Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, etc. are the property of JK. Rowling and Rick Riordan. The OC characters and storyline are purely my imagination running wild. My story is for entertainment only and is not part of any official storylines. I do not have any association with J.K. Rowling or Rick Riordan even though I wish I had. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Headmaster's Office - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 4 Years after Skye's transformation.
Albus Dumbledore entered his office with a weary sigh. Today marks the 4-year anniversary of the disappearance of one Skye Ariel Potter. This sad day always reminds him of how much he has failed Skye and her parents.
He remembers that day as if it was yesterday.
~~~~~~~~~Flash Back~~~~~~~~~~
He had just returned to Hogwarts from another Wizagamot meeting that ran later than usual. He entered his office, to notice that something was off. All the instruments that were monitoring young Skye were acting up. Dumbledore got worried seeing this, so he decided to floo call Arabella Figg who was keeping an eye on Skye for him.
"Arabella Figgs household" Dumbledore called out throwing some floo powder into his fireplace.
"Albus is that you." Came the voice of Arabella Figg - shortly followed by the image of her face.
"Yes dear; I am calling to check up on Miss Potter, is everything alright with her?"
"Yes, everything is fine, Albus, there was no dark magic detected…" Miss Figg's face suddenly disappeared from the floo but was back within seconds with an ashen face "Albus I just heard screaming coming from the Dursleys."
"Move aside Arabella- let me step through," Dumbledore stated to Miss Figg who moved swiftly out of the way as Dumbledore stepped into the fireplace, arriving within seconds at Miss Figg's.
"Stay here my dear - I will go over and see, if you by any chance feel unsafe, do not hesitate to step into the floo to go to my office." He said before turning and apparating into the Dursley's residence.
What Dumbledore found still baffles him to this day. Vernon Dursley lying in front of a cupboard in a pool of blood with his head lying to the side, within reach of a highly hysterical Petunia Dursley. Dumbledore had to use legilimency to find out what happened. What he found chilled him to the bones and because of this he will never forgive himself for putting young Miss Potter with this family - what Vernon and to an extent Petunia did to Miss Potter is unforgivable.
What baffled him the most was what happened to Vernon - the unclear form that attacked Vernon looked nothing like Miss Potter but it could only be her. If this new form truly was Miss Potter then this transformation could have been the cause for the shedding of all the blood wards, monitoring charms, and the trace that was on her person. Dumbledore could only hope that wherever she is, she is safe and finds love and acceptance as he now realized that she never received that here.
In the end, Dumbledore had to modify some memories and records, he had to erase all proof of Skye being at the Dursleys. With the Wizarding world he informed them that Miss Potter had been in an automobile accident and was believed to have been killed on impact - unfortunately, this is not for certain as there was no body found. This has kept the Wizarding world from looking for her for now, but he has a feeling that this will change soon enough.
Dumbledore only hopes that one day Skye Potter finds her way back to them and that she is happy and healthy.
An entire ocean away, 13-year-old Skye Potter was also thinking back to everything that she experienced so far.
She remembered the strange encounters that she had that eventually led her to America and to where she is standing now.
It was a few hours after the incident that caused her to run to her first odd encounter, a helpful encounter but odd nonetheless.
She was in the middle of a crossroads in a deserted town where she was met with a beautiful woman holding a torch. "Skye Potter, you are standing at a crossroads, choose your destiny wisely, or suffer under the hand of fate for all eternity." This woman stated to Skye. Skye then proceeded to look down each road that showed the possible future. The first showed her how the police found her; and forced her back to the Dursleys; there Aunt Petunia took out all her anger on Skye - She eventually killed herself because of this. The second road showed her how she stayed in the woods just outside of her relative's neighborhood and became a creature of legends; She was later captured and experimented on eventually dying in great pain. The third road showed her how a man with a stick shot a red beam at her; she was then sold for slavery, she became a sex slave to be used whenever and however her master wanted, and this eventually led her to be killed by her masters. The fourth and final road showed her how she found a man who would give her a weapon and send her to the entrance to a labyrinth where she later found someone who would eventually teach her how to survive in the world of gods eventually fading into darkness, but yet with this darkness she sent life.
She eventually looked up to the woman after much consideration. "Milady may I ask who you are before I choose?" Skye ended up asking.
"Of course, my dear. I am Hecate goddess of magic, mist, crossroads, and necromancy. I am also your grandmother; your mother Lily was one of my children - you are my legacy" Lady Hecate informed Skye.
"Thank you, Lady Hecate, - I am glad I have other family out there - I always believed the gods and goddesses were real. Now I have made my choice and I would like to choose the last path." Skye informed Hecate of her choice.
"Well done dear - before you go I would like to give you this grimoire, I would like you to start reading up on Occlumency it will help you merge with your beast, and the grimoire will also help you survive in the wild," Hecate said giving her the book and a bag to help her carry her belongings.
"Thank you, milady, I will make you proud," Skye said blushing; this was the first gift she remembers getting.
"I know you will; my dear. You also might need to keep an eye out for Thanatos." Hecate said with a mysterious smile. "Time for you to go dear, follow your instincts and good luck." and with that Lady Hecate was gone.
Skye started to read as soon as Hecate left. She soon started practicing the basics of Occlumency after she understood what was written. Meditating One of the practices for Occlumency soon became her daily routine and this had an added advantage for her, this allowed her to meet her beast - a beautiful young warrior lioness. It took her sometime to convince her beast to merge fully with her but Skye did in the end. This merge allowed her to turn into a lioness at will of stay in her hybrid form, she was also able to figure out that she would never look like a normal human again, not that she minded. Skye also had a chance to work through all her emotions and she was slowly working on accepting that she had been killed - it was slow going but she will get there eventually.
It was a week after merging with her beast that she had her second odd but helpful encounter.
Skye somehow ended up in the graveyard of Godrics Hollow - this was where she met Thanatos. He was a good-looking man with beautiful black wings, he reminded her a bit of an angle as he stood in front of a tombstone. She slowly approached him and soon found herself in front of the graves of Lily and James Potter.
"Skye Potter, I knew your instincts would bring you to the place where you lost your parents, this is where they were laid to rest. Lily Potter your mother the daughter of Hecate and James Potter your blood-adopted father, one of my legacies." Thanatos informed Skyler.
"Hello Milord Thanatos, milady Hecate said to keep an eye out for you but not why," Skye said to the god of death.
"Ah, I wanted to thank you for bringing my attention to the issue of one Mister Riddle and for your part in rectifying this matter because of this, I will give you this weapon to help you with your survival, I would also like to give you my blessing as protection," Thanatos stated to Skye.
"Uhuh wow, sir thank you but who is Riddle and what did I do to help and the weapon, what is it and what is a blessing?" She asked a bit shyly.
"Well Miss Potter, let's see Riddle is the one who killed your parents he was also known as Voldemort, you helped when you changed into your true self. This weapon is called a Scythe, it can be used as a magical focus, it will be able to change into a bow and self-generation the arrows when needed. Lastly, my blessing will give you wings that you will be able to retract, you will be able to shadow travel, you will be able to feel if someone close to you dies and lastly, you will be able to read Ancient Greek." Thanatos informs her.
"Oh, okay thank you, I would be honored for the blessing and will wield the weapon with honor." She said with a bit more confidence.
He soon chants in a language that Skye will eventually come to understand as Ancient Greek, the blessing took a few minutes- but once done she received a pair of beautiful golden wings that she slowly began to flap to get the feel of it, retracting her wings ad she decided to master the ability to flying later.
"Now then lastly, I would like you to head to Ireland - there you should find a cave on the edge of the cliffs, that will be the entrance to the Labyrinth. You will then need to follow your instincts to get out" and with that Thanatos was gone.
It was 8 months since her run-in with Lady Hecate and Lord Thanatos. By now she has mastered a lot out of her grimoire - she has mastered the following Occlumency, the fire charm the banishing charm, the cutting charm, the light charm, the cleaning charm, the summoning charm, the water-making charm, the tracking charm, the exploding charm and lastly the confusion charm. Her scythe helps her a lot with focusing her magic, don't get her wrong she could also use the charms without her trusty scythe.
She is decent enough with her bow but still needs improvement, she mastered her flying two weeks after getting her blessing, and the feeling of being free just as much as running is just wonderful, she took 7 months to master her shadow travel abilities and only used it when in danger or getting supplies without being seen.
It was a cold and rainy night when she came to a cave opening on the edge of the cliff. The entrance was well hidden from the eye and it was marked with the symbol of the labyrinth, this was the entrance that Thanatos told her off. Curious of what she would find and in need of shelter - Skye entered what seemed to be a man-made tunnel.
After wandering inside the maze, Skye is quick to realize that she is hopelessly lost.
Skye soon found herself in a state of panic, not liking the closeness of the walls and no nature to speak of, so she started to run, taking random turns until she reached what seemed like a clearing that better suited the forest than an underground maze, the clearing itself was beautiful - it was full of animals, plant live and trees.
"Ah, what do we have here." A voice sounded from just behind Skye.
With a start, she quickly whipped around into a defensive position, focusing her gaze on the stranger, ready to strike with her scythe at a moment's notice.
And he was strange indeed, his upper body was free of all clothing displaying the toned body of a runner, and beneath he had the legs of a goat, she had seen some people like this stranger before her in the past but they would always run before she could get close.
But he was not one of them, so much she could tell, he reeked of power and the very nature. His power alone reminds her of Hecate and Thanatos but instead of feeling the power of magic and crossroads or the powers of death and shadows - this stranger felt endless, eternal, wise, and wild. In his presence she felt calm - her beast felt at peace.
"What reason would one of your kin have here in my sanctuary, monster." He spoke with authority in his voice.
At that she could not help but flinch - 'I am what I am, a monster and a freak and I have accepted that, but I also am a guardian and protector to the weak' She thought to herself.
"I got myself lost in this maze sir; can you please help me find my way out?" Skye asked politely losing her guard knowing she won't be able to fight her way out of here. Don't get her wrong if things become hostile - she will fight for her life.
"How odd, a monster who cannot see through the labyrinth, this should not be possible…" the man mused to himself "Unless you are not a monster, hmm… that's it you are not a monster - not a common one at least, which leads me to the next question what are you?" His interest obviously roused.
"Well to start with, my name is Skye Potter and according to Lady Hecate I am one of her legacies and according to Lord Thanatos I am the daughter of Lily Potter - daughter of Lady Hecate and blood-adopted daughter of James Potter," Skye said to the stranger who let out a bark of laughter.
Smiling he said - "It is nice to meet you Skye, I am Pan god of the wild and lord of the Satyrs."
"Nice to meet you Lord Pan." - She just knew that Thanatos and Hecate directed her to eventually find Lord Pan in the hopes of him training her in the art of surviving.
"Skye do you know what you are?" - He inquired, wanting to know as the young girl was fascinating him. He could smell a powerful monster scent on her but there was something else to it, something he encountered thousands of years ago.
The answer he received was not what he expected to receive - "I am a freak, a monster and I have come to accept that - I am half witch and half lion, I have merged completely with my beast and have perfect harmony with her."
He could sense the self-loathing within her but also the acceptance, but what was confusing him was the smell of death mixed with the smell of a monster. He could see there was a story unknown to him, so he decided to look closely into Skye's golden eyes - this was like looking into her soul.
He could see she was a half-blood but that of a different kind, she was a demi-monster and a powerful one at that. He pitied her as he knew that she would have a difficult life as demi-monsters are normally cursed to never find a place where they belong.
"Believe me when I say this but you are not a monster or a freak - you young one are a creature of the wild and for that, you will need to be proud - Also I think I know who your father might be." He smiled at her.
He could feel the wild within her, he could also see that she had become one with her other self and saw great potential in her. He wanted to help her survive and teach her what she is missing. He saw that her life would be full of hardships but also greatness and he would like to be part of it even if it is indirectly.
Pan spoke in a kind and gentle voice - "How about I teach you about this world of ours? Then once I am done training you, I will help you out of the labyrinth?"
Do I trust him - she pondered - Of course, I trusted Lady Hecate and Lord Thanatos, so why not trust Lord Pan as well, also there is no way in hell I will be able to find my way out of here even using just my instincts?
"Even if you choose not to take me up on my offer, I will still take you out of here." Pan interrupted Skye's train of thought - knowing what must be going on in her head.
Taking some time to consider her options, finding herself truly trusting this god, and knowing she cannot let this opportunity go, she came to the decision - "I would love to be trained by you milord."
"Then it is decided, for the next few years, I will teach you the way of the gods, how to survive, how to defend yourself fully, and the way of the wild. And most importantly when you should give in to your more primal side or when not."
Pan was a friendly sort - with a good soul, she could see that - but she also knew that this was only one side of him as he was a creature of the wild and the wild is unpredictable. She knew that these coming years would be challenging - but also very rewarding.
This was how she came to the USA after training under the god Pan with the help of Thanatos and Hecate. She trained for 3 years with Pan in the labyrinth before moving to her next adventure.
…
During the years of training, she discovered many truths about herself, for example, she has a natural infinity for natural magic, wild magic. She fully accepted herself as neither human nor monster, she is a hybrid. She also learned that she would likely receive no mercy from demi-gods and monsters alike, but she was ready for it, or she hoped she was.
In the mornings Pan showed her how to defend herself - he helped her to use her scythe as a staff, stating that she will always need different options to defend herself with. They also worked on her archery, but Pan was no expert when it came to the bow and arrows - but even she did improve with it. He created a tough training schedule to advance her body, this included climbing, running, and later climbing and running with rocks on her back as she grew stronger.
The afternoon always included the more mundane teaching, the subjects always varied but were just as important as the physical training. These subjects included Ancient Greek, math, biology, science, and languages such as Latin, French, and English. She was not good with these subjects in the beginning but soon improved with leaps and bounds.
In the evening she will work on strengthening her Occlumency shields and also work on increasing her bond with her beast. They are already in harmony with each other but believe that speaking with each other will always go a long way in staying happy.
On the weekend Pan would work with her by increasing her magic knowledge - she was a fast study when it came to magic being a legacy of Lady Hecate, she could now use non-verbal magic, and this was a perfect way to keep her enemies off balance.
They even tested her monster abilities and the blessing she received from Thanatos. She was stronger and faster than your average demi-god, she had retractable claws and the wings that made her rather good with fighting. She had an amazing sense of smell, hearing, and sight, but the most amazing thing about her was that she could shift into a lion with golden wings and her skin was like an armor shielding her from cuts and harm.
On the long nights inside the labyrinth, they both told each other their stories both good and bad, sad and happy. They also experience the happiest of speaking with someone after such a long time of being alone.
Laying on her back one night next to Pan, she asked him the one question that bugged her for such a long time. - "Why did you decide to teach me?"
"This has bugged you for a long time - not knowing why I would let a potential threat into my sanctuary, hasn't it?"- Pan smiled at her, before turning serious. - "The reason is simple; I saw what the wild truly stands for within you. Both aspects, the dangerous and peaceful, that is what makes nature so wonderful. I could then and still see a great destiny lying in front of you."- As he spoke, she could see and feel the wisdom of the wild within him.
"Because of this I would like to give you my full blessing - my blessing will help you increase your nature magic and will prevent you from separating from your other self if you run into your father one day, he will try to turn both aspects of you against each other and my blessing would prevent that from happening."
Feeling embarrassed as well as honored Skye quickly accepted Pan's offer knowing that she could never pass on this. As Pan finished his chant - she soon felt more in tune with nature, felt herself become a bit more in tune with her primal self. She finally fully accepted who she was.
…
Standing in front of an entrance to the labyrinth was a tall blond girl. Her skin had a soft tan and her bare arms showed that she was well-toned. The hybrid girl now stood at the height of 5'6" - quite tall for a girl of 13 years.
But what caught the attention of anyone who ever looked at her, were her eyes, ears, and the tail. Her once emerald green eyes were now golden with specks of green and silver with slightly slit pupils, her ears that are now a pair of lion ears, and the fact that she has a tail. Still a beautiful young lady, one that is told of danger and passion.
She was clad in a black tunic, a leather belt with a small pouch attached to it, and for shoes, she was wearing a pair of brown sandals. In her right hand she was holding her scythe, and, on her back, she is wearing the bag Lady Hecate gave her.
This might not be ideal for a winter night like this, but the cold or warmth means little when you can cast a charm for it.
She was a strong, confident, and kindhearted 13-year-old girl. She was Skye Potter, a student of the god Pan Lord of the Wild, she is also blessed by Lord Thanatos and the legacy of Lady Hecate, she was a daughter of a monster.
Not knowing where to go, Skye thought that it was best to look around. After a few miles of wandering through the woods - she came to a cliffside clearing. There she found a group of mortals and monsters alike. This group consisted of three teenagers and by the smell and their archaic weapons they must be demi-gods, then there was the satyr who was clearly fighting against a manticore of all things.
The small army of monsters was closing into them slowly and the chances of their survival were slim to none, just as it looked as if they were done for - the battle was interrupted by the loud call of a hunting horn.
The hunt has arrived on the scene, which means nothing good for monsters, demi-monsters, and males alike and she included herself in this list.