he convinced James and Lily to switch secret keeps in secret, it would be the last laugh he had if or when he was caught, but it would be the best laugh of his life, pranking the Dark Lord.

With that, they had chosen the most unlikely of their friends, Peter Pettigrew, to be the new secret keeper; and unknowingly sealed their fate.

~~~~~~~~

October 31st,1980 Godric's Hollow.

A sharp crack once again echoes around Godric's Hollow, but it was no friend bringing holiday cheer, nor a hurt friend seeking shelter.

No, on this moonless night, it would be none other than the Dark Lord and would be God, Voldemort; and he was done playing this game of cat and mouse with Dumbledore and his followers. Thankfully the Rat had finally learned where his former friends were hiding and with a few words of what power, Prestige, and wealth he would earn in his inner circle the boy had handed his friends over on a silver platter.

Dear Peter has more than earned his reward this night, nor would he forget the promise to Severus, that he would give the woman her chance to live so long as she stepped aside and allowed what must be done.

"This game ends tonight." The Dark Lords' voice speaks in a whisper to the cold October air as he raises his wand to start laying down his wards to stop the family from escaping.

~~~~~~~~

Inside the cottage.

Tonight was a peaceful night, James had gotten back from work, he had finally achieved what he had worked so hard for. He was a full Auror now, he had come home with the news, Lily, himself, and Harry had a small celebration here in the cottage; just the four of them.

Lily had just gone upstairs to put Harry down for bed as James did his part and started to clean up the kitchen when his sixth sense had kicked in again. Danger, it whispered to him, run, it had yelled. James slowly turned his head to look out the living room window and what he saw made his stomach drop to his feet. The only thing he had thought when he saw the red eyes of Voldemort looking back at him was "why Peter, why did you do this."

He would not think of it again, he had his family to try and save.

"Lily!" He yelled, turning to see her coming down the stairs, eyes questioning, "it's him, Lily, take Harry and go. I'll hold him off as long as I can." Drawing his wand and looking back at the Dark Lord, who was taking his time to make it to the front door, he looks back at his beautiful wife who stands motionless on the stairs "Go!" He yells for the final time, shanking Lily from her shock. She turns around and bolts up the stairs intent on saving her son.

"I Love You." Is the last thing James says to the retreating back of his wife before the front door is blown off its hinges and the high cackle of Voldemort fills the home.

With a wave of his wand, James vanishes the dust and debris from the air, he needs eyes on his target.

With another wave, he animates the furniture to attack and box in his opponent before conjuring saw blades and banishing them at him.

The Dark Lord stops the animation effects and transfigures the furniture into a wall, blocking the blades before sending the wall at James who dives out of the way as it crashes into the kitchen. James aims a blasting curse at the banister above the door shattering it before transforming the falling pieces into blades.

They fall upon Voldemort piercing his skin, with a growl the dark lord begins to fling curses at James at a rapid pace giving James no time but to shield against them, he was not quick enough as one lands on his leg, causing a long gash down his thigh, he his out in pain before he transfigures the floor beneath Voldemort into wires and animates them to wrap around the Dark Lords wrists. Voldemort quickly vanishes them but it bought James enough time to put out one of his best tricks.

You see, to vanish a conjuration, you must first recognize it was there. With that in mind, James summoned a host of what muggles called "ninja stars", some made of iron and some made of glass. Voldemort took the bait and only vanished what he could see after James banished them towards the Dark Lord, the glass stars hitting their target. As James cheered at his attack hitting he had forgotten one of the basic rules to dueling, watching where you step.

He had made to step back with his injured leg, hitting a piece of debris, his leg giving out and he started to fall, and the last thing he saw was emerald green fire surging at him, and he knew no more.

James Potter didn't die without a fight.

~~~~~~~

In Harry's room.

Lily never heard James' last word to her, she had charged up the stairs to her son's room when the front door was destroyed.

As she made it into his room she had shut and locked the door with every spell she knew before running over to Harry and scooping him up. She turns on her heel, …and nothing, no squeezing sensation, no crack of sound. She curses before grabbing the nearest toy and pointing her wand at it, " Portus" but still nothing.

She lets out a shuddering breath as she realizes what Voldemort had done, and puts Harry back in his crib.

There is a crash below them, shaking the house, Lily casts a silencing charm on the room so no noise can get it, she doesn't want Harry to miss a single word she's about to say.

"Harry." She begins getting his attention "Harry, I want you to know that mummy loves you. She loves you so very, very much. So does daddy, okay?" The house shakes once more, and Lily is crying as Harry giggles away.

"There was so much I wanted to show, and to teach you. So much I wanted to see you do, to become the man I know you can be, but no matter what Harry, I'll always be proud of you, and we will always love." Lily sobs as she bends down and kisses her son on her forehead.

"When you meet Lady Artemis, be respectful, she's your mom too, okay baby?" Lily says as she places the tip of her wand to his head and begins to chant with tears running down her face, this will be the last spell she casts, she made sure it was a damn good one.

As she feels her magic burn in her chest, preparing itself for the next step of the ritual, Lily Potter looks down at her smiling beautiful baby boy, "he won't touch you Luv, he will never touch you." She vows as she drops her wand into the crib. It was useless now, just a piece of wood to her.

"I love you Harry" would be the last thing she says to her son, as the door to the room was blasted inward. Her body shielding Harry from the blast, Lily screams out in pain as a piece of debris lands, piercing her side.

Lord Voldemort was behind her, and James was without a doubt dead.

Still, Lily turned to face him, fear forgotten about in the face of saving her son. She looks at the monster in human skin in the eyes as she walks to the middle of the room.

"Please." She begs "Please not Harry, take me instead, kill me instead. But not my Harry, Please. Mercy." She pleads with the monster before her as he measures her with cold red eyes.

"You need not die this night Lily Potter." His voice is soft, cold, and controlled. "Lord Voldemort knows mercy, Lily Potter, just step aside and let me do what I must."

Lily shakes her head, her mouth set in grim determination, "No, you would have me live without the two people who mean more than this world to me." She looks at him in anger and disgust, "No, the only way you're touching my son is if you're stepping over my corpse to do so."

The Dark Lord raises his wand pointing it at her, "step aside you silly girl, step aside. I won't ask again!" Voldemort says his anger slipping into his voice.

Lily, a true Gryffindor to her core, doesn't move but instead says to the Dark Lord's face "Make me, you snake-face mudblood bitch."

The Dark Lord finally snaps, "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screams, and if it was for the curse blocking his line of sight, he would have seen the grin on Lily's face as the curse flew toward her.

If it was for the fact that the curse brought a Swift and immediate death, the laugh Lily was about to do would have escaped her throat.

But Voldemort didn't know any of this, and as he stepped over the corpse of Lily Potter, to the crib of her son, The Dark Lord didn't know his fate was already sealed.

As he looked the baby in the eyes and raised his wand, he thought to himself, why did people make these things, these babies? To replace themselves when they grow old and feeble? To carry on a legacy that does nothing for the living? He didn't know, nor did he care. Why should he? After all…

"Only I can live forever." He whispers to the child before casting the killing curse for the third and final time that night.

As his magic carved a scar into the boy's head, a scar overnight that would become world famous, his curse was rebounded onto himself, and death came for its dealer.

~~~~~~~~

For the most part, the story remains the same.

The first to arrive is a dark man carrying regret in his heart, he stops at the body of James Potter just long enough to feel that odd sense of regret for his death, before burying it deep inside him, his heart would shatter when he came across the body of the woman he loves where he and the boy in the crib would cry together over the same woman for the only time, he would cradle her body apologizing over and over again hoping she would wake up and say she forgives him, though he knows he will never deserve it. He would only be roused from his despair by the sound of a motorbike making its way down the street and screeching to a stop, he would whisper his apology into dead ears one last time before standing and disappearing with a crack, just as the scream of a man who had lost his brother in all but blood echoed throughout Godric's Hollow.

Sirius' scream would wake the neighbors and alert them to what had happened, with great difficulty he would walk away from James' body to find Lily and Harry, he know James would want him to cry over his body if his wife and child were still in danger, he took the steps three at a time to find Lily's body. He would feel his heartbreak all over again for her, and if it wasn't for the one-year-old crying he would have stayed there kneeling on the ground weeping till the ceiling above him collapsed.

He had taken Harry wrapping the baby in his jacket, before leaving the room just in time to watch the crib be crushed by the falling ceiling. He would meet a friendly giant, who like him, had tears in his eyes over the death of those inside.

The giant would tell the man he was there on Dumbledore's orders, to take wee little Harry to his Aunt's home in Surrey, something about Lily's last spell. The man would hand Harry over, still wrapped in his jacket, along with the keys to his motorbike, it had a sidecar and would be much safer than the knight bus for the child, and when the giant asked him where he was going, all the numb man could say was "I'm going to kill a rat."

So, the boy was delivered to the headmaster, and with notes from the mother, the old man created a ward based on her last spell. Nothing from the outside could harm or find the boy unless the old headmaster would allow them to, for the last spell of Lily Potter was ancient and high esoteric Magic based on summoning a God.

Albus Dumbledore knew that night that he was leaving young Harry in a life where he was not as well loved, or as well cared for. But so long as the boy showed up at Hogwarts whole and alive, they might just have a chance, for Albus knew Tom Riddle was not dead, that he would return someday; and on that day they would need the one he marked as his equal.

And so the hound chases the rat, right into a trap, leaving the wolf to meander through life broken and lonely.

While the woman in number 4, begrudgingly accepts the boy into her home, out of a selfish desire to keep the emerald green eyes of her sister in her life; but not for the love of the child himself.

What of the Goddess you may ask? On the nights of the new moon, she is struck blind to the world. So when she showed up at the cottage the next night, all she found was the aftermath of Thanatos' work and a crushed crib.

She would leave that house with a ping of something in her chest not knowing how to put the feelings into words thinking her only child died with his parents, she would put it out of her mind, and would consider this the price one pays for curiosity. And for eleven years she would never know her child yet live until she heard his prayer.

As for the boy? Well, he would grow up much as the Headmaster thought, but in other ways much worse. When one grows up in hate and ridicule, one thinks they deserve it.