Unexpected Gifts

Chapter XVI

Hades nodded with a smile and look at Harry, "Of course. I'm not one to deny a lion its meal."

Harry laughed dryly at the joke.

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The God and Goddess took them to a high-class restaurant that night.

Once they were sat and looking over the menus, they ordered drinks.

"So, you asked that we continued the discussion from earlier," Hades began as he looked at Harry. "May I ask why?"

Harry sipped his Elven wine, "Well, a few years ago, I was bitten by Salazar Slytherin's basilisk. He laid her to rest under Hogwarts Castle as a last resort defense in case the magical children within came under attack. Tom Riddle warped her mind and tricked her. He poisoned her mind with madness and she turned on the students who come from nonmagical backgrounds."

Harry rolled up his sleeve and showed his arm, the thick scars from the basilisk fang showing.

"I pulled the fang from my arm and used it to destroy a soul container belonging to Tom Riddle. A Phoenix cried into the wound, healing me."

"Basilisk venom is extremely fast acting. You should have died as soon as you were bitten," Persephone told him.

Harry only shrugged, "That wasn't the first time I should've died."

Hades lifted an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean?"

"Are you aware of our Killing Curse?" The God nodded. "Tom Riddle murdered my parents when I was a babe. My mother used a combination of Evanshade and Peverell magic to perform a ritual on me. My earliest memory is of her begging him to spare my life before I hear his laughter as he kills her. He aims his wand at me and there's a flash of green light before a tortured scream."

Cyrus choked on his drink. Anna and Astoria looked close to tears. Harry smiled at them before brushing his hair back, showing his famous scar.

"My scar is where the curse hit me. It's a rune drawn from my mother's blood that was burned into my skin from the power of the curse. The spell was captured by the magicks of the ritual and rebounded onto Tom Riddle. What wasn't supposed to happen, was his soul split, and a piece was placed in my scar."

"For the past fourteen years, the fragment of Tom Riddle's soul has been assimilating with Harry's. His magic deconstructed the fragment and took what was useful," Daphne picked up for him.

Hades hummed lightly before Harry drew his wand and showed the God. "The tears and venom still live in my blood. They make up part of my wand casing."

Hades took the wand and studied it. "Two of the cores were offered as gifts. The other is of a dragon that no longer walks this earth," He said thoughtfully.

"A female Thestral and male Griffon who share deep bonds with you. Their herds protect your home and family," He passed the wand back to Harry who shook his head lightly.

"The herd of Thestral has always been at Potter Manor. Drulia, she is the granddaughter of Druella, the Thestral who favored my grandmother," He smiled. "Jax is the son of the Griffon my grandfather saved from here and brought home. The herd was only made of seven back then, but they have grown. Jax's father, Jet, was only a few weeks old but bonded with my grandfather."

Daphne laughed lightly at something Harry shared with her, "I can't say I blame either herd for not liking James if he swapped their feed."

Persephone smiled, "Let's start with the Wurms. They were the first of the basilisk."

"A Wurm is the title of a basilisk over a thousand years old," Hades said. "Was that about the age of the one that bit you?"

Harry nodded something which made Hades sigh. "Their venom grows more potent with their age. You are truly lucky to be alive."