NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: CH 25
Hestia just smiled reassuringly at Harry, and then turned to her youngest brother. "Squatter's rights," she said.
Pandemonium broke out among the gods, and Harry, still not liking loud noises, swallowed deeply and hid himself behind his favorite goddess. "Also, Harry, since your godly parent has not yet been determined, you would be staying in Hermes' cabin. As God of the Travelers, he welcomes everyone into his cabin."
Harry nodded slightly, then turned to the god in question. " Thank you, Mister Hermes!" Hermes waved back. "No problem, Harry."
The young boy turned to look at Hestia. "Why couldn't I stay in your cabin, though, Hestia?" Hestia just gave him a smile. "Because I do not have a cabin at camp, Harry. I don't need one; I have no children."
Zeus seemed flummoxed at how to respond. Instead, it was Athena who answered. "However, he just admitted that he is in contact with Helios, which makes the temple not abandoned after all."
Hestia turned her smile to the Goddess of Wisdom. "In which case, Helios is still around and has offered shelter to Harry. That would make this a case of Temple Asylum."
Zeus shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We can not allow a mortal to stay on Olympus. He can go to Camp half-Blood, like all the other young demigods."
"That would be the preferred solution," Athena said, backing up her father.
Harry looked at Hestia. "That's the camp you're looking after, right?" he asked her.
Hestia nodded. "Yes, it is, Harry. It is very nice and has many activities that you may enjoy. It's definitely an option if you wish to do so. However, after the life you've had, and the hardships you've had, I don't think you would enjoy it for long."
Harry frowned slightly. "Why not?" he asked, curious.
"Because once there, you're not allowed to leave unless it's for a quest. Also, with your lack of trust in authority figures, I do not believe you would enjoy the atmosphere."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. Being locked up somewhere held no appeal to him – and being forced to do what someone else told him to do reminded him of the Dursleys. He had freedom now; he didn't want to lose it.
Zeus was glaring at him now. Harry halfway hid behind Hestia. The god reminded him so much of Uncle Vernon now. He looked like he expected everyone to just do as he said. Harry didn't like him. Harry gaped at her, as if she had just said the sky was purple with yellow dots instead of blue. "What?" he asked, struck dumb.
"Just send the boy to camp. We have more important things to do," Zeus snapped.
"I am not going to a camp that doesn't have a cabin for Hestia," Harry said, stepping out from behind the goddess in question, and crossing his arms.
Zeus' glare intensified, but before he could say anything, Poseidon interjected. "I understand how you feel, Harry. In many ways, Hestia is the best of us. She is kind, gentle, and supportive. It is why all of us gods like and love her. However, as she has said, she is a virgin goddess. She had no children, and therefore, she has no need of a cabin at camp."
"Artie doesn't have children either," Harry said.
Artemis choked in surprise, and looked like she wanted to somewhere else right now. Apollo started laughing. Hermes joined in.
"Artemis has her Hunters," Zeus snapped.
It was Harry's turn to look flummoxed. He recalled that book on the Greek gods that Hestia had given him, his mind going over what he knew of these gods. Athena was supposedly a virgin goddess as well, but she had many children throughout history, so she probably had a cabin. Wait a minute…
"Miss Hera doesn't have demigod children either," Harry suddenly spoke out loud. "Does she have a cabin?" Silence descended among the gods, everyone looking at everyone else. Hestia smiled widely at him, looking proud at him figuring that out.
"That's… a rather good point," Poseidon said finally.
"That cabin is ceremonial!" Zeus thundered. As God of Thunder, he was very good at it, and Harry jumped in surprise.
"Yours is supposed to be, too," Hera said on a deceptively level tone. The god sunk in his throne and tried to look small.
Harry just nodded. "I don't want to go to a camp that doesn't have a cabin for Hestia," he repeated. "She's the best goddess ever." Hestia looked uncomfortable with the praise, and the gods sent wary looks at each other. "While I appreciate the comment, I do not need a cabin, Harry," Hestia spoke, kindly. "As I said, I don't think you would enjoy the experience anyway, not before I am able to help correct some of the damage done to you by those people, anyway."
Harry just smiled at her. The Goddess of the Hearth turned back to Zeus. "Since he does not wish to go, Harry isn't going to camp. He has been granted Temple Sanctuary by Helios."
Zeus growled. "That does not matter!" he said again, turning back to his original argument.
"So you would break the age old laws of Temple Sanctuary?" Hestia asked, kindly. Deceptively kindly.
The King of the Gods frowned and his eyes narrowed. "He is not in the temple right now."
"Only because you had the guards drag him out of it," Hestia replied. "Which, in itself, is a breach of Temple Sanctuary."
"Aunt Hestia is right, Father," Athena admitted, sounding as if she didn't like doing so. "If we accept that part of Helios is still around, then he has clearly granted sanctuary to this boy. If we do not accept Helios' presence, then the boy has been living in an abandoned temple, without challenge, for long enough to lay claim to it."
Zeus frowned deeper, thinking deeply.
"Oh, just let the boy stay, Zeus," Hera said. "He's been here six months already and hasn't caused any problems or issues. I don't see the point of this argument. Either he owns the temple, or he has been offered shelter in it. Either case, he has legal standing to stay."
Zeus crossed his arms. "I do not want him to stay. It sets a bad precedent. I say to remove him, preferably to camp, but anywhere will do."
"Unfortunately, even the gods must follow the law, Father," Athena stated. As Goddess of Law and Justice, this fell under her domain.
Zeus grumbled; unfortunately, justice was one of his domains as well. As a God of Justice, he wasn't allowed to be unfair. He crossed his arms, clearly displeased. "Fine. Let him stay, then. On your heads be it – I never want to see him again."
"Thank you, Zeus," Hestia said, gracing him with a large smile. The irritated King of the Gods sighed and seemed to relax at that smile, before waving them off. "Yes, yes. Begone."
Harry couldn't leave that room quickly enough. Hestia took her time, smiling at her extended family members.
The moment those huge double doors fell shut behind them, Harry turned and grabbed Hestia in the tightest hug he had ever given someone.
"You helped me," he whispered, continuing to hold her.
The Goddess of the Hearth smiled back at him. "Of course we can, Harry," she said. "You're a growing boy so we have to make sure you get plenty to eat."
Harry smiled back at her. Cooking with Hestia was a lot more fun that cooking by himself, he always learned so much from her! Somehow, the stuff she cooked always tasted better than when he tried to cook it for himself.
Hestia just hugged him back. "Of course I did, Harry. I heard your call. Of course I came." The young boy finally relaxed. "Nobody else ever helped me," he whispered. "You're the first one who ever stood up for me."
"Oh, Harry," she sighed, feeling that familiar sensation in her heart.
They remained silent for quite a while, the Goddess of the Hearth providing reassurance to the young boy.
Finally, they broke the hug. "Come on, Harry. Let's go to the temple, now that you've been allowed to stay."
Harry nodded, and walked next to her. He was closer than usual, still jittery from what had happened, and not really wanting to trust that he wasn't about to be grabbed again. People in authority had let him down way too often. He trusted Hestia. Hestia would protect him, she'd proven that.
Now that he was starting to relax, his body shedding the excess stress hormones that had been flooding it, his normal biological functions slowly started to come back.
In other words, he suddenly realized that he was hungry. He looked at Hestia. "Can we cook something?" he asked, tentatively, halfway expecting her to say no. She had done so much for him already, after all. Hestia offered him a smile and held out her hand. "Come, Harry, let's see what's in the kitchen for us to work with."
"Okay, Hestia!" Harry said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the kitchen. As they passed through the living area, Harry saw the fire in the hearth, and suddenly remembered something he was curious about. He looked at her as they walked. "Hestia?"
"Yes, Harry?" the kindhearted goddess answered patiently.
"Why do we always travel through fire? I know you can teleport by yourself, so why do you always use fire when I'm with you?"
That was probably because she was a goddess, he realized. Artie had gotten testy about her being better with a bow, so maybe Hestia was the same way with cooking. He wasn't about to make the same mistake he'd made with Artie and say anything out loud; he'd just watch and learn whenever he had a chance.
They walked in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Finally, they arrived at Helios' temple, and Harry pushed the doors open.
"Hi, Mister Helios! I'm back!" he said, loudly, to the imposing statue. The sensation of Helios' presence seemed reassuring and protective. "Hestia helped me!" Harry went on. "She stood up for me to the other gods, and they're going to let me stay!"
The presence that was Helios seemed part reassuring and part apologetic, as if sorry that it wasn't able to do more.
Harry patted the statue's foot, still the only part that he was able to reach comfortably. "That's alright, Mister Helios. Like I said, Hestia stood up for me. She's the first ever who stood up for me!"