The Wand is Mightier than the Sword

by orphan_account

Chapter 1

//HARRY//

Voldemort's cold, soulless eyes smirked at me for what seemed to be the last time. There, on the ground, I had fallen, struggling to rise, helpless, yet I knew I never would stand on my feet again. His wand was raised, the curse about to leave his lips, and he was taking it all in. No more time for games, but he could savor the time (it could have been no longer than five seconds) of my demise for just that. Five seconds, five seconds that seemed to me a millennium.

I glanced around the Great Hall one last time, searching for the faces of my family and my friends, to give them a comforting look, to show them I was okay. To savor their faces and emotions one last time. Ron, Hermione. My two closest friends. Ginny. One day, I had planned to marry her. Hagrid. I would miss him terribly. Minerva, Flitwick. It seemed everything they had taught me must have been in vain. The Weasleys. My first true family. Draco and the rest of the Slytherins. In the face of death, even our rivalry seemed like more of a childish joke.

And as my eyes came back around to Voldemort's cruel face, I saw everything for what it really was. I was the leader of these poor people, and they were lost. Lost, with nowhere to go. If I went, it would be their sanity, health, and safety to go next. And I realized what Voldemort was. He wasn't a human anymore. Humans have humane feelings, those like love and mercy and pity. Voldemort proved over and over again that he lacked these. There was no way to beat what he was. Suddenly, in the eyes of death, I lost my hope.

I straightened to my full height and turned to the watching crowd to utter the second last phrase of my life. "I MAY BE DEAD, BUT THE BATTLE IS NOT!" trying, in some way, to tell them to keep fighting, though I knew there was no hope left. The Boy Who Lived had faced his end, and so would the Wizarding World. Then I looked Voldemort in his cold, dead, eyes that shone with a kind of excited fury once more and uttered one more thing before his wand came down and he let forth a screech that caused absolute silence and darkness:

"Do your worst."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

~

//PERCY//

Annabeth dashed towards me in the sun, hair flying and arms stretched out, holding a white envelope in one hand, screeching in inaudible tones. She jumped into my arms and I picked her up and spun her around, 360 degrees. I put her back down, chuckling.

"Annabeth," I laughed, "sure, I like being spontaneous as much as the next guy, but what was that about?"

"I GOT ACCEPTED!" she shouted shrilly, jumping up and down. It took me a moment to register what she said, and another moment to register what she meant.

"What-Oh. Well, gods Annabeth, that's wonderful!"

She frowned. "You don't seem too happy."

"Well, I mean, of course I'm not. You're leaving. But it's important you and it's important overall, so there's no way I'm gonna argue with that."

And she smiled a dazzling smile. "Thank you," she whispered, intertwining our arms and pecking me on the lips. "It is going to be hard, but I'll spend every second of the summer here, and winter, spring, and Easter break, and-". I kissed her again.

"Okay. Don't you have a class you're supposed to be teaching at the moment, Mrs. Harvard studen?"

"Oh schist! Ancient Greek..," and with that she dashed off to the new 'classroom' where such lessons took place. I watched her run off with amusement and an amazing euphoric feeling, knowing I got to date that amazing girl, and things were finally at peace.

That's when Leo dashed out of his workshop screaming, "FIRE!"

//ROSE//

Three miles to go. Three miles to go. You can do it, Rose Weasley. You're so close. I struggled the past ten miles I had been walking, and now things began to get really hard. Upon entering New York City I was relieved to find passerby's stares less disgusted or surprised and more people looking like me wandering about, but realized these people weren't going to doll out help or kindness. No one was going to point me in the right direction. Like always, I had to do it myself.

Traveling was made easier with maps, though. I found that New York garbage cans had a healthy supply or old newspapers and food, among other things. I was lucky enough to chance upon a map that would lead me in the right direction. Two miles now. This has been hard, but you're so close.

//LEO//

Okay, so APPARENTLY screaming out "FIRE!" in a workshop full of very flammable demigods as a joke is a very bad idea. Who knew?
Anyways, after rubbing my cheek and glancing in the mirror to see how noticeable the red hand print one of my siblings had given me was (it was very noticeable, if you wanted to know), I headed off to wander around camp for a bit. I figured it wasn't quite safe to enter the Hephaestus cabin at the moment, fearful of another slapping, so I tried to find Jason and Piper. That's when I noticed the brown shape struggling up the hill.

"Chiron-!" was my first instinct. But something stopped me. I kinda felt the camp soldiers wouldn't be too kind to this mystery creature, especially if Clarisse became aware. So I maneuvered around camp, trying to find a discreet way to the hill. If this thing turned out to be dangerous, then yes, I would take full blame for not alerting the camp's army, but I knew somehow that doing that would be wrong. This thing wasn't harmless. In fact, it looked weak. Very weak. Like it might collapse at any moment. For some reason, I began to sprint as fast as I could.

It's gonna die if no one helps it, I thought.

I reached Thalia's pine, breathing heavily, and stopped. I had begun to over think. Maybe this thing was very dangerous. Maybe it wasn't, and trying to stop it from doing whatever it was trying to do could kill it.

I made a decision. I would wait.

The thing climbed the hill steadily yet slowly, making incredible progress. A few of the new kids hanging around near me took notice of it as it came nearer, and not knowing what to do, they turned to the all powerful, super awesome, world saving, death escaping demigod for help. Percy. Just kidding. I had this burden on my shoulders, and guess what? I had no idea what I was doing either. Yay.

And then the thing arrived at the camp borders. And it passed. And though just a minute ago I had been tense, waiting for this to happen, not knowing what to do, instinct kicked in. I raised my arm, as in a 'stop' motion, and my hand lit ablaze.

"Stop," I ordered, staring death at the thing a few feet before me. It did. And the hunched over girl dressed in brown cotton rags which I had mistaken for a monster raised her head to show her beautiful, pleading brown eyes and uttered a barely audible phrase:

"Please don't hurt me."

//PERCY//

As soon as I heard news of the foreign girl dressed in rags that had entered the camp alone, I made my way to the Big House as fast as possible.

Unfortunately, things weren't as I had expected.

Once there, I found Chiron, Rachel, and Leo gathered around Nico and the girl sitting across from each other on two couches. a coffee table in the middle, Nico grasping the girl's hands, eyes closed in what seemed to be thought.

Maybe, just maybe, I was ready to crack a joke. Maybe. But as soon as I saw the worry lines on Chiron's face stretched as far as they could go, and Rachel biting her lip in anxiety, and Leo not trying to make someone laugh, well... You know. I stopped. This wasn't the time.

My arrival went unnoticed until Nico sighed and dropped her hands, mussing his own hair in frustration. "Nothing. Not a drop of godly blood in her." The son of Hades looked up to find me standing there, watching. "Oh, what's up, Percy."

After receiving greetings from those in the room (except for the foreign girl, who looked at me oddly) I plopped down on the couch next to Nico. "What's going on?"

Chiron sighed and wiped his face. "We have a visitor, as I'm sure you've heard."

I looked at the girl sitting across from Nico. She had beautiful chocolate brown eyes and a pale, freckly face. She was small and scrawny, with a gap between her two front teeth and her bushy, fiery red hair  tied back in a shoddy ponytail. She was probably around fifteen years old, and was still looking at me like someone trying to remember a name to go with the face.

"Hi," I grinned at her, offering a hand to shake. "I'm Percy Jackson."

She cautiously watched me extend my hand and still looked at me curiously before taking the offered appendage.

"Are you sure your last name isn't Potter?" she asked in a British accent, which shocked me.

"Uhh, uhm.. Pretty sure. I mean, I've been told it's Jackson, but, I dunno."

The girl laughed. "Rose Weasley," she said with that accent. "I'm sorry, it's just, you look very much like a man I, uhm, I've seen before. I never knew him personally, just pictures, but he has those same striking green eyes, maybe a bit brighter, with that jet black, messy hair. You look remarkably similar, you just need round glasses and a red scar." She laughed again.

"What happened to him?" a new voice asked. I turned to find Annabeth leaning against the open door frame, her golden blonde hair blowing in the wind and glowing in the sun. The room grew silent.

"There was a war..." Rose whispered. "But, erm, that's not important. Well, it is, actually. It's why I came. And yes, I know I'm not a demigod, or whatever you call it. I'm a witch, and I traveled alone from Great Britain for help."

"Great Britain?!" Leo yelped. "All the way- never mind. Continue."

Chiron then cleared his throat. "If I may speak with you, Rose..."

"Oh, of course, of course. Right. You seem to be the leader of this camp, if I am correct? Yes, it is best we talk. I have much to say."

We left them in the Big House where they were, and the several times I passed that room's window during the day, I found Chiron's face stressed, his brow furrowed, or him walking around almost angrily. This situation clouded my mind all day, and a few things came to mind. I know I wasn't there when she met the centaur, but she didn't seem at all fazed or shocked that he was one. A centaur, that is. Two, A WITCH? WhAAT? Three... Who is...Harry Potter?

The minutes ticked by slowly until word had spread round the camp of how the mysterious stranger from another world who arrived in rags with mystic powers was locked away with Chiron for painful hours and signaled the beginning of another war. At least, that was the only rumor that was remotely close to the truth. I've also heard of the way she came in riding a rabid drakon and speaking in foreign tongues before dragging a lifeless Chiron out of camp proudly. Or how her spaceship could flash twelve different colors. Ooo-kay. Sure.

But these wild tales resulted in seven heroic demigods huddling themselves in the Poseidon cabin, discussing their ideas.

"She seems a little off," Nico noted. "She wasn't a demigod, and she definitely wasn't a mortal, so, what does that leave us? Maybe her tale actually is true, maybe she is a witch."

"It's highly unlikely. Maybe she's just a mortal with the gift of sight. Rachel could enter Camp Half Blood, right? Maybe she'd just gone mad. Maybe the gods are interfering," Annabeth reasoned.

"Oh, they definitely are. Their meddling is the cause of all our problems," Piper said plainly, shifting on her boyfriend's lap. The blonde frowned at her quizzically.

"For some reason," he said, still frowning in confusion, "I don't think that's it." Piper looked at him, surprised.

"I agree with Jason," I said. I got some weird looks but ignored them. "This girl seems really off. Kinda powerful. Like no one's controlling her, like she has nothing to lose, like she's maybe already lost it all. And she doesn't care what worlds she upsets in the process of doing whatever she's doing, like there's more at stake. Like otherworldly beings, including gods, have no control over what she's doing. No effect."

Leo interrupted the confused looks I was getting, especially the one from Annabeth (which plainly read, by the way, 'Seaweed Brain! That was actually very intuitive.') I grinned at the beautiful blond sitting next to me and she snuggled closer. But back to Leo. "Ditto."

The door swung open to reveal Annabeth's half brother, Malcolm, standing there in striped button up pjs. "Um, Chiron needs to see you guys..."

Okay, so then, and yes, at this very moment, yeah, I know it's weird, and no, I don't know why I have a cuckoo clock in my cabin, but midnight came and twelve 'cuckoos' emerged from the grinning bird below the clock. And that was the beginning of the day that ruined the next few years of my life.

Chapter 2: Chapter II

Summary:

Chiron explains Hogwarts and the Wizarding World to the demigods. The demigods decide whether they will help the Wizards or not.

//PIPER//

That night was the first time I realized how intimidating six pajama-clad demigods gathered around a ping pong table in a common basement could seem.

Not very.

Well, compared to the strange traveler, not very. The red haired girl may not have seemed like much, with her shaggy brown clothes and pale skin, but I could see past that and sense the true aura surrounding her. Somehow.

She was different. She had a different way about her, other than the British accent. It seemed like she would open up a tent in the wilderness and whip out her custom-made crystal ball, or something. Her raggy cloak or robe or whatever covered the top of her face, and though she was just a thin, short, pale, tired, weak British girl... Well, she was much more powerful than she seemed. I knew that much.

I turned to my left to look at Jason. He was sitting upright, trying to stay alert, but his eyes kept closing, if he wanted them to or not. His hand slipped out of my grasp right before Chiron walked into the room, and when the centaur began to speak, Jason's head was on the table and quiet snores could be heard. I shook him gently.

"Jason-J-Jason!" I leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Hey, c'mon, this is important."

It didn't work.

I sighed in frustration and sleepiness. It was near one in the morning and we hadn't started any of our 'super extra important midnight business', as Leo put it. A cup of coffee was slid in front of me as well as Jason, and I looked up at the blonde who had placed them in front of us with gratitude. Annabeth just smirked, like, yeah, I know. I'm an awesome friend.

I dunno what I'd do without that girl. I mean, since the war, we'd become best friends, and she always had my back. I watched as she sat down across from me and tried to nudge a loudly snoring Percy back into the world of the living and I thought about how all my relationships had grown since Gaea, well, went back to sleep.

Our lives have changed so much since then, yet so surprisingly little! It's ridiculously amazing.

Chiron started to speak with the strange girl standing at his side. I was forced to wake a drooling Jason and gulped my coffee before directing my attention to the centaur.

"Demigods," he began.

"That's us," Leo joked.

"How do I begin... Children, there is trouble afoot. I believe I must start at the beginning.

"Long ago, perhaps a century or so after Rome fell, Hecate became very angry with many of the rules and decisions Zeus had created. She decided to bless four specific infant mortals with her own gifts and lead her own, separate, secret society. Those four mortals were given the power to wield wands and cast spells, and they were the first of all wizards and witches. Their names were Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Syltherin. Fate eventually joined them together and they decided to create a school in Britain that is completely hidden from mortals, a school called 'Hogwarts', where they would train their offspring to be learned in magic just as they were."

At that, Leo and Percy (who was now awake) started to laugh. "H-Hogwarts?!" Percy choked out between roars of laughter. "Like, a pig's warts?!"

Annabeth scolded the pair of them and Chiron continued.

"Each founder of Hogwarts, Godric, Salazar, Rowena, and Helga, owned a house, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. They designed a magical item that would sort young wizards and witches into each house based on that wizard's or witch's traits and what each house valued. Gryffindor valued strength and bravery. Slytherin valued ambition and power. Ravenclaw valued wisdom and intelligence, and Hufflepuff valued loyalty and humanity. Soon, though, Godric and Salazar's ideals began to conflict with each others. After many offspring were created, Salazar began to believe that only purebloods, witches and wizards who had no mortal blood in their veins, should be allowed to join the school. Godric strongly disagreed and they went their separate ways. From then on, Salazar would only accept purebloods into his house and thus began the Slytherin house's descent into evil and wrongdoing.

"Many, many decades ago... In the year of 1926, actually... a terrible wizard was born. Tom Marvolo Riddle was accepted on a cold winter's day into an orphanage just moments after he left his mother's womb. His mother died minutes later. This was the gruesome beginning for the horrible wizard now known across England as Lord Voldemort."

No one laughed, probably because the British girl winced at the name. I hadn't even noticed her before, but now her presence loomed as a constant reminder of something foreboding. Another war?

Chiron continued. "Lord Voldemort -or, Tom Riddle, back then- was taught at Hogwarts. He was accepted into the Slytherin house, and seemed to be the perfect student- kind, handsome, smart- to everyone but the Transfiguration teacher at the time, Albus Dumbledore."

The room was quiet, as if waiting for someone to crack a joke. I glanced at Leo. He was just beginning to nod off. After I nudged him awake and motioned for him to listen, Chiron continued.

"Albus understood that Tom Riddle was different. Smarter than most, he quickly assumed the position of leader in his group of friends, and the whole school was terrified of him. Seven years later, in the same position socially, he graduated and disappeared without a trace."

"Now, let us fast forward thirty or so years. Tom Riddle is now known to the Wizarding community -keep in mind, those that they call Muggles, which are known to us as mortals, have no idea that wizards exist, much like us twenty-four hours ago- he is known to the Wizarding community as Lord Voldemort. His name brings forth a terror to any wizard or witch, and he is an unstoppable killer, gaining followers upon followers everyday. Voldemort's only rival in power is Albus Dumbledore, who is now headmaster at Hogwarts and much, much older. Voldemort's killing curse has never failed--until the day of Halloween in 1981, when little Harry Potter was only a happy baby. His parents, Lily and James Potter, were active in the failing force against Voldemort. Voldemort made his way to the Potter household, intent on killing the baby, for he heard tell of a prophecy that named Harry Potter as the only creature alive that could possibly bring Voldemort's downfall. The Dark Lord-Lord Voldemort-set his wand to Harry after killing his parents, and uttered the killing curse. It should have been fatal. Instead, Harry Potter became the first and only to survive the deathly incantation with nothing more than a single scar on his forehead. Voldemort went into a coma-like state, losing his body, and giving the Wizarding World and escape from his wrath."

Parentless, the baby Potter was delivered by Dumbledore to his only relative's house, who just happened to hate him utterly, where he grew up for eleven years of his life. At age twelve, with no idea he was a wizard, let alone the most powerful wizard of his generation and a widely-acknowledged hero, Harry Potter was delivered a letter telling him of Hogwarts and how he would be sent there on September first. That day came, and he began his life at Hogwarts."

"He made his way through years one through four making only small encounters with Lord Voldemort who was bodyless and weak. At the end of his fourth year, the Dark Wizard rose again, in a new body. The next three years were devastating for Harry. Dumbledore died. In his seventh year, both sides- Voldemort's and Harry's- came together in war."

"There were three ways the final battle between Harry, now seventeen, and Voldemort, could go. One, Harry survives and kills Voldemort. Two, Voldemort survives and kills Harry. Three, they both die. Both surviving was impossible. Though everything pointed otherwise, the second option took place. In the year of 1998, wandless and surround by friends and foes, Harry Potter, the world's last hope, died."

Again, the room was silent. A tear emerged from the British girl's eye and traveled down her cheek.

"Wait-," Leo interrupted. "What do you mean the world's last hope? Isn't that just Britain? Aren't only the wizards affected by this?"

Chiron shook his head sadly. "According to Miss Rose Weasley here, Lord Voldemort is much, much larger than he was back then. The Muggles in Great Britain know of Voldemort now. He is unstoppable. The world as we know it will end. He has everything in his power. Haven't the storms in Europe been on the news? That is Voldemort and his followers. He is now unopposed."

"Can't we just ask the gods to interfere?" Percy asked. "Or, even better, couldn't one of us just take a gun, walk up to him, and go Boom! ? There. I solved it."

Chiron smiled painfully. "Voldemort cannot be killed anymore, Percy. He used instruments called Horcruxes to basically immortalize himself. And the gods cannot interfere anymore. It is ancient law in this case. Even if they could interfere, I'm not even sure they could kill him."

I sat back. "So-- this is it?" I asked. "I mean, there's nothing we can do, if he can't be killed, right?" I smiled. "You're obviously telling us this for a reason, though. There's something that can be done...and only by us. Another long journey? Filled with painful torturous fighting? I can't wait."

Rose Weasley laughed. "Well, I like her. Yes, you're right. I came her for a reason. You see, my parents were best friends of Harry Potter's before he was killed. Their names were Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Six months ago, they were finally tracked down by Lord Voldemort and- and- murdered." She swallowed. "I was sent here after learning of the only way to end this. The answer is the demigods. You see, a prophecy told of you fellows. Find Chiron and his demigods, it said. Earlier on my journey, I met another of you. I didn't catch his name, but he said he was a demigod. He came from California, he told me. He told me where to find Chiron. And I've deciphered the full prophecy. I know what you must do."

Amidst Rose's brown, filthy rags, there was a gold chain round her neck. She pulled the end out, and on it hung an hourglass type thing. There was sand inside it. Looking through it made me dizzy. 

Rose held it up. "This is a Time Turner. My mother mastered it, as have I. It allows the wearer to travel through time."

The room was silent. I was stunned.

"Wait." Annabeth spoke up. "I think I know what you're saying. You want us, the seven, to give up our lives... to give up our lives and travel through time to when this Harry guy was just beginning at Hogwarts, and you want us to spend seven years aiding him in the war against Voldemort, and when the final battle comes, we put our lives on the line to help Harry try and win?"

Rose nodded. "Precisely."

Annabeth was speechless. "I-" she began, before slumping down with her head on the desk, groaning. Percy patted her back awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"You want us to leave our families... to leave everything behind and return back to the year of 1990?" Percy asked.

"It would save many lives. It is the only way," Rose responded calmly.

"Wait, why us?" Leo asked. "What if it means another group of demigods?"

Chiron shook his head. "We don't trust anyone else. And I'm sure a few of you would never let another group of demigods possibly die to save you..." 

Percy shrugged. "...Okay," he said after a pause.

"What?" Jason asked, surprised.

"Okay," Percy replied apathetically. "I'll do it. I mean, they're right. It's the only way, and I can't let anyone else do it for me. No way. But Chiron," he continued, ignoring a stunned Annabeth, "can't I just go? I don't want any of them to chance their lives anymore. I mean, Annabeth has college..."

Jason laughed. "Like we'd let you do it without us. Yeah right. Okay. I'll do it too."

Leo grinned, jumping up and stretching. "I'm in."

Nico smiled. "It gives me something to do, right?"

Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand. "Like there'd be a college for me if we don't stop this guy, and by the way, I'd never let you do it without me, alright? I'll do it too.

Jason smiled at me comfortingly. "You don't have to, Piper. But I'd love for you do be there with me."

I kissed him. "Of course I'll be there with you."

I stood and put my hand on the handle of Katropis. "When do we leave?"

Chapter 3

//PERCY//
Sand sifting through my hands, I pondered what had just happened. Not for the first time, my whole life had changed because of a single day. Because a challenge erupted before me and I rose to meet it, because that's who I am. Because that's who Annabeth is. And I could not let Annabeth go alone... Never.

Annabeth...

But the real reason I sat on the edge of the lake, cold water rinsing my feet, at 6 o clock in the morning, when just an hour ago Chiron had bid us all a good night, was not that my life was going to change again. The next seven years were out of my hands. No, it was because of a decision... Annabeth.

The day after next, at 6:30 in the morning, Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Leo, Nico, Chiron, Rose and I would gather in a secluded part of the woods, encircled by the Time Turner. Rose and Chiron would, with some type of spell and help from Hecate, apparently, bless them with magical powers. Under the influence of a charm, the Time Turner would take them back to the year when they were eleven, and their bodies would return to that state too. Then the charm would be lifted, and just themselves, not their appearances, would travel to the year of 1991, on June 23. Chiron and Rose would return to the present, and Hecate would transfer the demigods to Britain, sending them in pairs to different orphanages all over the country, making them swear they would under no means reveal their demigod powers. Sometime before the 30th of July, Ministry representatives would come to tell them they had They would not see each other, besides the one they lived with, until September 1, where they were to meet in compartment 23. As for which Hogwarts 'house' they would be in, it was anyone's guess.

This was the part that bothered me. As I had heard, Ravenclaw was the supposed house for the brilliant. What if Annabeth was there and I wasn't? What if she fell in love with someone else? Could I bear it?
No, I decided. And thus, the question I had been attempting to answer for at the very least an hour was solved, and I sat up, brushing sand out of my hair, repositioning myself so that I knelt before the lake.
"Father," I whispered aloud, my hair whipping about me in the wind, the lake rising up to wet my knees, "Father, you know what I need, right? Please.."

Again, the waters of the lake lapped my knees and I willed them to wet. Please, Dad, I thought. As the water drained back into the sea, I spotted what they left in their wake with a grin. A large, lustrous pearl shimmered brightly in the sunlight with beauty to rival that of the most perfect diamond. I picked it up and tossed a large golden coin from my pocket into the lake as an offering.
"Thank you," I said, and straightened up, making for my bed.
///
"Percy... Come on, you idiot, get up! Ugh, you're useless..." There was the sound of someone taking hurried steps away from my bed, so I cracked my eyes, turning to look at my alarm clock.
1:59, it read.
"Oh my gods!" I sat up, startling the angry blond busying herself in the kitchen of my cabin. "Annabeth! It's TWO! Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods," I muttered repeatedly, trying (unsuccessfully) to pull my shirt onto my pants, which I still wore. "Annabeth, everyone is going to MURDER me! Gods, I missed four classes I had to teach!"

I turned to look at her, finding her wearing an amused smile. "Percy," she said slowly, as if I were four. "Do you remember anything from yesterday?"

I suddenly stopped hopping around in a struggle to pull a hat (Just a sidenote: I don't wear hats, or even own them, and have absolutely no idea where it came from) on my foot, my angry expression fading, and fell back onto my bed. "Oh...Oh yeah... So- So did you get my classes for me?"

"Me? Please, I woke up at noon. Been trying to wake you up every since," she smirked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

I jumped up immediately, almost knocking her off. "Oh my gods! It's TWO! I have almost no time left!"

"Percy- where're you-," she began, but I tore out of my cabin, leaving her extremely confused.

"Where is he, c'mon, Leo, where are you..." I said to myself, sprinting around the camp. Then I ran into him.

"Hey, watch out-! Oh! Leo! C'mere dude, can you do me a solid-"

"Only if you can do me a liquid," he said, completely seriously.

"No, look, okay, so..." I pulled him over to a corner where it would be really difficult to be heard and tugged a bundle of cloth out of my pajama pocket. I opened it to reveal the pearl. "I need you to make this into a ring... Please."

His mouth opened in shock, he closed it, then opened it again, grinning. "Honestly, Percy, I never really imagined you to be the ring-wearing-type, but, hey, you'll rock it-,"

"It's for Annabeth," I interrupted. "Please, okay?"

He looked at the seriousness in my face and nodded. "Sure."

I sighed, relieved. "Don't let anyone know, especially her. Can you have it done around six? And please, just something simple, nothing too showy, something you can wear while fighting evil guys and writing twelve-page essays, y'know, without it getting in the way," I joked.

He grinned. "No problem. Piece of cake."

 ///

You can't blame me for getting a little bit nervous before proposing, alright? I mean, c'mon, this is some pretty big stuff...

So it's not my fault if I showed up at the Hephaestus cabin at four thirty in my underwear.

Right?

Well, actually, it's a bit of a longer story than that.

I guess Jason and Nico just wanted to be funny, maybe? Well, anyways, after I gave the pearl to Leo, I decided the best way to cope with my nerves was a nap. I was exhausted and went straight to my cabin to close my eyes (not locking the door... oops.) So Jason saw me and told Nico, suggesting a prank, not knowing about the importance of my plans, and they changed my alarm clock's time. Harmless, right? Well, yeah, if not for the fact that I woke up at 4:30 (having missed the alarm), believing it to be eight, and therefore, in my haste, may or may not have left the cabin without clothes (yes, with underwear on. I sleep in my underwear, okay? Don't look at me like that.) So I sprinted to the Hephaestus cabin and threw open the door to find myself face to face with Clarisse. (Don't know why she was in there.) Then I realized my mistake and took off, not fast enough for her to make a few choice comments and laugh, though.

So a pretty bad start.

After the shock had worn off,

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