NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22: CH 22
to it when it brought him through the Empire State building and onto Olympus, and that had turned out the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He decided to listen, and scratched at his scar.
Hades seemed to lean forward, and focused. Harry squirmed; this is why he kept his scar hidden.
"I hadn't noticed that scar," Hades said, intensely focused now.
"Neither had I, Hades," Hestia added, looking intently as well. Harry squirmed harder. He wished he could hide his scar again, but that feeling in his gut told him not to, that this was a good thing, that he should let the gods handle this.
Hades stood up, and shrunk at the same time. He stepped forward, and was suddenly in front of Harry, tall as a man but not tall as a god, leaning forward. "That scar," he said. "It is foul."
Harry blinked. "Like a chicken?" Hestia smothered a laugh. "Foul as in disgusting, not fowl as in poultry," she explained gently, while some of the gods snickered around them.
Hades, meanwhile, had reached out, and trailed his thumb over it. "Do you know how you got this, Harry?" he asked, his voice incredibly intense. Harry swallowed, it was as if the air was growing thick again, making it hard to breathe.
"They told me I got it in the crash that killed my parents, Mister Hades. But since my parents didn't die in a crash, I don't know."
Hades just nodded. " There is a piece of soul stuck in that scar. It is made with the blackest of mortal magics." The God of the Underworld was now leaning so close that Harry could smell his breath. "Brace yourself. I will remove it. It may be painful."
Harry gulped. "Ok, Mister Hades."
It felt like a knife of energy was driven into his skull. Harry grunted; the next moment, the pain was gone. He opened his eyes, and stared at a black ball of tar that seemed to rest in Hades' hand.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Hades spoke to the ball. "You have made your last mistake. Now that part of your soul is in my possession, I shall condemn you in your entirety." Hades smiled back. It was very rare for a mortal to be kind to him, rather than fearful or angry. "You're welcome, Harry." His smile took on a dangerous tint. "It allowed me to close out an account that had been escaping me."
Harry gave Hades a final wave as he followed Hestia to the other side of the room. "Harry, this is Dionysus, God of Wine, Parties, and Madness. Dionysus, this is Harry Potter."
The god gave a disinterested wave. "Yes, yes, hallo, Harmon."
The black tar vanished into mist, a howling scream of pain coming from it until it had dissipated completely.
"That one had been on my books for over 7 years," Hades said with a satisfied smile. He drew a breath, and seemed to relax. "It's good to finally close that one out."
"Can you explain, Hades?" Hestia asked gently, yet intently.
Hades' smile grew, and he stepped back to his throne, growing as he did so, and sat down. "Gladly, sister. Tom Marvolo Riddle was a Dark Lord in the British mortal magical community. He escaped his final judgment over seven years ago, apparently by splitting his soul and tying those pieces to the mortal world. For some reason, a piece of his soul became attached to Harry's scar. After removing it, I was able to bring his entire soul to judgment. He is now judged. And… enjoying… my hospitality."
Hades smiled at Harry. "Harry, I believe that your parents perished while fighting this person. It would explain their deaths and your scar." He looked at Hestia. "Sister, you may wish to take him to see Hecate. If he is part of the mortal magical community, he may need some pointers."
"Magic, Mister Hades?" Harry asked.
Hestia smiled at him, before turning to look at the god of the underworld. "That may be a good idea, Hades," she said, before address Harry. " Yes, magic, Harry."
The little boy just nodded, as he always did when something didn't make sense to him. "Come, Harry," Hestia said. "There are a few more people for you to meet."
"Okay, Hestia," Harry said, before turning to Hades. "Thanks for taking care of my scar, Mister Hades!" More muttering from the gods, but also a nod from the God of Wine.