Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; J.K. Rowling does. I do, however, own this story's plot!

Chapter 24

~ Myth ~

The day that began their winter holidays arrived without delay. Moreover, the sign up sheets for the Dueling Club had been filled to the brim. Harry had had to set up more for the rest of the students!

During their breakfast, Harry had stood up to say a few words to the students, notifying them that they would be informed of the schedule before they returned to school from their winter holidays. Hedwig had been upset with sitting in the Hogwarts Owlery, doing practically nothing but hunting and sleeping. Hopefully, this would allow her temper to be appeased; she would be able to spread her wings after a long duration.

With that out of the way, everyone was busy packing up to get ready to go home. There were a few straggling students that would be left behind in the castle, but it was imperative, as Luna had strongly pushed for, that their group of friends would spend the vacation with each other.

Hermione, through lots of persuasion, had finally gotten her parents' approval to spend time with her friends. With Harry's permission, and Draco's and Lucius's, Hermione could bring her parents along with her to spend time at Malfoy Manor.

Luna had subtly hinted that they were in for a treat, and would be gone for three days. Of course, family was invited and was highly suggested.

What for? They didn't know.

Luna wouldn't tell them and the guardians would close their mouths once they were probed for answers. While Egidio, Alandair, Macaire and Tesia served under Harry, Draco and now Blaise, they answered to their Mother whenever she wanted a favor.

Now with positive popularity dogging his heels, Harry was waving goodbye to the rest of the student population. Draco and Blaise had to deal with sharing their fiancé's attentions with everyone else, but they were quite sure of themselves and their place by Harry's side. After all, it was Harry whom had chosen them to get married with.

Silver and amethyst eyes narrowed in unison as they locked onto a familiar fifth year Slytherin. Astoria continued to insult and berate Harry for becoming engaged to Draco and while Harry didn't take it to heart, it couldn't be helped that comments that once hurt him had begun to annoy him. And because Draco and Blaise, as well as the rest of the Slytherins and Gryffindors had taken to hovering around the Boy-Who-Lived, Astoria could only hiss insults from afar.

The fifth year Slytherin knew she could not best the Chosen One, and decided that the best way to get rid of Harry was through other means. One thing was certain in their group; at least Astoria had yet to resort to poisons and love potions, but that didn't stop Blaise and Draco from checking both their own and Harry's food before eating.

The duo knew that it wouldn't be long until Astoria really took things into her own hands to try to get rid of Harry and to break their relationship.

…..

Once upon the train, Harry was subsequently dumped onto Draco's lap, legs draped over Blaise's lap as the two showered Harry with affectionate gestures and chaste kisses. The 'mini-Poseidon' god, as their group of friends had taken to calling Harry, only had to roll their eyes whenever Harry would push away both Draco and Blaise's attempts with an embarrassed blush on his face.

It was so obvious that Harry was overflowing with happiness with their loving and devoted deeds. But it was also obvious that Harry felt so embarrassed showing their love in public, even when he loved feeling and seeing how much both his fiancés loved him.

"Sorry, we've got Prefect Duties to tend to," Draco said. Getting up, he left the cabin with Pansy, Hermione and Ron. Nodding her head at her superior, Tesia merged into the walls of the cabin, discreetly following after the four prefects as they patrolled the corridors of the Hogwarts Express.

Blaise had no qualms about it, enjoying Harry's immediate focus on him and himself only. Both Draco and Blaise were very possessive of their things – and even though Harry was not exactly a possession, both Slytherins were quite covetous when it came to grabbing the former Gryffindor's attention.

"So what's this present that we'll enjoy, Luna? Can't you just tell us?" Crystal asked, looking up from her game of Exploding Snap with Crabbe, Goyle and Dudley. Her attention was focused on the game and she finally landed a pair, shouting "Ah hah!" in triumph as she gained a point.

The boys groaned when they had to restart the game. They would tally up their points when they were finished and the one with the least amount of points would have to cough up a sickle.

"Just a little something," Luna smiled, sitting besides Tom. The Dark Lord was enjoying the privacy, hidden behind the silencing wards and privacy charms that he immediately erected upon taking his seat in the cabin.

There was a loud explosion and then Dudley groaned, "I can't win this game at all." He rubbed the soot from his face. "Does anyone know where the restrooms are?"

"I'll take you there," Neville offered, and the two Hufflepuffs left their cabin. Alandair went after the two, huffing when he saw the teens subtly eyeing each other with interest.

Theo snorted, flipping a page in his textbook.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, whimpering when Blaise started to pepper his neck with loving kisses and revealing hickies. "A-Ah… Blaise…"

Nyx hissed in annoyance, her sleeping spot disturbed and slunk out from underneath Harry's dress shirt. She slithered over to the window and coiled there for the rest of the trip. Luna cooed at her cuteness and pulled out a small handkerchief, transfiguring it into a tiny, thick wool blanket and throwing a heating charm on it. The Ravenclaw draped the blanket over Nyx and the snake hissed appreciatively, coiling tighter together until its head disappeared underneath the fabric.

The quiet Slytherin rolled his eyes at the amorous couple before explaining, "You could feel the sexual tension between those two." Theo answered. And he made a show of grabbing said sexual tension in the air before opening his textbook again. "When are they going to realize that they like each other?"

Ginny cackled, "They couldn't be more oblivious. But at least they're in the same house. In fact, the only person that's more oblivious to others liking them is Harry." And the entire cabin's occupants turned their heads to look at the Slytherin. The only one with their attention not focused on the Gryffindor-turned-Slytherin was Tom, who had his arms folded across his chest and seemed to either be sleeping or meditating.

Probably the latter.

"Hey! I'm feeling insulted here!" Harry cried out.

Blaise smirked, sucking at the junction between Harry's neck and shoulder. "Come mi amore, let me bring your attention elsewhere." Looking at his friends with hooded eyes, Blaise smirked as he placed a privacy and silence ward around the two of them, distorting the sight of the two lovers in the cabin.

Ginny fanned herself with both hands, squealing when her mind ran rampant with fantasies about what the two Slytherins were doing in their cabin – even if they could not be seen in plain sight.

"Oh geez," Crystal rolled her eyes. "There she goes again."

Luna giggled, filling in the awkward silence.

"Does she do that often?" Theo asked hesitantly.

Crystal nodded her head, flipping the green-turned-blue bangs from her eyes. "She does. Whenever she sees the three of them together, or just the two of them, she'll squeal her head off. Of course, it's all internal – it would be weird to have everyone staring, you know."

Theo rolled his eyes and buried himself within his reading. After half an hour later, the four prefects returned, opening the compartment door and stepping in.

"Aren't you on patrol?" Ginny asked.

Draco shook his head, but Pansy was the one who answered the question. "We're going to patrol in pairs. Since there are twelve pairs of prefects, Draco and I will be patrolling in two hours. Hermione and Ron are patrolling before us. Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein are patrolling right now – 45 minutes."

"Ah, that measured up nicely." Ginny nodded her head. The ride from Hogsmeade Station to Platform 9 and ¾ or vise versa, took approximately 9 hours. And with twelve pairs, the duration was divvied up quite evenly.

Their friends watched as Draco seemingly walked through the privacy ward and silence charms thrown up around Harry and Blaise. Ginny giggled behind her hands once more, before turning her attention elsewhere.

The ride to Platform 9 and ¾ was fairly uneventful. After a pair of Hufflepuff prefects had patrolled after the Slytherin prefects that had gone after Padma and Anthony, they had come for Hermione and Ron. And ten minutes after Ron and Hermione had left, the trolley had rolled by, and the sweet elderly lady who manned it had asked if they required anything.

It seems that only food and sweets could stop Harry from his amorous isolation with his two fiancés and the Gryffindor boy popped out from behind the wards, unintentionally tearing them down in his wake for the magical sweets.

That left the compartment to take in all three of their mused up, hickie-covered skin, flushed faces, swollen lips, tousled hair and eyes that had yet to relieve itself from its passionate time spent behind privacy wards.

Both Draco and Blaise had had to adjust themselves in their seats, which set Ginny off into profuse giggles.

"I'll take the lot!" Harry smiled, rifling through his pockets to gather the required amount. He brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Oh, but could I have more of the Chocolate Frogs? I love chocolate."

The elderly lady smiled a warm smile and handed over Harry's order, receiving the money the Slytherin gave in return. She looked in at the others and they all called out their orders, thanking the cart owner when she handed them their sugary sweets.

With a wave goodbye, she rolled the cart down the corridor and their compartment door closed.

Harry looked at Tom who was still "meditating" and with his finger, rang it down the length of Tom's wards, shattering the magic that held his spells together.

"What?" Tom groused, eyes bleeding red with annoyance.

"Here, a chocolate frog." Harry said, throwing it over to the Dark Lord. He called out their guardians one by one and they tentatively took a handful of magical sweets from the overflowing pile before sinking back in the shadows.

Tom sniffed, looking at it before opening the box and snatching the frog out of the air. Chomping on the animated sweet, he turned the box over and threw the box at Harry.

"Hah!" Harry laughed, and showed everyone what Tom had gotten – an Albus Dumbledore card.

"Shut up," Tom snapped irritably, retrieving another Chocolate Frog for himself. He snapped the limbs off and chewed on them, overturning the card and smirking in triumph. "I got Morgana Le Fey."

His companions groaned – they too had been looking for some of the rarer cards within their boxes of Chocolate Frogs. Macaire popped out of the shadows and snatched up the Dumbledore card, flipping it back and forth before pocketing it.

The time soon passed and when Hermione and Ron returned, Draco and Pansy left – not without a goodbye kiss from Draco to Harry. Ron had immediately tackled the sweets left to him and Hermione took one of the Licorice Wands from the pile, opening up her own textbook as she started to read.

When Draco and Pansy returned, the compartment fell into comfortable silence and by the time the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform 9 and ¾, everyone had switched out of their Hogwarts uniform, ready to pile out. Harry had to placate Nyx with a feast of mice and other… delicacies as an apology for disturbing the snake's resting place around his wrist, a few hours ago. However, the little queen was amiable when Harry transfigured the little handkerchief-turned-wool blanket into a warm sleeve for her, continuing the heating charm around the fabric.

On the station, they went about retrieving their trunks and walking over to the large group of adults that were awaiting their arrival. Their professors – Sirius, Remus, Severus and Petunia – were already there waiting for their presence. Apparently they had chosen to take the floo to head to King's Cross rather than sit for a 9 hour long ride back to London.

Hermione quickly darted over to her parents who were amicably talking to Molly Weasley. There was a strained tension between Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley, but the two respective Patriarchs were holding their own conversation rather nicely.

The rest of the Weasley brood stood there as well, and when asked why they were there. They all pointedly looked at Luna who only smiled dreamily at them in return.

"Shall we then? We are all here." Lucius said. And within minutes, their ginormous party was whisked away by portkey.

…..

"My, how beautiful." Jean gushed, her head swiveling around to take in the sights of grounds of Malfoy Manor. Hermione groaned in embarrassment. If there was anything that her mother loved more than her job as a dentist, it was her appreciation of exterior decorating and gardening.

"Thank you," Lucius smiled. "The house elves keep it well groomed."

"Are those albino peacocks?" Dan asked in bewilderment. He'd never seen such an exotic animal before.

"Yes, I've had them ever since Draco was born."

They entered the Malfoy's abode and were quickly escorted to their rooms, spending time there, before coming down to eat dinner together.

"Thank you for inviting us," Jean smiled. Her husband, Dan, nodded his head in turn.

"There were several times we thought we would never get to witness anything magical." Dan announced, turning to look at his daughter as she gripped his hand supportively. "We were sending our eleven-year-old daughter to a magical school in Scotland. There was no way to contact her unless she was the one to send an owl to us first. We couldn't help her with anything magical. We were just, what do you people call it? - muggles!"

Jean smiled sadly, gripping Hermione's other hand. "It was difficult for Hermione when she was younger. No one had been her friend and her peers frequently bullied her. But when she wrote home to us that first year, about a boy named Harry Potter, we knew she would be all right. Then she grew to have more friends, more companions, more people who knew her for her and liked her for being herself."

Ron had the decency to flush in embarrassment. He had been the one to bully Hermione during first year. He was no better than the bullies back during her childhood. Turning apologetic eyes at her, Hermione gave him a forgiving smile in return.

"We thought that it should change. How are you liking it so far?" Harry asked.

"The. . . magical transportation before – portkey I believe? It was a bit. . . nauseating." Dan admitted.

Their magical group laughed. "Yes. But when you get used to it, that feeling eventually goes away. It's the same as apparating and disapparating – except you don't lose a limb or splinch yourself when using a portkey."

The Granger couple paled but they rushed to reassure the two muggles. "They pay for lessons to learn apparition. And even if they splinch themselves, there are healers on board just in case. The potions we have can regrow bones and heal flesh and cuts, so it's okay."

It wasn't a great explanation, but it would have to do.

"So. . . this magic. Can we – " Jean asked, tentatively.

"Of course," Lucius said. "The trace will not alert the ministry because one, we are behind the wards of Malfoy Manor and two, it's easier to perform magic around adults who constantly do so, so it cannot be detected."

Their dinner finished, the large party stepped towards the drawing room where they performed magic before Jean and Dan's eyes. Awed expressions were written across their faces. Their minds didn't seem to be able to process such an extraordinary feat, but there it was! Right in front of them! All the evidence for the past six years Hermione's spent at Hogwarts!

"Thank you," Jean sniffled, choking on her tears.

"Oh mom," Hermione said, giving both her parents a hug. Not even her father seemed to have dry eyes at this confronting revelation.

"I think that's enough for tonight, no?" Luna asked, looking around.

"Ye-Yes. We apologize for ruining the night."

"Not at all," Sirius chuckled. "It's understandable. What with the Ministry's laws and such."

"Dobby!" Harry called out.

"Yes, Master Harry Potter, sir?"

"Please escort Mr. and Mrs. Granger to their room. We're going to call it a night."

"Yes, Master Harry Potter, sir!"

…..

The next day passed by just as similarly as December 19th – fairly uneventful. The Grangers were introduced to the idea of magic – its fields, knowledge, information, and rules. They also learned small tidbits about the laws, customs and traditions that the purebloods lived by – somewhat understanding why the purebloods would feel threatened when the muggleborns entered and had the ministry practically changing to accommodate their needs.

It helped that they were very open-minded, also revealing the extent of their own knowledge about the muggle world to the magical group before them. Of course, it was slightly strange to see how Arthur and Lucius were trying to make a business out of muggle items and objects, but the two were bonding. Only Lucius seemed to refute the claims that he was getting amiable with the redheaded Patriarch, but as the day got longer and longer, their large party could see the mental cogs working in that blond aristocrat's mind.

Both Lucius and Arthur seemed to be drawn into writing up a business contract should the idea of buying up a few muggle companies in the muggle world be innovative.

…..

Finally December 21st, the day of the Winter Solstice, arrived. And with it, came biting winds, a dreary cloudy day and the threat of the arrival of a snowstorm.

"Luna, where is this present you kept hiding from us?" Harry asked.

Their large, overwhelming party followed behind the blond Ravenclaw who was skipping ahead of them. She insisted that it was time and that their gift was some yards away. Nothing would sway Luna from keeping her secret. Not even questioning the four guardians had led to anything.

"Here, over here." Luna giggled, waving a gloved hand.

"You're just leading us deeper into the forest." Draco hissed. The blond was not fond of the cold weather, feeling cold even underneath the layers he had on, which was strange considering he had on the thickest winter cloak, a fur hat and boots, wool gloves and a warming charm on him. Even Nyx had been transferred over to him because he was practically a walking, radiating heater.

The guardians shared a look with each other, remaining silent.

"Come, come." Luna beckoned. She pushed past the thick foliage and continued walking on. The path had narrowed and now they had had to form a line. It was difficult for the four guardians to fully guard their large party, but it was thankful that the majority were all witches and wizards. Plus, Luna, Harry, Draco and Blaise were strong in their own right – however, none of the four seemed to be able to harness the power of their gods or goddess.

It wasn't until they had walked at least ten yards, that they felt their magic resonating and pulsing within them. It was a different feeling than when they used their magic for classes or spells. This sort of feeling made their bodies feel lighter – making them feel as if they could do anything and that anything was possible.

"You feel it," Luna smiled approvingly. She turned back to face the path and continued walking on.

"What are we supposed to feel?" Jean asked quietly. While she and her husband had willingly followed after the children and the rest of the adults, she did feel a tinge of trepidation when walking in such a large forest. Who knew what sorts of animals lived there? Not to mention the magical creatures that might appear should their party garner too much attention to themselves.

"As a witch or a wizard, we feel our magic coursing through our veins. It is the very thing that sustains our livelihood in the magical world. But, they don't teach you that in school." Lucius answered her.

"It is something you learn from your own family. But anyway, the feeling we're having is almost synonymous to harmony with our magic." Sirius added. "There's nothing like knowing that you are one with your magic. It's quite liberating really. There doesn't seem to be any restrictions to your person – just you and your magic."

Jean nodded her head, but she didn't seem to understand. Weren't they all free? They made it sound as if they were kept prisoners, even within their own body.

Catching her parents' confused expression, Hermione smiled. "Think of it like yoga. Being relaxed, carefree and free of any stress and problems that might inhibit you."

Nodding their heads, Dan and Jean finally understood a lot more. A cold gust of wind blew by, and the two muggles would never be evermore thankful for the warming charm that was cast upon them.

"We're here!" Luna chirped.

Towering over them was a large cave. It should have been difficult to miss, but no one had ever seen the thing until after the blond Ravenclaw had called their attention to it. Even the four guardians were a bit taken aback, though they hid their shock really well.

"Whe- How did that get there?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Only those that open their eyes can see them." Luna said, with an air of mystery.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Luna only smiled at his reaction before lifting her hands up, with her palms facing the entrance of the dark cave.

"Την ημέρα αυτή, το Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο, η σκοτεινότερη ημέρα,

Η μητέρα σας αποκαλύπτει την ύπαρξή μας.

Έναρξη θα δοθεί σε εκείνα της καθαρής καρδιάς,

Παραχωρήσει τις ευλογίες τίμησε τους επισκέπτες μας."

The earth underneath them rumbled as if it as being moved by the very being that created them. Luna glowed a bright white, slowly levitating off of the trembling ground. As if drawn towards her, the trees bent closer, the grass and flowers reached for her and the clouds swirled in the sky, centering around the floating goddess.

"Ανοιχτό!" Luna commanded, her husky voice booming in echoes.

The cave shook with a might force and it crumbled underneath the heavy pressure that Luna emitted. Falling rubble alerted their party of an imminent disaster, and large boulders soon fell from its peak, but the group had nowhere to go. And soon, shouts of spells were heard as they tried to protect themselves from being crushed. However, it was not needed.

Right above the formation of their shields was a silvery wisp of a shield that glowed in a dreamy rainbow like fashion. And slowly, they took their wands down, watching as the force field protected them from any harm or danger.

After the stones stopped, the group was nearly thrown to the ground by a heavy torrent of wind.

"Welcome, my children. To Olympus." Mother smiled. Luna was still glowing white and rather than walking, she floated through the opening of the caved in cave.

Two by two, they followed the possessed Ravenclaw through the rift, though Draco, Harry and Blaise were the only ones to enter in three's.

Immediately stepping in, the ground had changed to a completely different texture – not to mention, it was of a completely different substance. Soft clouds lined the path where they stood and the tension in their body rose.

What would happen if they stepped on a soft patch and fell through?

Swallowing the fear, they tried not to think about it before tentatively walking towards Luna who was waiting for them, several feet away. Only after did they see Alandair, Macaire walk confidently over the clouds, like they were made of solid ground, did their tension drop – but only slightly.

As soon as Egidio and Tesia ushered the remaining members of their group through the rift, before entering after themselves, did the entrance glow and subsequently close behind them.

"Are we really in Olympus?" Hermione blurted out, her cheeks a feverish red, yet her eyes were shining with awe and astonishment.

"Yes, my childe." Mother smiled. "This is the abode of all my children; though some of them prefer to live in their domains."

She motioned them to follow her as she led them down a course that had temples built in different structures on either side of the path. At the very end of their route sat a large temple, a large lightning bolt hanging overhead.

"Is that –" Hermione gasped.

"Yes, Zeus's temple."

The Mother smiled when she saw Hermione practically vibrating with excitement. With Luna's knowledge of those before her, the Mother knew Hermione wished to explore her surroundings – probably find the library and read all the tomes and scrolls that were stored in there.

"Two flights down is Poseidon's temple followed by Hades' temple." She continued on with the short tour, drifting along the path.

"Where is everyone?" Harry asked. Though there were some nymphs and other deities that walked around the area, and there were a few cherubs flying here and there, Olympus seemed to be pretty empty.

"Conference room. I've called them for a meeting. Come; I shall lead us there." And The Mother floated away, drawing bows of respect from passing-byers.

…..

"Mother." The Titans chorused, standing from their respective thrones to bow at Luna's presence.

"My children," The goddess smiled, floating over to the unoccupied dias behind Zeus's throne, one step upon the step had revealed the two thrones that had been hidden before.

Egidio, Alandair, Macaire, and Tesia bowed low at the waist, greeting the Titans with respect before they stood at attention by the entrance.

All around them were … well, titans. They were taller than what the group had thought them to be. Instead of standing at a normal mortal height, they were ginormous.

"Are these – " Hera began, eyeing them with curiosity.

"Yes, my honored and invited guests."

The titans watched them, wondering which one would make a move until Poseidon stood from his seat. In a sudden tsunami that headed towards the spellbound party, his height became proportionate to Alandair's, approximately six feet ten inches.

"Are you the one to take over my responsibility?"

"Y-Yes sir."

Poseidon smiled at Harry's stutter. His short ruffled hair, accompanied by a pair of deep set eyes, sharp nose, high cheekbones, chiseled jawline and muscular stature made him quite drool worthy – at least that was what the females seemed to be doing upon a closer inspection.

"My, my." Poseidon circled the Slytherin, examined him even when Draco and Blaise stood by their fiancé, stiff bodied. He finally reclaimed his position in front of Harry and touched his neck, revealing the choker that Harry had worn upon his transformation as a merman.

"Ah, there it is!" Poseidon clapped his hands together with a smile. "Come, come. I have much to talk to you about."

Draco and Blaise protested at Harry leaving their side, but Luna held a hand up to stall their reproach, nodding to Poseidon to take Harry with him. Once Harry stood by Poseidon's side, water pooled around their feet and the two disappeared in a whirlpool.

"Where are they going?" Draco asked.

"Harry will be safe. Poseidon will make sure of it." she said. Turning to the rest of her children, she smiled and took Nyx off of Draco. "You may take them."

The Titans picked off their large party, one by one, until the ones that were left were Theo, Neville, Fred, George, Gregory, Dudley, Remus, Sirius and Tom. Molly and Arthur had been whisked away, leaving the rest of the Weasley brood that had accompanied them on this surprising expedition, standing with them – but the three redheads had not drawn their wands, considering they had been amongst the Gods.

The now smaller party of twelve started to close in together, with Tom standing as an outlier to their small circle. They didn't know what happened, but with the sudden disappearance of the Titans, along with their friends and family, they did not want to take any chances. And judging by the whimsical smile on Luna's face, it seemed like they were still in for something – something unknown to them.

With a clap of her hands, eleven beings materialized before them and snatched up the remaining magical people, leaving Tom alone with Luna.

The remaining two muggles were fearful of their lives – even though they knew logically, nothing would come of harm to the children or the rest of the adults, they couldn't help but quiver in the face of something that was even bigger than that of the magical world. Their fear was irrational, but seeing how quickly Hermione and her friends had disappeared, it scared them – wondering where the Greek Gods and Goddesses had taken them. And to see the other beings appearing to snatch up the last group, there was nothing scarier than not knowing what was going on.

"You may leave," Luna dismissed the four guardians and motioned for Tom to sit beside her. "Come, Tom. Why don't you sit with me?"

"Where did everyone else go?" Tom asked, striding up to her side. He glared at the seat beside her, but sat down anyway.

"Just taking a little. . . test," the blonde giggled. Her laughter rang through the room. And before Tom could say anything, his vision blackened and he too was whisked away.

After Tom was snatched up, Luna's form rippled and peeled – leaving the blond Ravenclaw in a form-fitting, ankle-length toga. Her hair was left in golden curls and sitting in them was a small golden laurel wreath.

Turning to face the Grangers, the goddess smiled. "Come, my darlings," She spoke, her voice ringing clearly throughout all of Olympus. "Let us gather together and prepare for a feast. I am sure that the children will be quite hungry after their endeavors."

…..

Petunia tumbled into the seat, facing the goddess whom had chosen her. "My lady," She spoke, head held high. Her strong voice belied the fear inside, as thoughts swirled around, wondering why a goddess had chosen her of all people.

The muggle-found-witch knew all about the goddess before her, the personification of the hearth – of home, architecture, domesticity, family and the state; the first of the titans to get swallowed up by Cronus, but the last to be regurgitated when Zeus saved his siblings from their father's fear.

"Petunia Evans, do you wonder why I have chosen you?" Demeter asked.

"Yes, my Lady." Petunia agreed. "I have done nothing correct. The upbringing of my son, the care of my nephew, my jealousy, hatred and envy for my younger sister even after her death, my marriage and life to Vernon Dursley."

The Goddess of the Hearth and Domestic Life circled the thin woman, noting how mentally withdrawn she had become after her discovery, yet the overwhelming sense of freedom she breathed after divorcing her overbearing husband.

"I have chosen you for a reason, my childe." Demeter said, softly. "I am never wrong in my choices."

Petunia's frame shook, eyes closed with regret. "I disagree, my Lady. You have seen my life, my choices, my characteristics, my person. I am not a suitable candidate."

"Yes, it is true." Demeter concurred. "However, I have also seen the change within you. I have seen you accepting your nephew's olive branch, have seen how your attitude towards the magical world has changed, how you have rebuilt your relationship with Harry Potter."

Petunia hung her head. Her faults outweighed her merits, but Demeter had heard the vow Petunia had taken: to make up her wrongdoings for the rest of her life.

"I have chosen well, my dear." Demeter said, reaching a hand out to lift Petunia's head. "Your eyes speak of sorrow, of pain, of loss. But it also shows your strength to move on, to change your past and rewrite the future. You have shown me your sincere want for change and I have heard it all. You are perfect."

"But what can I do for others?" Petunia asked.

Demeter smiled, "You underestimate yourself, childe. With your experience, you can do a lot."

Drawing the witch up, Demeter held out a hand, "Come, we shall review your life."

Without any hesitation, Petunia laid her hand upon the goddess's own.

…..

Dudley found himself standing in front of what looked to be a crab, but as he blinked rapidly to verify his vision, it turned out to be a female with bright red hair done in six braids – two of which were tied up on the top of her head, forming a heart, whilst the other four were left dangling from her head. Her white toga seemed to dwarf her size, an ankle length dress with large billowing sleeves and a golden medallion with the Zodiac Cancer insignia attaching the red shoulder drape with trim detailed wrist cuff to her clothing. Rather than wearing a gold laurel headband, something Dudley had seen in books pertaining to Greek Gods and Goddesses, the girl had hair ornaments adorned with rubies and other red gemstones.

"Hello, Dudley Evans. I am known as the Zodiac Cancer, but you can call me Dareia."

Not knowing what else to do, Dudley bowed and looked at the girl. She was shorter than him, and though she had a somewhat baby-face, power radiated off of her.

"W-What can I do for you, Dareia?"

As the girl walked circles around him, she seemed to grow older and taller. When she finally walked into his sight, she was in her early to mid twenties. The baby fat in her face was gone, leaving aristocratic features and bright and inquisitive turquoise eyes. Even the jewelry adorned on her had included dangling garnet earrings, a necklace made from sunstones and several bangles made from gold .

"I'm trying to see what is so special about you that has called me to you." She said, humming as her eyes gave him another once-over. "There is potential, yes. Nevertheless, it has been dimmed because you have spent years living under the shadow of your father."

At the mention of Vernon, Dudley's eyes narrowed and he spat furiously at her, "He is no longer my father. No one who hurts a child should be considered a father. I was easily misled by my father, and now I know the truth."

With a finger tapping on her mouth, Dareia turned around and sat on a Grecian divan. "You say you know the truth, but what exactly is 'the truth'? The fact that your father had only become the way he is because of the animosity your mother had shown towards her younger sister? The fact that her hatred had resulted in your father's abhorrence against anything magical?"

"You lie!" Dudley shouted, cheeks red with anger.

Dareia immediately sat up, a wicked Cheshire smile on her face. "Am I lying? Or have you been deceived from the actual truth? Shall we take a look at your father's life? I'm sure you'd love to know how his hatred had come about…"

Without waiting for Dudley's reply, Dareia took off a single bangle and threw it into the space between them. The golden accessory spun several times in the air and expanded, allowing the two to view Vernon's entire life up until the present time.

Dudley watched as Vernon was born to a pair of loving parents and from then on, he could see his development, from an infant to a toddler, from a toddler to a child, from a child to a pre-teen and so on and so forth. Vernon had all the characteristics of his father – a hard worker, a dedicated employee, and a confident man. From his mother, Vernon had taken on her stubbornness, her tenacity and her ambition.

Even as a child, his parents had spoiled Vernon. His older sister, Marge, had doted on him often enough, but had had a firm hand in his upbringing whenever their parents were too busy to deal with either of them. Though the portly physique had not been surprising, what was startling was Vernon's claim to get stronger and more physically built. Nevertheless, Vernon had given up when he had realized he had had to eat vegetables, fruits and the like. The man had preferred a good hefty steak with ample sauce and a nice, thick slice of butter on top – so eating healthy was not something he enjoyed.

It was during his senior year of high school did Vernon's eyes catch onto Petunia Evans. The two had hit it off immediately, and because Petunia was the apple of his eye, Vernon agreed with everything she said. Anything that strayed from normalcy, anything that was highly abnormal – different – was unwanted and held as his dogma. And after years of latching onto her distaste for the deviant, it didn't take long for Vernon to sneer whenever Petunia would mention her parents' fondness for Lily's freakish ways.

And it didn't help that, during Petunia's family dinner with both hers and Vernon's family, Lily had brought James with her. As James gave his introduction as 'Lord Potter', both Petunia and Vernon had latched on with glee. After all, a Lord meant money and money meant being wealthy – so as the family of a Lord, the two would be living quite well for the rest of their lives. However, their satisfaction was for naught. It turned out that not only was James a lord, he too was just like Lily – a freak, an oddity, an aberrant.

Their hatred for the magical world continued at a steady pace when James had nearly ruined Petunia's wedding day. The man's pranks with Sirius and Remus had almost ruined her perfect gown and the three-tiered wedding cake had nearly toppled off of the table. Their hatred for those magical truly escalated when Harry had been delivered at their doorstep and from then on, Harry's life had, metaphorically, gone down the drain with each beating, each slap, each kick, punch, hit.

As the last scene ended, the bangle shrunk and returned to Dareia. Dudley watched listlessly as she donned the accessory, his mind busily taking in what he'd just seen.

…..

Petunia bowed her head, tears falling from her eyes, but she didn't even try to wipe them away. She hoped that as each one fell, so would her sorrows and her regrets. But she knew it wouldn't happen that way. Petunia had to live with each mistake she made, with all the sins she'd committed, with all the wrongdoings she'd executed.

If it weren't for her, Vernon wouldn't have treated Harry like dirt. Vernon's hatred for all things abnormal had stemmed from her jealousy – the fact that Lily had had magic and she hadn't had one speck in her. How could her sister leave her behind in the muggle world? How could she relish in the sights that Lily would see every day for the rest of her life, but only Petunia would see in a few measly hours? How could Lily embrace that power that only she had but Petunia didn't? To embrace a different world that the muggles had scorned and killed and had forced into hiding?

Demeter watched on silently as the one she'd chosen buried herself with guilt. She'd let her cry it all out. Nothing was wrong with crying after all. At the end of the session, it would feel as if a heavy burden had been lifted and that was when she would start her examination.

"You feel guilt."

"That and much more," Petunia whispered, feeling the tears dry on her face.

"You want change."

"I am in the process of it."

"You do not feel forgiven even if Harry had forgiven you."

"It is true."

Approaching Petunia, Demeter laid a hand on her shoulder, "Do you feel remorse?"

"Every day."

"You condemn your actions."

"Every day."

"You will live on with your guilt?"

"Every day."

Demeter smiled gently, "Come childe. There is no reason to live your life in regret. Harry has moved on from his past, you can too."

"Harry is strong," Petunia smiled. "His friends rally around him, around his strength, his compassion, his kindness and warmth."

"I'm sure Lily would want the same thing for you."

Petunia let out a sob at her sister's name, falling to the ground on both knees as she looked up at Demeter. "My Lady, my sister was everything I had. I had to protect her from the outside world, to protect her from the darkness."

"And I am certain Lily thanks you for your protectiveness, but your jealousy had not sprouted because you were jealous that she had magic. It had come to be because you were scared that you could not protect her from a world you had no understanding of – from a world where you had no power to shelter your younger sister from. And because you had no magic, you hated yourself for being weak. Your sister could move on and spread her wings, but you were stuck on the ground, watching her fly away from the safety of your arms."

Petunia looked down, but her eyes returned to Demeter's gaze. Liking the fire in the witch's eyes, Demeter nodded, allowing Petunia to speak.

"I have power now. I have magic now. I can protect Harry. I can protect Harry in Lily's steed. I may not be strong enough now, but I can do more to the best of my abilities."

"As I have wanted from you all this time, Tuney."

The witch froze and slowly turned around, seeing the apparition of her sister standing before her.

"Lily," The witch breathed. Her eyes ran over the redhead's form, slowly approaching her until one hand was able to touch skin – warm skin, Petunia noticed.

"Tuney, I have missed you so, but I have not stopped watching over you or Harry or your little-turned large family." Lily smiled and the two wrapped each other into a tight and warm embrace.

Demeter smiled. Her childe would grow strong. With this small gift from her to Petunia, Demeter knew that Petunia would become a strong force to be reckoned with. Petunia had passed her test with flying colors. If she hadn't truly felt sorry for her actions, Lily would have never appeared. Yet, here there redhead was; it was enough proof for Demeter to acknowledge Petunia's past, present and future.

…..

"What will you do now?" Dareia asked. She enjoyed the traumatic expression on Dudley's face, the emotional turmoil he felt. Ah, this was what called to her. This was the feeling she was looking for.

The Zodiac took a deep breath, as if she were feeding upon Dudley's suffering.

With a satisfied sigh, she opened her eyes to watch him closely. The boy was still frozen; though his eyes were frozen, they were still awake and showed that he had heard her speaking just moments ago.

"Come now," She taunted, circling around her prey. "Isn't there anything you would like to do? Anything at all now that you know 'the truth'?" She asked, ending her question with a baby voice. Even her face showed a mocking expression: a fake pair of sympathizing eyes and a full-on bottom lip pout.

"You could hit something. Release your anger. Your magic screams for freedom – to attack the one whom you believed has wronged you."

Dudley closed his eyes tightly and took a shuddering breath. Dareia pulled up short, frowning when something seemed to calm Dudley down.

'Something… or someone?' She thought, her smile finally turning genuine.

She gave him a few moments to pull himself together before calling his name. With a smile, Dareia noticed that the troubled hazel eyes had finally reverted to normal.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes," Dudley admitted.

"Who was your focus?"

"Neville." He admitted.

"Perfect," Dareia giggled. Taking Dudley by the hand, she led him over to her divan and sat him down before sitting besides him. "Do you understand what the Zodiac cancer stands for, especially for a man like you, whom I've chosen to take my place?"

Dudley shook his head. He'd never believed in horoscopes before – but to actually see a real live Zodiac in front of him really made him rethink his belief in them.

"Tough on the outside, but soft on the inside." Dareia said. "To protect yourself from emotional harm, you put up a rough exterior when you are truly just a tender and loving person."

Dudley frowned, "What does that have to do with me?"

"I have reviewed your life before choosing you. You have never had an emotional support. Your father and mother had spoiled you rotten, giving into your whims and desires, but they were never truly what you wanted, was it?"

Dudley thought back to his past. The way his parents immediately gave him what he wished for, what he cried for, what he shouted for. It always left him an empty feeling inside, but he had brushed it off in favor of playing with the new toy, or unwrapping the gifts and presents bestowed upon him. Even hitting Harry had become more like a routine more than his hobby. Life had practically become monochromatic until this very summer.

He looked at Dareia with suspicious eyes, "How did you know?"

"Neville is someone you wish to protect – someone who is careful and cautious with his feelings because with every person he gives his heart out to, there's a chance of backlash and betrayal. Neville takes a relationship slowly, but he knows what he wants and although he may not show confidence in his abilities, he needs someone who will be there for him. I'm sure the two of you will understand each other just fine. Your pasts may be different, but they are similar in some ways. Find that connection and mold it into something wonderful."

"What has that got to do with me?" Dudley asked.

Dareia smiled, "I'm not afraid to tell you, but that was your test."

"My test?"

She laughed, "Yes, and you passed with flying stars."

"And what was the point of my test?"

"The Zodiac Cancer are known for being tenacious, highly imaginative, loyal, emotional, sympathetic, persuasive." Dareia listed. "Their weaknesses lie in being moody, pessimistic, suspicious, manipulative and insecure. However, they are sentimental and care about their family and home. You, Dudley, are born under the Cancer Zodiac and are the perfect representation of your sign. You may not portray the characteristics of your zodiac, but with time, you will become the epitome of being the Zodiac. And what better way than to have Neville as the one whom you want to be with?"

Dudley frowned, "Wait, wait, wait. So the entire point of this test was to help me confirm that Neville will be the one that I'll have the perfect life with? Which, in turn, will help me become the embodiment of the Cancer Zodiac?"

Dareia nodded her head, "Each test is different. My test was to test your emotional state – either your outbursts or your temper or anything that may lead to showing me how you deal with anything that may hurt you. And since you did not turn into a spectacle, I'd say you passed."

Dudley sagged, sighing as he slid onto the floor. "I can't believe you showed me to the truth of mum's jealousy only to test me. What would you do if I ended up throwing a fit?"

"Well, I would've found another way around it. I would've given you three chances. If you had ended up having an outburst, you had two more chances to prove to me that you could become the perfect Cancer."

"And if I had failed your test?"

Dareia smiled, "Well, you wouldn't have had my powers and would've just become someone who was a part of Harry's group of family and friends – Ah, that's all I have to say on that matter." She said, a secretive smile on her face.

…..

All Sirius could hear was the loud ringing in his ears. His mouth had gone dry and the air around him seemed to still. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest and Sirius was sure that his face had gone pale.

"W-What did you just say?"

The man with blond hair, as wild as a lion's mane, repeated his words, "You have failed my test."

…..

*Την ημέρα αυτή, το Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο, η σκοτεινότερη ημέρα,

Η μητέρα σας αποκαλύπτει την ύπαρξή μας.

Έναρξη θα δοθεί σε εκείνα της καθαρής καρδιάς,

Παραχωρήσει τις ευλογίες τίμησε τους επισκέπτες μας.

Rough translation:

On this day, the Winter Solstice, the darkest day,

Your mother reveals our existence.

Entry will be given to those of pure heart,

Bestow the blessings upon our honored guests.

*Ανοιχτό – roughly translates to "open"

A/N: I think I like this chapter! :D Haha! A chapter I actually liked writing. (: It was a little shorter than normal – about two thousand words shorter, but I hoped you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!