Master of Death

Act 1 - Chapter 10

Hades waited for Thanatos to arrive for his meeting, impatiently drumming his fingers on the dining table. They were having their meeting over dinner, as they often tended to do.

When Thanatos finally did arrive, he had two teenage boys with him. Two alive teenage boys. They were dressed to impress, in expensive suits that were clearly tailored for their measurements.

The first one had dark hair and emerald green eyes that were shielded by round glasses. His skin was pale, contrasting his dark red suit. There was a peculiarly shaped scar on his forehead and Hades found himself scowling as he felt a piece of a soul inside. The boy was a horcrux.

The second had very pale features. From his pale blond hair to his silver eyes that Hades would have sworn made him a child of Athena. He had extremely pale skin as well, and regal features. He carried himself with pride and dignity, but not arrogance. His suit was dark green. The most interesting thing about him was the necklace around his neck that symbolized royalty in Thanatos's realm.

They didn't bow, but, then again, Thanatos never did. Why would his guests be any different? Hades would never admit it, but Thanatos was the one in charge. He delegated the Greek Underworld to Hades, but he called the shots and got the particularly nasty souls to keep in his own Hell.

"Hades, meet my master, Hadrian Potter, and his chosen, Draco Malfoy."

Hades nodded in respect, noting with slight surprise that Potter regarded him with a calm neutrality while Malfoy was wary but not intimidated.

"What is this meeting for, Hades?" Potter asked.

"Horcruxes. Someone named Riddle has made many and they need to be taken care of. I wanted to know if the reapers could fetch them?"

"Well then, it's a good thing we came, isn't it, Love?" Potter aimed the question towards his chosen one with a smirk as their meals were set in front of them.

Malfoy frowned. "Can the reapers even collect You-Know-Who's horcruxes?"

Potter hummed and took a bite of his steak. He thought as he chewed before swallowing and saying, "We can have them search. At the very least, they can bring them to us so we can destroy them. Voldemort won't win the war, Dragon."

Malfoy sighed and looked at Thanatos. "Could you send reapers out to search? I know we're understaffed at the moment. Harry and I will go recruiting before Yule is over."

Hades watched as Thanatos bowed his head in agreement. "Is there any other matters that require our attention?" he asked Hades.

"We have an issue with some shades getting loose somehow. I do not have the authority to deal with those on the surface, and my children are still in the Lotus Casino, so they won't be able to be any help."

"I will deal with that as well, then," Thanatos said dismissively.

"There's also the matter of Dadaelus. Still. And, there are still a lot of rogue ghosts in Scotland but I can't seem to pinpoint their exact location."

Potter and Malfoy choked on laughter. "That would be Hogwarts. It's a school for magic, and, coincidentally, the school we happen to attend," Potter said. "There are many ghosts and even a poltergeist. One of the ghosts is a professor and, my goodness, he's boring."

Hades scowled. "I insist they are retrieved!"

Potter abruptly stopped laughing. "Absolutely not. I don't care if you want me to make sure they get their paperwork in, allowing them to remain, but they have become an integral part of the school. My school."

Not willing to argue with his boss's boss, Hades simply adopted a displeased expression and nodded. "Do see that they get in that paperwork."

Potter grinned sharply and changed the subject. "You spoke of children?"

Hades smiled fondly. "Yes, my son and daughter. Nico and Bianca." He went on to ramble about what he knew of his children. "Of course, it's not like I can show that I care for them personally, due to these blasted laws. Or, at least, not in the way I'd like to."

After their meal, Hades had skeletal guards show them out and retired to his bedroom, where his beautiful wife was waiting patiently for him. "How did the meeting go, Love?" she asked.

"It was interesting," Hades answered honestly. He didn't bother to elaborate, knowing she wouldn't appreciate that he spoke of his demigod children. "Now, tell me about your day, My Dear."

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