The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 208 Athena Festival

In Greece, the Athena Festival is always a highly anticipated event.

A grand festival held every four years.

On this day, representatives from all the territories belonging to Athens must come to Athens to participate in the celebrations, no matter how far away they are.

During the festival, these representatives would also present Athena with brand-new embroidered robes and animal offerings.

After the sacrifice, Athens would host a week-long grand sporting and musical competition, with the sporting events comparable in scale to, and sometimes even surpassing, the Olympic Games.

It's important to know that the Olympic Games were established by Zeus, the king of the gods, and to some extent represented the gods of Mount Olympus.

Athena's festival, which was celebrated alone, was comparable to that of the other gods, which shows how popular she was. It was precisely because of this grand occasion that some people spread the rumor that Athena would overthrow Zeus's rule.

However, Ino didn't care much about any of this.

Or rather, he didn't care much even if Athena confronted him.

Of all mythologies, the one he fears least is Greek mythology.

Of course, this is not to say that they are arrogant and want to challenge the Greek gods head-on, but rather a kind of strategic contempt. If they can't beat them, can't they at least run away?

Things are different now. Whether it's Apparition or the phoenix that has been released from the suitcase, these are his biggest trump cards.

After all, we've only ever heard of the Greek gods being brave and powerful, but we've never actually seen any god who could teleport.

Even Zeus, the king of the gods, used to transform into an eagle and fly most often.

Ino held the Greek gods in reverence, but not fear. This is the most direct result of the difference in power systems.

If you have the ability, come and pursue him. He doesn't care if it takes three or five years; he'll return when the time is up. Besides, the Greek gods aren't a monolithic entity; there are numerous factions within them, and externally, there are the Titans of the Abyss, remnants of the previous era.

However, despite his thoughts, he was unwilling to break ties with anyone unless absolutely necessary.

Looking at little Helena beside him, he truly saw his own reflection in her—both orphans, both helpless and alone.

……

Time always slips away unnoticed.

As the Athena Festival drew closer, Ino closed its store.

Money can never be fully earned, but if he truly angers Athena, no amount of money will be of any use, since this shop has always been reserved for Helena.

As usual, the sun chariot swept across the sky at dawn, announcing the start of a new day.

On the day of Athena's Festival.

Helena got up very early, which was unusual for her, and rummaged around in her old wooden box.

In the living room, Ino sat quietly to one side, watching the busy little figure.

He understood Helena's behavior all too well. Almost every lonely, homeless child is like that; they always have one or two things they cherish, whether it's a pretty candy wrapper or an inconspicuous button.

Soon, he also saw the item Helena cherished: a rectangular, thin piece of black gauze.

"This was left to me by my mother!" Helena said proudly, holding up the black veil in her hand.

"How wonderful!" Ino exclaimed from the bottom of her heart as she looked at the scarf.

To be honest, he has always envied children who have things left by their parents; it's an extension of family affection.

There was a time when he also possessed this kind of kinship...

Seemingly feeling sad, Helena quietly walked up to Ino.

"I'll give you half! That way you'll have some too!"

As they spoke, their two small, delicate hands clasped together, ready to tear open the scarf.

Seeing this, Ino opened her arms and gently hugged the petite figure.

To be honest, Helena's ability to do this was beyond his expectations, leaving him with nothing but admiration.

It's already quite remarkable that a child who grew up on the streets is willing to share his most precious possessions.

Moreover, this item was left to her by her mother.

"This is what your mother left for you. You must keep it safe. I will also leave you something in the future."

Ino lowered his head and whispered some words of advice in Helena's ear.

……

In Athens.

The quadrennial Santa Claus Festival packs the entire city with people.

Ino struggled through the crowd, with Helena, who had a smile on her face, sitting on his shoulder.

"Ino, there's a street performance over there. Move to the side, there's a tree blocking my way!"

Helena held a candy in one hand, while her other hand was tightly bound with a black scarf.

"How many times have I told you to tell me left or right, or to the side? What does 'to the side' mean?"

Ino felt somewhat helpless; he now truly understood the hardships of raising a child.

Normally she's fine, but today, with the festive atmosphere, Helena finally showed a side that befits her age, the liveliness and innocence that children should have.

"Left and right?" Helena looked at her hands blankly.

A moment later, she leaned out halfway, extending her arm, which was wrapped in a black scarf.

"Look, it's the direction of this hand."

"Sit still and don't move!" Ino patted the arm that was stretched out in front of her.

……

The lively celebration lasted from dawn until dusk.

Especially after sunset, the bustling atmosphere of Athens does not diminish with the arrival of night; on the contrary, it becomes even more lively.

After all, the daytime belonged to the goddess's sacrifices, while the mortals' revelry began at night and lasted for a week.

Not far from the temple, there was a closed bakery.

Two figures, one tall and one short, were sitting in the shop.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me? Then you have to promise to stay here obediently and not run away by yourself."

Ino looked at Helena with some unease, wondering what had gotten into the child, that she simply refused to go to the Temple of Athena.

"Okay! You go ahead, I won't wander off." Helena blinked, her violet eyes filled with seriousness.

Seeing Helena's expression, he couldn't insist on saying anything more. He could only give her another word of advice before walking alone toward the temple opposite.

……

The bakery is not far from the temple, about half a block away.

It took Ino a few minutes to reach the temple gate.

To his surprise, a familiar figure was standing outside the gate.

"The goddess has commanded me to come and fetch you! Please follow me," the girl draped in white linen said slowly.

Hearing a voice and demeanor different from before, Ino suddenly realized that the one in the temple must be Athena herself.

Actually, it makes sense when you think about it. It's a grand festival that happens only once every four years, so you can't just use divine intervention to deal with it.

"What's meant to happen can't be avoided," Ino sighed softly, and followed the girl in front of her slowly into the temple.

Forty-six massive, separate stone pillars stand like sturdy guardians, alongside a pristine white marble pavement, exquisite fountains, and magnificent reliefs.

Everything reflects the culture and art of classical Greece.

But no matter how exquisite and luxurious the surroundings were, Ino could not muster any enthusiasm.

If he could, he really didn't want to get involved in all the troubles and conflicts of this large family.

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Xiaodi's sharing today: The Panathenaea (also known as the Panathenaic festival) is a religious festival in ancient Greece, mainly commemorating Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Below is detailed information about the Panathenaea festival:

Holiday period:

Originally, the Panathenaic Festival was held annually in Athens.

Starting in 566 BC, the Great Panathenaia was changed to be held every four years, replacing the regular Panathenaia of that year.

The festival takes place in January according to the Athenian calendar, which corresponds to July or August in the Gregorian calendar.

Festival Origin:

The Panathenaic Festival is a festival that originated to commemorate Athena, the patron goddess of Athens.

The festival has various myths and legends about its origin, including stories related to Erictonius, the legendary hero of Athens, and Theseus, the hero who unified the city-state of Athens.

Festival activities:

During the festival, representatives from all of Athens' territories would travel to Athens to participate in the celebrations.

People would offer Athena a brand-new embroidered robe and animal sacrifices.

(End of this chapter)