Chapter 6
Hestia had her customary smile when she rapped on the door leading to a blindingly bright golden temple. Harry had to squint and half-look away to avoid going blind with the brightness of it.
Harry looked away, focusing on his favorite goddess. They waited in silence.
The young boy was just about to speak, when the doors were flung open.
"Aunt Hestia!" the jovial God of the Sun shouted in his godly form of 3 meters tall. "And young Harry," he added, when he saw that she wasn't alone. "Come in, come in."
"Thank you, Apollo," Hestia said, aiming her smile the god's way.
Harry gratefully stepped inside the temple, where the light was more subdued. There was still lots of gold, but most of the light seemed to be reflecting off it in a softer, golden palate. The young boy blinked, trying to clear the spots from his vision from the harsh white light outside.
"Have a seat," the golden god said, indicating the couches in a living area. They were aimed at gods and made Harry feel like he was an infant, right before the furniture resized itself to suit mortals, and the god himself shrunk to a mortal form. "Can I get you anything?"
"I will have some of that tea, if you have it," Hestia said.
Harry sat down himself, and fidgeted slightly when the sun god focused on him. What was he supposed to ask for? Was he even supposed to ask for anything? The god seemed friendly, and Hestia was on good terms with him, so Harry wanted to be on his best behavior. He didn't want to cause Hestia any issues.
He wished he'd had time to ask her before she had dragged him here.
"Anything at all, kiddo," Apollo said with an easy grin. "Anyone who's on Aunt Hestia's good side is on mine," he added with a laugh.
That implied that, if he ever got on Hestia's bad side, the sun god would be aiming for him. Harry returned the god's smile, he could understand that. "Do you have a soda, Mister Apollo?" he asked politely.
The god laughed. "Any kind you want, kiddo."
Harry glanced at Hestia, who kept her smile up. "I managed to get a Mountain Dew while I was on my own in New York," he told Apollo. "I liked it a lot – do you have any?"
The god laughed. "Of course, Harry. I'll be right back!" he vanished in a shower of golden light, drawing an impressed sound from Harry.
Hestia laughed softly. "Apollo is a showman, you don't want to look too impressed or he'll spend all day entertaining you."
Harry nodded softly, then looked around, shifting uncomfortably.
"Relax," Hestia said calmly. "Apollo is a relaxed god. He's a bit susceptible to flattery, but he isn't going to start cursing or smiting unless you really upset him. Be your normal self, and everything will be fine."
"Oh. Okay," Harry said, feeling something inside of him relax. How did Hestia keep managing to relax him with just a few words? Sometimes just her presence was enough to ease his anxiety.
The god returned, bearing a pot of tea, two cups, a glass, and a frosted-over can of ice-cold Mountain Dew. He poured drinks, then sat down and relaxed. "So, what brings you to my humble temple, Aunt Hestia? With your new ward, no less."
Hestia smiled softly, sipped the tea, and allowed her smile to widen. "Excellent tea," she replied instead.
Apollo grinned. "Only the best for you, Aunt Hestia. You know that. Straight from the Orient."
Harry gaped at the God of the Sun; did he just imply that he went to the Far East for a cup of tea? In such a short amount of time?
Apollo grinned at Harry's look. "God of the Sun, kiddo. Speed of Light and all that."
"Whoa," Harry breathed, impressed.
The Sun God smiled wider, enjoying the boy's look. He looked back at Hestia, who was enjoying her cup of tea.
"I came for a bit of a favor," the Goddess of Home and Hearth finally said. "Harry has been playing in the woods with Artie and her lieutenant, and I'm afraid that he may have picked something up when he drank out of a river."
Apollo blinked, then looked at Harry. "Spending time with my little sister and her Hunters, have we, Harry?" he asked with a teasing tone.
Harry crossed his arms, feeling defensive all of a sudden. "Artie is awesome, and so is Miss Zoë. They've been teaching me to survive on my own."
Apollo's grin widened. "It's a rare man who can get away with calling my little sis a name like that," he said, shifting closer to Harry. "You may want to tell me your secret."
Harry frowned. "What secret?" he asked in confusion, looking at Hestia, who seemed content with her cup of tea and gave no reaction. "Artie's just awesome." He thought of something, and his frown deepened. "Mister Apollo?"
"Yeah, kiddo?" the Sun God said, still focused on the young boy.
"I thought I read in the book Hestia gave me that you and Artie were twins. And that she was born first. But you say she's your little sister. Was the book wrong?" he asked, tentatively, hoping he wasn't offending the jovial god.
Apollo laughed, and suddenly he was right next to Harry, and had thrown an arm around the young boy's shoulders. The moment the god did so, Harry felt better than he had ever felt, like pains he didn't even know he had were suddenly gone. "There comes a time in a man's life, young Harry, that he must look out for his sister. Even if she is, technically, older," the Sun God explained.
Harry looked confused. Artie could look out for herself; she was kick-ass and awesome. Then again, he realized, even the most awesome people needed someone to rely on sometimes. Maybe that was what Mister Apollo was trying to tell him in a rather roundabout way.
He just nodded instead.
"Good!" Apollo said, grinning. "Now, about that checkup that Aunt Hestia has asked for. I'm afraid to tell you, Harry..." he trailed off dramatically, causing the boy to pale and Hestia to look up, sharply. "That you are absolutely fine."
Harry released his breath, and Hestia shot the Sun God a venomous look, which was soon replaced with a shake of her head and a look of obvious tolerance.
"That water must have been free-flowing, and from an area without a lot of habitation," Apollo told Hestia. "Young Harry was in no more trouble drinking it untreated as he was from drinking bottled water."
"Miss Zoë took me to some forest in the mountains for my survival test, Mister Apollo," Harry offered. "And it was a fast-flowing stream, which is why I risked it. I was just so thirsty."
"Miss Zoë, eh, Harry?" Apollo teased. "Did someone manage to worm his way into the man-hating heart of my sister's lieutenant?"
Harry frowned. "Miss Zoë's awesome," he repeated. "And my friend. Sorta. She teaches me a lot of things, and she looks out for me so I don't get myself killed. She's really cool."
Apollo's grin widened as Harry's speech continued. He exchanged an amused look with Hestia, before turning back to the young boy. "It sounds like someone has a crush."
"A what?" Harry asked, confused.
"A crush," Apollo repeated, grinning widely. "It's perfectly normal for young boys to get a crush on their female teacher."
Harry's confusion deepened, before he thought he understood what Apollo was implying. "Is that like kissing? Because that's gross! Are you some kind of pervert?"
The Sun God spluttered at the reply, while Hestia laughed. "Apollo is quite partial to the carnal arts, but at least he isn't married." she confirmed to Harry, who had to puzzle out Hestia's strangely formal words. He took them to mean 'yes, he's a pervert, but he isn't cheating on anyone'.
"Aunt Hestia!" Apollo protested.
Hestia didn't reply, and merely lifted an eyebrow at the Sun God, as if asking "am I wrong?"
The god sunk in his plush sofa, pouting.
Harry rather liked him, and felt bad about seeing Apollo pouting. He reached over, and patted the god's elbow. "There, there, Mister Apollo. At least you're better than Mister Zeus, who is cheating on poor Miss Hera."
Apollo was thrown out of his theatrical pout at the sound of a demigod actually saying the words 'poor Miss Hera' and actually mean them. The Queen of the Gods was usually a demigod's biggest enemy, born as they were as a slight against her domain.
He shook his head once to clear his mind of the thought, then gave the young boy a smile. "Thanks for worrying about me, Harry," he said, patting the hand that was still on his elbow. He leaned closer to the boy, and said on a low, conspiratorial tone, "are you sure you don't have a crush? Because you wouldn't be the first man who would like a kiss from my sis. Or from Zoë, now that I think about it."
Harry's nose scrunched. "Ew! First, Miss Zoë would kill me, and then Artie would curse me. And second, ew! Kissing girls is disgusting!"
Apollo laughed at Harry's reaction. "You'll change your mind sometime, Harry," the Sun God teased.
Harry shook his head. "Nu-uh. No way. Hugging's fine, but kissing is just gross."
"I am so reminding you of this conversation in ten years," the god said, grinning widely.
"Apollo, you can stop teasing Harry now," Hestia admonished gently. "Before you push him too far. For now, let him just enjoy his time with Artie and her lieutenant."
The sun god seemed to dim for the lack of a better word, but nodded anyway. "Alright, Aunt Hestia."
Harry let out a sigh of relief. The god seemed friendly enough, but the way he spoke about Artie and Miss Zoë wasn't very nice. He wondered how they would react if he told them about this.
The god heard Harry's sigh, and looked at him. "So you get along with my Sis, huh? That's very unusual."
Harry shrugged. "I like Artie. She's awesome. I just need to be careful what I say, because she'll take things as a challenge and get mad at me." He frowned slightly. "And she's stingy."
Apollo blinked, having expected the first part, but not the second. His sister had been called many things, but stingy usually wasn't one of them. "Stingy?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "She's teaching me how to shoot a bow, but she won't let me keep it. Her Hunters all have awesome bows that appear and disappear whenever they want to, but she won't give me one. She won't even give me a mortal one, she said so to Miss Zoë when Miss Zoë told her how much better my test would have gone if I had a bow. Artie did say she'd let me keep it if I got a mortal bow, quiver, and arrows – she just won't give them to me herself. So she's stingy."
Apollo laughed. "That's my little sis for you," he said. "Disliking males and not letting them forget it, even for a moment."
Harry shrugged. "I don't think she doesn't like men, or me," he said. "She's teaching me when she can, and is letting Miss Zoë teach me when she can't. I just think she's trying to convince me to let her change me into a girl so I can become a Hunter."
Apollo laughed again. "I wouldn't put it past her," he said, still snickering. "You should feel honored, though. There aren't a lot of men that my sister… likes… well enough to even offer to turn them. And even fewer who can get away with refusing."
Harry looked confused again. Artie was nice, and Apollo made her sound very bad. "Artie's nice," he defended his second favorite goddess. "She wouldn't hurt me unless I did something really stupid. She'd never hurt me for not letting her change me."
Apollo grinned. "If you say so, kiddo," he said, tussling Harry's unruly hair. Picking up on what Harry said earlier, he added, "Unfortunately, while I am a God of Archery, I can't just give you an enchanted bow either. Those are reserved for my own kids. But I can do this."
He snapped his fingers, and held out a bow and a quiver full of arrows. "Those are mortal, though. That quiver will run out of arrows if you shoot them all, so you'll want to be careful what you use it on."
Harry smiled widely. "Whoa! Thanks, Mister Apollo!" He quickly gave the god a big hug, then checked out his new gifts.
The God of the Sun smiled widely, and glanced at Hestia, who didn't seem to be able to choose between resigned at Apollo taking a chance to show up Artemis, and upset at Harry having something else to hurt himself with. She sighed, and let resignation take over. She couldn't fault Apollo for wanting to show off to Harry and show up Artemis, not after hearing Harry's story. Truth be told, she thought Artie had been a bit stingy herself. What harm could it do to give the boy a bow, especially now that he, apparently, somewhat knew how to use one without injuring himself or others.
"These are brilliant!" Harry decided, after having stood up and fully drawn the bow. It was a bit heavier on the draw than the one Artie usually conjured for him, but it was not that big of a deal after all the time he had spent training.
Apollo smiled. "You're most welcome, Harry," he said.
Hestia finished her tea. "Thank you for giving Harry a look-over, Apollo. It's still daytime so I know how busy you are."
Apollo chuckled nervously, shiftily looking away. "Heh. Yeah, busy," he laughed awkwardly, looking away from both Harry and Hestia. The young boy glanced at Hestia, who had a rather tolerant smile on her face. Harry found he was getting better at identifying Hestia's many, many different smiles.
"We should let you get back to work, then," the Goddess of the Hearth said, her smile getting more genuine. "Thank you again, Apollo."
The Sun God grinned. "You're most welcome, Aunt Hestia." He tussled Harry's hair. "I'm glad you're alright, though, kiddo."
Harry smiled up at the god. Apart from the god saying strange things about Artie and Zoë, he rather liked Apollo; he was nice and helpful. "Thanks for the bow and the quiver of arrows, Mister Apollo," he told the god, giving him another hug. Apollo grinned, and hugged back.
"You're most welcome, kiddo."
Harry was smiling widely as they left the Sun god's temple. That was the fourth god he'd gotten to hug. Hestia's hugs felt warm and protective. Artie's felt like wild open country, thick forests, and the clean air of nature. Poseidon's hug, brief though it was, smelt like the sea and the wild, overwhelming sensation of pure freedom. Apollo, on the other hand, had felt hot and bright, and he felt as if all his wounds would heal.
He wondered if Miss Zoë would ever let him hug her, he wondered if hugs from mortals had a feeling associated with them as well.
"I will have a small chat with Chiron and see if I can bring you to camp this afternoon," Hestia said, interrupting Harry's internal debate on the merits and demerits of hugs from the various gods.
"Okay, Hestia," Harry said. Part of him was looking forward to the trip, and part of him was dreading it. Hestia had said that demigods weren't allowed to leave the camp, and he didn't like the thought of being locked up somewhere. He wanted to be able to just walk out when adults got too bad.
"Are you sure they won't try and keep me there?" Harry asked as they walked the roads of Olympus back to Helios' temple. "I mean, they may know of a way to keep me from traveling by fire."
Hestia smiled gently and supportively at him, then patted his shoulder. He immediately felt better – Hestia's unique skills at work, no doubt. "Don't worry, Harry. As long as you have my favor, you will always be able to travel through fire."
Harry looked at her. "Promise?"
Her smiled widened. "I promise," she replied.
The boy nodded in acceptance. He trusted Hestia. "Thanks, Hestia."
"You're most welcome," she said, her smile warming his heart.
00000
That afternoon, when Hestia emerged from the fire, Harry was ready to visit camp. He had his new bow thrown over one shoulder, and his quiver filled with arrows held over his other shoulder. He knew they had an archery range, and he was hoping to get to test out his new gifts.
He was also carrying a mystery container, a small Tupperware box that was completely opaque. Hestia was curious, but did not pry. If Harry wanted to tell her, he would tell her.
"I have talked with Chiron, and there is no problem with you getting a tour of the camp," the Goddess of the Home told her young charge.
Harry just nodded, feeling rather nervous all of a sudden. It felt like the first day at school, and he wondered how the other demigods would react to him. Would they be nice to him? Would they be like the kids in school, and be nasty?
Hestia smiled in a comforting manner, and guided him to the hearth. Subconsciously, he stepped closer to her, as if trying to hide in her shadow. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, after all. But then again, it was Hestia who wanted him to visit, and she wouldn't steer him wrong, would she?
The by now familiar warmth of the fire enveloped him, taking from the hearth in Helios' Temple to a large bonfire that was burning in the middle of a courtyard, about the size of a soccer field, dotted with greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops.
Around the commons area stood, in a U shape, twelve cabins.
Harry ignored the classic greek architecture – that looked brand-spanking new – and focused instead on the solitary figure waiting for them.
After all, said waiting figure was an actual centaur! He wasn't as tall as the gods in their godly forms, but to a young boy, Chiron definitely was tall. And mythical. No matter how many times he had read about centaurs, seeing one in the actual flesh was a completely different thing.
"Chiron," Hestia greeted kindly, stepping up to the Teacher of Heroes, and clasping his hand warmly. "Thank you for allowing this."
The centaur replied in a calm voice. "It was but a minor thing, Lady Hestia. It is my utmost pleasure to show around someone who has caught your eye."
"Harry?" Hestia said, looking at the boy who was still looking up at the tall centaur. "This is Chiron. Chiron, this is Harry Potter."
"Hello, young Harry," Chiron greeted warmly.
Harry smiled abashedly at having stared, and offered his hand. "Hello Mister Chiron. Thanks for letting me look around."
Chiron chuckled, clasping the offered hand. "Just 'Chiron' will do, young one. And as I said to Lady Hestia, it's my pleasure."
Harry looked up at Chiron. "Hestia wanted me to have other hobbies; she thinks I spend too much time with Artie and her Hunters."
Chiron gaped, for the lack of a better word, at the young boy in front of him. "I am assuming you are referring to Lady Artemis?"
Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Artie's awesome. So's Miss Zoë."
"Lad, you are a far braver man than most to dare call the Goddess of the Hunt such a name," Chiron said, shaking his head softly. "You may want to be careful about who hears you do so, in case it gets back to her."
Harry frowned, not understanding the warning. Chiron, realizing this, explained, "I doubt Lady Artemis would be pleased if she knew."
Harry grinned. "I always call her Artie. She doesn't mind, Mister Chiron."
Chiron blinked in astonishment, before shaking his head again, as if trying to clear it. "Just 'Chiron' will do, lad," he repeated, gratefully grabbing the lifeline thrown to him and trying to change the subject. He looked at Hestia, as if trying to confirm what he had just been told. The Goddess of the Home smiled serenely, and merely nodded in confirmation.
"Well… yes..." Chiron went on, now blatantly changing the subject. "These are the various cabins for the Olympians," he explained, rather needlessly in Harry's opinion.
The young boy smiled at the fire in the center, always happy to have one nearby. The fire itself seemed to dance at the boy's attention.
Harry then shifted his gaze to the various cabins. He could make out the majority of their owners, just from the sight of them. The large, ostentatious, bank-like one was probably Mister Zeus', and the slightly smaller one standing right next to it would probably be Miss Hera's.
The one built by the water was probably Mister Poseidon's. Most of them were obvious, he thought – the bright neon-pink one was definitely Miss Aphrodite's.
"There's still no cabin for you, Hestia," he noted sadly.
Said goddess just smiled at him. "I have told you before, Harry, I do not need one. I do appreciate the thought, though."
Harry crossed his arms, and pouted. "Neither does Miss Hera, and she has one," he replied on a 'so there' tone that seemed ingrained in small children. Hestia just laughed, and patted his shoulder.
Chiron was smiling too. He held a bit of a soft spot for Hestia, who freely came to help out with the camp fire, yet never asked for anything in return. Seeing her interact so freely with a demigod made him smile.
Harry looked at one cabin. "Is that Artie's cabin?"
Chiron nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "Yes, it is, lad, but you may want to… be… careful..." he trailed off when Harry smiled widely and approached the cabin in question. In the distance, a couple of other demigods stopped and stared as they saw the young boy essentially commit suicide-by-Artemis.
He stopped just before climbing on to the porch, feeling part of the goddess' presence disapproving of his action. "Hi Artie, it's me!" he said, waving at the cabin. "Would it be ok if I took a look at the cabin, or is it just reserved for the Hunters?"
The presence didn't let up, and Harry nodded. "Alright, no problem, Artie," he said, still grinning. "I'll just go on with the tour now." He turned, and started to walk back to an amused looking Hestia, and a worried looking Chiron, before stopping, and looking at the cabin again. "Artie? Chiron seems really scared of you, and this morning, Hestia took me to see Mister Apollo, and he said some rather strange things about you. I don't get it, you're nice most of the time, but everyone's really surprised when I call you 'Artie'."
The presence didn't change, but there seemed to be an underlying current of something. Something that didn't bode well for a certain Sun God. "I hope you're not mad or anything, Artie. I don't like it when you get mad." He grinned, and immediately said, "no, I won't let you turn me into a girl without a chance to turn back if I don't like it."
The presence of Artie seemed to sulk for a moment, before turning disapproving again. Harry grinned. "I won't try and look at your cabin, don't worry." He turned back to wards Chiron and Hestia, and walked away. He waved over his shoulder. "Bye Artie."
Chiron was staring at him again. Harry didn't like it. In the distance, the two demigods that had been watching him approach the Artemis cabin were staring, too, before breaking into a run.
"Let's continue the tour, lad," Chiron said, breaking his unusually intense stare. Harry just nodded, feeling uncomfortable. He wished he could be rude, fire-travel away, and just go talk to Artie in person, and find out why everyone was so afraid of her. She wasn't like that at all. She could be angry, sure, but she wasn't as nasty as everyone thought she was. He really wanted to find out why.
"That is the Big House," Chiron said, unnecessarily pointing out the biggest building on the site. It was four stories tall, trimmed in white, and looked like it could be a resort building. On its roof stood a proud, brass, eagle weather vane. "That is where the camp director lives, and where the infirmary is located," the Teacher of Heroes explained.
"That's Mister Dionysus, right Chiron?" Harry asked.
Chiron nodded. "Exactly right, Harry. We may want to give him a pass."
Harry frowned, holding up the mystery container. "Is he ill? I brought him something that I thought he'd like, but if he's ill, I'll just leave it with you."
The centaur managed to hide his surprise quite quickly. "Well… if you're sure," he said, trotting up the steps to the large wrap-around balcony.
"Mister D?" he asked, rapping on the door. "You have a visitor."
Sounds of stumbling came from inside, and from years of experience analyzing footsteps through his cupboard door, Harry was able to tell that the person on the other side was definitely not happy.
"Who is it?" he asked, snapping the door open, eyes seeking out first Chiron, then focusing on Hestia and Harry.
"Ah, Hestia," he said. "And Haran. Splendid surprise. Just splendid," the God of Wine muttered sarcastically.
Harry smiled up at the god. "I remember our conversation from last time, Mister Dionysus. So I made you something." He pulled the lid off the container, and held it up for the god like some kind of offering.
The bulky god looked at the container, started to twitch his nose, but then smelled the offered food item. Carefully, he picked the container out of the boy's hands, sniffed it again, then materialized a fork.
Dionysus didn't just eat. He devoured.
His red-colored nose colored deeper. "Splendid," he repeated his earlier statement, but this time he actually seemed to mean it.
Harry grinned. "I'm glad you like it, Mister Dionysus. Mister Zeus was quite naughty-" Harry broke off his sentence when thunder rumbled in the distance.
"The gods listen closer here," Hestia informed him. Harry nodded; another thing he didn't like. Mister Zeus shouldn't be eavesdropping. It was a very bad thing to do.
"Alright, eh… you-know-who told you that you couldn't drink alcohol, so I thought I'd make something to cheer you up," the boy told the god, who was smiling widely.
"It was excellent. How much of it can you make in a day, boy?" Dionysus asked, leaning closer.
Hestia cleared her throat. "You wouldn't be trying to take advantage of young Harry, now would you Dionysus?" she asked, sternly.
The god of wine seemed to shrink at her tone. "Not at all, Hestia. Not at all. But, you're right. The boy's young. I should hire a desert chef." He snapped his fingers and vanished, leaving the sweet scent of grapes behind.
"What did you make, Harry?" Hestia asked, turning on the boy, looking stern.
"Tiramisu," he replied contritely. "I mean, I remember our talk about alcohol and all, so I thought maybe it could help Mister Dionysus."
Hestia had her eyes closed, pinching the bridge of her nose, and made curious noises that were either muffled laughs, or muffled cries. Chiron, on the other hand, was snickering openly.
"Harry," Hestia finally said, having regained her composure. "I don't know whether to proud of you for figuring out a loophole nobody else has found, or horrified that would actually go looking for a loophole in an order given by the King of the Gods."
Harry just smiled widely. "Eating isn't drinking," he said. "It was obvious."
"Are we sure the lad isn't one of Athena's?" Chiron asked.
"He doesn't have her eyes, and she is so very protective of her babies that she wouldn't have sided against him on the Solstice," Hestia replied with a small shake of her head. "He's just clever, that's all."
Harry just grinned at the compliment. "Sometimes, too clever," she added, making his grin vanish.
"Yes, well," Chiron said, drawing attention to himself. "It is still impressively done." Harry gave him a relived smile. The centaur gave him a surreptitious wink.
"Perhaps," Hestia said, giving Harry a small look, showing that she had caught Chiron's attempt, but was willing to go along with it.
"This is a good place to see the camp from, lad," Chiron said, drawing Harry's attention away from Hestia and back to the camp. Harry leaned on the porch's railing, and beheld the compound.
The landscape was dotted with buildings, including an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena, a volleyball court, a small lake had canoes gliding over its surface, there was an archery range that made Harry's fingers twitch towards the bow he was carrying. That one was definitely something he wanted to check out further. He looked further, and saw some campers riding horses on a wooded trail. Horses with wings.
Harry grinned. Pegasuses. Or was that Pegasi?
"Let's get on with the tour," Chiron said, waving them on. It was a good thing, too, because the scenery was so peaceful that Harry could have stayed up here all afternoon.
As they walked, they passed the volleyball pit. Some of the campers had been playing, but stopped and stared when the trio walked passed them. Harry shrunk back; he didn't like being at the center of attention like this, and wished desperately that he could hide in Hestia's shadow.
"Don't worry, Harry. They may stare, but they have good hearts," Chiron reassured the boy. "Well, mostly," he corrected himself. "Demigods are mortals, after all, so you find all shapes and sizes."
Harry just nodded shyly. Everyone here was way older than him, dressed in those strange orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts that irked Harry. He may be a demigod, but he wasn't a half blood. It sounded demeaning.
They walked through the strawberry fields that surrounded the Big House, where more campers were picking bushels of the fruit. They looked really good strawberries, too. "Mister Dionysus?" Harry asked.
Chiron smiled, proudly. "Exactly right, Harry. He has a way with fruit-bearing plants. It pays our expenses quite nicely."
Harry just nodded, and stopped to listen for just a few moments to a half-goat, half-man with horns on his head, playing the reed pipes. It sounded quite nice, in his opinion. "The satyrs' woodland magic is very good at pest control," Chiron explained, pointing to a line of bugs, fleeing as if faced with a flood.
"Come on, Harry," Chiron said, when it became apparent that Harry would be content to just stand here and listen to the satyr play all day. "From your statements about Lady Artemis, I think you will enjoy seeing the surrounding forest."
Harry drew his attention away, and nodded eagerly. Hestia just sighed theatrically. "And I wanted him away from playing in the woods," she said, teasingly.
The young boy pouted at her. "But I like the woods. And being able to take care of myself when things get bad."
Hestia hugged him. "I know, Harry. I was just teasing you."
He hugged her back. By now, they had reached the forest, and Harry couldn't help but grin. The forest was nicely sized, taking up about a quarter of the valley. "The forest is fully stocked with game animals, if you want to try your luck, but you may want to be armed with more than just a bow and arrows, just in case," Chiron explained.
"Just in case of what?" Harry asked, confused.
"Monsters, Harry," Hestia explained. "Monsters come after demigods. Sometimes, one is let in through the protective barriers."
Harry looked confused. "I never had real monsters come after me. Human monsters, yes, but not real monster-monsters."
"Which is a very surprising fact, and something that we will need to investigate at some point," Hestia said, smiling faintly. "Not that it matters while you're up on Olympus."
"We may want to get you a sword and shield anyway," Chiron said. "We can stop by the armory and see what fits you. You're still young, so probably a size one or size two."
Harry shrugged. "I don't like fighting," he said. "Someone always gets hurt. Usually me. I don't mind hunting with a bow, but I don't like fighting. Like Hestia, she doesn't like fighting either."
Hestia smiled softly at him, clasping his shoulder. Chiron nodded silently, thinking. Finally, he said, "While noble, Harry, there may come a time when you have to protect either yourself or others, and knowing a thing or two about protecting yourself will come in handy."
Harry thought about that. Chiron grinned, and clapped the boy on his free shoulder. "But you don't need to make a decision right this instant, so let's move on with the tour."
They walked past the arena, where the campers held sword and spear fights. Harry frowned; he definitely didn't like fighting, and it sounded like this camp was all geared towards teaching people to fight. Even with Chiron's fancy words about protecting people, it was still fighting.
"Don't worry, Harry," Chiron said, misinterpreting Harry's frown. "They're just the normal inter-cabin challenges; they're not lethal. Usually, anyway."
Harry's frown deepened, that wasn't making it sound any better. If people could just challenge each other, it wasn't really about protecting, now was it?
"Here's the archery range," Chiron said, rather pointlessly, as the targets were a dead giveaway.
There were a couple of blonde teenagers practicing their archery, and from what Harry could see, they were incredibly good at it, too.
"Hey Chiron," the oldest teenager greeted the trainer, before recognizing Hestia, and executing a small bow. "Lady Hestia," he said, causing her to smile warmly back at the camper. The blond teen looked at the centaur. "New camper?" he asked.
Chiron shook his head. "Hello Louis. No, Harry is just… visiting. Harry, this is Louis Harper, son of Apollo. Louis, this is Harry Potter."
Louis smiled in a way that reminded Harry of the Sun God. "Well now, isn't that interesting?" he asked semi-out loud. He turned fully to face Harry. "Welcome to camp, even if you're just visiting. I'm Louis. Obviously."
Harry smiled back, laughed softly, and grabbed the offered hand. "Thanks," he answered. "I'm Harry. Also obviously."
Louis laughed, and put a hand on the young boy's shoulder. "I like you," he decided. "I see you're carrying a bow and quiver. Want to have a go?"
Harry glanced at Hestia, who made a shooing motion, before turning to engage Chiron in a hushed conversation.
"Sure!" Harry said, smiling widely. It was something he was looking forward to, and why he brought the bow and arrows in the first place. Louis guided him to where the other two teens where practicing. Now that he came closer, the two teens were twins, they looked exactly the same!
"Guys, meet Harry. Harry, these are the guys. Guys, Harry's just 'visiting' according to Chiron, and judging from how Lady Hestia's with him, I'm not going to argue."
"Hi Harry!" the two other boys chirruped in a way that was obviously practiced.
Harry grinned, he liked them. "Hi guys," he greeted, grinning. The twins laughed.
"They're Jack and Jim. Nobody can keep them apart, and they're doing their best to keep it that way. So when you see them, just say 'guys' and address them both. Ruins their fun," Louis said, laughing softly.
The twin pouted at the older teen, who ignored them easily. "So, Harry, why the bow?" he asked.
Harry grinned. "Artie's been teaching me to use a bow, but she's stingy and wouldn't give me a bow of my own because I'm a boy. This morning, Hestia took me to see your dad, and we started talking, so I explained about what happened. He gave me the bow and quiver of arrows, but said they were just mortal ones as the special ones are reserved for you guys."
The three boys stared at him for a moment, before Louis cleared his throat. "Right. Let's see if the boy with brass balls the size of beach balls can shoot a bow," he said, aiming Harry for the range.
Harry frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked, looking at the older boy.
Louis looked down, his face utterly serious. "Anyone who calls Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, with an affectionate nickname has brass balls the size of beach balls."
Harry stopped letting the older boy push him into position. "Not you too! Artie's cool, she's awesome, and she's taught me a lot. Everyone's scared of her, but she's not that bad!" Harry didn't have many friends, so he was going to stand up for the few that he had.
Louis stopped, and sighed. "Harry," he said, still on that serious tone. "Lady Artemis hates men. She has transformed men into animals for far less than calling her with a nickname – affectionate or not. She's dangerous. Utterly so."
Harry frowned. "She gets mad sometimes," the young boy said. "But honestly, she's not that bad. Just don't ever ask if it's possible to become as good as her with a bow. She'll take it as a challenge and get really mad at you. Other than that, she's awesome."
Louis blinked. "Harry, she has transformed men for the simple problem of them stumbling across her while bathing."
Harry stared at Louis for a few moments, digesting that. "That's awful."
"I know," Louis said. "Poor guy."
The young boy blinked, then frowned. "No, I mean, him peeping on her. No wonder she cursed him."
The older son of Apollo shook his head. "The guy was just taking a walk. It wasn't his intention, he just came across her."
The young boy shook his head. "I just spent the last week in the woods for my first survival test. Miss Zoë was with me, to make sure I didn't hurt myself. Too much, anyway. I offered to stay in camp so she could bathe. She told me that the Hunters have ways of getting clean. If the Hunters can do it without getting seen, then Artie certainly can. That means the guy didn't stumble across her – he went looking for her." He crossed his arms. "He's a pervert. He got what was coming to him."
Louis gaped for a few moments, then managed to close his mouth. "That… explains a fair bit," he said, then shook his head. "Come, let's see you shoot before you turn the rest of my world upside down."
Harry grinned, took his position, got into the stance Artie had taught him, and took an arrow from his quiver.
Louis let out an impressed whistle. One of the guys said to his twin, "Look at that."
Harry stopped, and looked questioningly at the older teen.
Louis smiled. "That's one hell of a stance. It took me a lot of work to get it right."
The young boy grinned. "Artie taught me. It took me weeks before she'd stop correcting me."
The older son of Apollo shook his head. "Of course the Goddess of the Hunt would be an excellent teacher," he said.
Harry grinned, and nodded. He turned back to the target, and nocked the arrow he still had in his hand. He drew his bow, using the breath-control Artie had taught him, aimed, and fired.
Fwip.
Thwack.
His arrow was just off to the side of the bulls eye. He grunted slightly, took a second arrow, and aimed.
Fwip.
Thwack.
His second arrow was close enough to his first to damage its fletching. "Nice grouping, sport," Louis said.
"Still haven't split an arrow," Harry muttered disappointedly.
Louis laughed. "Even us, sons of Apollo, can't split an arrow that way, Harry."
The young boy pouted. "Artie can do it," he protested.
"She's the Goddess of the Hunt, of course she can," the older teen replied with a small laugh. "That doesn't mean us mere mortals can do it, too."
Harry continued to pout. "She got mad when I asked if I could do that, too. She took it as a challenge, so I have been keeping quiet about it when she's teaching me to shoot. She can be a bit prickly about things like that."
Louis grunted in laughter. "Harry, Lady Artemis isn't 'a bit prickly'. When it comes to boys and men, she can be downright ruthless."
The young boy glared at him. "Artie's nice. So are most of the other gods. Mister Apollo looked me over to make sure I was healthy, and gave me this bow and arrows. Mister Poseidon taught me to swim. The gods are cool."
Louis stumbled, then walked to a bench not far away and fell down on it. The guys, Jack and Jim, followed suit, but they were chuckling quietly, obviously enjoying Louis' world turn upside down.
"Harry," Louis finally said. "Let me give you a piece of advice. Advice that may, one day, save your life."
Harry nodded, feeling a bit awkward.
"The gods are dangerous. Very dangerous," Louis explained. "People have been cursed, or downright killed, for the flimsiest of reasons. Sometimes it was as silly as not making an offering at the right time. The gods, they're very dangerous to us mortals. Always, always be polite."
"Louis speaks the truth," Chiron said, trotting up. "It is always best to remain respectful of the gods, and mindful of their powers. Many a mortal has been smote to death for simple acts of defiance."
Harry crossed his arms. He didn't like the way these people were talking about his friends. Hestia was the sweetest, kindest person he had ever met. And Artie could be prickly, but he was utterly sure that she wouldn't harm him. Glare at him, yes. Hurt him, no.
Then, he realized something. "Are you always acting that way to the gods? Waiting for them to curse you for the slightest thing?"
Louis shared a glance with Chiron. "Well… yeah," he finally answered, as if it were just common sense.
The young boy sighed. "The gods are people too," he finally said. Chiron and Louis stared at him, as did the two 'guys', while Hestia offered him a proud smile. He felt stronger at seeing that smile, he loved it when Hestia was proud of him.
"What do you mean, lad?" Chiron asked.
Harry looked at the trainer of heroes. "The gods are people too," he repeated. "If someone always treats you like an angry weapon about to go off, then eventually, you're going to act that way. Sure, you need to be polite with them – but that's because you should always be polite, not because the god can smite you on the spot if you're not. Not that they would. They're nice people, if you're nice to them."
Well, most of them, Harry thought. Mister Zeus could use a lesson or two from Hestia on how to be polite.
"That… isn't how things normally work," Chiron offered.
Harry grinned, and shrugged. "I'm just polite, and treat the gods like people, not like weapons, or angry animals. And they're nice back to me. Well, except for Mister Zeus; he doesn't like me at all."
There was a small clap of thunder in the distance. Hestia laughed softly. "That may be due to the fact that you revealed his latest philandering in front of the entire Olympian Council, Harry," the Goddess of the Home said.
Harry just pouted.
Chiron smiled, but tried to hide his amusement. "We should move on, there are still a few areas to see," he said, drawing attention to himself. Harry smiled at him gratefully; the centaur was good at changing the subject when he needed to save Harry. The young boy found himself liking the Teacher of Heroes.
Chiron waved goodbye to the three sons of Apollo, while Harry gave his goodbyes. Hestia merely graced them with her usual smile.
As they left the archery range, they walked passed the arena again. Harry felt his spirits drop at the sight of it. He really didn't want to fight anyone, and the arena just reminded him that this camp was basically a training camp for demigods.
After leaving the arena behind them, Chiron took them to one of the buildings closer to the woods.
"These are the pegasus stables," the centaur said. He stopped right outside of it. "For obvious reasons, I prefer not to go inside, but feel free to take a look. I'm not sure if anyone is present or not, so you may want to stay clear of the pegasi if there isn't. Some of them can be twitchy around newcomers."
Harry shrugged, and looked at Hestia. She gave him an encouraging smile, and waved him on.
He just nodded in acceptance, and went to take a look – he'd seen them from a distance, and this was his chance to see them up close. Like most children, he was keenly interested in animals of all sorts.
He pushed the door open, and walked inside. Nobody seemed to be present, but he did see a couple of the pegasi standing in their boxes, some of them with their heads sticking out of the gate, eyeing him.
He smiled shyly, remembering how Chiron had said they could be twitchy.
Slowly, silently, he walked the length of the stable, staring at the various pegasi present. Some of them seemed to pull away at his sight, but most of them just stood still and stared.
"Oh, hello," he heard a girl's voice from one of the boxes.
He turned to look at the box in question, and found himself face-to-face with a girl that was about his own age, with black hair and blue eyes. She was rather slim, and looked really pretty.
"Hi," Harry replied, shyly.
The girl giggled slightly. "New here?" she asked, extending one hand over the door to the pegasus box. "I'm Silena. Silena Beauregard. Daughter of Aphrodite."
Harry smiled, still shyly. He took the offered hand, and said, "I'm Harry Potter. I don't know who my godly parent is."
"Undetermined, huh?" the girl asked, on a friendly tone. "Don't worry, Hermes' Cabin is cool. Crowded, but cool. It could do with a clean, though. Dust everywhere. Ugh."
Harry laughed softly. "Ew. I'd definitely be cleaning if I were staying there," he said. "I… eh… am just visiting here."
Silena smiled widely. "You have someone who takes care of you? That's great! Some of the campers don't, and stay year-round. Others go home and only come for the summer."
Harry's smile dimmed slightly, and he glanced away awkwardly when he remembered where he came from. "I didn't used to," he replied. He looked back. "Hestia's taking care of me for now," he then said, smiling returning somewhat.
Silena offered a supportive smile. "Someone named after the gods, that takes guts. They usually don't like it when mortals get named after gods," the girl said, sounding impressed.
"She's the Goddess of the Home and the Hearth," Harry explained. He went on to give a small rundown of how he came to be in Hestia's care. Silena was a good listener, apparently, as she made all the right noises at all the right times.
When he came to the part where he explained being on good terms with Artie and (some of) her Hunters, the girl grunted, her face showing revulsion.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"Ugh, don't get me starting on them. I'm the daughter of Aphrodite, the whole 'vowing off love' thing is an insult to my mother."
Harry had to think about that for a moment. "They swore off romantic love," he then said. "I've seen Artie and I've seen her Hunters. Trust me, there is lots of love there. The Hunters love each other, and they love Artie. And Artie loves them; she's warned me plenty before I ever got to meet her Hunters."
Silena crossed her arms. "Maybe," she said, not willing to admit to being wrong.
Harry grinned. "You'll see, if you ever get a chance to meet them. Plus, you're a girl, they'll be nicer to you."
"Are they really that bad?" the daughter of Aphrodite asked, hoping to change the subject.
Harry shrugged. "I don't think so, but others definitely do. Plus, Artie's always offering to turn me into a girl. According to Mister Apollo, that means she likes me. I keep telling her that she can change me into a girl only if she can change me back if I change my mind."
Silena burst out laughing, before opening the half-door of the pegasus box, stepping out, and closing it behind her. She grabbed Harry in a hug. "Oh, Harry, you'd make such a pretty girl. I could dress you up and teach you about makeup, and we could make up horrible stories about boys!"
Harry blushed cherry red at Silena's comments, but still hugged her back. Because hugs!
"Ehm… I think I'll pass," Harry said. "Besides, I think Artie wants to change me so I can join her Hunters in a few years."
Silena leaned back, and suddenly he was drowning in the deep blue of her eyes. "But you wouldn't just abandon your new friend, would you Harry?" she asked, her lower lip trembling.
Harry stepped back, shaking his head. "You're faking that."
The daughter of Aphrodite suddenly grinned, no trace of tears or trembling lip. "I was so sure that it would work, too," she said, giggling.
Harry chuckled. "It was a good try, but you oversold it."
Silena laughed, then changed the subject, before things got awkward. "Have you ever seen a pegasus?" she asked, pointing to the box she had just left.
Harry shook his head, and stepped next to her. Inside the box stood a pegasus, eating. "I was taking care of him when you came in. Wanna meet him?"
The boy shrugged. "Sure, why not?" he asked. Silena grinned, pulled the door open, and hustled him inside.
"Okay, the first thing is, a pegasus has eyes on the side of its head, so if you approach from the front, it can't see you very well. Approach from the side, so it can see you."
She walked with him towards the eating pegasus. Harry as sure that the eye pointed in their direction was glaring at him. For some reason, he had the impression the pegasus didn't like him very much.
Silena reached out, and patted the animal's long neck. "His name's Orage, French for 'thunderstorm'."
Harry felt more misgivings. A pegasus called 'thunderstorm' wasn't going to be all sweetness and cuddles.
The girl went on to rub the pegasus' neck, and the animal suddenly stepped away from his feed to face the girl and her companion. "He's a bit of a grump," Silena went on to explain, "But he's got a good heart." She looked at Harry. "Come on, he won't bite."
Harry swallowed the lump in his throat, wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, and stepped up. The pegasus was still eyeing him, he was sure of it.
"I… don't think he likes me," Harry said.
Silena grinned widely. "That's because he doesn't know you, silly! Come here and say hello." She grabbed him, and pulled him closer. "Hey Orage, this is Harry." She handed the boy an apple she had pulled from… somewhere, then indicated he was to give it to the pegasus.
Harry swallowed, pasted a smile on his face, and offered the fruit to the animal.
Orage didn't have to be told twice, apparently, and snatched the apple from the boy's open hand. For a moment, Harry was sure he could feel the animal's lips brushing his palm, but that may just be his imagination.
Silena was grinning widely. "See? You're become friends already!" she stated, turning back to the pegasus. "I can't wait until I'm able to ride him. They say i'm still 'too young'."
The obvious quotes made Harry laugh. "I'm 'too young' for things, too. Hestia won't let me do things until I'm 'older', too."
Silena sighed. "Adults," she said, on a suffering tone.
Harry nodded. "Adults," he agreed, on the same tone.
The two children looked at each other, then sighed together. Adults were the same everywhere.
"I should go back to Hestia and Chiron," Harry said. "Before they get worried about me staying in here for so long."
Silena gave an agreeing nod, and followed him as he walked out. As he opened the door, he heard Hestia say,
" - despite me asking her, Hecate remains her usual insular self, so I have to look into other ways to teach him."
Harry had no idea who Hestia was talking about, but he recognized the name of the Goddess of Magic that Mister Hades had brought up during the solstice meeting.
"Hi Hestia," Harry said as he stepped out, dragging Silena along with him. She giggled as he pulled her out. "This is Silena, she's Miss Aphrodite's daughter."
Hestia and Chiron immediately stopped their conversation, and the Goddess of the Home graced the girl with a warm smile. "Hello, Silena."
The girl flushed and gave an awkward curtsy. "Hello, Lady Hestia. It's nice to meet you," she managed with a passable non-quivering voice.
"There no need for that," the kind goddess said, patting the girl on the shoulder. She turned to look at Harry. "I am glad that you're making friends, Harry."
"Silena's fun," Harry enthused, making the girl blush. "She's really good with the pegasi."
Hestia smiled at the girl. "I am glad to hear it." She turned to face Chiron. "We should move on with the tour, however, as Chiron is very busy."
Harry nodded. "Alright, Hestia."
Silena turned to harry. "I should get going, too." Seemingly on impulse, she hugged Harry. "See you around, Harry."
The boy grinned, and hugged her back. Because hugs were good. "See you around, Silena," he said.
The girl giggled. "That sounds so wrong in your British accent," she teased, before remembering that she was in the presence of a major goddess, and the trainer of heroes. Blushing, she waved awkwardly at Harry before making a run for it.
"Sometimes, girls are strange," Harry decided.
Hestia laughed softly. "I think you will find that all people are capable of being 'strange', Harry."
The young boy nodded.
Chiron, grinning, just waved them on. "This way, please."
They walked passed the armory, where Chiron offered to get Harry a sword and shield. The boy politely declined. The teacher of Heroes simply smiled, and said the offer would be good for a future visit.
Walking passed the cabins again, Chiron then pointed out the dining pavilion, which had no roof, but was made up out of columns, and each cabin had its own table. There was also a high table, for Chiron, Mister Dionysus, and their guests.
Following a small stream, they arrived at a beach.
A real beach. Harry grinned, this was only his second visit to a beach, and this camp had one of its own! This was probably the best feature of the camp, Harry decided. A private beach.
"And this is where our tour ends," Chiron said.
Harry grinned. "Can I go say 'hi' to Mister Poseidon real quick?" he asked.
The teacher of heroes blinked. "Of course, if you want to," he said. "Lord Poseidon is Lord of the Seas, though, so he is likely very busy."
The young boy nodded seriously. "I know. But he did take time to teach me to swim and to show me his favorite beach, so I just want to say hi." He turned, and raced down the sand to the shoreline.
Leaning down, the boy put his hand in the cool water of the Long island Sound. He laughed softly as the tiny waves lapped at his hand.
"Hi Mister Poseidon," he said. "I know you said I could visit any beach I wanted." he suddenly felt shy. "I just wanted to say thanks. For teaching me to swim. And letting me come to the beach. So… thanks, Mister Poseidon. I know you're busy, so I'll stop bothering you."
When Harry pulled his hand out of the tiny, playful waves at the edge of the sea, he found the water clinging to his palm, making him laugh. When he was a fair bit up, the water cascaded away, giving the impression of having been a firm handshake.
"It seems like someone has the attention of Lord Poseidon," Chiron joked at the sight. Hestia just had her usual warm smile on her face. There seemed to be a measure of pride, there, too.
The young boy grinned. "Mister Poseidon's really cool," he answered.
"We should be going," the Goddess of the Home said. "Chiron has lots of campers to teach."
Harry just nodded in acceptance. "Thanks for showing me around, Mister Chiron!" he chirped to the centaur.
Chiron chuckled deeply. "Simply 'Chiron' will do, Harry. And it was my pleasure."
They trekked back to the fire burning in the center courtyard of the cabins. This time, there were a lot more campers out and about, and all of them were staring at Harry.
He suddenly felt really uncomfortable, and wanted to burrow into Hestia's shadow and never come out. They were whispering about him, too.
He saw Silena in the crowd, surrounded by some of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. And one or two of the prettiest boys, too – he had never considered the fact that boys could be 'pretty', but here they were.
Silena was smiling widely, and waved at him. Harry grinned, and focused on her. He smiled and waved back.
There was a cat-call from the opposite side of the courtyard, and Harry noticed Louis and the 'guys', surrounded by half a dozen other blonde-haired, blue-eyed kids that could only be their brothers and sisters.
Louis was grinning, cat-called again, and waggled his eyebrows in a teasing manner. Not used to actual teasing from people he didn't know that well, Harry suddenly liked the son of Apollo a lot less.
Hestia waved her hand, turning the fire green. The amassed campers ooh-ed and ah-ed, but Harry was glad to make a break for it, following Hestia back to the Temple of Helios. The moment he crossed the threshold, he sighed in relief and fell into the nearest couch.
"It wasn't that bad," Hestia said, smiling serenly when she sat down opposite him.
"Most of it wasn't, no," the young boy admitted. "But that part at the end? Where they all stared at me? That part sucked."
"Language," Hestia admonished gently.