12

Chapter 12

Harry studied the featureless mannequin. It appeared to be his own age, but its face was blank, it's features nondescript. It looked like one of those dolls used to showcase clothing in stores, yet Harry knew from experience that it was completely mobile and could be utterly devastating.

"Walk me through the encounter," Athena said, her hands linked behind her back, as she carefully paced in a large circle around Harry and the model.

The young boy kept his face on his opponent.

"I will go in," he finally said. "It will throw a right-handed punch. I will avoid by leaned back, and add energy with my left hand. While it is unbalanced, I will hit its jaw with my right hand, followed by a strike to its throat with my left hand, collapsing its windpipe."

The Goddess of Wisdom nodded carefully. "Execute," she said. Harry nodded, and stepped into range.

The child-like drone threw a right-handed punch, which he avoided by pulling back and slapping with his left hand to add additional energy to it. With the mannequin unbalanced, he threw a right-handed punch, which collided with the drone's jaw.

The drone retaliated by planted its right fist in Harry's stomach.

"Hold," Athena said, the drone stopping at her command. "What did you learn?"

Harry gasped for breath, righting himself carefully. "Don't forget your opponent has two arms," he said.

"Good." The Goddess of Wisdom waved her hand, and the model stepped back, readying itself. "Walk me through the encounter," she said again.

Harry drew a breath; the model had hit him hard enough to leave a bruise, but not hard enough to actually do damage. After the many times the god of War had jumped him for a 'fight', his body had hardened considerably, and he always did have a high pain threshold.

He studied the model for a few moments, trying to get a grasp on what its current skill level was, and attempting to deduce the opening move from its stance.

"I will go in," Harry said. "It will kick at my face with its left leg. I will grab the leg and unbalance it, placing its foot on my shoulder. I will place a double-fisted punch on its genitalia."

Athena lifted an eyebrow. "Execute," she instructed.

Harry stepped in, and the drone threw a high-kick at the boy's face, which he blocked, held, and finally, placed on his shoulder for leverage by stepping further into the drone's range. As his artificial opponent hopped on its right leg to try and maintain balance, Harry struck at its genitals with both fists.

Despite being artificial, the drone screamed and fell to the ground, curling into a fetal position.

"Hold," Athena said, the curled-up model freezing in position. "That was a dirty tactic, yet effective. What did you learn?"

"High-kicks are an insult to your opponent, don't use them in a real fight," Harry said. "And dirty tactics are effective when you don't respect your opponent, or want the fight over and done with."

Athena nodded, yet kept circling them both. "And further?"

Harry blinked, not understanding. "Sorry, Miss Athena?"

The Goddess of Wisdom allowed a tiny smile. "What would be the outcome of using such a tactic?"

The young boy frowned again. "The fight would be over?" he asked. "I'd feel bad about winning that way, though."

"Speculate," Athena stated. "What would be the likely outcome if you used such a tactic, and it became known?"

The boy shrugged. "People would think I used dirty tactics?"

"Yeees," Athena said, dragging the word out. "And their response would be?"

"My reputation would take a hit?" Harry asked.

Athena smiled faintly, and waved her hand. The drone was suddenly on its feet, in ready position. "Walk me through the encounter," she ordered.

Harry, still confused, turned back to the model, and studied it for a few moments. "I will go in; it will attempt a haymaker. I will use an elbow block. I will punch with my opposite hand, and it will deflect the punch. It will attempt a knee-strike, which I will avoid by twisting my hips. I will clap my hands over its ears to stun it, then punch it in the stomach. As it bends over, I will knee-strike it in the nose."

"Execute," Athena said.

Harry stepped in, and the drone executed a haymaker. Harry blocked it with his elbow, and tried to punch with his opposite hand. To his surprise, the model stepped in, so the strike harmlessly hit its shoulder, then it grabbed Harry, and suddenly he felt an uncomfortably painful sensation between his legs.

"Hold," Athena said, the drone releasing him and stepped back immediately. Harry dropped to his knees.

"What did you learn?" Athena asked.

Thankfully, the drone had pulled its knee-strike, so it was merely painful and not painful, so Harry was able to get to his legs pretty quickly. Even if he did feel the need to 'walk it off'.

"When using dirty tactics, people will have no hesitation to use them against you," the boy muttered.

Athena nodded. "Good. Then I consider the matter closed."

She looked theatrically to the sun, despite there normally not being a sun in their training room, and seemed to come to a decision. "It is getting late. You should go home. You are improving nicely, especially in the last two weeks. You are able to comfortably predict three moves ahead."

"Thanks, Miss Athena," Harry replied. Since he read that book on martial arts, he could more comfortably predict the fights even if his body had not yet acquired the speed, dexterity, or strength to follow his thoughts yet.

"I hope you continue your improvement," the Goddess of Wisdom said. "You may go."

Harry nodded, and gave a shallow bow. "Thanks for the lesson, Miss Athena," he said, respectfully.

"You're welcome," the Goddess of Wisdom replied. "Your next session will be on Tuesday afternoon, at 1pm."

"Yes, Miss Athena," Harry accepted. "See you on Tuesday."

Athena seemed amused at something, but nodded anyway. Harry turned, and walked out of the training room, and into Athena's library. He stopped by his bookcase, a fact that still filled him with pride, and selected a few volumes to read before his next session with Athena. She always started out with a discussion on his bookwork before ending it in the training room.

He returned to Helios' temple, and waved at the huge statue as he crossed the huge antechamber on his way inside.

After depositing his new books on a small table next to his favorite reading chair, he went into the kitchen to make himself some dinner.

Not feeling very hungry, he settled on something quick and easy to make. After he finished cooking, he shared a portion with Helios, then settled down to read while he ate.

The sun went down, and Harry felt tired so he went to bed early. Hestia hadn't visited, but that was nothing exceptional. She was a goddess, after all, and had other duties.

He slept deeply and comfortably, and woke up early the next morning.

After a good stretch and a long yawn, Harry noticed the sun was climbing into the sky. It was still early, but he'd missed the sunrise.

Ever since he had read that martial arts book, Harry had found himself going to bed early, and rising just as early. Sometimes he caught the sunrise, sometimes he missed it, but usually he got up around the same time.

He waved at Apollo, then went through a couple of sets of martial arts. The sets themselves flowed like water, and Harry was glad for it. He just wished they went as well when he tried to use them in actual fights.

Ares had pounded him into the ground when he tried; complimenting him on trying something new but demonstrating without a doubt that he was God of War. When he tried against Zoë, she had looked surprised, then beaten him with almost no effort.

After two thousand years of experience, that was no surprise, either.

Harry sighed and flowed from one set into the next. He wondered how long it would take him to be actually any good at fighting. Not that he wanted to fight; he just wanted to be able to protect himself and protect others.

He finished his latest set, and stood up straight. About the only place he had seen improvement was in Athena's teachings. Maybe he should talk to Chiron at camp – despite his earlier plans of doing so, he'd gotten distracted by talking with his friends and forgot.

He basked in the early morning sun for a few more minutes, just letting his mind wander.

Finally, he decided on getting some breakfast; but first, a shower.

After his shower and other ablutions, he made his way to the kitchen.

"Hello Harry."

Harry smiled widely, and practically threw himself at his all-time favorite goddess. "Hi Hestia!" He greeted her, given her a hug.

Hestia smiled at him. "Hello Harry," she repeated, returning his enthusiastic hug. "Happy birthday."

Harry froze for a moment. "Really?" he asked, for a moment grappling back to what day it was and coming to the realization that yes, today was July 31st and it really was his birthday.

Hestia's smile widened. "You've forgotten your own birthday?" she asked, teasing.

The young boy shrugged. "It's never been an issue before," he said, then smiled widely. He hugged her tighter. "Thanks, Hestia."

The Goddess of the Home patted his back. "Is there something special you would like for your birthday?" she asked.

Harry froze again, his treacherous mind flashing back to darker times, times where he sat in his cupboard, wishing for something to eat, or clothes that fit, or being allowed out of his cupboard and having a real bedroom.

He looked at Hestia. He'd wished for a family, too.

The young boy swallowed, and hugged Hestia once more. The Goddess of the Home, surprised at the strange reaction to her question, just hugged him back. "Harry?" she asked.

"I've got everything I ever wanted," he said, face buried in her neck. "I've got food, and clothes that fit, and a bedroom of my own." He swallowed against something that stuck in his throat. "And I've got you," he whispered. "Like family. I've got everything I ever wanted. I don't want anything else."

"Oh, Harry," The young-looking goddess whispered, her hold on the young boy tightening, her right hand patting his back. For a moment, she was at a loss on what to say.

Thankfully for her, Harry provided her an out. "Can we cook?" he asked shyly. "I love cooking with you, I learn so much when we do."

Hestia smiled at him. "Of course we can," she said, hoping her voice remained steady. He could have asked for anything, and he asked to spend time with her. She wouldn't soon forget that.

"I've got some recipes that never made it into any mortal's hands," she added, her grin widening. "How about I teach you some?"

"Really? That's awesome!" Harry crowed, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her to the kitchen. Hestia laughed, and allowed herself to be dragged.

00000

Harry put the last Tupperware box in the refrigerator, smiling widely at the food Hestia had taught him to make. He'd shared a portion with Helios, of course, and had the curious impression that the faded Titan-God's presence had given him a hug. He'd grinned up at the statue at the feeling.

"You are progressing rapidly," Hestia complimented him from where she had just finished washing the dishes with a casual wave of her hand. "There are very few mortals I would even be able to share these recipes with."

Harry smiled at her. "Thanks, Hestia."

"It's no more than the truth," the young-looking goddess replied.

A knock on the door interrupted whatever Harry was going to say, and curiously, he went to answer. He didn't receive visitors all that often, and the few times he had, it had meant someone needed his help.

He pulled the door open. "Hello Harry! Happy birthday!" Hermes shouted happily.

Harry blinked, surprised that someone other than Hestia would even remember his birthday, let alone come over just to congratulate him.

"Eh… thanks, Mister He… er Mister H?" Harry said, breaking out of his surprise and almost-but-not-quite calling the God by name.

"I'm not here undercover, so you can call me by name now," Hermes said, grinning.

"Cool," Harry said, returning the grin. "Come in, Mister Hermes. Hestia and I cooked, would you like some?"

"I will never say no to Aunt Hestia's cooking," the God of Travelers replied as they walked to the kitchen area. "Hi Aunt Hestia," he greeted his aunt with a smile.

"Hello, Hermes," Hestia greeted back, returning his smile with one of her own.

"So, Harry, I was wondering if you'd like to come on a little trip with me. For your birthday, that is," Hermes offered.

Harry pulled a container out of the refrigerator, and made his way to the stove to reheat its contents. "I'd love to, Mister Hermes! When?" he answered, keeping an eye on the food.

"Well… right now would be good," Hermes said, casually plonking himself down at the table, where Hestia had taken a seat as well.

Harry froze in indecision. "But… Hestia..." he started to say.

"Why don't you go with Hermes, Harry? He is extraordinarily busy, so this chance will not come around often," Hestia said, gently.

"But… I thought we'd spend the day cooking?" Harry said, looking at his favorite goddess.

Hestia's kind smile widened. "We can cook some more tomorrow, or any other day, if you want, Harry."

"Are you sure?" the young boy asked.

"Quite sure," Hestia reassured him. "This chance won't come around often."

Harry nodded, then looked at Hermes, who looked incredibly amused for some reason. "I'd love to go, Mister Hermes."

"Great!" the busy god said, smiling widely. "We'll leave as soon as that deliciously-smelling food is done."

Harry grinned, and served the Messenger God. Hermes didn't so much eat as he devoured.

"Manners, Hermes," Hestia admonished him with a Look.

Hermes swallowed his last bite. "Sorry, Aunt Hestia. But that was delicious."

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Mister Hermes. Hestia taught me the recipe."

The God of Thieves stared at Harry for a few moments, then glanced at Hestia as if asking for confirmation, before looking back to the boy. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You've got talent, Harry."

The young boy grinned wider, and Hermes stood up. "We should get going, though."

Harry just nodded and trotted after the quickly-moving god. Right outside the temple stood Hermes' chariot, which stumped Harry for a moment as he hadn't seen it when he let the god in originally.

However, it seems Hermes wasn't about to wait around for Harry to make up his mind and was already climbing onboard. The boy, having no other choice, rushed after Hermes.

Within moments, the chariot shifted into a convertible Italian sports car of some kind, and immediately took off into the air, pushing the boy back into his seat with its acceleration.

The rush of air of the open top ruffled Harry's hair. He looked over at Hermes, but found the Messenger God to be perfectly fine, as if the very concept of wind did not exist for him.

"Fun, isn't it?" Hermes asked, grinning widely, doing something with his steering wheel that caused the flying convertible to do barrel rolls.

The shifting forces tingled in Harry's stomach, causing him to laugh out loud with excitement. "This is great!" he crowed as they corkscrewed through the sky over New York City.

Hermes' smile widened. "Finally someone who can take some fun," he noted with a grin. Suddenly, he pulled level, and drove them at eye-level around the Statue of Liberty; close enough that Harry could see the visitors staring out from the observation deck in the crown.

"Won't they see us, Mister Hermes?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling rather concerned.

Hermes waved it off. "Nah. We're totally invisible, Kiddo. Enjoy the view."

Harry did just that. After a couple of full circles around the iconic Statue, including one close enough that Harry felt that he could probably reach out and touch it, Hermes pulled out of the turn and shifted his convertible air car into high gear, pushing Harry back into the seat with yet more acceleration. "Hang on!" the god shouted.

Harry ignored the acceleration, held on to the arm rest, and screamed his encouragement. Suddenly, the rushing air got really quiet, and the city flashed by before rapidly disappearing in the distance.

"Whoa," Harry said, suddenly realizing they were moving incredibly fast.

"So, how does it feel to go supersonic?" Hermes asked, grin still in place. Harry blinked, and budged slightly to look at the speedometer. It was reading really small numbers, rather than really high numbers as he expected. "We're only moving two-point-five kilometers an hour!?" Harry asked in confusion. He'd have guessed they were moving quicker, with how fast the city vanished and all that.

Hermes burst out laughing. "That's Mach two point five. As in, 2.5 times the speed of sound. We're at 15000 feet, so Mach 2.5 is about 1800 miles an hour. Or about 2900 kilometers an hour, give or take."

Harry blinked, then nodded. "Oh, right, because speed of sound varies with altitude and air pressure," he said, recalling having read that in one of his books in Athena's library.

"Exactly," Hermes said as they roared over the country side.

"Can we go any faster?" Harry asked, mischievously. Hermes seemed to be in a good mood, so he decided to risk teasing the god.

Hermes laughed. "Watch this."

More acceleration pushed Harry back into his seat.

"Wheee!" Harry shouted as the car pushed harder.

"Mach 4," Hermes announced. "Sorry, Kiddo, can't go faster than that while invisible or the mortals will start seeing UFOs. And then Zeus will make me see UFOs."

Harry nodded. "I don't like Mister Zeus," he confided in the Messenger God.

Hermes grinned. "Maybe because you announced his latest conquest in front of all the major gods?"

The young boy pouted. "If he was faithful to Miss Hera, I wouldn't have had to. It's his own fault."

The God of Thieves laughed out loud. "I like your reasoning, Kiddo," he said, before glancing at something in the distance. The car slowed down considerably, and descended rapidly. Harry curiously looked over the side of the convertible, realizing that he could do so without any interference from the wind. Sometimes, he thought, being a god was cool.

Ten seconds later, they dropped out of supersonic speeds altogether, and were now flying low over a city. "Harry," Hermes said, before shifting the car. "Welcome to Saint Louis, Gateway to the West." the car shifted and pulled underneath the Arch.

"Whoa," Harry said, as they drifted lazily underneath the metal construction. Hermes pulled the car up, allowing them to see into the observation deck.

A couple of minutes later, Hermes shifted them into high gear again. "Ever seen the Grand Canyon, Harry?"

The boy shook his head. "I've seen pictures, but never seen it for real."

Hermes grinned and gunned the car. Harry whooped as the acceleration forced him back into his seat once more.

At the speeds Hermes flew, it took no time at all to reach the Grand Canyon, and with a playful smile the God of Travelers dove deep inside, racing along the narrow ravine.

Finally, Hermes pulled out and parked the car. "Wanna have a go?" he playfully asked Harry.

The boy blinked, not having expected the offer. Suddenly, he remembered Ares, and his car. "Ehm… this isn't like Ares' car, right, Mister Hermes? Ares' car apparently tries to eat people driving it; surviving driving it is a test for his children."

Hermes laughed. "Ares is so much fun sometimes," the god chortled. "No, Harry. This is a legitimate offer. Want to try?"

Harry blinked when the offer was repeated, then nodded shyly. Flying looked like fun.

"Great!" Hermes said, his seatbelt already undone and halfway out the door by the time he finished the word. Harry blinked in surprise again at the quick actions of the god, and had barely undone his seatbelt by the time Hermes yanked the passenger-side door open.

Carefully, Harry climbed out and made his way to the driver's side. Cautiously, he slid into the driver's seat. His feet did not reach the pedals, and he had to sit at the very edge and completely upright to be able to see over the steering wheel.

Hermes laughed at the comical sight, causing Harry to level a pout at the god; this in turn only made Hermes laugh even louder.

Finally his mirth cooled and Hermes showed Harry how to adjust the seat. This being a godly car, it wasn't constrained by this like conventional car mechanics and so the seat and pedals moved far and high enough for Harry to be able to both reach the pedals and see over the steering wheel.

"Good," Hermes finally said. "Now, to start a car, you first make sure it's in neutral. The left pedal is your clutch. Press it down, then check if the gear lever to the center location. Give it a wiggle to make sure."

Harry pressed the pedal and wiggled the gear lever back and forth. "Good. Now start the car by keeping the clutch depressed and turning the key. The first click will unlock the steering wheel, the second click will turn on the electrics. The third click will start the engine – once the engine's started, release the key and it'll move back to the second position by itself.

Harry started the engine, and Hermes grinned. "Good, so far, this is like a mortal car. Now, this is how you fly."

Fifteen minutes later, Hermes' grin was clearly forced, and the god's muscles and sinews stood out as he clamped down on the armrest, unwilling to admit that he was both afraid and wanted to have something for his other arm to grab on to.

Harry, meanwhile, was screaming in joy as the car went into a vertical dive while spinning around its axis, causing the ground to rotate alarmingly in the windshield. Hermes opened his mouth to shout, when Harry suddenly yanked on the steering wheel causing the Car to go from vertical spin to flat horizontal flight in one go, its wheels throwing up clouds of dust from the close pull-out.

"This is brilliant!" Harry shouted.

"Yes. Brilliant," Hermes said with a plastic smile, surreptitiously wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Whee!" Harry shouted as he pulled the car over the Colorado river, throwing up great plumes of water, before shooting straight up into the sky.

Hermes swallowed. The kid was a natural at flying, no doubt about it. He was also a natural at scaring the crap out of people while flying, no doubt about that either. Once thing was sure, he was never getting into anything flown by Harry Potter ever again.

"Harry? Maybe you'd care to touch down?" the god offered.

The young boy's smile dropped and he pointed an epic-level puppy dog eyes look at Hermes. "Do I have to?"

"Maybe for the best," Hermes said, hoping he was sounding friendly. "You're still under-age, and if Zeus ever finds out..."

Harry pouted, but nodded anyway. He landed and parked the car as if he'd been doing it all his life, put it in neutral, and shut the engine off. Hermes stepped out of the car, almost dropping to his knees as he did so. With an effort of will he ignored the weakness in his legs and casually strolled around the car, relieving Harry from behind the wheel.

"Thanks for teaching me to drive and to fly, Mister Hermes," Harry said. "I really enjoyed it."

Hermes, relieved to be the one back in the driving seat, smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. "You're welcome, Harry. How about a quick tour of the US to finish up with?"

"Yeah!" Harry cheered as the car lifted back into the air.

At close to Mach 4, a complete circle over the United States took them less than two hours, and soon Hermes was slowing them down for an approach to Mount Olympus. His right hand pulled out his ever-present smart phone and rattled off a quick text, an action that Harry had seen the god do on multiple occasions over the course of their trip so something he paid no attention to.

Hermes pulled them in for a smooth landing on Olympus.

As the god pulled up to Helios' temple, he stopped Harry from going in. Instead, he opened the glove box and pulled out a brightly wrapped gift. "Happy Birthday, Harry," the jovial god said.

"I get a gift, too?" Harry asked, sounding stunned. For a moment, he choked, then looked at the god. "Thanks, Mister Hermes," he said, softly. Nobody had ever gotten him a birthday gift before, not like this anyway.

Hermes, seemingly recognizing what this meant to Harry, just smiled and ruffled the boy's ever-messy hair.

The boy studied the package intently, then started carefully picking apart the tape that held the paper closed, obviously planning on slowly releasing the contents from its paper.

Hermes grinned. "You can just tear the paper, you know," the god teased.

"But it's so pretty!" Harry defended.

The god shrugged. "It's your gift," he said.

The boy nodded and kept picking, finally opening the paper and revealing a wooden box. He carefully opened the lid. "Whoa," he said at the contents. On the right was a leather pouch that held various tools made of metal, while the left held a small set of see-through locks.

"The lock picks have a small learning enchantment," Hermes explained. "Nothing too much, but they'll teach you how to pick locks quicker. The locks are training locks, made of clear acrylic so you can study how a lock moves and behaves and study its inner workings. There's a how-to booklet in there as well."

The god held up his finger to his lips. "Just don't tell Hestia I gave you this, alright?" he asked, winking.

Harry grinned widely. What eigh… er… nine-year-old hadn't thought about learning to pick locks, after all? "Alright, Mister Hermes!" he chirped. "This is brilliant. Thank you so much."

The God of Thieves simply smiled. "You're most welcome, Harry."

Harry grinned, gave the god a wave, and jumped out of the convertible, clearing the door without issue. Carrying the box, he made his way into the temple.

Athena had been teaching him to be more observant, and to be mindful of details, so he realized that he was carrying a box that Hermes had asked he not reveal to Hestia.

Since it was possible that Hestia had been waiting for him to return, Harry cautiously hid the box underneath Helios' altar. Just in case she had been waiting for him. He could hide it in his room was the coast was clear.

"Mister Hermes gave me a lock pick set, but he's asked I don't tell Hestia," Harry whispered to the statue, putting his finger to his lips. "So can you hide this for a while?"

Helios' presence felt amused as it wrapped around Harry, followed by a feeling of understanding and reassurance, which the young boy interpreted as being the faded god's agreement. The space underneath the altar seemed to be deeper in shadow than it had been a moment earlier, and Harry grinned.

"Thanks, Mister Helios," he said. "I'll make sure to cook something really nice tonight," he promised, giving the statue a wave.

Helios' presence felt amused at something else now. Harry dismissed the feeling, he had the impression that the faded Titan-God of the Sun had been as fun to be around as Apollo was, and enjoyed laughing and jokes as much as the current Sun God did.

He stepped into the temple's inner sanctum, and squinted. The residential areas seemed darker than they should be.

Then he realized that the torches and braziers that Hestia can conjured for him when he had first met her, and that had burned continuously for close to 18 months now, were cold and dark.

Harry's frown deepened; had something happened to Hestia? If someone hurt her, he was going to put Mister Ares' lesson to good use!

His pace increased as he made his way to the living room area, determined to reach the hearth. His worry turned to anger as he thought of someone hurting Hestia.

"SURPRISE!"

As the adrenaline of the unexpected yell rushed through his body, Harry jumped back two paces, landing in a perfect martial arts stance by pure instinct, his lower arms suddenly covered in the bracers while his right hand was holding Hestia's lasso up in a threatening fashion.

At the same time, the braziers and torches sprung back to life, driving off the darkened shadows that had been hiding quite a few people.

Then he realized just what had been yelled, and that he knew all of the people present. He relaxed his stance, and looked sheepish.

Assorted snorts and laughter came from the group, and Harry dismissed the lasso and bracers as he looked them all over. Artie was there, as was Miss Zoë, Louis, the guys, Silena, and Annabeth from camp Half-blood were there, too. Miss Athena, Mister Apollo, and Mister Hephaestus were standing with Mister Dionysus, who seemed inordinately pleased over something.

And in front of them stood his all-time favorite goddess. "Happy birthday, Harry," Hestia said, approaching him.

A long banner had been tied between two of the support columns, proclaiming 'Happy Birthday Harry', the comfortable couches in front of the hearth had been pushed to one side, to be replaced with a long table that held a large chocolate cake, as well as various bowls filled with different drinks.

Harry smiled at her, now that his heart-rate was dropping down to something that was approaching normal. "Thanks, Hestia," he answered, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Having always been alone, he never did well in crowds, even if he knew all the people here.

"Every boy should have a surprise birthday party at least once in their life," the Goddess of the Home went on to say. "Dionysus was more than happy to oblige."

"Mister Dionysus is cool," Harry replied, smiling. Suddenly, the others were upon him, wishing him a happy birthday. He shook hands, exchanged hugs with Silena and Annabeth, and didn't recall much of what happened. The press of people around him was making him twitchy, and he felt his chest tighten.

And suddenly, the pressing of people was over, and he had room to breathe.

"So this is how the other side lives, huh?" Louis said, grinning. "Nice digs."

"Ehm… thanks?" Harry replied, not sure how to take the comment.

The son of Apollo just smirked, and held out a package. "The guys and I decided that you needed some culture, so we got you these."

Harry smiled as he reverently accepted the package. He was getting gifts from everyone? "Thanks," he said, sincerely, yet shyly.

"Hey, no prob," Jim – or Jack? - said. "Hope you like them."

Harry carefully unwrapped the package, to reveal a stack of comic books. "Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-man, Fantastic Four," he read the various titles. "These look awesome! Hey, there's one based on Thor, too! I've got to show this to him if I see him again, he'll get a kick out of it."

"Glad you like them," the other guy – Jack, or Jim – said.

"I do, these look awesome," Harry repeated, carefully putting the stack of comics down on the far end of the large table, so they wouldn't get lost or damaged. "I'll be reading those tonight."

The three sons of Apollo grinned widely, before Silena held out a smaller package. "Annabeth and I decided that you needed to have some fun, too."

"While keeping your mind busy," Annabeth added with a teasing grin, making Silena roll her eyes.

Harry chuckled at the byplay between the two girls. Even when they were being friendly, they were digging at each other. As long as they weren't fighting, he was good with it.

"Thanks, Silena, Annabeth", he said, sincerely, as he carefully unwrapped their present.

It turned out to be a cardboard box, covered in intricate designs. "Mythomagic?" he read.

"It's a box that holds a deck of mythomagic cards," Annabeth explained. "It's a game based around Ancient Greek history, with the gods and goddesses, various heroes, and monsters. There are figurines, too, but those are for the advanced version. Silena and I decided on getting you a starter deck and some expansion packs to start with."

"Whoa," Harry said, taking the thick stack of cards from its box and rifling through them. "Hey, Artie's in here!" he said, excitedly.

The Goddess of the Hunt, hearing her name, curiously drifted closer. "Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon," Harry read. "2500 attack, 3000 defense. As Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis can execute one (1) concealed strike upon being summoned to the battlefield. This concealed strike can not be avoided by its target, but removes Artemis' defense during that turn. During a night-phase, Artemis' attack power increases by 500 points."

The Goddess of the Hunt looked sincerely amused at the description. Harry flipped further through the cards. "Where is..." he started to ask.

"Hestia?" Annabeth and Silena asked simultaneously, before looking at each other and bursting out laughing.

"We had to do some work to find her card, it's almost as rare as finding a figurine of Lord Hades," Silena explained. "We know you'd never go for it without her card, though. It's at the bottom of the deck."

Harry flipped to the last card. "Hestia, goddess of Home and Hearth. Zero attack and defense?" he asked, vaguely wondering whether he should be outraged over what he saw was a slight to his favorite goddess. "Kind-hearted Hestia will never engage in battle, nor can she ever be engaged in battle. Hestia will remain on the field until the summoning player is defeated. Once per round, Hestia can stop one (1) fight from occurring, with no ill effects to either combatant. This effect may be called upon at any time, including the opposing player's combat phase. The combatant placed under Hestia's protection can not act for one entire round, except if the protected combatant is the player themselves."

Harry looked at Hestia, who was smiling widely. "That's so completely accurate," he said, grinning. He looked at the two smiling demigoddesses, and said, "you will have to teach me how to play this. It sounds awesome!"

"Of course," Annabeth said, causing Silena to nod.

He carefully returned the cards to the box, before putting said box on the table, next to the stack of comic books.

When he turned back, Artie was right there, obviously having stuck around from where she had been listening to har mythomagic card's description. "Here you go, Harry. Happy Birthday," she said, holding out a gift-wrapped parcel.

He grinned, and gave him second-favorite goddess a hug, not noticing how the room suddenly went utterly silent. The Goddess of the Hunt hugged him back, before releasing him.

Harry grinned, and opened his latest gift. "One Hundred useful plants you've never heard of," he excitedly read the title, before flipping through the small volume. "Whoa, this is great! I really haven't heard of these plants!"

Artemis laughed softly. "I wouldn't be much of a goddess if I gave you a book on plants you already knew," she said.

"True," Harry said, nodding seriously. "Thanks, Artie."

"You're most welcome, Harry," the goddess answered, stepping aside to make room for her Lieutenant.

Harry looked utterly surprised, he didn't think Zoë would be one for giving gifts. "I do believe that thou couldst do with this," she stated, calmly.

She handed him an old-fashioned leather-bound book with no title. Glancing curiously at her unreadable look, he cracked it open. The book was written in Greek, using old-fashioned calligraphy, calligraphy the likes of which could only be produced by people who wrote all correspondence by hand and made it look beautiful.

"Whoa," Harry said. Despite the calligraphy momentarily making his demigod-induced dyslexia flare up, it settled down when he started puzzling out the Greek words. "Is this a journal?"

Zoë looked amused. "'T is but an excerpt, of course. 'T should be helpful for thy further training."

"This is great," Harry said, reverently closing the book. "Birthday hug?" he asked.

The Hunter shot him a tolerant look, then held out her hand. "Birthday handshake," she compromised, as Harry knew she more than likely would. He grinned, and shook her hand.

"Thanks, Miss Zoë."

"Thou art welcome," she answered with a smile. Harry thought she should smile more often, she was very pretty when she did. Not that he'd be stupid enough to ever tell her that.

He turned to put the book on the table, along with the other presents he'd gotten so far, only to come face-to-face with the one teacher he was more afraid of than any of the others.

Athena.

"Hi Miss Athena," he greeted the Goddess of Wisdom politely, at once understanding why she had seemed amused when he said he'd see her on Tuesday. She must have already known about the surprise party.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," she said on her usual level tone – the kind of tone that made Harry check whether he'd done or said anything offensive recently – while handing him a package.

It sat rather heavily in Harry's hands, and he felt surprised that this particular goddess would even bother with giving him a gift at all, considering that he was under the impression that she rather disliked him. "Thanks, Miss Athena," he said gratefully, smiling widely at her.

He carefully picked apart the paper, to reveal a box set. "Nancy Drew starter set," he read the title.

"I think you will enjoy them," Athena stated. "A taste of what you can achieve when you use your mind."

Artemis laughed softly. "Not to mention they feature a strong female protagonist. I heartily approve."

"Of course you do," Athena answered her fellow goddess, a teasing note in her voice.

Harry grinned and put his latest gift on the table. The teasing seemed friendly enough and reminded him of how he sometimes teased Miss Zoë.

Hephaestus was suddenly right there, in that eerie fashion that the Smith God was so fond of, in his full Godly Form, towering over all the others. "Here," he unceremoniously said, holding out a package that seemed ridiculously small in his large hands.

Harry grinned and accepted the present, which was larger than it first appeared. He carefully picked it open. "A large Meccano set!" he shouted. "This is brilliant. Thanks, Mister Hephaestus!" he looked up at the large form, and quieter, said, "And thanks for… you know."

Hephaestus gave a horrific-looking kind of grin, and patted Harry on the back. A gesture that drove the boy two steps forward and almost made him tumble to his knees. "No problem," the large god said. Looking around, the Smith God added, "I don't do well in groups, so I'll be off." Without waiting for a reply, he stalked out of the room.

Harry nodded, understanding the god's reluctance. He wasn't too fond of large groups of people either.

After putting his gift with the others he had received, Harry saw Apollo approach, rather reluctantly. Wondering what was up with the usually friendly god, Harry smiled at him, and greeted him normally. "Hi Mister Apollo!"

Apollo smiled, but it seemed stiff somehow. "Here you go, Harry. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Mister Apollo!" Harry said, grinning widely, immediately starting to work on dissecting the wrapping paper.

"You may want to do that in private," Apollo said, reluctantly, causing the eyes of various goddesses to focus on the God of the Sun. The demigods, hovering nearby, fell silent, too, wondering what was up.

Harry was experienced in opening packages by now, and had already unwrapped his latest treasure. "Hey, wow, more comics!" Harry said, grinning widely. Apollo's smile turned exceedingly brittle under the scrutiny of most the other guests.

"U – Ro – Tsu -" Harry puzzled out, then gave up on the title and focused on the subtitle. "Legend of the Overfiend," he read. "Hey, comics about hunting monsters!" Harry flipped the first comic open, before his eyes went wide. "Is that monster ripping the clothes off of that poor girl!?" he demanded, not knowing whether to be offended or sickened.

"APOLLO!" Hestia shouted, suddenly in her full adult form. Apollo flinched and shrunk back. The First and Last of the Olympians grabbed the Sun God by the ear with her right hand, before her left gently pulled the comic out of Harry's hands. "That is a naughty comic book, Harry. It's not suitable for your age at all. Apollo, you and I are going to have a talk."

"But Aunt Hes-" the god in question started, before the goddess twisted his ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow! My ear! My ear!" he squeaked as Hestia pulled him along.

"Excuse me while I go and… discuss… things with my degenerate brother," Artie said, also suddenly in her adult form, while stalking out of the room as if on a mission, following Hestia and Apollo.

"There are days that Lord Apollo is just looking for trouble," Zoë lamented, shaking her head. "'T is a shame he did so on thy birthday," she said to Harry.

Harry nodded, still looking at the exit. "That really was a dirty book, though," he said, mostly to himself, still shocked at what he had seen.

Shaking his head, he turned to the other end of the table. He needed a drink.

Dionysus hadn't moved and was standing close to the drinks himself, looking as if he didn't see what the big deal was. Harry smiled at him, and approached.

"Hi Mister Dionysus. Thanks for the party," he said politely, knowing that the god in front of him didn't like demigods at the best of times.

"Yes, hello, Harold," the god said. "And you're welcome and all that rot."

Harry grinned. If you didn't take it personally, Dionysus was a lot of fun. "How are things going with the dessert chef?"

Dionysus' smile turned fractionally more genuine. "I had to hire a couple, and educate them properly, of course. But they are working well. Very well," he added the latter with a chuckle. "That was a good idea, Harold."

Harry smiled at the god, knowing it, and this birthday party, were as close as he would ever get to a thank you. "I'm glad I could help, Mister Dionysus."

"Yes, yes, off with you, Harold," Dionysus said, waving at Harry, obviously at the end of his patience. Harry dipped his head, and turned to get a drink.

"Whoa, that's the longest I've ever seen someone talk with Mr. D. without him getting angry," Louis said, approaching Harry as the boy studied the various bowls of punch set out for refreshments.

"If you don't take it personally, Mister Dionysus is funny," Harry said, finally making a selection. Taking a plastic cup, he filled it with the contents of his chosen bowl.

"If you say so," one of the guys answered.

"Yeah, Mr. D is scary," Silena whispered, glancing at the surly god standing at the end of the refreshment table. Annabeth simply nodded.

Harry tasted the punch, frowned, and looked at his cup. "What a waste," he said.

"What?" Louis asked, not expecting that response as he, and the other demigods, started filling their own cups.

"Someone spiked this punch with 30-year-old Laphroaig," Harry answered, before blinking in surprise. The other demigods stared at him.

"What's Laphroaig?" Annabeth asked, beating the others to it.

"Whisky," Harry answered, still out of it, as he sniffed his drink. "Really good whisky. But it makes me wonder. How am I able to recognize the age and kind of whisky, despite it being used to spike punch? Aunt Petunia was a gin woman, and while Uncle Vernon like a good whisky on occasion, he usually stuck to the cheap stuff."

Dionysus gave a hidden grin, then loudly made an excuse and left.

"Thou should not drink more of that punch, then," Zoë said, suddenly appearing as if by magic. "If 't is spiked so heavily."

Harry nodded. "It feels like a crime though. Why waste good alcohol on spiking punch? Who'd do such a thing?"

Zoë grimaced. "Lord Apollo, no doubt."

"That does sound like something Dad would do," Louis agreed. He tried a sip of the spiked punch. "Wow, that's good spike," he said.

"Are the others spiked as well?" Harry asked, taking an innocent sip of his spiked cup.

"This one's fine," Annabeth said, pointing to the bowl she had just tried. Silena nodded in agreement, having taken a cup from the same source.

"This one, too," one of the guys said, pointing to the third bowl, while innocently trying to fill the rest of his cup from the spiked bowl.

"It looks like this is the only spiked bowl, then," Harry said, taking another sip while no-one was watching.

"That one is the only one what?" Hestia asked, innocently, while walking back into the room.

"Spiked," Annabeth and Silena tattled immediately, while Zoë gave a resigned nod.

"'T was probably the work of Lord Apollo," Artie's Lieutenant said, having no qualms about throwing her patron's brother under the chariot.

Hestia sighed, and motioned. The bowl, and any cups containing the contents of said bowl, emptied themselves. Harry pouted slightly, he had been enjoying that spike.

"Did everything go alright?" the boy asked, trying to cover for missing his drink. "You seemed really angry."

"I was angry," Hestia explained. "That gift was entirely inappropriate, even without your age being a consideration. I merely had a few words with my nephew. It is Artie that he needs to fear."

Zoë nodded agreeably. Harry shuddered; Angry Artie turned into Artemis, and Artemis was scary. "Mister Apollo will be alright, though, right?"

"He will be," Hestia assured him. "Don't worry. And he'll have learnt to make sure a gift is age-appropriate in the future."

Harry nodded dubiously, but as always was willing to go along with Hestia. "Alright, Hestia."

"Perhaps we should cut the cake?" she offered, while drawing the attention of the Goddess of Wisdom, who had been occupying herself with looking through the selection of books that Harry was reading.

The boy nodded eagerly, before turning to his demigod friends. "And maybe then you can teach me to play Mythomagic."

Annabeth beat everyone to it. "Sure!" she chirped, Silena and the three sons of Apollo grinning and nodding as well.

Within moments, the Goddess of the Home's excellent carving skills had everyone with a plate of cake.

Harry tried his, then shuffled closer to his favorite goddess. "How did you manage that amount of flavor?" he asked, curiously.

Hestia smiled at him. "I am a goddess, Harry," she teased slightly. "There are some things that require just a bit more than just ingredients."

"Aww," Harry pouted theatrically, causing Hestia to laugh softly. "Thanks, Hestia," he added. "For the cake and the party and everything. It's great."

The Goddess of the Hearth smiled, and patted his shoulder. "You're welcome, Harry. Now, you should go and have some fun with your friends, they're looking excited about teaching you their card game."

Harry grinned, deposited his empty plate on the table, and wondered for a moment when he'd finished it.

Just as he turned back to walk to his demigod friends, the room silenced again. This time, the silence was not just one of surprise, but on of dread and fear.

Harry blinked, wondering why everyone was suddenly silent, when he noticed a new visitor.

Hera, Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Marriage and Family, walked into the room as if she owned it.

Which, now that Harry thought about it, may very well be the truth considering that she was Queen of the Gods.

"Harry," she said, stopping in front of the boy.

Harry swallowed, and smiled at her. "Hi, Miss Hera!" he said. Despite how everyone seemed to be afraid of her, she'd seemed rather nice on that Solstice Meeting.

"I have heard that today you are celebrating the day of your birth," Hera stated, and held out a small, thin, rectangular package. "Happy Birthday."

"Whoa, Thanks Miss Hera!" Harry said, excitedly, accepting the package from her hands. With practice came skill and he took no time in picking the wrapping paper off of the gift.

He froze when he looked at it.

"As Goddess of Familiar Love, I am able to draw upon the images of family connections," she explained. "That picture is of your parents, during their mortal days. Unfortunately, that is the extent of what my domain allows."

Harry gave no indication of hearing the goddess' explanation, and just stared at the picture, one finger carefully stroking the faces of the two people depicted. Slowly, a tear made its way across his right cheek. A moment later, a second one rolled down the other cheek.

He swallowed thickly. "This is brilliant," he whispered. Looking away from the picture, he looked up at Hera, his eyes red as a third and fourth tear slid down.

He hugged her. "Thank you very much, Miss Hera."

There was a gasp of the people present, and for a moment, Hera had frozen with her hands up. Instinctively, she looked at her oldest sister. Hestia simply stared back, a smile on her lips but a hard edge in her eyes.

Sighing, Hera relaxed slightly, and patted the boy's back. "You're welcome, Harry," she offered, her voice tight, as if unsure of what to do next.

The boy released her just as quickly. "I have to go put this on my nightstand," he said, racing away.

"That was a nice thing you did," Hestia said, smiling gently. "Especially as you do not normally like helping demigods." She held out a plate. "Cake?" she offered.

Hera tried not to pout, especially now that Athena was joining them. "I have been keeping an eye on young Harry," she said, attempting to deflect. "He has been working diligently." She accepted the plate regardless. "And I would never say 'no' to one of your confections."

Hestia smiled at the compliment while Athena nodded. "Most would have surrendered after a single lesson with myself," she said, bringing the conversation back to the young boy.

Hestia smiled teasingly. "Or with Artie," she said. "Or with her Lieutenant. Harry has a way of pressing on, despite adversity, and getting his teachers to like him."

The Goddess of Wisdom nodded. "We must be careful, however. There is a fine line between applying pressure, and breaking a mortal."

"Oh? How so?" Hera asked, putting her empty plate down. Nobody baked like Hestia. "From where I looked, he appeared to be doing very well. So well, in fact, that several gods have begun searching him out to perform minor errands for them."

Athena nodded again. "Harry is well aware that his… special circumstances… here on Olympus, are due to Hestia's influence. He has stated, on multiple occasions, that he would do whatever it took to complete a task because he does not wish to reflect badly upon her."

Hestia didn't know what to think of that. "I merely offer him options," she said. "I talk to a few people, see who is willing to give him a few lessons. It did not take a lot of effort on my part."

"And yet, he believes that his performance will reflect back upon you, Aunt Hestia. He fears that, should he fail, it will be you who will look bad," the Goddess of Wisdom said. "I believe most of the gods involved have explained that we are happy to repay a favor or two, considering how much all of us owe you."

Hera nodded. "The amount of help you have given in calming angry parties is substantial. Given a few lessons to your favored mortal is a small price to pay. Especially if the boy in question is, from all appearances, an eager student and a hard worker."

Hestia smiled softly. "And I am grateful for those considerations," she said. "I am merely worried that Harry would work himself too hard in an effort to somehow 'live up' to those favors. It sounds like he's under the impression that I somehow paid considerably for those small favors."

Athena nodded. "That was precisely the impression I got. While it benefits him to work hard at any task he does, it may also result in overwork. Mortals are incredibly fragile, especially at that age."

Hestia sighed. "I will try and discuss it with him," she said. "Thank you for bringing it my attention, Athena."

The Goddess of Wisdom smiled crookedly. "All in a good teacher's job description, Aunt Hestia."

As the two goddesses smiled companionably, Hera grinned. "Given what he knows, it was not a bad leap of logic to make, though," she said. "As far as he is aware, all demigods go to Camp Half-Blood. Most of those demigods barely have any contact with us, let alone get lessons from the gods directly. He has also been told, by those same demigods, that gods are territorial, egotistic, and will curse first and ask questions later – if we bother to ask questions at all. Given that, it wasn't a bad thought of him to take what he knew and expect us all to be angry with Hestia should he fail at his lessons or his tasks."

Both Athena and Hestia nodded at the Queen of the Gods' statement, before Hestia sighed slightly. "I tried to get him to see us as people, rather than angry gods smiting left and right," the Goddess of the Home explained. "It's a lesson I hope to see him continue to value."

Hera looked amused. "Considering his reaction to my gift, I do not believe you have to worry about that, sister," the Queen of the Gods said. "I do not recall any demigod has ever dared embrace me as he just did."

Hestia's gentle smile widened as she looked at her youngest sister. "I do not believe that you have ever given a demigod as much as you just gave Harry either, sister," she answered calmly.

Hera grinned slightly. "That boy is a demigod born within my domain, a testament and honor to it rather than an affront to it. I have kept my eye on him, from a distance, and he has always acted honorably."

"He continues to model himself after Aunt Hestia, and succeeding remarkably well," Athena added.

Hestia smiled. "He's such a sweet boy."

The Goddess of Wisdom's smile twisted slightly. "I had to expand some effort to get him to accept any sort of combat training. Considering he is a demigod, and an especially heroic one at that, he definitely needs the training. Yet, I had to convince him to accept it. Eventually, I was able to assure him that being able to fight did not mean that he had to fight, and that it would serve as a good tool should he ever find himself in another situation as when he rescued my daughter."

Hestia's eyes slipped to the Daughter of Athena, who was sitting quietly, talking softly, with the other four demigods. They had retreated to one of the comfortable couches that had been pushed against the walls, far away from the talking major gods, trying not to be a bother.

"She's a good girl," Hestia said. "A bit headstrong and stubborn, but all demigods should be to one extent or other."

Hera's lips twisted in an ugly fashion, but remained quiet. She had been in a good mood and didn't want talk of demigod bastards to ruin it for her. "It seems Ares had no issues getting the boy to train," she said, bringing the conversation back to the previous topic.

Athena barked a short laugh. "He simply jumped the boy and ordered him to fight. That was not convincing, that was basically a challenge on his life."

"I am still pleased that Ares seems to be pulling his punches and leaving nothing but bruises during their training sessions. I had my concerns, but it appears that Ares, in his own, brutal, fashion, is trying to look out for Harry," Hestia said.

"As surprising as that is," Athena muttered. She fell quiet when Hestia leveled her with a look.

"Did you ever find a magic teacher for Harry?" Hera asked, changing the subject.

"Hecate declined straight out," Hestia replied with a shake of her head. "I was able to track down Circe, who agreed to come and see Harry for no other reason but to spite her mother, no doubt."

"Probably," Hera replied. "Circe and Hecate have a rather strained relationship at the best of times."

Hestia nodded in agreement. "Circe came and looked at Harry, and immediately said she could not teach him. Apparently, one or both of his parents placed an enchantment upon Harry, one that would have safeguarded him had it not been modified. At first, it was akin to being dipped in the Styx – invulnerability at the cost of the life of the parent and a continuous drain on the boy's magic. Someone modified it, and rather than invulnerability it is now hiding the boy from any and all detecting methods; which is why he has never been attacked by a monster while in the mortal world. The enchantment would dissipate on his 11th birthday, allowing him to start magical schooling with the mortals."

"And because it was done due to a choice of the parent, Hecate as Goddess of Magic, Crossroads, and choices would never dream of going against the choice of the parent," Athena said.

Hestia nodded. "And Circe said she wouldn't mess with an enhancement that she called a work of art. I think she merely didn't want to teach Harry and took that as an excuse. She did say that it would require a level of skill and ability that only a god or goddess would posses to further modify the enchantment without shattering it entirely. The first modification has left it rather brittle, it seems."

"So, with all the power and influence and abilities at the disposal of the Gods of Mount Olympus, the only thing we can do is wait for the enchantment to dissipate and send him to mortal school when he turns 11?" Hera asked, her tone halfway between incredulous and amused.

"We could always shatter the enchantment," Athena offered, which got her a dangerous look from both Hestia, who favored Harry and thought of how much problems that would get the boy, and Hera, who was goddess of family and took it as a slight against her domain.

The Goddess of Wisdom lifted her hands in surrender, causing the two sisters to calm down.

Hestia took a breath, and looked at Hera. "As Harry has had casual contact with other pantheons, I have been seeking out others that may be of help."

The Queen of the Gods looked offended at the notion, and opened her mouth for an angry retort, when Hestia held up her hand. "Our own goddess of Magic is bound by a secondary domain not to interfere. There are others who are not."

Hera still looked offended, but remained silent. "Who did you have in mind, Aunt Hestia?" Athena asked.

Hestia smiled secretively. "I am still trying to get in contact, so nothing is definitive."

"A wandering god or goddess?" Athena asked, curiously. "There are not many of those around. Most fade when they lose worshippers."

Hestia remained silent, while Hera looked rather put out. "I am still not pleased."

The Goddess of Home and Hearth shrugged. "We can always wait until Harry turns 11. I would rather he have a basic grounding in magic before sending him to mortal magic school, but if it is your command that we wait, I shall, of course, obey."

Hera looked like she had eaten something unpleasant. "Fine, then," she said. "I am still not pleased, mind you. Either way, we will be admitting that none of our own are willing or able to assist the boy. At least by bringing in an outsider, the boy will gain something from it." She focused on Hestia. "Better make sure it is someone impressive enough that we can save some face."

Hestia smiled softly. "The one I have in mind is definitely impressive enough," she answered.

Athena's eyes widened, suddenly making a connection. "HIM?" she asked. "Aunt Hestia, you're trying to get him to teach Harry?"

"Who are you talking about?" Hera asked, looking from one goddess to the other and back.

Hestia smiled secretively. "Now, now, Hera. I'll explain if he agrees. No need to get worked up otherwise."

Athena knew better than to argue with Hestia, so Hera had no other course but to pout at being denied knowledge.

That was the moment Harry returned, having taken suspiciously long to put the picture on his nightstand. The three goddesses stopped their conversation and looked at him; making him rather uncomfortable.

Giving a rather brittle smile, he grabbed the deck of Mythomagic cards and rushed to his demigod friends. "So how do we play this game?" he asked, hoping to divert the attention away from him.