Time Twister

A/N Sorry I know it took me forever but I came into obsticals. I love you all and I¡¦ll try and to get it done faster but no promises and srry for the wait and thank you for the being gracious enough to wait for me.

Chapter: Intruders!


¡§MOTHER!¡¨ Harry screamed, flailing on the ground in agony.

¡§Shhh shhh, it¡¦s okay Harry. It¡¦s going to be alright,¡¨ soothed Artemis, trying in vain to hold him still.

¡§It hurts,¡¨ Harry sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

¡§I know, Harry, I know. It will be over soon,¡¨ Artemis cooed while looking up at her brother, sadness filling her green eyes at the amount of pain her grandson was in.

¡§Please, I want my mother. Please get Lily,¡¨ pleaded Harry as another wave of cramps churned his stomach.

From her place at the boy¡¦s side, she looked down at the boy as he quavered with the pain and watched as his skin started to bubble, changing. ¡§Can¡¦t we do anything for him?¡¨ she whispered, desperately looking up at Apollo.

With an identical look of sadness and sympathy, he shook his head. ¡§You know we can¡¦t; the transformation has already started, and no substance on Earth or Olympus can dull the pain.¡¨

¡§Mom! Please, I need you help, mom,¡¨ muttered Harry as sweat started to soak his body.

¡§Can we summon her?¡¨ asked Artemis

¡§No, I¡¦ve have already sealed the barriers between the realms until he is done. It would be too dangerous to unseal them now,¡¨ said Apollo plainly looking at the convulsing Teenager.

¡§How can you just stand there while he sounds like he¡¦s being burnt from the inside out?¡¨ cried Artemis(,) tears coming to her emerald eyes, looking at her brother.

¡§It¡¦s something that has to happen, Artemis, and you know it. He¡¦ll never fulfill his destiny if he stays a mortal,¡¨ Apollo replied.

¡§I know but„m¡¨ started Artemis.

¡§No buts, this is the„m AHHHHHH!¡¨ Apollo screamed in pain, falling on his knees.

¡§Apollo!¡¨ Artemis shouted, rushing over to support him. ¡§What¡¦s wrong?¡¨

¡§S- Som-Someone is trying to get through!¡¨ Apollo panted, gripping the grass with his spare hand.

¡§Who?¡¨ asked Artemis?(.)

¡§I don¡¦t know, but whomever it is is powerful,¡¨ puffed Apollo, gritting his teeth. ¡§Really powerful, I don¡¦t think I¡¦m going to be able to keep them out.¡¨

¡§What should we do? Harry has barely even begun the transformation,¡¨ she asked, looking over at the convulsing boy.

¡§I don¡¦t know, Artemis, but it would be less draining to let them in and ambush them,¡¨ said Apollo, getting to his feet and leaning on his silver haired sister for support.

¡§But how are we going to fight someone that could break into limbo against a god¡¦s will? Not to mention that Harry is defenseless,¡¨ Artemis replied, stumbling a little under Apollo¡¦s weight.

¡§Once I release the seal, they won¡¦t be draining my powers, and I¡¦ll be to full strength. Whomever they are maybe strong, but there is defiantly only one, and we are two powerful Gods. We should be able to take them,¡¨ Apollo stated, getting up on his own two feet
.
¡§What about Harry?¡¨ Artemis asked.

¡§Hide him and dim the stars. We need every advantage we can get,¡¨ the obsidian haired god said.

Artemis lifted one of her slim hands in an elegant wave, and instantly trees, vines, shrubs, and other forms of vegetation sprung up around the convulsing boy, hiding him from view. At the same time, trees sprouted in the clearing, making obstacles to dodge jump with only a few clear paths to Harry, and the stars dimmed, leaving the spotted clearing in near darkness.

Apollo leaned close to his sister¡¦s ear and whispered, ¡§I¡¦m going to get into a choke point where they will have to come by, and I¡¦ll ambush them. Come behind and find a spot where you can cover me.¡¨

¡§Alright, when are you going to drop the wards?¡¨ she asked.

¡§Once we are in position,¡¨ Apollo replied and took off. Artemis nodded and followed.
Just as they were barely in sight of the tangle of growth that hid their grandson, Apollo climbed the trunk of a great tree until he reached the first limb that would support his weight. Not to far from that was a slender tree with a forked trunk that offered a perfect view with few blind spots. In a single leap, she was on the makeshift platform. Artemis summoned a silver ball of energy into her hand and closed her fist, compressing the ball. The light slowly seeped out of her fist, expanding until it faded away, leaving a white bow. With a dim flash, a quiver of arrows appeared on her slender back. Artemis quickly drew an arrow from the quiver, knocked, and drew the bow until) the string rested next to her ear. She quickly glanced at her brother and nodded before limbs hid her away from sight.

The raven haired god threw his bronzed hand out, and fire instantly engulfed his fist and expanded into a fiery blaze before being extinguished, revealing a long slender sword the color of the setting sun. Apollo waved his free hand, and somewhere out of sight a snap was heard. He instantly tightened his grip on the sword and crouched, ready to ambush the intruder. Whomever or whatever that was approaching, had no since of surprise or stealth. A dead man could have heard the leaves rustling and twigs snapping as it hurried towards Harry and themselves. A moment later, the path was lit up as a human like figure came dashing down it, doing its best to jump over and dodge obstacles. Its features were blurred by the light enveloping its form.


Just as the being was passing under the tree, Apollo leapt off the branch, bringing the blade down to meet the incandescent creature. At the last moment, the intruder saw him and barely had enough time to block the incoming slash with the staff that had appeared in its hands. The block came while Apollo was still in the air. Before he could land, the intruder shifted its grip on the staff, reversing the momentum and sending the young god flying backward a yard or so. Apollo managed to land on his feet, facing the glowing being, sword at the ready. Apollo took barely a second to give the figure a glare before dashing back at it, his sword nothing but a golden red blur. But no matter where he attacked from or how fast he struck, the being always blocked his strikes. Apollo took a particularly bold cut at the beings legs, not only to have it to be parried, but also received a vicious blow to the face in retaliation that made him stupor backward and surly would have killed him had he not been immortal. Still, blood trickled from Apollo¡¦s nose. With his free hand, Apollo touched his top lip and brought it to his face to see his own blood adorning his callused, sun kissed hand.

The sun deity slowly closed his hands into his fist and took a breath. ¡§Now you¡¦ve done it. You¡¦re dead,¡¨ he growled .Chocolate eyes flashed to gold, and his body started glowing faintly. With one last smirk, Apollo dashed forward, bringing his sword down in a slash at the opponent¡¦s chest. Instead of the sound of steel meeting soft flesh, there was the distinct thud of steel meeting wood. The blade hit the direct center of the staff and deadlocked with both parties unwilling to yield an inch.\

The tension could be cut with a knife as each opponent tried to get the upper hand on the other. Apollo snickered, ¡§I¡¦m tired of playing game. Give my regards to Hades.¡¨ Instantly, the faint glow grew more intense, creeping to encompass the sword as well, making it glow like a fiery sunset as Apollo put more of his strength into the sweep.

The intruder¡¦s face was hidden behind the light, but its slender arms were starting to shake in effort. Apollo knew it wouldn¡¦t last much longer and applied more force to the sword. The staff started to bend further until Apollo threw his full weight to the right, sending the staff flying only to land a few yards away. Apollo quickly followed with a quick stab, only be denied once again the sweet feel of this intruder, this threat to his family, being impaled on his blade by a strong hold on his wrist.

Apollo was shocked. Not only did the intruder manage to stop his sword, but now he couldn¡¦t break free. Another surprise came when a sharp twist on his wrist made him drop his sword while the another hand grabbed him by the bicep and tossed him high in the air. Before the sun god could recover, he saw a fist come flying at his chest. Upon contact, a burst of energy along with the initial force, sent him flying into a tree, shattering bark and limbs. The last thing he saw was the slender, incandescent warrior reaching for its staff and the sound of a twang as he submited to the unconsciousness.

The entire time Artemis was in her tree, watching the fight unfold, bow at the ready. Needless to say, she was impressed. Not only did the woman, yes, woman, for only a female could fight so fluid and gracefully, fight well, she fought better then any Amazon that had ever lived, past or present. Even more impressive, was that not only was she holding her own against Apollo, a god, but she seemed to be getting the upper hand.

Artemis almost gave a silent cheer when the women delivered her brother a horrendous blow to the face, but stopped and muttered, ¡§What am I doing? This isn¡¦t some woman fighting off my brother¡¦s unwanted advances; this wretch after my family.¡¨ She watched as the intruder¡¦s arms slowly began to shake(,) and then (she) tightened her grip on the bow as the staff flew from the woman¡¦s hands. ¡§Still,¡¨ she murmured as Apollo charged the defenseless warrior. ¡§She would have made a great Amazon.¡¨

Then suddenly she saw the tables turn as female warrior disarmed her brother and sent him flying into a tree. As soon as her brother hit the tree, she could feal that he was hurt from the bond they shared. She could feel him struggling to maintain consciousness, much less get back up. Instantly, her emerald eyes flashed silver, and any sympathy in her heart she had for the girl evaporated. It was decided. This was her element; she was the huntress, and this unsuspecting dog, was her prey. Artemis released her arrow at the girl with a twang as she felt the last strands her brother¡¦s mind slipping into unconsciousness.
At the last moment, the lithe being shot to the forest floor just as an arrow shot past where her chest had been, only to embed itself in a tree with a thud. Artemis immediately fired three more arrows in a blur of rapid succession, the twang of the string barely dying before another was shot. In an instant, the intruder was on her feet, dodging the first arrow, jumping off the side of a tree trunk, causing the second one to bounce off of the hard wood. Finally, with a simple but powerful rotation of her staff, the warrior knocked the third projectile harmlessly to the ground before landing in a defensive crouch, unseen eyes looking for the source of the arrows.

Artemis reached for her quiver, but before she had time to grab another shaft, eyes hidden by a mask of light connected with her now silver ones for a brief moment. The next moment, the intruder had shifted gracefully out of her crouch position into a full scale run, blowing past the silver haired goddess before she could blink.

¡§Damn it!¡¨ Artemis screamed. ¡§Help me stop her!¡¨

At once, the forest jumped to her command. Above) boughs and branches grew, twisted, and bent, allowing her to take to the tree tops at break neck speeds, causing her long silver hair to flow behind in the form of a wild mane. Meanwhile, down below, soil upturned, roots rose, and vegetation grew, anything that would possibly slow down the intruder. Even with the intruders speed, Artemis was still faster and had the forest siding with her. She quickly overtook the fleeing form. As she ran, the quiver on her back disappeared, and the bow she still carried morphed into a slender, ornate dagger with a foot long blade. In one graceful step, she left the tree tops to descend upon the tired warrior bring (, bringing) the blade slashing down to meet her mark.

The clang of metal on metal resounded through the forest. As) with Apollo, the intruder had managed to block the huntress¡¦s blade, only now with a dagger of her own instead of her staff that must have morphed during her run though the forest. Artemis used her leverage to flip over the intruder, sending the being stumbling backwards a few feet while she landed on her feet, dagger at the ready.

Artemis stared as the strong warrior regained her footing. ¡§You have proven yourself a strong warrior, child,¡¨ she said in a stern tone. ¡§Turn back now and you will leave with your life. Continue onward and you will only be going to Hades.¡¨

The light cloaked warrior stood still for a moment as if to consider this the offer, only to lift its dagger the next.

¡§You have made your choice then, child, but I will tell you this: I do not play with my prey as dear Apollo does,¡¨ she said as she watched her opponent¡¦s grip tighten on the dagger. ¡§A Artemis Goddess of the Hunt and Lady of the Woods reveal yourself!¡¨ she bellowed, throwing out her free hand at the warrior.

Instantly, the being was lifted off the ground and slammed into a tree with tremendous force. As the warrior hit the tree, the light that had been her armor and disguise slowly peeled away like the skin of an onion with Artemis intently watching where her opponent¡¦s eyes would finally be revealed. Moments later, Artemis was rewarded with a shock as her eyes met her own intense silver gaze. She set to inspect the rest of the warrior to reveal a lithe female form clothed in a soft green linen night shirt. Her hair was shock silver, her skin pale but toned, glowing softly and the mark of the goddess shining brightly on her forehead. Yes, she had seen the form many times. There was only one person who it could be.

¡§Lily,¡¨ Artemis whispered, loosing focus on the spell and rushing to catch her before she hit the ground. ¡§Lily, Lily! Come on, Lily! Snap out of it,¡¨ she said as lightly slapped her descendant¡¦s cheek, and watched as her slender body went rigid.


Instantly, the glow faded and the mark disappeared from her forehead. Slowly some of the pale pigment receded from her hair, leaving it streaked with red. All the while, her eyes that had remained unfocused and unblinking started to lose their silver color, finally fading back to their normal bright emerald color before they fluttered shut, and her body went limp in Artemis¡¦s arms.

¡§LILY! Come on, child, wake up. There is no time for this now,¡¨ Artemis muttered, slapping her cheek with a little more force, tears swelling in her now unnaturally green eyes.

Slowly, Lily¡¦s eyelids peaked open and found that she was looking into eyes so much like her own. ¡§Mother, what happened? Where am I?¡¨ she asked in a drowsy voice.

¡§You¡¦re in the Wood between the Wolds Dear,¡¨ she said slowly, stroking her descendant¡¦s hair. ¡§As for what happened, well, there was a tad bit of communication involving Harry„m¡¨

At the mention of her sons name, Lily¡¦s eyes went wide and she rushed to get to her feet , but was stopped by the huntresses (¡¦s) imposing grip. ¡§Artemis, Mother, let me go! I need to find Harry,. I need to help him. It¡¦s not safe! Please let me go. Please let me find him! He needs me, and I need to help!¡¨ Lily rambled, struggling to get out of Artemis¡¦s slender but strong arms.

¡§Lily, calm down! Harry will be fine!¡¨ Artemis stated.

¡§NO! HE WON¡¦T!¡¨ Lily screamed. ¡§I remember now. I was in my room, and then I sensed he was calling for me, pleading for me. He was in so much pain. He was crying, helpless. What if someone is hurting him, trying to kill him? Please help me, Artemis, help me protect him. He is blood, my child. Let me tear whoever is hurting him to limb from limb. LET! ME! Protect! My! BABY!¡¨ she screamed, trying even harder to escape her skin, starting to faintly glow and eye glinting silver.

¡§LILY JANE EVANS!¡¨ Artemis hissed, slapping her hard enough to leave her cheek stinging. ¡§You stop this right now. I trained you better then this.¡¨ Lily looked as if she was about to interrupt, but Artemis continued. ¡§Yes, Harry is in pain, a great deal of it at the moment. He is coming into his inheritance. Apollo and I brought him here so that he could make the change in peace. Soon after he started the change, Apollo felt something trying to get though his wards. We didn¡¦t¡¦ know it at the time, but it was you, so we set up an ambush and waited for you to appear. From what I can gather, you heard Harry calling for you, and your god aspect took over, almost completely transforming you, sensing his stress. Well, after you came here, you were running into our ambush like a bat out of Hades, and then Apollo attacked you. You were holding you own against him for a while until he managed to disarm you, (and) just as I thought it was over, you grabbed one arm,disarmed him, then grabbed him by the other arm and , tossed him up in the air, and then punched him into a tree, knocking him unconscious. At this point in time, I fired at you, and you managed to dodge them and ran. I finally managed to catch you, and you were prepared to fight until I managed to take you off guard and telekinetically flung you into a tree.¡¨

¡§Is that why I woke u„m. Wait, you mean I bested Apollo in a fight?¡¨ Lily asked, shocked.

¡§Yes, you did, and I would have imagined you could have beat Artemis too)if I had not softened you up,¡¨ said a voice.

Both women followed the voice to see Apollo leaning against a tree, holding his ribs. ¡§I don¡¦t feel so bad about losing to her now, Artemis. You trained her well, but now I think its time we get back to Harry.¡¨ he stated and cringed in pain as he waved his hand(,) and the forest once again became a clearing and the moon and stars brightened.

Artemis finally released Lily, and she quickly got to her feet as her eyes instantly went to the convulsing heap where moans of pain could now be heard, and then back to Artemis and Apollo with a pleading glance.

¡§Go on and do what you need to do, Lily,¡¨ Artemis said.

¡§Yeah, we will be there in a moment,¡¨ said Apollo.

Instantly, Lily dashed off, hair flowing behind her as Artemis went to help her brother hobble the short distance. At Harry¡¦s side, Lily kneeled and took her sons head into her lap, slowly stroking his face. ¡§Harry?¡¨

He slowly opened his eyes to reveal eyes that were a swirling combination of gold, silver, and their original green. ¡§Mum?¡¨ he asked in a horse voice.

¡§Yes, baby. I¡¦m here,¡¨ she replied softly.

¡§Help me, Mum. It¡¦s hurts. It¡¦s like my skin is going to tear open to the very pores,¡¨ he groaned.

¡§I know, baby. Your dad and I both went through it. Our parents helped us through it, and now I¡¦m here to help you through it. Now remember in charms class? Concentrate on bringing your magic to the surface,¡¨ Lily whispered.

¡§But last time I lost control,¡¨ Harry muttered in pain.

¡§I know, baby, but as uncontrolled as your magic is, your body still recognizes it as your own and your magical pathways will open up and allow your god aspect to surface more easily. Don¡¦t worry, I¡¦ll be here to guide your magic,¡¨ Lily whispered and brought her hand to rest just above the sweat drenched forehead. Instantly, a soft golden glow encompassed her hand.

Slowly, as she placed her hand on the clammy skin, she closed her eyes and sent her magic into the convulsing body, reaching for the magic. Finally, she found it and easily began to draw it to the surface until scarlet and more gold leapt up to join her own. With her own magic spread to enfold her and Harry in its warm embrace, Lily used it to spread out the wild gold and scarlet magic to encompass both of them as well, and then it expanded once again to encircle them in a sphere of magic, swirling around them, only connected by a few random tendrils of light.

¡§Now, Harry close. Close your eyes,¡¨ Lily said. Harry instantly complied.

¡§Harry, listen very close. Focus on nothing but my voice,¡¨ Lily ordered. ¡§Now picture yourself as you are lying on my lap What) do you see?¡¨

¡§I see myself from a third person¡¦s view. Along with all the smaller tendrils of magic across my body, there is a giant one concentrated over my heart,¡¨ Harry replied as softly as the convulsions at least for now had stopped.

¡§Good. Now picture yourself following that central vein to the source. What do you see?¡¨ Lily asked.

¡§Giant ball of gold and scarlet energy,¡¨ Harry replied.
¡§Good. That¡¦s the edge of your magical core. Now what I need you to do is to go deeper into the core itself, to the very center and tell me what you see,¡¨ Lily whispered.

¡§I see vast amount of bright white energy,¡¨ Harry muttered. ¡§It looks like the glow Artemis and Apollo have.¡¨


¡§Good. That¡¦s your god aspect, Harry. What is it doing?¡¨

¡§It¡¦s being held back as if by a barrier, but it¡¦s starting to leak out into the rest of the core,¡¨ Harry replied.
¡§Alright, that¡¦s normal. From where you are(,) you can control the barrier. What you need to do is put your hand on the barrier and will it away,¡¨ Lily said.

Harry nodded and mentally pictured himself placing his hand on the wall and willed it to disperse. The wall flickered in and out of reality until it faded completely. In an instant, the white light rushed out of confinement, forcing Harry back into consciousness until his eyes flew open and his mouth tore open, letting) out a blood curdling scream until it was abruptly cut off as white light started to shoot out of his eyes and mouth, being absorbed by the sphere until all of the traces of the swirling mesh of transparent gold and scarlet were replaced with the white light that blocked the view in and out. As the sphere became one solid color, the excess energy started fill the space inside it, causing visibility to become hazy, temperature to rise, and the air to crackle violently with wild magic. All the while, Harry¡¦s energy still poured out of Harry¡¦s his eyes and mouth as he slowly arched his back further and further slowly starting to levitating a few inches off the ground. Then his body resumed violently, shaking and convulsing, sickening snaps and cracks were heard as his bones broke and grew at a rapid rate. Suddenly, for just a moment, Harry¡¦s form flashed, permeating the divine glow, and the sphere shattered, sending a powerful energy wave thundering across the clearing and surrounding forest, whipping up dust and wind in its wake.

As the light, dust, and wind settled, Harry could be seen resting comfortably on his mother¡¦s lap, who was gently stroking his cheek. As soon as they were able, both deities rushed to their descendants to check for injuries. ¡§Are you alright?¡¨ both of them asked at the same time.

Lily looked up gracefully from her sons face to view her to relatives. ¡§Yes, I¡¦m perfectly fine, and Harry just seems to be exhausted. But what about you guys? I mean I know you are both gods, but that was the most powerful thing I¡¦ve ever seen, and you were injured, Apollo.¡¨

¡§Don¡¦t worry we¡¦re fine(,) Lily,¡¨ Artemis replied.

¡§Yes, in fact it was amazing. As soon as the initial wave made impact, all my injuries were healed,¡¨ said Apollo, his chocolate eyes looking over at his grandson¡¦s new appearance. ¡§One thing for sure, he was powerful before, but now with proper training it will take nothing short of a full god to defeat him.¡¨
¡§Yes, and we have a lot of time to make up for, so, Lily, would you do the honors?¡¨ Artemis asked.

¡§Of course, Mother,¡¨ she replied, once again turning her gaze onto her slumbering son. She bent her head down slowly next to his ear and whispered softly ¡§Harry?¡¨ Surprisingly, instead of Harry¡¦s eyes slowly opening in tired reluctance, they bound open full of energy that made her gasp. For not only did he wake at once, but her eyes did not meet the expected emerald that belonged to Harry They were same exact color and tone of Artemis¡¦s gaze; they even held the same glimmer of powerful wild energy that was kept back by strong, stern composer. Finally, Lily recovered and smiled and asked ¡§Sleep well?¡¨


Harry instantly returned her smile. ¡§Yes, very well,¡¨ he replied before sitting up, getting to his feet, and looking around the clearing in wonder as if seeing for the first time. ¡§Wow! It¡¦s amazing! I can see, and I really see. It¡¦s like all of the colors are jumping out at me and every minute detail is sticking out,¡¨ he said in awe, unconsciously making his way toward the small pond that inhabited the clearing. Harry looked down and instantly noticed his eyes that seemed to glow in his reflection. He bent down and inspected them closer and saw that tiny speckles of gold and silver were strewn haphazardly in the irises but where engulfed in green unnoticeable if not closely inspected. Once he righted himself, Harry looked over his form as a whole. His hair was jet black with silver stands. He had grown taller; he now stood easily at six one, more or less the same height as Apollo and his father. He was still skinny, but not in the unhealthy underfed malnourished way. He had developed a long lithe form similar to his mother¡¦s. What little muscles he had received from Quidditch practice and decent meals at Hogwarts had multiplied to fill his new form nicely and became more defined. He closed his eyes to arrange his thoughts and did not open them when he felt two new but yet strangely familiar presences behind him and a light pressure on his bicep. When he did open his eyes, he met was met with not only his own reflection, but those of Artemis and Apollo behind him and his mothers next to him with her head lightly on his arm.

¡§See anything to drastic?¡¨ Lily asked.

Lily took her head off his arm as he turned to look at all three of them and said with a smile ¡§Nothing that I can¡¦t manage.¡¨

¡§Good,¡¨ Lily replied before leaning forward and giving him a motherly peck on the cheek. ¡§Now I have some important business to take care of in the morning, but don¡¦t worry. You¡¦re in the best of care, and good luck.¡¨ Then she was gone.

¡§Good luck?¡¨ Harry asked. ¡§For what?¡¨

¡§Training of course,¡¨ stated Apollo, tossing a stick to Harry.

As soon as Harry felt the rough bark secured in his grasp, he felt it morph into something cool and smooth . He looked down to find a slender elegant sword. ¡§Training for what?¡¨ he asked, looking at Artemis and Apollo.

¡§While coming into their inheritance most demi)-gods, at least the most powerful ones, just for a moment become a full god. Now we¡¦re assuming that¡¦s what happened when the sphere shattered, sending excess energy across the clearing. Even if they don¡¦t shift into a full god for a moment, they still receive sharpened senses and reflexes, increased strength both physical and magical, and a number of other benefits. With these enhanced abilities also come an innate control over them, but sometimes only to a certain extent,¡¨ said Artemis, picking up stick herself. Instantly, it turned into a sword.

¡§And the only way to judge the degree of innate control is with AN ATTACK!¡¨ Apollo screamed as both deities dashed forward and the song of steel meeting steel rang out across the woods.

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Harry didn¡¦t know how long his training had gone on. He knew for certain it had gone on for days on end, but he had lost count on how many times the sun has had risen and set. The training was fast paced, challenging, and diverse, ranging from hand to hand combat to academics and, above all else, control. It never stopped but for a moment to either stretch or change activities. Artemis and Apollo had explained that even though he was physically here, his soul was still tethered to earth and its flow of time, so in reality he had only been gone for two hours or so. It was only now Harry started to breathe heavy, and his once quick graceful flowing movements had become slow and cumbersome.

Both deities noticed this as Harry stumbled over his own feet(,) trying to dodge a punch. ¡§I think that¡¦s enough for today,¡¨ stated Artemis, shifting out of her attack stance.


¡§I¡¦m fine!¡¨ said Harry, resuming a standard defense stance he had learned since the training started.

¡§Harry, part god or not your you¡¦re still mortal, and you have limitations and needs, sleep being one of them,¡¨ Apollo replied. ¡§There is no need to strain yourself; we can resume tomorrow night. The more you train, the stronger you can become and the longer you can stay in the Woods Between the Worlds without tiring.¡¨ Slowly, the surroundings were melting away and soon they were back in the secret room in the Head dormitories.

¡§Wait, before you go, we need to put a glamour on you. As striking as you are, we need to cover you up so people don¡¦t wonder why you shot up five or six inches,¡¨ Artemis said, snapping her fingers.

Harry felt a tingle run over his body for a moment before it dissipated. With a quick glance a mirror, he could tell he looked exactly as he had when he was in the Great Hall except maybe slightly taller, but not notably so. ¡§So same tomorrow night?¡¨ he asked.

¡§Yes, we will be waiting,¡¨ said Apollo.

¡§And don¡¦t worry, you can raise and lower the glamour at will. Goodnight,¡¨ said Artemis.

¡§Goodnight,¡¨ Harry replied(,) and then they were gone and he was out the door.

In the Common room, all was silent, and Harry was surprised but thankful that the fire still burned in the grate as he made his way to the silver staircase. Just before stepped onto the silver stairs, a familiar icy voice rang out over the silent room. ¡§Nice of you to join us, Yasha,¡¨ Harry jumped back from the stairs to look at the owner of the voice. There was James standing behind the couch with a glare on his face that made the killing curse look like a tickle charm. On both side of him were Sirius and Remus; all three had their wands drawn, all of them pointed at his chest.

¡¥Oh shit,¡¦ Harry thought, remembering this afternoon but this time he had backup.

¡§We were just talking about you, Yasha,¡¨ said Sirius with a crazed smile that made him look like a male version of Bellatrix.

¡§Indeed we were, Leo, I was telling the Marauders about the little conversation we had this afternoon. How I seemingly jumped you out of jealousy in the corridor, we exchanged some blows, and then you gave me this heart wrenching speech on how I shouldn¡¦t be worried, that you were looking out for Lily¡¦s best interests, that you would help me to get her heart,¡¨ ranted James. ¡§Yet after seeming spilling every single detail to me, you forgot about a little date you and my Lily had arranged previously for tomorrow,¡¨ said James, keeping his voice light and happy but his wand never lowering and his eyes shooting venom.
¡§Really, did I really forget to mention that?¡¨ stated Harry in an innocent voice, slowly shuffling toward the silver staircase. ¡¥Oh Gods, I hope that force field deflects Hexes as well as bodies,¡¨ Harry thought, never taking his eyes off James whose normally brown chocolately eyes were starting to lighten and shine like molten gold. ¡¥SHIT!¡¦
¡§My sentiments exactly, my dear friend. I think its time we had another„m talk,¡¨ said James, letting the jolly tone turn into a slight hiss at the end.

Harry silently shivered at the way he said talk. ¡§Um, not right now,. I¡¦m beat; I think it¡¦s time I went to bed.¡¨ He gave the stairs wistful look. ¡¥Just a few more feet.¡¦


¡§I don¡¦t think so, Yasha. You are going to explain and explain now,¡¨ said James, steadying his wand at his look-a-likes chest
.
¡§Yes, and don¡¦t even think about moving closer to that staricase mate. From what James has told us, you¡¦re quick, but you¡¦re facing not one but three of the most skilled duelist in this school, and even if you get away, it will just make it worse,¡¨ said Sirius, the gleam in his eyes chilling him to the bone.

Harry looked at the three. James looked like he was about ready to kill him, Sirius, his godfather, HIS GODFATHER for the God¡¦s sake looked ready to throw a curse at him that would make him want to hand James the knife. Yet Remus just stood there, wand raised and a disapproving look, not hateful, just disapproving. ¡§Remus(,) are you really going to let them do this?¡¨

The pale sandy haired teen just nodded. ¡§If what James said is true, then you deserve it.¡¨
Harry looked down in defeat and sighed. ¡§Yes, it¡¦s true; we do have a date for tomorrow,¡¨ said Harry, who glanced up just in time to see James about ready to mutter a curse. ¡§Let me finish,¡¨ he said, interrupting James¡¦s incantation. ¡§It¡¦s not what you think. It¡¦s all a ruse. I¡¦m just going on the date with her to make you jealous,¡¨ finished Harry.

¡§Jealous?¡¨ James muttered, lowering his wand. ¡§Why would she want to make me jealous?¡¨

Harry sighed. ¡§She likes you, James, a lot. However; she will not even consider dating you unless you give up this all powerful playboy attitude. This date was her way of slapping some reason into you; I guess it¡¦s her way of telling you to either grow up or lose,¡¨ said Harry, frantically searching for anything that he had learned this night to help the downtrodden glazed look James¡¦s eyes. ¡¥Anything surely Artemis and Apollo taught me Something useful, hand to hand, defense spells, YES!¡¦ thought Harry ¡§I got it,¡¨ he muttered.

At the sound of Harry¡¦s voice, he looked into his eyes and saw the bright familiar light of mischief in those green eyes, and instantly his wand was back up. ¡§You got what?¡¨

¡§The perfect plan to get you and Lily together tomorrow on our date,¡¨ said Harry with a satisfied smirk.

¡§There is not going to be any date,¡¨ James said blandly.

Harry blanched. ¡§BUT WHY?¡¨

¡§Just as you left, Dumbledore announced it¡¦s been set back for Wednesday, the day before Halloween,¡¨ said Remus.

¡§Perfect, that will give me plenty of time to hammer out the final details,¡¨ Harry beamed.

¡§And what exactly is that plan?¡¨ asked James.

¡§Stash your wand and you¡¦ll find out.¡¨
In a flash, James had slid his wand up his sleeve with Sirius and Remus following suit. ¡§Continue.¡¨

Harry rushed toward the three and quickly glanced at the staircases to make sure no one was listening(,) but all the same bent his head down and started to whisper his brilliant plan with the three Marauders eagerly listening. By the time he had finished, Sirius¡¦s lunatic smile and untrusting eyes turned to pure glee, Remus just smirked, and James was smiling ear to ear like the Cheshire cat.


¡§Brilliant,¡¨ said Sirius.

¡§Impressive,¡¨ stated Remus.

¡§The most devious thing ever concocted by man,¡¨ said James, getting Harry in a crushing bear hug. ¡§This one plot is going to out do everything we have done in seven years combined, but if you pull this off I won¡¦t give a damn.¡¨


a/n What do you think Harry¡¦s concocting? To anyone who gets it will get a cyber cookie.