Amongst the Hunted Moons

Notes:

*The curtain parts, and a man dressed in a ringmasters outfit stands upon the stage.*

Welcome, one and all to the final chapter of Under the Hunters Moon, I feel the need to thank you all for reading this cringe-ass fanfiction that I had thought up.

But before we get to the story proper, I had forgotten to explain what Harry's final blessing was, and that is of the Moon. The Moon is one of the oldest symbols of Magic, which is why you see a lot of gods or goddesses who have ties to the moon, and also have ties to Magic in one form or another.

Artemis does not, she uses the Moon to light the night to hunt, that's all. She has her fingertips on the edge of this unfathomable pool of power and uses it as a fucking nightlight because she can't use the ancient power and mysticism of the magic of the moon.

Enter Harry, the demigod son of Artemis, who just happens to be a wizard. This means that while Artemis can't use that ancient magic, doesn't mean Harry can't.

When the Moon is full and Harry is under the light of it, he is practically the most powerful wizard in the world, …if he knew how to use it that is, Harry is not that hot on learning things that aren't useful to him which mostly falls under dueling and combat spells. He's an amazing fighter, not so hot as an academic, he just does the thing, he can't explain how.

But what do I mean by the most powerful wizard in the world?

Okay, remember back in chapter…4? When Albus and Artemis first met and I went on a little rant about magic cores and their age. That the older a wizard gets, the more powerful magic he can gain access to? Yeah, Harry gets access to the Moon, you know one of the oldest symbols of magic in the world that has been hanging around our planet for….well, forever?

Yeah, do the math.

Harry, if he were to study enough, could make the things that his mother did look like cheap parlor tricks. He also gets a boost in strength, speed, and ability to heal his wounds from kills under the full moon, something like with Percy and being in the water.

Also, I love the fact that most of the comments about fathomless black eyes edge on understanding but don't quite grasp it yet. But to the one guy who had asked how Artemis couldn't tell who she was talking to, Let me ask you this, if a 3rd-dimensional being like yourself, started to talk to a 4th-dimensional being, do you think the other being would take its natural shape to speak with you, or take a form that it could actually communicate with you with?

But, I have stalled long enough, it's time for the curtain call ladies and gentlemen, and to end this Drama.

Now, one last time,

On with the show!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Peter Pettigrew.

Peter Pettigrew couldn't believe his luck, he had gotten away from Sirius, Remus, Severus, and the woman. He had pretended to be knocked out after Sirius had banished him into the stone, hoping to get a moment to plan how to escape. Then the boy went and killed Sirius after knocking out the hooked nose cunt, he had quickly transformed and scurried off into the underbrush while they were crying over Sirius' soon-to-be-dead body. But Remus now knew, Severus now knew, and soon Dumbledore would know, Peter had to run, he had to escape the wards and get off of the islands and look for the one man who could protect him from Albus Dumbledore and his old friend, he had to return to his master.

So Peter ran as fast as his little feet could carry him, soon he would be outside the wards and could Apparate away and hop a muggle ship to the continent. But as the Rat known as Peter Pettigrew moves through the underbrush of the forest, a cold shiver runs down his back, stopping him dead. He tucks into himself listening to the ingrained instincts of the animal he became, waiting and listening to the crunch, crunch, crunch of someone approaching near him. Who could have followed him out here? So deep into the woods, was it Snape? Was it Harry? As Peter waits and watches, he hears someone talking to themselves.

"What sight it was to behold," a voice says, a young voice whispers, "When he escaped the Hunt, I was shocked, no mortal had done it before, and he was so deep in it he had become an avatar of it; a living embodiment of the Hunt." The voice scoffs, "He was like Orion at that moment so deep and so lost, but still he pulled himself from it, something even Orion couldn't do. He is truly my Heir, for I'm the only other one I know who can submerge so deep in the Hunt without getting lost in it," the voice speaks softly, almost lovingly.

Peter didn't know who this young voice belonged to, nor why it was talking out loud in the middle of the woods, it must be a student. Didn't they know how dangerous the forest was at night? The little fool will get themselves eaten.

But the voice continues after a small pause, "And then his feat of magic at the edge of the lake, it was my Stag, his father's form, made from silver moonlight," the voice says louder, was she talking about Harry?

"I would have never imagined he would gain access to the domain of the moon," the voice admits, "It's not truly mine you see, I was not born to it, nor did I win it by right of conquest, it was given to me by mortals and I did not think it could be passed on to him," the voice pauses as the person stops walking close to Peter, "and it was magnificent to behold, it's a shame that you had missed it, Peter,"

They knew! Peter scrambled away, he wasn't sure how the person had known, nor did he care at the moment all he knew was that he had to get away, but he didn't get far as a wave of something hit him, and instead of the form of a rat, he was now in the form of a man scrambling on his hands and knees. Peter stops and flips around and gets his first look at the young voice, she couldn't be older than thirteen with olive skin and black hair pulled into a high ponytail, she wore a silver bomber jacket and Muggle pants with a bow slung over her right shoulder, looking at him with glowing amber eyes full of scorn.

Pettigrew wastes little time drawing his wand and pointing it at the girl, "Back!" He yells at her, "Back away, I-I'm a dark wizard! I'll curse you!" He shouts at the girl, who only chuckles in response.

"Now, now, Peter," the girl says to him with a smile, "I would caution against that, you see, I'm in a particularly good mood at the moment and it would be in your best interest not to ruin it," the way the girl spoke remind Peter of his Master, a being sure of themselves and their power.

"What do you want from me?" Peter asks, maybe he could play this to his advantage, and get protection from both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord.

"What I want Peter, is to reward Harry," she tells the rat, "What he did this night exceeded my wildest expectations of him, I want to make sure he doesn't have to return to where he was raised ever again, I want to make sure the boy is safe," she tells him, "and you are key to all three, so my gift to him will be you." The girl smiles viciously at Peter full of sharp teeth and ill intent.

"N-no, I won't go back, I won't go to Azkaban," Peter says as the forest grows quiet around him as if in anticipation of what's to come and his wand shakes in his hand.

"Good, Peter, good," the young girl tells him, "it wouldn't be a Hunt if you just rolled over and accepted it," she takes a step forward toward Peter and he jabs his wand at her.

"S-stop!" Peter squeaks out, "Th-this is y-your last w-warning!" He tells the girl who stops and raises an eyebrow in amusement.

"I also can't forget what you did," she says softly, "nor can I forgive," the amusement all gone from her face, "You'll have a special place in the fields of punishments, Peter, one I had reserved for Sirius Black, I was a bit too quick to judge the man, questing the loyalty of a man who can turn into a hound," she laughs quietly at that, "I should have realized, from that night so long ago, that the man was a guard dog to his core, but he'll be free soon enough," she takes another step towards Peter, and he had heard enough to know what she was going to try and do to him.

"Crucio!" Peter yells, sending the torture curse to the young woman, he was planning on killing her, and didn't want her trying to fight him off, best to incapacitate her beforehand. But as the curse was sent flying the young girl didn't even bother to block or dodge out of the way, she walked right into it, and with mounting horror, Peter Pettigrew saw it did nothing to her.

"What was that supposed to do Peter Pettigrew?" The girl asks, her voice going from light and cheery to a monotone, "I am not well versed in mortal magic, but it did tingle a bit." She mocks him.

"Avada Kadabra!" Screams Peter, sending the poison green spell rushing towards the girl, who does nothing to dodge or block the spell, she simply raises her hand and catches the spell, and looks at Peter unimpressed.

"You used a spell of instant Death," The girl says, as Peter looks on in shock and horror, "Against the Goddess of it?" The young girl asks in confusion before crushing the spell in her hand like it was nothing.

Peter tries to transform into wormtail, but the rat doesn't come out, it was as if he was cut off from the other half of himself, he tries again and still nothing, Peter begins to shake as he looks at the young girl in fear as she drops her arm and the scornful look returns.

"I have just thought of something you can do for me Peter," she says as she unslings her bow from her shoulder and catches it in her hand in one smooth motion, "I want you to struggle, I want you to scream, I want you to run as fast as your legs can carry you, and I want you to give me a good hunt, Peter, for we do not have long and our time grows short." Her amber eyes blaze with a hunger Peter had never seen before, but she stops before taking another step forward a thoughtful look crosses her face before she speaks again, "But why should I be the only one to enjoy the Hunt tonight?" She asks as she smiles and raises her fingers to her lips and whistles sharply three times, the sound echoes for miles around them as she lowers her hand, the cruel smile never leaving her face.

As Peter starts to crawl back from the girl, he hears it, the sound of heavy paws hitting the forest floor as through the trees he sees the form of a large wolf walking through the moonlight coming up behind the girl. Peter keeps his horrified face firmly in place when he sees the wolf, it would be the opportunity he needed to escape when the wolf attacked the girl, but to his surprise and terror the wolf doesn't attack the girl as it walks up behind her, in fact, the girl lifts her hand for the wolf to walk under to be petted by the girl, and worst yet; he knows this wolf.

"After all, what is a hunter without her hound," the girl says with a smile, "and you know this hound, don't you Peter?" She asks as Moony takes a step forward and growls deeply at him.

Peter pales as he watches this impossible girl pet a Werewolf without fear and with a smile on her face, she turns to the large wolf before saying "You may chase, savage, and tear, but you are not to kill or bite him, he's protected from that and I'd rather not see what fate would do to you if you did, for you still have much to make for," she tells the wolf as he growls in response to her words as if it could understand her.

"What are you?" Peter asks, beyond scared, beyond frighted, slipping into the true terror of the Hunt.

The girl turns back to him with a smile like a wolf's, "I am Artemis, and you, Peter," she tells him, "Are Prey,"

The wolf growls and lowers himself for the charge to come,

"Run," Artemis Whispers maliciously.

And Peter doesn't need to be told twice and he picks himself off the ground and flings himself into the forest at a dead sprint to escape the growls of the wolf and the laughter of the girl on the Hunt.

Albus Dumbledore, 6th floor of Hogwarts.

Had Albus known that Harry and his friends were to encounter Sirius Black after leaving Hagrid's hut earlier this day, he would have invited them to stay and share a few age-appropriate drinks with Himself and Hagrid after seeing the Minister, Lucius Malfoy, and Walden Macnair off grounds instead of going with the Minister to speak with him about the Triwizard tournament that was coming to Hogwarts next year. The man wanted to bring in a few creatures from Greece for the final task, and he really needed to veto that suggestion before the fool brought in something that would go on a rampage when it smelled demigod in the castle.

Albus and the Minister were several cups deep in their discussion when Minerva's Patronus had entered the private room of the three broomsticks and announced the capture of Sirius Black, and while Cornelius ran off to floo call Madam Bones, Albus had rushed back to the castle to take control of the situation, meeting Minerva at the Entrance Hall she had told them everything she had found out. Sirius Black was brought in unconscious, along with Severus and Harry who shared his condition and locked in an unused classroom on the sixth floor, while Harry and Severus were delivered to the Hospital Wing, The children were fine for now, but were rambling about Peter Pettigrew being alive, something Albus would investigate in time. He had sent Minerva, Hagrid, and Filius out to the forest to find Miss Atalanta in the hopes Remus didn't kill her or she hadn't killed Remus.

Albus however, had business on the sixth floor, for he knew time was short and the Minister with a team of Aurors and Madam Bones were on their way. He had little time for pleasantries and manners, Albus had to get to Sirius Black before they showed up to feed Sirius to the dementors. Albus needed to know what the man had passed along to Tom before that horrible night twelve years ago, he needed to know what Tom knew to better prepare for the war to come, and after he had found out what he needed to know, he would kill Sirius himself, a final mercy to the man.

Standing outside the door, locked with charms and sealed shut with transfigured bars, Albus takes a deep breath to steel himself for what he was about to do, and with a wave of his wand, he undoes the locks that bound the door shut and opens it before walking in. Sirius was awake, sitting in a chair looking into a lit Hearth, Albus could see while it was lit, the fire was fed by nothing, a charm Albus decided, and a wandless one at that, if it was anyone but Sirius Black, Albus would have been impressed.

As the door shuts behind him, Sirius speaks without looking up from the flame, "Are you here to kill me, Dumbledore?" The man asks, but his voice holds no scorn or blame.

Albus sighs before speaking, "I am," Albus tells him simply, there was no reason to beat around the bush, or to gloat, Sirius just nods, accepting his fate.

"Is Harry alright?" Sirius asks softly, and Albus almost hesitates in his mission but answers Sirius anyway.

"As far as I know he is unconscious in the Hospital Wing in the care of Madam Pomfrey, far away from you," Albus says as he moves deeper into the room.

Sirius shakes his head, "I didn't do anyth-'' Sirius tries to say but is cut off by the anger and power behind Dumbledore's words.

"Silence!" Albus yells, loud and angry as his magic fills the room suffocating Sirius under its weight, "I will not hear it, you betrayed them, you handed Lily and James over to Voldemort, after everything they had done for you, after everything Euphemia and Fleamont had done for you, you spat on their legacy and left Harry to suffer," Albus tells Sirius in a hard voice as Sirius flinches at the tone and magic and the Hearth crackles.

"I am not here to go over the why of you doing what you had done, I am here to get the information I seek and to protect the boy who you should have, but failed to do so," Albus says as he levels his wand at the man sitting in front of the Hearth.

"Albus, I didn't do-" Sirius tries to say but Dumbledore doesn't let him finish.

"Legilimens," Albus speaks softly as he dives into the mind of a madman. Albus sorts and shifts through the memories, pushing past the years in Azkaban and starting from the moment Sirius had entered the war, fast-forwarding through the memories trying to find the meetings in secret with Tom to find out what Tom knew but he finds nothing. He looks for dead drops, messages pass in secret, and still nothing. He looks for him meeting with other Death Eaters, but all he saw were battles and healing on the Potter's couch, then the memory of him passing on the secret to another, Peter Pettigrew. Albus skips to the day where Sirius and Peter were in the muggle neighborhood and sees the events play out, and Albus pulls himself from Sirius' mind in shock.

"You didn't do it," Albus says in shock and horror, for all these years an innocent man was imprisoned in Azkaban for a crime he had not committed, subjected to a hell that even Albus could scarcely imagine.

"Yeah," Sirius says, as he huffs in the chair by the Hearth out of breath and sweating, "No shit,"

Albus pauses, his mind working a mile a minute, Sirius's death warrant was signed the moment he broke out of Azkaban it would take no less than Peter alive and well for Bones or Fudge to halt the kiss, and it was without a doubt Peter was long gone by now. Albus needed more time, time to think, time to plan, time…Time turner…Granger.

Albus quickly puts his wand away, "I'm sorry for this Sirius, but I do not have long, so a more thorough apology will have to wait till later. But I will make sure you do not suffer the kiss tonight, wait and hope I am in time, old friend." Before Dumbledore turns on his heel and sweeps out the door, sealing Sirius' cries for an explanation behind as Albus double-times it to the hospital Wing, thunder from the brewing storm outside shakes the castle. Miss Granger has a time turner, he hated to do it, but he would have to ask her and Mister Wesley, and if he was awake, Harry to go back in time to save Sirius from his fate. He would not let an innocent man suffer a fate worse than death tonight.

Heading down the stairs to the third floor and opening the secret passage that would lead him right outside the Wing, Albus stops in shock at who meets him in that passage.

"Lady Artemis, you must excuse me, but I must pass," He informs the Goddess in the passage, "My time is short and I must get to the Hospital Wing, I have learned-"

"That Sirius Black is innocent of his crimes," Artemis finishes for him.

Albus pauses, before asking "How long?" He asks about how long she had known.

"Not long ago, I learned it this night as well," she tells the old Headmaster.

"Then, please excuse me, I will not allow an innocent man to lose his soul this night," He says as he tries to move past her, only to find his path blocked by her again.

"You're heading the wrong way if you wish to free the man," Artemis says as another roar of thunder shakes the castle, Artemis narrows her eyes and turns her head before muttering under her breath.

"Lady Artemis, we are wasting time standing here," Albus tells her, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"Yes, we are," she says turning back to him, "Turn around and head back up the stairs, at the top, you'll find a rat, I don't think I'll need to tell you what to do after that," Artemis informs him as the thunder continues.

Albus pauses, considering who he was talking to, and nods before saying "He'll have to return there for a short time, I hope you realize," he tells the Goddess, who just nods.

"How long?" She asks

"Two weeks, at least till the wards recharge," Albus says the words with a heavy heart.

Artemis grinds her teeth, but nods, "If I find they return to what they were doing before I will not hold myself back any longer," she warns Albus, "But if he can make it the two weeks, I'll be-" but Artemis doesn't get to finish as thunder shakes the building as a crack of sound and a flash of light fills the passage along with the smell of ozone before Artemis is gone.

Albus had covered his face to protect himself from the light and sound, and seeing Artemis gone, he suspected of what had happened but decides there was no time to speculate on something that was well beyond him as he turns on his heel and returns to the stairs he had just descended and made his way to the top, and just as Lady Artemis had said, Peter Pettigrew was leaning against the wall, bleeding and heavily injured, but breathing and alive. The Elder Wand snaps into his hand and he levitates Pettigrew's body and charges down the corridor with Pettigrew following him, hoping he wasn't too late.

When Albus makes it to the unused classroom, the Aurors are already outside, Dawlish and young Nymphadora, as he approaches Dawlish leaves his post and walks to meet him, hand out to stop him.

"I'm sorry sir, The Minister, and Madam Bones gave orders not to let anyone inside, not even you Sir," Dawlish tells him, but Albus is in no mood for it.

"Move," Albus Dumbledore says with so much force that it shakes the corridor and the man in front of him to the core.

Dawlish eyes go wide as he looks over to Nymphadora, whose eyes were equally wide, before turning back to Dumbledore and starting to tell the man his orders again before he's flung down the hall with a flick of Dumbledore's wand before he turns to the door and flicking it again, breaking through the ward around the room and the door itself before stepping into the room. Shacklebolt had his wand drawn and pointed at the door, while Moody was looking at the floating body behind Dumbledore with a surprised look on his scared face that was swiftly twisting into a rage. Sirius was backed against the Hearth with a lone dementor floating before him reaching out for him, while Fudge and Madam Bones had both turned to the door, with Bones' wand pointed at Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore, what is this madness!?" Screams Fudge.

"Call it off!" Dumbledore orders, "Call off the Dementor, now Cornelius, there is more going on here than you know."

Fudge stands there in shock for a moment before speaking, "Absolutely not, this man is an escaped mass murderer, he's too dangerous to hold in Azkaban, this is the only way this was going to end," Fudge says back, and as Albus raises his wand to chase the demon from his castle himself, something else decides to step in to help an innocent man.

The Hearth roars filling the room with fire, sending Sirius flying across the room to land in a heap by the opposite wall, everyone covers their face to avoid the flames before the fire pulls back, and in the flame's grip, the Dementor screams in pain as it begins to burn. All eyes turn to the site of the immortal creature's otherworldly screams filling the room and watch in abject horror as the creature of dread is proven not as immortal as it once seemed as the Dementor is burned into not but ash in a Hearth.

"I didn't do that," Sirius says to the stunned room, as they all turn their wands and heads to him, just before a body lands in the middle of the room, and Sirius is stunned like the rest before he starts to laugh, a deep half-mad laugh as he says the man's name "Peter!"

And Moody finishes it in a growl of pure anger, "Pettigrew!" As the unconscious Peter lay on the floor, bleeding and the Dark Mark on his arm was shown to the world.

Artemis, Mount Olympus.

"I AM NOT A CHILD THAT YOU CAN SNAP UP WHENEVER YOU WANT, FATHER!" Artemis screams in rage in the council chambers of the Olympian Gods.

"BE SILENT!" Zeus Roars back, "YOU HAVE CLAIMED A CHILD, BROKEN YOUR OATHS, AND WORST YET, MOTHERED A MAGICIAN!" His face is red with rage as he glares down at his daughter.

"I have broken nothing," Artemis hisses out at Zeus as he sits on his platinum throne, but he was not the only one there, every seat was filled. The full Olympian council had been called, the only one missing was Hades, and he wasn't allowed on Olympus unless invited by Zeus himself or it was the winter solstice meeting.

"But you do not deny mothering a Magician?" Asks Athena from her own throne, Artemis' lips pressed together before looking at her.

"The boy is no threat, he doesn't even know what he is or what he can do," Artemis argues from her throne of silver.

"Inconsequential," says Hephaestus the God of the forge, "Just because a part doesn't know its function doesn't mean it's still not a danger," and Zeus nods agreeing with his son.

"Now hold on here," Hermes says, "are we really blaming the kid for what he CAN do, and not what he HAS done?" The rest of the Gods turn to him, before the messenger god continues, "if that is the case, then it sets a very dangerous precedent, killing one of our children over what they can do in fear of what they will do," to which some of the Gods assembled nod to.

"None of our children can mantle, there is a reason why most of the pantheons have outlawed the mixing of magical and divine blood," Zeus says, "Or must I remind you of what happened to the Mesoamerican Pantheon or the Mesopotamian Pantheon before them," the God of the sky says with clenched teeth.

"Lord Zeus speaks truly," Athena says, "Even the most practiced hands of Mantling, The Egyptians, have outlawed its practice. The danger of having a Magician with Olympian blood can not be ignored,"

"I feel the need to point out that we have Magicians already," Aphrodite says next to her husband.

"But they serve a purpose, do not share any of this councils blood, and there are never more than two, one to manage the bridge between us and the Wixen and one to learn how," Athena says to counter Aphrodite's point, "But before we continue with what to do with the boy, I wish to know something beforehand,"

"Shocking that," mutters Dionysus from her left before taking a sip of diet coke.

Athena glares at him before turning back to Artemis, "You had taken sacred Oaths alongside me and Aunt Hestia, to remain a Maiden for all time, have you broken this oath, which is a crime, in and of itself, though not one we can cast judgment on," the Goddess of wisdom and war asks the Huntress. At this, all of the Olympian's heads turn to look at Artemis, she could feel the burning gaze of Apollo to her left, not in anger but concern.

"I have not broken my oaths, I laid with no man and have no interest to do so," Artemis says through clenched teeth.

"Then how did this child come to be?" Asks Poseidon, who had been up to this point quiet, there was no accusation in his voice, just curiosity from the earth shaker.

"The child was born of mortals via a ritual," a soft voice speaks, drawing out his words in a throaty growl, as the council chambers become just a little darker, and a little colder, as all heads turn to the voice.

His salt and pepper hair was neatly combed to the side and his black silk-like suit twisted with the faces of the damned as his oxford shoes clicked on the marble floor as he walked in.

"You knew of this Hades," Zeus growls out, as electricity sparks from his eyes.

"Of course," Hades says, "For when a Wixen soul crosses into my domain after being touched by one of us, I tend to take an interest," the Dark God says smoothly, "and I would like to remind you, Little Brother, that I am not a hound to call to heel when you feel like it, unlike some of you, I am a busy God with a busy realm, and have no time for pity arguments." He says with a soft hiss of anger in his voice.

"Uncle speaks truthfully," says Artemis, diverting the ensuing argument between sky and earth, "a mortal woman completed a ritual to summon another God, but she did not consider what would happen if her husband, another Wixen that could turn into a Stag, was apart of the ritual, and accidentally summoned and bound me," Artemis explains as most of the council nods having been bound by the same ritual before, "They had asked for help to create a child after the female was cursed barren during a war,"

"And you agreed?" Asks Artemis' twin in shock.

"They were not asking me to break my oaths or bear the child myself," Artemis explains, "and I was… curious on how a child of mine would turn out to be," Artemis says as she shuffled on her throne, and Apollo leans back in his seat in shock.

"So, you gave away some of your divine Pneuma to help create the child, how much did you use?" Athena asks

"Enough," Artemis says, much to the Goddess of Wisdom's displeasure.

"As annoying as this meeting is-," Hades begins to say before a loud pop is heard throughout the chamber and all heads turn to the Hearth.

"My apologies," Hestia says, "I had to fix something, please do not mind me," all the Olympians nod their heads in acknowledgment before turning back to Hades.

"As I was saying, as annoying as this meeting is, I do not see the point of it," the God of the Underworld says with a sigh, "a child was born outside our realm of power in a land of faded and dead gods, who just happens to be a Magician, the boy is no threat unless someone is stupid enough to make him one," Hades says, looking at Zeus, "and since I am not one to kill a child on what they could do, and believe in leaving other Gods businesses to them," he glares at Zeus at this, "and this will without a doubt go to a vote, my vote is for the boy to live," the God of the Underworld, and Zeus glares at him, hand tightening around the master blot before the Dark God turns to Demeter, "Since I am here, I would like permission to enter your temple Demeter, I wish to see my wife before I return to the underworld,"

Demeter makes a sour face before nodding to him, to which he gives a small bow back and turns around to leave the chambers.

"Wait, Uncle," Artemis calls out as the Dark God stops, and turns to look at her with a raised brow, "What happened to them, the boy's mother and father?" She asks.

"The Elysian Fields, for the both of them," Hades tells the Goddess of the Hunt, "Quite impressive in fact, the first civilian mortals to make there in a long, long time," he says before taking his leave from the chambers.

"This does not change the fact that the child is a threat to us, if he were to learn to Mantle it could spell the end of us all, it will be dealt with here and now," Zeus says as he strikes his master bolt against the floor, "as Hades said, we will take this to a vote, to kill the boy and end the threat, or let the boy live and hope he never figures it out,"

"Which is quite possible," speaks Athena, "We have wiped out all records of it from the mortal world,"

"My son will live, even if I must protect him from you, father," says the Goddess of the Hunt.

"I vote we kill the little bastard," says the God of War, ever thirsty for bloodshed

"I vote for the boy to live, I want to see how he will turn out," says the Goddess of Love who glares at Ares, and whom Artemis glares at for the trouble she caused.

"Well, if my wife votes for the boy to live, even if I do not think it's wise, I vote for him to live as well," says the God of the Forge, and his wife turns back to him with a smile that promises something very nice coming his way soon.

"The boy is an unknown quantity, it would be unwise to allow him to do as he pleases, I vote to end him," says the Goddess of Wisdom with cold logic.

"I agree with Athena, sometimes one must pull up a plant, root and all, for the garden to flourish, the boy can not continue to live if we wish to avoid a parasitic Vine growing," says the Goddess of Nature.

"Well, I'm not in the business of killing kids on what they could do, the boy lives and you all should be ashamed of yourselves," says the God of Roads and Commerce.

"The boy is a threat I will not tolerate, he dies," the God of Lightning says.

"I just have one question for Artemis before I vote, is the brat coming to camp?" Asks the God of Wine.

"No," Artemis answers, "Even if he wanted to, he is of the Hunt and should be trained by the Hunt,"

Dionysus claps his hands before leaning back on his Throne, "And like that, I vote for the boy, Henry Potts or whatever his name is, to live," the God of Madness says with a smile.

Zeus turns to his wife with a scowl, as lightning crackles from his eyes, "Well, dare, you agree with me on the threat the boy poses, don't you?" He asks his Queen.

Hera smiles at Zeus, as sweet as poison, "I vote for the boy to live, Artemis, unlike some other Gods I could mention, have respect for Marriage and solemn vows," says the Goddess of Marriage to spite her husband.

Zeus turns on his throne to look at Poseidon, "Brother!?" He says.

Poseidon looks at the King of the Sky and raises his eyebrow, "I don't know why you're looking at me, I'm voting for the boy to live," says the God of the Seas.

With his brother voting against him, Artemis smirks, her father lost the majority and would have to bow to the council's decision unless he wanted to go back into the net, but there was still one vote left, and so Artemis turns back to her twin, and finds him looking back. Their eyes meet, and the moon passes a message to the sun, " not like Orion." She pleads and the sun sighs.

"This vote was useless from the start," Apollo informs the gathered Gods, "The boy is protected by prophecy, even if you wanted to kill him, father, you can't," Apollo says.

"What!?" Zeus thunders.

Artemis had forgotten that. The events and worry of the day had washed the prophecy that Harry was a part of from her mind.

Apollo shrugs, "Even if it doesn't matter, I vote for the boy to live," says the God of the Sun as he looks at his sister, "But I want to meet him," he says with a cheeky grin.

Harry Potter

It had been a strange and exciting week for Harry, with the exams, meeting Sirius, the hunt in the woods, and the aftermath of it all. When Harry had awoken the next day with a case of minor magical exhaustion due to using too much, too fast at the lakeside, he was caught up with what had happened during the time he was asleep.

First was that Sirius' case was being reopened and investigated thoroughly by the DMLE due to eyewitness reports of Peter Pettigrew being alive, throwing the events in question into speculation, the eyewitnesses being the Minister, Madam Bones, two highly decorated Aurors, and Dumbledore himself. Followed up by testimony from himself, Hermione, Ron, Atalanta, and Professor Lupin. Apparently, Sirius had already had a solicitor in Theodore Tonks, who was doing the case for free seeing that Sirius was his wife's cousin. From what Dumbledore had told him, it was going to be an open and shut case and Sirius would be released before the end of Summer.

Atalanta had been found in the forest unconscious, bettered, and bleeding from her fight with Moony, but not bitten, though his claws were going to leave curse scars on her, when Professor Lupin showed up after waking up in the shrieking shack, and started to apologize to her, voice heavy with remorse all Atalanta started to do was laugh.

"You didn't mess up my pretty face, I got some wicked cool scars out of it, and it was a good hunt," Atalanta said to the shocked Werewolf, "Why are you so gloomy about it?" She had asked, confused and amused at Lupin.

Snape had claimed a blow to the head had knocked him out and due to a concussion, he couldn't remember anything after leaving the dungeon. Harry knew he was lying by the way the man had glared at him, but he was relieved for not to getting expelled over striking a teacher, but Snape wasn't about to help Sirius for some reason and had told Professor Lupin in no uncertain terms to resign from being the DADA Professor or he'd let it slip to the students about his furry little problem to the shock and anger of Ron, Hermione, and himself. But Professor Lupin had told him he already did and had given the Headmaster his letter of resignation before coming to the Hospital Wing, Snape had just glared and swept out of the wing.

That was about the time the bad news started to roll in, Peter Pettigrew had escaped from Auror custody before midnight last night and was currently wanted as much as Sirius was. That, while talking to his-, to Artemis, she had disappeared in a flash of light and thunder, this had Atalanta paling when she heard that before excusing herself to do something. Then, then the conversation Harry knew was coming but didn't want to have came up.

"I have to go back, don't I?" He had asked Dumbledore in a whisper, Dumbledore sighed at the question and removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before putting them back on.

"I will not lie to you, Harry," Dumbledore said, "You can choose not to go back, for I will not force you into a house that has no true love for you,"

"But the wards," Harry had simply said, explaining it all, and Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, the blood wards," The Headmaster confirmed, "I made a terrible mistake that day, all those years ago, leaving you there, and you paid the price for it. There are no words in this world to express my sorrow for that, Harry, that wasn't the life I'd imagine you having there." He said, sorrow thick in his voice.

"Why didn't you come back? To check on me?" Harry had asked.

"Because of an agreement I had with your Aunt," he said and seeing Harry's confused face explains, "I had returned once, after dropping you off with your Aunt. It was about a month or so afterwards, it was a busy time for me with all the trails and fires to put out, your Aunt had told me that the only way she would take you in, was if she never had contact with our world again. I had told her that, no matter her objections, you would be coming to Hogwarts when you turned eleven, she had agreed and on that day when I left, if I had known what she was going to do, I would have taken you with me. But hindsight is often 20/20, Harry."

Harry was quiet for a while after that, looking at his feet as he lay in the hospital bed, before turning back to the sitting Headmaster, "I forgive you," Harry had said softly, "You didn't know and were keeping to a promise you made to her, I forgive you." Dumbledore had just sat in his chair, his eyes slightly wide, his lips had parted a few times trying to say something, but in the end, failing before he stood from his seat and turned his back to Harry. He had pulled a handkerchief from somewhere, and wiped his face before taking a deep breath and turned back to Harry.

"It seems, Harry, I must be reminded of how much of an incredible young man you are at the end of every school year," Dumbledore had said with a thick voice, "but back to the matter at hand, while I can not ask you to return, I wish to ask you to be strong for me, one more time." He said before he sat back down, "The blood wards have a recharge time for them, around two weeks, after that the magic of the blood wards will be empowered for another year, can you be strong for me for two more weeks?"

"What happens after two weeks?" Harry had asked.

"Well, it depends, if Lady Artemis has anything planned, which by what she said, she does," Dumbledore informs Harry, to the boy's confusion, "If she does not contact me or you, then after two weeks I will be coming to get you myself, to leave that house forever after that."

"Where would I go? The Borrow?" Harry asked.

"That is certainly an option," Dumbledore said, "Molly is very vocal about that as well, but I have asked a few others, the Granger family had expressed a want to take you in, and so has Andromeda Tonks, Sirius' Cousin, but the choice my dear boy, is up to you." He had told Harry, "This would only be for the short term as well, for I had Sirius sign some parchment work before leaving last night to allow a group of curse breakers, magical construction workers, and other working-class folks into a townhouse in downtown London to begin renovations on it, and by there estimates should be done by late December."

"I get to live with Sirius?" Harry asked, shocked, and Dumbledore nodded.

"As you should have been all those years ago," Dumbledore said, "Once he has been cleared from the Rehab that I have been setting up for him, he also made the most curious comment of wanting a 'dragon-sized Hearth' installed." Dumbledore tilted his head in thought at that, before shaking it and they both fell in silence again for a long moment.

"Can you do it, Harry, can you be strong for me one more time?" The Headmaster asked, and Harry nodded.

So, Harry sat in the last compartment on the left of the Hogwarts Express looking out the window as the rolling green hills fly past them, heading back to the last place he wanted to go for the reward at the end of it all, a year of protection from his mother's magic, and leaving his prison for the last time.

To run wild and free.

As the towns start rolling past, he sighs, and Hermione looks up from her book, "Are you gonna be okay, Harry?" She asks, and Harry shrugs.

"It's only two weeks, and then I'll be free, besides my-, Artemis visited them a while ago and scared them, maybe they'll get the message this time and leave me alone," Harry says.

"And if they don't, I'll come back and beat that message into them," Atalanta says as she stretches after waking up from a cat nap, Hermione gives her a look, but doesn't say anything as Ron snorts before he starts to pack away his chessboard he was practicing with.

"Well, if they do start with that stuff again, write to one of us, and we'll send in the Calvary to get you," Ron says as the train starts to slow down, "besides, Dad got tickets to the world cup this summer, enough for us all to go, so that's something to look forward too,"

As the train screeches to a stop and the students all gather their things to disembark the train, the trio and Atalanta wait for the crowds to clear and follow after, Harry says hello to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with Hermione's mom and dad, before telling them both that he'd see them later in the Summer and heading to the exit of the platform, only stopping for a moment when he feels eyes on the back of his neck. Stopping and turning around to scan the crowd he finds who is watching him, Daphne Greengrass, he raises an eyebrow at her before she narrows her eyes at him, and her little sister turns to see who her older sister was looking at before seeing Harry and smiling and waving at him. Harry blinks, before waving back awkwardly back.

"You good kiddo?" Atalanta asks, and Harry turns back to her, nodding, "Good, now come on, I want to threaten your shitty relatives before I go." She says with a smirk as they both walk through the barrier.

They both wait at the gate, Atalanta checking her watch and tapping her foot, "They're late," she says, annoyed, "Are they always late?" The Lioness asks and Harry shakes his head, the Dursleys like being on time for everything, even picking up the fre-, picking him up. Harry walks out to the sidewalk with Atalanta following behind him as he starts to look up and down the street to see if he can spot the Dursleys car, maybe they had parked and were just waiting for him?

"Where the hell are they?" Atalanta asks impatiently, as Harry spots something and nudges her, and nods his head towards it.

A man in his twenties was leaning against a red convertible, he was tall with blonde hair and a handsome face, an open white shirt showing off a well-defined chest with blue denim pants and trainers, and a pair of thick black sunglasses covered his eyes as he smiled and nodded to a group of passing women who giggle and blush, and he was holding, oddly enough, a sign with Harry's name on it.

"Oh, fuck…" Atalanta curses, before grabbing Harry and turning him away from the man, "Okay, don't panic, don't panic, we're just going to avoid him, get around the corner, and summon that knight bus thing, cool?" Atalanta whispers to him.

"Why?" Harry asks back in a whisper, trusting Atalanta, "Who is that guy?" Harry asks as he quickly takes his trunk off the trolley and opens Hedwig's cage letting her fly out, she knew where to go by now.

"That Harry," Atalanta says while making a face full of worry, "That's Lady Artemis' twin,"

Harry stops before paling a bit, that was Apollo, God of the Sun, Apollo, as in one of the people Artemis was worried about finding him, Apollo. That Wasn't good, Harry swallowed the lump in his throat, this was very bad.

"Okay, Knight Bus it is, hopefully, he won't-" but before Harry could finish what he was whispering to Atalanta, a new voice joins them from behind them.

"What are we whispering about?" The new voice whispers as well before Atalanta jumps like a cat, dragging Harry away as well, before turning around.

"Lord Apollo, what a pleasure it is to see you again!" Atalanta says to Apollo who had snuck up behind them.

"Atalanta, nice to see you not a lion anymore," the God of the Sun says back with a blinding smile, "Not trying to sneak away from me are you?"

"What? No, no, just…thinking of alternative ways to get this Random kid I just met home," Atalanta says and cringes at her own bad lie.

"Mmhm, Sure," Apollo says with a smile before turning to Harry and inspecting him from top to bottom, "Harry Potter, the son of Artemis and Heir to the Hunt," He says to the boy who lived who takes a slight step back, "Do you know who I am, Harry?" He asks as he tilts his shades so Harry can look into his eyes, twin burning stars sitting look back at Harry from behind his sunglasses with black holes for pupils.

"You're Apollo, Artemis' twin brother," Harry says with a bit of fear in his voice.

"That's right! You can call me Uncle Apollo if you like," he says with a thousand-watt smile

"Huh?" That is all Harry can say, confused at how the God of the Sun was acting.

"No? Hey, it's cool if you don't want to, just never had a nephew before, thought I'd give it a shot," Apollo says as he starts walking back to the red car, "Well come on, I told your mom that I'd drop you off at the place you staying at,"

"You're not here to kill me?" Harry asks, surprised

"Kill you?" Apollo asks, looking amused, "and what? Risk my sister's wrath and the death of all my children, yeah no, I'm good on that," he smiles once more before taking a set of keys out of his pocket, "You coming?"

Harry turns to look at Atalanta, eyebrow raised in question, she just shrugs and shoulders her bag before walking over before Harry follows, the trunk popping open as he approaches. Harry and Atalanta get settled into the car with Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage in the boot, Atalanta sprawled out in the back seat, and Harry setting in the front seat next to Apollo, they don't talk much as they leave the city, the God of the Sun makes comments on one thing or another about the city as Atalanta makes plight conversation and Harry staying quiet.

"You're a lot like her you know," Apollo says to Harry, and Harry turns to him confused, "Artemis, I mean, she doesn't like to do meaningless conversation either, but will let me prattle on about anything while she kinda listens,"

"Oh, umm, …Yeah, sorry," Harry doesn't really know what to say to that.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Apollo says with a small laugh, before going quiet for a moment, he presses a button on the dash, and the top of the convertible starts to come up, and he sighs, "Sorry Atalanta, but I need a moment with my nephew, Guy time ya know?" Before hitting another button and a divider comes up between the front and back seat.

"Hey, wait-" is all Harry hears Atalanta say before the divider cuts her off with a click before Apollo spins his seat to face Harry, the seat now more like a captain's chair on an airplane, Harry feels himself spin to face the God, anxiety raising in his chest as he does. Apollo looked at Harry, inspecting him once more and Harry felt like he was under a microscope.

"You've experienced a prophecy," the God says, not asking him, but stating, and Harry nods.

"Their intense things, the riddles of the future that mortals try and puzzle out, and for the Gods unable to stop," Apollo says solemnly, "Did you figure out what it was about?" He asks Harry who, once again nods.

"It was about Pettigrew escaping, and my-, Artemis making the choice to claim me or not," Harry tells Apollo and it was the God's turn to nod.

"For the most part, yes, but you're leaving something out Harry," Apollo tells the boy.

"Voldemort," Harry whispers the name like a curse.

"The mortal who thinks of himself as a god, Tom Riddle, his story is a tragic one, but it does not excuse him from the horrible things he has done," The God of Prophecy states, "He will return, Harry, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but he will rise again soon,"

Harry looks down to his feet, not saying anything to Artemis' Twin.

"And in the end, it will come down to you two," Apollo tells him, something that deep down, Harry knew, "there was another Prophecy given by the same seer, one that involves you and him, it's not my place to tell you what it says, but he is obsessed with it, it's the reason he went after you that Halloween night, and it's the reason why he will stop at nothing to hunt you down," Apollo says as he watches Harry consider what he was just told, the boy looks up at him, his pupils slitted like his mothers as he draws on the power of the Hunt.

"He can try," Harry says before repeating the words Artemis had told him in the depths of despair, "But I'm not prey to anyone or anything."

And Apollo smiles at the boy.

Number 4 Privet Drive.

Apollo had parked the car, telling Atalanta he'd wait for her until she had said her goodbye to Harry. She had gotten out and helped Harry with his trunk and cage before walking to the door.

"I guess this is it, Huh kiddo?" Atalanta says to Harry as the heir to the hunt sets down his trunk right outside the door.

"Yeah," Harry mumbles awkwardly, not really knowing what to say, or if he'll ever see Atalanta again.

Atalanta smirks at him, still the same old awkward kid she had met in the Leaky Cauldron all those months ago, just a lot more dangerous now.

"I'm going to miss our games of tag," she tells him as he nods and mumbles out he would too, Atalanta shakes her head.

"I'm going to miss you most of all, Harry," she tells him as he finally looks her in the eyes, she smiles at him, "Hopefully it won't be too long before we see each other again, huh?"

Harry doesn't say anything for a moment, his eyes shifting between the door to number 4 to the red convertible parked by the driveway, he awkwardly shuffles between his feet, before looking down again.

"Well, I'll, ah, guess I gotta get going now, don't want to ke-" before Atalanta could finish, Harry had moved almost too fast for her to see, throwing his arms around her and pulling her into a hug, burying his face in her shoulder. Atalanta is stunned for a moment before she smiles softly and wraps her arms around her little adoptive brother and hugs him back.

"Tag," Harry whispers softly, "You're it,"

Atalanta laughs softly before they break apart, She sniffs, fighting the emotions welling in her chest, and rubbing the boy's shoulder, "Happy hunting, Harry,"

He smiles back, "Happy hunting, Atalanta," he tells her back before Atalanta steps off the front porch and starts to walk to the car, not wanting Harry to see her crying, And climbs in. She turns her head just in time to watch Harry disappear inside the house, and she swears, one word from him, one word from anyone about the family inside hurting him again and she would return to fucking murder every one of them and dance on their corpuses.

"Goodbyes are always hard," Apollo says, "but as bitter-sweet as they tend to be, there is always hope for another Hello in the future." Atalanta doesn't know if he's being poetic or prophetic, so she doesn't comment, just nods.

"Luckily, you're goodbye isn't for long," The God of the Sun says to the confused face of the hunter, "Orders from Artemis, you've earned a Vacation, but only two weeks' worth, I'm to drop you off at the Leaky Cauldron and you are to wait in the prepaid room, drink on the Headmasters Tab, and enjoy yourself,"

"Why? Why two weeks?" The confused Hunter asks.

"Because it's gonna take that long for the whole Hunt to come back to England, after Zoë shows up, you two are going to go collect Harry and then, you're heading out for a hunt," Apollo says as he starts the car again, before turning back to the shocked face of Atalanta.

"The whole Hunt?" Atalanta asks

"Yup," Apollo says, "heard there was a big ass spider problem by some school in Scotland, the Headmaster had prayed to Artemis for help clearing it out," Apollo says with a smile before Atalanta has a matching one.

Notes:

*Mic drop*

This is the longest chapter to date, I wanted to send this story off with a bang and I think I did just that.

What did y'all think? I thought it was pretty good, and fun to write. Not gonna lie guys and gals, im taking a break after this, I pumped this bitch out in under three months, and I really need to get back to planning dnd, or else my group is gonna kill me.

But please pay attention to this story, because you'll hear it here first if and when the sequels go up.

Any questions about all the weird shit I slipped in? I'd love to answer some in an A/N chapter. But be forewarned, anything about {fathomless black eyes} will not be answered, that is one mystery I'm keeping to myself.