Chapter 17

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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Back at the cabin, Lyra was walking into the living room, where most of her new friends were playing a card game as they waited for Lyra's return. Upon her entrance, however, the room immediately fell silent as they noticed that her face showed signs of stress and distress.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a concerned look on her goddaughter's face.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong? What happened?" Skye asked as she stood up, her cards lying scattered on the surrounding ground. She walked over to Lyra, who looked completely lost.

"Lyra? What's going on?" Artemis asked, worry lacing her voice.

The young witch simply stared at the Moon Goddess for a moment before answering, her voice sounding weak. "It seems… that I now need to register Skye at the ministry as well as force her to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, or she will lose everything that makes her Skye Potter."

Artemis gaped in shock before her brows furrowed.

"How?"

At that point, everyone had gathered around their goddess. They had all heard her and were now standing behind her, waiting to see what she would do next.

"What do you mean? How?" Artemis repeated.

Lyra sighed before replying unhappily. "According to Dumbledore, this is a new law created by the Wizagamot last week. He mentioned that it is already active. The law clearly states that any British-born magical child is to be registered as an heir or child to their house at the Ministry. This would block the Ministry from seizing Skye's inheritance, but it would force her to attend Hogwarts until 17 or till she receives her NEWTS. If we refuse to do this, Skye will lose everything that makes her a Potter and a Black."

Skye gaped before furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Why would this law affect me? I have no desire to return to England. There are too many bad memories connected to London, England. And besides… I'm only part British… my birth father was the Nemean Lion, and he was a Greek monster, so I am half British and half Greek. Furthermore, there is nothing stopping me from ignoring this law altogether." Skye stated. "I don't see why I should get involved with the politics of a government that I know nothing about."

No one really knew how to respond to this. The atmosphere was heavy and uncomfortable. A feeling of dread settled deep within Lyra as she realized what her actions could potentially lead to.

"Skye, please listen to me," her godmother pleaded as tears formed in her eyes, the pain evident on her face. "Please, just hear me out."

Skye sighed tiredly and nodded, indicating for the older woman to continue.

"This is something we have never experienced before," her godmother began. "The Wizagamot has never created laws as such in the past. It is unprecedented, which is why no one wants it to happen. But there is no way around this law, Skye. I must take you to the Ministry to have you registered under the banner of House Black and Potter. If I understood Dumbledore correctly, then this law states that all magical children born in Britain must register and attend Hogwarts or the government is eligible to strip the child of its inheritance and magic. I know you care nothing about your inheritance, and I don't mind that. However, you are a magical creature, with your father being who he is, and magical creatures more often than not die after losing their magic. Furthermore, you were born in Britain, it does not matter if your father is Greek, to the government you are a British citizen, and of course, this law will include you."

Skye was pale as she listened to her godmother, fear consuming her. Why? How could this happen? Why were such laws suddenly created? Why would someone want to take everything she had built since arriving here in America? Questions swirled around in Skye's head like angry bees, causing her to feel overwhelmed.

"But I'm not a magical creature," Skye muttered as she covered her mouth in shock, disbelief, and fear.

"But you are, my dear," Lyra sighed. "Lily and James had to block your creature side of your bloodline when you were born, however, you broke the seals' way before your 17th birthday. Not only that, but you unknowingly merged both your magical and creature sides as one, becoming a truly magical creature."

Skye felt her entire world tilt and spin once again, as though she were standing on thin air, watching the entire planet disappear beneath her feet. Everything hurt. All she wanted to do was curl up and hide away from her problems. Unfortunately, she couldn't do either. Instead, she remained silent and still for several minutes, trying to ingest everything she heard so far. Lyra spoke once more.

"Skye, I want you to be happy. I won't force you to do anything against your will. Not only that, but I'm willing to sacrifice whatever I need to in order to get you that happiness. Even if it means that I attend Hogwarts as a teacher in hopes of teaching you everything you need to know to take your NEWTS before your 15th birthday. I will not force you to attend Hogwarts for longer than a year or two. However, I cannot in good conscience ignore this law. I will not lose you, not now or ever. The question is, what will you do?" she asked softly, a sad smile on her lips, as she glanced toward her god-daughter and her companions.

Skye looked between her friends, all of whom seemed shocked by the news. None of them moved or said anything for quite some time, as they thought. Then slowly, Artemis turned towards Skye with wide eyes filled with concern.

"Skye… what have you gotten yourself into?" she whispered to the younger girl, who shrugged lightly in response.

"Well, considering everything that we have heard. I think we've all agreed that our only option is to have Lyra register me with the Ministry and attend Hogwarts. I am not inclined to die any time shortly. However, how will this affect my placement on the hunt?" Skye asked, although there was a slight hint of uncertainty in her voice.

A sigh escaped Lyra's lips. She hadn't wanted this for anyone, but especially Skye. "This law will force you to be separated from the hunt until you have your NEWTS. But if I can hire the time chamber from the goblins and some tutors. Then there is some sort of likelihood for me to prepare you with everything you need for your NEWTS. But unfortunately, you will have to sit the exams at Hogwarts. So, I believe that this will keep you away from the hunt for maybe two years, then we should be home free to leave Britain and never return. However, some good can come from you attending Hogwarts. Why don't you become the ambassador for Lady Artemis and recruit young maidens from Hogwarts to join the Hunt?"

It pained Artemis to hear that they would be forced to separate. She hated the idea of losing Skye, which hurt a lot worse than she cared to admit. However, Lyra had a relatively promising idea of making Skye her ambassador. Artemis made up her mind and agreed that this was necessary, and now their options are limited.

"Okay…" Artemis sighed before turning towards Skye, "But that does not mean I will send you alone. Also, Lyra is correct. You can be my ambassador. You can recruit any potential maidens, and the hunters that will join you can assist." She smiled slightly, hoping to brighten the mood of the others a bit.

Unfortunately, that didn't work too well. Instead, a worrying silence filled the room. The others soon noticed this, and they could tell that Skye was upset; it showed on her face and in her posture. The young hybrid appeared to be on the verge of tears, and this worried every member of the hunt.

"What is the true reason why the government decided to pass such a law?" Zoe asked, concerned at the pain and heartache radiating off of Skye. Zoe also knew that the girls needed to understand why this was happening.

"That I don't know," Lyra said, shaking her head. "I did not stay long enough to ask Dumbledore. However, I can give it a go on why this happened. There have been whispers floating around Azkaban and the fact that the Wizagamot has chosen now to enact a law shows that it's been running through their heads for weeks, maybe years now. They were afraid that they would lose their savior, the Girl Who Lived. They believe that Skye died in a car crash all those years ago, so they believe that they are entitled to the power and wealth of the Potters and by extension of the Black Families. However, they cannot be so sure that the rumor of your death is true, so they decide to find a way to force you back into the world you left all those years ago. This is their way to get their sticky little fingers back into the affairs of the Girl Who Lived."

"The Girl Who Lived?" Thalia asked, confused. "Why are you calling Skye the Girl Who Lived?"

Lyra sighed, "Because she is. Skye is known as the Girl Who Lived by All in Magical Britain."

"But why?" Skye asked, confused. "I don't understand."

"This name goes back to the night your parents died. I don't know what truly happened that night. I arrived after the fact. However, according to the rumors, Voldemort arrived at your family home on the night of 31st October while Lily was in the process of laying you down for the night. The monster broke through the protection before killing James. Stepping over the fallen form of your loving father, Voldemort moved on towards your nursery, where Lily tried to barricade you and herself in. But unfortunately, he broke through that within moments. And here, I am unsure if this is true, but he told your mother to step aside 3 separate times, but she refused, and in the end, he killed her. He then turned his wand towards you, firing off the third and final killing curse of the night. However, the curse backfired, destroying him instead. You, however, became the only person in existence to survive the killing curse. A curse that has no viable way to survive. This is the reason you became known as the Girl Who Lived and the savior of magical Britain."

There was a long silence in the air as everyone tried to process what they had just heard, but nothing felt real, as their brains simply couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"I… I think I need to sit down for a while…" Skye stated weakly before stumbling over to a couch. She sat down heavily, resting her forehead on her knees, and closed her eyes tightly.

Her mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour as she attempted to grasp hold of the reality of what she was hearing. Finally, it clicked as tears started forming in her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt an arm wrapping itself around her shoulders comfortingly and another pressing a warm cup of hot chocolate into her hands.

"Drink," she heard Artemis say quietly as she took her mug from her.

"Thanks, Artemis," she replied gratefully, taking a sip of her warm beverage. It did manage to calm her nerves slightly, though. As her body gradually calmed down, Skye opened her eyes to stare back up at her godmother. Her eyes were red and teary.

"Is there any other law the government created that would affect us in any way?" Skye whimpered as she rubbed her face roughly with her hands.

Artemis had a concerned look etched across her features as she noticed the tense look on Lyra's face. Artemis placed her hand on Lyra's arm gently.

Lyra took in a deep breath before answering, knowing what she was about to say was not a very pleasant thing, either.

"I'm… afraid so," she breathed out softly.

"What?" Artemis asked, surprised at her words.

Lyra swallowed dryly before continuing, "It appears that, by the time next week, I will be forced into a magical binding marriage contract. I have less than a week to choose my own future spouse. If I don't, then the Ministry will select someone for me, someone that could abuse me, and the connection I have with Skye. This could essentially place her in danger."

Skye looked at her godmother with such a deadpan expression that Lyra knew instinctively that her little god-daughter was just about done with everything.

"Why would they decide to force you into a marriage contract? And, if you must marry him or her, what is in it for the Ministry? It seems unfair,"

A frown creased Artemis' forehead as she looked down at the trembling girl in front of her, wishing she could take the pain away.

After a few moments of contemplation, the Lady of House Black finally responded, "I believe it's the same reason as I stated for the first law. The government is searching for a way to control you and maybe destroy any happiness you were able to achieve. Not only that, but they believe in hitting it from both sides. One by forcing you back to Britain and the second through the only family connection you have, and that is where the marriage law comes from. If Dumbledore hadn't come and informed me about all of this, then what the government planned would have happened without us coming up with workable solutions, and we would have lost everything."

A silence fell upon them once again. They all knew what was about to happen, and none of them were particularly happy about that fact, but at least they were all together for now.

After many moments of thinking, everyone seemed to realize that this was inevitable. All the pieces fit perfectly. They were the only plausible explanations as to why such a law would come out. Everyone in the group seemed to agree on that, and they also decided to let this whole issue go for now; they needed to deal with one major problem at a time. For now, all they could do was prepare.

Artemis, however, looked hesitant and uncertain, especially when she turned to look at Skye, whose expression had completely darkened.

"I can't believe this," Skye hissed angrily. "That stupid law isn't fair at all! Why did it come out now? Just yesterday was bad enough without adding this to the mix!"

Artemis sighed deeply at the sight of her distraught huntress, but she couldn't deny she felt the same way.

"We'll find a way out of this; I promise you that," Artemis reassured her softly.

A small, hopeful smile appeared on Skye's face, causing Artemis to grin at the young girl. She wrapped her arms around Skye once more and hugged her close, before turning to face the other hunters as they looked at her expectantly.

Artemis cleared her throat loudly before saying, "All right! I'm sure everyone knows what I am going to tell you next, and I can guarantee you that most of you aren't going to like it. However, this must be done. So, I'll start by asking how many of you are willing to go with Skye and Lyra to Hogwarts as students."

No one answered immediately. After a momentary pause, one person raised her hand, followed closely by several others, until nearly all the Hunters had stood up.

Their expressions showed that, yes, they wanted to help Skye and Lyra.

Their support meant everything to both of them, and they were beyond grateful. However, as much as they want all the hunters to join them, they, unfortunately, cannot allow this. Not with the upcoming war that has slowly started picking up in the last week or so. Lyra can agree to two to join them, but no more.

"Lady Artemis, before you send every member of your hunt with us, you might need to remember your orders from your father and that we are essentially at the start of the war between the Titans and the Gods. I cannot in good conscience allow all of your girls to join Skye or myself. I can; however, adopt 2 of your girls into the Black family and give them the gift of the Black family magic, which would allow them to join Hogwarts as students without any issue." Lyra stated before continuing, "If we do agree to this, then remember that there is a possibility that the first law will affect them as well. They will need to attend Hogwarts until they are 17 or until they receive their NEWTS, just as with Skye."

She looked directly at Artemis as she finished speaking, waiting for a reaction from the goddess. It took a few moments, but eventually, Artemis nodded her head in approval and acknowledgment.

"Very well," she agreed. "I believe that Bianca's daughter of Hades and Mia's daughter of Hecate would join you and Skye in this quest for the next few years. I would have loved it if Zoe and Thalia also went with you all. However, with the upcoming war, I will need them."

"Are you sure, Lady Artemis?" Skye inquired worriedly.

"Yes," Artemis responded firmly.

"And I," Lyra continued, "will take them to London and Gringotts. There is a ritual room that I would use where I would fully adopt Bianca and Mia as daughters of the House of Black. This is where I will give them the full ability to wizarding magic. After all, Mia should already have a pure connection to true magic."

Skye nodded in understanding before letting out a sigh of relief. "Okay, when will we leave for London?"

"As soon as possible, preferably tomorrow or the day after," Lyra replied. "But I still have the problem of finding tutors to teach the three of you everything you need to know before joining Hogwarts as students. However, the Goblins should be able to assist with that."

"Great, just great." Skye sighed.

"What are you going to do about the Marriage law?" Mia asked worriedly. "You are the Head of House Black, are you not?"

"You are also correct, Mia," Lyra answered. "I am the Head of House Black, however, before I enter myself into any marriage contract, I need to discuss with my bank manager in Gringotts first. I need to find out if there isn't any contract already active for marriage."

"Wouldn't joining the Hunt help you, by preventing you from being trapped into a marriage contract against your will?" Bianca wondered.

"You are correct in a manner, Bianca" Lyra agreed before continuing. "However, it was never my intention to join the Hunt. No, I intended to teach Skye everything about the world her parents came from and the history of the Potter Family. Not only that, but I planned to keep her away from the responsibilities of the Wizarding world and join the ruling body of the Wizagamot. By joining them, I will be able to work on getting these laws revoked and prevent any other laws from passing that would harm Skye and anyone connected to her."

"That is actually a good idea," Artemis murmured thoughtfully.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement as she finished speaking. When they had all settled down, Artemis continued.

"Is there a way to stop everyone from trying to place Skye into a magically binding marriage contract?" Artemis asked worriedly at the mere possibility. "The Ministry could try to force her to sign one too. After all, you believe they would go after her to destroy her happiness and freedom".

Lyra then turned to Skye, who was currently sitting on the couch hugging her legs tightly, burying her head into her knees, and staring straight ahead without saying anything.

"There is a way to stop them from entering her in any binding marriage contract, Artemis," Lyra spoke gently.

"How do you mean?" Artemis questioned hopefully, knowing fully well that she would destroy anyone who would trap any of her girls in marriage in any way.

"Well," she began hesitantly, "I can break any contract they force her to sign. For one, she is a minor and is legally not allowed to sign any contracts, even if she is the Head of House Potter. I am her guardian in both the magical and non-magical world. As such, only I will be able to sign a contract for Skye."

"But what if they force you to sign her into a contract?" Zoe asked, concerned at the possibility.

"Ah, that would never happen." Lyra began to explain. "For one, my family lawyers are required to be with me when signing any contracts. They are also required to check if I have any mind magic or potions affecting me that would alter my mindset in any way. Not only that, but Skye has already entered into soul bonding. This bond in itself will prevent Skye from being trapped in any contracts, as it is far more powerful than a simple marriage contract. You are an Olympian Goddess, as such, you should be able to confirm this with Lady Hecate. Finally, the Ministry wouldn't dare to put their dirty little fingers any further on Skye, since they wouldn't risk the public finding out about this marriage law and forcing them to overturn it. Skye's fame is huge in the magical world, and we could easily use it to our advantage."

After hearing what Lyra had said, it was easy for the rest of the hunters to understand why she was so confident in her theory. While it was a little strange, they couldn't say they didn't see where her logic might lie. Of course, it was possible that this was mere speculation on her part. However, it did make perfect sense to them.

Once again, silence reigned for a moment until Artemis spoke up. "Good enough," she commented dryly. "In that case, we should all get some rest before starting on making arrangements. We don't have a lot of time; however, we all had a long day and need some time to recuperate." With that, she turned and began to walk towards a door leading out of the room, calling over her shoulder: "Come along, everybody. Let's get some sleep."

The others quickly followed the Goddess, leaving Lyra and Skye alone in the room. "Hey," she softly whispered as she placed her hand on Skye's leg. "It will be all right. All will be fine. I promise, Skye; everything will turn out all right. Please trust me." With a slight nod and teary eyes from the young witch, the older girl smiled reassuringly and pulled the young woman close into a tight embrace. As she rested her chin on top of Skye's head, her arms tightened protectively around the young hybrid. They stood like that for several minutes, neither saying anything as they simply held each other.

Eventually, though, Skye pushed herself away from the older woman and wiped the few stray tears away with the back of her hand. "Thank you, Lyra," she whispered. Lyra nodded as she placed another kiss on the side of the teenager's head. For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on her face, showing how happy she felt right now. "I won't let anyone harm you again, Skye. I swear that," she vowed solemnly.

"I know you won't, Lyra," Skye responded softly. "Then it's time for bed," she stated quietly. Without another word, the two girls exited the room and headed out to their bedroom to spend some extra quality time together before everything went to hell.